Reverse-Flash's face blurred rapidly, features dissolving like static until only his glowing crimson eyes remained, burning coldly at Jack Kadere, who stood in the hall clapping with a crooked smile.
"Stop causing trouble for yourself," Reverse-Flash warned, his voice carrying that chilling, mechanical distortion that made it sound less human and more like a predator.
Jack only chuckled and shook his head. "You're the one causing trouble for yourself. Honestly, I wasn't planning on interfering with you, but you just couldn't resist jumping out and making your presence known. You want to test me? Fine. Let's settle this the right way—let's see who kneels first."
"You're asking for death!" Reverse-Flash snarled.
In an instant, the Speed Force ignited. A violent streak of red lightning tore across the room as Reverse-Flash lunged. At the exact same moment, Jack vanished in a flash of his own crimson lightning.
The two speedsters clashed, bolts crisscrossing wildly through the hall, each shockwave rattling the air and scattering loose debris. Their speeds were nearly identical, the space between them collapsing and reforming in bursts of light.
After a rapid series of exchanges, Reverse-Flash abruptly changed tactics. He reached out, snatched the Flash and with a violent burst of energy, rushed out of the doorway with him.
Whoosh!
Jack stopped on the spot, folding his arms, making no move to give chase.
"Aren't you… going to go after him?" Peek-a-Boo asked cautiously, tilting her head. She hadn't been able to follow their movements, but even she could tell Jack and Reverse-Flash were evenly matched.
"I could kill him in more ways than one," Jack replied with a light laugh. "But just killing him would be letting him off too easily. No… I want to see him kneel first."
From the shadows of the corner, a figure stepped forward, holding a camera.
Multiplex and Peek-a-Boo froze in surprise. "This… this…" Multiplex stammered. His brow furrowed. "Wait—you can clone yourself too?"
"Clone? Not at all," Jack said casually. "I've never had any interest in that kind of ability. Honestly, I always found cloning disgusting. To me, the second a clone is created, it's no longer truly you. No offense." He waved a hand at Multiplex with mock sincerity.
Jack then lifted the camera. The other "him" blurred and dissipated into afterimages before vanishing completely.
By oscillating between two points at incredible speed, Jack could create the illusion of being in two places at once. Unlike cloning, which spawned an independent entity, this method ensured it was always himself in complete control.
Multiplex's eyes widened in realization. If Jack had been filming while simultaneously fighting Reverse-Flash, then that meant—Jack's speed was even greater than Reverse-Flash's.
My god… how fast is he really?
"Not bad footage," Jack said, smiling as he snapped the camera shut. He glanced at the stunned villains. "Your little assignment was completed pretty well too. So, here's the reward: Central City is yours now. Do as you please."
"Huh?" Both Multiplex and Peek-a-Boo gaped.
Was he serious? Was he really just cutting them loose? No demands, no conditions?
But the truth set in quickly. They weren't free at all. They were now marked criminals, already tangled up with both the Flash and Reverse-Flash. If they wanted to avoid prison—or worse—they had only one choice left. They had to keep fighting. They had to survive, and that meant becoming enemies of the speedsters whether they wanted to or not.
Jack caught their looks of dawning realization, smirked, and then ignited the Speed Force once again. In a flash of red lightning, he vanished.
Flash wouldn't have it easy with Multiplex and Peek-a-Boo stirring up chaos across Central City. As for Reverse-Flash? Jack was content to wait—sooner or later, he'd force Eobard Thawne to kneel.
But instead of heading home, Jack detoured. He stopped briefly near the Central City Picture News building where Iris West worked, circling around her unseen, then vanished again—this time racing straight toward S.T.A.R. Labs.
....
Inside S.T.A.R. Labs
Barry Allen slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh lab lights. The first thing he saw were the worried faces of Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, and Dr. Harrison Wells hovering over him.
"Barry?" Caitlin's voice was gentle, relieved.
He sat up groggily, confused. "How did I… how am I even alive?"
"A red lightning bolt brought you back," Caitlin whispered, her tone uncertain.
Barry stiffened. "Jack Kadere? That doesn't make any sense… how could he—"
Cisco shook his head. "We don't know. What we do know is that while you were out, things got messy. That group—the ones Kadere pulled together—they already killed Simon Stagg. And… Girder's dead too."
"Girder… dead?" Barry's eyes widened. His stomach twisted. He had only been unconscious for hours, and yet the world had shifted dramatically.
Cisco raised his hands helplessly. "Who knows why. All I can say is things escalated fast. It's good you're okay, Barry, but you can't keep charging into fights half-prepared. You're lucky you survived this time."
Wells adjusted his glasses and leaned in, his tone firm but oddly paternal. "Cisco's right. If you want to save lives, then what you need most isn't reckless bravery—it's speed. Train harder. Get faster. Only then will you be strong enough to truly help people."
Barry lowered his gaze, ashamed. "I… I understand."
Just then—
Whoosh!
The air filled with a surge of red lightning as Jack Kadere appeared in the center of the lab, casually raising a hand in greeting. "Hey, everyone."
"Kadere!" Barry jumped to his feet instantly, his body tense.
Jack chuckled. "Relax, Barry. I know I'm handsome, but you don't need to look at me like I just stole your lunch money." His eyes flicked to Cisco. "Been a while, Ramon. I'm going to need your help with something."
Cisco swallowed nervously. "O-okay, what are you planning this time?"
Jack waved off his anxiety with a grin. "Nothing you need to panic about. I just need you to hold on to this." He tossed a small camera toward Cisco, who barely caught it. Jack's gaze lingered on Wells for a moment—sharp, calculating. The older man remained calm, too calm.
"Oh, and Barry…" Jack flicked something else toward him before vanishing in another flash of light. By the time Barry caught the object, Jack had already reappeared in the same spot, smirking.
Barry's face tightened when he realized what was in his hand. He quickly pocketed it, glaring at Jack.
"You…" Barry started, his voice low with anger.
"You're welcome," Jack replied lightly. He leaned forward, his eyes glinting. "Want to know who really killed your mother?"
Barry froze, his breath catching. "You… you know?"
Jack gestured casually toward the camera now in Cisco's hands. "Why don't we roll the tape?"
Cisco hesitated but finally hit play. The screen flickered to life, showing footage from earlier battles—Barry in his Flash suit getting pummeled by Multiplex's clones, overwhelmed by Girder's brute strength, and blindsided by a teleporter. Just as Barry collapsed from a devastating punch, another figure entered the frame—his movements a blur of yellow lightning.
"Reverse-Flash," Jack said with a cruel smile. "The man who murdered your mother. Or should I say… Dr. Harrison Wells?"
The air in the room grew heavy. Caitlin stared at Wells, her voice trembling. "Jack, what are you saying? Dr. Wells has been helping us since the beginning."
Jack tilted his head, his eyes never leaving Wells. "I'm saying it plainly. Harrison Wells isn't who he pretends to be. He's the Reverse-Flash. The man who destroyed Barry's family."