Jack Kadere's earlier question had been deliberately provocative, which was why Caitlin Snow pressed him for clarification. But when he pointed straight at Dr. Harrison Wells and declared him to be the Reverse-Flash, it still shook everyone to their core. Their first instinct was denial, to defend the man they trusted.
"Why? That's impossible! How could Dr. Wells be the Reverse-Flash? He's always been here, helping us," Caitlin said firmly.
"Exactly! Dr. Wells didn't even know Barry back then. How could he have killed Barry's mother?" Cisco Ramon added, crossing his arms.
Barry Allen's eyes narrowed. Out of everyone in the room, he trusted Harrison Wells the most. He turned to Jack, his voice stern. "If this is your idea of a joke to mess with me, it's not funny."
Jack smirked knowingly. "I figured you'd react that way. Doesn't matter. You know what they say about cutting meat with a soft knife? The real fun comes when you slice it away slowly." He casually gestured toward the screen. "First thing's first: you have to admit there's another speedster out there, right?"
Barry hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. Both speedsters he had faced were faster than him. That much was undeniable.
"If you're fast enough, moving between two points can create an afterimage so real it's indistinguishable from reality," Harrison Wells said smoothly. He smiled at Jack, but the intent behind his words was clear.
It was possible to use speed to disguise oneself—possible to "create" the illusion of a Reverse-Flash.
Outwardly smiling, inwardly seething. That was the mask Harrison Wells—or rather, Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash—wore in this moment. The Speed Force energy he had painstakingly gathered had nearly been drained saving Barry Allen. And now Jack Kadere had strolled in with evidence that threatened to unravel his cover. Luckily, Thawne's mind was sharp. He improvised quickly, offering an explanation just plausible enough to keep doubt alive.
Jack laughed. "As expected of the Reverse-Flash. Your understanding of speed is unmatched. Sure, I could stage fights with myself, but you… you could play both roles. You could be the Reverse-Flash attacking and saving Barry, while still playing the part of Harrison Wells."
Wells tilted his head, smiling politely. "Provided I had your speed."
Jack's tone dropped lower, colder. "You know, your biggest mistake was crossing me. I know who you are. I know where you're from. I even know the cracks in that perfect little façade you built. Don't worry, I won't destroy you—yet. We'll play a long game, you and me. And when it ends, you'll be on your knees, calling me master."
The threat hung in the air like static as Wells maintained his calm expression. Jack turned his gaze back to Barry. "Think about who really saved you."
Then, with a crack of red lightning, Jack Kadere vanished from S.T.A.R. Labs.
For a long moment, silence filled the lab. Everyone stood in stunned disbelief, their thoughts colliding with one another.
Cisco finally broke it. "Guys… maybe we should, y'know, focus on the Rogues instead? There's only three of them left now, but they've been active again." His fingers flew across the keyboard as he monitored Central City's energy readings.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Red lightning raced across the streets of Central City. A heartbeat later, Jack Kadere came to a halt outside a power station on the outskirts of town.
The final metahuman he was hunting was here.
Farooq Gibran.
When the particle accelerator had exploded, Farooq and his friends had climbed a power tower to watch the event. The surge of energy struck him directly, electrocuting him. His friends tried desperately to save him, but Farooq's body lashed out instinctively, frying them with electricity. He had died… only to rise again, transformed.
Now, Farooq could drain electricity and discharge devastating currents. At first glance, his powers seemed limited. But he had once absorbed Barry Allen's Speed Force itself, temporarily stripping him of his powers. It was only after Barry endured another shock—forcing the Speed Force in his cells to reignite—that he had regained his speed. Later, Reverse-Flash would even use Farooq's unique biology to engineer a way to siphon off the Speed Force.
There was no denying it: Farooq's ability was dangerous.
Jack circled the power station until he spotted his target. Farooq's eyes glowed faintly white as his hands crackled with unstable electricity. He was feeding on the power grid, drinking in the energy like a man starved.
"Hey," Jack called out casually. "You know stealing electricity's a crime, right?"
Farooq turned slowly, his voice low and strained. "I… need… energy…" His arm twitched, and in a surge of desperation he flung a bolt of lightning at Jack.
Whoosh!
Jack blurred aside in a streak of red, the current striking harmlessly against the pavement. He grinned. "Thanks for showing off your trick. But I'll be taking that gift now. Which means, unfortunately for you… your story ends here."
Whoosh! Red lightning tore through the air as Jack Kadere appeared before his target. He didn't waste time with energy blasts that could be absorbed—this strike was nothing but raw strength, multiplied fiftyfold.
Bang!
His fist connected, and Farooq's head instantly crumpled, bursting apart in a spray of blood and flesh. The body staggered for a moment before collapsing lifelessly to the ground. Jack's hands ignited with blazing fire, and with a swift motion, he unleashed it.
The inferno consumed Farooq's remains in seconds. When the flames finally died down, only a thin layer of ash remained, scattered quickly into the air by the passing wind.
The reasoning was simple. Leaving Farooq alive meant danger. His ability to drain and manipulate electricity—and more importantly, Speed Force energy—made him a potential weapon for Reverse-Flash. By killing him and erasing the body, Jack ensured there was nothing left for Eobard Thawne to exploit. And now that Jack had copied Farooq's absorption ability for himself, he had a trump card: he could sap the Speed Force energy of both Barry Allen and Reverse-Flash whenever he chose.
Flash trying to alter the timeline? Not happening. Reverse-Flash building up enough Speed Force to return home? Out of the question.
Both of them were now trapped pieces on Jack Kadere's board, waiting to be played—or eliminated.
"No wonder Farooq hadn't made a move for so long after his powers manifested," Jack muttered to himself. "He was basically a dead man walking, kept alive only by draining energy. His hunger was endless. Me? I just get a little hungry—and eating fixes it."
With a smirk, Jack vanished in a streak of red lightning.
He reappeared at his villa. Laura was already there, and at his request, she quickly prepared a spread of food. Jack devoured it all, the gnawing emptiness in his body fading with each bite.
Laura lingered nearby, hesitant, before finally speaking. "What… what happened to you?"
Jack leaned back in his chair, wiping his mouth with deliberate calm. His gaze shifted toward her, a slow smile curling across his face. "This is the first time you've spoken to me on your own in a while, isn't it?"
"…" Laura's lips pressed into silence again.
These days, her routine was simple: cooking, cleaning, helping Jack with his experiments to unlock the Speed Force for herself. And when he demanded more from her—companionship, comfort—she gave it without protest. Whatever Jack Kadere wanted, Laura endured.