The Forbes article dropped on a Tuesday morning.
Barry's phone started buzzing at 6:23 AM. Notifications. Emails. Messages. All flooding in simultaneously.
He grabbed the phone and pulled up the article.
*"The 23-Year-Old Genius Disrupting Energy Storage"*
*By Katherine Meyers*
The photo they'd used showed Barry in his office, standing beside battery prototypes. Professional. Polished. The kind of image that said "serious innovator" rather than "kid who got lucky."
Barry read through the article quickly. Katherine had done excellent work. She'd captured his background, his technology, his vision. Made him sound brilliant but not arrogant. Ambitious but grounded.
The quotes were perfect. His explanation of wanting to make electric vehicles superior to combustion engines. His mention of his parents' death shaping his drive to do meaningful work. His humble acknowledgment that the technology still had challenges to overcome.
It was exactly the kind of publicity Barry needed. Credible. Impressive. Human.
His phone rang. Unknown number.
"Barry Allen."
"Mr. Allen, this is Michael Lane from General Motors. I just read the Forbes piece. We'd like to discuss potential partnership opportunities."
"I'm happy to talk. Send me an overview of what you're thinking and we can schedule a meeting."
"Will do. Expect it within an hour."
Barry hung up. The phone rang again immediately. Another company. Another partnership inquiry.
By 8:00 AM, he'd received seventeen calls, forty-three emails, and six text messages. All of them asking about battery contracts, licensing agreements, or investment opportunities.
His laptop chimed. Gideon's voice came through the speakers. "Barry, media monitoring shows the Forbes article has been shared over twelve thousand times in the past ninety minutes. Trending on multiple platforms. Expect significant attention today."
"Compile all serious business inquiries. Filter out noise. I want a prioritized list by noon."
"Acknowledged. Also, three major news networks have requested interviews. CNN, Bloomberg, and CNBC."
Barry considered. More media exposure meant more protection from Waller. Made him too visible for quiet government action. But it also meant more scrutiny of his background and timeline.
"Accept Bloomberg," Barry said. "Tell them I'm available next week. Decline the others for now."
"Confirmed."
Barry got ready for the day. Showered. Changed into professional clothes. His apartment felt smaller than usual. The equipment and prototypes scattered everywhere seemed inadequate for what he was building.
He needed real facilities. Proper lab space. Manufacturing capabilities. A physical presence that matched his company's valuation.
Something to add to the list.
Barry grabbed coffee and sat down at his laptop. Checked his email properly. The inquiries were pouring in. GM. Nissan. Volkswagen. LG. Panasonic. Sony. Every major electronics and automotive manufacturer wanted to talk.
His phone rang again. This time a familiar number. Joe West.
"Hey Joe."
"Barry. Saw the Forbes article. Kid, what the hell is going on?"
Barry smiled despite himself. "Building a company. Making batteries."
"Making batteries." Joe's tone was flat. "The article says you're worth over five hundred million dollars."
"On paper. Not actual money."
"On paper is still money, Barry. When were you going to mention you'd become a tech mogul?"
"I'm not a mogul. Just someone with good technology at the right time."
Joe was quiet for a moment. "Your parents would be proud. You know that, right?"
The words hit harder than Barry expected. Because Joe meant them. Genuinely believed Henry and Nora Allen would be proud of what their son had accomplished.
"Thanks, Joe. That means a lot."
"Iris wants to talk to you too. She's excited. And maybe a little annoyed you didn't tell her how big this was getting."
"I'll call her later today."
"You better. And Barry? Don't forget where you came from. Success is great, but people matter more."
They hung up. Barry sat quietly for a moment, processing. Joe was right. He'd been so focused on building wealth and preparing for the particle accelerator that he'd neglected the human connections.
Not sustainable. He needed to balance better.
His laptop chimed. Email from Harrison Wells.
*Subject: Congratulations*
Barry,
Saw the Forbes article. Impressive work. You're becoming quite the public figure.
I wanted to mention something that might interest you. We're hosting a tech symposium at STAR Labs next month. Bringing together the brightest minds in Central City to discuss future innovations. Would you be willing to present your battery technology?
It would be good exposure for both you and STAR Labs. Plus an opportunity to connect with other researchers.
Let me know.
Best,
Harrison
Barry read it twice. Wells was being friendly. Supportive even. But underneath that was calculation. Wells wanted Barry more visible at STAR Labs. More integrated with the team. More observable.
The suspicion was still there. Wells was watching. Assessing. Trying to figure out what made Barry so exceptional.
Barry typed a response: "I'd be happy to present. Send me the details and I'll clear my schedule."
Professional. Cooperative. Giving Wells what he wanted while maintaining his own plans.
Another email arrived. This one from a law firm.
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