Chapter 28: Potential Energy – Secrets and Patty (REMAKE )
The S.T.A.R. Labs Cortex was, as usual, a hub of scientific genius and emotional turmoil. Barry was pacing, a blur of red and anxiety, agonizing over whether to tell Patty Spivot his secret. Adam, who had accidentally acquired 'Enhanced Deception Detection' from a clown-themed villain, could practically see the internal struggle radiating off him. It was like watching a very fast, very angsty, very indecisive squirrel.
" Dude, seriously? Just tell her. Trust me, secrets are like glitter: they get everywhere and they're impossible to get rid of. And you end up finding them in the most unexpected places. Like your hair. Or your soul."
"Barry, buddy," Adam said, leaning back in his chair, a half-eaten bag of chips in hand (a recurring theme, apparently). "I get it. Secrets are hard. Especially when your secret involves super-speed, a talking gorilla, and the fact that your mentor is secretly a time-traveling murderer. But trust me, living a double life? It's exhausting. And it usually ends with someone getting hurt. Or, you know, a massive timeline paradox." He looked pointedly at Barry.
Barry stopped pacing, looking at Adam with a bewildered expression. "How can you be so casual about this? You have secrets too, don't you?"
"Oh, absolutely," Adam nodded cheerfully. "Enough secrets to fill a small library. But I've learned that the ones you keep from the people you care about? Those are the ones that sting the most. And cause the most collateral damage. Just… tell her. She's smart. She'll get it. And if she doesn't, well, then she wasn't the one anyway. And you can always find another forensic scientist. There are dozens of us! Dozens!"
Caitlin, who had been listening, gave Adam a surprised look. "That's… actually good advice, Adam. Coming from you."
"I have my moments," Adam said, shrugging. "Beneath all the sarcasm and self-preservation, there's a tiny, beating heart of wisdom. Mostly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I just detected a new meta-human signature. And it feels… old."
The new meta was Griffin Grey, a man whose touch rapidly aged anything he came into contact with. He was a walking, talking time bomb, only instead of exploding, he just made things wrinkly. And he was currently holding Harry Wells (Earth-2 Harrison Wells, the grumpy but brilliant one) hostage.
" Okay, Griffin Grey. Aging powers. Not exactly a skill I'm dying to acquire. Literally. I've got enough wrinkles in my timeline already. But hey, a chance to show off my combat skills without dying? Sign me up!"
Adam, now at System Level 5, had accumulated a decent array of combat and defensive skills. His 'Minor Durability,' 'Force Absorption (Basic),' and 'Enhanced Evasion' made him surprisingly resilient. He wasn't a speedster, but he was no longer just a squishy human. He was a squishy human who could take a hit. Or twenty.
"Barry, he's aging everything he touches!" Caitlin yelled over the comms. "You can't get close!"
"Then I'll get close," Adam said, already moving. "My 'Minor Durability' is practically begging for a challenge. And my 'Enhanced Evasion' is telling me exactly where not to get touched. Besides, someone needs to provide a distraction while Barry figures out how to run really, really fast without touching anything."
He engaged Griffin Grey, dodging his aging touch with surprising agility. He used his 'Basic Hand-to-Hand' (a skill he'd picked up from a particularly aggressive gym instructor) to land a few jabs, then rolled out of the way as Grey lunged. He was a whirlwind of movement, a blur of sarcastic quips and surprisingly effective dodges.
Harry Wells, tied to a chair, watched Adam with a mixture of disbelief and grudging respect. "Remarkable. The individual's disregard for his own mortality is… fascinating. And highly effective."
Adam managed to keep Grey distracted, drawing his attention away from Barry, allowing the Flash to strategize. Barry, using his speed, figured out Grey's weakness: his aging powers were tied to his own rapid aging. If he could drain Grey's energy, he could defeat him.
Barry finally managed to subdue Grey, who rapidly aged into an old man, then reverted to his normal age. Harry Wells was freed, looking shaken but impressed.
"Adam," Barry said, panting slightly, "you were amazing! You kept him busy! How did you do that?"
"It's a gift, Barry," Adam said, shrugging, trying to catch his breath. "Comes with the territory. Plus, I figured if I'm going to be a human punching bag, I might as well be a useful human punching bag. And I didn't even die! Small victories, people! Small victories!"
Harry Wells, however, walked over to Adam, his eyes narrowed. "Mr. Stiels. Your combat style. Your resilience. It is… unusual. You seem to recover from injuries at an accelerated rate. And your 'hunches' are remarkably accurate. What are you?"
Adam offered his most charming, Stiles-esque grin. "Just a guy, Dr. Wells. A very lucky guy. And a very observant one. And maybe I just have a really good chiropractor. You'd be surprised what a good chiropractor can do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think Barry needs to go tell Patty his secret. Before he accidentally ages her into a prune."
He winked at Barry, who just shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. Adam knew he was pushing the boundaries. But he was also proving his worth. And he hadn't even had to die for it. Progress!
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