Chapter 7: The Cold Front Cometh (and Adam's New Business Venture)
The city went dark. Not just a power flicker, but a full-blown, lights-out, everything-stops kind of dark. Farooq Gibran, aka Blackout, was draining the city's electricity, and in doing so, he was draining Barry's speed. Barry, slumped in a chair, looked like a deflated balloon.
"This is just great," Adam muttered, fumbling for his phone, which, predictably, was dead. "First, I'm 'The Snack King,' now I'm living in the dark ages. Literally. What's next, a plague of locusts? Because I'm pretty sure I don't have enough Wish Days for a 'Locust Repellent' wish." His balance was a measly 1 Day. Pathetic.
Jisoo, however, seemed unbothered by the sudden darkness. "Is this a power outage for a concert?" she asked, her voice calm. She then held out her hand, and a small, glowing orb of light materialized, illuminating her face. "Useful. Like a glow stick, but more… magical."
"Jisoo, you're a lifesaver!" Caitlin exclaimed, grateful for the light.
Adam watched her, a spark of inspiration igniting in his mind. "Okay, this is it. Time to pivot. Time to go full entrepreneur. The Wish System isn't just for pranks and accidental saves. It's a service industry. And I'm about to be its CEO."
He cleared his throat. "You know," he began, addressing the dimly lit S.T.A.R. Labs team, "I've been thinking. Sometimes, you guys have… problems. Little problems. Annoying problems. Problems that, say, a certain 'Snack King' might be uniquely equipped to solve. For a small, very reasonable fee, of course." He winked, hoping someone would bite.
Cisco, ever curious, raised an eyebrow. "What kind of 'problems,' Adam?"
"Oh, you know," Adam said vaguely, "like, 'Where did I leave my keys?' or 'Why does this coffee taste like regret?' Or, 'Why are all the emergency lights doing a disco routine every time someone says 'power'?'"
As if on cue, someone on the news feed said "power," and the emergency lights in the lab flickered wildly, strobing in a chaotic, rhythmic pattern.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: Minor Wish 'Disco Lights' Used. Cost: 10 Days. Current Wish Balance: -9 Days. Debt accruing.
Cisco burst out laughing. Caitlin groaned. Wells narrowed his eyes, a flicker of suspicion in their depths.
"Adam!" Caitlin hissed. "Seriously?"
"Just demonstrating my capabilities!" Adam said, trying to look innocent. "Dang it, System. That was supposed to be a subtle advertisement, not a public display of my debt-inducing habits."
The blackout continued, and Barry remained drained. General Eiling, ever the opportunist, arrived, wanting to study Blackout. The tension was palpable. Adam knew he needed a quick win. He saw Joe West fumbling with his belt, muttering about losing his car keys again.
"Detective West," Adam said, sidling up to him. "Trouble finding something?"
Joe sighed. "My keys. Again. I swear, they have a mind of their own."
"Hmm," Adam mused, tapping his chin. "You know, I might have a… unique solution for that. Say, for a small, one-time fee of, oh, ten days. From your… general life well-being. The universe will just… rebalance it. You get your keys, I get… well, I get to help. And maybe buy some snacks."
Joe stared at him, bewildered. "Are you… trying to sell me a magic trick for my life force?"
"Think of it as a cosmic convenience fee," Adam said with a shrug. "No obligation. But those keys aren't going to find themselves."
Joe, desperate and clearly at his wit's end, sighed. "Fine. Ten days. Just… find my damn keys."
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: Wish Trade initiated. Customer: Joe West. Wish: Locate lost keys. System Estimate: 5 Days. Host Proposed Trade: 10 Days. Profit: 5 Days. Customer agreed. Wish granted. Current Wish Balance: -4 Days.
Suddenly, Joe's keys, which had been under a stack of old newspapers on a nearby desk, jingled loudly. Joe blinked, picked them up, and stared at them, then at Adam. "How…?"
"Trade secret, Detective," Adam grinned, feeling a surge of triumph. "First blood! Or, well, first profit!"
Meanwhile, Jisoo, using her "Perfect Memory," recalled a documentary about power grids and blackouts. "The old ones," she murmured to Cisco and Caitlin, "they used to have a… a bypass. For emergencies. Like a secret switch. Or a really big battery." Her vague but insightful comments sparked an idea in Cisco's mind, leading them closer to a solution for Blackout.
As the team finally cornered Blackout, Barry, still weakened, was struggling. Blackout was about to unleash a massive electrical blast. Adam, seeing Barry in danger, cursed. "Not again! Stupid System, don't you dare!"
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: Chaotic Savior Activated. Wish: Tripping Hazard. Host survival probability: 99.9%. Cost: 30 Days. Current Wish Balance: -34 Days. Debt incurred.
A loose floor tile suddenly popped up, tripping Blackout just enough for Barry to recover and land a hit.
"Are you kidding me?!" Adam groaned, staring at his plummeting Wish Day balance. "A tripping hazard? That's your best shot, System? I'm going to be in debt forever at this rate. I need more customers. And fewer 'Chaotic Savior' interventions." He looked at Jisoo, who simply offered him a comforting snack. "At least I have her. And her snacks. And her uncanny ability to make me feel slightly less ridiculous."