Chapter 8: Rogue Redux & Date Night Disasters
Adam was practically vibrating with excitement. A date. With Sara Lance. The White Canary. This was it. This was the moment his fanfic-fueled dreams became reality. And knowing his luck, it would probably involve a rogue meta-human, a misplaced temporal anomaly, and a sudden craving for chimichangas.
He'd set the date for Central City, hoping for a nice, quiet evening. "Because nothing says 'romantic' like the city that's constantly being attacked by super-villains," he thought, a self-deprecating chuckle escaping him. He decided on a quaint little diner, figuring it was sufficiently neutral territory.
Sara arrived, looking effortlessly cool in a leather jacket that probably cost more than his entire wardrobe. Adam, meanwhile, was trying to project an air of casual confidence, which mostly translated to him fidgeting with his napkin.
"So," Sara said, a hint of amusement in her voice, "this is your idea of a romantic evening? A diner? I was expecting something with more… explosions. Or at least a dramatic monologue."
"Hey, gotta start somewhere," Adam replied, grinning. "Besides, this place has excellent pie. And I figured, after all the time-traveling, world-saving, and general mayhem, a little normalcy might be… refreshing. Or terrifying. One of the two."
Their conversation, surprisingly, flowed. Sara, despite her initial skepticism, found herself genuinely entertained by Adam's rapid-fire pop-culture references and his self-deprecating humor. He even managed to make her laugh a few times, a rare and beautiful sound.
Then, because the universe clearly had a twisted sense of humor, the diner door burst open. A minor Central City criminal, one Adam vaguely remembered from a forgotten Flash episode, stormed in, waving a ridiculously oversized ray gun.
"Everybody freeze!" the criminal yelled, his voice cracking slightly. "This is a robbery!"
Sara sighed, a long-suffering sound. "Seriously? On our date?"
Adam, however, felt a surge of exhilaration. "Called it! Time for some accidental heroism!" He glanced at Sara. "Well, this is awkward. Do we, like, pretend to be normal civilians? Or do we go full superhero team-up? Because I just unlocked Energy Blasts, and I'm really itching to try them out."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "Energy Blasts?"
"Yeah, 'Magic Missiles' according to the System," Adam explained, then quickly added, "Don't ask. Long story. Involves a very persistent System and a highly trained assassin who finally agreed to go out with me."
The criminal, distracted by their bizarre conversation, aimed his ray gun at a terrified waitress.
"Okay, new plan," Adam said, focusing. He aimed his hand at a nearby lamppost, picturing a concentrated burst of energy. "Come on, System, don't fail me now!"
A faint, shimmering blue energy began to coalesce in his palm. He pushed, focusing all his will.
[SYSTEM: Energy Blast used. Accuracy: Poor. Target Damage: Minimal.]
Instead of a precise blast at the criminal, a rather pathetic, wavering beam of blue energy shot out, completely missing the criminal and instead zapping the lamppost. The lamppost flickered, then went out with a pathetic pop.
The criminal, the waitress, and even Sara stared at the now-dark lamppost.
"Uh," Adam said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Still working out the kinks. More of a 'light show' than a 'lethal weapon' right now. But hey, it was distracting, right?"
Sara, despite the danger, let out a snort of laughter. "You just… zapped a lamppost."
"It was a very distracting lamppost!" Adam insisted.
Just then, a red blur zipped into the diner. Barry Allen. The Flash. He quickly disarmed the criminal, tying him up in a flash of red lightning. Barry looked around, then at the smoking lamppost.
"What happened here?" Barry asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Another meta-human? I felt a strange energy signature, like a… really weak laser pointer?"
Adam, hidden in plain sight, gave Barry a mental thumbs-up. "Accidental heroism, check! And a confused speedster? Double check!"
Sara, meanwhile, was trying to stifle her laughter. "Just… a very enthusiastic civilian, Flash. Nothing to worry about."
Barry, ever the trusting soul, just shrugged. "Right. Well, glad no one was hurt. And that lamppost… weird. I'll have Cisco look at it."
[SYSTEM: Achievement Progress: Accidental Heroism. Current: 10%][SYSTEM: Compatibility with Sara Lance: High (Comedic Potential).]
Adam grinned. "Comedic potential? System, you get me."
As Barry zipped away, Adam looked at Sara. "So, about that date… still on for dessert? I promise not to zap any more inanimate objects. Unless they deserve it."
Sara shook her head, a genuine smile on her face now. "You know, for a guy with superpowers, you're surprisingly… charmingly incompetent. Fine. Dessert. But you're paying."
"Totally worth it," Adam thought, following her out of the darkened diner, already planning his next prank. This date was a disaster, but it was their disaster, and that made it perfect.