Chapter 17: Unraveling Secrets.

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Felicity scoffed, "Barry, do you hear—"

"Why do you think it's Sebastian Blood?" Oliver interrupted, cutting off Felicity's incredulous look.

I smiled, rubbing my hands together. "It's simple. First, there's the attack on the Mayor, then Sebastian suddenly decides to run for Mayor."

"That doesn't necessarily mean he's involved," Diggle said, unconvinced.

"Alright, how about this: He's hosting a blood drive the same night our suspect gets his performance-enhancing drugs. Two coincidences are too much to ignore," I countered.

Oliver, realizing he had overlooked this, mentally chided himself. He should have linked Sebastian Blood to the recent events sooner. Determined, he suited up, grabbing his bow and sliding a quiver of arrows onto his back.

"What are you doing?" Felicity asked.

"I'm going to get some answers from Mayor Blood," Oliver sneered.

"No, you can't. We don't have proof of his involvement," Felicity protested.

"Last I checked, you're not the team leader," I said, supporting Oliver's decision.

Felicity glared at me.

"But Barry's right," Oliver said, nodding. "If we're wrong, we've tortured an innocent man. If we're right, he'll know we're onto him."

"So what do we do?" Diggle asked. "We can't just break into the hospital. He'll know we're onto him."

"I have an idea that could work for both getting information and finding Cyrus Gold," I suggested.

Oliver crossed his arms. "I'm listening."

I outlined my plan: I would break into the hospital discreetly while Oliver searched for Cyrus Gold. Oliver was reluctant, worried for my safety, but I convinced him. Sneaking into the hospital was relatively easy; the security guards were half asleep.

"Find anything yet?" Felicity whispered.

A guard snored nearby.

"Felicity, keep it down or I'll get caught," I whispered back.

"Sorry," she replied.

After searching through numerous rooms, I finally located a rack carrying nine vials of Mirrakrau.

"I think I've found Blood's secret stash of Mirrakrau," I said, activating my comm link.

Meanwhile, Oliver's encounter with Cyrus Gold went as expected from the TV show, except he didn't suffer any hallucinations. I advised Oliver to invest in foam arrows, electric arrows, and smoke bombs for escape if outnumbered. I also provided him with an improved mask for better anonymity.

"You found this at the hospital?" Oliver asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and confirmation.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Then that means…" Felicity began, realization dawning on her.

"Sebastian Blood is behind this," Diggle finished.

"Which leaves us with more questions: How did he get his hands on Mirrakrau? What's he after?" I pondered.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I'm going to find out," Oliver said with determination.

"I wish I could stay and help more, but I'd like to keep my job," I said, adding mentally that I wanted to retain my superpowers as well.

"Barry, I want to thank you for all your help," Oliver said, extending his hand.

I shook it, acknowledging the mutual respect between us.

"No problem. Before I go, may I offer a piece of advice?" I asked.

"What kind of advice?" Oliver inquired.

"Don't lie to your family to keep them safe. It's a lesson I learned the hard way," I advised.

Oliver started to protest, but I cut him off. "I'm not saying you should tell them now. Just something to consider. Trust me, I know."

"I'll… keep that in mind," Oliver said.

I hoped he would take it to heart. The last thing I wanted was for Thea to harm Sarah.

**Three Hours Until the Particle Accelerator Explosion**

The countdown to the particle accelerator explosion had begun, and my excitement was palpable. Soon, I would have the ability to move faster than the speed of sound. I wondered what it would be like to see time slow down around me and to run at incredible speeds. I had my biometric enhancer and all the necessary ingredients, including V-10, the same chemicals that create speedsters. Oliver had left the Mirrakrau with me, trusting I could find a cure. I started the chemical analysis, which would likely take days, maybe even a week. The Japanese scientists' work was decades ahead of its time. I considered taking the serum myself but decided against it until I could understand its effects fully and address its side effects.

"I'm ready to see this so-called atom smasher in action," Iris quipped as she walked into the CSI lab.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"The particle accelerator, obviously," Iris replied.

"Yes, it's going to revolutionize our understanding of science," I said fondly. It would break the laws of physics, enabling weather manipulation and time travel. I had made some changes, but so far, there were no ripple effects.

"I know, that's why I decided to spend some time with my family," came a familiar voice.

It was Wally West.

"Oh, I might have forgotten to mention that my little brother decided to spend some time with his family," Iris said.

"Yeah, I figured now was a good time to reconnect with my family," Wally said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

We hadn't had much contact with Wally recently, apart from a few phone calls with Iris or Joe.

"Wally, things don't have to be awkward between us. We can bond as siblings," I said, trying to ease the tension.

"And get to know your father," Joe added as he walked in.

"Joe, what are you doing here? I thought you were investigating the farms for the Mardon brothers," I asked.

"Ralph took over the investigation so we could spend some time together," Joe explained with a smile.

That was nice of Ralph, but it might look suspicious to Eobard if Kid Flash and Detective West were both present when the accelerator was turned on. I knew there was some risk in patenting my nanotechnology, but I didn't think Eobard would suspect me. Ralph could end up being the one targeted instead of Chyre, Joe's former partner mentioned in the season premiere.

I shook my head; I couldn't afford to dwell on what-ifs right now.

"Speaking of which, where's August?" Iris asked.

"Who's August?" Wally asked, curious.

"He's one of the forensic scientists here and an old friend," Joe answered.

"He mentioned something about a trip to Coast City," I said, adding, "Why he wanted to go there, I don't know. He said it was personal."

"A trip to Coast City? That's odd," Iris remarked.

A mystery for another time, I suppose.

**One Hour and Fifteen Minutes Until the Particle Accelerator Explosion**

"So, you're looking into a career working on scramjets?"

"Yeah, because it's the fastest way humans can travel. They create a sonic boom when they move fast enough."

"You're really into speed, aren't you?" I said.

"Yeah, I've always enjoyed the rush of adrenaline," Wally admitted.

As we drove toward the particle accelerator, I chatted with Wally. Despite my initial worries, he wasn't resentful or jealous. It was clear he got along well with Joe, discussing their likes and dislikes.

"How have things been with your mom?" I asked.

Wally sighed. "Not great. I can barely look at her without seeing the person who kept me from my dad, my sister, and you."

"Wally, holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. You need to move past it," I advised.

"I don't know how," Wally admitted.

"Start by talking to her," I suggested.

Joe's car came to a stop. "We're here."