Biokinesis, the power to manipulate living matter with the thought alone, a truly terrifying ability. "If that's really what I have," Victor thought, a spark of exhilaration flaring within him despite his motionless state. "Then I'm truly blessed."
With biokinesis, his potential was virtually limitless. He could not only manipulate his own biology at will but possibly that of others as well, or so he believed. It hadn't been tested yet, but deep down, he just knew.
If that were true, then not only could he copy others, reshape them, and erase any weaknesses entirely. Truly, biokinesis was a broken power, if used right.
Another month slipped by, and Victor remained locked in his coma. There was nothing he could do but watch, helpless, as his body continued to change on its own. Over time, he discovered the cause, a strange, vibrant energy pulsing through him. It wasn't just keeping him alive, it was the very source of his emerging powers.
It filled him with great curiosity. His body was adjusting to be able to manipulate the energy freely. He called it life force. The energy, vital as it was, he noticed was also volatile, difficult to control. That was why his body was having such a difficult time adjusting.
Another four months passed as Victor's physiological transformation neared completion. Those months had been nothing short of torture, a nightmare he hoped never to endure again.
On the final night of his coma, a spark of excitement stirred within him. From his observations, the forced slumber would end soon, either by the night's end or by the next morning.
Victor was lost in his anticipation when his senses suddenly caught a familiar life signature entering the medbay.
"Eobard Thawne," he thought, his excitement fading. The electric signature gave it away, it was similar to Barry's, but tinged with a red hue. There was no mistaking it, it was the negative speed force running through him.
Victor was on guard, his senses sharp and alert. If things went south, he was ready to override his body's state and force himself out of the coma. Those months of observation hadn't been for nothing; he knew it was something he could do, his abilities were instinctual on a level.
But to his relief, his fears turned out to be misplaced. If he wanted to kill me, I wouldn't even have a chance, Victor thought, the familiar hunger for power stirring again within him.
Instead, Thawne wheeled himself toward Barry's motionless body. For a moment, he simply sat there, silent, his posture thoughtful, at least that's what Victor assumed, since all he could see were the faint outlines of life signatures.
In the silence that followed, Victor sank into deep thought, his mind circling around one thing, power. Biokinesis granted him a clear advantage, an ability with boundless potential.
But he knew superspeed was not to be underestimated. Getting caught in a speed blitz wasn't an experience he wished to have. Victor had long abandoned the naive belief that this world would play by inconsistent rules. He saw superspeed for what it truly was, terrifyingly absolute.
An ability so broken that only speedsters of equal caliber could stand against it. Without the speed to match, you were nothing but fodder.
So, Victor had already made his choice, the first ability he would attempt to replicate was superspeed. Even if it didn't operate on the same principles as the Speed Force, any version would do.
He couldn't live peacefully knowing he could be killed in an instant without ever understanding how or why.
Thawne's voice cut through Victor's thoughts, low and mocking. "You look so young," he said, then closed the distance to Barry with a slow, deliberate step. His smile was all teeth. "I could kill you right now."
"So easy," Thawne said, his hands vibrating a few inches from Barry's chest. For a long beat he let the threat hang in the air, then forced his fingers to still. "What I wouldn't have given for this," he added with a bitter, humorless laugh.
"All those times before, when I had you so helpless... Fate is strange, isn't it? I came to destroy you... and now to get home I have to be the one who creates you." He scoffed, the sound carrying more contempt than amusement.
"But I will say, it has been an education... watching you grow all these years. Science fairs and soccer games... passed without a hint, a sign, or a trace of the man you will one day become.
"For whom I have nothing but hate... And to be clear, nothing is forgiven... There will be a reckoning, I promise you, Barry Allen. You will die." He finished and walked back to his wheelchair, pausing to look at Victor a few steps away.
"What does he want with me," Victor screamed internally, unsure. "Perhaps because I was Barry's friend in college," he thought, trying to piece things together.
"Whatever reason it is, I have to prepare as soon as possible," Victor resolved.
The next morning was fast approaching. The first light of morning spilled softly over the rooftops, painting the world in pale gold. By the time the busy atmosphere of Central City was in full swing, Caitlin and Cisco were at Star Labs, taking care of the two patients.
"Why do you keep playing this song?" Caitlin asked, hands on her hips.
"They like this one," Cisco said, a small grin creeping onto his face.
"And how could you possibly know that?" Caitlin shot back.
"I checked their Facebook page. Turns out they're actually old buddies. They can hear everything, right?" Cisco asked, glancing over at her.
"Auditory functions are the last sensory facilities to degenerate," Caitlin adjusted one of the monitors, her brow furrowing. "Yes, they can probably still hear us, but that doesn't mean they're... aware."
Cisco shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying, if I were stuck in a coma, I'd want someone playing my favorite music. It's good vibes."
Caitlin was about to offer a retort when suddenly, Victor's unconscious body sprang awake, startling the two.
"Oh my God," Cisco blurted, stumbling back a step.
Caitlin, though startled, recovered almost instantly. Professional instinct took over. She snatched the penlight from the tray and leaned in, checking his eyes with quick, practiced motions. "BP one twenty over eighty. Pulse eighty. Pupils reactive to light."
Victor blinked rapidly, vision swimming, the world blurring in and out as months of forced stillness fought against sudden consciousness.
Caitlin shifted her attention to him fully. "What's your name?" she asked, deliberately clear and calm, not acknowledging the fact that he was still struggling to orient himself.
Victor's gaze flickered, the lights stabbing sharply as his senses clawed their way back to life.
"Can you please give me some space?" Victor muttered, irritation slipping through as he pushed himself up on one arm. A low grunt escaped him; his body felt heavy, stubborn, unused.
As his vision finally sharpened, the room came into focus. He recognized it almost immediately. The Cortex. Star Labs. Except now it looked more like a makeshift medbay, patched together for him and Barry.
His gaze drifted to the other bed.
Barry still lay there, motionless, locked in the same coma that had held him for months. Completely unaware of the storm waiting for him in the future.
Victor exhaled slowly. He wasn't obligated to help or to join Barry in whatever destiny was coming. They weren't heroes. Not yet. But they were friends.
He had made the first move back in college. Even though it carried the risk of drawing Thawne's attention, he hadn't shied away. That boldness was likely what had put him in the crosshairs now.
A friend of Barry's was just another pawn to be leveraged for Barry's "improvement." Victor wasn't sure if that was Thawne's reasoning, but whatever it was, the man was about to get a very unpleasant surprise.
"Dude, don't worry. Your buddy's gonna wake up soon," Cisco said, misreading Victor's clenched fists as concern rather than caution.
Victor's gaze narrowed, every movement deliberate. "Who are you people?" he asked, voice calm but guarded.
"I'm Cisco Ramon, and this is Dr. Caitlin Snow," Cisco said, motioning to Caitlin with a confident smile.
"What happened? All I remember is… a bright light, and then here," Victor said, feigning confusion.
Cisco stepped closer, resting a reassuring hand on Victor's shoulder. "Dude, you were struck by lightning."
"Lightning?" Victor echoed, brow furrowed, confusion in his voice.
"You were in a coma for eight months," Cisco added, his tone sympathetic.
Caitlin, meanwhile, was already running through the list of tests in her head. "I need you to pee in this," she said, holding out a specimen cup.
"Not… right this second," Cisco muttered, quickly restraining Caitlin.
"My aunt?" he asked, concern flickering across his face. Over the months, her visits had become scarce, but he bore her no grudge. She still had her own life to live.
"She came to see you very often... I'll let her know you're awake," Cisco said with a small grin.