Paralyzer || Barry Allen (The Flash) Fanfiction

Chapter 1: The Accident

I turned on the television and watched as the reporter for GMT News discussed what was happening down at STAR Labs. Dr. Harrison Wells was holding a press conference, an almost party-like gathering, really, for those who wanted to be right where all the action was happening tonight. Tonight was the launch of the particle accelerator that Dr. Wells had devoted his life to creating. I had wanted to go down there for the grand reveal, but I was working a late night at the Optical Research Center and needed to finish one part of a report my boss had assigned me by the morning. So, like anyone else who couldn't make it, I listened intently to the information given by the television reporter.

"Ah, that man's a genius," a voice sounded behind me. I turned and smiled, knowing the sound of that voice so clearly. My boyfriend, Max Shaw, was watching the screen with pure awe. I stood up from my desk to greet him.

"That he is," I agreed. I wrapped my arms around the man and greeted him with a kiss. "Are you going down there now?"

Max had his messenger bag strapped across his chest and resting on his hip, and I knew he only took it when he wouldn't be heading home after work. I had to admit that I was a little jealous of him for getting to see my dream, but at least one of us would be able to experience this amazing achievement for the human race.

"Yeah. I wish you were coming with me," Max sighed unhappily. "Can't Dr. Carson give you the night off?"

"In my dreams," I snorted, and he and I chuckled lightly at the thought. Dr. Carson was an amazing boss, but she did tend to overwork her employees. Still, I wouldn't trade my place at ORC for any other organization even if I was given the chance. Well, besides STAR Labs, but getting a job at their facility had proved impossible and ORC was just as good for my line of work.

"Alright, well, I should probably get going then before the train leaves," Max stated as he looked at his watch. "I'll see you tomorrow, babe."

He gave me a quick peck, shared an 'I Love You,' and quickly walked out the door. I loved that boy, but punctuality was not a strength of his. I let myself wonder if he'd actually catch the train as I headed back to my work.

For the past five years I'd been leading a team on designing a mode of transportation that could travel at light speed. We were hardly a quarter of the way through figuring out the mechanics to make our dream a reality, but it was farther than any other scientists had gotten on the subject in history. As the leader of the group, my boss, Dr. Melissa Carson, relied on me to write all of our progress biweekly. I'd been a little wrapped up in other tasks recently and Dr. Carson had moved up the deadline of the report due this session, so now I was stuck in the lab tonight writing the journal entry for her. Any other night I would have been fine with the task, but missing the launch of the particle accelerator had me pretty bummed out.

I spent the next thirty minutes playing around with the light particle chamber and studied the movement of the atoms. I'd always found the behaviors of light more fascinating than any other particles I'd studied over the years. Every now and then I would glance up to view the television screen before focusing back on my work.

Another ten minutes when by, and the reporter seemed to be repeating a lot of things. I started to tune out the noise of her voice as I typed data into the computer at my desk. It was only when I heard alarms and the reporter raising her voice over the noise that I looked up and focused on her words. My stomach dropped and I held my breath.

"We are now being told to evacuate the premises," the reporter spoke urgently to the camera as the sound of horrified screams filled in the background. A low rumble sounded, almost like that of an earthquake, and the camera shook as if it were being affected by this mysterious shaking as well.