Footsteps filled the halls as a man in a suit led 3 strangers down an underground hallway. The 3 strangers looked very different, consisting of a schoolgirl with blonde hair, a heavily scarred man with stitches, and a man in a wool jacket with boomerangs attached to the front. The man smoked a cigarette, puffing the smoke out in rings.
"Can you stop that Giran." said the stranger with the boomerangs, "I'd rather not get cancer from secondhand smoke."
"Patience Mercer," said Giran, "We're almost there."
Giran opened the door at the end of the hall, entering a bar full of villains. The Rogues gathered around a table while Shigaraki and Kurogiri sat at the bar.
"Oi Shigaraki!" said Giran, "new recruits!"
Shigaraki shifted in his seat, staring down the new recruits, "Well, introduce yourselves."
The scarred man stared Shigaraki down, "You're super gross in person you know. I'm Dabi."
"You guys are friends with Stainy right?" said the girl, "Cause if so, I wanna join the League of Villains. I'm Himiko Toga!"
Mercer stepped forward, "I'm Owen Mercer, the son of Digger Harkness, Captain Boomerang. I'm here to continue where my father left off."
Mercer walked to Shigaraki, extending his hand, "I've also gotta thank One For All for curing my cancer, I owe it to him."
Shigaraki eyed the 3 strangers, "Boomerang is a surefire entry, but the others are no-gos."
"Come now Shigaraki," said Kurogiri, "You don't even know their abilities."
"Fine, what can you do scarface." said Shigaraki.
"I have fire," said Dabi.
"So do I."
Flames licked Heatwave's arms as he stepped away from the table, walking toward Dabi until he was face to face with him.
"Mick," said Snart, "Don't start anything."
"I'm not," said Heatwave, "Just checking out the new blood."
Heatwave walked back to the table, allowing Dabi to continue, "I'm going to make Stains dream a reality."
"Stain Stain Stain," said Shigaraki, "That name puts in a bad mood."
Kurogiri looks at Shigaraki, "Don't do it."
Shigaraki spread his hands out, "A really bad mood."
Shigaraki lunges for Dabi and Toga, but a figure suddenly appears behind Shigaraki, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him back.
"You don't wanna do that." said the hooded man, "You'll need these people for what you're doing."
"Shut up!" shouted Shigaraki, swiping at the man, but he seemed to be transparent, appearing to Shigaraki's left.
"I get it, they're not what you want, but they're what you get." said the man.
"SHUT UP!" shouted Shigaraki, storming out of the bar and leaving the room in silence.
"Where's he going?" asked Dabi.
"A place of self-reflection, and oddly enough, a place where he'll have a fateful encounter." said the man before he checked his watch, "Oh, looks like I have my own Fateful encounter coming up, I'll see you fellow villains later!"
The hooded man speeds out of the bar, leaving the villains in awe.
"Strange one." said Snart, "You gotta wonder why he does this."
The students who failed the exam sat with their heads hanging low, setting a fairly depressing mood for the classroom. Kirishima, Sato, Mina, Kaminari, and Sero had all failed the exam, their status written on their faces.
"Jeez, It must have been awful being put up against the principal." said Barry, "He must have planned your loss out before you guys even began."
"You don't have to rub it in Barry." said Mina, "We know we failed."
Kirishima, teary-eyed, walked up to Barry, "Hey man, have fun at training camp!"
"It might not be that bad Kirishima," said Barry, "Maybe it'll be like the trials?"
*RING*
The door slid open, revealing Aizawa, "That was the bell, class is in session."
The rest of the class sits down as Aizawa takes the podium, "As you know, we have some failures in this class. As such, you're all going to training camp."
Barry observes as each of the students who failed does a small victory dance on the inside.
"However, failure is failure, you five will receive supplementary lessons that'll be worse than summer school," said Aizawa.
And just like that, those victory dances turned into dances of defeat and depression.
"Anyway, I'll be handing out camp manuals." said Aizawa, "Take One and Pass it over."
As the Class left the building, Barry looked over the manual. It described a large variety of activities such as swimming, trailblazing, and hiking. It also listed a large variety of items to pack.
Damn, I might need some Topricin.
"Hey Barry!"
Barry put the manual down to find Mina standing in front of him, "Tooru suggested that the class go to the mall together tomorrow, Are you going to come?"
"Hmm," said Barry, "I don't know, as big as this list is, I already have most of what I need."
"But there's also the stuff you don't have," said Mina, "plus, it'll be fun!"
Barry sighed, "I guess so. Sure, I'll go."
"Nice!" exclaimed Mina, "See you there!"
Mina skipped away, leaving Barry to look at the Manual more. As she reached her locker, a figure emerged from the side.
"Mina!" said Kaminari, "How're things?"
"Pretty good, considering how badly we failed!" said Mina.
"You don't have to remind me." said Kaminari, "Any particular reason?"
Mina looked at Kaminari, "What are you getting at?"
"Please, I know how you feel about Barry," said Kaminari.
Mina looked away, "Me, like Barry? Nooooo."
"Don't try to hide it, you defend him every time his name comes up." said Kaminari, "You seemed pretty happy he's going to the mall tomorrow, but are you gonna have the guts to ask him out?"
Mina continued to hide her face, "Ummmm, maybe?"
"That's not an answer Mina." said Kaminari, "You know it."
"Ok fine, no!" said Mina, "I can't say I have the guts. Things are better the way they are now."
"That's what literally everyone says in relation to their crush," said Kaminari.
"Really? Do you feel that way about your crush?" asked Mina.
"I don't have a crush," said Kaminari.
"Really?" asked Mina, "What about Jirou."
"What? No way!" said Kaminari, "Don't change the subject! You're gonna ask him out to coffee tomorrow!"
"N-No way!" said Mina.
"Yes you are!" said Kaminari, "You can do it!"
"Mmmph!" pouted Mina, "Fine!"
"That's the ticket!" said Kaminari, "See you tomorrow Mina!"
Kaminari left, letting Mina put her horns in her hands.
What am I gonna do?!
The mall was bustling with vendors and shoppers as Class 1-A met in the main plaza. The noise was almost invasive, with shopkeepers calling to shoppers to enter their stores and buy their wares.
"Wow, this place is packed!" said Barry, wearing a hoodie and jeans.
"Yeah, it sure is!" said Mina.
Mina spotted Kaminari out the corner of her eye, gesturing for her to go on. The members of the Class had already begun to split off.
"Hey Barry?" said Mina, "Wanna go shopping together?"
"Ummm," said Barry, "I don't know if that's a good idea."
"What why?!" exclaimed Mina, "Is there something wrong with two completely platonic friends shopping for stuff together."
"No, not at all!" said Barry, "It's just that-"
"C'mon Barry, the others are splitting off don't leave me hanging!" said Mina.
Barry sighed, "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."
As Barry left, Mina looked back at Kaminari, who winked at her. Mina returned the wink before following Barry.
Thanks for the push Kaminari.
"Here we are, the only place I need to visit," said Barry.
Mina stared up at the sign in horror.
If there is a god, he has surely forsaken me.
"C'mon Mina!" said Barry before entering the store.
Mina sighed before following Barry into the swimsuit store.
Barry picked up a pair of beige Swimming Shorts, "These are probably fine."
Mina looked at the shorts, "Hmm, Don't know if they'd look good on you."
"Do they have to look good on me? They're swim shorts," said Barry.
"Hey, you can go with functional and stylish," said Mina, looking around before grabbing a pair of swim shorts, "Like these!"
Barry looked at the shorts, which were red with lightning bolts dotted across, "Wow, these look great! Thanks Mina!"
"No problem!" said Mina, smiling with her eyes closed.
"I'm gonna try em on," said Barry, walking away.
"You do that!" said Mina before her eyes shot open.
Wait, he's gonna try em on now?! I mean, I guess it makes sense since you want to buy something that fits you, but is he gonna go shirtless or something?!
"Hey Mina?" said Barry.
Mina jumped at Barry's voice, "Y-Yeah?"
"How does it look?" asked Barry.
Mina turned around to find Barry standing with his shirt on and the shorts fitting fairly well.
"Hmm, they look great!" said Mina, "Man, I should get some new swim clothes."
Mina froze, processing what she just said.
AAAAAAAAAAAH, WHY DID I SAY THAT!
"Ummmmmmm," said Barry, "Do you want me to go while you do that?"
"N-No." said Mina, randomly reaching for a swimsuit, "It's fine, I'll just try these on."
Barry blushed, "O-Ok."
Mina speed-walked to the dressing room, leaving Barry outside to pay for his shorts. Stepping inside, Mina breathed a sigh of relief before looking at the swimsuit she picked out.
It was an incredibly revealing bikini.
FFFFFUUUUUU-
Barry tapped his foot, waiting for Mina to finish changing.
Oh man, this is so uncomfortable. Why did Mina pick the really skimpy bikini, was she trying to say something?
Barry put his finger to his chin.
No, don't overthink it. It's probably that she just likes the swimsuit.
"I-I'm done," said Mina.
"Cool!" said Barry, turning around, "Does it fit?
Barry's mind stopped working as soon as he saw Mina. She had dressed in an all-black bikini, the connectors, while not stretching, were definitely tight.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-"
"B-Barry?" said Mina, "S-Say something."
"uuuuuuuuuuuuuu Looks great." said Barry, "Do you need anything else?"
Mina stared at Barry, dumbfounded, "I-Is that it."
"Yep!" said Barry, tapping his foot nervously, "That's it."
"O-Ok." said Mina, walking back to the dressing room to change back into her normal clothes. Barry rubbed his nose a little before noticing some blood on his hand.
Wha-THAT'S A REAL THING?!
*Snigger*
Barry turned to find a group of girls quietly laughing at the back of the store.
"Did you see the bikini she was wearing, what a slut." said the first girl.
"I know right, I wonder what else she wears?" said the second girl.
Barry frowned, "Hey, that's really mean."
The girls froze, looking for the voice that just addressed them. Spotting Barry, the two drew mischievous smiles before approaching him.
"Ooh, bit of a hunk over here." said the first girl.
"I don't need compliments." said Barry, "Apologize about my friend."
Why?" Said the second girl, "Is she your girlfriend?"
"No." said Barry.
"Then I don't see what the problem is." said the first girl.
"Maybe you could score a girlfriend with one of us?" said the second girl.
Barry crossed his arms, "Naw, I prefer my girlfriends without the dead rat for a heart."
The girls stopped dead in their tracks, shocked looks on their faces.
"Let's get out of here." said the first girl.
As the two girls left, Barry sighed, leaning next to the dressing rooms.
"B-Barry?"
"Huh?" said Barry.
"I-I heard everything."
Barry sighed, "Sorry, they were just jerks."
"No, it's ok." said Mina, "That kind of stuff has never happened to me before, that's all."
"Well, I'm glad to be of some help," said Barry.
"Thanks Barry," said Mina, "I-WOOOAAAAH!"
"Mina!" said Barry.
Time slowed down as Barry raced inside the dressing room.
She must have slipped!
Racing inside, he found her slipping on a bra someone left behind, grabbing her, he placed her on her feet before racing out of the dressing rooms.
"Wha-" said Mina, "Barry, what happened?"
"You were about to slip." said Barry, outside, "I caught you and put you on you're feet."
"U-UH!" said Mina, "D-Did you see anything?"
"What do you mean?" said Barry.
"I-I didn't have my bra on," said Mina.
Barry stopped existing for a moment, taking a few seconds to process what was just said.
The bra, it was hers.
Barry tried to stop his mind from being flooded with the wrong images, but it was too late. He silently threw his hands at his eyeballs and tried to rub them out.
FORGET IT, DON'T THINK ABOUT IT, DON'T EVEN!
"H-Hey Barry," said Mina.
"Yeah?" said Barry.
"I think I'll stick around here for a while, you can go." said Mina.
"Uh, ok." said Barry, silently walking out of the store.
Barry took a few steps before facepalming.
God I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I think about this stuff before I burst in like a massive perv! I'm not Mineta!
Barry is so deep in his own head that he runs into somebody.
"OOF!"
The man, wearing a hoodie, falls on his butt, dazed.
"Oh shoot!" said Barry, extending his hand, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah man," said the man, taking Barry's hand, "I'm good, people make mistakes."
Barry pulled the man up to his feet.
"Hey," said the man, "You're that Flash guy."
"Huh?" said Barry, "I mean, my hero name is the Flash, but I didn't expect anyone to recognize me."
"Dude, you saved a friend of mine back in Fukuoka!" said the man, taking off his hoodie to reveal a dirty blonde man with blue eyes, "Let me buy you a coffee!"
"Oh I don't know." said Barry, "That seems a little much. I don't want to take advantage of you."
"C'mon, it's just one coffee!" said the man.
Barry sighed.
I mean, I don't have anything else to do.
"Alright," said Barry, "I'll take you up on that coffee."
"Great!" said the man.
"My name's Barry Allen!" said Barry, "What's yours?"
"Thawne," said the man, "Eobard Thawne."
"And then Edison straight up stole from Tesla!"
"I know right!"
Thawne and Barry chuckled at the cafe table while sipping their coffee. The cafe was a little to the side in the mall, with fewer shoppers. It was quieter, and frankly, Barry liked it that way.
"But hey," said Thawne, "If you want a tale of true scientific theft, just look at the splitting of the atom."
"It was Einstein, right?" said Barry.
"That's what people think," said Thawne, "But it was really Oppenheimer."
"Einstein came up with the theory," said Barry.
"But Oppenheimer led the team," said Thawne, "He was the director of the manhattan project, he was the one who actually made the atom bomb."
"Heh, I guess you're right." said Barry, "Though a lot of the footage after it was made showed that he seemed to regret it."
Thawne nodded his head, "People use the phrase, I am become death, destroyer of worlds, like it's a victory cry or an ego tickler. He's really saying he's become a monster for what he created."
Barry nodded as the cafe seemed to grow quieter.
"You can see it on his face in those interviews, the look of a man whose soul has burned out and died," said Thawne, "I'm sure you've had that look when you think about your mother."
Barry took a sip of his coffee, "Yeah, I agre-"
Barry's eyes widened, "How do you know about my mother, I never told you anything."
"Oh Barry," said Thawne, "I was your biggest fan, I know everything about you."
It was then that Barry realized that it was getting quiet, too quiet. The hustle and bustle of the shoppers weren't just getting quieter, it was becoming silent. Looking around, Barry realized that everyone was frozen in place as if the world had stopped rotating.
As if time itself had frozen.
"Oh don't panic Barry," said Thawne, getting up from his chair, "It's just my power."
"Who are you?." said Barry.
"As I said, I was your biggest fan." said Thawne, "I know you love pizza, I know you love comic books, and I know your favorite animal is the turtle, and the irony is not lost on me for that last one."
Barry looked at Thawne, "The line about the friend I rescued, was that a lie?"
"No, that's true." said Thawne, "You saved my father, Malcolm."
Barry looked confused.
Malcolm? Wasn't he only a boy.
"Oh don't look so surprised Barry," said Thawne, "You visited your own pocket dimension, time travel shouldn't be too hard to wrap your head around."
Barry looked at Thawne in awe, "You said you were my biggest fan, what happened?"
"Well, that's a long story." said Thawne, "It began after you saved my father from the fire. He became borderline obsessed, He went to every convention you were at, was in every live audience for every interview you gave, bought every bit of merch there was."
Sounds kinda like Midoriya.
"Then I was born," said Thawne, "He got me hooked too, I loved you Barry, what you did was incredible. I even got to meet you."
Barry stared Thawne down, "What changed?"
A dark look descended on Thawne's face, "I learned about the real you. The liar."
Barry frowned, "I'm no liar Thawne."
"Ha! I know you better than you know yourself!" said Thawne, "I know who you are, who your friends are, like tough Kirishima and adorable Mina."
Barry clenched his fists, standing up, "If you even think of hurting them I'll-"
Before Barry could finish, Thawne disappeared and reappeared in front of Barry, grabbing him by the throat with one hand and slamming him onto the cafe table.
"YOU ACTUALLY THINK YOU CAN DO ANYTHING?!" shouted Thawne, "I CAN KILL YOU HERE AND NOW!"
Barry struggled against Thawne's immense strength as he was slowly strangled.
*Gurgle*
"It would be so easy," said Thawne, "to just choke the life out of you and end this right now."
Barry began to turn blue. *EEEECH AAAAACCHHH!*
*Sigh*
Thawne let go of Barry, allowing him to gasp for air.
"I'm going to make you suffer Barry." said Thawne, "But you won't be the only one who gets hurt. See you around."
In an instant, Thawne was gone and time started again as the shoppers began walking again. Barry's head darted around, looking for any sign of Thawne, but he couldn't find anything.
Did...Did that really happen?
Barry felt his throat, which still ached from the chokehold he was in earlier.
It definitely happened.
Getting to his feet, Barry was about to walk off when he noticed a few police officers rushing across the mall.
He said I wouldn't be the only one hurt. Wait, NO!
Barry rushed across the mall, following the officers.
Please don't be hurt!
Barry skidded to a stop as he found the officers consoling-
"Midoriya?!" Exclaimed Barry, "and Uraraka!"
"Barry?!" said Midoriya, who was sitting on a bench, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know?!" said Barry, "Why are the police here?"
"Midoriya talked to Shigaraki!" said Uraraka, "It was really scary!"
Barry trembled, shaking in fear.
"Barry?"
Barry turned to find Kirishima and Mina looking at him.
"You ok man?" asked Kirishima, "You look rattled."
"Barry," said Mina, "Is something wrong?"
Barry looked Mina in the eyes, "N-No, nothing's wrong."
And so season 2 ends! I hope Thawne's entrance was worth the wait!
Reviews:
Jose Ramiro: Thanks for the feedback!
DCDGojira: I'm a big fan of Star Wars, and I hope those movies are the Rian Johnson trilogy. (Please don't flame me if you don't like Last Jedi.) That's a cute scene with Annie. Season 3 will have both, plus a sneak peek at Grodd. (No I Island but an interlude chapter! Read below!) I saw the new mutants trailer and it looks great!
Thanks for the feedback!
Rextimus Prime: Thanks for the feedback!
Aztec 13: Thanks for the feedback!
Vault Hunter: Thanks for the feedback!
Next Chapter: Jay Garrick's summer adventure!