Chapter 28: Grodd Lives
Chapter 28: Grodd Lives
The air in S.T.A.R. Labs was still thick with the lingering tension of Thawne's capture. He was trapped, but the threat felt far from over. And just when we thought we could catch our breath, the universe decided to throw us a curveball with a side of telepathy.
"Oh, great. The giant, telepathic gorilla. Just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder. And I thought my ex was a mind-reader. At least Grodd doesn't ask me to pick up his dry cleaning. Probably." My internal monologue was a mix of exasperation and morbid curiosity.
"Grodd," Cisco announced, pulling up a blurry image from a security camera. "He escaped from his containment at the military facility. And he's… he's talking to people. In their heads."
"Telepathy," I stated, my voice grim. "And he's incredibly strong. He's not just a physical threat; he's a mental one. He can create illusions, manipulate minds. We need to be extremely cautious. And we need a way to counter his telepathy. A mental dampener. Or something that can disrupt his brainwaves."
Joe West, who had joined us, looked at me, his brow furrowed. "How do you know so much about this gorilla, Adam? You seem to have a file on every metahuman before we even meet them."
"Just… a lot of late-night reading, Joe," I shrugged, forcing a casual smile. "And a very active imagination. Plus, he's a giant, telepathic gorilla. Kind of hard to miss."
We devised a plan to lure Grodd into a trap, a mental dampener designed by Cisco. Barry, armed with the dampener, zipped into the sewers, where Grodd was hiding.
But Grodd was smarter, faster, and more powerful than we anticipated. He ambushed Barry, overwhelming him with a barrage of telepathic illusions, making him see his mother, making him relive his trauma.
"Barry's caught!" Caitlin cried, her voice filled with panic. "Grodd's in his head!"
I watched the live feed, my heart pounding. Barry was paralyzed, reliving his worst nightmares. Grodd, a massive, terrifying shadow, loomed over him, preparing to strike.
"No! Not Barry! Not now! He's vulnerable! And I can't let that giant ape mess with his head. My brain is already a mess, I don't need a gorilla adding to it."
Without thinking, I moved. I ran towards the sewer access point, ignoring Caitlin's frantic calls. I had to get to Barry. I had to do something.
I found Barry on his knees, clutching his head, his eyes wide with terror. Grodd stood over him, a malevolent presence, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, mental power. Grodd's gaze snapped to me, sensing my presence, sensing something unique.
"Another mind to break," Grodd rumbled in my head, his voice a distorted, agonizing whisper that vibrated through my skull, threatening to shatter my sanity. He unleashed a full telepathic assault, a barrage of my deepest fears, my worst memories, my most profound anxieties.
[IMMINENT THREAT DETECTED. TELEPATHIC ASSAULT. MENTAL MANIPULATION. INSUFFICIENT MENTAL RESISTANCE.]
[ADAPTATION: ACTIVATION. ENHANCED MENTAL RESISTANCE. DOUBLING THREAT'S TELEPATHIC POWER. ACTIVE.]
A searing pain erupted in my head, a pressure that threatened to split my skull. Grodd's telepathy slammed into me, a torrent of fear and despair. But then, the Adapt System flared to life. The agonizing whispers dulled, the terrifying images blurred. The mental assault became merely a painful static, a buzzing in my brain. More surprisingly, the feedback from my Adapt System, a surge of pure mental fortitude, seemed to disrupt Grodd's own telepathic connection. He recoiled, clutching his head, a guttural roar escaping his lips.
"What?!" Grodd roared, his voice echoing in my head, filled with pain and confusion. "Your mind… it resists! It… it fights back!"
"Yeah, buddy! My mind is a fortress of sarcasm and pop-culture references! Good luck breaking through that! Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I just gave myself a migraine the size of a small planet."
Grodd was momentarily stunned, his telepathic assault faltering. This crucial window was all Barry needed. He seized the opportunity, activating Cisco's mental dampener, which finally incapacitated Grodd.
[ADAPT SYSTEM: DEACTIVATED. HIGH STAMINA DRAIN. RECOVERY INITIATED.]
The mental resistance vanished, and the full force of the lingering pain hit me. My head throbbed, and I stumbled, clutching my temples, feeling utterly drained.
Caitlin was by my side in an instant, her face pale with worry. "Adam! Are you okay? You just… you resisted Grodd! How?! Everyone else was paralyzed!"
"Just… really, really good at ignoring annoying voices in my head, Doc," I wheezed, trying to force a smile. "Comes from years of listening to Cisco's terrible puns. Builds character. And mental fortitude."
Joe West, who had rushed down with Caitlin, looked at me with a profound sense of awe and respect. "Adam, that was… incredible. You saved Barry. You saved us all."
"Just doing my part, Joe," I said, leaning against the cold, damp wall. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need a very large Tylenol. And maybe a very quiet room. With no gorillas. Or telepaths."
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