The bell above the door jingled again.
Barry Allen stepped inside.
He was slightly taller than Tyler, with a lean but athletic build. His short brown hair was neatly styled, the kind of casual yet tidy look he always carried. His brown eyes—bright and earnest—searched the room quickly before landing on Iris. His face was youthful but tired, marked with faint shadows under his eyes from the coma, yet his ever-present warm smile was intact.
He wore a simple dark jacket over a light shirt and jeans—nothing flashy, but comfortable and unassuming. The kind of guy who blended in perfectly, except for the unmistakable spark of kindness and intelligence in his gaze.
Tyler sighed, annoyed. I just had to meet him after waking up... one of the people I wanted to see less.
Iris immediately spun around and locked eyes with him.
"Barry!" she said, her voice lighting up. She pushed through a few patrons and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.
Barry smiled back at her, relief and happiness shining through. "I just woke up and—"
Before Barry could finish, Tyler's voice cut in, sharp with surprise.
"Barry, you've been in a coma too?"
Barry blinked, surprised but nodding. "Yeah, nine months. It happened to you too, Tyler?!"
"Yeah," Tyler said, rubbing the back of his neck. "All the doctors thought I wasn't gonna make it. But today... I woke up."
A thought flickered through Tyler's mind—What if Barry gained some strange powers too?
Iris and Barry fell into easy conversation again, picking up where they'd left off almost a year ago. Barry's mind was still spinning from the strange coincidence, but Iris gently steered the conversation, eager to reconnect. It had been too long since they last spoke.
A loud crash rang out behind Tyler.
A waitress had tripped—right into him.
She fell forward with a yelp, but before she could hit the floor, Tyler's reflexes kicked in. His hand shot out, grabbing her waist and steadying her with surprising precision.
The tray she'd been carrying, however, didn't make it. It clattered to the ground, cups tipping over and coffee splashing across the floor.
"You alright?" Tyler asked her, steadying her by the shoulders.
The waitress blinked, startled. She had warm, olive-toned skin and soft waves of dark brown hair. A pair of thick-rimmed glasses framed her face, and her eyes—sharp and expressive—were wide behind the lenses. Her modest blouse was speckled with stray droplets of coffee, and a small silver necklace hung around her neck, glinting under the café lights.
She looked up at him, cheeks flushed. "Y-Yeah..." she mumbled, clearly flustered.
Iris leaned over from her seat. "Tracy, want some help?"
Tracy quickly knelt to the ground, grabbing napkins. "No, thanks, Iris."
Iris shrugged and turned back to Barry, who hadn't even noticed the near-disaster. He was still focused on trying to wrap his head around the strange coincidence of their comas.
Meanwhile, Tyler remained frozen for a second.
Wait... how did I hold her like that? I shouldn't be that strong. I've always been a skinny guy who got exhausted walking stairs. Did I... also get stronger?
A slow grin spread across his face. Only one way to find out.
His legs twitched with anticipation. He had to move. Had to test it. Just as he was about to dash out, he felt a tug on his shirt.
He turned and saw Tracy holding out her phone awkwardly, looking everywhere but his eyes.
"E-Ehm..." she stuttered, cheeks still pink. "Could I have your number, please?"
Tyler smiled, amused but not surprised. He gently took her phone, tapped in his number, and handed it back. "Here you go."
He was used to attention—good looks helped—but that never stopped him from enjoying the moment. A bit of charm, a practiced smile, and some natural magnetism… it usually did the trick.
And with that, he spun around. "Bye," he called to Barry and Iris, barely glancing back.
"Why is he in such a hurry?" Iris asked, eyebrows raised.
"I don't know..." Barry replied, eyes still following Tyler. Something about this all felt off. Too off.
...
Out of Jitters, Tyler ran.
His feet hit the pavement hard, but it felt different now. Not just faster—freer. The wind whipped past his face. He wasn't moving at superspeed by any stretch, but compared to the weak body he'd lived in his whole life, this was like flying.
I'm actually doing it, he thought, adrenaline buzzing in his chest. I'm running... like a normal person. No pain. No fatigue.
...
Central City Police Department...
The air inside the precinct was tense. The usual murmur of chatter and clatter of paperwork seemed muted compared to the storm building in one particular office.
"Captain Singh, you can't just fire me like this!" Tyler shouted, voice raw with disbelief.
Across the desk, Captain David Singh, stern and composed, didn't flinch. "You're fired, Byrd," he said flatly. "I'm sorry, but our department doesn't need your service anymore."
Tyler leaned forward, fists clenched at his sides. "I was in a coma. For nine months! And now you're firing me?"
"We know, but—" Singh began, but a figure entered the room, silencing him with his presence.
Joe West stepped in calmly, a man of quiet authority. With his salt-and-pepper beard, composed demeanor, and ever-observant eyes, Joe carried a deep well of patience and experience. His voice was low, steady, fatherly even, as he spoke up in Singh's place.
"Look, Tyler… we know your situation. Believe me, I get how hard this must be," Joe began, stepping closer. He always had a knack for talking to young men like they were his own. "But we're not firing you for the coma. We're letting you go because your reports were always full of… incongruencies. Mistakes. Things missed that cost us."
He sighed, the weight of it clear in his eyes. "We can't afford to lose criminals, not anymore. I'm sorry, Tyler."
Tyler stared at him—at all of them—as if they were strangers. Then suddenly, rage overtook him.
"Fuck it all!" he snapped, knocking his chair back as he stood. His voice echoed through the precinct. Eyes turned.
He stormed out of the office.
At that very moment, Barry and Iris entered through the front doors, talking quietly until they noticed Tyler heading straight toward them.
"Hey, Tyler—" Barry began, lifting a hand.
But Tyler shoved him aside with a fierce glare.
"You shut up!" he spat, fury burning in his eyes.
Barry stumbled back, surprised. Iris's eyes widened in shock.
Without another word, Tyler shoved through the doors and vanished outside.
...
Tyler's breath came in ragged gasps as he marched through the city streets. Anger pulsed in every step. His hands shook—not just from fury, but from something else.
Hunger…
He hadn't eaten all day. His body was screaming for food, for rest, for something to make sense.
But then it happened.
A pulse. A hum beneath his skin.
His eyes widened.
That same feeling…
He remembered it—the brief touch earlier, the moment he'd bumped into the man in black. And now, his body felt like it was… buzzing.
A faint spark arced across his fingertips.
To be continued...
***
***
How was this chapter?
Also, if you have any tips, I am eager to hear them.