Chapter 8: The Man in the Yellow Suit (and the Idol's Instincts)
"It's happening! It's finally happening!" Adam practically vibrated with excitement, bouncing on the balls of his feet in the S.T.A.R. Labs control room. "The crossover! The legendary, universe-spanning, 'Flash vs. Arrow' crossover! This is like the Avengers, but with more leather and less billionaire playboys. Unless you count Oliver, who's totally a brooding billionaire playboy. And Barry, who's… well, he's Barry."
Jisoo, who was meticulously arranging a small pile of gummy bears by color, looked up. "Is the green one coming? The serious one?"
"The one and only!" Adam confirmed, grinning. "Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. He's basically Batman, but with a bow and arrow and a much better sense of fashion. And he's going to clash with Barry. It's going to be glorious."
And clash they did. Roy G. Bivolo, the Rainbow Raider, was a metahuman who could induce uncontrollable rage. Barry, affected by Bivolo's powers, turned on Oliver, a whirlwind of red and green fury.
"See?" Adam whispered to Jisoo, nudging her. "Classic superhero misunderstanding. They fight, they realize they're on the same side, they team up. It's practically a trope."
Jisoo, however, looked concerned. "Barry-oppa looks very angry. Like a dog who lost his favorite toy." She then turned her attention to Oliver, who was being particularly stoic and grim, even for him. "He's very serious, isn't he? Does he ever… smile?"
Adam chuckled. "Only when he's torturing bad guys. Or when I prank him. Which reminds me..." He eyed Oliver, who was currently lecturing Barry about "darkness" and "methods."
"System," Adam thought, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Minor Wish: 'Quiver Duck.' Target: Oliver Queen. Make it appear… inconveniently."
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: Minor Wish 'Quiver Duck' Used. Cost: 15 Days. Current Wish Balance: -49 Days. Oliver's glare level: Critical.
As Oliver reached for an arrow, a tiny, bright yellow rubber duck, complete with a miniature superhero cape, suddenly appeared in his quiver, nestled amongst the deadly arrows. Oliver's hand brushed against it, he paused, pulled it out, and stared at it with an expression of profound bewilderment and barely suppressed rage. He looked around, his eyes narrowed, searching for the culprit. Adam, meanwhile, was pretending to be deeply engrossed in a random piece of lab equipment.
"Did anyone else see that?" Diggle muttered, rubbing his eyes.
Felicity giggled, burying her face in her hands. "I think… I think I just saw a tiny duck."
The fight between Barry and Oliver escalated, fueled by Bivolo's rage-inducing powers. Barry was a blur of crimson, Oliver a shadow of green. Adam, caught in the periphery of their initial skirmish, suddenly felt a sharp pull, and then…
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: Chaotic Savior Activated. Wish: Banana Peel Slip. Host survival probability: 99.9%. Cost: 40 Days. Current Wish Balance: -89 Days. Seriously, System? A banana peel?
Adam found himself slipping on an inexplicably placed banana peel, flailing comically before landing in a heap, just as a stray speed-force-enhanced punch from Barry whizzed past where his head had been.
"You've got to be kidding me," Adam groaned, picking himself up, covered in imaginary banana residue. "A banana peel? That's how you save me, System? You're lucky I'm still alive to complain."
When Barry was truly consumed by rage, his eyes glowing red, Jisoo's expression turned serious. "He's hurting. Like a beautiful melody, but broken." Her eyes glowed faintly, and she extended her hands, a shimmering, almost invisible aura emanating from her. It enveloped Barry, subtly lessening the effect of Bivolo's power, allowing Oliver's voice to finally cut through the haze of anger. Barry blinked, shaking his head, and the red faded from his eyes.
"What… what happened?" Barry gasped, looking at Oliver.
Oliver, still recovering from the duck incident, simply nodded. "You were… seeing red. Literally."
Later, Adam, seeing Oliver's perpetual brooding, approached him. "Hey, Ollie," he began, "I notice you've got a lot of… internal monologue going on. A lot of angst. I could, for a price, offer you a temporary 'inner peace' wish. Just a few hours of blissful calm. No brooding. No existential dread. Think of it as a spiritual spa day."
Oliver stared at him, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "You're offering to… sell me peace?"
"Cosmic convenience," Adam shrugged. "Think about it. No pressure." Oliver just scoffed and walked away, but Adam knew he'd plant the seed.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: Current Wish Balance: -89 Days. Debt: Significant. Need more customers. And fewer banana peels.
"This crossover is going to cost me a fortune," Adam thought, "but at least I got to see Oliver Queen with a rubber duck. Totally worth it. Mostly."