Tornado

"Barry, run in the opposite direction of the tornado. Use the counterforce to cut it off. Run! Don't just stand there like an idiot."

Lin Li was practically tearing into him. What did he mean, he couldn't stop it? He could have stopped it from the start.

Caitlin said, "What? This isn't a joke. Barry, to cut off a tornado like this, you'd need to exceed at least 700 miles per hour. Your body won't be able to take it. You'll die."

Hearing Lin Li and Caitlin, Barry hesitated before saying, "I need to try."

700 miles per hour = 1,126 kilometers per hour = Mach 1.

That meant Barry needed to run at 340 meters per second to counteract the tornado.

His current speed was around 90 meters per second. He needed to increase it fourfold to cut off the tornado.

Running the numbers in his head, Lin Li sucked in a sharp breath. It had not felt like much while watching the TV show. Under Dr. Wells's encouragement, Barry had simply run faster. But thinking about it now, it was practically impossible. Even if it were possible, his body should have collapsed. Yet in the show, he had done it so easily. It was fucking ridiculous. It could only mean that under the Speed Force's protection, even if your speed broke through the heavens, it did not matter if your body was that of an ordinary person. The Speed Force would protect you.

Lin Li was already powerless to mock the Speed Force. How were Galileo, Newton, Einstein, and countless other scientists supposed to feel about this?

Speed Force, you win. You really were the most badass force capable of screwing over every law of physics.

Even with such an absurd increase required, Lin Li did not think Barry or the Speed Force could not do it. The Speed Force was an incomprehensible power to begin with. The one who truly could not do it was Barry. He lacked a powerful will.

The wind grew stronger and stronger. The dirt swept up by the tornado stained it gray, heavy, oppressive.

Barry drew a deep breath and ran toward the tornado, yellow arcs of electricity trailing behind him.

Yellow lightning spiraled around the tornado Mardon had created.

When Mardon saw the yellow lightning circling him once more, he screamed even more crazily, "Die! Die! Die... I'll destroy all of you! Everything!"

But the gale howled as it swirled, and trees snapped and were wildly ripped from the ground and hurled away. The noise was so deafening that only Mardon himself could hear his manic screams.

Barry sprinted against the tornado. The wind whipping toward him was like blades cutting across his face, bringing a faint pain. The oncoming pressure was like a charging vehicle, forcing him to run against an unprecedented burden.

Under Mardon's control, the tornado grew more and more powerful, plowing a deep trench into the muddy ground.

Barry felt slower than ever before, while the pressure ahead came in wave after wave.

Finally, amid Mardon's wild laughter, the yellow lightning was blown away.

Barry was swept up and hurled away by the tornado, tumbling several times.

He climbed back up and stared at the tornado in fear as he called through the communicator, "I can't do it. I can't. It blew me away. There's no way I can stop him. Lin Li, when can you get here?"

The violent tornado filled Barry with fear, cowardice, and helplessness. He had no way to withstand such a savage, terrifying weather-scale phenomenon. In the end, he was only an ordinary person who could run a little faster. The confidence he had just found was shattered once again.

He called for Lin Li, placing all his hopes on him. Lin Li was far stronger than he was. Lin Li had even saved his life. Whatever he could not do, Lin Li surely could.

Without any reason, he placed everything on Lin Li—every hope, every helpless burden, himself, his city, his friends and family.

What kind of joke was this? A transmigrator came to The Flash, only for Weather Wizard to destroy Central City in the very first episode? This plot was all wrong.

Gripping the communicator, Lin Li said fiercely, "Barry, you can do this."

"No, I can't. Only you can stop Mardon. Sorry, I can't do it."

Barry spoke with a tremor in his voice. Once this tornado truly reached F5-level power, it would become a disaster—a disaster that would destroy Central City and deal a devastating blow to everyone. Friends, family, work, dreams... everything.

Caitlin, Cisco, and even Joe remained silent, steeped in pessimism. Everyone wanted to do something to change the situation, but it was too dire. There was no way to change it. All they could do was remain silent and despair.

Damn it, Barry's will was too weak.

Lin Li cursed inwardly. There was no Wells here to encourage Barry now. Everything had changed since his arrival. At this most critical moment, they needed the character who was supposed to drive the crucial plot forward. What was he supposed to do?

Where was he going to find Wells to encourage Barry now...

Wait, it was only encouragement.

Something went ding in Lin Li's head. If his head could light up, it would have started glowing right then, proving that he had found a solution.

Wells was not here.

Then I'll do it!

"Barry, listen carefully."

Lin Li's voice came through the communicator, and a sliver of hope rose in everyone's hearts.

Barry listened intently. He believed Lin Li would definitely have a way.

"I can't get there. I'm stuck at the third red light."

"Central City isn't my city. I don't care. My beloved isn't here."

"My work, my dreams, and my family aren't here either."

"Even if it's destroyed, I can just go somewhere else and keep living."

Lin Li's cold, heartless words chilled Barry to the bone.

"Lin Li, wh—"

Barry tried to speak, but Lin Li cut him off directly.

Then a furious roar burst from the communicator.

"You're The Flash! You're supposed to protect your city, not rely on an outsider."

"Your friends Cisco, Caitlin, and Wells, your beloved, your father, your father in prison, and Joe."

"All of it depends on you to protect."

"You want to be a hero. Do you have the resolve of a hero?"

"Do you have the determination to risk your life to be a hero?"

"Protect this city. Protect everyone you love."

"Tell me!"

Lin Li's roar was deafening. His voice gradually rose, stirring every cell in Barry's body.

A surge of hot blood burst from Barry's chest.

It burned through his body, making every cell feel as if it were scorching intensely.

He remembered everything: his father in prison, Joe, the person who had lived with and loved him for more than a decade, Iris, Caitlin, Cisco, Dr. Wells, and all the beautiful things in this city.

Scene after scene flashed through his mind.

With every image that passed, his heart became firmer.

He grew more resolute in his actions and his dream.

Barry answered Lin Li with an energized roar.

"I do! I have the determination to die to protect everything! Tell me, what do I do?"

Lin Li said in a deep, weighty voice, "Go hug Joe, then run with your life."

Cisco and Caitlin were both startled. This... sounded like a farewell.

Barry looked at Joe, his unwavering eyes fixed on him. He deeply embraced his adoptive father, the father who had raised him for fourteen years, the person closest to him.

He said softly, "Joe, don't worry. I'll protect you."

Joe did not know why, but he felt as if Barry were saying goodbye to him, as if he were leaving forever. Unable to bear it, he held him tightly.

Joe shook his head with tears in his eyes. "No, Barry... don't..."

Barry struggled free from Joe's embrace and transformed into a yellow arc of electricity, charging toward the tornado.