Chapter 12: Power Outage
The city was plunged into darkness. Not a metaphorical darkness, but a literal, honest-to-God power outage that stretched across Central City. And we knew exactly who was responsible: Farooq Gibran, a.k.a. Blackout, the metahuman who could drain electrical energy. And, more terrifyingly, Barry's speed.
"Oh, joy. The human battery drainer. Just what Barry needed. And probably me too, knowing my luck. Because what's worse than being hit by a steel man? Being hit by a steel man who's also drained all your energy. Multi-tasking villainy." I leaned against the console, watching the city map on the screen go dark, block by block.
"He's draining the entire city's power grid," Cisco exclaimed, frantically trying to reroute auxiliary power. "And he just hit S.T.A.R. Labs!"
The lights flickered, then died, plunging the cortex into a dim, emergency-lit glow. Barry, who had been zipping around just moments before, suddenly stumbled, clutching his head.
"My speed… it's gone," he gasped, his voice filled with despair. "I can't… I can't feel it."
"He's draining Barry's speed!" Caitlin cried, rushing to his side. "This is bad. Really bad."
"Barry, listen to me," I said, my voice firm, trying to cut through his panic. "Your speed isn't just about the electricity. It's about you. It's about your heart. You're still a hero, even without your powers. You're still Barry Allen. We need to figure this out, and you're the smartest person in the room when it comes to being you. Think, Barry. Think!"
My words seemed to resonate, a flicker of determination returning to his eyes. But before he could respond, a crackle of static filled the air, and a figure materialized in the center of the cortex, a gaunt, menacing man radiating dark energy. Farooq Gibran. Blackout.
"The Flash," Blackout snarled, his eyes glowing with malevolent power. "You took everything from me. Now I'll take everything from you." He extended a hand towards Barry, and a visible tendril of dark energy snaked out, wrapping around Barry, draining his remaining strength. Barry cried out, collapsing to his knees.
"Barry!" Caitlin screamed, rushing forward, but Wells stopped her.
"Caitlin, no! He'll drain you too!"
Blackout, however, seemed to sense something else. His head snapped towards me, his eyes narrowing. "You," he rasped, his voice filled with a strange curiosity. "You have… a unique energy signature. Unlike any I've encountered." He shifted his focus, and a tendril of dark energy shot towards me, attempting to drain my life force, my very essence.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. Now I'm a human battery. Just what I always wanted. Right after 'human punching bag' and 'human ice cube.' My resume is getting very niche."
[IMMINENT THREAT DETECTED. ENERGY DRAIN. INSUFFICIENT ENERGY OUTPUT.]
[ADAPTATION: ENHANCED ENERGY OUTPUT. DOUBLING THREAT'S DRAIN CAPACITY. ACTIVE.]
A strange, almost painful sensation erupted within me. It wasn't just a resistance; it was a counter-surge. My body felt like a supercharged capacitor, generating an impossible amount of energy. The tendril of dark energy that had wrapped around me recoiled, sizzling, as if it had hit a live wire. Blackout staggered back, clutching his hand, a look of shock on his face.
"What… what was that?!" he roared, his voice filled with pain and confusion.
My body was glowing faintly, a subtle, almost invisible aura of pure energy radiating from me. I was a human power plant, pushing back against the drain. The feedback surge was intense, a violent kickback that jolted through my system, but I held firm.
"Yeah, buddy, surprise! You can't drain what's already overflowing! Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I just overloaded my internal circuits."
The momentary stun was all the team needed. Cisco, seeing Blackout recoil, quickly rerouted a surge of auxiliary power, hitting Blackout with a concentrated blast that sent him flying. He crashed into a wall, unconscious.
[ADAPT SYSTEM: DEACTIVATED. EXTREME STAMINA DRAIN. RECOVERY INITIATED.]
The energy drained from me, leaving me utterly spent. The faint glow vanished, and I crumpled to the floor, gasping for air, my entire body trembling. It felt like I had just run a marathon while simultaneously powering a small city.
Caitlin was by my side in an instant, her face pale with terror. She immediately began scanning me, her hands shaking. "Adam! What was that?! You… you glowed! You shocked him! Your energy readings are off the charts!"
"Just… really, really didn't like being drained," I wheezed, trying to force a smile. "Turns out, I'm a sore loser when it comes to my life force."
Wells wheeled over, his eyes narrowed, a look of profound, almost fearful, fascination on his face. "Mr. Stiels, you are an anomaly. Your ability to not only resist, but to counter an energy drainer… it defies all known metahuman physiology."
"Yeah, well, I'm full of surprises," I mumbled, trying to sit up. Barry, now slowly regaining his speed as Blackout's influence faded, looked at me with a mixture of awe and confusion.
"Adam… you saved me," he said, his voice raw.
"Just returning the favor, Flash," I replied, a tired grin on my face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need a nap. A very, very long nap. And maybe a new power outlet for myself."
Caitlin, however, was still in full scientific mode. She took more blood samples, muttering about "bio-electrical fluctuations" and "unexplained energy generation." Her concern for me was palpable, a constant undercurrent beneath her scientific curiosity. She was terrified of what these powers were doing to me, but also utterly compelled to understand them. And that, more than any metahuman threat, was a truly complicated feeling.
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