Paralyzer || Barry Allen (The Flash) Fanfiction

Chapter 33: Changes

It definitely sucked.

I was a little rusty when it came to wielding my powers, and I assumed it was because of not using them in a while, though I wasn't completely set on that theory. Sure, I was still able to run along with Barry and use some energy attacks, but my invisibility flickered in and out occasionally, I couldn't teleport with my portals correctly, and I was having difficulty absorbing either the light or the dark into my system. And all of that combined left me winded and nearly dead as Barry and I led Atom Smasher into our trap.

"Guys... I can't... Absorb energy..." I panted as I hid behind a concrete column, my hands resting on my knees as I struggled to catch my breath. Without the constant resupplying of energy, I was using every bit of strength I had just to simply run. "I can't keep... Distracting him much longer."

"Hang in there, Hav," Barry's voice sounded over the headset. "I'm almost ready. Keep him entertained for, like, four more minutes."

"You owe me big time," I mumbled.

I took in a deep breath, standing tall once again as I readied myself to run again. I was already exhausted, my muscles aching and screaming for me to stop, but I had to keep going. I was much slower than I usually was at this point, but I was still fast enough to escape Atom Smasher's grasp when he had lunged for me just a minute or two ago. I hoped I could keep that up.

"Hey, big guy!" I hollered as I stepped out from my cover. The giant man turned around, his movements practically shaking the ground beneath me. I smirked as I taunted him. "How about a game of tag? And, being the man and all, I think you should be 'it' first. So... Catch me if you can!"

I smiled as I raced off, the man's bellow filling the room as he chased after me. Sweat dripped from my body as I pushed myself harder, willing my legs to carry me just a bit longer as I bided time for Barry. I weaved in between columns, made a few sharp turns around corners, but Atom Smasher kept up easily. So easily that I was almost caught.

The meta's hand came crashing down less than two feet from where I'd been, and the force from the impact once again sent me tumbling onto the ground. I'd lost my momentum, the only thing that had kept me running past my breaking point. Now, I was completely drained, and I knew there was no chance that I was going to be able to start back up again. I was hardly managing to push myself off the floor.

"You're weaker than they made you out to be," the deep grumble of Rothstein's voice carried throughout the space as he looked down at me. "You're no challenge. You're no hero. You're just a pathetic human that wants to believe she's special."

"And you're not?" I spat back, anger lacing my words. "You have these powers and the chance to do something incredible with them, but instead, you turn into a villain and terrorize people with them. I may not be a challenge, and you may not think my powers are anything special, but at least I'm not like you. At least, when I die, I'll die knowing that people actually cared about me."

Yeah, it was a low blow, but I was tired of being told I wasn't a hero. I was tired of believing it myself. So, I was fighting against the idea now because I knew that, if nothing else, I'd do everything in my power to protect the people of this city and the ones that I loved. If that didn't make me a hero in some people's eyes, then I could care less.

"Touching last words," Rothstein mocked. "But I'm still ending your life."

"I don't think so," another voice added to the conversation, and we both looked to see my favorite red-suited superhero standing a few feet away with a cocky smirk on his face. Oh, how I'd missed this Barry, the part of him that had just the right amount of over-confidence.