Yuri tapped XLR8’s icon, and a holographic display projected from the Omnitrix.
The screen showed two images.
On the left was XLR8 in his standard form, while the XLR8 on the right had undergone significant changes.
His build was noticeably larger, a lightning bolt symbol was stamped across his chest, and blue electrical arcs crackled around his body—resembling an XLR8 version of The Flash (or a Flash version of XLR8?).
Below the image, a block of text had been added:
[Form Variant: Kineceleran Mutant.
After absorbing an unknown exotic energy, speed increases exponentially, with an unquantifiable upper limit.
The Omnitrix power core cannot synthesize this energy; therefore, transformation duration is severely reduced, requiring continuous recharge.]
The Speed Force, being one of the seven cosmic fundamental forces of the DC Universe, certainly wasn’t an energy type that could be synthesized on a whim.
Only speedsters could connect to the Speed Force.
Among them, the Flash Family possessed the tightest bond: Barry generated and nourished the Speed Force, Wally transcended it, and Bart merged with it.
Yuri wasn’t a speedster himself, so he couldn’t tap into the Speed Force directly.
The Omnitrix couldn’t forcefully commune with the Speed Force either; it could only use the tiny trace of Speed Force absorbed from Wally as a conduit, stealthily linking to the Wall of the Speed Force to siphon off energy as a supplement.
The advantage was that this transformation ran entirely on Speed Force energy without draining the Omnitrix’s own power core.
Furthermore, since it was an energy-based enhancement rather than a pure DNA transformation, it could bypass the Omnitrix’s built-in safeguard mechanisms.
Even if the stored Speed Force energy ran dry, the transformation wouldn’t abruptly end.
Instead, it would automatically revert to XLR8’s normal form, at which point the standard safeguard timer would activate.
The downside was that siphoning was slow.
A full day’s accumulation provided only three minutes of transformation time.
Fortunately, the Omnitrix’s power core had gained a new Speed Force storage module capable of holding roughly thirty days’ worth of energy.
Stealing Speed Force energy wasn’t an unprecedented trick.
During the New 52 Flash “Gorilla Warfare” arc, Dr.
Elias, a mere mortal, had covertly siphoned an enormous amount of Speed Force energy just by studying Barry.
Then there was Daniel West, the fifth Reverse-Flash, who only tapped into the Speed Force through an accident.
Unable to sustain a natural link, his energy depleted with every use, driving him to harvest Speed Force from other speedsters.
Yuri didn’t know all the secrets of speedsters; he only knew that the mutant XLR8 form couldn’t be used as an everyday go-to.
Three minutes per day wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either—for now, it was best kept as a trump card.
“‘Mutant XLR8’ is too much of a mouthful.
How about…
Speedstar!”
Yuri picked out a name for his new form.
“Now what?” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
He had finished reviewing the files, and the Speed Force analysis was done.
The sun hung high in the sky with plenty of daylight left.
He had read almost every book in the Central City Library, and he had neither a job to work nor school to attend.
Cultivation?
If he could awaken Mana affinity like Gwen, he might spend time mastering magic.
But what was there to train with the Omnitrix?
As for transforming into aliens and running wild outside—Yuri wasn’t ten-year-old Ben Tennyson.
He was long past the age of playing around, and doing so was an easy way to invite trouble.
Thinking it over, he realized he had absolutely nothing to do, and boredom began to set in.
“If only I knew where the Network was hiding.
I could just walk right up to their doorstep instead of sitting here with thumbs up my ass…”
Although he entertained the idea of moving to Blue Valley to live off the grid, Yuri was a realist.
Moving to a new city was impossible without cash.
Driving all the way there would cost a fortune in gas alone, and whatever was left might not even cover rent.
Sure, he could sleep in the Rustbucket, but water, electricity, and food still required money.
Yuri didn’t have a degree either.
Any job he could get would be bottom-of-the-barrel manual labor, working his fingers to the bone for pennies.
*I’m a guy with a cheat system.
Why the hell should I live a miserable life like that?*
In two days flat, he’d probably go full villain.
He *had* to milk some cash out of the Network!
“Where on earth is the Network…”
Yuri tilted his head and looked out the window, noticing a pub across the street called “Spinning Dick,” which was closed for the day.
Staring absently at the pub’s sign, he suddenly recalled the bar where Axel had met up with the street gang of four.
Back then, Axel had openly mentioned The Rogues inside that bar, and neither the bartender nor the patrons had batted an eye.
That bar might not belong to the Network, but like the Network’s joints, it was likely a dive where criminals frequently gathered.
At the thought, Yuri jumped out of bed, slid into the driver’s seat of the Rustbucket, and set off for the bar he’d visited yesterday.
***
Meanwhile, at Hunter Zolomon’s office.
After a night of discussion, Hunter laid out a clear timeline for James and Wally.
“First, Jesse Quick.
Half a month ago, five hundred million dollars were illegally transferred out of Quickstart Enterprises, causing company accounts to be frozen.
To stabilize the situation and investigate the truth, Jesse Chambers had to step in and handle the board of directors personally.”
Nor was she afraid of exposure—her father was Johnny Quick and her mother was Liberty Belle.
With a whole family of superheroes, no villain in their right mind would dare target her relatives for revenge.
“Second, the original Flash left for Denver after his wife was diagnosed with late-stage cancer.”
“Next, Chunk.
A week ago, he was targeted by a sniper while shopping with his wife.
He was shot, and though the shooter was never found, The Flash arrived just in time to save his life.
Otherwise, the outcome would have been grim.”
“Finally, The Flash himself.
A few days ago, Weather Wizard—who had been missing for a long time—suddenly resurfaced and attacked him.
And then…
The Flash disappeared.”
Hunter summarized everything that had occurred over the past two weeks.
James and Wally listened intently.
“These events seemed unrelated on the surface, which led us to believe crime was simply on the rise in the Twin Cities.
But in reality, they’re all connected.”
He opened his private computer and pulled up back-up files.
“The Network had close contact with numerous criminals—not just metahumans, but ordinary crooks as well.
After all, criminal organizations constantly need fresh blood.
At the time, we didn’t pay much attention to this, and even if we had, it wouldn’t have mattered: after making contact with the Network, these individuals vanished without a trace.”
“Look here.
One year ago, the Network recruited an assassin codenamed Plunder, a master of all firearms.
Nine months ago, Blacksmith was in frequent contact with a genius hacker.
Six months ago, the second Mirror Master, Evan McCulloch, joined the Network.
Through Mirror Master, the Network likely established contact with Weather Wizard…”
“Blacksmith has been laying a trap for The Flash for a very long time!” Hunter concluded.
“I’m still not sure what Blacksmith’s ultimate goal is.
Maybe she wants to rule the Twin Cities, or destroy them, or maybe she just wants to take down The Flash.
Whatever it is, it’s bad news,” James stepped forward to add.
“Regardless, their next step will undoubtedly be to target the remaining superheroes of the Twin Cities.
And with The Flash gone, the only active heroes left besides Kid Flash are…”
“Oh no!” Wally gasped.