Chapter 15
After chatting with Jason for a while, Alex followed him on a tour of the entire police headquarters. Jason showed him every functional department, the large training field behind the building, and the underground firearms training range.
As a First-Grade Inspector and captain of the Metahuman Special Response Team, Alex actually knew more about the department's structure and authority than Jason explained. Still, there were many details he would have to learn gradually on his own.
After introducing Alex to several department heads and letting him make a few quick acquaintances, Jason left.
Alex officially began his work.
He headed to the eighth floor.
Forensic Evidence Laboratory.
Alex knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open. He scanned the room — rows of steel racks holding various labeled evidence items from different cases. The lab was orderly despite the volume of materials. The temperature was kept at a constant 20°C, slightly warmer than outside.
There weren't many staff members present — only five or six. The head of the forensic lab, David Singh, was not there, so Alex hadn't been introduced to him yet.
Interestingly, in the comics David Singh was the forensic lab director, while in the TV series he was portrayed as a gay police captain. This difference reminded Alex once again that this world didn't closely follow the television adaptation.
Among the few people in the lab, Alex recognized two of them.
When Barry Allen saw Alex, his face lit up with a bright, sunny smile. He stepped forward enthusiastically and opened his arms.
"Congratulations, Alex! I've been looking forward to us working together."
Alex raised his hand, palm open, and pressed it firmly against Barry's chest to stop him. His eyes were cold as he said flatly:
"Mr. Allen, I don't like physical contact in public places, and I don't enjoy being hugged without permission. Watch your behavior."
"I'm only here for the complete forensic report on Multiple."
Alex's face remained cold toward Barry.
Barry was already used to this treatment. He awkwardly lowered his arms and smiled sheepishly.
"I'll get the report for you."
Before Barry could turn around, Patty appeared beside him. Her delicate face was icy as she wore a white lab coat over her outfit. She shot Alex a fierce glare, then slapped the report file onto Barry's shoulder and said coldly:
"Here's the forensic report on Multiple. Barry, please explain it thoroughly to your good friend."
She emphasized the words "good friend" through gritted teeth, gave Barry one last hard stare, then turned on her heels and stormed off with angry footsteps.
Even Barry had now been dragged into her resentment.
Barry caught the report as it slid down his arm and looked at Patty's departing back in confusion. Is her period coming early? Guess I can't take her out for ice cream in a few days…
"Patty isn't usually like this. She's actually a very charming woman. Today she… might not be feeling well," Barry explained awkwardly to Alex.
"Whatever the reason, it has nothing to do with me," Alex replied indifferently. "I only need the report."
He took the file from Barry's hand, turned around, and left without another word. He knew Patty was now holding a grudge against Barry as well, but that was none of his concern.
As Alex pushed open the lab door and walked out, he opened the report and began reading while walking.
The forensic team had collected clothing fibers from the Wells Fargo vault that Multiple had accidentally snagged. The analysis showed they were extremely ordinary — the kind of fabric commonly sold in malls or second-hand markets. Completely useless for identification. Even the black leather jacket was too generic to trace.
If it had been some special material or tactical gear, it would have been easier to narrow down the suspect. But with such common clothing, searching every clothing store in Central City would yield nothing.
Alex was about to turn the page when hurried footsteps sounded behind him. Barry rushed out of the lab and blocked his path.
Alex frowned.
"Alex, I want to join your team," Barry said, his eyes full of expectation. "I want to fight metahuman crime together with you."
For a long time, Barry had wanted to work with Alex to combat crime and protect Central City — especially now that Alex was facing metahuman threats alone.
Alex's team would definitely need someone skilled in logistics, evidence collection, forensics, and lab analysis. He was perfect for the role.
Alex looked at Barry and thought for a moment. Setting aside his personal dislike, Barry was indeed an excellent forensic technician. He had been recruited by the lab while still in university and had become a full expert in just over half a year. His meticulous and cautious approach to crime scenes was outstanding in the department.
However, their personalities clashed too strongly.
Barry was far too kind-hearted, while Alex saw the Metahuman Special Response Team as something that would occasionally need to operate in morally gray areas — even slightly dark ones.
He didn't want a situation where, while he was interrogating or beating information out of a criminal, Barry would step in and say, "We can't treat civilians like this, even if they're criminals — no violence, no harsh interrogation."
Such conflicts were inevitable, and the longer Barry stayed on the team, the worse the disagreements would become.
Alex could already predict it: if a metahuman took a civilian hostage and tried to escape, Barry's first instinct would be to save the hostage, letting the criminal get away.
Alex's choice would be the opposite — even if it meant the civilian died, he would not let the metahuman escape to hurt more people. He refused to be held hostage by threats.
This was one of the main reasons Alex had grown increasingly distant from Barry in recent years. Barry was simply too kind.
"You're not suitable, Barry," Alex said, lowering his eyes and continuing to read the report.
"Why not? I can do it, Alex," Barry asked, confused. He only wanted to provide support and help capture metahuman criminals.
But Alex clearly didn't see it that way. He didn't need just a regular support member. He needed someone proficient in interrogation and capable of dealing with the city's dark underworld — someone whose heart wasn't overly soft or naive. On that point alone, Barry could never be his teammate.
Kindness was acceptable, but the willingness to get his hands dirty was not something Barry possessed.
"You're not outstanding enough," Alex said flatly.
Barry's face fell with disappointment. He didn't delusionally think he was the best. Patty and several other senior experts in the lab were more experienced and professional than him. Compared to them, he really wasn't "outstanding enough."
Alex glanced at Barry from the corner of his eye, stepped around him, and continued walking while looking down at the file.
The next page detailed the explosive residue found at the scene. There were clear traces of nitrogen ions. After molecular air sampling and analysis, the forensics team concluded it was likely a new type of high-tech nitrogen-based explosive — 8 to 20 times more powerful than an equivalent amount of regular TNT.
Alex continued reading the residue analysis. At the end, it noted that manufacturing this type of explosive required considerable physics knowledge and specialized equipment.
"So this matches Danton Black's background as a nuclear physicist," Alex muttered, his eyes flashing.
Combining his previous knowledge with the current report, he was now almost certain that this Multiple was indeed Danton Black.
In his mind, Alex had already begun planning how to capture him.
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