ARGUS

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After a long drive that spanned hours, he finally reached Star City. The truck, under Alfred's control, left Wally with an abundance of free time, which he, of course, wasted scrolling through his phone.

"Sir, we've arrived," Alfred's voice rang out, jolting Wally to attention. Before him stood the entrance to ARGUS, the global defense agency. The moment he arrived, several agents on guard snapped to full alert, moving toward him with caution and scrutiny in their gazes.

"Identify yourself," one of the guards barked, his hand hovering near the sidearm on his hip. The other agents closed in slowly, their movements precise and practiced. Wally could feel the weight of their suspicion, their eyes scanning him for any sudden movements.

Taking a deep breath, Wally rolled down the window, raising his hands slightly in a non-threatening gesture. "Wally West," he said firmly, meeting the guard's gaze. "I'm here to meet Lyla Michaels. She's expecting me."

The guard's brows furrowed as he muttered something into his earpiece. "Stand by," he ordered the other agents. The seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness before the guard finally received a response. His expression shifted, and he nodded reluctantly. "You're clear. Ms. Michaels will meet you inside."

"Follow the path on your left," the guard instructed, stepping back to signal the other agents to stand down. Wally nodded, his eyes scanning the fortified surroundings as Alfred guided them into the ARGUS compound.

The facility was intimidating, to say the least. High walls lined with advanced surveillance systems, automated turrets stationed at strategic points, and sleek drones silently patrolling the skies. Upon arrival, he stepped out of the truck to see a man heading toward him.

"Mr. West?"

Wally turned to see a tall man in a black suit approaching, his expression neutral. "I'm Agent Desmond. I'll escort you to Ms. Michaels."

"Lead the way," Wally replied, keeping his tone polite but his senses sharp.

The agent led him through a series of corridors, each one seemingly more secure than the last. Wally noted the biometric scanners and the occasional ARGUS operative giving him a wary glance. Finally, they reached a conference room. The door slid open, and Lyla Michaels stood waiting.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up," Lyla said, staring at him. Even though he had approached her with confidence, she still couldn't help but doubt him. He was still in college, after all. She had only given him the benefit of the doubt. She hadn't even reported his words to her supervisors.

Wally stepped into the room, his demeanor calm and collected. "And miss out on a chance to talk business with ARGUS' director? Not a chance," he said, his tone light but with an undercurrent of seriousness. He offered a small smile, but Lyla's expression remained guarded.

Lyla gestured to a chair across from her. "Sit."

Wally complied, his eyes flicking briefly to the various surveillance equipment subtly tucked into the corners of the room.

"I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to cooperate with ARGUS, Ms. Michaels," he said. "I know I don't exactly scream 'expert' or 'qualified,' but I promise you'll find this more than interesting."

"Okay, then. You have my attention. What do you have to display?" she inquired, her palms locked together.

.

.

.

"This," Wally began, "is a Pulse Reactor. It's a small, portable power core that generates vast amounts of energy. This one right here could power an entire base or field unit for several months." He placed it on the table, where it emitted a steady hum as it came to life.

In reflex, and perhaps fascination, her hand reached out to grab it. The glow was mesmerizing, radiating a warmth that felt oddly inviting. She examined it for a moment, but her interest quickly waned. Technology wasn't exactly her forte—that's what the Director of ARGUS's tech division was for.

"Do you mind if my people take a look at it?" she asked, eager to learn more about its capabilities.

"Sure, why not?" Wally replied with a smile. He could tell she was intrigued. The Pulse Reactor alone had captured her attention, and he was confident that the other items he'd prepared would have ARGUS—and likely the entire U.S. defense agency—scrambling to collaborate with him. Of course, he had been the one to initiate contact.

She handed the Pulse Reactor to an agent standing by. "You mentioned that the other items would need a more hands-on demonstration?"

He nodded. "That's right.

"Follow me." She responded.

Wally was guided through a series of security checkpoints and authenticators until they reached a vast open space. Judging by the layout, he estimated the building's dimensions to be at least a hundred meters across.

Once they arrived, several agents stepped in to assist, unloading crates from the transport. In less than ten minutes, everything was ready, neatly arranged behind them.

At the far end of the room, a line of practice dummies had been set up—perfect targets for testing the energy weapons.

"Alright," Lyla said, her curiosity piqued as her gaze shifted to the crates. "Show me what you've got."

Wally stepped up to one of the crates and opened it, revealing a weapon inside. Its design was sleek and futuristic. The matte black finish gave it an ominous air, but the glowing core, intricate lines, and illuminated edges made it clear this wasn't an ordinary assault rifle.

"What does this do?" Lyla asked, her curiosity deepening.

He picked up the weapon, pointing it at a target 50 meters away. "Watch," he said simply.

With a pull of the trigger, a beam of energy erupted from the weapon, moving too fast for the human eye to follow. When the light faded, the aftermath was clear—a smoldering hole burned clean through the dummy. The edges of the impact point glowed faintly, molten metal dripping from the wound.

Lyla's expression remained neutral, but her mind raced. The weapon had just proven its lethality, and she quickly assessed its threat level. This couldn't fall into the wrong hands. She was relieved Wally had come to her; with ARGUS involved, they could oversee its distribution and use more effectively.

Still, there was an issue. "Your weapons are undoubtedly lethal," she admitted. "But they're not exactly covert. Most of ARGUS's operations require a subtler approach."

Wally had anticipated this. Without a word, he adjusted a setting on the rifle, his hand sliding smoothly along its side. Aiming at another target, he pulled the trigger again. This time, the energy dispersed upon impact, sending a pulse through the dummy that simulated a stun effect.

"The rifle has multiple modes," Wally explained. "The first one I showed you was 'Kill.' This mode is 'Stun.' The others include 'Annihilate,' which has an explosive effect, and 'Knockback,' designed to create distance in case of a close-quarters threat."

Lyla nodded, her interest only growing. The weapon was versatile—lethal when needed, but adaptable for non-lethal situations. This demonstration was turning out to be more impressive than she'd expected.

The assault rifle was not the only energy weapon he made. There were pistol-sized ones, including a sniper rifle with an added function of aim assist. The more he displayed, the more Lyla gulped down saliva. Her mind raced with possibilities of what they could now achieve with these weapons.

With the ARGUS database at her disposal, Lyla had come to understand the existence of superhumans beyond traditional metahumans—individuals who couldn't be restrained by dampeners, such as the Mirakuru-enhanced supersoldiers.

And there was no doubt in her mind that even more powerful superhumans would emerge in the future. Perhaps cooperation with West Tech was exactly what ARGUS needed to level the playing field.

She glanced at the remaining crates, noting their varied designs. It was obvious that there was more to demonstrate. The thought of how close she had come to outright rejecting Wally's proposal made her sigh internally. The opportunity I almost let slip through my fingers... because of— She hesitated, recalling what Diggle had told her.

"I take it from your expression you like what you see," Wally said with a smirk, breaking her train of thought. He placed the rifle back into its crate before strolling over to the one she had been eyeing.

Opening the crate, he revealed a sleek combat suit, its surface gleaming with a jet-black sheen. The design was deceptively simple, clearly optimized for stealth and covert operations.

He gave Lyla a brief explanation of the suit's purpose and features before beginning to put it on. The process was deliberately slow. He couldn't use his superspeed here; ARGUS had heavy meta-dampeners installed throughout the facility, and he didn't want to give away that his powers remained unaffected. Preserving that illusion was critical.

Once he was fully suited up, he decided the best way to showcase the suit's capabilities was to demonstrate its energy defense system. He walked over to another crate, this one containing energy weapons, and retrieved an assault rifle. With a confident stride, he handed the weapon to a nearby ARGUS agent.

"What exactly are you planning?" Lyla asked, nodding at the agent to take the weapon.

"Shoot me," he replied shortly, stepping back several meters.

The agent glanced at Lyla for direction, while Lyla stared at Wally with a furrowed expression. Seeing no hesitation in his eyes, she quickly understood his confidence in his creation. She returned her gaze to the agent and nodded.

The trigger was pulled, and a beam of red shot out in an instant, immediately hitting its target—Wally. With a resounding boom, an explosion ensued. Lyla's expression turned to slight panic. Just then, Wally walked out of the searing flames unharmed—not even a single scratch was present on the suit.