Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Tachyon’s Heart
Chapter 47: Tachyon's Heart
Barry watched the news with a heavy heart as the news anchor informed the viewers about the battle between Tachyon, Flash, and two new speedsters. The reporter provided an estimation of the lives that perished during the fight between the speedsters would over be thousands and the damage Central City is on millions if Flash hadn't saved and repaired the city.
"The question on everyone's mind is: who are these two new speedsters and what are their motives? Are they allies or enemies of the Flash? And what is Tachyon planning for this city? Is he a terrorist, a conqueror, or something else? We may never know the answers, but we can only hope that the Flash will stop him before he causes more chaos and destruction. This is Linda Park, reporting live from Central City. Stay safe, everyone." The reporter said before the screen went black.
Joe shut off the TV and looked at the team. He noticed Barry's solemn look and patted him on the back. "Hey, kid. You did good out there. You saved a lot of people today. Don't let this get to you." He said softly.
Barry shook his head and forced a smile. "Thanks, Joe. But I'm fine. Really." He lied.
Joe raised an eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look. "Barry, I've known you since you were a kid. You can't fool me. I know you're hurting inside. You blame yourself for what happened, don't you?"
Barry sighed and looked away. He couldn't deny it. He felt responsible for the deaths and injuries of innocent people who were caught in the crossfire of his fight with Tachyon and the other speedsters. He wondered if he could ever stop him or if he was doomed to fail.
"No, Joe. I don't blame myself." Barry said in a low voice. "I blame him."
He pointed at the screen where Tachyon's face was still frozen in a twisted mask. "He's the one who started this. He killed all those people and destroyed everything I love. He's the one who has to pay."
Cisco and Caitlin watched Barry sadly as they remained quiet. They didn't know what to say or do to comfort their friend. They felt helpless and scared as they faced an enemy they knew was impossible to stop They wished they could find a way to stop Tachyon and his allies, but they had no clue how to do that.
Thawne, in his Harrison Wells persona, silently observed Barry from his wheelchair. He saw the anger and pain in his eyes and felt a surge of satisfaction. He enjoyed seeing Barry suffer and struggle.
But he also felt a twinge of fear as he remembered his encounter with Black Flash, the speedster of death who meddling speedsters across time and space. He knew that Black Flash was hunting Tachyon and that he wanted him dead as well. He wondered how he could strike a deal with Black Flash to get rid of Myles without exposing his own identity as Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash.
He decided to bide his time and wait for an opportunity to present itself. He pretended to be concerned for Barry and his team, but in reality, he was plotting their downfall.
He smiled coldly and said, "Don't worry, Barry. We'll find a way to stop Tachyon and his cronies. We're a team, remember? We're in this together."
***
Meanwhile, in Myles' hideout, the king of Central City had also been watching the news with Grodd. Myles sighed and rubbed his temple, trying to control his primal urge to let loose once again. He felt the Primal Force stirring inside him, demanding more action and violence. He knew he had to keep it in check, or he would risk losing himself to his own ego.
Grodd warily stared at Myles, sensing his inner turmoil. He knew that Myles was a powerful and unpredictable ally, but also a potential threat. He wondered if he could trust him or betray him at the first opportunity.
"Myles, are you alright?" Grodd asked telepathically.
Myles looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine, Grodd. Don't worry. I'm not going to go crazy again." He reassured the gorilla.
Still, all that power mentally drained him, while being able to indulge his… psychopathic urge was nice, the downside was that his ego fully took control. His fight with Black Flash just proved that. He didn't want to stop and he wouldn't have if he didn't see Caitlin dying.
Grodd remained silent but skeptical of the reassurance. He remembered how Myles had gone berserk during their fight with Black Flash, unleashing his full power and nearly destroying the city. He wondered what had triggered his rampage and what had stopped him.
Myles then recalled the future vision of Caitlin's death during his fight with Black Flash at the Source Wall. He saw her mummified corpse surrounded by dark blue flames, her eyes wide open in horror and pain. He felt a pang of guilt, anger, and sorrow as he remembered her face.
He already figured out who killed her: Deathstorm, the fusion of Ronnie Raymond and some demon, corrupted by the Dark Matter explosion. He had seen him in his vision, laughing maniacally as he burned Caitlin alive with his nuclear fire.
However, what confused him was that Ronnie wasn't supposed to become Deathstorm until later seasons of the show. He was supposed to die in the singularity that opened at the end of season one, sacrificing himself to save the city.
Melanie, his loyal assistant, and bodyguard, arrived carrying light snacks and handed them to Myles. She was a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a black suit and sunglasses. She had been working for Myles since he took over Central City, and she was one of the few people he trusted.
"Here you go, boss. I hope you like them." She said with a smile.
"Thank you, Melanie. You're a lifesaver." Myles said as he took a bite of a sandwich.
Melanie bowed before reminding Myles of his appointment with the mafia family. It was one of the most ruthless families in the globe that did business with illegal smuggling of firearms and many more illegal stuff. They were called the Moretti family, and they had a strong presence in Italy and America. They had contacted Myles a few days ago, offering him a deal: they would supply him with weapons and ammunition in exchange for protection and a share of his profits.
"Myles, don't forget that you have a meeting with Mr. Moretti in an hour. He's waiting for you at his mansion." She said.
"Right, right. Thanks for reminding me." Myles said as he finished his snack.
He got up from his couch and put on his jacket. He looked at Grodd and said, "Grodd, you're coming with me. I need you as backup."
Grodd nodded and followed him out of the room.
Melanie watched them leave and smiled to herself. She admired Myles for his intelligence and charisma, but she also feared him for his power and madness. She wondered what he was planning for the city and the world, and what role she would play in his scheme.
She just hopes he would spare her life when he did.
***
At Star Labs, in the prison cell, Hartley Rathaway was waiting patiently for his boss, Myles, to rescue him. He had been captured by Team Flash after he had infiltrated their base and hacked into their systems. He had done it as a favor for Myles, who wanted to spy on them and gather information.
However, he was also wondering what had caused his boss to go rampant. He had seen him on the news, fighting with Flash and two other speedsters. He had seen him unleash his full power and nearly destroy the city.
Did Myles go crazier than usual? If so, what caused it? Hartley had so many questions yet so few answers. He wished he could talk to Myles and find out what was going on in his mind.
His super hearing was focused on listening to the sound of his sonic gauntlets, which he had hidden in a vault. The gauntlets were modified to house Gideon so she can hack into Star Labs and keep track of her copy.
The original purpose of his capture was quite simple. Myles needed access to Star Labs' cameras and data files, more importantly, Myles wanted him as his ears to Star Labs since he didn't want to reveal to Team Flash one of his abilities: telepathy. Though Hartley felt that Myles was just spouting excuses for being lazy, he agreed to do it anyway. He liked working for Myles, who was smart, and honest with him. He also respected him for his power and ambition.
Hartley didn't understand anything that Myles said or did, but he trusted him nonetheless. He believed that Myles had a plan and a vision for the future, and he wanted to be a part of it.
He felt a tingle at the back of his head and knew that Myles was contacting him. He heard Myles' thoughts in his mind, as clear as if he was speaking out loud.
Hartley, can you hear me? Myles asked telepathically.
Yes, boss. I can hear you. Hartley answered mentally.
Good. What's the situation at Star Labs? Any updates on Team Flash? Myles asked.
Not much, boss. They're still blaming you for the destruction. They're trying to figure out who the other speedsters were and what they want. They're also worried about you going crazy again. Hartley reported.
Is that so? Well, they're right to be worried. Myles said with a chuckle.
Boss, what happened to you? Why did you snap like that? Hartley asked curiously.
Myles sighed and explained briefly what had happened. He told him how he had seen a vision of Caitlin's death at the hands of Deathstorm, a corrupted version of Firestorm. He told him how he had felt a surge of anger and grief that triggered his primal side. He told him how he had lost control of his powers and went on a rampage.
It was an accident, Hartley. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. Myles said with embarrassment.
I believe you, boss. Hartley said with sympathy.
Thank you, Hartley. You're a good friend. Myles said with gratitude.
You're welcome, boss. Hartley said with loyalty.
Keep up the good work, Hartley. Report if anything weird happens. I'll be in touch soon. Myles said before ending the connection.
Hartley smiled and relaxed in his cell. He felt reassured by Myles' words and confident in his abilities. He knew that Myles would come for him eventually and free him from Team Flash's clutches.
***
Myles was in a park, sitting on a bench, silently watching the snow fall to his palm. He was enjoying the peace and tranquility of the winter scenery, feeling a rare moment of calm and happiness.
This was a memory from a long time ago.
He heard a woman's voice from behind him, breaking his reverie. "How long are you going to stay out here? It's freezing." She complained.
Myles laughed and turned to face her. He recognized her as Snow, his psychiatrist, and first love. She was a beautiful woman with long black hair and pale blue eyes, wearing a white coat and scarf. She had a terminal illness that made her body temperature drop below normal, making her sensitive to cold.
"Hey, Snow. Don't be such a baby. The cold isn't that bad." He teased her.
Snow scoffed and sat beside him on the bench. She snuggled up to him, seeking his warmth. "Easy for you to say. You're a human furnace." She said.
Myles wrapped his arm around her and smiled. He felt a surge of affection and nostalgia for her. She was the only person who knew the real him, a murderous psychopath. The only person who loved him unconditionally, despite his flaws and secrets. She had no delusions that he could kill her anytime but Myles would never harm someone who can make his black heartbeat and make his gray reality into a rainbow of colors.
He remembered how they had bonded over their love for comics and sci-fi shows, especially the CW Flash. He remembered how they had dreamed of becoming superheroes and saving the world. Though, he did find her fascination with the movie 'human centipede' disturbing. It wasn't like the movie scared him, it's just too disgusting for his taste.
He remembered how they had confessed their feelings for each other on their birthday, and how they had kissed over a buried corpse of a stalker. Ah, the romance.
He remembered how he promised to start a new life and failed. Though in his defense, the guy slapped his wife's butt so reducing the bastard to a limbless eunuch was a generosity he didn't deserve before sending a video of someone fucking his wife and daughter in front of him was a GREAT pass time. Best part? He took off his eyelids so he saw the video from start to finish. Sadly someone accidentally sent a video of a pregnant porn one day, and the poor guy thought it was either his kid or wife and smashed his face.
Hey, it wasn't him.
Ah, those were the days. The thrill of hiding his murders from his lover and her figuring it out. Oh, she definitely tried reporting his murders, a few times with the police having a hard time proving it.
Heck, he made a novel out of one of his murders and it was a hit. Of course, he stopped when she asked him and it was still hilarious when she couldn't believe it was that easy. He had no delusions, he knew that she only stayed with him because she was terrified but he would like to think he grew on her as she did with him. He hadn't even tried to hit, yell or kill her. The most damage he did to her was placing an itching powder on her back in April.
Then one day she collapsed in his arms, coughing up blood. He remembered how he had rushed her to the hospital, only to find out that she had a rare and incurable disease that was slowly killing her. He remembered how he had vowed to stay by her side until the end.
He looked at her and said, "Hey, Snow. I have something for you."
She looked at him with curiosity and said, "What is it?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to her and said, "It's an autograph from Danielle Panabaker."
Snow gasped and took the paper from him. She saw the signature of the actress who played Caitlin Snow on the CW Flash show, along with a message that read: "To Snow, from Caitlin. Stay cool and strong."
She looked at Myles with disbelief and joy. "You met her? You got me her autograph? How did you do that?" She asked.
Myles shrugged and said, "I have my ways."
He didn't tell her that he had traveled to Los Angeles and sneaked into the set of the show after some murdering. He didn't tell her that he had approached Danielle Panabaker as a fan and asked for her autograph. He didn't tell her that he had also met Grant Gustin, who played Barry Allen on the show, and that he had resisted the urge to become a fanboy but he got his shirt signed so it was a win-win for him.
He just smiled and said, "Do you like it?"
Snow nodded and hugged him tightly. "I love it! Thank you so much, Myles! This is the best gift ever!" She exclaimed.
Myles hugged her back and felt a pang of sadness. He knew that this would be one of their last moments together. He knew that she didn't have much time left.
He asked her softly, "How are you feeling? How much time do you have left?"
Snow pulled away from him and looked at him with a somber smile. "Not much, Myles. Not much." She said.
Myles sighed and placed his arm around her shoulders again. He wished he could do something to save her, but he knew it was impossible. For some time he thought this was Karma for the killings he had done. He decided to make the most of their time together and make her happy.
Snow asked him softly, "Myles, if I reincarnate, who do you want me to be?"
Myles looked at her with tenderness and said, "I want you to be whoever you want to be, Snow. I want you to be happy and free. I want you to be alive and well."
He paused and added, "But if I had to choose…I want you to be Caitlin."
Snow smiled sadly as she faded away. She said her last words to him.
"I want that too, Myles. I want that too. Promise, you'll look for me."
Hearing the door open, Myles opened his eyes. A dream, how long had it been since he saw her? Wait, he was still in his car outside the mansion, and… oh it was time for his meeting.
He got out of his car and walked towards the door.
He tried to forget his dream but he couldn't shake off the feeling of loss and longing that lingered in his heart.
He missed Snow.
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