DC : Crisis of infinite hunger : Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Squeezing into Trouble

Barry Allen had never felt more frustrated. Just months ago, his suit slid over his toned, muscular body like a second skin, perfectly form-fitting, ready to absorb every ounce of speed the Speed Force granted him. But now, things were different. Barry’s physique had taken a significant turn—his once lean muscles were buried under layers of soft, ever-expanding fat. His metabolism, which used to work in overdrive, now seemed to only work on finding ways to add inches to his waistline.

And now, standing in front of the full-length mirror in his and Iris’s bedroom, Barry struggled to fit into what had once been his fitted Flash suit. Now the red fabric was strained to the breaking point, stretched across his massive belly. He had tried pulling it on himself, but it became evident that he needed help—lots of it.

“Iris!” Barry called, a note of embarrassment creeping into his voice. He gave one last tug on the fabric before letting out a sigh of frustration. “I need some help here!”

Iris West, who had been in the bathroom trying to get herself ready, waddled into the room, donut in hand. She took a moment to look Barry over before taking a bite of the pastry, her own outfit struggling to contain her curvier figure. Iris had been experiencing her own transformation over the past few weeks, and her favorite blouse now clung desperately to her widened hips and belly. The buttons down the front strained, one even having popped off a few days ago, leaving a gap that exposed the soft curve of her belly.

With her cheeks puffed out from the donut, she muffled, “Hang on, I’ll help in a sec,” as she swallowed the bite. She crammed the rest of the donut in her mouth to free up her hands. Her fingers, sticky with icing, left small marks on her blouse as she wiped them on her pants, ready to assess how bad Barry’s situation was.

“You’re still trying to squeeze into that?” she teased, waddling up behind him, her wider hips swaying with every step. "Barry, you’ve gotta stop eating before suiting up," she teased, though her voice was strained from the effort of pulling. The waistband wouldn’t budge, and her own jeans were digging into her hips as she bent down to help him. "I mean, I know you’re fast, but you’ve been way too fast at grabbing those snacks."

Barry shot a sheepish glance at Iris in the mirror. His large belly hung out over the top of his suit’s pants. His formerly powerful legs were now soft and thick, and his thighs chafed with every movement and made it extremely hard to get his suit up any higher.

"Iris," Barry sighed, "I think this might be a lost cause." His voice was a mixture of embarrassment and helplessness. "I’m supposed to be the Fastest Man Alive, but I can’t even get my pants on."

Iris smirked around the donut in her mouth and gave his waistband one last futile tug. "At this point, I think I’m better off getting a shoehorn," she joked before taking another bite of her donut, her plump fingers making it disappear faster than she intended.

Barry's hands rested on the growing curve of his stomach, his fingers sinking into the soft flesh. He gave his belly a half-hearted jiggle, sighing at how unrecognizable his body had become. The irony of being a speedster cursed with such rapid weight gain wasn’t lost on him.

Iris, who had finally let go of his waistband, came around to stand in front of him. She wiped her hands once again on her now too-tight blouse and looked at him with a mix of concern and affection. "We’ll figure it out, Barry," she said, her tone softening. "I mean, I can barely fit into my own clothes anymore as well. I’ve had to buy new clothes twice already, and It doesn't seem to be slowing down either". She patted her own belly for emphasis. "We’re in this together." She reached out and gave his belly a playful pat, though her fingers sank deeper than she anticipated.

Barry looked down at her, feeling the warmth of her hand against his skin. He hugged her, placing his hand on her back, noticing how her blouse pulled taut across her hips. For a moment, he felt the slightest bit of relief—they were in this together. But the growing weight of the situation, both literally and figuratively, lingered.

Suddenly, there was a loud rip as Barry’s pants split at the seam in the back, unable to take the strain of his bulging rear any longer. Iris’s eyes widened, and then she burst into laughter, covering her mouth as she giggled uncontrollably.

Barry turned beet red. "Okay," he said, his voice flat. "That’s it. I’m officially out of costume options."

Still laughing, Iris wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, Barry. I think we’re going to need to make some calls. Maybe see if someone on the league can invent some new 'stretch tech' or something."

Barry’s lips twitched as he tried to suppress a smile. "That’s not a bad idea, actually."

Just then, conveniently, Barry’s communicator went off. It was a League alert. Barry groaned as he glanced at the flashing device on the bedside table.

Iris raised an eyebrow. "You think they’re going to be okay with you showing up like this?"

Barry shook his head. " I'll have to see if wally can teach me that trick creating a suit with the speedforce. But trust me, Iris, no one is going to want to see this right now."

She laughed again and kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck, Fastest Man Alive."

With his torn pants barely hanging on and his belly still out in full display, Barry made his way toward the door, trying his best to not think about how the League or Wally was going to react to his... current form. As he left, Iris leaned back against the wall, finishing her donut and absentmindedly picking up another from the box.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Her stomach, round and soft, pressed against the fabric of her pants, which were digging into her hips.

"Well," she mused, patting her belly, "looks like I’m going to need a new wardrobe too."