The Flash : Please Kill Me (Complete Remake)

Chapter 14: The Man in Yellow –(REMAKE)

Joe West's obsession with Nora Allen's murder was a constant, low-level hum in the S.T.A.R. Labs Cortex. He'd spend hours poring over old case files, looking for anything, any detail, that could shed light on the impossible crime. Adam, knowing the truth, felt a constant knot in his stomach. He knew who did it. And he knew who was sitting right there, pretending to help.

"There's something I'm missing, Adam," Joe muttered, gesturing to a blurry security photo. "The yellow blur. It was too fast. Too… impossible. But it was there."

"Yeah, well, impossible is the new normal, Joe," Adam said, trying to sound casual. "Maybe it was a trick of the light. Or a very, very fast squirrel."

"It wasn't a squirrel, Adam," Joe said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And it wasn't a trick of the light. It was something… else."

" Oh, it was something else, alright. It was the guy sitting ten feet away from you, pretending to be your friend. The guy who murdered Barry's mom and framed his dad. The guy who's about to make an appearance."

Adam's 'Passive Future Insight' was screaming. The air felt charged, almost electric. He knew this part of the story. The Reverse-Flash's first true appearance. The moment Barry would realize he wasn't the only speedster. And definitely not the fastest.

It happened during one of Barry's late-night training sessions. Wells had set up a new obstacle course, pushing Barry to his limits. Adam was there, ostensibly to "observe" and "provide moral support" (read: make jokes and eat snacks). Joe was also present, watching Barry with a mixture of pride and concern.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. A low hum filled the air, deeper, more resonant than the Speed Force hum Adam had detected from Wells's office. A yellow blur streaked through the course, dismantling it with impossible speed, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

"What was that?" Barry gasped, skidding to a halt, his eyes wide.

Before anyone could answer, a figure materialized. Tall, imposing, clad in a sleek, yellow suit, with glowing red eyes. The Reverse-Flash.

" Oh, hell no. He's here. In all his terrifying, yellow glory. And he looks even more menacing in person. This is not good. This is 'run for your life and pray your System has a good warranty' kind of not good."

The Reverse-Flash moved with a chilling grace, a mocking smile on his face. He was faster than Barry. So much faster. He zipped around Barry, hitting him with precise, devastating blows, a whirlwind of yellow and red.

"You're fast, Mr. Allen," the Reverse-Flash's distorted voice echoed, "but you're not fast enough."

Joe pulled his gun, but the Reverse-Flash was gone before he could even aim, reappearing behind him, then in front, then behind again. He was a phantom.

Adam felt a surge of pure, unadulterated terror. This wasn't a metahuman with a gimmick. This was a force of nature. A predator. And he was standing right in its path. His 'Enhanced Flight Response' was screaming at him to run, but his feet felt glued to the floor.

The Reverse-Flash, in a blur, grabbed Joe, lifting him effortlessly. "You've been a thorn in my side for too long, Detective."

"Joe!" Barry screamed, trying to reach them, but the Reverse-Flash was too quick.

Adam knew what was supposed to happen. Barry would try to save Joe, and the Reverse-Flash would escape. But he also knew he had lives. Three lives from this specific killer. This was his chance. A strategic death. A meaningful death.

He didn't think. He just acted. With a burst of adrenaline, he threw the half-eaten bag of chips at the Reverse-Flash's face. It was a pathetic, desperate act, but it was enough. The Reverse-Flash, momentarily startled by the sudden, unexpected projectile, flinched.

That split second was all Barry needed. He zoomed forward, a desperate red blur, tackling the Reverse-Flash, forcing him to drop Joe. Joe landed hard, but he was safe.

The Reverse-Flash, however, was furious. He turned his glowing red eyes on Adam. "You… insignificant nuisance."

He moved. So fast. Adam barely registered the yellow streak, the vibrating hand. A searing pain erupted in his chest, a cold, impossible sensation. He felt himself being lifted, then slammed against a concrete pillar. The world spun. Darkness enveloped him.

[SYSTEM ALERT: DEATH DETECTED. CAUSE: BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA (REVERSE-FLASH).] [LIVES REMAINING: 0/3 (Current Life Activated)] [DEATHS ACHIEVED: 3/15 (Next System Level: Level 4)]

[NEW KILLER DESIGNATION: 'REVERSE-FLASH' HAS BEEN ADDED!] [LIVES GRANTED BY 'REVERSE-FLASH': 3] [CURRENT LIVES REMAINING (TOTAL): 3/3 (Current Life Activated)]

[SKILL ACQUISITION: 'MINOR SPEED FORCE RESISTANCE' HAS BEEN UNLOCKED!] [DESCRIPTION: Provides slight protection against the adverse effects of Speed Force energy and minor speedster attacks.]

Adam gasped, his eyes snapping open. He was back in his apartment, gasping for breath. The pain was gone, but the memory of it, the impossible cold, lingered. He felt a faint, protective hum around him, a subtle shield against the very energy that had just killed him.

" He killed me. The Reverse-Flash killed me. And I got 'Minor Speed Force Resistance.' That's… actually useful. Very useful. And I got three new lives from him! Take that, yellow blur! You just made me stronger!"

He quickly changed, his heart still hammering. He raced back to S.T.A.R. Labs. The scene was chaotic. Barry was helping Joe up, looking shaken. Wells was there, looking concerned. Too concerned.

"Adam!" Joe exclaimed, rushing over. "You're alive! How… how are you alive?"

"I… I don't know," Adam feigned, rubbing his chest. "One minute I was there, the next… everything went black. And then I woke up a few blocks away. Must be my 'enhanced common sense' again, telling me to get out of the way of homicidal speedsters. And maybe my 'Minor Impact Absorption' really kicked in."

Barry looked at him, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and confusion. "You threw chips at him! You saved Joe!"

"Someone had to distract the homicidal banana," Adam said, trying to sound lighthearted, but his voice still trembled slightly. "He was going to hurt Joe. I couldn't let that happen."

Wells, however, was watching him. His eyes, usually so calculating, held a flicker of something new. Surprise? Annoyance? Adam couldn't tell. But he knew one thing: Thawne had just learned that Adam Stiels was not as easily dispatched as he seemed. And that made him even more dangerous.

" He knows. Or he suspects. This is going to be a chess match. And I'm playing with a cheat sheet, but he's got the entire rulebook memorized. And he can time travel. This is going to be a long season."