Cracks in The Wall

Chapter Sixteen

Duke stood silently atop a perch overlooking the city, his glowing eyes standing out in the darkness the city was blanketed in. For hours he tirelessly used his telescopic vision to search for not only the Flash, but his friends too, not once leaving the rooftop to rest since his arrival. Despite his valiant efforts, however, he had found no success, and he knew he would soon need to take a break despite his desire to continue. The reason being that while the streets were shrouded in darkness, fewer people wandered them, making his search easier, and he didn't want to waste that opportunity.

Though indomitable his will may have been, he couldn't stop dawn from breaking, and as the new day approached, his eyes dimmed from fatigue despite himself. Duke generally had a good handle on his powers, but never before had he needed to rely on them to such an extent, and it was draining him. As crimson and gold began to creep across the clouds, his powers finally gave out on him, his eyes flickering erratically until his shining irises were hazel once more. Duke sighed deeply, removing his helmet to reveal the dark lines below his eyes, contrasting the luminance they held before.

"Well, I guess now's as good a time as any to take a break. I can't do anything if I pass out from fatigue," Duke reasoned, conceding to his body's plea for mercy.

Looking over the city one more time, Duke placed the helmet back on his head and pulled out his nunchaku. He aimed for a neighboring building as he activated the release mechanism for the grappling function, the end of his weapon cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter. Catching the ledge, he leapt off the rooftop, swinging down into an empty nearby alleyway. Stumbling slightly as his boots connected with the ground, he retracted his grappling line and holstered his weapon. Activating a node on his belt, his armor shrunk down slightly to be more form fitting, and his helmet collapsed down to fit in his pocket. Then, popping open a compartment on his belt, he unfolded a saffron yellow hoodie to put over his uniform, leaving his boots as the only part standing out from his costume.

"Eh… I guess it isn't that bad," he reasoned, looking down at his bright colored footwear. "It's New York. People wear weird stuff all the time."

Content with that explanation, he left the alley and made his way down the street as the people slowly began emerging to populate it. As his early morning stroll continued, the scent of the local restaurants opening their doors for breakfast filled the air, making his stomach growl. He realized then that he hadn't eaten anything since a midday break during his last patrol back home, nearly 19 hours ago. While his stomach churned, yearning to have its whims tended to, Duke could feel his strength leaving him. Not to a drastic degree, but enough to make him wish he wasn't wearing metal armor, as useful as it was. Despite his body tiring out, strangely enough, he began to feel his powers slowly return to him. Duke, having not yet satiated his hunger, was surprised, but relieved to have his abilities working again.

Though he didn't want to risk burning out his powers so soon before replenishing his strength, he couldn't help but try to keep looking while he continued down the street. Though his abilities weren't back at their normal level, he picked up on some faint energy traces in the air. Though just a miniscule amount, it seemed familiar, but different. As more power gradually returned to him, he realized why this energy in the air seemed so familiar. The opposite of what he was seeing transported him to where he was. There was no doubt; The Speed Force was manifesting in the air before his eyes.

Upon reaching this realization, his hunger dissipated. A smile brighter than the Batsignal lit up his face. Having spent all night carefully analysing and searching every inch of the city he could see, Duke was ecstatic to finally have a lead. Unfortunately, this joy didn't last for very long. In his excitement, he failed to notice the sky darkening above him. Tracing the source of the power, he realized it was manifesting in the ash colored storm clouds above him, and as the first bolt of lightning tore through the heavens above, Duke could tell this storm would do more than scare pets and little kids. The speed force was a near endless source of power, and it was about to come raining down on the city.