章 40: Chapter 40: Sound and Speed
Chapter 40: Sound and Speed
The chapter starts with Team Flash in Star Labs, working on the upgrades on Barry's suit. Cisco is showing Barry some new features that he added, such as a heat-resistant lining, a GPS tracker, and a mini-camera.
"Okay, Barry, I think I've got something that might help you out," Cisco said, holding up a small device. "This is a micro-turbine generator. It converts electricity to kinetic energy, which can power up your suit's systems and give you a boost."
"A boost? How much of a boost?" Barry asked, curious.
"Well, depending on how fast you run, it can increase your speed by up to 10-40 percent," Cisco explained. "Plus, it can also activate some cool gadgets I made for you. Aside from the one's I already made."
"Like what?" Barry wondered.
"Like this button here," Cisco pointed. "It activates a heat-resistant lining that protects you from extreme temperatures. Like, say, if Myles decides to blast you with his lightning or fire."
"That sounds useful," Barry nodded.
"And this one here," Cisco continued. "It turns on a mini-camera that records everything you see and hear. So we can analyze your fights and learn from your mistakes."
"That sounds... invasive," Barry frowned.
"Trust me, Barry. It's for your good. Besides, it's not like we're going to watch you when you're not fighting Myles," Cisco assured him. "Though I should probably make sure he doesn't get those videos, he might post it on youtube."
"Uh-huh," Barry said skeptically.
"Come on, Barry. Don't be shy. Let me see you try on the suit," Cisco urged him.
"Fine, fine. But only because you worked so hard on it," Barry conceded.
He took off his clothes and put on the suit. He admired himself in the mirror.
"Wow. It does look pretty cool," Barry said.
"Right? And it feels even better. Go ahead, run around a bit. See how it fits," Cisco encouraged him.
Barry nodded and ran around the lab at super speed. He stopped and smiled at Cisco.
"It feels great, Cisco. It's light, comfortable, and flexible," Barry said.
"Awesome! I'm glad you like it," Cisco said.
"Thank you, Cisco. You're the best friend a guy could ask for," Barry said.
"Aw, shucks. You're welcome, Barry," Cisco said.
Suddenly, Barry's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Joe.
"Oh, it's Joe. I wonder what he wants," Barry said. He answered the phone and put it on speaker mode. "Hey, Joe." Barry greeted him.
"Barry, turn on the TV right now. You need to see this," Joe said urgently.
"What is it?" Barry asked.
"Just do it, Barry. Trust me," Joe said.
"Okay..." Barry said hesitantly. He turned on the TV and switched to the news channel. He saw a reporter standing outside Rathaway Industries, a large company that specializes in sound technology.
"We are live at Rathaway Industries, where a man calling himself the Pied Piper has just attacked the building with sonic blasts from his gloves. The man claims to be Hartley Rathaway, the son of the company's founder and CEO Osgood Rathaway, who was disowned by his father after coming out as gay two years ago," the reporter said.
The camera panned to show Hartley standing on top of a car in front of the building. He was wearing a black leather jacket, jeans, boots, sunglasses, and gloves that had metal devices attached to them. He was holding a microphone in his hand and speaking to the crowd of people and police officers who were surrounding him.
"Hello there, Central City! I hope you're enjoying the show! I know I am!" Hartley said with a manic laugh. He fired another sonic blast at the building, causing more windows to shatter and debris to fall.
"Oh, don't worry about me! I'm just having some fun with my old man! He deserves it for what he did to me! For what he did to all of us!" Hartley said angrily. He pointed at a picture of Harrison Wells.
"You see him? You see that man? The so-called genius who runs S.T.A.R. Labs. The man who claims to be a hero and a benefactor to this city. But he's not. He's a liar and a fraud. And I know something about him that you don't," Hartley said with a wicked smile.
He paused and looked directly at the camera and spoke in a loud and clear voice. "Do you want to know what it is? Do you want to know his dirty little secret?" Hartley asked.
The crowd gasped and murmured in anticipation and curiosity. Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin, who was watching the news from the lab, were also intrigued by Hartley's words.
"What is he talking about?" Barry wondered.
"I don't know, Barry. But I have a bad feeling about this," Cisco said.
"Me too," Caitlin said.
Hartley smirked and leaned closer to the microphone. "His secret is..." Hartley said, drawing out the suspense. He suddenly stopped and laughed.
"Sorry, folks. You'll have to wait for that. I'm not here to spill the beans. I'm here to challenge the Flash. Come on, Flash. Where are you? Don't you want to stop me? Don't you want to save these people? Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" Hartley taunted.
He fired another sonic blast at the building, causing more damage and panic.
"Come on, Flash. Show yourself. Or are you too scared to face me?" Hartley continued.
Barry clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He was angry and confused by Hartley's words and actions.
"I'm going," Barry said.
"Barry, wait," Cisco said.
"What?" Barry asked.
"Be careful, okay? This guy is dangerous," Cisco said.
"I know, Cisco. But I have to stop him. He's hurting people," Barry said.
"I get it, Barry. But don't let him get under your skin. He's trying to provoke you. To make you lose control," Cisco said.
"I won't, Cisco. I promise," Barry said.
He looked at Caitlin and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be back soon," Barry said.
"Be safe, Barry," Caitlin said.
Barry nodded and ran out of the lab at super speed, heading towards Rathaway Industries.
---
Hartley was waiting for the Flash to arrive. Standing on top of the car, holding the microphone and the sonic gloves. He looks bored and impatient. Tachyon was invisible but his sharp hearing kept him aware his boss was watching behind a crowd.
"Come on, Flash. Where are you? Don't keep me waiting. I have a surprise for you," Hartley said.
He smiled wickedly and thought back to a few hours ago when he was talking to Myles in his secret hideout. They were busy tinkering with their tools until Hartley couldn't hold it anymore and turned to his boss.
//
"How do you know all this? How do you know who Wells really is?" Hartley asked.
"Pardon?" Myles looked back toward him.
"You said Eobard erased the future and changed the timeline. So it doesn't make any sense on how you still remember who he is or anything."
"Let's just say I have my sources. And they're very reliable," Myles said.
"And what are you planning to do with this information? Are you going to expose him? Kill him? Blackmail him?" Hartley asked.
"No, no, and no. Thawne would worm his way out of that, trust me that man is like a roach. Besides, I have something much more interesting in mind," Myles said.
"What is it?" Hartley asked.
"Well, first of all, let me ask you this. What would you have done if we hadn't met and I hadn't recruited you?" Myles asked.
"What do you mean?" Hartley asked.
"I mean, what was your original plan? Before I came along and offered you a better deal?" Myles asked.
"Oh, that. Well, I was going to attack Rathaway Industries and destroy everything my father had built. Then I was going to confront Wells and expose him as a fraud and a murderer. And then I was going to challenge the Flash and prove that I'm better than him," Hartley said.
"Hmm...not bad. Not bad at all. You have a good sense of revenge. And you have a lot of ambition and confidence," Myles said.
"Thank you," Hartley said.
"But there's one problem with your plan," Myles said.
"What is it?" Hartley asked.
"It gonna suck for you," Myles tossed a screw.
"What do you mean?" Hartley asked.
"I mean, think about it. If you attack Rathaway Industries, you'll just make your father hate you more. If you expose Eobard, you'll just make him more desperate and dangerous. And you don't want that. And if you challenge the Flash, you'll just make him more determined and heroic," Myles said.
"So?" Hartley asked.
"So, you'll just be playing into their hands. You'll be giving them what they want. You'll be making them stronger," Myles said.
"Then what should I do?" Hartley asked.
"You should do something unexpected. Something creative. Something that will make them suffer more than they ever imagined," Myles said.
"Like what?" Hartley asked.
"Like this. Instead of instead of exposing Wells, why don't you sabotage his projects and ruin his reputation?" Myles suggested.
"That sounds...intriguing," Hartley said. "Continue."
"And instead of just challenging the Flash, why not plant a seed of doubts?" Myles suggested. "I told you before Eobard needs the Flash now more than ever. So why don't you take away his chance of ever going back to the future? He stole yours, right? Why not steal his?"
"That sounds...delicious," Hartley said.
"See? That's how you do it. That's how you make them suffet," Myles excitedly said.
"You're right. You're absolutely right. That's brilliant," Hartley said.
"But how do I do it?" Hartley asked.
"Your Hartley Rathaway. You were meant to be villain, it'll come to you, if not. I'll help you with that. I have some ideas that will make your plan even better," Myles said.
"Really? Like what?" Hartley asked.
Myles smiled and leaned closer to Hartley's ear. He whispered something that made Hartley's eyes widen in shock and excitement.
//
Hartley hears the sound of thunder in the distance. He looks up and sees a red streak approaching him at high speed.
"Ah, there he is. The Flash has arrived," Hartley said.
He grinned and raised his gloves. "Let the fun begin," Hartley said as Flash stops at the front.
"Stop this, Hartley. You don't have to do this. Just surrender and we can talk," the Flash said.
Hartley laughed and shook his head. "Talk? What's there to talk about, Flash? You don't know anything about me. You don't know anything about Wells. You don't know anything about the truth," Hartley growled.
"What are you talking about, Hartley? What truth?" the Flash asked.
Hartley smirked and pointed at his ear. "Oh, I see. You're wearing an earpiece. You're talking to your friends at S.T.A.R. Labs, aren't you? Hello, Cisco, Caitlin… Harrison Wells," Hartley said.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco, Caitlin, and Harrison were watching the news and listening to the conversation. They were shocked and confused by Hartley's words.
"What the-," Cisco asked.
"How does he know we're here?" Caitlin asked.
Harrison was silent, but his face showed worry and fear. He had a bad feeling about Hartley's intentions. He wondered what he was up to.
Hartley smiled and looked at the cameramen. "It's been awhile since we talked 'boss'," Hartley said.
"Hartley...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry for how I treated you," Harrison said through the earpiece.
Hartley scoffed and shook his head. "Sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it, Harrison. Sorry doesn't change anything. Sorry doesn't erase the pain you caused me. The pain you caused everyone," Hartley said. "Sorry won't change what you stole from me!"
"What are you talking about?" Harrison asked.
Hartley chuckled and shook his head. "Come on, Harrison. Don't play dumb with me. You know what I'm talking about. You know what you did. I know who you really are," Hartley said.
He paused and gave Harrison a meaningful look. "Or should I say...who you really are?" Hartley said.
Harrison felt a chill run down his spine. He realized that Hartley was hinting at his secret. He knew that he was the Reverse Flash. That was impossible unless… Myles!
"What do you mean by that? What are you trying to say?" Harrison asked nervously.
Hartley smiled and winked at him. "Oh, nothing much. Just a little something I learned from a very reliable source," Hartley said.
He looked at the camera and spoke in a loud and clear voice. "A source who knows a lot more than you think he does," Hartley said. "The King of Central City, Tachyon. Your worst day and hubris."
The crowd gasped and murmured in confusion and curiosity. "Myles? Damn it, Cisco can you check if Myles is around?" Barry asked through the earpiece.
"I don't know where he is, Barry. But I have a bad feeling about this," Cisco said. "Anything that's related to Myles is always bad."
"Barry you need to be careful," Caitlin said. "If Hartley is working with Myle, then Myles is around that area."
Hartley grinned and looked at Barry. "But enough about Wells. Let's talk about you, Flash. Let's talk about why I'm here," Hartley said.
He raised his gloves and fired a sonic blast at Barry, who dodged it quickly. "I'm here to prove that I'm better than you in every way," Hartley said.
He fired another sonic blast at Barry, who ran around it easily.
"I'm here to make you suffer, Flash. To make you regret ever becoming a hero," Hartley said. He fired another sonic blast at Barry, who ran towards him and dodged it at the last second.
"Why are you doing this, Hartley? Why are you working with Myles? He's a monster. He's a killer," Barry said.
Hartley laughed and shook his head. "You're right Myles is a monster. He's a killer. But he's not just that. He's someone I know I can trust," Hartley said. "Unlike good old Wells, who is a liar and THIEF!" He fired another sonic blast at Barry, who ran around him and tried to grab his gloves.
"He's none of those things, Hartley. He's using you. He's manipulating you. He's lying to you," Barry said.
Hartley snarled and pushed Barry away with his gloves. "You think I don't know that!? I know he's using me, manipulating me. But he's not lying to me. He's helped me, showed me the truth," Hartley said.
He fired another sonic blast at Barry, who ran away from him and looked for an opening. "What truth, Hartley?" Barry asked.
Hartley smiled and pointed at his ear again. "The truth that you don't want to hear, Flash. The truth that Wells is hiding from you," Hartley said.
He paused and gave Barry a meaningful look. "Or should I say...the truth that he erased from you?" Hartley said.
Barry felt a chill run down his spine. He realized that Hartley was hinting at something else. Something that had to do with his past.
"What do you mean by that? What are you trying to say?" Barry asked nervously. Hartley smiled and winked at him.
"Oh, nothing much. Just a little something I learned from Myles. A little something that will change everything you know," Hartley said.
He looked at the camera and spoke in a loud and clear voice.
"A little something that will make you question everything you know. A little something that will make you wish you never became the Flash," Hartley said. "But enough about that. Let's get back to the fun part. Let's get back to the fight."
He raised his gloves and fired a sonic blast at Barry, who dodged it quickly. "Come on, Flash. Show me what you got. Show me how fast you are," Hartley yelled. He fired another sonic blast at Barry, who ran towards him and dodged it at the last second.
"Hartley you don't have to do this, let me save you from Myles," Barry said.
Hartley laughed and shook his head. "Save me? Save me from what? From the best thing that ever happened to me? From the only person who understands me?" Hartley said.
He fired another sonic blast at Barry, who ran around him and tried to grab his gloves again.
"He doesn't understand you, Hartley. He doesn't care about you. He only cares about himself. He only cares about his own goals," Barry said.
Hartley snarled and pushed Barry away with his gloves again. "His goals are my goals, Flash. His goals are our goals. His goals are the only goals that matter," Hartley said. He fired another sonic blast at Barry, who ran away from him and looked for an opening again.
"What goals, Hartley? What goals are so important that they justify hurting innocent people? That they justify working with a madman?" Barry asked.
Hartley smiled and pointed at his ear again. "His goals are beyond your understanding, Flash.Not even Harrison will see it coming," Hartley said.
He paused and gave Barry a meaningful look again. "Or should I say...the goals that he can't stop?" Hartley said.
---
Eobard watched the news and listened to Hartley's words with growing worry and fear. He knew that Hartley was his former protege and favored employee. He knew that he had disowned him after Hartley tried to stop the particle accelerator from activating. He knew that he had made a mistake.
But he didn't expect Hartley to figure out his secret. And he didn't know how Hartley knew that. He didn't know who had told him that. He didn't know who was his source.
Until Hartley said his name.
Myles.
Eobard felt a surge of anger and hatred when he heard that name. He hated Myles more than anyone else in the world only second to Barry.
He hated him for destroying his future.
Eobard cursed Myles' existence and wished nothing more than to go back in time and kill Myles as an infant. But he knew he couldn't do that. He knew he had to be careful with time travel. He knew he had to preserve the timeline.
He had to calm himself down.
He tried to think rationally and logically. He tried to think of ways to silence Hartley and prevent him from exposing his secret. He tried to think of ways to stop Myles and prevent him from achieving his goals.
But he found it difficult. He found it difficult because of one wild card that was Myles.
Eobard didn't know what Myles wanted. He didn't know what Myles was planning. He only knew that Myles' plan was dangerous and unpredictable. A recipe of a disaster waiting to be cooked.
Eobard watched as Hartley and the Flash fought with sound and speed. He watched as Hartley taunted the Flash and hinted at something else. Something that had to do with Barry's past.
Eobard felt a pang of fear and curiosity when he heard that. He wondered what Hartley meant by that. He wondered what else Hartley had learned from Myles. He wondered what Hartley was going to reveal.
He wondered if it had something to do with the night he killed Barry's mother.
He wondered if it had something to do with the night he lost his speed.
He wondered if it had something to do with the night everything changed.
But before Hartley could say anything more, Barry finally knocked him out with a well-thrown police baton. Barry then told his team to ready Hartley's cell and Cisco responded excitedly that it was already ready.
Eobard felt a wave of relief and satisfaction when he saw that. He was glad that Barry had stopped Hartley and prevented him from revealing anything more. He was glad that Cisco had prepared a cell for Hartley and prevented him from escaping or communicating with anyone else.
He was glad that he had averted a crisis and preserved his secret.
For now.
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