Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The Speed of Madness
Chapter 44: The Speed of Madness
Oliver Queen, also known as the Green Arrow, struggled to free himself from the ropes that bound him to a tree. He was in Central City Park, where he had followed a lead on a mysterious speedster villain who called himself Tachyon. He had hoped to catch him off guard and bring him to justice, but he had underestimated his speed and power.
Tachyon, or Myles Walley as he was known in his civilian identity, was standing a few feet away from Oliver, wearing his Mark II costume. He had a smirk on his lips as he watched Oliver's futile attempts to escape.
"So, Mr. Green, are you enjoying the view?" Tachyon asked mockingly. "You know, you should be honored. You're the first non-speedster to witness my new suit.."
Oliver glared at him with contempt. "You're insane, Tachyon. You're not changing anything. You're just causing chaos and destruction. You've killed innocent people, robbed banks, attacked Team Flash, and now you've kidnapped me. What are you trying to accomplish?"
Tachyon laughed. "Oh, Mr. Green, you're so naive. You think I'm doing this for some grand purpose? No, no, no. I'm doing this for fun. And because I can. You see, I'm not like you or your friends in Team Flash. I don't have a moral code or a sense of justice. I don't care about right or wrong. I only care about power. And I have more power than anyone in this world."
He gestured to the city around them. "Look at this pathetic excuse for a society. The rich exploit the poor, the corrupt control the law, the weak suffer the consequences. And what do you do? You dress up in costumes and play hero. You think you're making a difference? You're not. You're only making things worse."
Oliver frowned. "How do you figure that?"
Tachyon smiled wickedly. "Because you're giving them false hope. You're making them believe that someone will save them, that someone will fight for them, that someone will protect them. But you won't. You can't. You're only human, after all. And humans are flawed and fragile."
He leaned closer to Oliver's face. "And you know what else? You're also making them afraid. Afraid of you and your methods. Afraid of what you might do if they cross you or disobey you or disappoint you. Afraid of what you might become if you lose control or go too far."
He chuckled softly. "You see, Mr. Green, you don't represent the idea of a hero or a villain. You represent the idea of a threat. A threat that needs to be eliminated or contained or avoided."
He straightened up and looked at his wristwatch. "And speaking of threats, it looks like your friend Barry is almost here. He's been tracking your location ever since I sent him a video of me capturing you and bringing you here."
He turned to face the direction where Barry Allen, the Flash, was expected to arrive any second.
"I wonder how he'll react when he sees you tied up like this," Tachyon mused aloud.
He then looked back at Oliver and winked.
"Let's find out."
Tachyon was about to say something else to Oliver, but he was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Tachyon! Stop this madness!" Flash shouted as he ran into the park, wearing his new armor.
Tachyon smiled and let go of Oliver. He walked slowly towards Flash, ignoring the ropes that fell off him.
"Barry! Buddy, How nice of you to join us!" Tachyon exclaimed, embracing his Tachyon persona.
Flash stopped a few feet away from him, his face full of concern and anger.
"Tachyon, please. Listen to me. You don't have to do this. You can still stop. You can still be the person you were before. The person I knew. The person I cared about."
Tachyon ignored his plea and looked at his armor instead.
"Wow, Barry, you've upgraded your suit. I like it. It's very sleek and shiny. But tell me, who's your tailor? Because he's a copycat."
He pointed at his own armor and smirked. "This is the original, Barry. The one and only."
He then heard another familiar sound behind him. He turned around and saw Reverse Flash arriving, also wearing a new armor.
He taunted him with a mocking tone. "And what's this? Another copycat? Did you steal Barry's design? Or did you make your own?"
Eobard stopped next to Barry and glared at Myles.
"Myles Walley, or should I say Tachyon," he said coldly.
"You're late, Eobard," Myles said mockingly.
"By two minutes."
Eobard snarled and said. "Don't worry, Myles. I'll make up for it by killing you in two seconds."
Myles smirked and said. "Oh, please. You couldn't kill me even if you had two centuries.Oh, Eobard, you're so funny. You're always so full of yourself. You always think you're the smartest and the fastest and the best. But you're not. You're just a loser. A loser who's obsessed with Barry and who can't let go of the past."
He then sensed another presence behind him. He quickly turned around and blocked an incoming attack from Black Flash, who was also wearing an armor.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a second! What's this? Another copycat? Is this copycat season or something? Why is everyone ripping off my armor? And did you just ripped off Noob or is it Cabal? Your boss is gonna get sued for that."
He pushed Black Flash away and threw him towards Flash and Reverse Flash, but they moved out of the way in time. Black Flash corrected himself mid-air and landed on his feet.
The four speedsters then faced each other in an intense stare down, ready for a fight.
***-
Meanwhile, in Star Labs, Cisco, Joe, and Caitlin were watching the news on a large screen. The news anchor was reporting live from Central City Park, where Flash was confronting Tachyon and two other speedsters.
"We have breaking news from Central City Park, where a major showdown is taking place between the Flash and three other speedsters. One of them is the notorious Tachyon, who has been terrorizing the city for weeks with his crimes and attacks. The other two are unknown, but they appear to be wearing similar armors to the Flash and Tachyon. We don't know their identities or motives, but they seem to be hostile to both the Flash and Tachyon. We advise all citizens to stay away from the park and avoid any contact with these speedsters. We will keep you updated as the situation unfolds."
Cisco shook his head in disbelief.
"Wow, this is crazy. Four speedsters in one place? Is this going to turn into a battle royale or something?"
Joe frowned.
"I doubt it, Cisco. It looks like Tachyon has pissed off those two pretty bad. Maybe they'll tire him out for Barry to catch him."
Caitlin bit her lip nervously.
"And then what, Joe? What happens after that?"
She looked at him with worry in her eyes. "I'm worried about Barry and Myles, Joe. I know Myles is not himself right now, but he's still a person. He's still our friend. Or at least he was."
She turned back to the screen and sighed.
"And it's clear to all of us that those two new speedsters are out for blood. They don't care about justice or mercy or anything. They just want to kill Tachyon. And we don't know what will happen if they do."
She paused and added. "And we also don't know what will happen if they don't. Remember, one of them is the man who killed Barry's mother."
Joe cursed under his breath. "Damn it, you're right, Caitlin. This is a mess. A big mess."
He looked at the screen with concern and hope."Come on, Barry. You can do this. You can stop them all."
***-
Back to Myles, who was observing the three speedsters with a calm and confident expression. He thought to himself that he had to readjust his plans a bit, but he was not worried. He had a backup plan ready.
He telepathically contacted Grodd, who had hidden himself in one of the tall buildings nearby. He asked him if he had found Shawna Baez, also known as Peekaboo, a metahuman who could teleport through any visible location.
Grodd replied that he had already found her and captured her. He said she was unconscious and secured in a van.
Myles was pleased with Grodd's work. He told him to stay put and watch Oliver, who was still tied to the tree. He thanked him for his help and ended the communication.
He then addressed all three speedsters, who were still staring at him with hostility and suspicion.
"Well, well, well. This is quite a surprise. I didn't expect to have two extra guests for my party. But that's okay. I can adjust and accommodate you all."
He smiled wickedly and pointed at Flash.
"Barry, my dear friend, I have a little surprise for you. You see, I've been busy while you were looking for me. I've planted the same bomb that I attached to Mr. Green all over Central City. There are hundreds of them, hidden in strategic locations. However, unlike the one behind you, the rest need to be charged first. And guess who has the remote control?"
He held up a small device in his hand and pressed a button.
"That's right. Me. And you know what else? You only have ten minutes to stop me before I activate them all."
He pressed another button and a countdown started on the device.
"Ten...nine...eight..."
Flash's body was enveloped by the Speed Force as he became more determined to stop Myles. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
"Tachyon, you're insane! You can't do this! You'll kill thousands of people!"
Myles shrugged.
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. But you'll never know unless you catch me."
He winked at him and said.
"Ready or not, here I go."
He then ran off in a burst of speed, leaving a trail of black and white electricity behind him. Barry, Eobard, and Black Flash chased after Myles, who was running at an incredible speed. They followed his trail of electricity, but they had a hard time keeping up with him. Myles was using his speed and his Primal Force powers to cause collateral damage along the way. He smashed cars, windows, signs, and anything else he could find. He also manipulated gravity, time, and space to create obstacles and traps for his pursuers.
Barry pushed his body and suit to the limit, trying to catch up with Myles. He was worried about the bombs and the people in danger. He also wanted to stop Myles from hurting himself or anyone else.
"Myles, stop this! You don't have to do this! You can still come back!" Barry shouted.
Myles taunted him with a loud voice.
"Barry, Barry, Barry. You're so slow.How many times do I habe to say it, hm? You can't save me."
He laughed maniacally.
"I'm having too much fun. And you know what? So are you. Admit it, Barry. You love this chase. You love this challenge. You love this thrill."
He opened a wormhole in front of him and disappeared into it.
Barry followed him through the wormhole, but he was not prepared for what he saw on the other side.
Myles had emerged in another part of the city, where he had attacked Eobard, who had taken a different route to intercept him. He had punched him in the face with such force that he had broken his nose and sent him flying backward.
Eobard groaned in pain and anger as he wiped the blood from his mouth.
"You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Eobard yelled.
Myles smirked and said.
"Sorry, Eobard. I couldn't resist. You're such an easy target."
He then noticed Black Flash coming out of another wormhole behind him. He quickly teleported away as Black Flash swung his scythe at his head, barely missing him.
Black Flash growled and said.
"Tachyon, you cannot escape me. I am Death for speedsters. I will claim your soul."
Myles chuckled and said.
"Oh, really? And who are you? My dad? Or my Ex-wife?"
He kicked a trash bin at Black Flash with his gravikinesis, while changing the gravity and increasing its speed.
Black Flash was hit by the trash bin and flew across the city.
Myles then focused on Barry, who had just come out of the wormhole.
He used his telekinesis to lift a car and hurl it at Barry.
Barry dodged the car and said. "Myles, enough! This has gone too far! You have to stop!"
Myles shook his head and then lifted another car and threw it at Barry.
Barry dodged again and said.
"Myles, please! Listen to me! You're not yourself! Fight back!"
Myles laughed and said.
"Barry, you're so wrong. This IS me!"
He then lifted the ground and tried to crush Barry.
Barry split into five copies using his speed mirage technique and hurled five lightning bolts at Myles.
Myles was wowed by Barry's move and said. "Wow, Barry. That's impressive. I didn't know you could do that." He then absorbed the lightning bolts into his armor and said. "But it's not enough." He ran towards Barry as Barry's clones fused into one as he tackled Myles.
However, Myles phased through his body and grabbed him from behind.
He smashed him through a wall and said.
"Nice try, Barry. But you can't touch me."
Eobard arrived and punched Myles at supersonic speeds.
Myles chuckled and struck back before backing away.
He then engaged Black Flash in a fistfight.
Myles and Black Flash continued to punch each other with incredible force and speed. Myles decided to go all out and use all his powers against Black Flash. He used his superstrength to break his bones, his speed to create sonic booms, his projections to create illusions, his mind control to mess with his head, and more. He was determined to kill Black Flash and prove his superiority.
Black Flash, however, was not deterred by Myles' attacks. He took them all head-on and fought back with his own powers. He used his scythe to slash at Myles, his speed to create vortexes, his death touch to drain Myles' life force, and more. He was determined to claim Myles' soul and fulfill his duty.
Meanwhile, Barry and Eobard, who were observing the fight, were stunned by the display of power and speed. They tried to fight the shockwaves that came from Myles and Black Flash's attacks, but they were too strong and frequent. They could barely stand on their feet.
Barry felt Central City was suffering an earthquake with a ridiculous magnitude. Buildings were shaking and on the brink of collapsing. Roads were splitting apart. People were screaming and running for their lives. Barry realized that the city would be split in half if the two continued their fight.
He looked at Myles and Black Flash with horror and desperation.
"Myles, stop this! You're destroying the city! You're hurting innocent people! You have to stop!"
Myles ignored him and said. "Shut up, Barry! I'm trying to kill someone here!" He and Black Flash then disappeared in a flash of light.
Barry asked.
"What? Where did he go?"
Eobard said.
"They're moving so fast that they're entering and exiting the cosmic forces."
Barry asked.
"What does that mean?"
Eobard said.
"It means they're tapping into the sources of our powers. They're using them as shortcuts to travel across the city and attack each other from different angles."
They then heard thousands of sonic booms all over the city.
They saw brief glimpses of Myles and Black Flash hitting each other before vanishing again.
They felt the ground shaking more violently than before.
They realized that Myles and Black Flash were escalating their fight to a new level of speed and power.
They realized that they had no way of stopping them or catching up with them.
They realized that they were in trouble.
They then saw a huge explosion in the distance.
They saw a building collapse in flames.
They saw Myles crashing into it with Black Flash in a chokehold.
Barry looked around as he realized it wasn't just the building that Myles fell on that collapsed, but everything surrounding them. The whole city was in ruins. Smoke and dust filled the air. Fire and debris littered the ground. People were trapped and injured. Barry felt a surge of guilt and anger.
He ran towards the people who needed his help, but he realized he was still not fast enough. He pushed his body further, ignoring the pain and strain. He repeated to himself.
"Faster, faster, faster."
Unknown to him, his body was emitting more lightning than ever before. His speed was increasing exponentially. He soon vanished from sight.
Meanwhile, Cisco was stunned as his monitor showed Barry's energy readings had gone beyond the limit. They were off the charts. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Barry, what are you doing? You're going too fast! You're body is going to breakdown!"
He shouted into his earpiece, but he got no response.
He then saw something that made his jaw drop.
An infinite number of Barry appeared on the screen, each one rescuing civilians, rebuilding the buildings that collapsed, putting out the fires, clearing the debris, and more. They were moving so fast that they seemed to be everywhere at once. They were doing the impossible.
Cisco was speechless. "So cool." He whispered in awe.
Eobard was stunned as well. He didn't remember his original Barry being capable of such a feat. He had never seen anything like it before. He then realized that Barry had gone too fast as well, that time had lost track of him. He had transcended his limits and reached a new level of speed and power.
Barry, still unaware of his feat, focused on Myles after rescuing the last person. He rushed towards him with all his speed and force, while his copies followed him. Myles looked up and saw Barry's fist coming at him. He tried to dodge or block it, but it was too late. Barry struck his helmet with such force that it cracked and shattered. Myles grunted and felt a wave of pain and shock. He could only describe the blow as being punched across time in an infinite loop.
Barry watched Myles crash into several buildings, while his (Barry) suit was ruined beyond repair, but still managed to cover his identity.
Meanwhile, Myles was on the ground, looking shocked and dazed. He had blood dripping from his mouth and nose. His armor was broken and cracked but slowly rebuilt itself. His eyes were wide and unfocused.
He then smiled and began to laugh like a maniac or a hyena. He laughed so hard that he coughed up more blood.
He then said. "I get it now~"
He said it with a tone of revelation and joy. As if he had found the meaning of life.
He had gone completely insane. "Barry you're the best." He muttered as his body crackled with Primal energy.
Author Note:
Hello, my dear readers! How are you all doing? I hope you are well and happy.
I'm back with another chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. It was a very intense and action-packed chapter, with a lot of speed and power. What did you think of Myles and his Primal Force powers? What did you think of Barry and his infinite copies? What did you think of the ending?
I also have decided to start a new original novel called "Help! The Demon King Has a Gun". It's a comedy-fantasy story about a young man who is summoned to another world as the demon king. He has to deal with the crazy situations and characters that he encounters in this new world while trying to figure out why how to stop the heroes from destroying the world.
If you are curious about this story, please give it a chance and check it out. You can find it on my profile page. I would appreciate it if you could read it and tell me what you think about it. I hope you will like it and have fun with it.
That's all for now. Thank you for reading and supporting my stories. You are awesome and amazing. Stay safe and healthy. See you in the next chapter.
Peace out!
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