Two week flew by in the blink of an eye. It was a quiet one, no metahuman-related incidents, at least none overt enough to draw attention. For Victor, the days had been monotonous, yet eventful in just the right way, each balancing the other out.
The week was filled with nothing but training, but watching his aunt improve in real time made it a worthwhile trade-off.
"You're still too stiff," Victor said, shaking his head slightly.
"Well, that's the only way I know how to channel it," Jennifer managed between grunts. A large log of wood hovered in front of her outstretched hands, trembling slightly. Despite her progress, she was still struggling to maintain her focus.
"You'll get there. Eventually," Victor reassured her.
Throughout the week, he trained her mental muscle systematically, pushing it to just the right threshold. She started with pushing objects, then graduated to pulling them back. Once she mastered that, she moved on to vertical and horizontal motion.
Then came diagonal movement, followed by more complex control. When she finally had that down, Victor increased the load, forcing her to lift heavier objects with her telekinesis. Her growth curve was unbelievable. In just two weeks, her improvement surprised even Victor himself.
"That's enough for today," Victor said.
He tossed her a towel, then handed her a bottle of water. "You're making progress."
"Yeah. All thanks to you," Jennifer replied after taking a long sip. Then her expression shifted as something resurfaced in her mind.
"Have you guys found any clues about the string of murders?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she did her best not to recall the disturbing images.
"No. Nothing yet. At least, nothing solid," Victor answered.
Jennifer sighed, worry written plainly across her face. The thought of a Metahuman roaming free, killing without pattern or trace, was the kind of idea that crept into her thoughts at night and refused to leave.
Victor had told her some of what was happening at STAR Labs. It was not exactly classified, and more importantly, it helped keep her grounded. Knowing that trained professionals were handling the situation made it easier to breathe. Metahumans were far beyond the reach of ordinary law enforcement, after all.
"Don't worry. We'll deal with it soon enough," Victor said, trying to reassure her.
Even so, his thoughts drifted.
The murders bothered him. In the original timeline, nothing like this had happened. The victims were left shriveled and desiccated, as if something had drained them of life itself. Literally. He already confirmed it.
He knew what was supposed to come next. If the timeline had stayed intact, Barry's next major opponent should have been Multiplex, the man who could replicate himself endlessly.
But still Victor did not panic.
He had expected deviations like this. His very presence had twisted the timeline from the moment he arrived. If anything, he was surprised things had stayed on track for as long as they had.
Whoever this Metahuman was, Victor found himself curious. Whatever ability they possessed, it was something entirely new. And that made things a whole lot more interesting.
"Let's head back," Victor said, already reaching for her. He wanted to get to STAR Labs. Maybe they would finally find a lead on the unexplainable murders that continued, undeterred.
----
Back at STAR Labs, a very different conversation was unfolding. Barry had just returned from pulling civilians out of a burning building. Caitlin, however, was not impressed.
"Have you both completely lost your minds?" she snapped. "Who do you think you are?"
"Well," Cisco said casually, unfazed, "I'm the eyes and ears, and he's the feet."
Caitlin shot him a glare. "This is not funny. You could have gotten yourself killed. You cannot just run around the city like some kind of supersonic fireman."
"Why not?" Barry finally said. "This is what we talked about. Me using my speed to do some good."
"We talked about you and Victor helping contain others affected by the particle accelerator explosion. Metahumans," Caitlin shot back. "And aside from Mardon, we have not found any. You do not see Victor doing what you are doing."
Barry exhaled slowly. "People in this city still need help. And I can help them."
"We can help them," Cisco added.
Caitlin turned sharply. "Will you please say something?" she asked, looking toward Dr. Wells.
Wells folded his hands, considering. "I believe what Caitlin is saying, in her own spectacularly angry way, is that we are only beginning to understand what your body is capable of," he said. "Not to sound like a broken record, Mr. Allen, but I do advise restraint."
Barry sighed again. "Dr. Wells, I doubt restraint is how you became the man you are today."
Wells' expression hardened. "I am in a wheelchair and a pariah. A lack of restraint is precisely how I became this man. Know your limits," he said, wheeling away.
"And do not expect me to patch you up every time you break something," Caitlin added coldly.
Barry frowned but chose not to respond. Just then, Joe's call came in. "Hey, Joe. Everything alright?" Barry asked.
"Oh, fantastic," Joe replied. "Fresh crime scene, one dead body, detectives questioning witnesses, yellow tape everywhere. I'm only missing one thing. Care to guess what that is?" he added sarcastically.
Barry sighed. Again. "I'll be right there."
By the time Barry arrived at the crime scene, it did not take long to spot Joe in the distance, deep in conversation with CCPD Captain Singh. Another body. Another mystery.
After collecting samples from the scene, Barry returned to his lab. Three photographs lay spread out before him. Two belonged to separate strings of murders. The third was the one he had started investigating that very morning.
"What is going on with this city?" Barry muttered, quiet frustration slipping into his voice.
The first murder had occurred two weeks earlier. An elderly woman had discovered the body early in the morning. The corpse had been unlike anything Barry had ever seen, shriveled and desiccated, as if the very life had been drained from it.
He had no doubt it was the work of a Metahuman. His analysis showed the victim had been dead for barely an hour, yet the body looked decades old.
The second string of murders had begun a week ago. The first victim was found lifeless in her backyard, pale and bloodless. The autopsy revealed severe blood loss, along with two distinct puncture wounds at the base of the neck.
There were no leads in either case.
The third, however, was different. This one had left behind evidence. Something tangible and traceable.
A group of robbers, he just hoped it didn't have anything to do with Metahumans. Just then, Iris walked in, already mid-rant.
"You said, 'Take journalism, Iris. Reporters have all the fun.' Well, guess what, Barry? Reporters have none of the fun. Journalism is boring. I'm bored. And I blame you," she declared.
Barry did not respond. He just stared at her.
His silence made her pause. "Okay… what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Her gaze followed his, landing on the photographs spread across the table.
"Oh," she said softly, stepping closer. "These are the murders my dad's been talking about?"
Barry nodded.
She studied the images for a moment, her expression tightening. "This looks…" She hesitated, searching for the right word.
"Unnatural," she finished, a slight shiver running through her.
Then, as quickly as it had come, she shook it off, forcing her composure back into place.
"So, this afternoon," Iris said, clapping her hands once, "suit and tie. The university is giving Simon Stagg some big award. You agreed."
"To explain the science for your article," Barry finished. "I remember. Totally remember," he added, even as his tone betrayed him.
"And," Iris continued sweetly, "you also said your friend—the hot one—would be coming."
Barry closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in quiet resignation. Some days, outrunning lightning seemed easier than dealing with Iris.
Meanwhile, Victor stood at home in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection. The suit fit him perfectly, tailored to the last detail, crisp and immaculate. He looked composed.
He had just returned from STAR Labs. But there was no lead, no direction. The murder spree continued without answers.
There was no point lingering. This afternoon, he had somewhere to be. An event. One he would be attending alongside Barry and Iris.
Officially, it was just a university award ceremony. Unofficially, it was an opportunity. Danton Black would be there.
The man's ability to replicate himself at an exponential rate was… fascinating. Useful. Extremely useful. Especially once Victor's plans for multiversal exploration truly began.
Yes, Victor could already replicate himself using biokinesis. But it lacked flexibility and scalability.
Black's meta-ability was more on the quantity side and having contact with him would undoubtedly give him insights on how rapid cloning worked.
Victor adjusted his cuffs, his thoughts drifting back to the two new Metahumans quietly operating in Central City. He had to deal with them. Before more people died indirectly because of him.