Ch - 96 Suspicion?

As events unfolded in the metahuman prison pipeline, inside the time vault, Eobard Thawne grew increasingly anxious. He feared that if the Time Wraith targeted this future version of Barry, it might also detect his presence and the countless abnormalities he had caused throughout the timeline. His panic flared as he threatened future Barry. "You let it track you here! If that thing comes after me and ruins my plans, you're all dead!" Thawne's usually calm demeanor cracked, revealing the depths of his fear.

Meanwhile, in the pipeline prison, the tension was palpable. Cisco, Caitlin, Hartley, and Swayam were all on edge, unsure how long the Time Wraith would remain still. There was a shared sense of dread that the shadowy entity might suddenly lash out at Swayam—and, after him, the rest of them. Everyone was panicking, unsure of what to do next.

Desperate for a solution, Cisco had an idea. He turned toward Hartley's sonic gloves, thinking they might disrupt the wraith. However, as he was about to use them, Hartley quickly intervened, stopping Cisco in his tracks. "If you use them," Hartley warned, "they'll shatter the glass—the only thing protecting us from that thing!"

Cisco, frustrated, snapped at Hartley. "You got a better plan?"

Hartley, recognizing the gravity of the situation, dropped his usual smugness and replied seriously, "As a matter of fact, I do. But you'll have to return my gloves."

Despite the dire situation, Cisco hesitated. Trusting Hartley wasn't something that came easily. However, Caitlin, terrified for Swayam, anxiously pleaded with Cisco. "Just give him the gloves, Cisco! We don't have time!"

Reluctantly, Cisco handed over the gloves. Once Hartley had them, he immediately began reconfiguring their frequency, working with focused precision. Cisco, still suspicious, couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

Without looking up, Hartley explained, "If I'm not mistaken, the cells have speakers connected throughout S.T.A.R. Labs."

Cisco, confused, pressed further. "Yeah, so? What does that have to do with your gloves?"

Hartley finished his adjustments before replying, "I rigged my gloves to emit a destructive signal as a failsafe if they were ever disarmed. But now, with our lives on the line, I'm tuning them to match the frequency of that… thing. Once I hit the right note, let's just say you'll be glad you're in here with me."

With that, Hartley activated the gloves. A powerful sonic frequency emitted from them, spreading through the speakers. The Time Wraith let out a chilling screech, visibly distressed by the sound. Its dark form wavered in discomfort before retreating and disappearing entirely, as if driven away by the noise.

Just as the Wraith vanished, Barry entered the room alongside the disguised Eobard Thawne, still posing as Harrison Wells. "Harrison" hurriedly approached, about to ask if everyone was alright, but before he could, Swayam, who had been standing by the control panel, deactivated the prison cell's glass door, freeing the trio.

Caitlin immediately rushed to Swayam, her fear for him overwhelming. She hugged him tightly, her eyes scanning him for any signs of injury. Despite witnessing that the Wraith hadn't dared to approach him, she couldn't shake her worry. "Are you okay?" she asked frantically, inspecting him for any harm.

While Caitlin fussed over Swayam, Thawne—under his "Harrison Wells" persona—watched with calculating eyes. The Time Wraith's bizarre reaction to Swayam was troubling. A creature feared by all speedsters had hesitated before Swayam, an anomaly in the timeline. Thawne's instincts told him to keep a close eye on Swayam from now on.

As he mulled over this, Barry turned to Cisco, asking him to explain what had just transpired. Cisco, still rattled, recounted the events. "Inky's gone. I don't see anything now. And... as much as I don't want to admit it, if Swayam hadn't been here, we'd have been toast. A hundred percent. And, I guess, if Hartley hadn't used his gloves, that thing would still be here."

Thawne's thoughts, however, were elsewhere. His suspicions about Swayam had deepened. Though he had suspected Swayam's existence was something more than a simple anomaly, he couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of his presence. It wasn't just that Swayam disrupted the timeline; there was something more elusive, something that even the Time Wraith hesitated to confront. And while Eobard had always been able to read others well, understanding their motivations and weaknesses, he found Swayam's nature frustratingly opaque. For the first time in a long while, Thawne felt uncertain—and he didn't like it one bit.

Though Swayam had likely sensed Thawne's unease, he continued to play oblivious, masking his own awareness of the growing suspicion around him. For now, maintaining that illusion would be his best strategy.