nitemare shape
Sep
Fetzen
Morden Man
The stranger's words set my mind racing, even moreso than usual. Meeting another speedster would be enough to throw me off my game. Meeting another speedster who apparently knows about the Speed Force? That's even stranger. As far as I know, Dr. Harrison Wells and I are the only two people on Earth to know of it, and I doubt Dr. Wells spilled the beans; he's not exactly the loquacious type, if you catch my meaning. But if all there were not enough, now this guy claims to come from the future! Before I can worry what that might mean about the mental stability of this "Professor Zoom," he flashes a grin and takes off down the street at speeds I've never witnessed -- well, never witnessed from anyone except me, that is.
It takes me a moment to catch up with Professor Zoom. He's no Quicksilver; I actually need to move at full speed to close the distance. What's interesting is that he doesn't appear to be running away. Rather, his head is on a swivel, seemingly drinking in all the sights as they blur past. "Incredible!" he exclaims. "Central City was so... small in the 21st Century! There's not a single building above one hundred floors!"
I eye Professor Zoom warily, growing more concerned with the conviction behind his story. "You seriously expect me to believe that you're from the future?" I ask with a single eyebrow raised beneath my cowl. "Howdja get here? DeLorean?"
"DeLorean?" Zoom repeats as we zip through a park. "How could I travel through time in a luxury hovercar? No, I used the Cosmic Treadmill, of course!" His face scrunches as the reference sails over my head. "Wait, you haven't developed the Cosmic Treadmill by this point in the timeline? Hmmm. Well, don't worry, Barry. You'll get there."
My eyes go wide. I lean forward and kick up my speed into the next gear. Swerving in front of Professor Zoom, I reach out my hand and press it hard against his chest, jolting him to a stop. Deathly serious, I ask, "Where did you hear that name?"
Zoom gives a confused half-smile. "What? 'Barry?' I told you already, Flash: I'm from your future. After you die, there's not much point in protecting the secret identity anymore, is there? You're right, though. I should be more formal in the field. No more slips, I promise." He runs his fingers across his lips, "zipping" them shut. With a twitch of his eyebrows, he smirks and races off again. As I catch up to him this time, he continues, "Oh, and while we're on the topic, don't bother asking about your death. I don't think it's a good idea if I tell you too much about your future."
"Gee, thanks," I frown.
As we reach the outskirts of the city, Professor Zoom finally comes to a stop. He gives an airy laugh, placing his hands on his hips and breathing deep through his nose. "You know, for the longest time, I dreamed of what it must've felt like. The power, the speed. And now I know." He turns to look back at me with a genuine smile spreading across his face. "It's all I could have ever hoped for." Letting his arms relax, Zoom takes a few steps towards me, turning his attention from me towards the Central City skyline behind us. "I want to see every inch of it. The way you saw it. To know the city that birthed the Flash. Where should we begin?"
I think for a moment. Zoom may well be off his rocker, but would it really be so strange? After everything I've seen, time-travelers feel like a natural extension. Besides, crazy or not, he certainly seems to mean well. In any case, there's somewhere I do want to take him. We can begin to sort through these problems one at a time. "Follow me," I nod. I lead him back into the heart of the city, back downtown with the supposedly "small" skyscrapers looming above us. As we approach our destination, the realization dawns on Zoom, and I hear him gasp in delight. I glance back to see that he's still on my heels as we arrive.
"Mercury Labs."
Getting inside is a breeze. Dr. Wells put an RFID chip inside the emblem on my chest; it allows me to pass through Mercury Labs' security without a hitch, and Professor Zoom is fast enough to swoop in behind me. Our arrival is heralded by the familiar sound of rushing air. Hunched over his desk, Dr. Wells doesn't even look up as he greets, "Mr. Allen. I saw your ceremony the other day. A bit ostentatious for my tastes, but I suppose..." Wells goes silent as he turns and notices the presence of a third person in our midst. "Oh. You brought a guest."
"This is Eobard Thawne. Eobard, meet--"
In a smear of red, Zoom appears as Dr. Wells' side. "Harrison Wells. Of course. You're the one who helped the Flash master the Speed Force," he states matter-of-factly. Taking Dr. Wells' hand, Zoom continues, "It is truly an honor to meet such an unsung hero from Barry's early career."
As Dr. Wells glances over Zoom's shoulder to give me a strange look, I explain, "Eobard isn't exactly from around here. I was hoping you could help us... clarify a few things."
* * *
I stand behind Dr. Wells, looking over his shoulder at the readouts on his computer screen -- though, admittedly, the science is beyond me. He's been quiet for some time; not a rare occurrence, but I can tell that this time is different. This is the kind of silence that signifies that Harrison Wells is deep in thought. Daring to disturb that concentration, I ask, "So, what's the early diagnosis? Is there any chance that what Eobard claims is true?" As the words leave my mouth, I glance across the lab. Thawne is seated, sans cowl, at the epicenter of many different machines. He slowly unhooks himself from each one, hazarding a smile whenever he catches us looking his way.
Dr. Wells leans back in his chair and rubs his forehead. "You have to understand, Mr. Allen. We are dealing with something so theoretical that even I cannot presume to declare anything a certainty."
I fold my arms. "But?"
"The energy readings coming off of Mr. Thawne are consistent with yours, indicating the presence of the Speed Force," he begins, pointing to one monitor comparing Thawne's scans with some of my own. Dr. Wells' finger slides down towards the second monitor as he explains, "But this -- this -- is what intrigues me. In addition to the Speed Force, Mr. Thawne appears to be bleeding traces of tachyonic energy. Now, that doesn't prove anything by itself, but it is something we might predict to find surrounding anyone or anything that can rupture the time barrier."
"Well, I'll be damned," Professor Zoom announces. We both look up to see him standing at the far side of the lab, gazing through the viewing window into the testing room that Dr. Wells built when I first approached him about my powers. He looks back at me and points through the glass. "There she is, Barry: the Cosmic Treadmill."
"Excuse me. Cosmic Treadmill?" Dr. Wells repeats. "I think you're mistaken, Mr. Thawne. That's just a machine I built to help the Flash siphon off excess Speed Force energy before he could control it."
Zoom laughs. "I used it to get here from the 25th Century; I think I know what I'm talking about. You're using it a siphon, but in the future you'll retrofit it so that the flow can go both ways. Rather than simply taking away Speed Force energy--"
"It will augment it," Dr. Wells finishes. "The pure energy will act as an accelerant, allowing the Flash to achieve speeds that are virtually impossible on his own, even allowing..."
"Passage through the time barrier," Professor Zoom nods.
Dr. Wells sinks back in his chair. "What are you thinking?" I ask.
He looks up at me. "I'm thinking Eobard Thawne might be telling the truth. I think he might actually be from the future."
