A Shard of Lightning

by Holomorn

1. Lightning Strikes Twice

~FLASH~

Chapter 1: Lightning Strikes Twice

If there's one thing I've learned after becoming a hero is that the universe had no limits. Secrets and mysteries may be uncovered but there's always something more out there that it just might be under your nose. I know, i was there...

And it all started in that day...
-Barry Allen, The Fastest Man Alive

In the hot and busy streets of Central City, a red streak of yellow lightning flashes right by the road, dodging cars, people and things alike in a sparkly stream of turns with uncanny precision. Many are the people that notice the swift change of wind, jumping and smiling in surprising as it goes for they know who he is, the mysterious red streak that looms around, Flash, the hero of Central City.

Somewhere, a fire breaks out on top of a corporate building. Firefighters try their best to control the raging flames, splashing their water hose over it while screams fill the air until the red streak shows up, running up from the windows to burst inside, going up and down several times.

In a blink of eyes, several men and women find themselves on ground level, safe from the danger. Out though confused at first, they quickly cheer on the spot, thanking their savior masked in red in gratitude, admiring the gold lightning symbol shinning in middle of the red circle in his chest. He waves back at them, adorning an 'see ya' pose before his body crackled with energy, departing in a glint of light.

This is how it is everyday for Flash as he runs, feeling the wind part away from his face, letting the electricity course through the skin into the red leather which dispersed the attrition heat. With a single thought, the world seems to slow down under his lightning heightened reflexes to think and act, seeking to maintain order and the become the guardian angel Central City needs.

Piercing the roads as he see fit, Flash makes through into a certain circular building near the river, the Star Labs. He storms inside the halls, knowing the place upside down to reach the cortex, his little hideout.

With a sudden zapping sound signaling the presence, the fine lad with a shoulder length hair over the computer flexed his arms on the back of his head and smirks playful and laid-back, “Ah there you are Barry, you took your time out there, what gives?” Greets Cisco heads up from the computer desk.

Flash, or as his true name has been told, Barry took down his mask and breath forth, “Oh sorry Cisco, I was quite busy on the way here. I prevent some bank robbery, saved a cat falling in the next corner and then had to evacuate a whole building that caught on fire. You know, the usual” He gloats pointing out with a satisfied grin.

“Ah yes, quite the hero stuff” Out of the corner, from the wing section of the cortex, a black dressed man approaches operating the lever for his mechanized wheelchair to move forward.

Crossing his fingers, the enigmatic Harrison Wells smiles, “Always saving people, hunting things… that’s kind your business nowadays isn’t it, Barry?”

“Uh, yeah! That’s right, just putting this gift to some use” Barry nodded reluctantly, shrugging his shoulders before pointing at the lightning symbol in his chest. He did in fact enjoy being able to save people after all.

“Of course you are, it's good for practice at least. Now, can you tell me how’s the weather out there?” Wells asked passing by to reach the computer interface beside Cisco. The data image of Central City’s atmosphere was glowing brightly on the windows but it was the loud booming sound echoing outside that answered his question.

“Ah let’s just say the city is about get flooded. Clouds were closing in tight on my way back. Why?”

“That’s just what we needed!” Cisco flared excitedly, grabbing down some piece of metal underneath the desk. From the looks of it, it’s kind of gear-like disk with small limb appendages made of steel or some metallic equivalent. The device reminded Barry of the Quantum Splicer they have built to help Firestorm from blowing up, only that it’s a little smaller in size.

“Behold, my own Arc reactor! Now I just need to make the rest of suit so that you become, get this, the Iron Flash...” Cisco declared exposing the device in splendor before frowning, “No, that actually sounds ridiculous and unoriginal...”

Barry blink his eyes, his face going quizzical by his friend antics.

“Look, we know you have been pondering around on how to get yourself faster, okay? That whole issue with the Man in Yellow? Yeah, we all want to kick his ass too so here’s the thing, Wells and I came up with one awesome idea to get it done” He continued.

“We believe that by linking your body directly to a source of energy, one similar to the one your cells emits, we could manually supercharge them using an external factor as a boost” Wells explained the ordeal exposing the simulated data over the main monitor so everyone could see it.

There on the video, red colored cells inside Flash’s body shook violently with a golden hue. Them with the holographic device on chest, a pulse booms out making the cells to vibrate faster and faster through the body’s circulation, making Barry's running animation cycle faster.

“That said, we had two theories in mind. One was to study the effects of tachyon particles on your body. Knowing how important the device was for Man in Yellow, I figured we might give it a try. However, after that last problem, we don’t have any other tachyon prototype available, so Cisco opted for a more... basic solution” Wells complemented.

“Yeah so I thought, why not power you up with the same process that gave you the speed and created the Flash? Running some tests, we came up with this" Cisco showcased his new apparatus, "An electromagnetic device coupled with a mini dark matter particles core that will absolve any kind of energy it comes through and channel all over directly into your body!”

"A process meant to replicate minor particle explosions in close proximity, ergo..."

“ All we need is the same source of energy to kick start the reaction and today I believe Mother Nature owns us some favors” The ever geeky nerd grinned like a mad scientist, thrilled as more thunders echoed in the background outside.

“Ah, that’s... That's great, let’s do it then” Barry stared at his friend with a tinge of fear in his face and simply agreed reluctantly. He looked at Wells trying to decipher his thoughts before heading out with Cisco, leaving crippled man to smile to himself alone, his shadow barely reflecting the shape of a certain being in Yellow.

Things were going well...

~FLASH~

Thunders roar on the shaking skies just above Ponyville. On a clear field, storm clouds were being drawn together by a trail of rainbow light darting left and right. Rainbow Dash, Ponyville's finest flier, draw her wings forth and slashed the air, surrounding and gathering all the thunder clouds she could muster in a single cluster.

Glaring at her work, she nods in satisfaction and waves down on the ground, signaling her magical friend, “All good to go, Twilight!”

And down there, a lavender colored unicorn smiles with excitement, “Thanks Rainbow. Now keep it that way while I prepare the spell. Spike, the book please”

“Right here!” Turning around, her little assistant arrives carrying a giant grimoire on his back. Twilight levitates the book out of Spike's hands and fervently scrolls through it's pages, stopping on a marked page.

“Well, that's one tight storm packed together. Are you sure your magic can handle it?” Spike stared at the clouds just as one lighting soared out with a extremely loud thunder. The little dragon quickly latched himself into Twilight’s foreleg.

“Of course it can. Most unicorns in the past were known to use spells to control the weather and tend the land before the three pony races united in Equestria” Twilight nodded, reading the lines with cheer curiosity.

“I thought only the grand wizards could do it safely… Celestia was quite clear on that, being dangerous and sort” Spike retorted holding parchment of paper while poking his chin in thought. There was a line somewhere with her warning, quote “For research purposes only”

Rolling her eyes however, Twilight diminished, “I know, I know, but can't you see it? This book has feats passed down through generations by many magicians since a long time. While there are risks in every field of magic, our ancestors managed to wrap them up for safe use. I'm sure can replicate their success and win the bet just fine!” She affirmed with confidence.

“Ha you wish! Come on Twilight, why don’t you just give up and admit it, pegasus are only masters of weather. No unicorn magic could beat us when it comes to out job!” Rainbow Dash gloated, relaxing down on top of a cloud. It was all funny entertainment for her. What started as a small history lecture of how proud the unicorns were in the past now evolved in a rivalry between both of them with Twilight trying to prove how magic could best what a pegasus excels at.

Rainbow Dash was baffled at first. It was challenge for her ego, one she couldn’t just let it be. Sadly for the unicorn, the cyan pegasus just beat every test Twilight came up. It didn’t take much effort though. Flying, cloud-walking and now weather manipulation… Rainbow Dash could everything with eyes closed and hooves tied so she wasn’t worried. And despite realizing magic has it's limits, Twilight however took it to the heart, to the point of asking Celestia for a new spell book of the old Unicornia Kingdom to catch up and try one last bout.

“Hmm… I don’t think this is a good idea, Twilight” Spike utters his concern as the unicorn snaps the book closed.

“Don’t worry Spike, I’ve everything on control. Now, if you just give me a moment...” Channeling the magic from her horn, the unicorn closed her eyes and converged her thoughts on the clouds themselves, picturing them to be clear. On the tip of her horn, sparks of energy crackled to life, her will forced into them. When it was ready, she fired the beam spell, piercing the skies in a way that scattered the storm apart in waves.

For seconds everything seemed fine and said storm was seemly calming down at sight. But then, the mix of energies, both magical and natural, began to clash violently forming waves of waves of lightning bolts that began to tear the sky itself, infecting other clouds and expanding the storm further and further and instead of dispersing it.

“Uh, that doesn't look good” Spike muttered scared as he stared at the looming thunderstorm raging on, which sent bolts right at the Rainbow, who was closer.

“Wow!” Flying in twists, she dodged the lightning bolts that were now drawn into her direction, out to get her down. Things were quickly spiraling out of control at the moment but Twilight hasn't said a word yet, “Hey! Should I put these clouds down or what?” She barked out, immediately zapping up to dodge another flash.

“Almost... there…!” Twilight had sweat crawling her face down, her eyebrows tightening deep putting all effort to attempt controlling the ravaging weather storm that now glowed in her magic tone of color. One stronger beam pulse and finally the results were showing. The sky itself began to shrink down shrouded in a purple glow. The once spreading clouds started to collapse into one another as if there was toilet flushing out upwards, sounds and all.

Rainbow Dash and Spike stared astonished. The magic's dispensing effect is different than the good ol’ Pegasi bucking. If the clean sun heating their bodies is any indication, the spell had done it's job and everything ended just fine.

“Wow… You did it Twilight, the sky is wiped clean!” The Pegasus irked in a flare before stopping, reconsidering, “I mean, not as fast as I could do it though but you did it anyway. That was awesome!” She praised.

Twilight saw her own work and wiped her forehead in relief, “Y-yes, it's a success-”

However, before she could finish her sentence, a white sparkle of light sprout forth in the blue of the sky and from it, a large flash exploded out. The seemly following explosion was so bright and spontaneous that they barely had time to react for what happened. The lightning came down, shattering the ground with with a force that could be felt all over Equestria.

All the residents of Ponyville, who were happening going on their day-lives relatively carefree felt a tingling chill on their spines. In one second, all the world suddenly became brighter and once they saw the cause of it, it was too late.

Everything went white.

~FLASH~

Moments later, Barry finds himself standing on top of Star Labs, staring uneasy at the unwelcoming weather looming all over. He had the device implanted in his chest humming a sound as it was activated.

“Ah, guys? Are you sure this will work?” The scene and atmosphere left Flash quite skeptical over the plan.

“Considering all the simulations we made, yes Barry, it will work… probably” Wells related over the mic in his ear.

“Probably!?”

“Don’t worry Barry; I’ve added some top notch insulating material into your suit. In worst case scenario? You might fell only a tiny spark” Cisco assured him confident in his work but not really helping the situation.

Barry once again faced the clouds anxious. To think he would again get himself to be struck by lightning. Even if it was a willing choice, he couldn’t help but to fell worried for what might happen. He didn’t want to be in a coma again. Not with the city crawling with other impossible beings like him. But then again, he didn’t have much of choice. His nemesis was out there, hidden away somewhere else unpunished. Barry knew he had to get faster to stand a chance.

Thinking what’s at stake, the Flash shook his worries away and got his conviction straight once more. What’s there to happen, will happen, and he had be ready for it.

Soon enough standing still like a rod, it happened. First the flash, then the sound it followed. The lightning parting from the skies fell on top of the Scarlet Speedster. As expected, Flash felt the sudden jolt of energy enter his body, clawing deep into his nerves in every inch of his being in instantaneous moment.

Back at the cortex, Cisco and Wells observed the statistics in Barry’s suit going unsteady, monitoring his health condition as it fluctuated in a chaotic waves. “Barry, how you’re holding up?” Asked the former from the mic.

“Shocking good. I fell like I’m high or something. It’s... awesome and scary at same time” Barry affirmed vigorously as he felt the effects of the device. He held still in place after the power was out, his body twitching from the remaining sparks. Curiously, the energy absolved from the lightning formed gold trims all over the torso of his suit but it’s like his skin was drought in cold shower.

“The conductor is working, we should see if it shows results. Barry, you know what to do” Wells suggested, already smiling with expectations.

“Alright...” Flash took a breath and jumped at little, harming up before drawing the power from his body with a single thought. His eye crackled in lightning and then, from the top of the Star Labs to down the street, one huge yellow streak shot down like a bullet to the ground and crossed several blocks almost instantly.

“Wow… look at that!” Cisco’s jaw dropped down when he saw the speed count go between four or five times the average speed Flash runs in normal conditions. The sensors on screen showed Flash’s dot zigzagging around the entire city in record time.

From Barry’s point of view, his surrounding went from one blurry mess of things into some blue streams of pure energy. As his speed rose, the space around him began to distort, deforming his body and the world to accommodate the known relativistic effects.

Light began to split in colors like there was some sort of prism in front of him, making everything go rainbow. His back however, went black entirely leaving a huge hole that seemed to invade the corner of his eyes like a tunnel.

“Okay, everything is going well. Barry’s body is holding up to the speed, so is the suit with the friction and nothing bad seems to be happening. We’ve done it, it was complete success” Affirmed Cisco leaning back satisfied with the results.

Wells however became serious, “No, something is off...” Barry’s statistics were going off the scale, the speed boost he received is beyond what the device should be capable of, “Barry, do you felt anything else?”

“...”

“Barry?” No response. The mic signal was still intact with the suit, which means that Barry should have heard it but for some reason didn’t. His dot on the map, kept running straight, speed going faster and faster way beyond their the theoretical conditions.

"Okay, i'm seeing this right, his suit just received a butt load of energy out of sudden. What's going on?"

“Guys, I can go faster!” Running unnoticed, Flash just explored. While it was a strange experience running at such extreme speeds, Flash had no problem discerning his actual position in relation to his surroundings, he still could see exactly where he wanted to go. With the path becoming clearer, Flash wished to go further in to test the limits of this new potential.

But he got no response from the mic.

“Guys?” It was then that Flash sensed something wrong. A pulse shocked forth from the device in his chest, spreading a white wave of energy into his body in a rush, “What the-”

Flash was caught off guard and ended tripping himself down, sending him body flailing around on the asphalt ground in hyper speed, rolling for minutes until a full stop, leaving a bloodied and broken Barry spread on the street.

“Ow...” If it wasn't for his high enchanted regeneration and better fortitude, his limbs would most certainly be torn out from impact alone. Yet, Flash didn't had the time to recover. The Cisco's device implanted in his chest was pulsing for powerful surges of white lightning, making his body muscle go rigid and strained. For the following seconds, Flash couldn't neither move nor speak.

The most bizarre scene however is what happened with Central City afterwards in his fall. Everything seemed to lose color becoming a monotone land akin to old movies. The people, the cars, everything else on the street was completely still, somehow frozen in time. All the noise and sound of the world went mute, colorless and dead except for him, who was apparently an helpless observer.

Flash felt a chill on his spine faced with all the null and void Central City. In one second this had to be the second most scary moment for him so far, going just behind losing his mother. What had happened? Did he mess up with time again? Broke something in the space-time continuum for good? The possibilities scared Barry as he thought of the impossible happening once more.

Alas panicking alone, a sound of thunder echoed in the otherwise silent city. Barry forced his out, looking for the source when suddenly, a streak of yellow-red light flashed across the street, followed by six more just right behind it in sequence. It's odd and yet familiar. If anything, those streaks were like him, the blur of a speedster running.

Yellow, Red, Blue, Light Blue, White and Black, all flashing a flickering trail streak known for speedsters like himself.

Flash felt his heart skip a beat. Just the first color left him alarmed as they ran around out of his sight. Since he was unable to follow their movements, he could only guess who their where and what were their purpose.

It didn’t last long before he got attention though. Before he knew, his body was vaulted upwards instantly, thrown aside in a gigantic cyclone that came out of nowhere. He didn't even fell the impact as his limbs flailed of the air wildly by the winds, almost knocking him unconscious by the force alone. And in middle of that chaos, Flash felt something tearing his chest apart while voices could heard struggling against each other in a brawl.

“It is mine… Urgh!”

“No!”

“I got it, I got it!”

“Aaargh~”

“Gotcha! AH-”

“Now the power is mine!”

It was hard to distinguish them apart. Flash could barely see what was happening just as he fell down on ground once more. Disoriented, a glint of white fell really close to his eyes, it’s some kind of stone glowing in a mystical light flickering , the only clear thing his eyes could work to see.

A shard of lightning.

Flash could tell that it's this that they were fighting for just as they did everything to tear it from the front of his face.

Confused, lost, and in middle of a situation were he couldn't tell who is who, Flash did the only thing he could at moment, he forced his arm out and grabbed the stone…

And from there, everything went white, again.

~To be continued~

!Author Notes!

And so it begins, one my first stories. Kinda inspired by Onomonopia is doing with superhero stories. Still, i have say it, it's incredibly hard to find Flash from Arrowverse stories out here in Fimfiction. At first i thought it was because the Arrowverse is still new, barely 3 or 4 years since release while the fandom remains limited. Plus, the fact that the name Flash carries an... known, reputation from Equestria Girls, it's kinda hard to find anything related to our Speedster Hero.

Alas, i have grand plans for my story, and i kindly ask for comments and ideas, especially ideas >_<

Comments

[Majorshane]

Crossing his fingers, the enigmatic Harrison Wells smiles, “Always saving people, hunting things… that’s kind your business nowadays isn’t it, Barry?”

Somebody's a supernatural fan ?.
Seriously though Barry isn't really much of a hunter. Batman or Daredevil I would classify as hunters but Barry mostly saves people and prevents crimes in progress. Also most of Barry's opponents are people (with some fantastic abilities, but people all the same). The Winchester brothers hunt 'things' because their opponents are inhuman monsters. I can't see Harrison de-humanizing the criminals and metahumans Barry fights like that.

Love the story just wanted to point out where this one line I feel doesn't quite work.