I Am The Flash

The Cortex was alive with activity as the team clustered around the central console. The screens were filled with maps of Central City, each marked with glowing red points representing the strange rifts that had opened across the city. Cisco was typing furiously, his brow furrowed in concentration, while Caitlin reviewed the data he was pulling up. Professor Stein and Ronnie stood nearby, deep in discussion, while Billy leaned casually against a wall, watching the others.

Barry was pacing, his voice urgent as he explained the situation. "Zoom is using these rifts to send metas after me. He's not just trying to beat me; he's trying to wear me down, distract me. We need to figure out how to shut them down before more metas come through."

Cisco glanced up from his keyboard, his expression skeptical. "And how exactly do we stop interdimensional portals? Because, spoiler alert, that's not in my skill set."

Before Barry could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed through the Cortex. Everyone froze. A man had walked into STAR Labs as casually as if he owned the place. He was tall, with glasses perched on his nose, dressed in a sharp gray jacket. His expression was calm, almost curious, as he glanced around at the stunned team.

Caitlin and Cisco immediately jumped to their feet, their bodies tense. Caitlin's hand hovered over the console, ready to trigger the security protocols, while Cisco reached for his vibing gauntlets. Ronnie and Stein exchanged a glance and took a step closer to each other, preparing to merge if necessary. Billy stayed where he was, his eyes narrowing as he looked the stranger up and down, ready to jump in if needed.

Barry raised his hands quickly, stepping between the team and the newcomer. "Wait! It's okay. He's not who you think he is."

Cisco frowned, his voice sharp. "Barry, that's Harrison Wells. The Harrison Wells. The guy who ruined all of our lives, remember?"

Barry shook his head, his tone firm. "No, it's not him. Not the one we know, anyway." He turned to face the man, his voice calm but serious. "This is Harrison Wells, but he's from Earth-2."

Caitlin blinked, lowering her hand slightly. "Earth-2? How can you be sure? How do you know it's not... him?"

Barry turned to her, his face filled with quiet certainty. "Because I know the man who killed my mom. I've seen his face, heard his voice. This guy... he's not Eobard Thawne. He's not that Harrison Wells."

The man—Harrison Wells of Earth-2—gave a small nod, his expression neutral but not unfriendly. "He's right. I'm not your enemy. I came here to help." His voice was steady, with just a hint of irritation, as if he were already tired of explaining himself.

Cisco crossed his arms, still not convinced. "Help us? Why should we trust you?"

Harrison's gaze flicked to Cisco, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Because whether you trust me or not, Zoom is coming. And if you don't want your world torn apart, you'll need someone who knows how he thinks. Someone who's been fighting him a lot longer than you have."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air. Caitlin glanced at Barry, her expression conflicted. "Barry... are you sure about this?"

Barry hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I trust him."

Cisco let out a long sigh, dropping his arms. "Great. Another Wells. Just what we needed."

Harrison smirked faintly, adjusting his glasses. "You'll thank me later."

The tension in the room eased slightly, though the doubt lingered on a few faces. Harrison stepped forward, his expression serious as he pointed to the map on the screen. "Now, if we're done with the introductions, let's get to work. Zoom isn't going to wait, and neither should we."

Barry nodded, turning back to the group. "Let's figure this out. Together."

The bustling noise of CC Jitters filled the air as Barry and Cisco sat at a small corner table, each with a coffee cup in hand. Cisco was stirring his drink absentmindedly, his brow furrowed as he spoke.

"So, you're telling me we're just supposed to trust this new Harrison Wells because he says he's here to help?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at Barry over the rim of his cup. "Dude, I don't know. We've been burned before. Badly."

Barry sighed, taking a sip of his coffee before replying. "I get it, Cisco. I really do. But this guy... he's not like the one we knew. He's different. You heard him—he's been fighting Zoom for a long time. If anyone knows how to stop him, it's Wells from Earth-2."

Cisco leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Different or not, it's still weird. Like, couldn't the multiverse give us a Wells who's, I don't know, not involved in every major disaster we face?"

Barry chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think we're that lucky." He took another sip, his expression softening. "Look, I get your hesitation, but I've been around him. He's not here to hurt us. He just wants to stop Zoom. And we need all the help we can get."

Cisco sighed, tapping his fingers against the table. "Fine. But if he turns out to be evil—or even slightly shady—I'm calling dibs on saying 'I told you so.'"

Barry smirked. "Deal."

Their conversation continued, shifting from Wells to their next move against Zoom. Cisco was halfway through a comment about temporal mechanics when a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Time travel?"

Both Barry and Cisco froze, their eyes snapping up to see Patty Spivot standing by their table, a curious smile on her face. She had a coffee cup in one hand and a raised eyebrow that made Barry's heart skip a beat.

"Uh…" Barry stammered, exchanging a quick glance with Cisco, who looked like he was trying to come up with an excuse but failing miserably.

Patty tilted her head, clearly amused. "Did I hear that right? Time travel?"

Cisco leaned forward, grinning nervously. "Oh, yeah. Totally. We were just, uh… talking about this new sci-fi movie coming out. You know, classic time travel plot. Barry loves that stuff, right, Barry?"

Barry nodded quickly, his smile a little too wide. "Yeah! Big fan of, uh, movies. With time travel."

Patty gave them a look that said she didn't believe a word of it. "Uh-huh. So, what's this movie called?"

Cisco opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing at Barry for help. Barry sighed, realizing there was no easy way out of this. "It's… complicated," he admitted, running a hand through his hair.

Patty set her cup down and pulled out a chair, sitting across from them. "I've got time. Try me."

Cisco muttered under his breath, "You're on your own, dude."

Barry shot him a look, then turned back to Patty. "Okay, fine. But you might not believe me."

Patty leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "Try me," she said again, her tone soft but firm.