Barry ran straight toward the growing tornado, circling it in an attempt to unravel it. Mardon noticed the slowing instantly. With a sharp wave of his hand, he summoned lightning from the sky. The bolt struck Barry squarely, sending him flying across the field.
Victor stayed where he was, watching the scene unfold, irritation flickering across his face at Barry's situation. As much as he wanted to step in, his cryokinesis was a poor match for a speedster. He could freeze the tornado and end it in seconds, but that would reveal far more power than he was supposed to have. Thawne would notice.
Worse, cold directly countered speed. Interfering would only slow Barry down, and Victor had no intention of stealing the spotlight.
"It's too strong," Barry said as he pushed himself back to his feet, breath ragged. He stared at the towering tornado as it continued to swell.
No one spoke. The silence stretched until Wells finally broke it.
"You can do this, Barry. You were right. I am responsible for all of this. So many people have been hurt because of me. When I looked at you, all I saw was another potential victim of my arrogance."
He paused, then continued, his voice steady.
"Yes, I created this madness. But you, Barry, you can stop it. You can do this."
Wells leaned forward. "Now, Run!, Barry. Run!."
Barry took a deep breath and steadied himself. Then he moved.
He shot toward the tornado with renewed determination, lightning snapping at his heels as he ran against its rotation. Mardon once again felt control slipping from his grasp and immediately threw his hands into the air, summoning more lightning from the clouds. But Barry was moving too fast now. The bolts struggled to find their mark.
Left with no other option, Mardon unleashed lightning wildly, hoping chance alone would bring the speedster down. Most of the strikes hit nothing but air. The few that connected barely slowed Barry at all. If anything, they seemed to push him faster.
Frustrated, Mardon shifted tactics, pouring all his energy into maintaining the tornado. If he could not stop Barry, he would outlast him.
The tornado surged, and Barry began to falter once more. His steps grew heavier, his breathing strained. Then Wells' words echoed in his mind. Barry closed his eyes for a brief moment and drew in a deep breath.
When they opened again, lightning danced within his pupils. His speed exploded forward.
Behind the monitors, Wells removed his glasses, staring at the data in disbelief. Such raw, untamed potential, a flicker of emotion couldn't help but cross his face.
Back on the farm, the once-dominant tornado began to lose momentum. Mardon strained, pushing himself to the limit, but the force slipped through his grasp faster than he could recover.
Boom! The tornado collapsed as the opposing forces finally reached equilibrium.
Wind and debris scattered in all directions, leaving only two panting figures standing amid the wreckage. Barry and Mardon faced each other, both drained and exhausted. It was clear the fight had taken everything they had.
"Hey," Mardon called out, staggering to his feet. He raised his gun, aiming it at Barry. "I did not think there was anyone else like me."
"I'm not like you," Barry shot back. "You're a murderer."
Mardon's finger tightened on the trigger. Two gunshots rang out.
Mardon dropped instantly, lifeless before he hit the ground.
Barry spun around, eyes locking onto Joe as he lowered his weapon and walked toward him.
"Barry!" Caitlyn shouted over the comms, the echo of the shots startling her.
"It's over," Barry said, breathing hard. "I'm okay."
The night ended with questions and revelations that would reshape how they saw the world.
By morning, the news was already looping the story. Reports spoke of a mysterious tornado tearing through a farm, followed by a shootout that ended with the death of a notorious fugitive, Clyde Mardon.
"Let me get this straight," Jennifer said. "He can control the weather. Literally."
"Yeah, he can," Victor replied, for what felt like the hundredth time.
"H-how does that even work?" Jennifer asked, still struggling to wrap her head around it. The idea of meta abilities felt less like science and more like reality breaking at the seams.
"You'd be surprised how absurd it can get," Victor said with a faint smile. Meta humans were anything but predictable.
She went quiet for a moment, then looked at him with new resolve. "So when do we start training?"
With people like that out there, possessing impossible powers and no restraint, hesitation was no longer an option.
"That's totally up to you," Victor said. He wanted the choice to be hers, not another order he handed down.
"I'm free right now, so probably as soon as possible," she said after a moment of thought.
"Good."
Matt and Chloe were still at school, which gave them a few uninterrupted hours. Enough time to train properly. And there was no better place than the outskirts of the city. It was far from controlled, but it was quiet, open, and most importantly, free of prying eyes.
It didn't take long for them to get moving. The journey took no longer than a minute. He could have made it much faster, but for his aunt's sake, he slowed himself down.
His biofield could shield her easily. Still, it was her first time, and she needed time to adjust. The last thing he wanted was her throwing up because he moved too fast.
"Can you go slower next time?" Jennifer complained, bracing herself as she tried to regain her balance.
"You'll adjust," Victor said with a shrug.
He glanced around the empty stretch of land, calm and undisturbed. "Now, let's get started."
~~~
"Let's get the basics down first," Victor said, fully slipping into teacher mode. Jennifer straightened, focus settling in as she faced a log of wood a few meters ahead of her.
"Try moving that," Victor instructed.
For a moment, he couldn't help but feel grateful for his biokinesis. Unlike him, she didn't get shortcuts. She had to train the hard way, working the mind the same way others worked muscle. The more she pushed, the stronger her control would become.
It wasn't easy, but she wasn't alone. With biokinesis and himself as a reference point, Victor could guide her training with accuracy, shaping a clear and efficient path forward.
With a grunt, she thrust her palms forward, trying to force control, but nothing happened. She tried again, harder this time, reaching for the memory of the night before. That strange, unnatural sensation flowing through her, like something had awakened inside her.
Nothing.
"Nothing's happening," she grumbled, frustration spilling over as she slumped onto a nearby log with a defeated sigh.
Victor shook his head slightly. "It's like a muscle," he said calmly. "You can barely do one push-up now, but doing that one is how you get stronger."
The encouragement was enough. She stood again, palms outstretched, jaw set in determination. The same cycle repeated for an hour and a half. Sweat rolled down her forehead, arms trembling, but no matter how hard she tried, that familiar sensation refused to return.
Victor sighed inwardly. This wasn't going anywhere.
Stepping closer, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Focus."
His biokinesis stirred, subtly flexing her mental muscles. The sensation surged back into her mind all at once, sharp and unmistakable. Jennifer's eyes widened as instinct took over. She thrust her palms forward.
The log shot through the air.
"Finally," Jennifer muttered as she dropped to her knees. After a long exhale, a satisfied smile spread across her face. The confidence she'd lost flared back to life.
"We're finally getting somewhere," Victor said as he withdrew his hand. He couldn't rely on that trick too often. Jennifer wasn't slow, she'd catch on quickly. Even so, he planned to tell her the truth eventually. Just not yet.
"Before we continue, let's rest."
He reached down and brought out a basket, setting it between them as Jennifer sank onto the ground and wiped the sweat from her brow. Inside the basket were a few bottles of water, some energy bars, and a couple of protein shakes Victor had packed.
"Drink up," he said, handing her a bottle.
While she rested, Victor's gaze drifted to the sky. The bright sun was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, casting a soft light over the training ground, perfect for a session without worrying about the heat.
Mardon's ability, while not exactly groundbreaking, was undeniably powerful. Controlling the weather, very useful.
"Let's continue," Jennifer said suddenly, pulling Victor out of his thoughts.
"How eager," he mused with a small smile.
The training pressed on into the late afternoon. Without Victor's direct aid, Jennifer finally managed to send the log flying a considerable distance. By the time they wrapped up, she could replicate the feat consistently, roughly once every eleven tries, but it was progress, and progress was everything.