Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories.
Barry Allen.
Particle accelerator.
If these three terms appeared separately, it might still be dismissed as coincidence—after all, in a vast multiverse, strange overlaps were bound to occur. But when they appeared together, the odds of it being mere coincidence dropped to almost zero.
The Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories and the Particle Accelerator were tied directly to the origin of The Flash in the DC Universe... and Barry Allen—that was The Flash's name.
"Waiting for me here, huh?"
To be honest, Herman was long past being surprised by these kinds of "coincidences."
Not only was he unfazed, but he actually felt a moment of clarity. The electric arcs that had appeared on Quicksilver's body suddenly made perfect sense.
It was the Speed Force.
If even Barry Allen—the very source of the Speed Force—had somehow appeared in the Marvel Universe, then the existence of the Speed Force here was entirely logical. After all, the DC Universe hadn't originally possessed it either. It was Barry Allen's running that created the Speed Force in the first place.
And once it came into being, the Speed Force developed its own consciousness, choosing hosts it deemed suitable on its own.
In the Marvel Universe, there was no one more qualified to be a Speedster than Quicksilver.
"So that's how it is."
Herman's eyes flickered slightly as he pieced everything together in his mind. With his knowledge of both the DC and Marvel universes, it didn't take him long to make sense of the situation.
Laplace's Demon was said to be omniscient because it knew all the information in the universe, making it capable of predicting every outcome. Herman wasn't anywhere near that level, of course—but analyzing the existence of the Speed Force was hardly difficult for him.
And that wasn't all.
As he watched Barry Allen being interviewed on the television, Herman noticed something else.
This Barry Allen, the one who had crossed into the Marvel Universe, had burn scars on his face—quite different from the Barry Allen he remembered.
Had The Flash suffered some kind of accident? Among the many timelines Herman knew, there was indeed one version of Barry Allen that matched this description.
"Savitar, the God of Speed."
Herman's gaze narrowed slightly as he studied the man speaking confidently on the TV. A likely conclusion had already formed in his mind.
Savitar.
The so-called God of Speed—though that title was self-proclaimed, in terms of velocity, Savitar truly ranked among the fastest beings in the DC Universe.
Because this figure was none other than Barry Allen himself—or more accurately, a temporal remnant created by The Flash.
Herman didn't fully understand the exact mechanics behind it—after all, he wasn't a Speedster. What he did know was that Savitar was a Time Remnant The Flash had created, using his own speed and power to help defeat a powerful enemy.
Most Time Remnants dissipated after being used. But for some reason, Savitar survived.
He refused to disappear.
He refused to die for the real Barry Allen.
Instead, he forged himself into Savitar, traveling endlessly through time—constantly running, constantly evading the moment that would bring about his own erasure.
It all sounded abstract, even confusing, and truthfully, it was. Nothing involving The Flash—or any version of The Flash—was ever simple.
Just as Herman was lost in thought, Gwen Stacy, sitting beside him, noticed his attention shift.
"You seem really into this news?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah. For some business reasons," Herman replied. "You know, my company's also a high-tech firm, so I naturally pay more attention to developments in the field."
He didn't elaborate further—there was no way Gwen would understand even if he tried to explain.
"True. Competition in high-tech industries is way harsher than in normal businesses. Honey, let me turn the volume up for you."
Gwen's parents saw nothing strange about his sudden focus on the TV. Thinking he was simply interested in work-related matters, Gwen's mother picked up the remote and turned up the sound.
It wasn't really necessary, but Herman still smiled and thanked her politely.
"Dr. Barry Allen, may I ask—why do you and your team describe this Particle Accelerator as a masterpiece capable of changing the entire world?"
On the television, the reporter was interviewing Savitar—still unaware that his true identity had already been exposed.
For now, calling him Barry Allen wasn't wrong either.
After all, a Time Remnant was, in essence, still The Flash himself.
"Without exaggeration, my research in the Quantum Realm is centuries ahead of the European Organization for Nuclear Research."
"My Particle Accelerator will change the world—far more than that shaky tin can in New York that flies around thinking it's fast."
The disfigured Barry Allen spoke smoothly in front of the camera, even taking the opportunity to mock Iron Man, Tony Stark.
It was obvious this man hadn't just arrived in the Marvel Universe. Then again, with a Speedster's terrifying learning ability, he could've easily familiarized himself with everything in this world in record time.
In truth, Tony Stark's Iron Man armor was anything but slow. Its speed easily surpassed that of most fighter jets, and with its unmatched agility, the suit could dance circles around nearly any aircraft. Only a Speedster would have the audacity to sneer at its velocity.
"Change the entire world?"
The reporter had heard similar grandiose claims countless times before. Internally unfazed, she still put on a convincingly astonished expression for the camera.
Everyone involved in show business knew how important it was to play their part.
"Yes, the change will far exceed your imagination. Perhaps it's hard to grasp from words alone, so let me give you an example."
With that, the scarred Barry Allen picked up a pen and tapped a small black dot onto the whiteboard behind him, which had clearly been prepared in advance.
"This represents humanity's current understanding of the universe," he explained, pointing to the tiny mark.
He was about to continue when—
"That's just a black dot! How can that represent humanity's understanding of the universe?" a chubby visitor off-camera interrupted loudly.
"I'm speaking figuratively—using it as an analogy for humanity's comprehension of the cosmos," Barry replied, pressing his lips together as he looked toward the interrupter with a calm, almost patient smile.
But behind that smile, a flash of irritation sparked in his eyes.
Unlike the real Barry Allen, this version's temper was dangerously short. If not for the cameras rolling, he likely would've rushed forward and ripped the heart right out of the man's chest.
"But no matter how you put it, it's still just a dot," the chubby man persisted, clearly the type who lived to argue—and completely unaware of who he was provoking.
Smug and self-satisfied, he even struck a pose when he noticed the camera turning his way.
"There's always someone like that who loves to grandstand," Officer George remarked from the dining table in Gwen's home as he watched the live broadcast.
As a police commissioner, he'd often faced similar situations during his own interviews.
There were always those self-proclaimed "clever" types who interrupted just to show off. In front of the media, George could only grit his teeth and tolerate them.
"This might be the only way they ever get attention. Pathetic," he added with a touch of exasperation.
"Just a clown," Herman said casually.
Most viewers probably didn't notice, but the chubby man's provocation had already darkened the disfigured Barry Allen's gaze with lethal coldness.
A faint arc of electricity flickered in his eyes—barely visible but undeniably there.
If not for the ongoing broadcast, he wouldn't have bothered maintaining that polite smile.
Herman had no doubt that once the interview ended, a Speedster would break into the man's home—and leave behind a lifeless body, eyes frozen wide in terror.
The disfigured Barry Allen was no saint. During his time as Savitar, the number of people he'd killed far exceeded that of most supervillains.
The interview on the television continued.
"Security, please escort that troublemaker out."
The disfigured Barry Allen gave a subtle glance to a nearby staff member, who immediately stepped forward and called for security to restore order.
"You can't do this!"
"I paid for my ticket! I'll sue you!"
The 250-pound loudmouth was swiftly carried away by two burly African-American security guards—both military veterans. Though not quite at the level of Umbrella Corporation's elite security, dealing with an overweight soda addict was hardly a challenge.
After all, the Hammer Group—the investor behind this cutting-edge laboratory—was, at its core, still a defense contractor. The veterans it hired were naturally capable professionals.
A company that specialized in manufacturing knockoffs certainly knew how to spot "counterfeit" applicants... and Cooper Hammer was far more competent than his predecessor ever was.
Herman was well acquainted with the power players of New York.
"I wonder how Savitar managed to convince Cooper Hammer to invest in him..." Herman mused, genuinely curious about what kind of grand vision Barry Allen had sold to the Hammer Group.
After all, among all types of investments, scientific research was by far the most expensive.
Building a top-tier laboratory capable of running a particle accelerator required, at minimum, tens of billions—possibly even hundreds of billions—in funding.
Umbrella Corporation had only recently established a new lab of its own, spending over thirty billion on equipment and personnel alone. That wasn't a small sum.
Herman might not care much about money, but the Hammer family was another story—a family infamous throughout New York for its obsession with wealth.
"The Flash has always had a knack for giving pep talks. He even earned the nickname 'Talk Hero' for his ability to win people over just by talking their ears off," Herman thought with a hint of amusement.
On the television screen, the chubby heckler's shouting before being removed was completely ignored. Within moments, the atmosphere at the interview returned to its earlier calm.
However, the disfigured Barry Allen's smile didn't reach his eyes. The fleeting cold glint he cast toward the direction the heckler had been taken was hard to miss.
That man's fate didn't look promising.
"Alright, let's get back to the Particle Accelerator," the scarred Barry Allen said, withdrawing his gaze and turning back toward the camera as he once again gestured to the small blackboard behind him.
...
"As everyone can see, this black dot represents the limits of humanity's current understanding of the universe."
As he spoke, the disfigured Barry Allen drew a large circle around the dot—its radius roughly ten centimeters. "And this area I've circled represents the knowledge we will gain from the Particle Accelerator."
His scarred face showed an expression of fervent anticipation. "This marks a completely new way of understanding physics. It will fundamentally change the way we think about everything."
His speech was passionate, filled with conviction and boundless vision for the future.
The reporter probably didn't understand half of what he said, but she still took the lead in applauding enthusiastically. Soon, the entire room echoed with applause.
The disfigured Barry Allen seemed to bask in that moment of admiration, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Tonight at midnight, you can all sit in front of your televisions and join me as we witness the birth of a new way to observe the universe at the Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories," he declared solemnly to the camera.
"This guy really looks the part," Gwen's mother remarked between bites, glancing at the disfigured Barry Allen on the TV.
"He looks like he's been through a fire—his face is completely scarred. But even something like that didn't break him. He must be someone with incredible resolve, truly devoted to science." Gwen's mother, who loved watching dramas, naturally had an active imagination.
"Devoted to science? Perhaps," Herman replied casually, neither confirming nor denying it. He didn't believe for a second that the disfigured Barry Allen had built a Particle Accelerator out of some noble desire to advance scientific progress.
This machine's true purpose... was far more dangerous—likely to create a new wave of superpowered beings through exposure to and fusion with dark matter radiation.
"Particle Accelerator... that sounds impressive. Would it affect your company?" Gwen Stacy asked softly. She wasn't well-versed in advanced science, but her concern for Herman was clear.
"Just like he said, his Particle Accelerator might affect the entire world," Herman answered thoughtfully. He suspected the disfigured Barry Allen's goal was to use the accelerator to create superhumans, though the exact motive remained unclear.
Perhaps he had lost his powers somehow and wanted to recreate the event that first gave him access to the Speed Force.
Of course, it could also be something else entirely. Whatever his real goal was, a Particle Accelerator capable of producing superhumans was powerful enough to disrupt the entire balance of the world.
"Maybe I shouldn't let him succeed," Herman murmured after a moment of consideration.
The disfigured Barry Allen was Savitar—a being filled with malice. If he succeeded in creating metahumans, nothing good would come of it.
Watching the man's seemingly calm, gentle smile on the screen, Herman's instincts told him that Savitar's intentions were anything but pure. His scheme might not even target a single individual—it could be aimed at the entire planet, perhaps the whole Marvel Universe itself.
After all, this man was a madman.
And worse still, a madman willing to do anything for immortality.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on P@treon.
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
[email protected]/PinkSnake