Ch -103 "Barry"?

While Barry was busy investigating how Hartley had vandalized Harrison Wells' house, the rest of the team at S.T.A.R. Labs kept themselves occupied by monitoring news channels and police communications for any updates. As they scanned the airwaves, a breaking news story caught their attention: Rathaway Industries was under attack. Cisco immediately reached for his phone to inform Barry, but when Barry picked up, he was already ahead of them.

"I think I know why you're calling, Cisco," Barry said before Cisco could even speak. Without waiting for a reply, Barry hung up and quickly donned his Flash suit, which he had kept close by for just such an emergency.

Since Barry had asked Swayam to stay behind and keep an eye on the others, Swayam decided to let Barry handle the situation on his own. Barry was more than capable, and it was his moment to shine as the hero Central City needed.

When Barry arrived at Rathaway Industries, he found Hartley in the midst of vandalizing the building, effortlessly destroying CCPD vehicles with a pair of sonic technology gloves. Every officer who tried to approach was swiftly dealt with, sent flying by Hartley's sonic blasts. Watching Hartley wreak havoc, Barry wasted no time. Using his super-speed, he rushed Hartley and tackled him to the ground.

"It's over, Rathaway," Barry said firmly, hoping to end the confrontation quickly.

Hartley, lying on the ground, looked up at Barry with a calculating expression. The moment he heard Barry speak his name, he realized that the Flash wasn't just some random hero. Hartley quickly deduced that the Flash must be connected to S.T.A.R. Labs and Wells. "You know my name," Hartley said, a knowing smirk on his face. "I know some names too: Caitlin Snow. Cisco Ramon. Harrison Wells."

Just as Barry prepared to respond, his communication system started acting up. A low-pitched frequency distorted his comms, cutting off any direct line with the team back at S.T.A.R. Labs. The interference was sudden and intense.

At the lab, Caitlin, Cisco, and Swayam were just as confused. Cisco, ever the tech expert, quickly theorized that Hartley's sonic gloves were responsible for the disruption. "That must be it," Cisco said. "Whatever Hartley's using, it's messing with our comms."

After a few moments, the interference stopped, and Barry could hear again. He focused back on Hartley, who was grinning with a smug confidence.

"I can hear their radio waves emanating from your suit," Hartley said, his voice dripping with menace. "About 1900 megahertz. Is that them on the other end, listening? Are they going to hear you die?"

Barry, confident in his abilities and the progress he had made in his training, shot Hartley a defiant look. "No," he said, his voice filled with determination. "They're going to hear you get your ass kicked."

Hartley scoffed at Barry's confidence. "Okay," he said, his smirk deepening. In a flash, he activated his sonic blasters and sent Barry flying through the air. The force of the attack sent Barry crashing into the giant Rathaway Industries logo, which shattered upon impact.

Just as the logo came crashing down, something completely unexpected happened. A blur of orangish-red streaked through the scene, catching Barry before he could hit the ground. Hartley, assuming the Flash had run away in fear, began taunting him.

"Is that all it takes to scare you off?" Hartley shouted, his voice mocking. "And he chose you over me? Where are you, oh chosen one?"

Hartley continued to taunt the Flash, believing he had won the battle, but his confidence was short-lived. Barry—or what appeared to be Barry—returned moments later, throwing police batons at Hartley to distract him. As Hartley turned, "Barry" moved in close, swiftly disarming Hartley of his sonic gloves.

"Got you again," the figure said, his voice sounding like Barry's but with an odd undertone. The others at S.T.A.R. Labs heard the exchange, but none of them questioned the phrasing—except for Swayam. Something about the way "Barry" had spoken seemed off, but Swayam couldn't quite place it, so he let it slide.

"Looks like you're not as smart as everyone says, huh?" the figure taunted, holding Hartley's gloves in his hands.

Hartley's eyes burned with anger. "Smart enough to have figured out who Harrison Wells really is. You see, I know his secret," Hartley hissed.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco was still troubleshooting the comms when he heard Hartley's declaration. Concerned, he quickly contacted Barry. "Barry? Are you there?" Cisco asked, hoping for a response.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm back," "Barry" replied, though there was a slight relief in his voice. "I'm bringing Hartley in." After securing Hartley, "Barry" made his way back to S.T.A.R. Labs with the captured criminal in tow.

When they arrived at the lab, something strange happened. As soon as "Barry" entered the room, he spotted Swayam, an unknown individual to him, standing next to Caitlin. She was also somewhat different from the one he was familiar with, as in, she had a few strands of cyan-blue hair—a detail that seemed to visibly confuse him. It was a fleeting moment, but noticeable to anyone paying attention. His eyes lingered on Swayam and Caitlin for just a second too long.

Swayam noticed the look of confusion in "Barry's" eyes, and something inside him stirred. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't quite figure out what. Everyone else was too focused on Hartley's capture to notice, but Swayam made a mental note to stay vigilant. Whatever was going on, it was far from over.