The Flash Rise Of Savitar

My name is Barry Allen, and I’m the Flash. But this story isn’t about me. Okay, I guess it is. Let’s start at the beginning.

There was screaming. Buildings were crumbling. But the scariest thing of all was the lightning in the sky. There were no storm clouds—just a dark, starry night illuminated by lightning flashing in every possible direction. Suddenly, the falling buildings froze in midair.

(This is where I come in.)

I ran up the falling debris. Step by step, I moved carefully but quickly, weaving through huge chunks of crumbling brick and concrete. A few stories above me, I spotted people trapped in the collapsing building. Without hesitation, I launched myself toward them. One after another, I pulled people from the wreckage and carried them safely to the ground. Once everyone was clear, I raced away from the scene. In an instant, time returned to normal.

I ran back to S.T.A.R. Labs, took off my mask, and set it on the table. “The Flash is back at it again,” Cisco said through a mouthful of Twizzlers.

I chuckled. “Yeah, with the help of the best team around. Ain’t that right, Dr. Wells?”

Dr. Harrison Wells adjusted his glasses, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Indeed,” he said evenly, his eyes flicking toward me before returning to the matter at hand. “But let’s not pretend speed alone solves everything. Precision, timing, and a certain amount of careful planning from the team make all the difference.”

His gaze sharpened slightly. “Even the fastest man alive still needs direction.”

I grinned. “Good thing I’ve got both speed and a team that can keep up.”

Turning toward Cisco, I asked, “Have you figured out why the lightning is all over the place?”

Cisco didn’t answer right away. His fingers flew across a tablet as multiple waveform displays flashed across the screen. He exhaled sharply. “Yeah... about that.”

He swiveled his chair toward me, wearing a worried half-smile. “I didn’t find the cause so much as it found us.”

He tapped the screen, bringing up a chaotic map of energy signatures rippling across Central City. “It’s not just one lightning source. It’s like the Speed Force is... unstable. Like it’s flickering in and out of phase with itself.”

He pointed at a cluster of readings. “Every time you speed up, it reacts—almost like it’s trying to correct something, but it keeps overcorrecting.”

Cisco looked up, his expression turning serious. “Short answer? The lightning isn’t all over the place because of the city.”

He paused. “It’s all over the place because of you.”