Chapter 100: Life Form Speed Force

The reason Su Sheng forced Weather Wizard Clyde Mardon to attack S.T.A.R. Labs was straightforward: he wanted to see if Barry Allen's Speed Force was the same as his own. Although using the Speed Force involves both consumption and replenishment, Su Sheng could still sense fluctuations when using it. However, to detect these fluctuations accurately, he needed to be highly focused.

Rather than waiting for Caitlin Snow to inform Barry Allen or taking action himself, Su Sheng decided it was better to create a situation where Caitlin Snow would naturally inform Barry. Besides, watching someone else face consequences was always entertaining.

Swish.

Yellow lightning streaked into S.T.A.R. Labs from a distance.

"He's here," Su Sheng muttered as he focused on sensing any changes in the Speed Force energy.

Inside S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin Snow had likely informed the team of the imminent attack, and Su Sheng waited patiently. After about half an hour, Clyde Mardon finally appeared.

Clyde stood outside S.T.A.R. Labs with his arms raised, summoning a powerful windstorm that quickly escalated into a massive storm.

"Clyde Mardon!" Barry Allen arrived in an instant, dressed in his red Flash suit. His expression changed as he took in the devastating storm forming in front of him.

Clyde Mardon, without hesitation, recognized Barry as someone like the man who had confronted him earlier. Without wasting time, he unleashed the storm on Barry, knowing there was no need for pleasantries.

Boom!

Barry, still inexperienced in combat, was instantly knocked back by the force of the storm.

"What should I do now?" Barry asked desperately, rolling to the side as he sought advice from the others in the lab.

"If you don't stop him, he could create a tornado that would destroy the city," Sisko Ramon's voice echoed through Barry's earpiece.

"How do I stop him?" Barry asked, panic rising in his voice.

"Maybe try running in the opposite direction of the storm?" Barry suggested suddenly.

"That could work, but your body might not be able to handle it..." Caitlin Snow began, but Barry had already started running around the storm in the opposite direction.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Barry ran faster and faster, becoming a blur of yellow lightning as he wrapped himself around the storm.

The storm's expansion slowed, and Clyde glared at the speeding Flash, trying to regain control of the situation.

Barry pushed himself to his limits, but on the third lap, he groaned and was thrown out of the storm's path.

Despite Barry's impressive speed, Clyde could still track his movements. As Barry tumbled out of the storm, Clyde saw an opportunity to regain control. The storm, once again, began to grow in strength.

"Still no change? Not fast enough? Not enough consumption?" Su Sheng muttered from his perch on a distant rooftop. "No, this kind of extreme running should be enough to generate fluctuations… Unless… I've somehow duplicated the Speed Force!"

A grin spread across Su Sheng's face. A duplicated Speed Force? This could mean that his Speed Force had become a separate life form, similar to what happened to Bart Allen in the Flash comics.

In the comics, Bart Allen had absorbed all the Speed Force from the Flash family and merged with it, becoming the life form known as White Lightning. Su Sheng's thoughts raced as he considered the implications. His lightning color hadn't changed, suggesting that he still had room for improvement. His Speed Force wasn't strong enough yet.

Barry Allen's Speed Force, on the other hand, enveloped the multiverse as a Speed Force Wall, influencing the time and space of the entire multiverse. The more speedsters used the Speed Force, the stronger it became. Although Su Sheng wasn't certain if other speedsters besides Barry Allen could recharge the Speed Force itself, it was known that speedsters would become part of the Speed Force upon their death.

However, Su Sheng's Speed Force seemed to exist independently, likely due to the influence of cosmic forces like the Wall of Origin or changes from copying the Speed Force. While Barry Allen's Speed Force spanned the multiverse, Su Sheng's Speed Force was confined to his presence, meaning it would follow him wherever he went. This meant he didn't have to worry about losing the Speed Force if he left the DC universe, unlike Wally West in the comics, who lost his Speed Force when he crossed into the Marvel universe.

"If that's the case, I should be able to create a speedster of my own. I'll have to test this out someday. Maybe I can even have the speedster recharge my Speed Force!" Su Sheng mused.

Meanwhile, Clyde Mardon's storm was reaching its peak. If released, it would obliterate S.T.A.R. Labs in an instant.

What about Barry Allen? Although he had picked himself up, he seemed to have lost all confidence, staring at the storm in despair. Inside the lab, Sisko Ramon and Caitlin Snow were at a loss, struggling to come up with a plan. Being a superhero's assistant wasn't easy, after all!

"Barry." At the critical moment, Harrison Wells stepped in. He couldn't let Barry Allen fail now—if Barry gave up, Wells' plans for the future would be ruined. As Barry's spiritual mentor, Wells offered words of encouragement. Barry was still new to being the Flash, unfamiliar with his abilities, lacking confidence, and inexperienced in battle. But Wells' few words managed to reignite Barry's resolve.

"Run, Barry, run!"

With that, Barry's determination surged, and he began running once more.

Faster! Faster! Faster!

Barry's speed increased exponentially, surpassing his previous limits.

The storm's momentum faltered and began to shrink.

Boom!

The storm dissipated.

Barry Allen, breathing heavily, allowed himself a moment of joy. But that joy was quickly snuffed out when he found himself staring down the barrel of Clyde Mardon's gun.

"What kind of Flash are you?" Su Sheng couldn't help but scoff at the scene. "The Flash, afraid of a gun? You've got to be kidding me!"

Author's Note: The Weather Wizard was featured in the first episode of The Flash's first season. I can't help but critique the show's portrayal of The Flash—his power levels fluctuate wildly, his intelligence seems to drop at crucial moments, and then he manages to pull through thanks to some last-minute pep talk.