Chapter 24: Prologue to Metahuman War Part 1

In a clandestine meeting room, several individuals sit with furrowed brows, their expressions betraying annoyance and concern.

"So, what are we going to do about The Flash?" the first individual inquires.

"There's no modern weapon capable of stopping that speedster," the second individual remarks.

"Usually, we could turn to Lex's weapons, but he's preoccupied now that his experimental subjects have vanished into thin air," adds the third individual.

"Should we seek help from demonic beings?" suggests the fourth individual.

"You're out of your mind. We might need to make more sacrifices just to appease them," the fifth individual cautions.

"We have no choice. I'm certain The Flash has our dirt in the closet. We're backed into a corner," the fourth individual admits.

"What about General Eiling?" the sixth individual suggests.

"What about him?" the first individual asks.

"He's spearheading a meta-human project. He already has multiple meta-humans under his control," the sixth individual reveals.

"Really? In that case, I'll invest in him. But if he fails, we'll cut our losses," the third individual decides.

"I'd normally disagree, but we're running out of options. I'll speak to Lex about any weapons we can use," the second individual offers.

"All our people in Missouri have been locked up. We can't even help them, given the strong evidence and the impartial judge. Our numbers are dwindling rapidly. We need to eliminate The Flash before he becomes an even greater threat," the fourth individual concludes.

The others in the room nod in agreement, acknowledging the urgency of the situation.

Suddenly, someone bursts through the meeting room door, breathless and anxious. "Big problem! We have two new complications," they announce.

"What's going on?" the sixth individual demands.

"Two flying beings have emerged, and they're operating in a similar manner to The Flash. They go by the names Superman Prime and Martian Manhunter," the person reveals, displaying footage of the trio working together.

"Isn't that Lex's experiment subjects?" the third individual observes, a realization dawning on the group.

It becomes clear to everyone that The Flash has saved these two beings.

"He's become our enemy," the fifth individual declares grimly.

"I wonder how Lex will react to this," the first individual muses, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

Lex Corp,

Lex Luthor, enraged by the news, hurls his monitor and CPU against the wall, shattering them in a fit of anger.

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"I should have captured The Flash," Lex mutters furiously.

"Mercy!" Lex calls out for his secretary.

"Yes, sir," Mercy responds promptly as she enters the room.

Mercy Graves, Lex's personal secretary and bodyguard, stands ready to assist him.

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"Get my warsuit and the weapon ready," Lex commands sternly.

"On it, sir," Mercy nods, swiftly moving to prepare the suit and weapon.

"Wait for me," Lex mutters to himself, his mind already racing with plans of action.

....

Meanwhile, Barry indulges in a hearty meal of Korean spicy chicken in the new hideout, joined by Clark and J'onn.

"Tomorrow, we'll halt our progress," Barry announces between bites.

"Why? Wouldn't it be better to swiftly purify these lands?" Clark inquires.

"No, we need to proceed gradually. There may be unforeseen variables that could arise," Barry explains, his tone thoughtful.

"Like what?" Clark asks, curious.

"The individuals who experimented on you, demons, magic users, and aliens," Barry replies. "We need to exercise caution, especially since the two of you have significant weaknesses."

Barry looks at Clark. "Kryptonite," he says, then turns to J'onn. "Fire."

"Until you both overcome those vulnerabilities, you could be incapacitated instantly," Barry warns.

"That's why you created the suits for us," J'onn acknowledges.

"Exactly," Barry confirms with a nod.

"But what about you, Barry? I'm sure you have weaknesses too," Clark points out.

"Yeah, but soon they'll be nonexistent," Barry assures him. "With my Tachyon suit, I'll be able to move faster than light. But both of you can also reach that type of speed."

"Huh?" Clark appears confused, while J'onn remains skeptical.

"Just focus on getting stronger, especially you, Clark. With enough yellow sun absorbed, you'll be the strongest of us all," Barry encourages.

"I'll try," Clark responds determinedly.

"I'm going to continue expanding my hideout. You guys are free to do whatever, except for you, Clark. They know who you are, unless you become so strong that they can't even touch you," Barry concludes, laying out the plan.

After an hour of refurbishing the place, the new hideout is ready to go. During that time, Barry creates something specifically for Clark.

"Here," Barry tosses a circular device to Clark.

"What is this?" Clark inquires, examining it.

"Put it on your neck," Barry instructs, tapping his own neck to demonstrate.

Clark follows suit, and his appearance instantly changes.

"Now, you can head out, but be careful not to leave any fingerprints," Barry cautions. "See you later."

Barry immediately leaves the hideout and heads to Star Labs. Making his way to the Time Vault, he commands, "Gideon, show me any future records that I need to know now."

Gideon displays a series of grim events: the disappearance of The Flash, the death of Superman, the demise of the Bat family, Wonder Woman sacrificing herself to protect the heroes, and the death of the prince of Atlantis.

"Damn it!" Barry exclaims, frustrated and annoyed. "Why is everything like this? Did I do something wrong? Did my action lead to these tragic outcomes?"

"Frustratingly, yes, Barry," Gideon confirms.

"Damn, I need to stay," Barry mutters to himself. "But what could have caused my disappearance?"

"I... don't have any records on it. The future is becoming more unstable as you change the present," Gideon responds.

"Tch, so much for having an advantage. At least my future tech data is still intact, right?" Barry asks.

"Yes," Gideon confirms.

"Gideon, scan my body and analyze it," Barry instructs as he discards his clothing, leaving himself in shorts.

"Scanning... complete," Gideon reports. "Your body is four times stronger than a normal human, with bones four times denser. Your physique is already at its peak. To get even stronger, you'll have to train even harder."

"This still isn't enough," Barry mutters to himself before asking, "Do I have any data on a serum?"

"No, you don't," Gideon replies.

"Then I'll just have to create it myself," Barry resolves.