Chapter 17: Revenge of the Rogues
The honeymoon phase of our newfound relationship lasted approximately twelve hours. Then, the city decided to remind us that Central City doesn't do "normal." Leonard Snart, Captain Cold, was back. And this time, he brought a friend: Mick Rory, a.k.a. Heat Wave.
"Oh, great. The dynamic duo of temperature extremes. Just what we needed after my last 'super-speed' performance. My body is still recovering from that, and my lips are still tingling from… other things. Priorities, universe, priorities!" I groaned internally, watching the news report of a bank heist involving both ice and fire.
"Okay, so this guy uses fire," Cisco exclaimed, pulling up Mick Rory's profile. "And Snart uses ice! It's like a villainous buddy cop movie! What do we call him? Flame Thrower? The Human Torch? Heat Wave!"
"Heat Wave," I confirmed, nodding. "Definitely Heat Wave. And these two together… they're going to be a problem. Their powers are opposite, but complementary. They'll try to overwhelm Barry with extremes."
Caitlin, now sitting beside me, squeezed my hand reassuringly. Her touch was a constant comfort amidst the chaos. "So, how do we counter both extreme cold and extreme heat simultaneously?" she asked, her scientific mind already whirring.
"We need something that can absorb both," I mused, tapping my chin. "Or deflect. A multi-spectrum dampener. Something that can create a localized energy field that neutralizes both temperature extremes. Maybe a specific frequency that disrupts their weapon's energy output. Think about creating a 'neutral' zone."
Cisco's eyes lit up. "A neutral zone! Like a thermal bubble! That's brilliant, Adam!"
Wells, observing from his wheelchair, merely hummed, his gaze lingering on me. He knew my "hunches" were too accurate to be coincidental, but he hadn't yet figured out the how.
Barry, meanwhile, was already out in the field, trying to track the Rogues. They were hitting various targets, causing widespread panic. Their combined powers were a formidable challenge, freezing one area while incinerating another.
The confrontation came at a museum, where Snart and Rory were attempting to steal a priceless artifact. Barry zipped in, but the Rogues were ready, laying a trap. Snart fired a blast of ice, freezing the ground, while Rory unleashed a torrent of fire, creating a wall of flames. Barry was caught between them.
"Barry, look out!" Caitlin screamed over the comms.
I was positioned near a crucial piece of equipment, trying to get a read on their energy signatures for Cisco. But then, a stray blast of ice from Snart veered off course, heading straight for a group of terrified civilians. Without thinking, I threw myself in front of them.
[IMMINENT THREAT DETECTED. DUAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXTREMES. EXTREME COLD. EXTREME HEAT. INSUFFICIENT THERMAL RESISTANCE.]
[ADAPTATION: DUAL ACTIVATION. ENHANCED COLD RESISTANCE. DOUBLING THREAT'S TEMPERATURE OUTPUT. ENHANCED HEAT RESISTANCE. DOUBLING THREAT'S TEMPERATURE OUTPUT. ACTIVE.]
A familiar, electric surge coursed through me, but this time, it was a terrifying push-pull. My body felt like it was simultaneously freezing and burning, a battleground of opposing forces. Ice crystals formed on one side of my body, while steam rose from the other. The cold was excruciating, the heat searing, but my body was fighting back, doubling its resistance to both. I was a living, screaming thermal shield.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! Both at once?! This is just cruel! My internal organs are having a civil war! Still, not dead. So, yay, me! Take that, thermodynamics! And take that, you two pyromaniac-slash-cryomaniac clowns!"
I stood there, a human paradox, steam rising from my body as ice coated my hair. The blasts from Snart and Rory slammed into me, but I held firm, creating a temporary, invisible barrier that protected the civilians behind me. The pain was immense, but I grit my teeth, refusing to budge.
This momentary distraction, however, was all Barry needed. Cisco, having quickly developed a prototype of the multi-spectrum dampener, activated it. A surge of energy hit the Rogues' guns, causing them to sputter and temporarily malfunction. Barry, seizing the opportunity, zipped in, disarming them both and knocking them out.
[ADAPT SYSTEM: DEACTIVATED. EXTREME STAMINA DRAIN. RECOVERY INITIATED.]
The power drained from me, leaving me utterly spent. The opposing sensations of heat and cold vanished, leaving me with a profound, bone-deep ache. My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the floor, gasping for air, my entire body trembling.
Caitlin was by my side in an instant, her face pale with terror and worry. She immediately began scanning me, her hands shaking. "Adam! Oh my God, Adam! You were boiling and freezing at the same time! Your body temperature was fluctuating wildly! How are you even alive?!"
"Just… really, really didn't want those civilians to become human popsicles or charcoal briquettes," I wheezed, trying to force a smile. "Turns out, I'm a big fan of moderate temperatures."
Wells wheeled over, his eyes narrowed, a look of profound, almost fearful, fascination on his face. "Mr. Stiels, your ability to adapt to opposing forces simultaneously is… unprecedented. You are a variable that continues to defy all calculations."
"Yeah, well, I'm full of surprises," I mumbled, trying to sit up. Barry, now back, looked at me with a mixture of awe and concern.
"Adam… you saved them," he said, his voice raw.
"Just returning the favor, Flash," I replied, a tired grin on my face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need a very, very long soak in a very, very lukewarm bath. And maybe a new set of clothes. These are… crispy."
Caitlin, however, was still in full scientific mode, but her worry was paramount. She took more blood samples, muttering about "thermodynamic impossibilities" and "cellular resilience under extreme duress." Her concern for me was palpable, a constant undercurrent beneath her scientific curiosity. She was terrified of what these powers were doing to me, but also utterly compelled to understand them. And that, more than any metahuman threat, was a truly complicated feeling.