Univrsal Marchant :MCU /Arrowverse

Chapter 2: The Speedster and the Broker

After my surprisingly successful (and only mildly mortifying) encounter with Kara, I found a cheap, temporary apartment – which, thankfully, the System somehow enabled me to acquire without me having to explain how a man with no ID and only a banana to his name suddenly materialized. The System seemed to handle the mundane details, which was a relief. I spent the next few days in a blur of internal monologues, trying to wrap my head around the "Trader System."

PORTAL CREATION ABILITY IS NOW ACCESSIBLE. INITIAL TARGETING PROTOCOLS REQUIRE CONCENTRATED FOCUS AND VISUAL REFERENCE. ATTEMPTING INTER-DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL RECOMMENDED FOR FIRST USE.

"Inter-dimensional travel, huh? You're just throwing me in the deep end, aren't you, System? No 'baby steps' tutorial? No 'how to not accidentally end up inside a wall' guide?"

The System remained silent, unhelpfully. Typical. It was like dealing with a cosmic, all-knowing algorithm that decided "figure it out yourself" was the best teaching method.

"Alright, Adam. You've faced tougher challenges. Like assembling IKEA furniture with only pictograms. This is basically that, but with the added risk of being atomized or ending up in a universe made entirely of socks. Let's pick a target. Someone friendly. Someone fast. Someone who appreciates a good pastry."

My mind immediately jumped to Central City. Barry Allen. The Flash. Not just a hero, but a certified nerd with a penchant for speed, science, and, yes, sugary delights. Plus, Cisco Ramon would probably be able to handle my sudden appearance better than, say, Batman. Batman would just assume I was an immediate threat and probably have me tied up with bat-ropes before I could say "banana peel."

I closed my eyes, focusing on the mental image of S.T.A.R. Labs. The main lab, specifically. Cisco's workspace, ideally. I needed to visualize it down to the last wonky piece of tech. I pictured the worn whiteboard, the scattered blueprints, the faint smell of burnt popcorn and meta-human energy. I imagined the fluorescent lights humming, the whir of experimental gadgets.

A strange sensation enveloped me. Not a feeling of movement, but of unmaking and remaking. It was like my atoms decided to go on a really fast, disorienting vacation, only to reassemble themselves a nanosecond later in a different postal code.

Thud.

My eyes snapped open. I was in a lab. The lab. Cisco was hunched over a console, muttering to himself about a vibrational frequency. Caitlin was meticulously cleaning a beaker, probably with surgical precision. And Barry… Barry was at the speed-lab treadmill, a yellow blur of motion, before skidding to a halt, looking at a screen.

They froze. All three of them. Like someone had hit the pause button on the universe. Because standing in the middle of their pristine (ish) lab, radiating a faint shimmer of… newness, was me. Adam Stiels. Still reeking vaguely of existential dread, but now with the added bonus of accidental inter-dimensional travel.

Cisco, bless his pop-culture heart, was the first to react. His eyes widened, then narrowed. "Whoa. Okay, my vibe detector just went off the charts. You are not from around here, are you?"

Caitlin, ever the scientist, pushed her glasses up her nose. "More importantly, how are you here? There was no breach alert. No energy signature. You just… appeared."

Barry, surprisingly calm for a guy who just had a random stranger materialize in his secret lair, walked closer, his brow furrowed in curiosity. "Are you… a meta-human?"

"Alright, Adam, showtime. Don't panic. Don't fanboy. Just… pivot. With panache."

I held up my hands, a disarming, slightly lopsided grin on my face. "Relax, guys. No, I'm not here to take over Central City, steal your technology, or even critique your coffee choices, though I do have opinions on all three." I gestured vaguely around the lab. "And no, I'm not a meta-human. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. Think of me as… a very lost tourist. From a very far-flung Earth."

Cisco scoffed, but a hint of a smile played on his lips. "A tourist who just teleports into highly classified labs? That's a new one."

"Well, when you're dealing with the Multiverse," I leaned in conspiratorially, "sometimes the GPS gets a little… wonky. My apologies for the unscheduled arrival. And before you ask, no, I don't have an evil counterpart trying to destroy you. At least, not yet. Give me a few weeks, I might get bored and build a giant rubber ducky of doom."

Caitlin crossed her arms. "That explains nothing. Who are you?"

"Adam Stiels," I replied, my gaze lingering on Cisco. "And I'm pretty sure your action figure collection is missing the rare, limited-edition 'Reverse-Flash with Secret Identity Revealing Mask' variant. They only made about fifty of those."

Cisco's jaw dropped. His eyes darted to a shelf hidden behind some equipment, then back to me. "How—?! Only Barry and I know about that! And it is missing!"

Barry chuckled, a surprised laugh escaping him. "Okay, that's… impressively specific. You're not just a tourist, are you?"

"Let's just say I have unique ways of acquiring information," I said, winking. "And as an apology for my rather… dramatic entrance, I come bearing gifts."

I reached into my Inventory. "Okay, Adam, this is it. Donut time. Pick the good stuff. The ones he can't resist. The ones that prove you're either a god or a really good stalker."

I pulled out a small, unassuming box. Inside, nestled on a bed of wax paper, were three of the most perfectly crafted, obscenely delicious-looking maple bacon donuts I could conjure. They even smelled like pure happiness.

"These," I announced, presenting them to a bewildered Barry, "are the legendary Glazed Baconators from Oakhaven Bakery on Earth-Prime. They only bake them on Tuesdays, and the line starts at 4 AM. But I, through… means… have acquired them fresh. Still warm, in fact."

Barry's eyes, already wide, somehow got wider. His gaze shifted from the donuts to me, then back to the donuts. He sniffed the air, a faint, delighted hum escaping him. "Maple… bacon… donuts? No way. Those are impossible to get."

"Not for me, my friend," I said, puffing out my chest slightly. "Consider it a peace offering. And a subtle hint that I'm here to help, not hinder. Now, about that 'unique ability' you have…"

Barry carefully took the box, his attention still mostly on the pastries. "What about it?"

"I'm looking to… expand my portfolio, so to speak," I explained, channeling my inner cosmic salesman. "I offer unique resources, knowledge, abilities… things you didn't even know you needed. In exchange for… a small connection to your speed."

Caitlin frowned. "A connection? What does that even mean?"

"It means," the System's voice chimed in my head, thankfully not audible to them, "that the transaction will transfer a nascent, fundamental aspect of the target's ability to the Broker. Sufficient for basic application, with potential for growth."

"Alright, System, calm down. Don't scare them with the fancy words. This is a simple transaction. Guy gives me sugar, I get zoomies."

Barry, surprisingly, wasn't focused on the details. He was staring at the donuts like they held the secrets of the universe. "You… you want to trade for my speed? Just a little?"

"Just a taste," I confirmed. "No big deal. You still get to be the fastest man alive. I just get to… occasionally not miss my bus. And these glorious, glorious donuts are all yours. Forever. Or, you know, until you eat them. Which, knowing you, will be in about three seconds."

Barry's eyes flickered to the donuts, then to me, a mischievous glint in them. He still looked skeptical, but the allure of the pastries was clearly winning. "Okay," he said, extending a hand to me. "Deal. But these better be good."

I shook his hand firmly. "My friend, these are the donuts that will change your life. And mine, apparently."

TRADE INITIATED. ITEM: GLAZED BACONATORS (EARTH-PRIME). RECIPIENT: BARRY ALLEN. RESOURCE: CONNECTION TO SPEED FORCE. ACQUIRED: SKILL – BASIC SUPER-SPEED. TP AWARDED: SIGNIFICANT.

A jolt, like static electricity, ran through me. It wasn't painful, more like a sudden, exhilarating surge of latent energy. My senses sharpened, the hum of the lab seemed to slow, and for a split second, I could process every single dust motes dancing in the air. Then it receded, leaving a tingling sensation, a new awareness of potential energy simmering beneath my skin.

Barry, meanwhile, was already halfway through the first donut, a look of pure, unadulterated bliss on his face. "Oh my god," he mumbled, crumbs dusting his chin. "These are… these are art."

Cisco, still reeling from the action figure revelation, slowly reached for a donut. Caitlin watched me, a mixture of scientific curiosity and slight apprehension in her eyes.

"So," I said, feeling a sudden urge to tap my foot really fast, "now that we're officially bonded by baked goods and shared secrets, what's the next meta-human crisis on the docket? Because I'm suddenly feeling the urge to run really, really fast towards a problem."

Barry just grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You have no idea."

"Oh, Barry, my sweet, naive friend. I have all the ideas. Literally."