Flash… scared by a gun?
The sight was so absurd that Jack Kadere couldn't help but shake his head. Barry Allen, the so-called Scarlet Speedster, the man who only moments ago had boasted to him about whether to use a gun or a knife—now shrinking back from the very thing he mocked. As always, the so-called "King of Ls" never disappointed. If there was no opportunity for humiliation, Barry seemed destined to create one for himself.
With a faint grin, Jack's form flickered, the crimson lightning of the Speed Force sparking before he vanished into the night. Weather Wizard and Barry? They were Barry's mess to deal with. Jack had already gotten what he wanted. He didn't need to bury the body; just digging the hole was enough.
Not long after Jack left, a gunshot echoed through the storm. To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Barry who pulled the trigger—it was Detective Joe West. He had rushed to the scene as soon as he heard the reports of a massive storm tearing through the city. When he arrived, he saw Clyde Mardon conjuring the tempest with his weather wand and—just as shockingly—his foster son in the red suit.
For a moment, Joe froze. The image of Barry Allen in a crimson blur, standing against a metahuman storm, felt impossible. It wasn't until Clyde aimed his gun that Joe's instincts took over. A single shot rang out, and Clyde collapsed, the storm dying as quickly as it had risen.
By the time the other officers arrived, Joe turned to speak—but Barry had already vanished in a streak of red lightning. A storm quelled with one bullet… though Joe knew that was far from the end of Barry's problems.
...
Inside S.T.A.R. Labs, the atmosphere was tense.
Cisco Ramon leaned forward, eyes fixed on Caitlin Snow. Beside him, Dr. Harrison Wells sat quietly in his wheelchair, while Barry hovered restlessly, still reeling from what had just happened.
"Alright," Caitlin said at last, her voice hesitant. "I'll admit it. Jack Kadere told me Clyde Mardon would attack S.T.A.R. Labs."
Barry blinked. "Wait—you knew?!"
This morning, Caitlin had kept her meeting with Jack secret. Everything had happened too fast; Barry had rushed headlong into facing Mardon the moment he'd appeared.
Cisco frowned, arms folded. "Weather Wizard—that's the name I just came up with for Mardon—how did this guy know he'd be here?"
"He said… he forced Mardon to do it," Caitlin answered reluctantly.
Barry's brows knit in confusion. "Who is this Jack Kadere, or… whatever name you're calling him?"
Cisco jumped in, almost eager to explain. "He once kidnapped Caitlin, made me build him a sonic device, then disappeared. Huntress came from Starling City, kidnapped Caitlin trying to find him, but she was rescued by Black Canary. And guess what? Canary ended up using the device I built!" Cisco puffed up a little with pride before realizing no one was impressed. "Anyway, I've been calling him Electro-Maniac because he can release electricity."
Barry's eyes widened. "Wait. He had powers before the particle accelerator explosion?"
"That's what it looks like," Caitlin said softly.
"Then why force Weather Wizard to attack the lab?" Barry pressed.
Caitlin hesitated. She had her suspicions—Jack had mentioned wanting Barry to grow stronger—but she couldn't say it aloud. "I… I don't know."
Cisco frowned. "So this Electro-Maniac is coming after us?"
"No," Wells finally spoke, adjusting his glasses. His calm voice cut through the tension. "If he wanted the lab, he wouldn't have warned Caitlin. His target is Barry."
Barry pointed at himself, startled. "Me? I've never even met him."
"You have," Caitlin said quietly. "The man in red lightning you fought. He's not the one who killed your mother."
Barry froze, heart racing. "That was him?!" He stepped closer. "How do you know?"
"I saw him last night," Caitlin admitted. She hadn't wanted to, but Jack hadn't exactly hidden his identity or his Speed Force. Better to tell Barry now than let him think Jack was his mother's killer.
Barry clenched his fists. "Then I want to see him."
Caitlin shook her head. "His phone's off. If I can reach him, I'll let you know."
Barry exhaled and nodded.
Wells' expression darkened. "Whether he killed Nora Allen or not isn't the issue. What matters is that he possesses the Speed Force just as you do, Barry. His intentions toward you are unknown. Until we understand them, we must assume the worst. Everyone here needs to be careful."
Though his words sounded measured, Wells was more unsettled than anyone else. A speedster of unknown origin, who seemed to know far too much about their lives already, was the last complication Wells wanted right now. His sole focus was supposed to be making Barry faster—fast enough to fulfill Wells' hidden plans. Jack Kadere was a variable he needed gone.
Killing him outright wasn't realistic. But disrupting him, distracting him, or nudging him into conflicts elsewhere? That might buy Wells the time he needed. And in a world filled with vigilantes like Huntress and Black Canary constantly searching for targets, Wells figured there were ways to keep Jack occupied.
....
At Jack's villa, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Jack leaned back with a faint smile as Kate and Valentina stood nervously before him.
"If I understood correctly," Jack said lightly, "you two want to head out on your own for a while?"
Kate rushed to explain, shaking her head. "No, it's not that we want to leave you. We just thought it might be good to find a quiet place to sharpen our abilities, to adapt more to this time and this world. If we can grow stronger and smarter, we'll always be able to stay by your side."
"If you ever need us, we'll come back right away," she added quickly.
Valentina hesitated before speaking. "I want to visit home… back in the Soviet Union. Even if it doesn't exist anymore."
Jack chuckled at their earnestness. "Relax. Go if you want to. Honestly, seeing the same faces day after day gets dull. Besides, every time I head out somewhere, I don't feel like explaining everything to you two. Take this time, see the world, learn its history. You'll be better off for it."
Kate gave a relieved smile. "We've already asked Laura to stay behind and look after you while we're away."
Jack waved them off casually. "Fine, fine. Go on. Don't make such a big deal out of it."
Once they were gone, his smile deepened. Laura's presence gave him an idea—if he could guide her properly, maybe she could awaken her own Speed Force connection. That would make things… interesting.
...
Author's Note: The Speed Force has always been written with contradictions, so to clarify: Jack's Speed Force isn't quite the same as Barry's. Think of Barry's connection as the "official channel," tied to the natural order of the universe. Jack, however, is more like an independent operator—his powers stack infinitely, allowing him to grow faster and stronger without the same limits.
And here's the fun part: if Jack can train others to tap into this "independent" Speed Force, he could create his own network of speedsters. On one hand, they would fuel and expand his version of the Speed Force. On the other hand, it would mean a team of Jack's speedsters running circles around Barry Allen in Central City, stirring up chaos whenever they pleased.
I won't lie—I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out.