Chapter 1: Barry Parker

[August 10, 2001]

On a room inside a small hospital located in Queens, New York City. A married couple could be seen with the wife lying on the bed in a hospital gown while the husband was on the chair, sitting at her bedside, holding her right hand ever so softly.

Both the wife and husband had a look of anticipation and nervousness as they looked toward the door, seemingly expecting someone to come in until what seemed to be after a few minutes, the door was slowly open and a nurse walked in with a newborn baby cradled in her arms.

"...!"

Upon seeing their newborn baby being brought in by the nurse, the couple beamed with joy. The man quickly got up from his seat and eagerly took the baby out of the nurse's hands, surprising her for a moment. The wife in the bed could only look on helplessly as her husband took charge.

She apologized to the nurse on his behalf which the nurse didn't mind and left the room, leaving the couple to enjoy a moment of privacy with their new bundle of joy.

Now that they were alone together, they finally had the time to observe their baby.

"He has your eyes, Nora"

The husband formed a smile as he gently caressed the rosy cheeks of the baby, eliciting a cute giggle.

"What should we name our child?"

"Hmmm..."

Nora, who was lying on the bed, was lost in thought as she gazed at her baby with a gentle smile before a name popped up in her head.

"Barry..."

"Barry?"

"Yes, Henry..."

"..."

"His name will be Barry... Barry Parker"

*****

[10 years later...]

As the busy streets of New York bustled with people, a young boy with glasses and a backpack on his shoulders strolled down the sidewalk. Walking beside him was a chubby Filipino boy, holding a stack of Pokemon Cards in his hands. The excitement in his eyes was palpable as he gazed at the cards, admiring them with awe and wonder.

"Look! Barry! Look! I got a Blaziken EX card!"

"...!?"

Barry, the boy in glasses, gazed at the shiny Pokemon card as he congratulated his friend in excitement, tinged with a hint of envy in his tone.

"I want one as well..."

Just as they were feeling great, they didn't notice a boy with an arrogant expression and an annoying smirk approaching them with a small group behind him.

"Pfft! Who wants that garbage?"

"...!"

Hearing the familiar and condescending voice, the two immediately knew who it was. Before they could even say anything, the arrogant boy had already flashed a Pokemon card in their faces.

"Look! This is what a real~ EX Pokemon card is"

The boy held out his hand, displaying a magnificent Mewtwo EX Pokemon card. Its holographic surface shimmered in the light, arresting the attention of those around him. As the onlookers gathered, they couldn't help but express their admiration and envy towards the arrogant boy who was basking in the attention.

As for Barry and his friend, they hung their heads down in shame and left the scene quietly which the arrogant boy didn't miss but just ignored the two as he continued to bast in the praises of others.

"That jerkwad Flash... his face is the one that's garbage"

The chubby Filipino boy gritted his teeth, grumbling in annoyance as he kept dishing out insults nonstop like a machine gun.

"Enough, Ned... you'll run out of saliva if you keep this up"

"Tch!"

Barry could only flash a helpless smile at his friend's antics before chuckling in laughter.

For the remainder of the time, they chattered animatedly about the thrilling contents of their recently acquired Pokemon card packs while walking. They were so engrossed in their conversation that the earlier incident with the Flash seemed like a distant memory as if it had never occurred in the first place. Before they noticed it, they were already in front of Barry's house.

"Ah... we're already here"

"Well, see ya, Barry. I still have to finish a Star Wars Millennium Falcon Lego"

"Yeah"

"Say hi to your Mom and Dad for me"

Barry nodded, watching Ned's back slowly fade away in the distance before turning around, and entering inside his house with a joyful smile.

And what greeted him next was two lovely couples, who were enjoying each other's company as they laughed and smiled at each other. It was then, that the sound of the door opening caught the couple's attention, and they noticed Barry standing there.

"Barry!"

"Hey, Mom and Dad"

With a smile on his face, Barry ran up and leaped toward the couch they were sitting up, bouncing up slightly before settling down comfortably beside them.

"How was school?"

"The usual"

"Oh, Ned didn't come with you?"

"No, He had something to do"

The family of three was chatting with each other for a while, talking about mundane things when Nora's phone rang. Upon looking at the screen, she noticed the name of the caller and excused herself to answer the call in private, leaving Barry and Henry alone together.

"Did you bring what I asked you to?"

Henry, who had been all smiles and laughter, suddenly grew serious and stared at Barry with an inquisitive expression.

Despite being stared at, Barry remained unfazed and composed. He slowly reached into his backpack and retrieved an item, displaying it in front of Henry. The item seemed to have had a positive impact on Henry as a smile slowly crept up on his face.

And in the next moment, the two suddenly laughed at each other as Henry playfully ruffled Barry's hair, eliciting annoyance on his face.

"Good! We need to keep this a secret to Nora. We can't have her knowing about this, it's supposed to be a surprise after all"

"I know, Dad. You can trust me on this one"

"Haha, I know I can, Barry"

The two were huddled together, their voices barely audible as they whispered back and forth. Now and then, a soft giggle would escape their lips as they carefully planned for the surprise tomorrow.

"I can't wait to see Mom's reaction tomorrow. It's going to be the best birthday party ever!"

"Haha, yeah"

Nora who had finished the call, came back into the room just to see the smiles and giggles on their faces. Intrigued, she couldn't resist her curiosity, pondering what delightful conversation had sparked such reactions from them.

"What's this? I wanna join in on whatever this is"

"...!"

Barry and Henry were in the midst of a conversation when suddenly Nora appeared out of nowhere. Her sudden appearance startled them both and they instinctively flinched. They immediately clamped their mouths shut, realizing that they couldn't afford to let any sensitive information slip out in front of her. 

"Not speaking, huh?"

With a sly and mischievous grin on her face, Nora made an unexpected move and swiftly lunged at Barry, tickling him until he couldn't resist any longer, causing him to surrender and spill the details while Henry could only watch helplessly at the scene.

"Ah... so, that's what you guys were talking about"

Nora gently chuckled, amused at their plan while secretly feeling warmth in her heart. Meanwhile, Barry's expression subtly contorted into a slight frown, harboring a trace of discontent at Nora's clever and underhanded maneuver. However, he let go of his lingering annoyance when she affectionately patted his head, choosing to move on from the momentary feeling of saltiness.

"Come on, Barry. It's time to go to bed"

"Aw... but I'm still not sleepy, Mom"

"No buts, go to bed now, young man"

Barry's countenance shifted into a visible expression of displeasure as he turned around to address Henry. His demeanor took on an adorable quality, infused with an air of innocence that belied the complex emotions beneath the surface. Discreetly, he conveyed a subtle signal to Henry, urging him to join forces and take his side.

However, Barry's optimism waned as he encountered the disheartening reality of Henry opting to take her mother's side instead.

"Listen to your mother, Barry"

"Okay..."

"Come on, Barry. Let's go"

In a tender gesture, Henry enveloped Barry in his arms, lifting him with ease as they went up the staircase to the second floor. Nora observed the pair from behind, her eyes filled with affection and care, wishing to continue this wonderful life forever.

*****

New York, On an Unknown Location...

A room was shrouded in darkness, with only a few dim lights that flickered intermittently, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with the pungent smell of chemicals, and the room was filled with high-tech equipment, the likes of which were unknown to most people. 

In the center of the room, a small group of researchers stood huddled together, their eyes fixed on a middle-aged man who stood before them. The man's presence commanded respect but also instilled a sense of fear in those who looked upon him as if he held some power and authority that they could not comprehend.

"What progress have you made?"

With an imposing presence, the middle-aged man loomed over the researchers before him, his cold eyes gazing downward. Within the depths of his gaze, a mix of profound pride and a subtle undertone of anger coalesced, resonating in the measured intensity of his tone as he addressed them.

"Y-Yes, Sir Osborn. W-We already have a prototype..."

"Good, I can't have General Ross waiting"

"B-But, sir..."

As soon as the leading researcher uttered the word "but," an abrupt shift in the atmosphere occurred, plunging the room into an instant chill. A collective shiver ran down the spines of each researcher present, the icy tendrils of unease intensifying as Norman's frigid gaze swept over them with an unsettling coldness.

"Gulp"

Summoning a deep breath, the leading researcher bit his lip and gathered his courage as he meekly turned to face Norman and his cold gaze.

"T-The prototype still hasn't been tested, s-sir"

"..."

"W-We don't know what kind of side effects it could have on a human being"

Hearing the researcher's words, Norman wore a pensive expression, his thoughts evident on his face. Subsequently, he directed an inquisitive gaze downward at the researcher, prompting an answer to his question.

"Did you try using it on an animal?"

"Y-Yes, sir... but they all died in the end. It seems they couldn't handle the transformation"

"Hmmm..."

Norman, knowing this information, pinches his chin in contemplation. Suddenly, an intense aura surged forth from his being, causing a palpable wave of fear to cascade through the researchers, leaving them shitless.

"Then why haven't you tried human testing then?"

"T-That's b-because Miss Nora decided against it"

Norman's eyes gleamed at the mention of Nora's name, and a warm smile gradually spread across his face. However, rather than instilling comfort, this smile only fueled a sense of dread among the researchers, as it carried an undertone of fear that sent shivers down their spines.

"...I see, then proceed with human testing"

"B-But what about Miss Nora, s-sir?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll deal with it myself"

"Gulp..."