[ Chapter III (3): "MR. BARRY ALLEN AND UTOPIA" ]
[ "What the hell are you supposed to be?" ]
A Robber wearing a red sock over his head couldn't help but grin at himself, his pistol that was aimed at the small-time store clerk turning to instead aimed at the weirdo standing at the entrance of the store.
At the weirdo with a body tight red suit, looking dumb, covering everything other than his nose and mouth. This guy having a crude yellow thunderbolt in his chest; [ "Hi, I'm uhh- the Flash." ]
[ "I can see that, now empty your pockets before I sho-" ] The Robber felt a gust of wind ran pass his face, as he then noticed that his hands and legs are now covered by a hose— makeshift rope, as this store doesn't have one, apparently. [ "What in the hell?" ]
He stared at his hands and legs, before then losing balance as the "Flash" guy watches him fall with a thud, on his face. Then groaning to himself, as his pistol gets played with by this weirdo spandex wearing idiot.
[ "Huh- p-please don't k-kill me." ] The Store Clerk, and in actuality owner of this small store that has been in gunpoint from the day time robber. Which is now mysteriously tied up in the blink of an eye; scares the Store Clerk more.
[ "Chillax, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm a superhero, see!" ] The Flash guy, a somewhat childish, somewhat weird looking man noticed his panicked expression. As a response, he turned the gun into safety and placed it on the counter. [ "Oh, and uhh- I'll exchange this gun for a snickers bar." ]
[ "T-that's my gun!" ]
[ "Don't worry about him, the police will arrest him later. So, deal?" ]
[ "..." ] Not knowing what to do, the arms raised Store Clerk momentarily stared at this superhero named Flash. A name he heard in rumors, but haven't seen in reality, but apparently this guy do in fact exist.
Quick as a blur, fast as lightning. That's what he heard about this hero, no, wait, superhero actually because that unknown man has powers. So the Clerk smiles at him, before then speaking his mind; [ "H-how many do you want, Mr. Flash." ]
...
[ "G-get off me you pigs!" ]
Minutes later Flash, also known as Barry Allen, a normal superpowered teengaer could be seen sitting on a café nearby; his costume taken off, watching the scene as the unmasked red sock wearing Robber gets arrested by the boys in the blue. [ "Days work, I guess." ]
In his hand is about a box of sneakers, plus other chocolates as a thank you gift from the grateful Clerk. As repayment, he then went and took a picture with the man before leaving... That hopefully deter the criminals from robbing that small bodega.
Primarily because the chocolates in there are great, sneakers most especially, as he savors the taste of it in his tongue. His mouth munching on the chocolates, as his body yearns for it.
You see, Barry can run really fast, to the point that if he wants, then everything around him would slow down. It's just that, to do that, he needs about calories, as in that state his metabolism burns calories faster than he could eat. So yeah, constant eating it is that he needs to do.
Not that he hates it though, he quite loves it. But this endeavor is quite expensive, to the point that he is now broke due to that, he really-really needs a part time job at the moment, to of course buy meals.
Unluckily for him, no one seems to want to hire a no experienced undergrad student. As they all rejected his application. They all apparently doesn't recognize intelligent people, as they don't have intelligence in the first place... Which is bad.
It means Barry would starve. He pulled out his wallet and couldn't help but be saddened, as it already has holes in some places, and also not having anything in it other than some old dimes. [ "I'm broke." ]
To the surprise of many, being a superhero doesn't pay, especially because his anonymous. And also considered as a vigilante by the police, definitely would get arrested the first moment he gets seen.
So he runs away whenever he sees one, not that he did anything bad though, he just doesn't want to get arrested and wrongfully convicted like his father.
Sighting to himself, he then pocketed his wallet as he moved on. Seeing that the Store Owner is safe, he doesn't need to be here anymore, as he then pulled his hood to cover his face.
Chocolates in hand, a small boxes of chocolates on the side, as he goes and tries to find s part-time job somewhere else.
Especially because his father wants for him to have a job, a job-job and not one relating to hacking people. Which is apparently not a job in his dad's eyes.
...
After about 6 hours of no results, Barry went back to his house and shut the fortified multiple lock door behind him, his expression tired as he sits on his bed, his thoughts constantly scolding him as he does. [ "Damn it." ]
In just 6 hours he stopped about 5 robberies, 2 included stores. Then a car crash, a fire, and a turf war in the middle of an residential area.
Due to that, his interviews kept getting cut short, as he changes from civilian clothing to superhero, superhero to civilian clothing. It became tiring at some point, with him thankfully not injured.
Now lying face down in his bed, one that smells of vinegar and mountain dew. Barry aka the Flash begans to wonder, is his life choice the right choice he did in life.
Or is he just an unlucky son of a gun amongst his many variants. That last one sounding about right as he tries to have some shut-eye from his tiresome life.
[ DING ]
Barry for a second paused. Then realized what it was, he excitedly and with as much optimism he could gather pulled out his phone. An old busted phone, the screen partially destroyed and would oftentimes wound his fingers.
But he did bought it using his own money, and at a cheap price, so he doesn't have anything to complain about. He opened his phone and was met with his wallpaper on the background; his parents, then him celebrating his birthday.
He was pretty young then, a birthday cap in his head as he blows the candle of his cake. His parents clapping as he does so, he miss them, especially his mother.
He placed a thumb on his screen, wiping away the chocolate dust that gathered in it, causing it the screen to be dirtied. As his gaze then moved away from his wallpaper, to the notification that was sent to him.
His once happy demeanor turning sour pretty quick as he reads the text, activating his superspeed to do so. [ "Huh? ]
[ DOWNLOAD UTOPIA NOW! Experien- ]
Feeling down in not seeing any of his application approved, Barry then was about to throw away his phone to the side, then go get some much needed sleep.
But his pointy finger seems to have other plans, as it accidentally tap on the scam notification, or some random cultic application that wants clicks.
Yeah, he knows, he got let down pretty hard multiple of times; don't ask why he clicked in the first place. Definitely wasn't there because he was hor- moving on!
[ "What the hell is this?!" ]
Barry have never seen a notification instantly download an application before, especially one without his permission. He watches helplessly as his phone download an app so-called UTOPIA, with a giant dark green U behind a black background.
Definitely a scam, but no matter what Barry does, clicking the cancel button, the app still downloaded. [ "Oh no, no, no, no." ] His worse fears comes to life, as this app seems to be a bug, worse comes to worse, he would need to throw away and destroy his phone in fear before it completely assimilates all of his data.
He loves the wallpaper, but what matters to him most is data relating to creating his superhero costume, or his diary wherein he tells his day-to-day story as a superhero.
When he saved someone, what he saved either a cat or an individual, when he faced a villain, or when a weird guy with boomerangs robbed a bank, one that he stopped with ease.
He definitely couldn't let anyone else access those information. If they did, then the goverment would be on his ass for being a superpowered vigilante, even his father could get involved, shanked in prison.
[ "T-this is bad." ] He hyperventilates in thinking about the worse case scenario, as he watches helplessly the app, plausible a bug fully downloaded on his phone.
About to go and delete his numerous diaries relating to being a superhero. The Flash, or now Barry Allen activated his speed force to make his work quick. Before he could do so, his phone shut down...
So does his hopes and dreams, [ "No!" ]
Meaning, he just got hacked. In anger, Barry was about to throw the phone and crash it to the wall on impact, but before he could do that; his whole body shut down.
[ "What's going on." ] His speed ability going down, so does his body, so does everything until finally his eyes shut. His body landing safely on his bed, though in an uncomfortable position, one that he would definitely feel after waking up.
...
[ "A-ah!" ]
Opening his mouth wide, he screamed, his eyes looking from right to left, as the renowned speedster looks about in confusion. Seeing nothing but light, as he in fear tried to activate his superpowers.
That seemingly not working at all no matter what he does, as he doesn't feel a tingle inside him at all. A sign that tells him his powers are activated. [ "W-where am I?!" ]
[ PLAYER NO. 1 INTEGRATING WITH CHARACTER, PLEASE WAIT ]
[ "W-what are you?!" ] Confused, Barry read a floating holograph in front of him, about synthesizing or what not, the voice ringing inside his head which is surprising.
Looking down at his hands, in confusion, he realized he doesn't have one. Nor a chest, nor a head, nor legs. He doesn't have anything, even though he could speak, [ "W-what the hell is going on?!" ]
[ INTEGRATION COMPLETE, PLEASE ENJOY ]
[ "T-this is so weird, weird." ] His fear being fixed as he notices his body parts reappearing as followed by blue particles from bottom-to-top, as his clothes gets changed to a futuristic-liks grey bland jumper suit. One that he definitely didn't wear, or hadn't seen before.
Seeing that he now have limbs, which sounds weird, he then walked around this new surroundings that he found. Walking and walking, as he realized there's nothing else he could do...
Seconds later, the light enveloped his vision without any signs of warning at all, as he then finds himself in a completely new surrounding. [ "S-space?!" ]
He glanced to the side and noticed meteorites flying about, so close that it got him to even fear for his life. Then at the planets that he hasn't seen before.
Bewildered, his gaze then trailed away from the planets, to the stars, then to the new plane he found himself. Barry have never been so confused in his life at all, as he looks around, noticing others in the same predicament as him.
[ "U-uhh, my head." ]
[ "This isn't the dark web." ]
[ "Not a cult, huh... It really wasn't a cult." ]
[ "A-am I high?!!" ]
[ "We'll, this i- woah!" ]
[ ... ]
Voices of others, wearing the same grey jumpsuit that Barry is wearing could be heard. Their version adjusting to their size, as there is one for small, medium, large. He is pretty lanky so he goes with medium.
He counted about 14 others in the same predicament as him, as all of them steps out from the singular giant pillar of light right behind them; and also right behind Barry.
All of them seems to realized what he just realized, that all of them are now in this same weird predicament, not knowing what to do, Barry raised his arm and waved at them. [ "H-hi?" ]
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 05/19/2025 ]
[ 05/20/2025 ]