Chapter 121: Gorilla Invasion
2023-10-23 Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
The current Barry could hardly even be called a rookie. He had just gotten his superpowers and hadn't even warmed up to them yet. Encountering a situation like this for the first time, he was completely stunned.
A group of talking gorillas descended from the sky in a meteorite-like spaceship, and upon landing on the streets of Central City, they began to kill anyone who stood in their way.
What was going on? Was this the Planet of the Apes?
Barry, for his part, had no experience with this kind of situation, but Orin Vale understood immediately upon seeing the scene.
This was an invasion from Gorilla City, corresponding to the "Gorilla War" event from The Flash series.
This wasn't Planet of the Apes, but rather an ancient gorilla city from The Flash's lore. It was said that a group of gorillas on Earth, possessing superior wisdom and capable of scientific research, had developed a rather advanced civilization.
For years, they had carefully avoided the human world, having no contact with humans. That was until a problem gorilla named Grodd appeared in their city. He fantasized all day about seizing power and dominating, and dreamed of one day leading the gorillas to trample human cities and transform Earth into the Planet of the Apes.
Alright, it really did sound like Planet of the Apes.
Grodd was also one of The Flash's main villains. He despised Barry to the bone, had invaded Central City multiple times, and had plotted to kill him.
But the problem was, hadn't The Flash made his debut yet?
What reason could there be for Barry, who had been an ordinary person until not long ago, to attract the attention of this bunch of gorillas?
"God, those gorillas, they're... they're destroying everything." Barry looked down from the edge of the rooftop. "We have to do something. We have to... What the!?"
When he turned his head, he saw that Orin Vale's entire body was already wrapped in red and silver armor. The final parts were completing their assembly. The helmet clicked into place, and his dim eyes lit up with a golden radiance.
"You're... you're... oh my god!" Barry's eyes widened. "To be honest, I had a gut feeling you weren't actually with A.R.G.U.S., but I never expected you to be... you're..."
"It's just a disguise. I came to Central City to investigate something," Orin Vale said as he walked to the edge of the rooftop, overlooking and scanning the invasion in the city.
"Of course, you needed an identity to enter the crime scene... That wormhole! You were the one who dealt with the wormhole, otherwise all of us there might have died... I know I've probably said it before, but I want to say it again. That move you used back then, that energy blast that suppressed the wormhole? It was totally awesome!"
"Thanks. But let's focus on the problem at hand."
"Oh, right, right." Barry took a deep breath and began to psych himself up. "I have superpowers now, I have superpowers now. Rush in, kick those gorillas' butts, then get out quick. It should be easy... I hope."
A streak of lightning shot down from the rooftop and dashed along the street.
Like a lightning-fast whirlwind, he was too fast for the naked eye to follow. The gorillas didn't even notice the enemy's approach before the whirlwind of lightning swept through them, and all the gorillas were hit with a heavy blow at almost the same instant.
At high speed, even a light touch could deliver a devastating blow, and at this moment, Barry was swinging his fist with all his might, so the effect was naturally different.
As the lightning flashed past, gorillas were sent flying everywhere. Some were blown into the air, spinning, some crashed through the shop windows along the street, and one slammed head-first into a car on the roadside, sending shards of glass and metal fragments flying.
Barry came to a stop with a stylish turn, still sliding a long way along the ground before braking. An electric current surged all over his body.
He wore his jacket backward, and as he passed by the shop windows along the street, he casually snatched a towel and tied it around his face as a disguise. It was just that his appearance looked more like a roadside robber than a hero.
"Excellent!" Barry clenched his fist. "This will teach you to stay in the zoo."
This series of actions undoubtedly attracted the attention of the surrounding gorillas. The gorillas all turned their gazes, squinting as they sized up Barry.
"It's him!" a gorilla shouted.
"It's this human!"
"The one King Grodd spoke of, the man of lightning..."
"He's the key!"
The gorillas roared, a fierce glint flashing in their eyes as they bellowed and swarmed in from all directions.
Being pressed in by such a circle of massive creatures, like a wall of flesh, was a first for Barry, and a wave of panic hit him. He quickly flickered out of the encirclement, then, trailing crackling lightning, he charged with all his might toward one of the gorillas on the periphery.
He raised his fist, sprinting across the ruins and overturned vehicles, every step blooming a lotus of lightning beneath his feet. Splattering fragments froze in mid-air, and every dust particle in the air came to a standstill.
Time seemed to slow, as if he were the sole master of this entire world.
However, Barry never expected that just as he rushed in front of that gorilla...
That gorilla actually moved!
In the frozen moment, the huge black body suddenly twisted around, and its enormous palm swung towards Barry!
Although it was also in slow motion and not as fast as Barry, this move caught him completely off guard. He cried out instinctively, but it was too late to brake at this speed. All he could do was throw himself back, sliding across the ground in a Speed Force-powered tackle.
The arc of electricity seemed to transform into a current of water. Barry slid under the gorilla's crotch by a hair's breadth, unable to stop his momentum as he slammed into and sent a nearby newsstand flying.
The gorilla turned and tried to pounce, but a red and silver afterimage suddenly flashed by. Using its sprinting momentum, it flew up and kicked the gorilla far into the distance.
"A faint Speed Force reaction has been detected from these gorillas," Pal said.
Orin Vale frowned slightly.
An entire army of Speed Force gorillas... even if their connection to the Speed Force was faint, the situation was serious enough.
Three more gorillas bellowed and charged forward. Orin Vale turned and fired a palm cannon, and the gorillas dodged, leaving afterimages. But Orin Vale used this opening to rush into the middle of their formation.
He took one down with a knee strike in mid-air, followed by an elbow strike and a spinning shoulder throw that tossed the second gorilla into the faces of two others that were pouncing. He then blasted the third away with a point-blank palm cannon to the chest.
He landed in front of Barry and extended a hand. "Let your guard down?"
"God, these gorillas... they're so fast."
Barry took his hand and stood up, still a bit shaken.
"Yes, but not as fast as you," Orin Vale said. "A little advice. Go after the gorillas that aren't looking at you. The moment they turn to surround you, you run. You're fast, they can't catch you. After you shake them off, go find the ones who aren't looking and pick on them, understand?"
"Oh, right, that makes sense. Why didn't I think of that..."
"Just a bit of experience."
Orin Vale smiled.
"Don't worry, it's a piece of cake for you. You won't even break a sweat. Trust me, it's easy. Once you get the hang of it, you'll get addicted. I'll leave the situation in the city to you for now..."
"Alright... wait, what about you?"
"I'm going to see where they all came from," Orin Vale said coolly.
Upon further scanning, he discovered that all these gorillas possessed the Speed Force, and their energy fluctuations all pointed in the same direction, converging high above Central City.
It was invisible to the naked eye, but the scanner clearly showed that Speed Force energy was gathering in the sky over Central City, making the space there seem slightly weaker.
It was as if it was connected to some other space.
This immediately caught Orin Vale's attention.
He figured that it was impossible for so many gorillas to all be speedsters recognized by the Speed Force, so they must have developed some method to utilize it.
This immediately ignited Orin Vale's inquisitive nature as a scientist.
If he could pass through this weak point in space, he might not only have a chance to take out the mastermind in one fell swoop, but he might also uncover the methods and technology the gorillas were using to wield the Speed Force.
Orin Vale quickly ascended. As he approached the right altitude, he activated the power of the Hyperspace Bracelet.
It worked.
He could feel it—the barrier of space, like a thin film, was more fragile here than anywhere else.
All he needed was a slight push, a thrust of his body.
He was in.
(end of chapter)