Ethan glanced at the 'friendly' looking Harrison Wells and motioned for Thea to go in first.
After two years of training and interacting with Ethan, Thea knew well that he wasn't the kind of person who would act chivalrous just to let a "lady" go first. His letting her enter ahead of him was clearly a precaution against Harrison Wells.
Although she didn't understand why she should be wary of a scientist in a wheelchair, Thea had already learned an important lesson: this world was far more complicated than she had imagined, and no one should be underestimated.
Stepping into the mysterious room, Thea saw the lights turn on. The room wasn't large, and she could see everything inside at a glance. Besides a cylindrical object with an unclear purpose, there was nothing else.
From the sound of footsteps, she could tell Ethan was right behind her, and Dr. Wells had followed in his automatic wheelchair. When the door closed behind them, Thea turned around, intending to ask what they were supposed to see here.
Just as she turned, she felt a strange energy fluctuation. Almost simultaneously, a red blur appeared in front of her eyes, and she saw Dr. Wells being lifted off the ground, choked by Ethan.
"Uh..."
"This... how... is this possible?"
Thea saw Ethan, relaxed as ever, one hand in his pocket, the other lifting Dr. Wells by the neck. Dr. Wells, on the other hand, wore a look of complete disbelief, and now and then, red lightning flickered across his body.
"Speed Force?"
"Something like that. Though the source is quite interesting."
The Reverse-Flash's Speed Force came from Barry Allen. This was why he worked so hard to ensure the Flash existed. In terms of causality, without the Flash, there would be no Reverse-Flash.
"Who... exactly... are... you?"
Ethan loosened his grip slightly, but Dr. Wells didn't fall. He remained suspended in mid-air, still restrained by Ethan's magic.
As Ethan increased his magical output, pale blue energy spread out and bound Wells in mid-air, holding him in a spread-eagle position.
"Just a passerby with a little interest in the Speed Force."
Wells's expression darkened. Not because of Ethan's words, but because he realized that no matter what he did, he couldn't break free from this restraint.
He had very little Speed Force left. Although Barry Allen had awakened his super speed, he was still too young and hadn't started generating the Speed Force on his own.
Until Barry reached the point where he could create Speed Force, the Reverse-Flash's powers would remain incomplete. This was his weakest moment.
"You knew who I was all along?"
"Eobard Thawne."
"..."
That was the Reverse-Flash's real name. He had come from the future, believing that by erasing the Flash, he would finally win. What he hadn't expected was that erasing the Flash would also erase himself.
His powers had gradually faded. Most critically, after eliminating the Flash, he could no longer connect to the Speed Force and was unable to return to his own time. He was stranded here.
To go back, the Reverse-Flash had to make Barry Allen become the Flash again. For that, he took the place of Harrison Wells (having killed the real Wells of this era) and continued his plan under that identity.
His secret should have remained undiscovered, yet someone who knew his true identity had appeared.
"Who exactly are you?"
"I told you. Just a passerby with a bit of interest in the Speed Force."
Ethan found it tiring to keep his hand raised, so he released Wells.
He wasn't worried about what the unrestrained Reverse-Flash might do. This guy was extremely cunning and patient. The fact that he had endured for years to carry out his plan proved that.
Wells, now on the floor, moved slightly. After confirming he was free, he didn't use his speed to escape. Instead, he calmly rubbed his neck and returned to his wheelchair.
Although he had immense confidence in the Speed Force, believing that only speedsters could match speedsters, he was currently at his weakest. Most importantly, he had gotten so far. Victory was within reach. He couldn't afford to walk away now.
He needed to ensure his plan succeeded. More importantly, he could tell that Ethan had no intention of killing him, which gave him some wiggle room.
"You want the Speed Force?"
The Speed Force was unimaginably powerful, so it wasn't surprising that someone would desire it. Even the Reverse-Flash himself had become obsessed with it, eventually turning into what he was now.
So when someone else showed interest in the Speed Force, Reverse-Flash felt a faint sense of recognition, even similarity.
"I need it for something important."
Reverse-Flash carefully observed Ethan, trying to glean something from his expression. But Ethan remained calm, relaxed, and gave nothing away.
"You want me to help you?"
Ethan's expression shifted slightly. A small, clear smile appeared on his face. But that subtle smile only made Reverse-Flash more confused. He couldn't tell what Ethan was thinking.
"I don't need your help. You need Barry to master the Speed Force no matter what."
Reverse-Flash fell silent again. This man understood his situation completely, knowing that he had no choice but to help Barry become the Flash. He hadn't come here to negotiate. He was just waiting.
Reverse-Flash suddenly realized that Ethan had kept a low profile all along, observing quietly from the sidelines. He had been waiting for the right moment.
Realizing this, Reverse-Flash was furious. It was like spending years cultivating something, only for someone else to swoop in and steal the fruit.
It was unbearable.
But what could he do? He couldn't defeat Ethan right now, and abandoning Barry's training wasn't an option either.
He was caught in a deadlock. Ethan had spoken the truth. He didn't need help.
"Who are you, really?"
Reverse-Flash asked again. Ethan still had his hands in his pockets, seemingly about to repeat the same line, so Reverse-Flash cut him off.
"Don't give me that 'passerby' answer. I want to know who you really are."
Ethan paused for a moment. Although he didn't care about the Reverse-Flash's feelings, this man was still the only one who could teach Barry how to use his powers better and master the Speed Force faster. Agitating him too much would only create trouble.
As for his identity? He had never tried to hide it. There was no need to.
"Do you know Zeus?"
"The King of the Gods from Greek mythology?"
"Uh-huh."
Reverse-Flash saw Ethan nod and didn't understand why mythology had suddenly come up.
"Are you telling me you're the legendary King of the Gods?"
His tone was laced with mockery. As a brilliant scientist, Reverse-Flash naturally didn't believe in myths and legends. In his eyes, they were just ancient stories, or perhaps those 'gods' were just individuals with special abilities, worshipped by ignorant people.
"I'm not Zeus. I'm just saying I can, at a stretch, be considered someone with ties to that King of the Gods."
"..."
Reverse-Flash gave a look that screamed "yeah, right." It was obvious he wasn't going to get any answers. So he turned his attention to whether his plan could still proceed.
"Continue your plan."
Before he could make a decision, Ethan said this directly.
"That's your only value to me."
"You think you've got me cornered?"
Ethan wasn't particularly tall, but facing Wells in his wheelchair, he easily assumed a superior posture, looking down on him with disdain.
"The fact that you want to kill me but can only sit here and get mocked—doesn't that prove it?"
After saying this, Ethan ignored the Reverse-Flash and left with Thea.
After walking some distance down the corridor, Thea finally asked about Harrison Wells, and only then did she understand the situation.
"So that Reverse-Flash is someone from the future?"
"Yes."
"And now you're going to work with him?"
Ethan didn't kill the Reverse-Flash, and from what he said earlier, he didn't plan to capture or expose him either. Did that mean they were going to cooperate?
"Not exactly cooperation. Just making sure he doesn't interfere..."
Ethan thought for a moment. The Reverse-Flash wasn't the kind of person who played fair. If he couldn't touch Ethan directly, he might go after the people around him.
Of course, Ada and Tony didn't need protection. But with Thea's current level, she wouldn't stand a chance against a speedster.
"Don't go anywhere alone for a while."
Thea nodded. From that earlier flash attack, she could tell she stood no chance against someone with super speed. If he wanted to kill her, she probably wouldn't even realize it before she died.
Under those circumstances, she wasn't going to gamble with her life. At the same time, she was also curious.
Ethan clearly didn't have the Speed Force. So how was his reaction so fast? And how had he managed to suppress the Reverse-Flash?
(To be continued.)