Chapter 4: The Speedster's Surprise and a Donut Deal
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: TRAVEL COMPLETE. CURRENT LOCATION: S.T.A.R. LABS, CENTRAL CITY, EARTH-1, ARROWVERSE.]
The air on the other side felt… familiar, yet subtly different. More charged, perhaps. Less sunny than National City, definitely. I blinked, adjusting to the fluorescent lighting of the S.T.A.R. Labs main cortex. My mental picture had been spot on. I stood just inside the main entrance, facing the bustling hub of activity.
And bustling it was. Cisco Ramon, in all his pop-culture-referencing glory, was hunched over a console, muttering something about a "neural interface." Caitlin Snow, looking perpetually stressed but brilliant, was analyzing data on a large screen. And across the room, a red blur was darting back and forth, organizing files with impossible speed. Barry Allen. The Flash.
My arrival, it seemed, had gone completely unnoticed. Which was either a testament to my stealth (unlikely, given my natural clumsiness) or to their collective ability to ignore anything that wasn't a metahuman threat or a particularly challenging math problem.
"Okay, first impressions are everything. Do I announce myself with a dramatic flourish? A cheesy one-liner? Or do I just… stand here awkwardly until someone trips over me?"
I decided to go for the slightly less dramatic, more Adam-like approach. I cleared my throat. Not a small, polite cough, but a deliberate, attention-grabbing harrumph.
Cisco, bless his nerdy heart, was the first to react. His head snapped up from his console, eyes wide. "Whoa! Did anyone else just hear that? Like a… a human clearing its throat? Or maybe a velociraptor trying to dislodge a particularly stubborn bone?"
Barry, who had just finished organizing an entire filing cabinet in less than a second, skidded to a halt. His super-speed senses clearly kicking in belatedly. "Who... who are you?" he asked, his voice a mix of surprise and the familiar, slightly hesitant tone of a guy who'd seen too many inexplicable things.
Caitlin spun around, her scientific curiosity immediately overriding her professional decorum. Her gaze, however, lingered on the shimmering portal behind me, which I promptly dispelled with a thought. It dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace. Her eyebrows shot up.
"Alright, Stiels, they're paying attention now. Don't panic. Engage charm protocols. Initiate the awkward-but-earnest persona."
"Greetings, Team Flash!" I announced, spreading my hands in a gesture that was half welcome, half 'don't shoot the messenger.' "Don't mind me. Just a friendly neighborhood… well, I guess not 'friendly neighborhood,' since I just popped in from another universe. But I promise, I come in peace. And with information. And maybe a craving for some seriously good pizza."
Cisco stared, his mouth slightly agape. "Another universe?" he whispered, his eyes gleaming with a manic energy I knew all too well. "Dude, are you a… a doppelganger? Or a temporal anomaly? Or did you just vibrate into our dimension without a breach detector?"
"Relax, Cisco," I said, a slight smirk playing on my lips. "No doppelgangers, no temporal paradoxes. Just a guy with a… unique travel itinerary. And yes, I did just vibrate into your dimension. Though I prefer 'portal.' Sounds more elegant, less like a malfunctioning washing machine."
Barry, ever the protector, took a cautious step forward. "How did you get in here? S.T.A.R. Labs is supposed to be secure. And 'another universe'? What are you talking about?"
"Long story, speedy," I replied, my gaze lingering on Barry for a moment. This was it. The first trade. The one that would grant me Basic Super-Speed. And I knew exactly what to offer him. "Let's just say, I'm from a place where you guys are… well, famous. Like, really famous. And I'm here to help. Because, believe it or not, I actually like you guys. And I know a few things that might make your lives a whole lot easier."
Caitlin, ever the pragmatist, chimed in. "And what exactly are these 'things' you know? And why should we trust you? For all we know, you could be working for Zoom, or some other dimensional threat."
"Fair point, frosty," I said, instantly regretting the nickname, but it slipped out. "Too soon, Stiels. Way too soon." I quickly corrected myself. "I mean, Dr. Snow. And you shouldn't trust me blindly. But I can offer proof. And a proposition. A trade, if you will."
Barry narrowed his eyes. "A trade?"
"Yep," I confirmed, bringing up my holographic system display, subtly angling it so only I could see the actual interface. "See, I have this… unique ability. I can trade for things. Items, information, even skills. And for my first trade with a new... client, I get a random relevant skill from them. Which is super helpful for me, and hopefully, for you too."
Cisco, intrigued, leaned forward. "Wait, so you're like, a cosmic eBay? What do you want to trade for? And what kind of skill would you get from us?"
"Excellent question, Cisco. You're practically writing the script for me."
"Well," I said, a thoughtful expression on my face. "Let's start with Barry here. Given his… proclivity for speed, I figure a skill from him would be quite useful for someone like me who needs to, you know, run away from things quickly. Or towards them, if it's a donut shop. And speaking of which, I happen to have a box of… very special donuts. Fresh from another Earth. They're legendary, really. The kind of donuts that make you question all your life choices and then happily accept them, as long as you have more donuts."
I opened my inventory, selecting the pre-purchased "Box of Interdimensional Donuts (Assorted Flavors, Un-stale)." It was a perfect, slightly glowing box of Krispy Kreme-esque delights, still warm. I produced it with a flourish, holding it out to Barry.
His eyes, which had been wary, immediately fixated on the box. The familiar scent of sugar, glaze, and fried dough wafted through the lab. Even Caitlin seemed to perk up. Cisco's jaw dropped.
"Donuts?" Barry repeated, a flicker of genuine delight overcoming his suspicion. "Are those… are those Krispy Kreme?"
"And then some!" I beamed. "From a universe where the Krispy Kreme algorithm was perfected. They're like, super-donuts. Infused with pure joy. I'm telling you, Barry, these aren't just donuts. They're a religious experience."
Barry took a tentative step closer. "What do you want for them?"
"Simple," I said, trying to keep my voice casual, but my heart was pounding. This was it. The speed. "I want… one of your suit emblems. Just a small one. The lightning bolt. As a token of our budding interdimensional friendship. And, you know, as a symbol of our mutual appreciation for baked goods."
He looked from the donuts to me, then to his chest, where a small, metallic lightning bolt emblem was affixed. He carefully unclipped it, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: FIRST TRADE INITIATED! CHARACTER: BARRY ALLEN. ITEM OFFERED: BOX OF INTERDIMENSIONAL DONUTS. ITEM REQUESTED: BARRY ALLEN'S SUIT EMBLEM.]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: TRADE ACCEPTED! TP EARNED: 150.]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: SKILL ACQUIRED: BASIC SUPER-SPEED. INITIAL VELOCITY: 20 MPH. CAN BE UPGRADED WITH TP OR THROUGH FURTHER TRADES.]
A familiar hum, a surge of energy, but this time, it felt like a tingling anticipation in my legs. Not enough to run through walls, but definitely enough to outrun a particularly slow jogger. Or maybe catch a falling pastry.
"Deal," Barry said, handing me the emblem. I took it, feeling the cool metal in my hand. It was exactly like the one I'd seen on TV. Iconic.
"Excellent!" I declared, practically vibrating with excitement. I handed him the box of donuts. He took one, sniffed it, and then, with a look of pure bliss, took a bite. His eyes widened.
"Oh my god," he mumbled through a mouthful of glaze. "These are… These are amazing."
Cisco, already snatching a donut for himself, nodded vigorously, sugary crumbs flying. "Dude, where have you been all our lives? You're like, a benevolent cosmic sugar daddy!"
"Just doing my part," I said, pocketing the emblem. "Now, about that information I mentioned..."
I spent the next hour, fueled by my new partial speed and the sheer adrenaline of the situation, giving Team Flash a carefully curated dump of future knowledge. Nothing too specific to derail the timeline, but enough to give them a significant edge. I talked about Grodd, the impending Reverse-Flash reveal (though I kept that vague, focusing on general mistrust of Wells), and even gave them some pointers on handling future metahumans, couched in vague "seen it in a dream" terms.
I also casually brought up my portal ability again, mentioning I could "borrow" tech from another Earth, should they ever need something really out there. Cisco's eyes practically bulged out of his head at the thought.
"So, you can just… go to other Earths?" Caitlin asked, her scientific mind clearly intrigued. "Like, Earth-2? Or... another entirely different Earth?"
"Exactly!" I confirmed. "I call it the 'Multiversal Broker' service. I can bring things from one place to another. Tech, information, even… well, let's just say a lot of possibilities." I winked. "Think of me as your new interdimensional Amazon Prime, but with more sarcasm and less guaranteed two-day delivery."
By the time I portaled back to my new apartment in National City, leaving behind a bewildered but decidedly well-fed Team Flash, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment. I had acquired my first skill, made contact with key players, and established myself as a potential asset. My TP was now at 350. And I could run at 20 MPH. Not bad for an afternoon's work.
"Okay, Adam. Next stop: maybe some actual training. Can't save the multiverse if I can only run as fast as a moderately enthusiastic jogger. And definitely need to figure out how to level up this speed. But first… I really want a donut."