190: Paradox

Advanced chapters in my Pat.reon.

Pat.reon.com/Saintbarbido.

::----------------------------::

Chapter 190: Paradox.

(General P.O.V)

(3 months Back)

Black Canary Reports:-

Location: The Watchtower.

Date: 12/8/2010.

Time: 0400hrs.

Psychiatric Report: Subject - Barry Allen (The Flash)

Introduction:

Barry Allen, known as the Flash, has presented a complex mental landscape marked by a series of troubling events.

Those events follow the reveal of a traitor among the ranks of the Justice League.

We believe Jonn Jonzz tempered with Barry's mind.

This report aims to document key observations, psychological shifts, and anomalies in his behavior, shedding light on the changes that have transpired within the hero's psyche.

Observations:

-Nightmares and Insomnia: Barry Allen experiences intense and vivid nightmares, disrupting his sleep patterns and causing chronic insomnia.

Shadows and spectral images persist in both waking and dreaming states, contributing to a severe lack of restorative rest.

- Depression and Social Alienation:

The Flash displays signs of deep-seated depression, resulting in a perceptible withdrawal from his social circles.

Colleagues have reported a growing distance, highlighting the impact of this emotional struggle on his interpersonal relationships.

3. Uncontrolled Use of Speed Powers during Sleep: Disturbingly, Barry has manifested his super-speed abilities involuntarily in his sleep.

This phenomenon has led to an unprecedented acceleration through dreamscapes, causing further distress and raising questions about the integration of his powers with his subconscious.

4. Sudden Relationship Breakup: The hero abruptly terminated his romantic relationship with Iris West, providing no coherent explanation.

This unexpected separation has left emotional wounds, adding to the overall turbulence within Barry's personal life.

5. Swift Recovery with Unexplained Changes: Strangely, Barry emerged from this tumultuous period seemingly unharmed and, to some extent, transformed.

The abrupt cessation of his mental turmoil occurred without a discernible cause, leaving a void in our understanding of the events that transpired.

Subsequent Behavioral Anomalies:

Post-recovery, a shift in Barry's demeanor has been noted.

A newfound ruthlessness has emerged, with his super-speed abilities now wielded not just against villains but indiscriminately, suggesting a troubling enjoyment in causing harm.

Conclusion:

The Flash's mental journey, marked by nightmares, depression, and a mysterious recovery, presents a challenging diagnostic puzzle.

The sudden behavioral changes, especially the hero's inclination towards inflicting harm, warrant further investigation.

As his psychiatrist, I'm inclined to continue monitoring without judging.

As his friend, I'm worried...

(Present Time)

The Flash wasted no time.

In Flash Time, his speed was already several times that of light. Far faster than anyone else could perceive with the exception of another speedster.

Even Superman, someone who the others thought could keep up with him, had actually always been as slow as a snail in his eyes.

Maybe that was why he took him out first.

Faster than Clark could react to, Barry had completed his move.

One second Superman had a head, the next it was frozen in the air, separated from his shoulders and falling towards the ground.

Before the Kryptonian's brain could slowly catch up to the fact he was dead, the scarlet Speedster had already taken care of all the representatives in the chamber.

They were dead. None of them spared. Delegates from every nation in the world, including Themisycra and Atlantis.

This was the focal point. The start of the war. The third world War, called the Humane Insurgency.

Where anyone with abilities, Metahuman or Mutate was hunted down and promptly executed. It was a scientific shift in what the Human Race could achieve.

An apotheosis. An evolution in ideology brought about by emotion and FEAR of the common man.

A superhuman had killed their leaders. What was stopping that Superhuman from killing or worse enslaving them?

The consequences of the Flash's actions ran deeper than that. You see, he didn't stop at one atrocity. Barry was too far gone for that.

It wasn't enough to commit one Amicicide.

The rest of his friends...had to go as well.

Diana roared out, throwing her Lasso to obstruct his way.

By the time Diana's neural synapses fired up and her brain caught up with reality, her fate was already sealed.

"Too slow princess."

Barry whispered next to her.

"That's my afterimage."

Then he streaked around her form, blurry fists raining down her body, the Flash pounded every inch of her skin at 1 × 10^(-15) seconds. A femtosecond. The quadrillionth unit of a second.

Diana was exposed to speeds similar to that of chemical reactions at a molecular level. She was promptly turned into dust.

"Hahahaha."

The Flash laughed in disbelief, staring at his hand.

"I pulverized her. Literally."

"Dammit Barry!!!!"

Black Canary yelled, turning to face the Flash while letting out a devastating sonic scream.

She'd seen it happen.

Seen him...change over the weeks and months. The same lovable goof was nkw killing their teammates.

She could have done something. Saved him before he snapped.

"Those were our friends! What's wrong with you?!!"

A vibrating hand was shoved through her chest for her trouble.

The Flash stared down at her with a wide remorseless smile

"I'm sorry Dinah...but, I've found out I have a taste for killing."

Barry answered, then increased the molecular oscillation of his hand.

Dinah burst into blood and gore.

"No-"

Green Arrow started notching an arrow only for Barry to enter Flash time once more, evading a spell from Zatara.

The speedster ran outside and came back in with a detached flag poll that he mercilessly used to skewer 5 league members with.

Aquaman, Green Lantern Stewart, Zatara, Hawkman and Hawkgirl groaned in agony as they found themselves stabbed through the midsection and pinned to the wall.

"Stop this madness Allen!"

Captain Atom warned, taking flight with power roiling within him.

"Don't force me to hurt you!"

Only a single second had passed since The Flash had decided to kill everyone.

Superman's head bounced on the floor just then and an instant later, Captain Atom found himself in the Sahara.

With his containment suit breached.

"Motherfuck-"

An explosion rippled out from his position.

Back in the UN, the Flash was in a contest of speed with Shazam. The champion's eyes were glowing as he kept the speedster in his vision.

Only Shazam out of the ones left had enough perception to see what had happened.

Barry was killing everyone.

Solomon's wisdom told him to retreat. Achille's courage refuted that.

Lighting washed down his hands.

He was going to stop the Flash if it was the-

Shazam's limbs locked up. What the...how?

His vision became blurry but not enough that he couldn't see the vibrating hand jutting out of his chest.

His costume hissed as red streaks of electric energy ran through his body.

"Do you feel that?"

Barry questioned from behind.

"That's billions of volts wreaking havoc across your body. It's only enough to disrupt your movements but the main show is what comes after."

Shazam was then exposed to the Speed Force. The dimension governing all of time. Speed force energy was channeled through him, colliding with the divine energy inside his godly form.

The champion was shredded from the inside out by the volatile reaction.

His body simply turned into wisps of energy that the Flash banished into the Speedforce.

"And then there was one."

Baery stated, facing off against his final teammate.

Batman.

The Dark Knight was silent, unnaturally still with a stern and grave expression on his face.

Since the execution began, he'd been stuck in one place without moving an inch.

"Truth be told Bruce, I'd rather not kill you."

Barry said, blitzing to the Stage, approaching the Dark Knight.

"You have half a dozen contingencies for me, but I only needed one for you. Which is why I placed you in Flash Time from the beginning. Your mind can perceive all that is happening at the speed of light, but your body is too slow to react..."

The Flash stopped before him. Then he placed his palm flat on Batman'a chest and shoved him backwards.

Bruce was swallowed into a portal that sent him straight to the Speedforce.

"You're my contingency. Just in case."

The Flash whispered staring at Batman's former position.

"You didn't intervene."

The Flash said, turning to the Quintessence.

"Even after I killed all my teammates. Including a Green Lantern and an Amazonian. Iwas sure that would have pissed off the Guardian and Hera. So why?"

"The Quintessence are observers. We do not ingratiate ourselves in the conflicts of mortals."

Highfather explained, hands folded on his chest.

"Besides we are of the same agenda Speedster."

The Phantom Stranger interjected.

"Itsthe reason you haven't killed the Reaper's companions. You seek to know his location through them, right?"

The Flash turned to Lady Shiva, Deadman and Cheshire. The latter two were staring at him in disgust. It made him...irritated. They were the villains. He was the good guy.

Half of the Speedster's face was covered by blood, which made his slow sadistic smile even more savage.

"Yeah..."

He just had to kill these three and his secret was safe. Besides, killing them would likely bring out the Reaper.

And then these guys would handle Davian and The world would be safe.

He would be its savior.

(Davian's P.O.V)

Life has never been easy for me. And I get that we can't all have everything.

We can't all be winners.

I was a loser for most of my first life. I lost everything. My adopted parents, because apparently they really weren't my true parents, my other family; which I had to kill for murdering Nick, my parallel self who sacrificed everything for me, Raven...

It was an extensive list. Only recently, when I finally had the power to push back against Fate's machinations, had I stopped losing.

Now I was winning.

Looking at the beautiful face gazing up at me...

The face of the only person who mattered in this second life, I felt...a genuine smile stretch out across my face.

"Hey Raven."

I responded, the words almost choking on my throat.

Her body seemed to tremble on the couch. She silently closed the magic book she was reading and stood up.

Then I felt something collide onto my chest. Her body.

"Oof"

"I missed you. So very very much."

Raven cried, squeezing me in a bear hug.

"Please don't ever leave me again Davi! Please please please please..."

I was dumbfounded. Tongue tied.

Then I remembered she was hugging me Raven. Was. Alive.

And she is hugging you, you fucking idiot. Do something! Hug her back! I wrapped my hands around her just as tightly as she was.

And there. There was no mistaking it. The hurried beat of her heart. The fluttering of her lashes as she blinked back tears.

The tensing of her muscles.

"Ack!"

I coughed as she punched me on the side of my stomach.

"I see you're sensory skill has gotten better. Now you can even bypass my magical barrier."

That's Raven alright.

I got the message and retracted Reikaku.

"How were you able to touch me in my soul form?"

I asked curiously, comfortable with the easy way we always interacted. Falling into the groove. Her groove.

She decided to answer through demonstration. Stepping a few feet away from me, she spread her hands out.

Pure infinite Tairyoku pulsed through her body. It was life, in a way I couldn't make it.

Mine would always be tainted by my experiences. Any life I created, especially the Soul Lanterns, would be bred for battle.

Warriors.

Evil or good, men or women. All of them would be saddled with a fate destined for lifelong conflict. They would be drawn to war and battle like moths to flame.

Such doesn't make for a stable civilization.

But Raven. She was connected to the true source of life. She-

A light ball exploded before my eyes, slightly blinding me by its brightness.

"Ow, ow."

I winced, seeing black spots.

"That's what you get for using that skill again."

Raven growled.

The cutest sound ever.

"Now listen up Davi."

Motes of light from her body gathered infront of her chest into a ball.

The light intensified, swirling until the ball was compressed into...

"A soul? How-"

I asked, shocked.

"How can I manipulate souls when I'm not a deity of Death?"

She smirked.

"You forget Davi, I create life. And souls are life. It's not about the physical form alone. Even after death, the souls of the departed still exist, meaning...they live."

More energy gathered into the ball.

"And if it lives, I can control it...I am It."

The ball transitioned from a spiritual form into a physical one, a bird.

To be precise, a Raven.

The bird started flapping it's wings in a lazy pattern around the chamber, before settling above the fireplace on a framed Demon Head.

"Wow, Raven...that was incredible."

I was absolutely gobsmacked. And my face probably showed it, based on the shy but slightly happy look she was giving me.

"I understand now. That's how you were able to hug me. By directly interacting with my soul."

I told her with a lopsided grin. Kinda dumb I didn't realize it before.

"Not just that."

Raven whispered, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Then she stepped forward and kissed me.

It was. Sudden.

But I liked it. I dove into the kiss, pulling her closer. Her body leaned into mine, relaxing onto my chest.

And time lost meaning.

When she pulled back, we were both breathing heavily. Despite the fact I was in Soul form, my chest thumped fast. My fingertips tingled.

Raven's cheeks were flushed, her eyes lidded and heavy. Her lips...those plump soft lips quivered, almost pulling me in.

Fuck it.

I kissed her back. And time lost meaning for the second time.

Then I felt Cheshire's mask crack. My body jolted up. Raven blinked in surprise, reaching out to me.

"What's wrong Davi?!"

I brought my hand up to eye-level, letting go of Reikaku and using something I didn't use often. The butterfly tattoo on my wrist.

The one Shiva had given me when I accessed the Phantom Zone for more training.

"Sorry Raven. A friend of mine is in trouble."

I told her while stepping back, hoping I hadn't screwed up my chances with her for interrupting our...actually what was it?

We were seeing each other now? It was clear I liked her and she liked me.

Or was it just a one time thing, or...

Focus! Don't get distracted! Cheshire's mask was imbued with a bundle of potential.

Potential for growth. It shouldnt have been broken so...easily.

You see Reiryoku was a strange thing.

To create her and the PRT's (Park Row Ties) masks, I'd relied on Fullbring to add on the 'effect' of growth. By now Cheshire might have been as powerful as a Lieutenant.

With the mask? Goddamn, that would place her on the level of a captain class Visored.

Something was wrong. If she was dead because of me...because I chose to fuck away than deal with-

"Hey."

I felt a gentle hand land on my shoulder.

Looking back I was met with the softest, most understanding expression I had ever seen on Raven.

"Let's go save your friend."

The most beautiful girl I'd ever laidmy eyes on said to me, showing her support.

Damn. How the fuck did I get this lucky?

"Okay."

I grinned back.

"Let's go save the Assassin, The Ghost and the badass Martial Artists."

"Sounds like there's a joke in there."

Raven replied, tapping my shoulder. Immediately, I felt a force touch upon my soul.

Curious about what she was planning, I allowed her power to affect me.

My soul gained substance, tangible amounts of Lifeforce swirled around it, forming a physical form to house it.

I stared at my arms, intrigued.

"Did you...just create a body for me?"

"Close. But no. That's just a temporary vessel. I'm afraid your current soul is too strong for a normal body. Even one that I create. You will need to construct a godly vessel powerful enough to channel all your immense abilities."

I clutched and unclutched my hand, feeling the strength there.

She created a blade made of light and swung it at my neck. The blade shattered into motes of energy upon contact.

"I didn't feel a thing."

I told her, inspecting myself.

Raven smiled proudly,

"Just because it's temporary doesn't mean it's weak. The muscles are tougher than those of a Kryptonian under a blue sun. It should hold up for a few hours."

Good. Now we could go. I still had to name the Universe but whatever was happening on Earth needed my attention.

Luckily, the butterfly tattoo on my hand was more than enough to trace my way back to the DC multiverse.

It was after all connected to not only Rama but her champion as well, Shiva.

Without wasting anymore time, we disaapeared in a flash of light.