Chapter 3

At a casino,

Barry was gambling to make money, the easiest way for him to earn what he needed for a functional suit.

In front of him was the roulette table. As soon as the dealer threw the ball, Barry began calculating where it would land. Before the dealer could say, "No more bets," Barry called out first.

"Seventeen." He placed a $1,000 chip on the number.

He won as the ball landed on 17. Cheering wildly, he acted drunk, putting on an exaggerated show for the other gamblers.

The next round, he lost. He groaned in frustration but kept betting, his determination unwavering.

After a few more rounds of wins and losses, he switched games and moved to blackjack.

While playing, someone took notice of him a woman who had been eyeing an old man for his money. But seeing Barry play like a pro piqued her interest.

After a few more wins and losses, Barry changed tables again, this time to craps. The woman followed, observing how he seemed to win and lose at will.

When he cashed out and walked away with a bag of money, she "accidentally" spilled her drink on him.

"Oops, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." She pulled out a napkin and started wiping him down. "Let me make it up to you. I have a bottle of champagne in my room."

As she spoke, Barry studied her face, trying to remember who she was and then it clicked.

"Sorry, I'm busy." He quickly rushed off before she could say another word.

A flicker of shock crossed her face before twisting into an intrigued smirk. 'Oh, this one is interesting.'

But Barry was already heading to the next casino to win more money. His current winnings totaled $585,000.

At the second casino, he played roulette, baccarat, and poker, easily amassing around $1.92 million.

By the end of the day, his total earnings reached $2.5 million. He deposited all of it into his bank account, paying his taxes at the same time.

After taxes, he was left with $1.4 million.

Barry sighed as he watched his money shrink, but he knew avoiding taxes would be more trouble than it was worth.

With his remaining funds, he bought heat-resistant fabric and learned how to craft a suit. It took him some time, but he finished in just one minute.

The suit was complete, its design closely resembling the comic version.

(Image Here)

Barry smiled, holding it up, his very first self-made suit.

Outside, in an alleyway, he used his super-speed to change into it.

For the first time, he grinned from ear to ear in his makeshift Flash suit. It was comfortable, and he stretched, testing its flexibility.

The moment he secured it in place, his eyes crackled with yellow lightning. He burst out of the alley at incredible speed, the sudden gust of wind startling nearby pedestrians.

Barry, now The Flash, grinned as he observed the city, searching for someone to help. He grew more comfortable running without tripping or disrupting traffic.

As he raced through the streets, he enjoyed the scenery, even though everything around him moved in slow motion.

Then, he spotted a crime he could stop.

A bank robbery was underway, with four armed men holding hostages to keep the police at bay.

In a flash, The Flash arrived, seeing the terrified hostages and the gunmen aiming at them.

With precise finger taps to their heads, he knocked all four unconscious, carefully controlling his speed and force. Then, he left just as quickly.

When The Flash was gone, the robbers collapsed, unconscious. To the hostages, it seemed like a miracle as if lightning itself had saved them.

The watching police officers stood in shock, they had never seen anything like it.

The Flash continued running through the city, smiling as he saved people. Hours passed before a sudden headache forced him to stop in a park, clutching his head.

He groaned. "I need to eat more."

'Moose,' he thought, deciding on a meal that would fill him up.

He sped to a nearby forest, hunting the largest moose he could find. He killed three with single punches to their heads, then cooked and devoured every edible part to replenish his massive calorie needs.

'It's annoying how much I have to eat. I need to learn to rely on the Speed Force so I don't need this much food,' he thought.

As he calculated how much he needed to sustain his running, confusion set in.

"Something doesn't add up," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "Maybe the Speed Force already covers some of the energy cost. That would explain why I don't need quite as much as physics suggests."

After finishing his meal, he returned to the hotel room he had rented and rested. He needed to be ready for work the next day.

The Next Day,

In Captain Singh's office, the stern-looking owner of the room studied Barry, who was smiling eagerly, ready to get back to work.

"Are you sure you want to work now? You just woke up from a coma," Captain Singh asked, resting his hands on the desk as he stared at Barry. Despite his stern demeanor, there was concern for Barry's well-being.

"I'm fine. I just can't wait to work. It's been a while," Barry replied.

Captain Singh stood up and said, "Alright, you can go to your lab and get started."

"Thanks, Captain," Barry said with a smile before leaving the office.

Joe West was waiting outside and asked, "What did the Captain say?"

"He said I can work," Barry answered.

Joe patted his back. "Hmm, if that's what you want. Just be careful, okay?"

"I got it. Don't worry," Barry assured him.

He headed upstairs to the forensic lab and pushed open the door. The room looked exactly as it did in the CW TV series.

Barry walked in, placed his laptop back on the table, and took a seat. He glanced at his computer and muttered, "Let's see what work I have today."

After logging into his account on the police server, he checked his assignments. The first thing he did was review recent reports and unsolved cases.

"Wow, this is a lot," Barry said, knowing it would be tedious since he couldn't rely on his super speed, his computer was just an ordinary one.

With a sigh, he resigned himself to the slow process.

About thirty minutes into his work, Barry was deeply focused on reviewing reports and cases. At the same time, he was handling lab work, examining evidence, processing data, and compiling reports. This part was easier since it didn't depend as much on his computer's speed.

Still, the sluggishness annoyed him.

Suddenly, the sliding door opened, forcing him to stop using his super speed. Iris West walked in, smiling.

"Hello, Barry," she greeted, handing him a coffee. "Here's your usual."

Barry took it, sipped, and set it aside before continuing his work. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You seem busy today," Iris remarked.

"Yeah, I am," Barry replied without looking up.

"Am I bothering you?" she asked, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but didn't want to interrupt.

"A little. There's a lot to catch up on after being in a coma for nine months," Barry admitted.

Just then, Eddie Thawne entered the forensic lab. He gave Iris a flirtatious smile, which she returned as she sipped her coffee.

"What do you need, Eddie?" Barry asked.

"Do you have any insights on the Gold City Bank incident?" Eddie inquired.

Barry exhaled. "I do, but you won't like it."

"What is it?" Eddie asked, intrigued.

"There are only two possible explanations," Barry said. "Either someone has powers—"

Eddie's expression shifted to disbelief, while Iris looked surprised.

Barry continued, "—or someone used advanced technology to create a tornado to rob the bank. But that's impossible."

Eddie frowned, baffled that Barry leaned toward the first theory.

"Why do you say that?" Eddie asked.

"Have you seen the news?" Barry countered. "Also, the suspect in the robbery matches Clyde Mardon's description."

"The only problem with that is he's dead," Eddie pointed out.

"What about me?" Barry said.

"What do you mean, you?" Eddie asked.

"I survived a lightning strike and a bath in dangerous chemicals. Surviving the lightning alone is rare, but the chemicals should've killed me," Barry reasoned, referencing his own experience.

Eddie still looked skeptical but nodded. "Alright, I'll look into it with Joe."

"I'm gonna go," Eddie said before kissing Iris.

"I'll come with you," Iris said, then turned to Barry. "See you later."

Barry gave a small wave as they left.

'I have to save them later,' Barry thought.