Laura/ Silk Spectre ii
****
Starling City was in turmoil after Thea Queen's kidnapping, but Central City was faring even worse.
The trio of metahumans—already dangerous enough—had become even more unrestrained after the sudden disappearance of the Flash. With Barry Allen gone, crime surged unchecked. Joe West had been forced into hiding, Caitlin Snow had been abducted, and even Oliver Queen had returned to Starling City to protect his family. But despite his best efforts, his sister Thea still ended up taken by Jack Kadere.
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Harrison Wells and Cisco Ramon were working around the clock to restore Barry's speed, but their progress was agonizingly slow. Outside, criminals ran wild while citizens cried out for their hero. Barry Allen was consumed by guilt. Every broken building, every desperate scream seemed to weigh on him. He regretted the choices he had made, wondering if his failures had doomed the city.
A sudden streak of crimson lightning split the night sky. Jack Kadere arrived at his villa with Thea Queen—and with the real Harrison Wells.
Thea steadied herself as she looked around the lavish interior, still disoriented. "Uh… is this really your home?" she asked cautiously.
"Laura," Jack called out.
From inside, Laura appeared, cool and composed.
"Arrange a room for her. She'll be staying here for now," Jack instructed.
Laura gave a slight nod and gestured for Thea to follow. Thea hesitated but soon walked alongside her, striking up tentative small talk as they disappeared down the hall.
Meanwhile, Jack entered the holding area of his ship, The Disciple. Caitlin Snow was already there, startled to see him dragging in a sealed body bag. She stood up at once, her eyes wide and filled with alarm.
"Who… who is that?" she asked nervously, clutching the edge of her thin hospital gown.
"Harrison Wells," Jack said flatly, dropping the body bag onto the floor.
Caitlin froze. "Dr. Wells? You… you killed him? Why? Why would you think he's the Reverse-Flash?" Her voice trembled, equal parts fear and anger.
Jack tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "Why are you so certain he isn't?"
He unzipped the bag. Inside lay the withered corpse of a man.
Caitlin's breath caught in her throat. "What… what is this?"
"This is the real Dr. Harrison Wells," Jack explained. "Fifteen years ago, Wells and his wife were in a car accident. His wife died. He then left Starling City to build S.T.A.R. Labs here in Central City. What you see here is his body. You can run any test you want. If this is the real Wells, then…"
"Then who's the man we've been working with all this time?" Caitlin whispered, horrified.
Her faith in Dr. Wells had been absolute. Even when Jack had insisted Wells was the Reverse-Flash, she had refused to believe it. But now, confronted with a corpse and Jack's calm certainty, the truth pressed in on her.
Jack opened her cell door and tossed her a dress. "Get changed. You're coming with me."
Caitlin quickly slipped it on, her mind racing, then followed Jack as he carried the body bag deeper into The Disciple.
She glanced around, finally realizing the true scope of where she was. "This… this is a spaceship?"
Jack smirked. "The Disciple. More than a spaceship—it can travel through time."
Her eyes widened. "That explains it. That's how you always know things we don't."
"If that's how you want to see it, sure." Jack shrugged. "But we're wasting time. Let's finish this."
Nodding reluctantly, Caitlin turned her focus to the lab. With trembling hands, she began her examination of the corpse. Jack leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, watching her every move.
…
Half an hour later, the results were in.
"Aren't you going to look?" Seeing Caitlin Snow hesitate, Jack Kadere guided her to the screen, gently lifting her chin so she had to face it.
"How… how is this possible?" Caitlin's face went pale. "This is really Harrison Wells's body… then the man in the lab is…" She turned to Jack, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry, I… I misunderstood you!"
"Your misunderstanding is irrelevant. This is just a game between me and the Reverse-Flash," Jack replied with a detached shake of his head.
"I'm truly sorry. If that trap had worked, I wouldn't have just hurt you… I would have let him win." Caitlin was consumed with guilt. She never imagined the Dr. Harrison Wells she respected was an imposter. "I have to tell Cisco and Barry. Right now."
"I'll take you," Jack said. "I really want to see the Reverse-Flash's reaction."
After securing the body, Jack Kadere escorted Caitlin Snow and the evidence to S.T.A.R. Labs.
They arrived to see a streak of yellow lightning flashing wildly inside the building. Barry Allen had regained his speed.
"It's you!" Barry skidded to a halt.
Cisco Ramon and Harrison Wells, who had just successfully used a powerful electrical current to reignite the Speed Force in Barry's cells, tensed up and looked over. Their relief at the dangerous procedure's success was instantly replaced by alarm at Jack's sudden appearance.
"Caitlin, are you okay?" Cisco asked urgently.
Caitlin glanced at Jack and shook her head. "I'm fine. He didn't harm me."
"Thank god," Cisco sighed in relief.
"Wait…" Jack interjected casually. "Doesn't this conversation feel familiar? It's almost identical to the last time I brought her back."
"I… I suppose it is," Caitlin admitted after a moment's thought.
"What do you want now?" Harrison Wells demanded from his wheelchair, his gaze fixed on Jack.
"You could get on your knees and beg, but I have no interest in your pleas," Jack said, his eyes narrowing at Wells. "This body is the one you disposed of fifteen years ago. You know what I'm talking about. Once these results become public, your little charade is over. You'll be forced out of S.T.A.R. Labs, unable to protect Barry, and you'll become the one he hunts. You can't outrun him forever, and you can't bring yourself to kill him. Your entire plan falls apart. I don't need to spell it out further, do I?"
"Use this final chance wisely. I'd hate for our game to end so soon."