The Crimson Flash had not had any particularly unsual encounters for some time.

Of course, in a city like Rhy'Din, the term 'unusual' becomes even more subjective than on Earth.

Most of the people he encountered in the night were of the variety best explained as thugs. Little planning, rarely much firepower, generally nothing more complicated in terms of technology than a handgun. There were, of course, exceptions. Blasters, phasers, and other high-tech implements were not entirely absent from his conflicts, but they were indeed the minority. He encountered far more with strength above that of most or similar abilities, this being a world where humans are not nearly the majority they are in other civilized lands.

When he saw the man in a suit constructing a large device in front of a closed storefront one night on a darkened street near the market, it came as something of a shock. Stainless steel, or something which looked very much like it, covered in ports and small prongs plated in gold, was connected to other similar pieces either directly or with heavy black cables.

While this was not, in and of itself, necessarily harmful, the speedster decided to keep an eye on what was happening. He turned a corner before sprinting up to a rooftop across the street, where he crept to the edge and knelt down.

The man reached into his pocket for a moment, examined a small device which Crim could not see from his vantage point, then strode to the store's door. Planting his hand against the wood, he spoke softly.

The wood shattered.

That was all the cue the speedster needed, and he rushed down the building toward the man, who turned toward him while brushing splinters of wood from his dark jacket.

"Oh..."

Before the man could say more, the speedster darted around the large device (which had come to resemble a rather bulky and complicated telephone booth, with no glass) and grabbed the man's lapels. "And what are we doing?"

The man, surprisingly, just smiled. "Agito te."

Starled, the speedster slid backwards, an unseen force moving him away from the man in the suit, who was adjusting his jacket. "What the--?" Not waiting for an answer, he moved forward once more.

The man spoke quickly, one hand rising. "Impedio te."

And it felt to the scarlet speedster as though he had run into water. The air felt thick and heavy, and he was slowed considerably, though not quite down to the speed of a normal man. Pushing himself, he sped up and felt something give just as the man was reaching his device, and stepping inside. "Stop!"

The man stared, wide-eyed, as the speedster approached, and pressed a button on the machine just as one gloved hand was reaching for him.

The man vanished, the sudden lack of material creating a vacuum for a moment. Crim was pulled forward and nearly immediately thrown back as the device burst. The concussive wave wasn't enough to hurt him, really, and the devices materials were not thrown more than a few yards.

The Crimson Flash approached the detritus, nudging a piece with his toe. Frown marring his mask, he piled up some of the larger scraps in front of the stores open doorway, and left a note for the owner explaining what had happened. Confused, he then departed the scene.

-----

Later that night, while he was removing his costume, he noticed that a splinter from the door had made its way through the fibers of his glove and had imbedded itself in his finger. A few moments with a pair of tweezers removed it, and he thought no more about the small bit of wood.