DC Re-Invented: Flash #1: Origin Part 1
No drink traces were on the nearby carpet, right? Must mean the poison was slow acting. Maybe that drink didn’t have the poison? Would explain how we couldn’t find any trace of poison in it…still leaves the million-dollar question of how she was poisoned, I’ll check the kitchen for…
“Watch out, you idiot!”
Barry suddenly felt his torso get pushed back by the arm of a stranger as a bus thundered by him. He blushed and thanked the stranger. This was becoming common. He badly needed to get his head out of the clouds, but this poor woman…the murderer obviously thought he could get away with it, the simple thought of a perfect crime made his skin crawl. That amount of power…the ability to take away life, no, lives, with ease made him sick.
“Hey, Barry! How’s it going?”
He looked up to see the familiar face of Iris West.
“Iris, you know I’m on duty.” he replied walking quickly up the stairs of the entrance to the Police Station.
“Surely you have a few minutes for a friend?” Iris asked.
“Friends go to friends’ houses to hang out, not their workplace to get news stories.” He replied smiling.
Iris smiled back, “Maybe I’ll take up your invitation to hang out, how about tomorrow?”.
“Sure, but first I’ve got to face the music of being late.”
Iris looked at Barry eagerly running into the office and commented: “Good old Barry, never changes.”. She then checked her blackberry for her next potential informant.
**
Moments After
“Allen? Where the heck were you?” Director Singh questioned Barry.
“Sorry for the delay, sir, I was thinking over the case in my mind and you know how distracted I get. I’m sorry and I hope it won’t happen again.” He admitted.
“Barry, this lateness is becoming common now and in these recessionary times, I need punctuality. Only you’re such a good forensic scientist, a brilliant one in fact, I’d have made you redundant a while ago. With the captain screaming in my ear about cutbacks, I may have to take action soon. Nothing personal, just you know how it goes.” Singh explained.
Barry listened intently and then said: “Yeah it’s a bad habit of mine but soon things will change, I will try my best to make sure of it.”
Singh smiled and patted Barry on the back as he walked away.
Barry walked over to his desk and began to set up the equipment. He glanced up and noticed Patty Spivot and James Forrest staring at him.
“What?” Barry asked, confused.
“What did he say?” Forrest asked.
Just a warning and telling off.” Barry explained.
“You’re one lucky son of a gun!” Forrest exclaimed.“
“You’re just too likable Barry, no one can say anything bad about you.” Patty commented.
“Even so, I’ve got to try not to step over the line. Singh can only take so much, “likable” or not, I shouldn’t abuse the trust the man has in me.” Barry said as he begunto examine the case information on the computer.
**
After Work
Though poisons were a tricky business, especially the more creative ones, it all came down to access and a previously-thought difficult case proved to be quite easy once that was taken into consideration.
He suddenly remembered what Iris used to say about keeping the lab stuff in the lab and tried to think mundane things. Things like telly programmes, golf and…rent. He suddenly froze, he had forgotten that the rent will be due tomorrow. He hoped he had time to make it to the bank before closing hours.
**
Barry sighed. It seems others were chancing using the bank before it closed and now he was in the middle of a quite large queue, which unfortunately seemed to try to be as slow as possible. Since it was near closing time, they decided only one cashier was needed. He fidgeted uncomfortably and tried to think of something interesting.
The boredom was suddenly cut short as a shout was heard “Get down on the ground and nobody gets hurt!”.
The small crowd lay on the ground fearfully, no one capable of letting a noise slip. A strange man came in, with twin weapons, that Barry didn’t recognise. His most notable feature was his clothing, he wore a blue and white parka and single-visor goggles.
“Oh wonderful, one of the loonies from Gotham has come to town…” a random stranger moaned.
Barry rested his hand on his weapon, eagerly eyeing the criminal’s guns.
“I’m sorry, did you say something?” the villain spoke to the mouthy stranger.
“Me, sir? I wouldn’t dare, please don’t hurt me!” the stranger pleaded.
“I’m not sure if you’re serious or taking the ****. Either way, just to be sure.” he declared as he shot his weapon at the stranger. This caused Barry to run instinctively towards the man and dive towards him, eager to prevent his demise.
Instead Barry’s hands touched a hard, cold surface. He looked up and noticed he was knocking over an ice sculpture of the man. Confused, Barry stood up and looked at the villain.
“Impressive, isn’t it, “hero”? Now, please do the smart thing and get out of the way.”
Barry ignored the advice and ran towards the imposing figure.
“They never listen, do they?” the criminal muttered as he began to pull the trigger of his ice-gun, but Barry was too quick and barely dodged the beam. Barely able to react, the villain felt Barry collide into him.
They began to wrestle for control of the guns as they fired uncontrollably, the crowd fearfully attempting to dodge its beams.
Noticing the movement of the crowd, the villain kneed Barry in the face and used his moment of respite to create an ice wall blocking the entrance.
Barry abused the villain’s distraction and attempted to use a sleeper hold on him. Frantically struggling, the villain stopped. He then fired his weapon at Barry’s leg and cracked the frozen ligament with the barrel of his weapon.
Barry winced in pain and the pain forced him to back off the villain. He attempted to pull out his gun as a last resort, but the villain quickly reacted and froze Barry’s arms and the aimed gun in place. He had lost all movement in his arms, even the simple ability of pulling the trigger seemed impossible.
The villain began panting as he looked at the immobile officer. He slowly readied his gun. Barry closed his eyes, waiting for the death blow. Instead he heard:
“Tell the boys at the station I prefer the name, Captain Cold.”
Surprised Barry opened his eyes as he heard Captain Cold’s footsteps move away from him.
He heard him threaten the staff to open the safe. From the various noises, Barry guessed they were complying. Cold’s show of power against Barry was a useful tool in preventing rebellion from the staff.
Barry heard shots from beyond the ice wall, but then heard the much closer noise of the bullets being lodged in the ice. He sighed, he was forced to watch the criminal’s crimes without interfering. Worse, he was the only chance of stopping him and he failed.
**
That Night, Barry’s Apartment
Barry paced eagerly around his home lab, awaiting results from his machines. Though it was late and the doctors warned him to rest, Barry’s mind was fully determined to find the “one that got away.”
He had spent most of the day in hospital and being interviewed by fellow police officers. He would have been longer in the hospital, had he not voiced his determination to get back into action. The doctors worried about the ice’s ill effects after removing it and wished for Barry to remain longer in care and study. He eventually persuaded them that he was necessary in finding the villain responsible and they eventually let him go. He had sneaked a piece of the ice home and was now studying its components.
He examined the bandage on his thigh, where Captain Cold had ripped his skin apart. He wondered how the criminal had got his hands on such advanced weapons and he personally was curious about how they worked.
His trail of thought was interrupted by a noise unlike any Barry had heard before and a flash blinded him.
Now, in Barry’s lab stood a strange helmeted figure, he surveyed the lab for the person he saw a mere moments ago. He suddenly noticed a hand on the other side of the “gateway” he had appeared through and quickly dived after it.
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