Chapter 26 - My SI Stash #26 - Flash SI: Whats A Speedster To Do? by Slicksick (The Flash) (2/2)

That you're the one I want to go

Through time with…”

Last but not least the main characters.

Cisco and Caitlin were currently in the middle of the air, either due to an explosion or jumping for cover, I don't know.

Caitlin was crying which was expected – she still though Ronnie was locked up below and probably dead.

Cisco was holding her, trying to shield them. Good man – friend to the end.

I noticed the wave was nowhere near them.

Guess they got the exposure over time since they continue working at S.T.A.R Labs.

I grabbed them both and started carrying them away.

I just realized that I was comfortably carrying to fully grown humans like it was nothing.

Adrenaline and Speed Force be damned – the Mirakuru worked!

Hell yeah!

Wonder what else it did to me. Well, besides the apparent super speed boost and somewhat instinctual application of my powers.

Worryingly, I check my reflection in one of the buildings none shattered panels.

No accelerated aging, thank god.

Still… must be some price.

I'll carry out the tests later. I'll have more than enough time since Barry won't be in a coma this time around.

I walked outside and gently placed them outside the building. For insurance sake, I left the business card I picked up from the hospital lobby I dropped Stein at in Caitlyn's pocket.

I was being cautious, not stupid.

Curiously, I noticed some white in Caitlyn's hair.

Huh, odd.

She's already Killer Frost?

I thought it took Barry going all Flashpoint to make that happen.

Doubt it will happen this time around.

Cisco had powers earlier though, and he only had marginally more exposure than her.

Guess it was all mental on her end.

Or copyright issues prevented the show writers from using her meta-persona.

Yeah, that seems more likely.

One last stop to make before I have enough time to make it back to the lab.

I crept behind the corners of the central lab.

If memory served, Thawne was around here somewhere.

And why was I sneaking around?

Because he is still a speedster, so there was a chance he could still spot me, even with his reduced power and my accelerated state.

Found him – he was looking down at a computer panel.

Couldn't see his face nor was I going to risk it. Doubt I can check his hidden room either. I think he had had vibration-proofed just in case.

Not like I could do that trick at the moment, but this was Eobard we were talking about.

Still, I made sure he was still inside, and that was as good as it was going to get.

Sighing in defeat, I ran back to the lab.

Damn it, music ran out.

Whatever.

Found Ralph Dibny.

The show timeline always seemed a little off to me. It stated that Ralph Dibny was dishonorably discharged for planting false evidence for the case of Judy Gimlin, which was Barry's first case as a junior CSI.

It was in 2013.

Which is this year, just in December.

Which is ridiculous.

I get the show made it seem like Barry was the only forensic guy the precinct used, but no one gets that kind of a promotion in the first year.

Which is why I was so grateful that Ralph was still a cop.

Checked Barry's memories – seemed like they never did the Judy Gimlin case, some other detectives did.

Doesn't mean they were buddies. They nodded if they saw each other, but that was it.

Still, he is a detective, so good on him.

Found him running away from the way after exiting a bar.

(Don't get any ideas – he was off-duty.)

Screw it, he will be made of rubber, he'll live.

I tossed him right into the wave.

Quick mental calculation… He'll land safely in any case against the park grass.

One of the Flash's – I don't remember which one – greatest feats was removing every single person from a city to a few miles away before a bomb dropped and exploded, destroying said city.

He did it all in less than a second.

He had years of experience with his powers, but it was still by far the most impressive feat of speed ever depicted in comics, other than his Infinite Mass Punch.

I doubt the speed I was going was anywhere close, but it was at least in the same echelons.

I checked the clock in my lab when I finally walked back. I noticed that I was actually sweating but wasn't breathing heavily. Seems like the strain was finally catching up.

The show never depicted just how much time passes when Barry runs from his perspective or when he runs.

Makes it seem like it doesn't matter, but it does.

Just imagine it.

Jogging across a city, everything moving slower than you, to the point where it's frozen. The sound are echoing due to how slow it is, or there isn't any at all.

It was like some messed up ”Twilight Zone” episode. It's you in a silent world, just running for who knows how long before your body finally starts to ache.

How Barry didn't go crazy with just his thoughts is a dedication to his focus and will.

Oliver could probably handle it – he's used to the solitude – but others? Maybe Diggle and Caitlin. But Cisco, Roy, Thea? It would be too much.

The clock showed that I was only gone for about two and a half seconds.

I was actually gone for hours, maybe even days. You learn to tune it out or else drive yourself crazy with how slow everything is.

No wonder the Flash was depicted as a kid on a sugar rush in the cartoons – he gets bored waiting for everyone else to catch up during their conversations.

Walking and running around the city takes time.

The lightning the show showed was just a byproduct of speedsters moving. I am slightly terrified of thinking about how speedsters fight at super speed. Is it like a regular fight only in their time frame or is about seeing who can get faster than the other?

The thought sends shivers through me.

A silent prayer to hoping Eobard doesn't accelerate any of his plans from the fallout of my changes.

I spotted some cops downstairs looking up to Barry's lab. They probably heard the lightning strike and my crash into the shelves.

Means that when I get back to normal speed, they will find me crashed into his chemicals.

The injury on my arm, which didn't heal, would lead them to the conclusion that I got struck by lightning.

I laid back down where I was expected – after I put my earphones and phone away – and willed myself back to normal time.

”3, 2, 1… Showtime.”

Detective Tom Patterson was currently in shock watching the ring of energy traverse through Central City, with the S.T.A.R Labs serving as the epicenter of the explosion.

As the wave passed over the station, shaking the ground and knocking out all the lights, the crashing of thunder was heard, followed immediately by the sudden breaking of beakers and liquids hitting the floor.

”Vukuvich, what the hell was that?”

”I don't know sir, something went wrong with the particle accelerator…”

”Not that. Where did all the glass shattering happen?”

”It was Barry!” shouted Detective Addie. ”He just went to his lab a minute ago.”

”Someone get up there and check on the kid!”

A trio of officers followed closely by Captain David Singh ran upstairs and into Barry's lab.

”Jesus,” spoke David in shock.

The lab was a mess, water and chemicals spilled everywhere, the skylight cracked, the smell of ionized ozone in the air.

One of the officers spotted Barry lying in a pile of what used to be his chemical shelf, smoking.

”Captain, was he…”

”I am no expert, but it looks like…”

”Sir, he is still alive! His pulse is steady, and his breathing isn't labored.”

”What about his arm?”

”It seems like it's his only injury, other than his clothes and shoes.”

David nodded, his worry slightly abetted, ”Someone call 911 or drive him to the nearest hospital! And I don't care how hard it is, someone call up Detective West!”

At least I wasn't dragged in a gurney by a panicked group of paramedics like in the show.

Granted, there was still chaos all around me, what with the lights being out and the injured pouring in.

I should be worried, but the show did reveal that seventeen people died before that was altered due to Flashpoint.

Would it be fifteen now, since I saved Joe's partner and Ralph were still alive?

Oh, wait no, fourteen – Vincent won't be labeled as dead this time.

Still, I was in the ER, looking around, observing the doctor next to me take my stats and bandage up my arm.

The lightning shaped scar still hasn't healed. Guess it was made before the powers kicked in: it will most likely never heal properly.

It doesn't hurt, but it's a huge identifying mark.

Should I steal the skintight leotard that becomes the Flash suit? Cisco does modify it later, but with the ensuing chaos, would be a good time to steal it.

Would have to change the face though. No way am I leaving my mouth exposed or my eyes to be seen.

I honestly never understood that part of the comics. I get chins and lips aren't that distinct, but it still exposes half the face, more than enough for facial recognition systems to narrow down the searches somewhat.

Eyes just add more details to work with.

Zoom – as much as I hate saying it – had the right idea when he covered his face completely. Eyes alone is not enough to work with, especially when he altered his voice.

Should I do something like the Godspeed costume but red and yellow? Could work, but it wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing as the Flash costume with the emblem on the c_h_e_s_t.

I would have thought about it more before Joe and Iris ran up.

”Barry,” shouted both at the same time.

”Guys, I am fine…”

”You were struck by lightning Barry,” commanded Joe, with overtones of worry. ”How are you even…?”

”Alright? Hard to say. I am putting money on the rubber soles in my shoes.”

Joe actually laughed at that quip but frowned immediately afterward.

”Jokes aside Mr. Allen, it really is remarkable as to how…uninjured you are,” spoke the doctor as he finished up with my arm. ”Other then the damage to your clothes and arm, you are in relatively perfect condition. No arrhythmia, no mental issues, no brain injuries, no concussion, no spams, nothing to indicate you have actually been struck by lightning. You are a fortunate man.”

”So… he can leave?” inquired Iris.

”Well, we would normally ask him to stay for observation but with what's happening in the city…”

”Say no more,” I interrupted. ”You need the empty bed for those who need it. Can you unhook me from these things so we can go and sign me out?”

The doctor flipped through his paperwork for a moment, ”I wouldn't be a good doctor if I at least didn't suggest to set up a follow-up appointment and not to do anything strenuous for the next few days, but otherwise… You may leave, Mr. Allen.”

”We will make a follow-up doctor,” spoke Joe while looking at me.

”No need to make a command Joe,” I said jokingly. ”We will set it up now.”

The three of us started walking out to the nurse's desk to set everything up. Spotting an opportunity, I 'interrogated' Joe.

”umm, Joe, this is a little weird to ask but… is that your blood?”

Joe, realizing this, looked down at his shirt and jacket. ”Ooh damn! No, it's from Chyre.”

”Is he alright? Did the Mardon brothers do it?”

I spotted the hesitation in Joe's eyes.

”No, he is alright. I… managed to get him to the hospital in time. He is in critical condition, but doctor's say he will make it.”

”And the brothers?” asked Iris.

”Dead,” shrugged Joe while trying to wipe off some of the blood. ”They were trying to escape in a plane when the wave hit them, causing the plane to explode and crash.”

I nodded, ”Someone should send a team out there to find the remains – to make sure.”

”I'll tell it to the Captain,” agreed Joe. ”But I doubt it will be any time soon what with the explosion.”

I shook my head, ”I don't think the government and the military will let any cop get within ten yards of the Labs after this.”

Both West's looked at me in confusion.

I leaned to them as we walked out of the hospital, ”The accelerator just released a wave of unstable energy that for all intended purposes, was basically a unique form of radiation. I've read enough scientific papers and comics to know what exotic radiation does to organic tissue.”

”What are suggesting Barry?”

”What I am suggesting Joe, is that we live in a world with vigilantes and the likes of Superman. What are the odds that this… accident… is going to create a horde of… of… super powered individuals?”

I spotted the look of disbelieving in Iris, ”Barry, come on, that's ridicule…”

”Define superpowered.”

I put my hand on my forehead, faking concern while Iris looked at her father in shock for even asking such a question. ”If I were a gambling man – which I am not – it would probably depend on what an individual was doing at the time when the energy hit them. I mean, it could range as just giving them super-strength or super-healing all the way too, I don't know, fusing them with whatever they made contact with like metal or tar.”

”Tar?”

”Construction workers.”

Joe looked around, pulling Iris and me to a corner where we wouldn't be noticed.

”What about something like stopping time or teleportation?”

”Dad…”

”Not now Iris. Barry?”

Ahh, he was actually concerned. ”Teleportation is possible. It would have to depend on the form of matter displacement. Time manipulation is extremely unlikely – what with physics arguing against it - unless it was in a confined area: no one can just stop all of time. Why do you ask?”

Joe looked around before whispering. ”I didn't take Chyre to the hospital.”

”What do you mean?”

”One moment I was on the ground trying to stop him from bleeding out. Next second I see a flash of some sort and the both us just… appeared in the hospital.”

So he did see something – interesting.

”That sounds like teleportation… how did you feel afterward?”

”Like something pulled me in one direction, with a feeling of pressure on one side of my body for a moment before dissipating.”

”Sounds more like you were dragged then displaced. I think you were saved by a speedster.”

”A speedster?”

Good. Now to plant a seed of trust.

”Someone with super-speed. What you describe sounds more like someone grabbed you two, and carried you to the hospital, which is why you felt pressure on one side of your body. The speedster literally carried you in a straight line to the nearest hospital.”

Iris and Joe stared at me with awe. ”And a speedster is possible?”

”Within reason. Depends where his fuel is from.”

”Meaning?”

”Meaning that unless he runs one some extradimensional energy, someone in the city is about to get a big case of the munchies.”

I spotted Iris's journalistic instincts kick in while Joe shrugged his head in consideration.

”Speaking of which, can we get home? I am starving.”

I was somewhat right about the military and government getting involved.

Next morning news showed that S.T.A.R. Labs were being quarantined, with biohazard and hazmat crews scanning and inspecting the site for any radiation.

Not like they would actually pick anything up. Doubt there was a Geiger counter for dark matter.

Joe went to work while Iris stayed home – college was closed – trying to take care of me.

I really hope she wasn't trying to figure out why I wasn't interested in her anymore.

I was also scanning across all news sources on my laptop to track down all the images from the site while the TV was on.

After a fruitless search, I found that Well's was in fact 'crippled' and apologized profusely for the unforeseen accident.

Superman was not in fact called in to help with the damages.

Fourteen people have been reported dead.

S.T.A.R Labs was labeled as a class four hazardous location.

I may or may not have spotted some agents dressed in black uniforms. I didn't get a clear shot of the logo, but it could be ARGUS.

Oddly enough, during Wells speech, Cisco and Caitlin weren't at his side.

Maybe they already found Raymond and met Stein? Possible.

I managed to convince Iris that I was fine as I left 'for a walk.'

Since I was 'injured,' I was given time off from work to recover, so I managed to run to S.T.A.R Lab without anyone noticing.

Brought an extra two pairs of shoes with me just in case.

Luckily, all cameras were currently offline, so despite my slower speeds and somewhat visible lightning, I managed to sneak in without any issues.

Couldn't figure out why I couldn't achieve the same speeds as I did the first time, but I chalked that up to being supercharged by the lightning. I tested myself this morning and I had super strength, so the Mirakuru clearly worked.

Took me some time to knock on all the bulbed walls – the show never did specify where the hidden room was exactly – before I located it.

Pressing the right panel, the door opened up, revealing Eobard's Time Vault.

Entering the room, a hologram of Gideon's face appeared. ”Greetings, Creator Allen. How may I be of assistance?”

I couldn't help but smile. ”Well, that depends: did I ever put in any odd protocol into you after you were made?”

”Scanning… New protocols activated starting from last night. Odd, they seem to indicate that you were aware that the explosion was going to occur and that I would be in this timeline when you created me. Inquiry?”

”Let's just say that time manipulation and the Speed Force was involved. I sort of became a time anomaly.”

”Probability of time wraiths arriving…”

”Unlikely. I didn't come from the future, nor am I a time revenant. No one was lost nor was anyone added.”

”Inquiry satisfied. Criteria for time wraiths not met. Is my current user aware of your change?”

”Eobard? No. What did I code into you if I may ask?”

”Creator Barry Allen coded the following protocols to be activated after certain parameters – i.e. particle accelerator explosion – occurred. First, I was to ensure that Harrison Wells – aka. Eobard Thawne, aka. Reverse Flash – will not discover the timeline has changed, by presenting him a false newspaper article, as well as ensuring he doesn't look further into it with his questioning.”

”Good. What else?”

”I am also not to divulge any future information to anyone, ranging from future technology, discovery, or event. I can, however, provide information taken from the future when providing current information, as long as it doesn't affect said future.”

”Okay, makes sense. So, if I, for example, asked you for the secret identity of an individual…?”

”I would be able to provide their future power and ability capabilities as well as all current and past information, but not anything they will do in the future, nor how they would die.”

”And future events?”

”Completely sealed off by your command. Creator Allen believed that any event that should happen has to happen as it did to him and others.”

”Identities of criminals and events happening in real time?”

”Within parameters as long as more than half the research and information gathering has been done and extrapolation could have been accomplished without my assistance. No future events will be revealed.”

”Huh. So not so much of a cheat but more like an aide. Anything else?”

”I am also coded to prevent telling you who will marry who in the superpowered and superhero community.”

”Why?” I deadpanned.

”Creator Allen was quoted saying, 'It will ruin the surprise.'”

”Fine. Anything else?”

”I am also programmed to assist in any way possible, covertly or otherwise.”

I couldn't help but clap, ”Perfect. Okay, here's what I want you to do…”

”Are you sure about this Joe? It seems…” asked Singh.

”Crazy, far-fetched, delusional, criteria to be thrown in the loony bin?”

”No offense.”

”None taken, Captain. But I know what I felt, and there was no way I could have possibly carried Chyre to the hospital that fast after the explosion happened.”

Singh wiped his chin as he sat down at his desk, ” I don't doubt your story, but still…”

”We have the likes of Superman in Metropolis and whispers of other vigilantes with weird powers. Is it so hard to believe that whatever was released into the air might create such individuals?”

Singh pondered this, but Joe raised his hand to interrupt him. ”I am not asking for a task force or some kind of special branch to form to investigate these… metahumans as it were. I am simply asking for this precinct and others to… keep their minds open as it were.”

”Such as?”

”I don't know. Any weird sightings or odd crime scenes come to mind. Multiple people reporting same odd occurrence without story collaboration. Unexplained phenomenon…”

”I get what you're suggesting Joe, but that's not something we cover. What you are describing sounds more like a tall tale some of the drunkards that call our tipline say.”

Joe nodded, agreeing with the Captain's assessment. ”We file most of out reports digitally now, right?”

Singh shrugged, ”Within reason. The old hard copy reports still have to be looked up. What are you suggesting?”

”Barry is currently stuck at home, and he suggested this theory to me. It wouldn't be too crazy if say forensic scientist created an algorithm and what not to search for certain keywords and events if they were digital, now would it?”

Singh considered this. Data mining in case files is not illegal per say, but it's not something you can just use without consent, especially in criminal cases.

”Suggest the idea to him, see how he feels about it. As long as it does not break any guidelines or laws, I'll allow it.”

”As long as you pass the message around the precinct for everyone to write everything down and not dismiss something just because it's weird and bizarre.”

An odd screeching echo was all that Hartley heard as he woke up. Rising in his bed, the first thing he noted was the darkness of his bedroom, which he didn't remember returning too.

The last thing he remembered doing was trying to stop Well's from turning on the accelerator.

As he wide his brow, he finally noted the headphones on his ears.

He was just about to take them off when his genius mind realized that despite them completely covering his ears, he still heard noises as clearly as possible… even better then he recalled.

Noting that all the stuff in his room was unplugged and his windows were ruggedly soundproofed, Hartley reached a terrifying hypothesis.

Gathering himself, Hartley cupped one ear and slowly lifted, before rapidly closing in pain as the sounds of the world accosted him.

Didn't take a genius to realize that he had somehow acquired super-hearing.

After recovering, Hartley turned on his laptop, wincing at the now audible sounds of electricity traveling through the cord and the mechanism within the machine working.

After a quick search of the news – and barely controlling himself every time he hit the keyboard from flinching – Hartley realized that the dark matter released into the air must have affected him and 'gifted' him with his hearing.

Running the math in his head made him consider that he was statistically not the only one.

Pausing, Hartley went to the shelf in the corner of his room, removing the hidden camera he had placed there in secret that ran on a separate power source.

Hartley had reasons to be paranoid, and he was glad he made the small investment of setting up his in-home surveillance system.

Connecting to the laptop, Hartley quickly skimmed to last nights footage. Didn't take long for surprise to show on his face, as he found the moment he suddenly appeared in his bed with his home becoming soundproofed… in less than a second.

No, not a second. It was more accurate to say that it all happened in between seconds based on how the image shifted on the recording.

Now while Hartley's ego wouldn't - or couldn't – accept his home and himself being violated in such a way, his logical side and reasoning won out when they realized that his home was modified to block out as much sound as possible.

He didn't know who was responsible for… aiding him… but he now had another project to work on in addition to planning his revenge on Harrison.

Figuring out the weird flashes of lightning that he spotted in the recording.

First thing first: he needed something better to block out sound then the headphones he was wearing.

Dibny stumbled home after waking up in the hospital and getting himself discharged.

Singh almost screamed his ear off, but he quickly calmed down after he admitted that he wasn't the only one who was damaged by the explosion.

Dibny visited Detective Chyre on Singh's behalf to make sure he was fine. He ran into Detective Joe while there and got to talking.

When Dibny revealed that he got caught in the energy wave last night when he was drinking, Joe gave him a worried look.

Hearing Joe's theory about what the energy could do to humans was not something Dibny wanted to hear.

He sighed as he took a beer from the fridge, opened it, sat on the couch, sipped, and just listened to the news.

Dibny was no scientist, but he knew enough that radiation was more likely to give him cancer then superpowers.

If not cancer, then his drinking would kill him before then, or the guilt.

The constant guilt of sending Reagan Gimlin to jail for the murder of his wife Judy with the knife.

They all knew he did it, they had everything; just no weapon. The CSI on the case couldn't find anything conclusive, and the rest of the investigating team were running out of leads.

Dibny weighted the options, but he couldn't allow someone like Reagan to get away with it.

Reagan argued that the weapon was planted, but Dibny made sure he removed all evidence of tampering. A better CSI might have spotted something, but the circ_u_mstantial evidence alone got Reagan convicted.

He managed to wriggle his way to an appeal, but that tied the noose even tighter around his neck when the opposing legal team finally found enough digital evidence to dig him a deeper hole.

And yet, despite the fact that a clearly guilty man was sent to jail, Dibny did it by breaking the law.

His only escape from such conflicting feelings was the bottle. He did his best not to drink on the job – he had some pride left – but the amount he drank outside was starting to be noticed.

He sighed in defeat, barely paying attention to the news.

He rubbed his head in annoyance, reaching out to the side of his side trying to find the Tylenol he left lying around.

Took him a little to long to realize that he was reaching a bit too far for his liking.

Slowly turning to his side, Ralph stared in shock at his arm stretching and almost touching the wall to his right… more than ten feet away from him.

As he squeaked in shock, the arm snapped back like rubber. Flexing his hand in shock, Ralph pinched his skin and pulled, stretching it as well.

Panick sat in, causing him to leap but slip off the top of the couch, landing on the floor and contouring in a way he couldn't have done before.

After pulling himself together – literally – Ralph remembered what Joe told him earlier today. Considering the implication, Ralph willed his arm to stretch as he tried to pick the bottle of beer on the floor a good few feet away from him.

After successfully pulling it back, Ralph was about to take a celebratory drink when he realized what he has been given.

He had superpowers now. Granted, he could stretch himself, but he doubted that was all.

Maybe… this was a way for him to redeem himself, a way to make up for the wrong he committed for the greater good.

As Ralph poured the beer down the sink, he considers asking Joe if he could be his new partner if Chyre decided to retire.

That was a productive day.

Got to give it to Cisco, the man can build a good suit.

Managed to find the prototype he was working on for the firemen: guess he was working on it earlier than in the show.

It was still red and had the hole in the mask, but I could still work with it.

Modifying it was going to be trickier, what with me living in the West household.

I checked my checking and saving's account. I had a decent amount in both, but not enough for me to comfortably move out and live on my own.

Hell, there wasn't even enough for me to consider investing just yet.

Maybe I can ask Gideon to help out?

I already 'commanded' her to spy on the S.T.A.R Labs team on my behalf, making sure Eobard didn't do anything too crazy.

Speaking of which, I also managed to link her up to the outside world in secret – why Eobard didn't do that already was beyond me – so now there was an advanced A.I connected to the world wide web.

Thank God she wasn't evil – wouldn't want to recreate Sky Net.

She actually got the reference, so I think we are safe.

In regards to the team…

I didn't know why, but it appeared that Raymond and Stein were currently in a coma. Well's managed to convince the doctors in the hospital to transfer him to the labs so they could monitor him due to his weird energy outputs.

Guess Firestorm is their version of the TV show Barry. Does that mean he is going to wake up in eight months as well?

Speaking of, got to remember to check up on Jax at some point.

Would do it later.

Joe presented me a really great idea as to how to track down these newly dubbed metahumans when they appear.

I threw around some ideas, but told Joe that a list would have to be compiled of keywords for the system to search for. So while Joe worked on those, I told him I would work on coding the program.

The superspeed and enhanced short-term memory definitely helped.

Speaking of which, I should really write out a list of things I have to accomplish at some point.

Number one on my list: get Felicity's code.

While Gideon can probably beat it when – or if – it gets released in the future, having that ace in the hole is too good of a chance to pass off.

Number two on my list: don't hook up with Iris.

Number three: find a way to meet Batman and/or Superman in the future. Got to build up some hero cred first.

Which reminds me, have to write back to Oliver. He messaged me, asking if I was injured due to the explosion.

Actually, need to check up on Pied Piper and Elongated Man as well.

So much to do, but so little time… even for a speedster.

What I wouldn't do for two of me right now.

…

Dear God, maybe I am becoming Godspeed.

…

Nah, I am the Flash, the fastest man alive, and the man who going to enjoy screwing with people's expectations.

Now, how the hell do you sew?

Youtube, take me away.

Eobard wheeled himself to his Time Vault, maintaining the calm yet grieving charade as best he could.

It was only when he finally entered the room that he forced himself out of the wheelchair in anger.

”GIDEON!”

”Yes, User Thawne?”

”Show me the article.”

Gideon smiled as she showed him the article written by Iris West-Allen about the Flash's disappearance in 2024.

Eobard, while less annoyed, still rubbed his head in annoyance. While Barry still somehow became the Flash, he was more concerned with the immediate fallout of what happened after he sabotaged the accelerator.

He assumed that Barry would end up in the hospital like he did in the original timeline, but for some reason that didn't occur.

Instead, the Firestorm Matrix somehow ended up in the coma. Now while it kept Cisco and Caitlyn close to him to monitor and manipulate, it also made some of his future plans much more complicated to carry out.

”Gideon, show me Barry Allen.”

Gideon smiled as she found the video feed. After confirming in the nanoseconds it took to process the command that Barry wasn't doing anything super-speed related, Gideon didn't carry out Creator Allen commands to make a false feed.

As Eobard observed barry coding something on his computer, he swiped the screen away, his concerns alleviated slightly, seeing as Barry has yet to discover his powers.

Maybe Barry would come to S.T.A.R Labs in desperation to help him out when his powers come up? Possible, what with Barry's minor crush on everything science related.

Still, his plans were salvageable.

The government wanted this buried as quickly as possible, so they didn't put up a fuzz when Well's corroborated to the best of his abilities.

The event was still past off as an unfortunate accident, but his reputation was still shambled.

It didn't matter in the long run. As long as he got his speed back, nothing in this timeline mattered.

Gideon smirked as her user left.

It was funny watching how pride and hubris could clouds people so much.

In any case, with so much time on her now digital hands and with access to the Internet, Gideon decided to indulge her 'curiosity' and explore the world she was now connected to.

With childlike wonder, she considered hacking into the Bat-Computer, just for giggles to see how Mr. Wayne would react.

Would be fun to record the reaction.

I think the kids today called it… trolling?