The Return Of Bolt//Barry Allen(Book 2)

Personal Time with Hunter

The first sensation that registered was a searing pain radiating from my neck. It pulsed through me, a sharp jolt in the suffocating darkness of Zoom's lair. As my senses gradually came to life, the room around me took shape, painfully familiar yet cloaked in shadows.

I blinked, struggling against the disorientation that clouded my mind. The air hung heavy with an oppressive stillness, broken only by the faint echo of distant footsteps. The walls, etched with jagged patterns, seemed to close in on me, suffocating in their oppressive familiarity.

Slowly, I pieced together the fragments of my surroundings. The cold, unforgiving bed beneath me, the distant murmur of echoing voices, all of it pointed to one dreaded conclusion. I was back in the lair of the man who had tormented us all.

Summoning every ounce of determination, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, only to be met with the cruel reality of being bound by meta-cuffs. My attempts to break free were feeble, my weakened state betraying me.

A flicker of surprise danced across my thoughts as I registered a slight subsiding of my fever. The effects of Cait's last injection were starting to take hold. It was a small victory, a glimmer of hope amidst the suffocating darkness.

But then, reality came crashing down. If I was trapped here, who was out there protecting Central City? Barry, powerless, faced an impossible task. Earth-1 lay defenceless, vulnerable to any threat that dared to emerge. A single tear welled in my eye, but I swallowed hard, determined not to show any sign of weakness in front of Hunter. I needed to be strong, and fearless, for myself and the city.

I felt a cold rush of air beside me, and I knew he was there.

He stood tall, in his black suit, his mask remaining on. He left me a Big Belly Burger in front of me and I rolled my eyes.

The voice grated on my nerves, a calculated manipulation of power. "You need to eat, Samantha," he urged his tone a mockery of concern.

I shot him a withering glare. "If you want to speak to me, then take off the mask," I retorted, my voice tinged with false bravado, masking the surge of anger within me.

He swiftly vanished, only to return as Jay, devoid of the menacing suit. "Does this make you feel better?" he inquired, approaching the bed where I sat, his presence exuding an unsettling mixture of confidence and determination.

I scoffed, a bitter edge lacing my words. "You couldn't make me feel better if you tried," I spat, my resentment palpable.

The attempt at reassurance was almost laughable. "You do not need to be afraid of me, Sam. I would never hurt you. I care too much about you," he stated, the contradiction between his words and his past actions glaringly obvious.

I shifted away, putting distance between us, but it seemed to have little effect on him. "Did you say the same thing to this Earth's Sam? Cause last time I checked, you killed her, Hunter," I accused, my words a sharp reminder of the atrocities he'd committed. "And you did beat me till I was passed out,"

His reaction was peculiar, a fleeting look of pain crossing his face before he turned away. "I did that to keep you safe. I didn't want to hurt you when I went after The Flash. I know you think that I'm a monster," he attempted to justify, his hand inching towards mine.

I swatted it away, my defiance unwavering. "You refer to me as Samantha," I asserted, my tone unyielding. "And I could never be afraid of you,"

His touch on my forehead was unwelcome, a violation of my personal space. "Your fever's decreasing, the meds I gave you are working," he informed me, his attempts at care only serving to fuel my anger.