316-320

Chapter 316: The Meaning of Running 

"My apologies." The tricycle's protests finally had some effect. 

"You want to eat an Energon Cube?" 

Cody pulled up the shop, glanced at the price of an Energon Cube, then immediately closed the shop and began to coax the tricycle. "Tricycle, this is Earth. Just try electricity and gasoline for now. Think of it as sampling some exotic local cuisine—isn't that nice?" 

"Energon is a Cybertronian's combat power," the tricycle said, its white lights flashing in a very human-like eye-roll. "And I'm a native Earth Cybertronian, so gasoline and electricity are like home cooking to me. Energon Cubes are the exotic food, and I've been eating gasoline for three whole months now; I almost burp gasoline fumes! It's just one extra meal, how much could it cost?" 

"It'll cost 5,000 asset points," Cody ruthlessly refused. "Even a million combined would only feed you for half a year. If you keep eating like this, our family will go bankrupt." 

"Impossible! I'm a native Cybertronian, and the system modified me specially at the factory. My consumption is much lower than ordinary Cybertronians—just let me see the Energon Cube first!" 

"Eat 5,000 today, eat 5,000 tomorrow, then get a night's rest, only to wake up and find the hunger starting again." Cody stated righteously, "No way. I'm already thinking about buying you a set of solar charging equipment." 

"You don't even want to buy gasoline anymore?!" 

As the man and the vehicle engaged in their witty banter, a sudden clap of thunder echoed in the distance. 

"Boom!" 

Cody, the cat, and the tricycle instinctively looked over, only to realize that the street, which had been clear moments ago, now had a small tornado slowly moving across it. 

"Holy cow! Impressive!" 

Cody immediately got back on the tricycle. "Little Fish, quickly, let's head back to the previous scene at top speed!" 

"What about my Energon Cube...?" 

"Fine." 

"Hold on tight!" 

The tricycle immediately transformed into its full-speed mode, racing off like a shooting star in the direction of the tornado. 

However, it was too late. By the time Cody arrived at the scene, the tornado had dissipated, replaced by a dense fog that completely obscured Cody's vision. Clearly, this was fog created by Clyde's abilities. 

"I forgot the police's handcuffs aren't special products from S.T.A.R. Labs; they can't hold a metahuman," Cody sighed. "Clyde must have already escaped. But at least this time, the Central City Police Department saw the existence of metahumans. That's not a bad thing." 

"Boss, what do we do, meow?" 

"Didn't I just say? Kids make choices; adults want everything! Let's go back and rest first. Tonight, we'll head straight to the farm and take care of what needs to be done." 

At this point, Cody suddenly thought of something and asked the system, "Can the 'Smuggling' skill be used on others?" 

[Yes. Each transfer of another person will cost 10,000 asset points, and can only transfer targets who have lost the ability or will to resist.] 

"Will they be like me? Their original body stays behind, and their soul goes into an avatar in another world?" 

[Yes.] 

"What's the skill's range?" 

[Within a five-meter radius.] 

"Perfect." Cody then thought for a moment longer and finally said, "I also want to add another form for the tricycle." 

[Understood.] 

Meanwhile, Barry and Joe were rushing to S.T.A.R. Labs. 

"I only sent you here to keep you alive, not for Wells to turn you into a non-human." 

Joe's face was grim as he bluntly told Barry, "We all saw what Clyde Mardon became—that lightning, that strong wind, that thick fog—he's completely a metahuman lunatic." 

"He used his powers for evil, Joe, but I used mine to stop him," Barry explained. "You have to trust me, at least I won't turn into a lunatic." 

"Especially you, Barry!" Joe grew angrier. "You're a CSI, a Crime Scene Investigator, not some street vigilante! What if Mardon had torn you apart with that tornado? How would I explain that to your father?" 

"I raised you for over a decade, Barry, a full decade. You're no different from my own son. What father would watch his son do something so dangerous?" 

At this, Joe felt a pang of sorrow. "Iris wanted to be a police officer, and I talked her out of it with great difficulty. Now you want to go fight these metahuman lunatics—Barry, that's not your responsibility! That's what the police are for!" 

Barry sighed. He knew Joe had raised him like his own son; he also knew that metahuman criminals like Clyde were very dangerous. But at that moment, he hadn't thought that far ahead; he had simply pursued instinctively—just like when he instinctively chased the thief who stole Iris's laptop. 

But unlike that time, this time, he finally had the power to pursue the justice he wanted to achieve. 

His expression became resolute. 

"Alright, Joe," he said seriously. "I know you might be very worried about me, thinking that now that I have some power, I'll just rush into danger to fight criminals on a whim—but it means more to me than that." 

"Joe, do you remember that night? My mother was stabbed in the heart with a fruit knife, and my father... was wrongfully imprisoned." 

At this, both Barry and Joe looked sad, with Joe's expression showing more heartache. 

Barry took a deep breath and continued, "I saw two figures in flashes of lightning that night—one red, one yellow. The person in yellow killed my mother—but you all thought it was a hallucination caused by a child's extreme grief and fear, that I wouldn't accept reality." 

"My father didn't kill my mother, Joe," he said. "What happened today proves that there truly is some unknown, supernatural force or phenomenon in this world, and that means everything to me." 

"I finally have hope of proving my biological father's innocence." 

After listening to Barry, Joe remained silent for a long time until they reached the entrance of S.T.A.R. Labs. Then he spoke, "If that's the case, Barry, then you should absolutely not put yourself in danger." 

"If it's just for your father, then you can research metahumans, you can investigate cases, but there's no need to personally risk yourself." 

Joe's words seemed to make sense. 

Barry felt a turmoil inside. If it was just for his father, it seemed he truly didn't need to run for the sake of other people's justice. 

So, should he follow Joe's advice? 

Lost in thought, the two of them arrived in the lab's main hall. 

Chapter 317: A Confused Barry 

As Joe walked into the STAR Labs main hall, he saw Dr. Wells in his wheelchair greet him with a smile. Cisco and Caitlin also looked noticeably happy to see Barry, clearly showing the young people had a good rapport. 

But Joe wasn't in a patient mood right now, so he cut straight to the chase with his questions. 

"Barry wasn't the only one affected by the particle accelerator explosion, was he?" 

At that question, Professor Wells frowned. He turned to Cisco and Caitlin, and the three quickly exchanged glances—Caitlin and Cisco were still a bit young, and their faces couldn't help but reveal a "Oh no, we're busted" expression. 

Such expressions couldn't fool an old detective like Joe. With a quick glance, he saw their guilt. Just as he was about to press further, Barry stopped him. 

"Doctor, you said the particle accelerator explosion was over, and Central City wouldn't be in danger anymore," he said, shaking his head. "But that's not right, Doctor. From everything I saw today, things are getting worse." 

Wells frowned. "What happened?" 

"First, explain exactly what happened that night," Joe interrupted Wells's question. "Then we'll decide whether or not to tell you what happened today." 

The Doctor looked at Joe's slightly angry face, seemingly understanding something, so he nodded and operated a few things on the mini-computer by his wheelchair armrest. 

The large screen in the hall lit up, displaying a simulated scenario—the particle accelerator explosion from that night. The Doctor's voice chimed in, explaining what had occurred: "Accelerator activated, accelerator operational. We celebrated for a bit—then the accelerator exploded." 

"A dimensional barrier between spaces was broken. Unknown energy surged into our world from that breach. Call it what you will—antimatter, dark matter energy, Element X..." 

"But these are all just theoretical conjectures in the scientific community." 

"Mr. Allen, when no one can confirm a truth, we can only move towards it through deduction," the Doctor calmly replied. "Don't assume they're false just because they're conjectures, because a few days ago, you were also an 'impossibility.'" 

Barry fell silent. 

"In any case," the Doctor continued, "we've investigated Central City, but we can't determine what this energy is or who was affected by it. In fact, we've been looking for other 'metahumans' like you." 

Barry and Joe exchanged glances. 

He sighed and told the Doctor, "We saw one today. Well, according to your terms, we saw a 'metahuman'—he was already a bank robber, and now he can control the weather." 

"Oh..." Cisco's eyes lit up at the news. "That's getting cooler and cooler." 

"He robbed a bank, Cisco," Barry emphasized, a bit of a headache forming. "While no one has died yet, this guy is an absolute menace. He shot a detective when he had a gun, and now he's gained even stronger powers from that explosion and is still at large." 

"He. Is. Dan. Gerous." 

"Oh..." 

Seeing the anger and seriousness on Barry's face, Cisco obediently sat back down on his stool. 

"We have to stop him." 

Hearing Barry's words, Dr. Wells pushed up his glasses, a faint smile flashing in his eyes. 

--- 

"Mr. Allen, that's the police department's job." 

"I'm also police department personnel." 

"You know what I mean." 

The Doctor calmly continued, "You're a forensic assistant for the police, but you clearly want to use your metahuman abilities to fight crime—don't argue. Your intentions are too obvious; it's all over your face." 

Hearing that, Joe, who had been about to say a few words in Barry's defense, suddenly fell silent. He and the Doctor exchanged glances, instantly reaching a consensus—neither of them wanted Barry on the front lines. 

"Doctor, you're responsible for this," Barry argued. "You should help us catch him, not stop me." 

"That metahuman criminal isn't important, Barry," the Doctor retorted, expressionless. "But you are different. You are a thousand, ten thousand times more important than he is." 

"You can blame me all you want; I won't shirk responsibility. But you shouldn't risk yourself for my mistakes." 

"I've lost everything: my company, my reputation, the ability to walk freely. In a way, Wells is insignificant now." 

"But you are different, Barry—your very existence is a massive contribution to humanity—remember? We tested your speed earlier; you hit an obstacle, and your arm broke." 

"Three hours later, your cells regenerated dozens, hundreds of times faster than normal, and your hand bones healed completely." 

"Do you know what that means—if combined with gene technology, your cells could help humanity discover a whole new gene therapy, vaccines, medicines, special techniques for rapid wound healing. These are riches, Barry, the wealth of all humanity!" 

"You could easily make a fortune every day, be written into world history, Barry—don't take such a huge risk just because you want to play hero." 

"Don't give up the good life that's practically at your fingertips. Don't play the hero, Mr. Allen. You were never a hero." 

Wells's tone was cold and rational: "You're just a young man struck by lightning, nothing more." 

As his words fell, the lab hall was silent. Dr. Wells's calm and ruthless words tore through Barry's idealism. From every angle, his advice was the most beneficial to Barry. From every angle, it seemed Barry really should just live a normal life and enjoy the good fortune that lightning had brought him. 

Joe and Barry were both somewhat bewildered by Wells's words. Joe hadn't wanted Barry to take risks to begin with, so he naturally found the words agreeable. Barry's expression, however, couldn't help but become confused. He asked himself repeatedly, "Do I really need to insist on using my powers to fight? Maybe Dr. Wells's advice is actually better?" 

"Barry..." Joe said, patting his shoulder. "I think the Doctor has a point." 

"I... I'm sorry, Joe." Barry shook his head, then turned into a blur of light and ran out of STAR Labs. 

"Barry! Barry! Come back!" 

Joe's voice echoed in his ears, but Barry didn't want to go back. 

Under the night sky, he ran wildly through the streets of Central City. The entire city seemed to become exceptionally quiet at that moment. As he ran past the street where he grew up, a feeling of sadness welled up inside him. 

And so, he ran, tears streaming down his face. 

Chapter 318: A Born Hero 

"Hmph, hmph, hmph..." 

Barry was running down the street. 

On either side, the streetlights cast a dazzling glow, and in the shadows of their halos was a very familiar house—his childhood home. 

Over a decade had passed, and the house seemed unchanged. Everything before Barry's eyes was so familiar, yet so foreign. This feeling of things being the same but people changed brought tears to his eyes. He remembered over a decade ago, on a similar night, under similar streetlights, he had also been running like this. 

That was the first time in his life he learned the meaning of "separation." 

"Wee-woo, wee-woo, wee-woo..." 

The sounds of ambulances and police cars blared in his ears. 

"Hmph, hmph, hmph..." 

He was out of breath, the cold night air filling his lungs. Fear, tension, and sadness pressed on his nerves. He felt a bit nauseous, and his legs were a bit weak, but he kept running, kept running. 

He wanted to run straight home, but the house was surrounded by people. Police cars flashed their lights, officers held back residents, and caution tape was strung up. 

Barry slipped through the crowd, through gaps in the police cars, and under the officers' caution tape. Since he was just a small child, the officers didn't stop him much. 

"It wasn't me, I swear to God, it wasn't me!" 

A kind-faced middle-aged man, with his hands bound behind his back, was being led out of the house by two officers. Despite his fervent pleas of innocence, the Central City Police Department officers paid no mind. They had seen too many cunning criminals, all of whom initially claimed innocence, but when overwhelming evidence revealed the truth, all their sophistry seemed so powerless and shameless. 

And the overwhelming evidence in the room was that Barry Allen's mother, Henry Allen's wife, Nora Allen, lay on the floor, a knife in her chest, gone forever. And besides Henry Allen, there was no one else in the room. 

When the police ruled out suicide, there was only one suspect left—Barry's father, Henry Allen. 

Barry looked at the surrounding officers, feeling lost and panicked. He called out to his father, "Dad, where are they taking you? Where's Mom?" 

Seeing little Barry run over, Henry immediately shouted back, "Barry, don't go inside the house!" 

He didn't want his son to see his mother's lifeless body. 

As he was led into the police car, he couldn't help but repeatedly ask the officers on either side, "What about my son? He's so small! He can't be alone—" 

Slam! 

As the police car door closed, Henry's voice abruptly ceased. 

Barry, distraught, watched his father being taken away. He instinctively walked back into the house, looking for his mother. 

A young detective holding a coffee cup saw Barry and instinctively reached out to stop him. "Kid, this isn't where you should—" 

"Let him in, Thawne." 

Joe's voice rang out from behind Detective Thawne. "...At least let him see his mother one last time." 

"Joe, do you know that child?" 

"His name's Barry; he and my daughter are childhood friends." 

After saying that, Joe looked up at Barry. His gaze was complex at the moment, something young Barry couldn't understand. But what he could understand was that a body lay at Joe's feet, covered by a sheet. 

Barry trembled as he walked forward, his mind hazy. 

A hand peeked out from under the sheet, a hand that looked so familiar, a hand that had made him breakfast just that morning. 

It was his mom's hand. 

When Barry pulled back the sheet and saw his mother's face, the immense grief and fear nearly crushed him. 

Barry remembered calling out his mother's name repeatedly, wanting her to open her eyes again, but it was obviously futile. 

Thankfully, Joe came over and hugged Barry. Otherwise, the overwhelming panic and emptiness of losing everything would have shattered little Barry. 

And from that day on, Joe gained another son, and Barry gained another father. 

When Barry came to his senses, he was no longer in Central City but standing atop a tall building in Star City. 

That's right, he had run all the way to another city, six hundred miles away. 

"Why have you come to me, Barry?" 

A mature male voice resonated before him. A man clad in a Robin Hood-like green hooded attire, with a bow and arrows on his back, also stood on the rooftop. He turned his head to look at Barry. "Just to catch up with an old friend?" 

"I... I don't quite know what to do." 

Barry asked his good friend, "You see, my whole life I've wanted to prove the existence of extraordinary things, not just be a CSI. Every time I saw a crime happen, I couldn't stop it myself. That feeling always reminded me of my father; I couldn't save him, and I couldn't prove his innocence." 

"Today was the first time I used these superhuman powers. I wanted to do something I couldn't do before, but I caught Clyde Mardon, and then he escaped. I messed up on my first try, Oliver." 

"What if Dr. Wells is right?" Barry mumbled. "What if I'm not meant to be a hero?" 

"Well..." Oliver shook his head. "Barry, I've met a lot of people in my life—I mean, a lot of people, a great many. 

"I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, then I went through hell. I've seen hypocritical rich people and many vicious fanatics." 

"The League of Assassins, government organizations, reclusive metahumans... I've learned too much about this world. Listen, Barry, in my opinion, if there's anyone in this world who's a 'born hero,' it can only be you." 

Green Arrow replied, "I've met so many people, yet I've never seen anyone as kind, resilient, brave, and honest as you." 

"Barry, you can do many things I can't. This isn't just about your powers, but about your heart. You have the heart of a hero; even without powers, you'd instinctively help others." 

"I'm a realist. I've killed many villains and bad guys, so I can only walk in the shadows of this city. But you're different. You carry sunshine, and you can stand in the light, inspiring everyone." 

At this point, Oliver looked directly into Barry's eyes and said earnestly, "I'm very glad that a good person like you gained these abilities, because in the wrong hands, they would become one of the most terrible tools for evil." 

"Barry Allen, I believe that lightning didn't just strike you—" 

"It chose you." 

Chapter 319: The Flash About to Break Out of His Cocoon 

As dusk approached, Cody headed out with his food truck. He wasn't bothered about Barry Allen zipping all over the world; trying to pinpoint a speedster was a fool's errand. For all he knew, Barry might just decide to run around the Earth to check if it was round. So, Cody just kept to his own schedule, planning to surprise Clyde at his farm. 

Whoosh! 

The moment he hit the street, a blurry streak of light shot past. With sparks and lightning trailing behind him, the bright and cheerful Barry Allen zipped back into Central City, giving Cody a rather unique first impression. 

"Hot, hot, hot—" 

Barry ripped off his shirt right there on the street. It was practically smoking! Just looking at it, Cody could tell how scorching hot it must have been. It was pretty clear Barry's speed was increasing by the second, and with it came more intense air friction. When he ran at superspeed, the air rubbed against his clothes so fast that the temperature skyrocketed, causing them to ignite. 

Seeing Barry strip off his shirt, leaving him in a rather revealing tank top, fumbling around on the street, Cody instinctively glanced around. Sure enough, plenty of women passersby were giving him curious looks, their eyes glued to him like they were rooted in place. 

"It's burning, Barry, and you're not even wearing a jacket," Cody murmured, chuckling. He never would have guessed Barry had a desire to show off. What he didn't know was that Barry had worn a jacket out, but it had already burned up on his trip to Star City. 

"Uh, hi there," Barry said, ignoring the stares and heading straight for the food truck, a bit awkwardly. "Can I get something to eat?" 

The kid was clearly starving. 

"You're in luck, young man," Cody said with a smile, pulling out a large bag of pastries. "You're my lucky customer today. Take a look and see what you'd like—I'll even throw in a free chocolate liqueur truffle." 

"Oh, thank you..." Barry said, a bit surprised that a burger truck would have chocolate liqueur truffles. He thanked Cody and looked down to pick something out. That's when he realized this truck wasn't selling burgers at all, but pastries. 

"Huh? Aren't these Cisco and Caitlin's favorite cookies—" He looked up in surprise at Cody's face. "Oh, right, they told me about a Chinese guy with a food truck selling handmade Chinese pastries. That must be you!" 

"Oh, you're their friend." Cody smiled. "Then you can buy some for them too. I haven't been out long today, so I have some left over. You can have them all." 

"Thanks—I've secretly tried dozens of Cisco's pastries, and everything you make is delicious." 

"Don't mention it." Cody handed Barry the bag of pastries. "One dollar and fifty cents each, thirty pieces total is one hundred and fifty. Do you have it on you? If not, you can pay me next time." 

"Got it, got it!" Barry paid and took the bag from Cody, along with a small, round, golden pill. He asked curiously, "Is this your chocolate liqueur truffle? It looks unique." 

"It is, it uses special ingredients," Cody said with a smile. "So it's really good for restoring energy. You can call it an 'immortal pill.'" 

Barry's eyes lit up. He was exhausted from running back and forth over a hundred and twenty miles from Central City to Star City, which was exactly why he was looking for a food truck to refuel. 

"Thank you," he said. "Next time I see you, I'll definitely buy more pastries." 

"Silly kid, it's only a special situation today. Next time you see me, there won won't be any pastries left." 

"Huh?" 

"You're dismissed." Cody's smile was gentle. "Go on, go do your thing." 

Barry, still a bit confused, ran back to S.T.A.R. Labs with his pastries. He still didn't quite understand what Cody meant by that last comment. 

"Cisco, Caitlin," he said, walking into the main hall of S.T.A.R. Labs. "I've figured it out." 

"You finally understand?" Cisco breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, a hint of disappointment flickered within him. Not everyone wants to be a hero; that's perfectly reasonable. Dr. Wells had always taught them to be realists, to learn to make rational choices. 

"I've figured it out. We have to stop that guy." 

"Huh?" Cisco and Caitlin stared at Barry in surprise. The young man's eyes were now remarkably firm. "No matter how high the risk of confronting Clyde is, Central City is under threat right now, and I was born and raised here. My heart tells me I can't let a guy like Clyde just wreak havoc on my city—our city." 

"I'm going to use the power that lightning gave me to stop Clyde, but what happened today made me realize one thing—if it's just me, this idea will never succeed. So, Cisco, Caitlin, help me." 

As Barry spoke, his sincerity was almost palpable. Cisco and Caitlin looked at Barry, and after just a few seconds of silence, they made their decision. 

"You want to stop him?" Cisco replied. "Okay, we'll do this together—but why are you only wearing that tank top?" 

"Uh..." When Cisco brought it up, Barry's face immediately flushed red at a visible speed, and his ears started to burn. He stammered, "Uh, I didn't mean to, it's just that I'm getting faster, so my clothes catch fire—" 

"Ah, I get it." Cisco understood. "I happen to have something that can help with that." 

Caitlin nodded. She hadn't said a word since Barry walked in, and hadn't dared to look him directly in the face, but she couldn't help but glance at his muscles. How strange, why didn't I notice his physique when I was treating him? 

"Barry, you might not know this, but Caitlin does. I've been working on and refining the design of this thing," Cisco explained, bringing out a mannequin. 

It was a tight-fitting, red leather suit of armor, slightly dark in tone, with very fluid lines. The material itself looked incredibly special. 

Seeing it, Caitlin immediately understood. "Oh, it's that firefighter suit you've been designing." 

"Exactly," Cisco said proudly. "Reinforced with three layers of high-molecular polymer material, fireproof, wear-resistant, designed with some aerodynamics, and with built-in sensors that can transmit your vital signs in real-time." 

"It was originally new gear I designed for Central City's firefighters. I was hoping to use it to gain some goodwill and lessen people's negative impressions of S.T.A.R. Labs and Dr. Wells..." 

Chapter 320: I'm Leonard Snart, dammit! 

Barry was pretty happy looking at the firefighter suit Cisco pulled out. He really didn't want a third experience of his clothes flying off in the street. 

Maybe eventually he'd be able to control his speed precisely enough to avoid those awkward "pantsing" incidents from running too fast, but for now, this suit that let him run freely was a huge deal. 

"Alright, we're all set," Barry nodded. "Now, we just need to find Mardon." 

"About that..." Caitlin held up a tablet. "I just used the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite to check for unusual weather in Central City—there's one location where the atmospheric pressure is rapidly changing." 

Cisco clapped Barry on the arm. "Buddy, we got him." 

"Joe, do you think we can catch Clyde Mardon?" 

"Can't say for sure, Eddie, but the last place the Mardon brothers visited before that plane crashed was this farm. It's their hideout. That being said, if we can really confirm he's here, at least we can call in the cavalry." 

Joe took a deep breath, his expression a little serious. This warehouse brought back some bad memories. Thankfully, his partner, Selkirk, didn't die here; getting to retire alive was a pretty good ending. 

"Be careful," he warned Eddie. "Draw your gun and stay alert. One of my colleagues got shot here already. Don't make the same mistake." 

"Got it." 

The two cautiously entered the farm building. The sun had already set, and the light inside was dim, making everything feel just like that day. 

But this time was different. Joe and Eddie had only walked a few steps when they saw a man sitting quietly inside. His familiar build and hair color immediately told Joe who it was. 

Seeing Clyde Mardon so calm and composed, Joe grew even more alert. Nine months ago, this guy was like a stray dog, only daring to hide in the farm and ambush people with a pistol. Today, facing the same situation, he stood in the center of the building, unafraid, under the light. 

After gaining metahuman abilities, Mardon's arrogant and volatile side seemed to be emerging along with his powers. 

"Hands on your head, stand up." Joe motioned for Eddie to point his gun at Mardon. He pulled out his handcuffs, ready to go forward and cuff him. "It's over, Mardon." 

"Oh, you found me." 

Facing Joe's warning, Mardon didn't even look back. He smiled relaxedly. "Remember that night, Detective? S.T.A.R. Labs exploded, and the storm that followed was so sudden... and our plane crashed in it." 

"When I woke up on the ground, I realized I had survived and gained this power. From that moment on, I completely understood—I am God." 

"Oh, just shut the hell up," Joe rolled his eyes. He couldn't stand this childish, self-centered rambling. It was like a frog in a well, imagining the world revolved around it, imagining the sky was only as big as its opening, and shamelessly calling itself "God." 

Arrogant, ignorant, and stupid. And a criminal to boot, with no morals or real power, who loved to deny reality with his fantasies. Giving even an ounce of authority or power to someone like that was a crime against everyone. 

Just like now. The second Clyde got his powers, he started robbing Central City. The Gold Bank was just his third robbery this month. 

Joe held his handcuffs, Eddie held his gun, and Clyde seemingly cooperated by raising his hands. So the two approached Clyde from behind, ready to arrest him. 

"Whoosh!" 

Just as Joe and Eddie got close, a powerful gust of wind suddenly burst from around Clyde. A terrifying air blast sent both of them flying several feet. 

Joe was an experienced detective; he rolled on the ground, slightly absorbing some of the impact. But when he looked over, Eddie's body had already slammed into a haystack, unconscious. 

Clyde sneered, "You think you can stop God with a gun?" 

"Why would a 'God' be robbing banks, for crying out loud?" 

Joe's casual retort left Clyde speechless for a moment. Even Cody, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but inwardly agree: "Exactly, bro, this guy might be far from a god, but he's also miles away from being human." 

He was just a complete psychopath. 

Surprisingly, Joe's question didn't break Clyde. He looked at the two fallen officers and coldly replied, "You're right." 

"My ambition was indeed too small before." 

In a matter of seconds, a terrifying high-speed current of air formed around him. It grew bigger and bigger, eventually tearing through the roof of the farm shed, forming a visible tornado. 

Joe desperately dragged Eddie out of the room. He watched Clyde walk into the eye of the storm. With his steps, the tornado slowly moved, heading towards Star City. 

"Tonight, Central City will understand that they must obey the will of God!" Clyde's arrogant shouts raged in the strong winds. 

"Obey you?!" 

Joe drew his gun and fired rapidly, but the bullets entering the storm were like stones thrown into the ocean, making no ripple. The only fortunate thing was that Clyde was fully focused on controlling the storm and had no spare energy to retaliate against Joe's attack. 

"Oh my god..." 

At this moment, Cody, hidden in the warehouse, saw the worsening situation and immediately pulled out a tranquilizer gun. Only Joe was conscious on the field; he could adapt quickly, knock the guy out, and then clear the area. 

"Trike, ready for launch." 

"Copy that." 

Just as the duo—man and vehicle—were ready to go, Cody suddenly put a hand on the trike. "Wait, someone's coming." 

—! 

A red blur streaked through the night sky. He was like a meteor, trailing a shimmering golden tail, appearing in the path of the tornado. 

Joe, meanwhile, his eyes wide, stared intently at the red figure. "What... what in the world is that?" 

Barry Allen, the Scarlet Speedster, the Flash, now rushed to the battle. At this moment, Central City finally welcomed its destined hero. 

"Huff, huff..." 

Barry's breathing was a little short now. He quickly pulled off the filter on his mask, exposing his nose and mouth for more efficient breathing, which would help him run faster. 

"Barry, you gotta hurry," Cisco's voice buzzed in his earpiece. "That tornado is already moving at two hundred miles an hour and it's still growing rapidly." 

"You gotta deal with it fast!"