Chapter 42: Plan wisely.

Chapter 42: Plan wisely.

***-

Myles and Grodd were inside Myles' hideout, a secret base hidden behind a waterfall. Myles was sitting on a couch, watching the news on a large screen. Grodd was standing behind him, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed.

"Why human archer still alive?" Grodd asked in Myles' mind. "He no threat to us."

"He's not a threat, but he's a useful hostage," Myles said with a shrug. "He's the boss of Team Arrow, and a good buddy of the Flash."

"What you want from holding him?"

"Motivation. I want the Flash to give me his best shot. I want to see him go beyond his limits and break them."

"Why? What your purpose in this?"

"Curiosity. I have a theory about the Flash's speed, and I want to test it."

"A theory?"

"Yup. A theory that I came up with after my uh… 'rebirth'."

Myles closed his eyes and recalled the day he regained control of his body and broke free from the Speedforce prison. He remembered how he fought Eobard Thawne, Flash Allen, and Black Flash, and how he easily overpowered them with his superior speed and power of the Primal Force. He remembered how Flash suddenly became faster than ever and caught him off guard.

"It was weird," Myles said. "He was slower than me the whole time, but then he suddenly gained a boost of speed that matched mine. I thought it was the Speedforce helping him, but then I realized that it couldn't be."

"Why not?" Grodd asked.

"Because the Speedforce hates me but it's not stupid enough to give it's power to a greenhorn. It wants to stop me or trap me again without losing it's precious avatar."

"So what your theory?"

Myles opened his eyes and smiled.

"My first theory is that Flash has a hidden potential that he doesn't know about. A potential that is triggered by his emotions. When he saw me rampage across Central city, he felt fear, anger, desperation. And those feelings made him tap into a deeper source of speed."

"A deeper source?"

"That's my second theory, Flash somehow tapped into the raw power of the Speedforce. Or a branch of the Primal force."

"Grodd does not understand."

Myles sighs. "Okay imagine the source of my power as one big tree. The tree represents the Primal Force. Now each branch represents a concept or an element. Dark, light, gravity, power, cosmo, time, space, you get the gig. It's source of everything, from start to finish. You ever wondered how fast humans adapted? Or how about why we even fear the dark? Or the unknown? The rage you feel that's bubbling up until you explode."

Grodd hums. "Grodd has felt it, so you're suggesting Flash has somehow tapped into the Primal concept of speed."

"Bingo!" Myles clapped. "Score for the ape with the brain. Yes, for some reason Flash somehow tapped into it."

"How sure are you about these theories?"

"I don't know yet. But I intend to find out. That's why I need Oliver Queen. I need to make Flash feel those emotions again. I need to make him run faster than ever. And then I will see what he is hiding."

"And then what? What you do with him?"

"That depends on what I find. Maybe I'll kill him. Maybe I will spare him. Maybe I will make him my ally. Or maybe I will make him my enemy. Either way I'll get what I need."

"You play dangerous game, Myles."

"Maybe so. But it's also a fun game. And I love fun games." Myles laughed and turned up the volume on the TV.

Grodd could only stare at the human but his instincts told him this was just a glimpse of the endgame.

***-

Chaos reigned in the city as the cops took cover behind their cars as a blast of cold and flames struck.

A male anchor was reporting live from Central City.

"Good evening, this is Evan Gibson with Channel 52 News. We are here at the scene of a major crisis, as two notorious criminals, Captain Cold and Heatwave, have launched a coordinated attack on the city. They have been using their signature weapons, to freeze and burn everything in their path. They have also issued a challenge to the Flash, the city's resident hero, who has not shown up to stop them."

The camera panned to show the destruction caused by the two villains. Cars were frozen solid, buildings were on fire, and people were running in panic.

"We have no confirmation on why the Flash has not responded to this emergency," Evan continued. "Some sources suggest that he may be away on another mission, or that he may be injured or incapacitated. Others speculate that he may be afraid to face these formidable foes, who have proven to be his match in the past. Whatever the reason, the citizens of Central City are losing hope and faith in their protector."

The camera cut to footage of Captain Cold and Heatwave, who were standing on top of a bank that they had just robbed. They were holding their guns and laughing maniacally.

"Hey, Flash! Where are you?" Captain Cold shouted. "We're waiting for you! Come out and play!"

"Yeah, come on, Flash!" Heatwave added. "Don't be a coward! Show us what you got!"

The camera cut back to Evan, who looked worried.

"But the Flash is not the only one who is being challenged by these criminals. They have also taunted Tachyon, the infamous speedster who has claimed Central City as his territory, has not made any appearance or statement regarding this situation. Some wonder if he is afraid of these rogues as well, or if he has a hidden agenda behind his silence."

The camera cut back to Evan, who looked serious.

"We will keep you updated on this developing situation as it unfolds. For now, we urge everyone to stay indoors and avoid the streets. This is Evan Gibson, signing off."

***-

In Star Labs, where Barry Allen, Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow, and Harrison Wells were watching the news on a monitor. They looked concerned and frustrated.

"We have to do something," Barry said. "We can't let them get away with this."

"I agree," Cisco said. "We have to stop them before they hurt someone."

"Or worse," Caitlin added.

"No," Wells said. "You can't go out there."

"Why not?" Barry asked.

"Because it's a trap," Wells said. "It's obvious that this is one of Myles' schemes. He's trying to lure you out and ambush you."

"How do you know that?" Barry asked.

"I just do," Wells said. "Trust me on this. Myles is too smart and too dangerous to underestimate. He's probably watching this right now and laughing at us."

"But we can't just ignore it," Caitlin said. "They're causing so much damage to the city."

"Damage that can be repaired," Wells said. "Have you noticed that they haven't killed anyone yet? They're only destroying property. They're not trying to hurt people. They're trying to get your attention."

"So what?" Barry asked. "We're just supposed to let them do whatever they want?"

"For now, yes," Wells said. "Until we figure out what Myles is up to and how to stop him."

"This is crazy," Barry said. "I can't just stand here and hope they'll go away

"Yes, you can," Wells said. "Let's say you go out there, save the day again, what happens after that? What if Myles comes here to break out Hartley?"

…

"Exactly, so you need to listen and wait this is out." Wells said. "You aren't fast enough. Not yet, you still haven't figured out how you managed to get that sudden increase. Myles won't let it happen again."

Barry looked at Cisco and Caitlin for support, but they looked unsure.

"Barry, maybe Dr. Wells is right," Cisco said.

"Yeah, maybe we should wait for more information," Caitlin said.

Barry sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know," he said. "I don't like this at all."

"You don't have to Barry, but you need to stay alive if you want to save this city." Wells said.

Barry quickly walks out of the office in frustration.

***-

Leonard Snart and Mick Rory were still attacking the city with their cold gun and heat gun. They were shooting at cars, buildings, and anything else that caught their eye.

"Hey, Mick, cover me," Leonard said. "I need to make a call."

"Who are you calling?" Mick asked.

"Our old friend," Leonard said.

He took out his phone and dialed a number. He waited for a few seconds, then heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, Leonard," Myles said. "How's the party?"

"It's a blast," Leonard said. "But we have a problem."

"What problem?"

"The Flash. He didn't show up."

"I know, I was expecting him not to."

"So what's plan B?"

"Plan B? This was plan B."

Leonard chuckled. "You really need to learn your alphabet, Myles."

Myles laughed. "I like to keep my enemies guessing, Leonard. And you know what they say: the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

"So what now?"

"Now, you meet me at Central Park. And bring some fireworks."

"Fireworks?"

"Yes. I have a surprise for the Flash."

"What kind of surprise?"

"You'll see when you get there. Trust me, it'll be worth it."

"Alright, I'm interested. We'll be there in ten minutes."

"Good. I'll see you in… 5 seconds."

Myles hung up the phone and smiled.

Leonard put his phone away and looked at Mick.

"Come on, Mick. We have a rendezvous to catch."

"With who?"

"With Myles. And his surprise."

"What kind of surprise?"

"I don't know. But knowing him, it'll be something big."

"Big? I like big."

"Me too. Let's go."

They ran towards their getaway car, shooting at anything that moved along the way. As they got in the car, Leonard turned on the radio and heard a familiar song playing.

"It's the final countdown!" the singer crooned.

Leonard grinned and turned up the volume. "How fitting," he said.

Mick nodded and sang along. "The final countdown!"

They drove away, leaving a trail of ice and fire behind them.

***-

Myles was sitting on a couch in his hideout, holding a device. He looked at his watch and smiled.

"It's almost time," he said.

He turned to Grodd, who was standing behind him, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed.

"Are you ready, Grodd?" he asked.

Grodd nodded.

*Yes, Myles. Grodd is ready.*

"Good. Because we have a lot of work to do."

Myles handed Grodd a picture of a young woman with brown hair and brown eyes.

"Do you know who this is?" he asked.

Grodd looked at the picture and shook his head.

*No. Who is she?*

"Her name is Shawna Baez. She's a meta-human with the power to teleport to any place she can see. She goes by the name Peek-a-Boo."

*Peek-a-Boo? What a silly name.*

"Maybe so. But her power is very useful. And I need you to find her for me."

*Why? What do you need from her?*

"Well if my hunch is right then she might be our best get away."

Myles handed Grodd another device, a small metal box with wires and buttons.

"This is a device that Hartley made for you. It can amplify your telepathic range and allow you to scan the minds of everyone in the city. All you have to do is place it on your head and focus on Shawna's face. I already tested it but it works better if we have a lot cameras."

*And then what?*

"Then you'll be able to sense her location and tell me where she is. Simple, right?"

Grodd looked at the device and nodded. *Yes. Simple.* This human slightly reminded him of his father.

Plans within plans.

The only difference is that Myles's plans are often so simple and direct that no one would dare to think of him as actually doing it.

Father's plans were calculated, each having a purpose. Myles' plan was the opposite, wild, rarely having any purpose. Yet if you look closely enough, Myles's plans are connected, it's how he projects those plans that make it difficult to connect.

How does one plan of robbing an ice cream shop connect to robbing a nuclear plant? You don't, it's absurd and crazy. Yet Myles somehow pulls it off.

Grodd was starting to see how Myles ticked. He doesn't plan big, he plans small and lets the rest do the work to make it big. In other words, Myles starts a chain reaction and plans outside of those reactions.

Leonard and Mick's rampage, Hartley's arrest, the tests on his theories, and now this? None of it these four were related to each other.

*This was your plan all along.* Grodd muttered and all he received was a playful wink.