The Consequence Of Selfishness

S.S.Canine

Sebastian was curled up on his knees with his back facing the ceiling where the camera was situated. His hands were pressing on either side of his head as though he was trying to hold it together. His chest was heaving with ragged breathing as beads of sweat slid smoothly down his back. His fingers dug into his head. Barry could see his muscles moving and shifting under his skin as though it was some kind of eel like creature that was trapped in his body.  "I think I am going to be sick," Cisco was disgusted by the loud bone snapping noises and the ripping of muscles. They couldn't see Sebastian's face, but Barry was willing to bet it was screwed up in agony.

Barry was in the room in a heart beat, but he was still behind the forcefield that Cisco had carefully constructed, "Sebastian, are you ok?" He called out to his brother who was struggling to breathe. The only reply he got was a deep and guttural snarl. Barry watched in horror as his brother's spine began to rise and wriggle around under his brother's skin. Sebastian let out a scream of pain as every muscle and bone in his body began to rip themselves apart to reshape themselves. The rest of team Flash ran into the room, they all wore looks of horror and fear. Sebastian on the other hand was completely unaware of his surroundings. A gut wrenching scream left his shifting body as a loud cracking filled the room. Team Flash was mesmerised by the horrors they were witnessing. Sebastian looked up at them, his eyes were glowing yellow and his large teeth were ground to a fine point. He put his hands firmly on the ground, like he was trying to hold onto his fading signs of humanity. Long and thick black nails were now growing in at the top of his fingers. He cried out again as his body began to grow and skin started ripping and tearing under stress. Underneath the skin was a silky black coat of fur. His shape continued to grow and morph, his screams of agony turned into vicious snarling and roars. His face lengthened into a muzzle and he ripped of his remaining human skin. The shorts were barely visible under his layer of long fur and he had grown a bushy tail that flicked angrily behind him. The beast sprung at them, only to be held back by the chains that were still encasing his wrists. Cisco was glad he had made the metal slightly malleable because Sebastian's wrists, never mind the rest of him, were twice the size they used to be. The beast had long strings of drool that hung from its massive jaws. It dug its sharp claws into the metal floor below it tried desperately to get to the fresh meat it could practically taste.

"I'm going to hurl,"'Cisco squeaked as he bolted out of the room with his hands clasped over his mouth.

Joe was the first to snap back to reality, "I think we should go," he barely managed to speak because of his pure terror.

"Yup," Barry agreed as the whole team shuffled out of the room and made their way back to the cortex. They were all in a state of surreal terror. Barry, Joe, Caitlin and Iris sat down together. Barry wasn't sure what to say, he ran a hand down his face. In all his time as a hero, he had never seen anything quite like that before. Cisco staggered back into the room, his face was deathly pale, but he was walking it off. He sat next to them, they were sitting in a small circle of chairs that were facing inwards. None of them wanted to speak. The silence that lingered around them wasn't from awkwardness or tension, it was out of respect. Respect for how much physical and mental trauma Sebastian must have been going through. It hadn't really hit home until that moment.

"Should we try calling out his Christian name three times?" Iris suggested through the silence. Someone had to speak and Barry was glad it was her. She spoke in a soft and hushed tone for respect. She hated seeing someone so young being forced to turn into a man eating monster.

"I think it's worth a shot," Caitlin nodded with a sad smile. There was no science behind that madness, it was out of her understanding, but that was the only advice they were given. So she was going to try it at least.

"Okay, I will go and try," he hauled himself out of the chair and braced himself for facing his rabid brother. It really had been awful to see him in so much pain. It was an image that would stay with Barry for the rest of his life.

"I'll come with you," Joe told him as he stood up next to Barry. There was no way he was letting his son go through that trauma alone. Barry just shot him a grateful gaze and they made their way to Sebastian.

Barry felt sadness cling to him. The beast version of Sebastian was trying his hardest to attack Barry and Joe. He was yanking against his chains and digging his massive claws into the floor. His powerful jaws snapped shut around a snarl that escaped its lips. The beast was incredibly powerful, Barry could see its muscles rippling under its thick coat of fur. It was not a beast he would want to tangle with. With a nod of encouragement from Joe he took in a deep breath and called out his brother's name, "Sebastian Smythe, Sebastian Smythe, Sebastian Smythe," nothing was happening. The monster was still jerking and rattling its chains, it was still ferociously snarling and letting out sharp barks, Barry sighed in disappointment, "I knew it," frustration and sadness clung to him, "I knew it wouldn't work,"

He was about to give up and leave the chamber, but Joe gripped onto his arm and turned his son to face him, "you didn't say his name properly," Barry pulled a confused face, he knew how to say his own brother's name, he was certain of it, but Joe clearly thought differently.