"Alex!"
Barry's expression shifted the moment the figure appeared.
Alex had really come—
And he came fast.
God help him… Barry honestly did not want this walking catastrophe in Central City.
The city was already a mess—chaos every other week.
If another speedster who completely outclassed him showed up?
Barry knew he'd lose control of the situation entirely.
"Alex, why are you here?"
Barry stared at him intensely.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm here to help you."
Alex shrugged casually.
"I'm here for Zoom."
Barry froze for a moment.
He'd already suspected something after Alex asked about Zoom earlier—Alex clearly had interest in the villain.
But why?
Did Alex intend to work with Zoom or against him?
Now he had his answer.
Alex considered Zoom an enemy.
That should've been good news—very good news.
But remembering Alex's ruthless style, Barry wasn't sure he wanted this kind of "help."
Cisco and the others, however, looked thrilled.
Especially Harrison Wells.
He had already been wondering how to convince Alex to cooperate.
Now?
Perfect.
Their goals aligned.
"Well then—Alex."
Wells immediately stood up and extended his hand.
"Welcome aboard."
"Wait, Dr. Wells—shouldn't we discuss this first?" Barry protested.
"Barry, I've already made my decision," Wells said firmly.
"No matter what you all choose, I'm cooperating with Alex."
"You can take your time discussing. I only need Dr. Wells," Alex added calmly.
He wasn't joking.
He'd come to Central City for one thing—
to steal Zoom's speed.
And the one person capable of making that possible was Wells.
Everyone else in Team Flash?
Optional.
Useful… but optional.
Barry pulled Cisco and Caitlin aside for a quick whispered conference.
They returned moments later.
"Okay, Alex—we have one condition," Barry said solemnly.
"No more killing."
"That's something I can't guarantee."
Alex shrugged.
"If someone wants to die, I can't stop them."
If someone provoked him, he'd crush them without hesitation. Simple as that.
"Barry, I think Alex means—as long as no one attacks him, he won't do anything crazy."
Cisco quickly jumped in to defuse the tension.
Everyone except Barry actually wanted to work with Alex.
Barry looked around at his team.
He could tell their minds were made up.
And honestly?
Demanding a promise from Alex was pointless.
There was no stopping him anyway.
So the team temporarily reached an agreement.
---
Planning Against Zoom
Soon they were gathered around the table, discussing strategy.
"Alex, now that we're allies, we need to run a speed test," Wells said.
"We need to know exactly how fast you are."
"Not necessary. I'll tell you." Alex waved him off.
"My speed is five thousand meters per second."
He deliberately cut the number in half.
Even so—
Everyone gasped.
Barry's top speed was barely 1,000 m/s.
This meant Alex was five times faster.
"You're… that fast?" Barry muttered, stunned.
Only a speedster understood how absurd that was.
In Barry's early days, his speed grew at hundreds of meters per second.
But after hitting 1,000 m/s, he had plateaued for months with no progress.
Five thousand?
Impossible.
"That's insane!" Cisco's eyes sparkled.
"That's so freaking cool!"
"With that speed, you might already be faster than Zoom," Wells said, practically glowing with excitement.
"Alex—come with us to Earth-2!"
Caitlin jumped in eagerly.
Team Flash had already been planning a rescue mission for Wells' daughter.
Now that Alex had joined, their chances skyrocketed.
Alex happily agreed.
Plans were finalized in minutes.
---
Alex's Request
But just before departure, Alex turned to Wells:
"Dr. Wells. You once stole Barry's speed.
I need you to do it again."
"You want Zoom's speed," Wells said immediately.
Everyone else finally understood.
And once they understood, they froze.
The one thing they feared most was a speedster with too much power.
The Speed Force in the wrong hands meant catastrophe.
Zoom was living proof.
And Alex?
He wasn't exactly a saint.
Team Flash really didn't want to help him become even stronger.
"Forget it," Alex said casually, shaking his head.
"I already said—I only need Dr. Wells."
His gaze locked onto the doctor.
"So what's your answer, Doctor?"
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