Chapter 48: Suspicions
Elon, thumbing the USB provided by Wells, proceeded to the underground training room, with Barry trailing behind. Upon reaching their destination, Elon, under Barry's curious gaze, retrieved a dozen boxes of ice cream from the fridge and plugged the USB into his tablet, transferring sixteen gigabytes of pure text files.
As Barry watched Elon devour the ice cream, he hesitated before asking, "Elon, can I trust you?" There was a kinship Barry felt towards Elon, fueled by the latter's Speed Force-infused brain. Especially after Elon's substantial aid in the previous day's battle, Barry's trust in him had grown significantly.
Elon paused his feast to ponder. In the show, this was a time of triumph for Barry, filled with confidence after defeating the Weather Wizard. There was no reason for him to appear troubled and ask for trust. Unless it involved his romantic troubles with Iris, which Elon had no interest in.
Continuing his indulgence, Elon replied, "You can trust me. Asking that question shows you do, even if there are things troubling you that you want to share or need my help with. But if it's a secret or about your emotions, I suggest you keep it to yourself."
Barry nodded affirmatively, "I trust you, Elon." The moment he finished, the environment blurred.
Yellow lightning danced around them, and the world transformed into streaks of light. Barry had whisked Elon away using his super speed.
In an instant, they had stopped, now inside Joe's house. Joe was studying a case on his couch, his focus aided by a cup of black coffee. Barry's speedy entrance scattered papers everywhere.
Elon, patting out the embers on his black T-shirt, complained, "Barry, I don't appreciate this. I had seventeen boxes of ice cream to eat, and I've only just started on the first. What's this all about?"
Joe interjected, "Barry, what are you doing? Our investigation must be kept from those close to Wells."
"Calm down, Joe. Elon will help us. I trust him," Barry explained.
"Elon, Joe and I suspect my mother's death is connected to Dr. Wells. We need you to keep an eye on him at S.T.A.R. Labs, watch for any suspicious behavior."
Elon felt a tightness in his chest. Were they suspecting Wells already? The plot was advancing too quickly, as if they were already at episode 20. Such premature suspicion could disrupt Elon's plans. Without Barry's speed fully developed and Elon having just gleaned a bit of knowledge from Wells, this unexpected development could throw everything into disarray.
"Do you have any evidence?" Elon asked cautiously. He needed to stabilize the situation, to prevent Wells from taking drastic measures too soon.
Joe and Barry had nothing concrete, only suspicions based on Joe's experience and the coincidence of Wells founding S.T.A.R. Labs 14 years prior. Wells' concern for Barry's safety was not enough to confirm their doubts.
Thankfully, they weren't yet at the point of digging up graves or collecting blood samples. It seemed their suspicion was still at the level of early episodes. Elon breathed a sigh of relief.
Guiding them back to the show's narrative, Elon suggested they investigate Wells' deceased wife, knowing it would deflect much suspicion. Both Joe and Barry, being emotionally driven, could easily be swayed.
"Perhaps you should look into Dr. Wells' wife. I believe at that time, he wouldn't have had any connection to your mother's murder."
Barry and Joe exchanged glances, unsure.
"Elon, what do you know?" Barry pressed.
Elon couldn't reveal his knowledge of the entire storyline. "Your respect and admiration made me curious about Dr. Wells, so I looked into his past. Beyond that, I know nothing."
After discussing Wells for a while, Elon subtly steered their thoughts. Without decisive evidence, it was hard to pursue the case, especially as Elon had shifted their focus. Joe decided to look into Wells' past, and whether this would temporarily quell their suspicions, only time would tell.
That evening, Elon prepared a hotpot dinner. Watching the trio clumsily use chopsticks, occasionally dropping slices of meat, Elon insisted they pick it up and eat it, citing no waste of food. Their frustrated yet humorous attempts brought laughter to the group, strengthening their bond.
In the following days, Elon inquired about the wormhole research and 'monitored' Wells as Barry had asked, knowing these tactics were futile against Wells. Most of their analysis took place at Joe's house, with Elon sometimes visiting the police lab to discuss with Joe, ensuring that Wells, who monitored everything, would notice and hopefully dispel Joe's investigation.
Wells would certainly not allow Joe to continue probing, as Barry's speed was just beginning to improve, and Wells wouldn't risk his long-term plans.
After some time without progress, Joe decided to confront Wells directly.
Meanwhile, inside the Time Vault, Wells watched Joe's image on the screen with a wry smile, aware of every move being made.
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