Chapter 101: Reverse Flash Thoughts

The Flash, frightened by a gun?

Su Sheng couldn't help but shake his head at the scene. Barry Allen, who had once questioned whether to use a gun or a knife, was now cowering in fear. Where had his confidence gone? Su Sheng couldn't help but think that Barry's resolve needed a serious reality check, one he himself might have to deliver. With that thought, Su Sheng disappeared in a flash of red lightning.

As for the Weather Wizard and Barry Allen? Their fates were no longer of concern to him—his objective had been achieved.

A gunshot echoed not long after Su Sheng left, marking the end of Clyde Mardon. The massive storm he had conjured in the city had naturally drawn the attention of the police, and Joe West arrived at the scene just in time to witness Clyde's powers and the Flash's efforts to stop him. Shocked by the scene, Joe West hesitated until Clyde Mardon pulled out a gun, and his instincts took over. He fired, and Clyde collapsed to the ground.

The storm was over, and the other officers, having just arrived, found Joe standing over Clyde's body. He barely had a moment to process what had happened before he noticed that the Flash had already disappeared.

Joe West may have brought the situation under control, but Barry Allen had bigger issues to face.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Sisko Ramon, Harrison Wells in his wheelchair, and Barry Allen were all staring intently at Caitlin Snow. Her discomfort was palpable as she finally confessed, "Okay, I admit it. It was Su Sheng who told me that Clyde Mardon would attack S.T.A.R. Labs."

That morning, Caitlin had refrained from telling the others about her encounter with Su Sheng the previous night. Given the urgency of the situation, Barry had immediately rushed to face Clyde Mardon without questioning how Caitlin knew about the attack.

"'Weather Wizard'—that's the name I just came up with for Clyde Mardon," Sisko interjected, before quickly returning to the topic at hand. "How did the Shock Maniac know the Weather Wizard would attack the lab?"

"He said he forced Clyde Mardon to do it," Caitlin hesitated.

"Who is this Su Sheng, or Shock Maniac?" Barry asked, confused.

"He's the guy who kidnapped Caitlin and forced me to make him a sonic device. Then, a woman named Huntress in Starling City kidnapped Caitlin to find out his whereabouts, but she was later saved by Black Canary, who's now using the sonic device I made," Sisko explained, a hint of pride in his voice. Seeing the lack of reaction from the others, he quickly refocused. "I call him Shock Maniac because he has superpowers—he can generate electricity!"

"He had superpowers before the particle accelerator explosion? Then why did he force Clyde Mardon to attack S.T.A.R. Labs?" Barry asked, both surprised and puzzled, as he turned to Caitlin.

"I… I don't know," Caitlin replied, though she had her suspicions about what Su Sheng had said the previous night. She still chose to keep those to herself.

"So the Shock Maniac is targeting us?" Sisko concluded.

"Barry, it's more likely that he's targeting you!" Harrison Wells interjected, adjusting his glasses. "If his goal was to attack the lab, he wouldn't have informed Caitlin in advance. His target is clearly you, Barry."

"Me? Why?" Barry said, even more perplexed. "I've never met him."

"You have," Caitlin interrupted. "He's the guy with the red speed you've seen before, but he's not the one who killed your mother."

"Speed Force?" Dr. Harrison Wells was taken aback. Until now, he hadn't mentioned the term "Speed Force" to Caitlin, so how could she know? Was it Su Sheng? Could he also have super speed?

"It's him!" Barry exclaimed, not dwelling on the Speed Force, but focusing instead on what Caitlin had just revealed. "How do you know? Have you met him?"

"I… I saw him last night," Caitlin admitted. Since Su Sheng hadn't hidden the fact that he possessed the Speed Force and had already encountered Barry, she figured it was safe to share. At the very least, it would help clear up Barry's misunderstanding that Su Sheng was his mother's murderer.

"I need to meet him," Barry said, his tone serious.

Caitlin shook her head helplessly. "His phone is off. I'll let you know if I get in touch with him."

Barry nodded in agreement.

"For now, let's set aside whether or not he killed Barry's mother," Harrison Wells said, his tone deliberate. "What's clear is that this person has the same speed as Barry, and his intentions toward Barry are unclear. So, for your safety, be cautious. No one knows what he's planning next." Harrison Wells was more anxious than anyone. A speedster of unknown origin who seemed to know far too much was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

His primary goal was to keep Barry Allen safe and make him faster, so he had to find a way to deal with Su Sheng. Killing Su Sheng in his current state would be difficult, but perhaps he could drive him away or cause enough trouble to distract him from Barry.

Maybe he could use the Huntress or Black Canary, both of whom had been searching for Su Sheng?

Meanwhile, back at his villa, Su Sheng was chatting with Riley and Valentina. "If I understood correctly, you both want to leave for a while?" he asked with a chuckle.

Riley hurriedly clarified, "Of course, we don't want to leave you, Master. We just want to find a quiet place to train our abilities and learn more about this era and the world. We believe that by evolving and improving ourselves, we can serve you better."

"If you need us, we'll return immediately," Valentina added.

"I want to visit the Soviet Union again, even though… it's been dissolved," she said wistfully.

"Don't be so tense," Su Sheng replied with a nonchalant smile. "If you want to go, go. I get bored seeing the same faces every day anyway. Besides, I don't want to keep explaining everything to you every time something new happens. Take this opportunity to learn more about history."

"I've already asked Laura to take care of you for us," Riley added hastily.

"Alright, alright, off you go," Su Sheng waved them off with a smile.

It just so happened that he had plans to experiment with Laura and see if she could develop her own speed.

Author's Note: The Speed Force is a complex and sometimes contradictory concept, so I've laid out a rough plan for it. I've been thinking about the differences between the two Speed Forces to make it easier for everyone to understand. It's like the difference between a private company and a state-owned enterprise. While Su Sheng's Speed Force is like a private enterprise—capable of growing faster and stronger through infinite stacking—it can eventually surpass even a state-owned enterprise. However, even if Su Sheng's Speed Force becomes as powerful as a state-owned entity, it still won't be recognized by the world's will or any official status, making it more akin to a national enterprise without formal recognition.

That's the gist of it. I'm actually looking forward to creating a whole bunch of speedsters for Su Sheng. Not only could they help recharge the Speed Force and expand its influence, but it would also be fun to see if they resonate with Su Sheng's character. I hope you'll enjoy it too.