Barry's Confidence

Barry's focus was razor-sharp, electricity dancing in his eyes as he poised himself to unleash his speed. Mardon taunted him furiously, "Coward, is running all you do? Is fleeing your only trick?"

Another volley of compressed air blades shot from Mardon's hand, slicing through the air but only managing to sever birch trees, which fell with a rustling crash. Barry, anticipating the attack, had already transformed into a streak of yellow lightning, dodging the assault with ease.

This time, Barry was not running away.

A look of steely resolve shone from Barry's eyes as he internally rallied himself. Following Elon's advice, he whirled around Mardon in a spiraling arc of yellow electricity. Barry adopted a boxer's stance and threw a straight right punch, landing a solid blow on Mardon's back.

Mardon staggered forward, a sharp pain in his back sending shockwaves through his insides. He bent backward from the impact, his expression twisted in agony.

Mardon roared in a mix of pain and rage, "You hurt me, you worthless, cowardly weakling!"

Barry, elated from the successful hit, didn't pursue further. Instead, he reveled in the thrill of the moment, excitedly reporting to Elon through the communicator, "Elon, I hit him, I did it!"

Elon's voice came back, full of encouragement, "Of course, you did. You're The Flash!"

Since Joe's lack of faith and his own severe beating at Mardon's hands, Barry had been lacking confidence. He'd felt like he was always running—just as Mardon taunted, always fleeing. Running to save others, running in confusion. Joe's distrust had made him question himself, leading him to run over 600 miles seeking answers. Returning, he continued to run, feeling empty inside, with only the act of running making him feel real. But this punch, against a foe who had nearly killed him, shattered his confusion and affirmed his abilities. He was capable of facing any adversary, protecting Joe, others, and his city. As the Green Arrow would say, believe in yourself.

With newfound confidence, Barry taunted Mardon, "Hey, Mardon, want a few more hits?"

Then he became a blur of yellow light, circling Mardon in dazzling arcs.

The brilliant flashes of yellow electricity enveloped Mardon, a testament to Barry's will shining brightly. At that moment, he felt fearless.

Mardon's eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled as he frantically looked for the red-clad figure within the whirlwind of yellow lightning. Suddenly, Barry's confident face appeared before him, his smile mocking.

A right hook connected with Mardon's left cheek, loosening teeth and drawing blood. As Mardon's body tilted, ready to fall, Barry's left hook landed on the other side, knocking loose teeth flying and straightening Mardon back up.

As the slow-motion cascade of teeth, saliva, and blood sprayed from Mardon's mouth, the yellow lightning continued its relentless circuit. Mardon's cheeks swelled like a hamster stuffing its cheeks full of food.

The pain and humiliation surged within Mardon. The Flash, whom he had scorned and nearly killed, was now inflicting harsh blows to his body, a reality that seemed surreal.

The agony on his face was real, though, and it was driving Mardon mad.

With a forceful push of his hand, Mardon created an explosive shockwave that resembled a bomb detonation.

'Boom!'

The blast wave uprooted trees and leaves, and the yellow lightning that had been circling him was flung away.

Mardon's eyes were ablaze with a volcanic rage as he bellowed, "You deserve to die, all of you! You need to perish to atone for your sins. Destruction—I will destroy you all!"

For a moment, time seemed to stop. Then, a fierce wind whipped up, spiraling debris and dust into the air.

Countless wisps of fog gathered around Mardon, swirling into a vortex that drew in everything around it. The trees swayed as if they might be uprooted at any moment.

Mardon had created a tornado.

Barry was thrown by the explosion, landing not far from Joe. Fortunately, his speed force allowed for rapid healing, and the pain subsided quickly.

"Barry... Barry..." Joe called out, fearing the worst.

"I'm okay, Joe. That was quite a rush," Barry replied, picking himself up and dusting off the mud and leaves from his face.

With a reassuring smile, he told Joe, "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

As the winds intensified, the tornado Mardon had conjured became a looming threat, connecting the sky to the earth with its swirling force.

Barry watched in horror as the tornado grew. "Guys, we've got a big problem. Mardon's created a tornado," he reported through the communicator.

Caitlin, from the control room, had already detected the tornado. "Barry, it's accelerating quickly—80, 100, 130 miles per hour and still strengthening. I believe it could become an F5 tornado."

An F5 tornado was the most destructive kind, capable of leveling buildings in Central City, turning cars into projectiles, and stripping asphalt from the roads.

Elon, hearing of the tornado, almost leaped up. "Mardon, what are you doing? Creating a tornado like before? I can already foresee the end."

"How do I stop him?" Barry cried out, feeling helpless against the massive tornado. It reminded him of when he was eleven, unable to do anything as his mother was murdered—powerless, just like then.

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