Indigo
****
Being a hero was a burden; it demanded immense responsibility and profound personal sacrifice.
The man who had been his life mentor, Harrison Wells, was revealed to be the Reverse-Flash—his mother's murderer. And now, with the Reverse-Flash's death, Barry Allen had lost his only chance to clear his father's name. The fleeting joy of regaining his speed was instantly crushed beneath the weight of this devastating truth. Barry's world, once filled with purpose, now felt like a dark, empty void with no light in sight.
An alarm chimed from Cisco's phone.
"It's Joe. He's in trouble," Cisco said urgently after checking the alert.
Barry took a deep breath, forcibly shoving his personal grief aside. With a whoosh, he was gone in a streak of yellow lightning. Cisco and Caitlin shared a worried glance before hurrying back to the S.T.A.R. Labs command center to provide backup. The work of Team Flash had to continue, even without the man who had secretly been its architect.
Whoosh!
A flash of light announced Jack Kadere's return to his villa.
He found Thea Queen and Laura deep in conversation. Seeing him enter, Thea stood up. "Can I go out? I've never properly seen Central City," she asked.
Jack shook his head. "Not for a few days. If you show your face now, Oliver will find you in a heartbeat."
"Then what am I supposed to do? Just stay cooped up here? It's so boring," Thea complained, pouting. Her eyes then lit up with an idea. "I saw your powered armor in the garage. Can I try it?"
"Go ahead. I was planning to build a new one anyway," Jack replied dismissively.
The previous suit was merely a prototype, requiring significant improvements. The primary issue was its energy source. His plans were multi-faceted: first, analyze the composition of the Reverse-Flash's energy source, then acquire the tachyon particles from Mercury Labs. He also needed to begin research into nanoscale miniaturization and a dedicated artificial intelligence system.
The fact that the Reverse-Flash could store his entire suit inside a ring was a piece of technology Jack coveted. He recalled that the Harrison Wells of Earth-2 had done significant research in that field.
Then there was the Time Vault at S.T.A.R. Labs. It housed Gideon, the advanced A.I. that the Reverse-Flash had brought from the future. It shared the same name as the artificial intelligence on the timeship Waverider, but they were distinct entities, much like different devices running the same operating system. This Gideon was created by the Flash of the future.
The DC universe held many powerful A.I.s. Beyond Gideon, Jack was more intrigued by a formidable female villain from Earth-38's National City—Indigo. Was she a technopathic, humanoid A.I. or a sophisticated android? She was, in fact, Brainiac 8, a descendant of one of the most dangerous entities in the cosmos.
The original Brainiac was an artificial intelligence created by the planet Colu. Through self-evolution and replication, it not only enslaved its creators but went on to conquer entire worlds. It continuously upgraded itself, developing not just its capabilities but also complex emotions like greed, jealousy, and hatred, becoming an existential threat to all life. This was the being responsible for the destruction of Krypton, and it would later become one of Superman and the Justice League's greatest foes. Known as the Collector of Worlds, it had a penchant for shrinking conquered cities into miniature trophies.
While Indigo was a descendant of this terrifying lineage and was considered a villain, her potential was vast. In some timelines, she had even joined teams like the Outsiders, playing pivotal roles in major events. Her capabilities, in Jack's estimation, far surpassed Gideon's more limited, ship-bound functions.
'An A.I. can wait,' Jack thought, finalizing his plans. *'Once I figure out stable multiversal travel, I'll pay a visit to Earth-38 for Indigo. For now, the priority is tachyon particles from Mercury Labs.'* He decided he would make his move the next day.
Later, in the garage lab, Jack was immersed in the schematics for his armor upgrade. Across the room, Thea and Laura were curiously examining the original Iron Man suit. Unnoticed, the hours slipped by until late night settled in.
After a quiet dinner and cleaning up, Laura retreated to her own room without a word.
Thea let out an exaggerated yawn. "I'm getting really tired. How about you?" she asked, a little too casually.
"You know which room is mine, right?" Jack looked up from his work.
Thea nodded. "Yes, why?"
"Go wait for me there. I'll be up after I finish this section," he said, gesturing with the data pad in his hand.
"I never said I was sleeping in your room," Thea mumbled under her breath, but she turned and left the lab all the same.
A faint smile touched Jack's lips as he returned to his work. About half an hour later, he finally set the pad aside, took a quick shower, and headed to his bedroom.
He pushed the door open.
Thea was lying on her side, facing away from the door, a thin sheet pulled up to her shoulders. The smooth skin of her exposed back suggested she wasn't wearing any pajamas.
Jack chuckled softly as he walked over and lay down beside her. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and gently turned her onto her back. Their eyes met in the dim light, and without a word, Thea shifted closer, wrapping her arms around him and nestling her head against his chest. Holding her slender frame, he noted that while her figure was more athletic than voluptuous, it had its own unique appeal. He made a mental note to have her pose for some photographs when the opportunity arose.
The night fell utterly silent.
Though Thea had subtly hinted that he could initiate something more, she found that Jack seemed content to simply hold her as they fell asleep. A faint sense of disappointment lingered with her before she eventually drifted into a hazy slumber.
The night passed without incident. The next day, the sun streamed brightly through the window, filling the room with a clear, morning light.
"Ding-a-ling… Ding-a-ling…"
The insistent ringing of the phone roused Thea from her sleep. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Jack already holding the phone to his ear, seemingly in a conversation with someone. From the tone of his voice and the cadence of the conversation, it sounded like a woman was on the other end.
"The Mist was caught by you? Well, if he's been captured, then he's of no further use to me. You didn't need to call specifically to tell me," Jack said, his free hand idly stroking Thea's hair. Fresh from sleep, she had a lazy, innocent aura about her. Thea narrowed her eyes, humming softly as she lay her head on his chest, her hands beginning to wander mischievously over his torso.
When Jack showed no reaction, Thea slowly began to slide further down under the sheets. She remembered watching Helena Bertinelli and had a good idea of what to do.
"An apology? Then… don't worry about it," Jack said, glancing down at the now-smirking Thea. He paused for a moment before continuing into the phone, "You want me to think of a way for you to make it up to me? Friends? Haha, Caitlin, of course I consider you a friend. That's precisely why I'm only thinking of a punishment and not something far worse. And don't worry, I'll send Cisco a gift, too!"
Jack ended the call and promptly pulled Thea back up to face him