Chapter 52: Metahuman Attack, Ethan Fighting A Metahuman
Barry Allen, now enhanced by the repaired tachyonic enhancer, stood in the control room of S.T.A.R. Labs alongside Ethan, Cisco, and Caitlin. Their discussion about baiting Zoom was interrupted by the sharp beeping of an alarm.
"What is it?" Barry asked, moving to the console.
Cisco typed rapidly, bringing up a live feed from one of the satellites. "We've got a problem. A metahuman—goes by the name Geomancer—is attacking downtown. Looks like he's causing seismic disturbances. He's literally shaking the city apart!"
On the screen, a hulking figure in a gray suit with glowing lines was seen slamming his fists into the ground, sending violent tremors rippling outward. Buildings trembled, and cars overturned as people scrambled to escape.
Barry tightened his suit and turned to the team. "I'm on it."
Ethan nodded. "Be careful. If his powers are as destructive as they seem, you need to stop him fast before the whole city collapses."
"Got it." Barry blurred out of the room, leaving a trail of red lightning in his wake.
Downtown, chaos reigned. The Geomancer laughed maniacally as he caused another seismic wave, splitting the pavement and sending shockwaves through nearby buildings.
"Run all you want!" he shouted at the fleeing civilians. "There's no escaping the power of the Earth itself!"
Suddenly, a red blur zipped past him, whisking away a family trapped in a car moments before it was swallowed by a fissure. Barry came to a halt a few feet away from the Geomancer, setting the family down safely.
"Okay, big guy," Barry said, cracking his knuckles. "Time to put an end to this."
The Geomancer turned and sneered. "You think you can stop me, Flash? The ground beneath your feet is my weapon!"
He slammed his fists into the pavement again, sending a shockwave directly at Barry. Barry dashed forward, vibrating his molecules to phase through the seismic energy. He reappeared behind the Geomancer and landed a quick punch to his side, staggering him.
The Geomancer growled and retaliated, lifting a chunk of concrete with a seismic burst and hurling it at Barry. Barry dodged with ease, running in circles around his foe, creating a whirlwind to keep him off balance.
"You're fast, but you can't outrun the Earth!" the Geomancer bellowed, slamming both fists down for an even stronger tremor. This time, the shockwave was so powerful that it caused a nearby building to start collapsing.
Barry's eyes widened. "No, no, no!"
He zipped into action, running into the crumbling building and rescuing the trapped occupants one by one. Debris rained down, but Barry moved faster than the eye could see, clearing the area before the structure came down completely.
When he emerged, the Geomancer was waiting, a smug grin on his face. "You can't save everyone, Flash. The Earth is unstoppable!"
Barry stood tall, determination in his eyes. "Maybe. But I can stop you."
Using his tachyonic-enhanced speed, Barry created a vortex by running in a tight circle around the Geomancer, trapping him in a whirlwind of debris and air pressure. The Geomancer struggled to maintain his footing, his attempts to cause more quakes disrupted by the unstable ground beneath him.
Barry seized the opportunity, rushing in and delivering a precise series of punches to the Geomancer's torso. The final blow knocked him out cold.
The whirlwind dissipated, leaving the Geomancer unconscious on the fractured pavement. Barry quickly secured him with specialized cuffs designed to suppress metahuman abilities, courtesy of Cisco.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry arrived with the restrained Geomancer in tow. "Got him," Barry said as he deposited the unconscious metahuman in the Pipeline, the defunct particle accelerator now serving as a metahuman prison.
Cisco watched from a monitor. "Nice work, Barry. That vortex trick? Top-notch."
Caitlin examined the Geomancer briefly before locking him inside a reinforced cell. "He'll stay sedated in here. No more earthquakes for him."
Ethan nodded approvingly. "Well done. One less threat to worry about."
Barry leaned against the wall, catching his breath. "Now, we just need to figure out how to use this guy—or someone like him—as bait for Zoom."
Ethan Harper stood in the control room of S.T.A.R. Labs, watching as Barry suited up. The alarm blared again, and Cisco brought up a split-screen display showing two attacks occurring simultaneously.
"Great," Barry muttered, tightening his mask. "Two metahumans. And I can only be in one place at a time."
Cisco pointed at the screens. "On the left, we've got some kind of sand manipulator wreaking havoc downtown. On the right, this guy is absorbing and discharging electricity like a human power plant."
Ethan stepped forward, his silver-white suit shimmering as he activated its energy systems. "I'll handle the electric metahuman. You go after Sand Demon."
Barry hesitated. "You sure? This guy looks like he's packing some serious voltage."
Ethan smirked. "Voltage isn't a problem for me. Go. I've got this."
Barry nodded and sped out of the lab, a streak of red lightning. Ethan turned to Helios, his AI assistant. "Helios, give me a lock on the electric metahuman's location."
Helios's voice responded in his earpiece. "Coordinates uploaded. Be advised, this metahuman has been absorbing power from the city grid and causing widespread blackouts. Extreme caution is recommended."
Ethan activated his flight systems and soared out of the lab, a glowing streak of silvery energy as he sped toward the industrial district where the metahuman was last spotted.
________________________________________
Ethan arrived at an abandoned power station, the air crackling with static electricity. Sparks arced from the high-voltage lines to the ground, and the entire area was bathed in an eerie blue glow. In the center of the chaos stood a man, his body surrounded by a corona of electric energy.
"So," Ethan said, hovering a few feet above the ground, "you're the reason half the city is in the dark."
The metahuman turned, his eyes glowing an unnatural blue. "You must be the hero everyone's been talking about. I'll enjoy frying you."
Ethan landed, his silver-white suit gleaming under the flickering light. "I wouldn't count on it. Let's see what you've got."
The metahuman thrust his hands forward, releasing a massive bolt of electricity. Ethan stood his ground, raising his arm to absorb the energy into his suit's capacitors. The electricity danced harmlessly across his body, dissipating into the air.
"Impressive," Ethan said, stepping closer. "But you'll need more than that."
The metahuman snarled and slammed his fists into the ground, sending an electric shockwave rippling toward Ethan. Ethan leaped into the air, avoiding the blast, and fired a concentrated beam of moon energy from his palms. The beam struck the ground near the metahuman, creating a shockwave that forced him to stagger back.
"You're not the only one with power," Ethan said, landing in front of him.
The metahuman lunged, throwing a punch charged with electricity. Ethan caught the punch mid-air, his immense strength neutralizing the blow. Sparks erupted around his hand, but Ethan didn't flinch. He twisted the metahuman's arm and threw him across the power station.
The metahuman crashed into a transformer, which exploded in a shower of sparks. He emerged from the wreckage, his energy field surging. "You think you can stop me? I am power itself!"
Ethan tilted his head. "Let's test that theory."
The metahuman raised both hands, drawing electricity from the remaining transformers, the power lines, and even the streetlights. He formed a massive ball of crackling energy and hurled it at Ethan. Ethan responded by channeling his flame control ability, summoning a wall of intense fire to absorb the energy blast.
The two forces collided, creating a blinding explosion. When the smoke cleared, Ethan stood unharmed, his eyes glowing with power. He raised his hand and unleashed his petrification beam. The energy struck the metahuman, and his movements slowed as his body began to stiffen.
Realizing what was happening, the metahuman screamed, "No! What are you doing to me?"
"Ending this," Ethan said calmly.
Before the petrification could fully take hold, Ethan released the beam, leaving the metahuman partially immobilized. He walked over, easily dodging the weakened sparks the metahuman tried to summon.
"You've caused enough damage," Ethan said, lifting the now-weakened man by his collar. He deactivated his powers with a flick of his wrist and carried him to a clearing outside the station, where police and S.T.A.R. Labs personnel were already arriving.
Ethan handed the subdued metahuman over to the authorities, ensuring the man was securely restrained. As the police took him away, Ethan turned to Helios.
"One down," he said, looking toward the horizon. "Let's see how Barry's doing with the other one."
_______________________________________
Ethan soared through the night sky, his silver-white suit reflecting the moonlight as Caitlin's voice crackled in his earpiece.
"Ethan, we've got another situation," Caitlin said urgently. "A metahuman with weather manipulation abilities has been spotted at Riverside Park. The winds there are tearing everything apart."