The Plan

Joe tempered Barry's impulsive heart with a stern command: "Barry, leave the investigation to me for now. You see him frequently at S.T.A.R. Labs; don't act rashly."

...

In the Time Vault, Wells rubbed his protruding belly, still feeling the effects of the enchanting Eastern cuisine that seemed to defy satiety. Even two hours later, his stomach felt pleasingly distended. After indulging a bit too much, he burped contentedly and turned his attention to the recorded footage before him.

The screen displayed Joe and Barry's clear conversation, and Wells listened intently, his gaze sharpening as Joe's voice echoed, "My gut tells me we need to look into Harrison Wells."

Wells murmured to himself with a hint of respect, "Detective West, you are indeed an exceptional officer." After pondering Joe's words briefly, he decided to take action.

"Gideon, show me the future," Wells commanded.

"Of course, Doctor," the AI replied, projecting a holographic newspaper article from 2025 detailing the disappearance of The Flash.

The future remained unaltered.

"Bring up my journal, Gideon. I have new entries to add," Wells instructed as he paced.

The screen filled with a running log of entries, and Gideon generated a new one, documenting Wells' spoken words.

"Everything is back on track. The chaos caused by the time traveler Elon has been corrected. His appointment as a consultant at S.T.A.R. Labs and his role in capturing metahumans have not affected the future. It seems he is not significant in the grand scheme of history."

"Elon's identity remains uncertain. He claims to be an ordinary person from another world, sucked into ours by a vortex. His desire to return, his frenzied acquisition of knowledge, and the emotions he displays all seem genuine. But to me, his credibility is... zero."

"Elon is an unstable variable. His determination, sharp intellect, and keen instincts will eventually lead him to realize that I was the one who attacked him that night. He must be eliminated. The faster Barry runs, the sooner Elon will meet his end."

"For now, stabilizing him is the priority. There are traces of the Speed Force in him, yet it is unclear if he truly possesses it. His ability to manipulate electronics and generate magnetic fields, controlling both his own bio-magnetic field and Barry's, indicates a control over bio-magnetic fields."

"Molecular cellular restructuring and high-frequency vibration will render all he controls ineffective, even if he were to grasp my 'Wells' bio-magnetic field."

Wells' voice took on a chilling note as he continued.

"Only a speedster can contend with another speedster."

"Barry's foster father, Joe West, has begun to suspect me. His suspicions are baseless and far-fetched, based only on intuition. I need to dispel these doubts. The relationship between Barry and me cannot be allowed to deteriorate. I need concrete evidence to quell West's suspicions."

"End of entry."

"Save," Wells concluded with a snap of his fingers.

"Gideon, activate the surveillance in the underground training room," he instructed.

"Activating, Doctor," Gideon responded.

Eight screens lit up, each showing a different angle of the underground training room. There were new punching bags, a pockmarked steel wall, iron blocks suspended by steel cables, modified baseball pitching machines, and near the entrance, a large refrigerator.

These items comprised Elon's training ground.

On the screens, Elon sat cross-legged, his eyes closed in apparent meditation.

"Meditation? Cultivation?" Wells mused. "The mysteries of the Orient are profound and inscrutable, but against the intelligence and technology of a century, and the grandeur of the Speed Force, they are insurmountable."

A look of pity crossed Wells' face, as if he were regarding an ignorant ancient hominid. He turned and settled into his wheelchair.

"Gideon, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Doctor," the AI replied.

Wells wheeled out of the Time Vault, leaving S.T.A.R. Labs behind.

Thirty minutes later in the training room, Elon slowly opened his eyes. It wasn't meditation or cultivation; he had been using his magnetic field to sense Wells, waiting until he was sure Wells had left before he dared to move.

Aware that S.T.A.R. Labs and all of Central City were under Wells' surveillance, Elon knew he had to act rationally, without arousing suspicion.

His supercharged mind began planning his next moves. First, Barry was crucial; his speed needed to increase rapidly. Second, Wells' 25th-century technology couldn't be overlooked, especially if Elon hoped to navigate back through the vortex. Third, understanding Wells' bio-magnetic field and cellular structure was essential for future confrontations. And fourth, the metahuman known as Blackout, who could absorb the Speed Force, warranted further investigation.

Elon's path forward was clear but limited. For now, he would aid Barry in combating metahumans and ensure his safety, all while pushing him to run faster.

In the meantime, Elon's focus was on learning – absorbing knowledge and extracting what he could from Wells.

After organizing his thoughts, Elon retrieved several boxes of ice cream from the refrigerator. As he enjoyed his late-night treat, he pondered what to cook for dinner the next day – a meal that would satisfy him even if his guests joined, leaving them helplessly full yet again.