Ch - 93 Interactions with Future?

Upon failing to find any clues about the "dementor-like" entity from his investigation, "Barry" headed back to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Meanwhile, the team at S.T.A.R. Labs had been busy conducting their own search for the mysterious entity. When "Barry" arrived, he found everyone hard at work trying to locate the roaming threat. Seeing them so engrossed, "Barry" asked, "Have you figured out how to track that thing, Cisco?"

Cisco had noticed something off about "Barry" that day, but he still believed it was him—just acting strangely. So, when asked about their progress, Cisco replied honestly, "Nope, not yet, but I'm thinking of reconfiguring the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite to search for it. It might take some time, though."

Harrison Wells, who had been suspicious of "Barry's" odd behavior, was carefully observing every subtle change in his expressions. After years of monitoring Barry, he could detect the anger and hatred that "Barry" was desperately trying to hide. Though "Barry" did his best to suppress these emotions, he couldn't fool a master manipulator like Wells. Despite noticing "Barry's" hidden feelings, Wells didn't show any reaction and casually asked, "Have you encountered that thing before?"

"Um, well, I have seen it before," "Barry" replied, not realizing the significance of the question or the implications it had for time travelers.

This confirmation solidified Wells' suspicion that "Barry" was from the future.

Unaware of the danger behind the question, "Barry" casually added, "It was earlier today, actually, when I was running to stop Hartley."

Harrison Wells, maintaining his facade of a caring mentor, acted disappointed. "Uh-huh. You're just mentioning this now?"

"Barry" bristled at Wells' faux benevolence, barely restraining himself from calling him out. Still, he kept his focus on the mission at hand and replied, "I didn't... I mean, I didn't know what it was. I thought it was some kind of illusion? I don't know."

Swayam, having fully grasped the situation, was internally amused by the tension between "Barry" and Wells. The irony was palpable: this future or alternate timeline "Barry" clearly knew the truth about Wells—who he really was—and harbored hatred for him. Yet "Barry" was unaware that Wells had already figured out he was from the future. Even more ironic was that neither of them knew Swayam was privy to it all.

Sensing the growing awkwardness, Caitlin decided to break the tension. "Okay, well, we need to find it before it hurts someone," she said.

Cisco, overhearing, quickly added, "I'm on it."

As the situation calmed, Harrison Wells began rolling his wheelchair toward the inner sections of the lab. Without looking back, he spoke to "Barry," "Mr. Allen, please come with me."

"Barry," unaware of Wells' intentions, followed him without question. But Swayam, observing closely, realized that Wells was preparing to take action against "Barry," so he discreetly sent his tiny clone along to follow them.

Once inside the inner part of the lab, Wells led "Barry" to a seat and instructed him to sit. "Barry," thinking this was about the speed equation he had traveled back in time to obtain, asked, "Is this about the speed equation?"

"As a matter of fact, it is," Wells replied. As soon as "Barry" sat down, Wells, without warning, struck him from behind, knocking him out cold.

With "Barry" unconscious, Wells took him to the Time Vault. He had already deemed Swayam a threat he couldn't confront directly, so this was a precaution against Swayam's enhanced senses and hearing. Wells believed that if Swayam overheard the conversation he was about to have with "Barry," it would be disastrous. Little did Wells know, Swayam's minuscule clone was still watching, undetected.

***

After Harrison Wells took the unconscious "Barry" to the Time Vault and waited for him to regain consciousness, two speedsters suddenly phased into the room from behind him. One was Barry Allen, a future version of the "Barry" currently held captive, and the other was a female speedster—Nora West-Allen, from an even later point in the timeline.

Despite facing away from them, Wells immediately sensed their presence. "Well... things just got a lot more complicated, didn't they?"

He stood up from his chair and turned to face the new arrivals. Recognizing Barry immediately, he addressed him, "Barry Allen. But which Barry Allen? Clearly, you're from a lot later than this one," he said, gesturing to the captive "Barry."

The future Barry, visibly irritated by having to interact with the man who murdered his mother, curtly replied, "Way later."

Acknowledging this, Wells nodded before turning his attention to the other speedster. "And who's your friend? Let me guess—Jesse Chambers? No? Maybe Lawrence? Wait—Danica Williams?"

Growing even more agitated, Barry interrupted, "It doesn't matter who she is."

Wells smirked, already having figured it out. "She's your daughter." Pausing briefly, he added, "It's, um... Dawn, if I'm not mistaken."

Nora, who had been listening silently, corrected him. "Nora."

Feigning surprise, Wells quipped, "Oh, that's nice. At least you still have one. Time travel is so weird." He then turned serious, fixing his gaze on Barry. "What do you want, Allen?"

Wasting no time, Barry got to the point. "I need you to fix this for me," he said, showing him something in need of repair.

Wells, eyeing the item, responded cautiously, "No... no, if you're here, and he's here..." He gestured once again to the captive "Barry." "That means—"

Before Wells could finish, Barry cut him off sharply. "You don't get home."

This provoked an immediate outburst from Wells, who shouted, "I get home. I go home! I get everything—"

Barry, matching his intensity, interrupted again. "You don't go home, Thawne. Not unless you help me."

Thawne, visibly irritated, took a moment to process this. In his frustration, he even kicked the unconscious "Barry." Eventually, he asked, defeated, "What do you want?"

Barry repeated firmly, "Like I said. You're going to fix this for me."

Always calculating, Thawne attempted to pry more information from Barry, trying to figure out exactly what he was being asked to fix, and why. But both Barry and Nora remained tight-lipped, refusing to let anything slip—an unusual deviation from how things typically played out in the Flash TV show, which Swayam would have recognized had he remembered it fully.

When Thawne realized they wouldn't divulge anything further, he reluctantly helped him, just as the captive "Barry" began to wake up.

***

As "Barry" regained consciousness, he found his hand cuffed to Wells' wheelchair with a metahuman-dampening restraint. This particular model was modified to suppress a speedster's connection to the Speed Force.

Seeing that "Barry" was awake, Wells resumed his act, questioning him. "Now, who are you? I mean, who are you really?"

Still trying to play along, "Barry" feigned confusion. "Dr. Wells, what are you doing?"

But Wells wasn't buying it. "None of it adds up. The interference with the comms. The speed equation. The time wraith." He paused for effect. "The time wraith—that's what we call them. Scary, aren't they? When it showed up, I thought, 'Oh no, a time wraith has found me.' But then I realized, 'No, no, I'm aware of what I'm doing.' So the time wraith must be after someone else—someone who traveled through time and doesn't know what they're doing."

"Barry," still pretending to be unaware, insisted, "Dr. Wells, come on, it's me—Barry."

Wells, unimpressed by the act, continued. "You are good. You are good. I would believe you, except..." He suddenly used his speed to get up close to "Barry," hoping to catch a reaction. "Nothing? I move like this, and you barely flinch. You know who I am, don't you?"

Realizing he could no longer keep up the act, "Barry" attempted to phase his hand through the cuff, unaware it was a metahuman-dampening restraint. When he failed, the truth became evident.

Wells, watching "Barry" drop the pretense and struggle against the cuffs, played the part as if he had just figured it out. "Phasing... So, you're from a future where I've already taught you how to phase."