DC : Architect of Vengeance

The turbulence over Central City felt different from Gotham's constant storm clouds—lighter somehow, as if even the sky here had a different rhythm. Alex Thorne shifted in his first-class seat, the manila folder on his tray table spread open like the pieces of a puzzle he hadn't yet figured out.

Three hours into the flight, he'd gone through every page twice. The medical reports, psych evaluations, and neuro scans painted a picture that was equal parts fascinating and frustrating—so much detail, yet still incomplete. Dr. Emily Blunt, thirty-four, a neuroscientist at STAR Labs with a focus on consciousness research. Three months ago, she'd been captured during one of Grodd's attacks on the facility. When rescued forty-eight hours later, her mind had been... shattered.

What intrigued Alex most wasn't what the files contained, but what they carefully omitted.

The psychiatric reports mentioned "experimental therapeutic interventions" in Emily's past, including something called Neural Resilience Encoding – NSE.

According to the info, Emily had volunteered for NSE testing years earlier as part of her own research into consciousness protection protocols. The result were inconclusive, with no clear effects noted.

But when Grodd launched his brutal mental assault, something had triggered. The long-dormant NSE protocols kicked in like a psychological immune response. Instead of shielding Emily's mind, though, they fractured it—splitting her into fragments, each holding a different piece of her personality and memories.

Alex closed the folder, his analytical mind already working through the implications. Traditional therapeutic approaches had failed completely. Even the Flash's team, with all their advanced technology and superhuman resources, had been unable to piece Emily's consciousness back together. That's where he came in.

As the plane began its descent into Central City International, Alex gathered his materials. Outside the window, the city stretched out in clean, orderly grids—so unlike Gotham's tangled, chaotic sprawl. Even from thirty thousand feet, Central City gave off an air of optimism. It felt like a place where science fiction wasn't fiction at all, just part of everyday life.

An hour later, Alex stood in the lobby of STAR Labs, his visitor's badge still warm from the printing machine. The facility buzzed with activity even at four in the morning – scientists, technicians, and researchers moving around with barely any energy.

"Dr. Thorne! Welcome to Central City."

Alex turned to find a red-clad figure approaching at normal human speed – the Flash, though moving without the blur of super-speed Alex had heard about. The hero's smile was warm but tinged with exhaustion, and he looked younger than Alex had expected.

Vocal patterns suggest mid-twenties to early thirties, could be a fake one. Alex noted mentally. Genuine warmth but underlying guilt in micro-expressions. Classic hero complex – personalizes failure.

"Mr.Flash. Thank you for meeting me personally." Alex shook the offered gloved hand. "I understand the situation is urgent."

"More than you know," the Flash replied. "Three months ago, Grodd launched a coordinated attack on STAR Labs during a city-wide power grid experiment. We think he was after our quantum consciousness research – specifically Dr. Blunt's work on neural mapping algorithms. She was working late when he broke through our defenses."

Defensive posture when discussing the attack. Blames himself for not being there in time.

"How long was she held?"

"Forty-eight hours. I tracked him to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. When I breached the facility, Grodd was in the middle of some kind of mental extraction process. I managed to drive him off, but Emily..." The Flash's voice carried frustration and regret. "By the time I got to her, whatever he did had already broken her mind. The place was packed with weird tech—stuff for amplifying thoughts, messing with consciousness. I was too late to stop it."

Speedster who prides himself on being fast enough to save everyone. Emily's condition represents a rescue that came too late – a failure that still haunts him.

A younger man approached them – mid-twenties, shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a vintage band t-shirt under his lab coat. "Dr. Thorne? I'm Cisco Ramon, STAR Labs Engineering."

Alex noted the subtle wariness in Cisco's expression as they shook hands. "Please, just Alex. I appreciate you waking up early to brief me."

"No problem. Time's kind of relative when you work with speedsters," Cisco said, though his tone hinted at skepticism. "Caitlin's upstairs—she's been Emily's main doctor since Flash brought her in."

They rode the elevator in silence, though Alex could feel Cisco's evaluating gaze. As the doors opened onto the medical wing, Cisco finally spoke.

"So, Gotham's miracle psychology guy, huh? Gotta say, when Flash mentioned bringing in an outside consultant, I expected someone with a bit more... gray in their hair."

Alex gave a faint smile. "Age doesn't always equal wisdom, Mr. Ramon. But I get the skepticism."

"It's not skepticism, exactly. It's just..." Cisco paused, choosing his words carefully. "We've tried everything, man. Neural imaging, consciousness mapping, even some experimental tech that makes sci-fi look normal. Emily's mind is like a shattered mirror – we can see the pieces, but every time we try to put them back together, we get cut."

They entered the medical wing, where a woman in her early thirties looked up from a bank of monitors. Dr. Caitlin Snow had auburn hair pulled back in a practical ponytail and intelligent brown eyes that assessed Alex closely.

"Dr. Snow, this is Alex Thorne," Cisco announced."The psychology consultant Bruce Wayne recommended." Caitlin extended her hand. "I've read your work on trauma integration. Impressive results with the Dollotron victims."

"Thank you. I understand Dr. Blunt's case presents some unique challenges."

Caitlin nodded, gesturing toward the monitoring equipment. "Emily's physical condition is stable, but her neurological patterns are unlike anything we've encountered. The fragments of her consciousness seem to operate independently – we can detect separate brainwave patterns, distinct memory engrams, even what appears to be distinct personalities."

Alex studied the readouts, noting the chaotic neural patterns displayed across multiple screens. "The NSE protocols – Neural Resilience Encoding. Tell me more about her involvement with that research."

"Emily developed the theoretical framework years ago," Cisco explained, pulling up holographic displays of brain scan data. "The idea was to create psychological firewalls – mental barriers that could protect against telepathic intrusion. She volunteered for the first human trials."

"Which showed no results," Caitlin added. "No measurable change in her neural patterns, no enhanced resistance to psychic influence. We assumed the protocols were inert."

Alex nodded slowly. "But when Grodd attempted his mental invasion..."

"The failed protocols activated," Caitlin finished. "Instead of protecting her mind, they fragmented it. Like a fire suppression system that floods the building instead of containing the flames."

Cisco crossed his arms, his expression growing more skeptical. "Look, no offense, but Flash's putting a lot of faith in conventional psychology here. We've had professionals try to navigate Emily's mindscape – professional psychics, people with actual mental powers. They all came back saying the same thing: it's too dangerous, too unstable."

Alex looked away from the monitors and studied Cisco, his gaze sharp and studying the young engineer with the same analytical focus he'd once reserved for crime scenes. "You're worried I'll make things worse than before."

"You were up all night running EEG cross-maps. You think if you just find the right frequency, you can sync the fragments back into a stable pattern. You didn't sleep, but you showered—twice, judging by the scent of that expensive eucalyptus shampoo. That's not vanity, that's ritual. You're spiraling, and cleanliness gives you control."

"Okay, that's..." Cisco shook his head. "That's either really impressive or really creepy.""You wear the t-shirt with the obscure band logo on days when you're second-guessing yourself—it's like an armor. You call it ironic, but it reminds you of a version of you before all this weight landed on your shoulders."

"And you've already decided I'm useless. Because the last 'expert' who walked through these doors gave you hope. And when that hope cracked, Emily got worse."

"...You read that in a file?"

"I read that in you & your surroundings", Alex replied."You don't trust anyone to fix this because you'd rather it fail under your control than fail under someone else's. It's not arrogance. It's fear. Guilt."

Caitlin's eyes widened slightly, and Flash looked between Cisco and Alex with sudden understanding."It's observation and deduction, Mr. Ramon. The same skills I'll use with Dr. Blunt, just applied to psychological patterns instead of behavioral ones."

Alex's expression softened slightly. "Your protective instincts do you credit. But Emily doesn't need protection from me – she needs someone willing to go where others can't or won't go."

Caitlin stepped forward, clearly intrigued. "How do you plan to approach her condition? Traditional therapy has been completely ineffective."

"Because traditional therapy assumes a unified consciousness that can be reasoned with or gradually healed," Alex replied. "Emily's mind isn't damaged – it's reorganized according to the NSE protocols. The fragments aren't random breaks, they're deliberate compartmentalizations created by her own subconscious defense."

"So you think the fragments serve a purpose?" Cisco asked, his skepticism giving way to hope."I think Emily's mind did exactly what it was designed to do – protect critical information from extraction. The question is: what was so important that her subconscious chose fragmentation over surrender?"

Alex moved to the observation window overlooking Emily's room. She lay motionless on the hospital bed, surrounded by monitoring equipment. "Grodd isn't just a brute force telepath," Alex continued.

"He's intelligent, strategic. If he took the time to capture and interrogate Dr. Blunt specifically, he was after something particular. Something only she possessed."

"Her research," Caitlin said quietly. "Emily was working on consciousness mapping algorithms that could theoretically chart and predict neural pathways in real-time.""Which would be invaluable for mass telepathic control," Alex concluded. "Grodd doesn't just want to dominate individual minds – he wants to control populations. Emily's research could provide the roadmap for it."

Cisco whistled low. "And when he tried to extract it..."

"Her NSE protocols buried the information somewhere even she can't consciously access it. The fragments aren't just psychological defense mechanisms – they're information security protocols to protect the info."

" Well, atleast we can proceed with this assumption."

"So how do we reach her?" Alex asked. "Traditional therapeutic approaches haven't worked?"

Caitlin shook her head. "Complete failure. We've tried everything – cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis, even pharmaceutical interventions. The fragments seem to exist independently of her conscious mind."

Cisco stepped forward and said. "There might be... one option we haven't used to its full potential. It's experimental, probably dangerous, and definitely not FDA approved."

"What kind of option?" Alex asked."Consciousness bridging," Cisco explained, pulling up a holographic display. "We've been working on a neural interface technology – a way to create direct mental contact between minds. The theory is that if someone could actually enter Emily's mindscape, they might be able to navigate the fragments and help reintegrate them."

The Flash leaned forward with interest. "You never mentioned this before."

Eager to grasp at any solution. Desperation masked as leadership.

"Because it's never been successfully tested," Cisco admitted. "We've had two attempts so far. Dr. Monica Geller from Johns Hopkins – she's one of the leading experts in dissociative identity disorders. Made it about thirty seconds into Emily's mindscape before her own consciousness started getting backlashes. Emergency extraction was required."

"And the second?" Alex asked.

Caitlin's expression darkened. "Dr. James Whitman from Stanford's consciousness research department. He lasted almost five minutes, but came back completely catatonic. It took three days before he could even remember his own name, and he still has episodes."

The Flash's jaw tightened noticeably. Each failed attempt adds to his guilt complex.

"Both are renowned specialists with decades more experience than most," the Flash said quietly. "We can't ask you to risk what they couldn't handle."

Protective instinct overriding logical assessment. He's projecting his failure to save Emily onto potential failure to protect me.

"The equipment can map and project consciousness," Cisco continued, "but the risks of mental contamination, psychological fragmentation, or complete consciousness displacement are significant. We are assuming Emily's mindscape isn't just fragmented – it's actively hostile to intrusion."

"You're talking about literally entering another person's mind," Alex said, studying the technical readouts. "Has anyone attempted this kind of research before?"

"No one's been desperate enough," Caitlin said quietly. "Or qualified enough. It would require someone with extensive knowledge of mental frameworks, trauma response patterns, and the ability to navigate hostile mental terrain without losing their own identity."

Alex looked through the observation window at Emily's motionless form. "And you think I might be qualified?"

"Your work with the Dollotron victims showed unconventional thinking," the Flash said. "You found solutions where everyone else saw only problems. If anyone could navigate Emily's fragmented consciousness..."

"It's completely voluntary," Cisco added quickly. "And we'd have full monitoring, emergency extraction protocols, the works. But I won't lie to you – this could be incredibly dangerous."

As they walked toward the guest quarters STAR Labs had arranged, the Flash fell into step beside Alex. "I know what Cisco and Caitlin told you about the risks, but I need you to understand something. Emily was an innocent victim who got caught up in Grodd's schemes. She deserves a chance at recovery, and right now, you might be her hope."

Professional responsibility rather than personal attachment. Good – emotional distance suggests better judgment in crisis situations.

"I understand the stakes," Alex replied. "But I'm curious about something. Why me specifically? Bruce Wayne's recommendation aside, there are other specialists with more experience in consciousness research."

The Flash was quiet for a moment. "Because the others think like scientists. They approach Emily's mind like a puzzle to be solved through logic and methodology. But what happened to her wasn't logical – it was survival. Her mind didn't break randomly; it adapted."

Intuitive rather than analytical thinker. Relies on instinct over methodology. Potentially useful trait in high-speed decision making, but creates blind spots in complex problem solving.

"You think differently," the Flash continued. "Your work with trauma victims was impressible."

"We'll find out later then," Alex said simply, stopping at the threshold of his temporary quarters.

"Alex," the Flash said, turning to face him fully.

"If something goes wrong in there, if it becomes too dangerous... promise me you'll let them pull you out. We can't lose anyone else to this."

There it is. The core of his psychology – pathological need to save everyone, inability to accept acceptable losses. Classic trauma response from someone who's experienced significant loss.

Outside in the corridor, Cisco and Caitlin exchanged glances.

"Think he can do it?" Cisco asked quietly.Caitlin looked back toward Emily's room, where monitors continued their steady display of fractured neural patterns.

"I suppose he's worth a try."

Down the hall, Alex sat on the edge of his bed, Emily's case files spread around him once more. But this time, he wasn't looking for medical data or psychological profiles.

He was studying the fragments themselves, searching for the pattern that would lead him through the maze of a brilliant woman's broken mind to the secret that could save them all.The real work was about to begin.

Notes :

1) ngl, but selecting grodd as the villain for this arc was a bad idea. Its really difficult to make up a plot for this guy while highlighting Alex's intelligence.

2) I will update multiple chaps in the coming days.

3) This arc is by far my worst. I couldn't shape it the way I envisioned. So my plan is to finish this part in about four chapters and close the arc. But I can assure you that the wrap-up will be good.

Suggestions : Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!!

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DC : Architect of Vengeance

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