Crisis on Earth-Prime (an Arrowverse novel)

Chapter 18: Sleuthing with the Enemy

"Okay, they both took the Anti-Dark Matter elixir..." Laurel began. "How did it turn him into a meta-human?"

            I was still in shock and looking at Khaled's bare torso, completely healed and with no sign that a massive puncture wound had ever been there.

            All of us looked, Caitlyn, Iris, Barry, Wild Dog, Dinah, Laurel...all of us.

            "I don't know but the Anti-Dark Matter elixir should have worked" I sighed, feeling embarrassed and like a fool.

            Then something occurred to me and realized I had to draw some of Louai's blood as we had done with Khaled, as his blood showed he had not only traces of dark matter but he also has the Meta gene.

            "I have to draw some of Louai's blood" I said as I pulled a vial and syringe.

            "Why?" asked Jihan, the mother.

            "Because my theory now is that maybe the healing elixir got tainted with dark matter. If Khaled was exposed to dark matter via the elixir as the dark matter saturated most parts of this place, then Louai was too."

            "Do it" said Ragheb, who was just as concerned.

            After drawing his blood and testing it under a microscope, he showed no trace of dark matter or Meta genes.

            "Was I exposed?" asked Louai.

            "Yes, but you don't have any trace of dark matter nor the Meta gene."

            "How is that possible?" Khaled asked, mystified but I had a feeling I knew what had happened.

            "How is it that he doesn't have it but Khaled does?" asked Dinah. "Both were exposed and the elixir protected Louai but why not Khaled?"

            "I think I know what happened" I tried to piece it all together. "I think what happened was when I grabbed the elixir from my lab, it must have been exposed to dark matter..."

            "Okay" said Laurel.

            "So I think that the healing elixir Khaled took got tainted when the dark matter wave started to spread all around us."

            "Look, this was unexpected..." Ragheb began. "But you saved Khaled's life because if he hadn't taken that elixir, he would have been killed."

            "Yeah" said Jihan, who was about as thankful and relieved as Ragheb, and his sons were.

            But this did not feel right to me. I was not a Meta in this multiverse like I had been in the previous one but even I knew the potential risks and complications of being one.

            It had complicated Dawoud's life to an extreme point and I did not want that for Khaled.

            I walked off, angry and upset.

            Entering the kitchen, I grabbed a glass cup for some water. I needed to hydrate myself. I needed to clear my head and think about how I could reverse Khaled's sudden condition as a Meta-Human.

            "Sakher, what's wrong?" I heard Khaled say.

            Turning around, he was with his parents and brother. I was surprised they were not angry at me for what just happened, though in part it saved his life.

            "This was not supposed to happen" I said. "Being a Meta comes with a lot of baggage and trust me, you won't like it."

            "If you hadn't given me that elixir, I would be dead and if you think about it, you saved my life" he smiled, clearly grateful.