Barry's hands moved so quickly that the computer screens barely had time to refresh.
Inside the STAR Labs Cortex, several monitors displayed footage from Rushville, each showing a different angle of the devastation left behind by the Manhunter incident. Security recordings, traffic cameras, emergency broadcasts, and military footage filled the screens. Barry stood at the central workstation, switching between files at a speed that would have made an ordinary technician dizzy.
He had returned to Central City as soon as the situation in Rushville was stable enough for him to leave. Superman and Green Arrow were still helping with the recovery, while Batman had remained behind to coordinate with the military. Barry had promised to keep investigating the incident, and with the System's mission sitting in the back of his mind, he intended to make good on that promise.
"Cross-reference every available recording from Rushville during the forty-eight hours before the incident," Barry said. "I want everyone who interacted with Zoe, anyone connected to the motel, and anybody who appeared in the surrounding area without a clear explanation for being there."
Gideon materialized on the main display, her familiar interface illuminating the screen.
"That request covers a considerable amount of material, Barry. I've already begun sorting the footage by location, time, and identifiable individuals. I'm also comparing the available recordings against public records and information gathered from the emergency response."
"Good. Give me everything that looks unusual, even if it seems unrelated at first."
"Understood. I'm prioritizing connections rather than isolated appearances, since an individual who appears unremarkable in one recording may be significant when viewed alongside other evidence."
Barry smiled faintly. "That's why I like working with you."
"I assume that means you intend to continue ignoring the recommended speed limits on your workstation."
"Those are more like guidelines."
"They are not."
Barry was already moving again.
He watched footage of Zoe entering a building, then jumped to a recording showing her leaving several minutes later. He examined a street camera, compared timestamps, and pulled up another angle from a nearby business. Most of the recordings showed nothing useful. People walked past, vehicles moved through intersections, and residents went about their daily lives until the incident turned Rushville into a disaster zone.
But gradually, patterns began to emerge.
Gideon brought up a collection of photographs and records.
"I've identified several individuals with connections to Zoe. The strongest initial association is with the Macon family."
Three names appeared across the display.
Billy Macon. Kerry Kane. Noah Macon.
Barry slowed down long enough to examine their files.
"Tell me what we have."
"Billy Macon and Kerry Kane appear in records connected to Zoe's personal life. Noah Macon is their son. Available footage establishes connections between these individuals and locations relevant to the investigation, although the recordings do not independently establish involvement in the incident."
Barry leaned closer to the screen, studying the images. "So they're people worth looking into, but we don't have anything that makes them suspects yet."
"Correct. Their connection to Zoe makes them relevant to the investigation. There is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that any member of the Macon family participated in the events at Rushville."
"Keep them on the board. I want their movements compared against every recording we have."
Gideon added the three names to a digital timeline, linking them to the locations where they had appeared. Barry examined the connections, looking for something that might stand out.
Nothing immediately did.
He moved on to the next group of files.
"Who else?"
"Several additional individuals appear in Zoe's records and the surrounding footage. Most have no established connection to the incident beyond their presence in relevant locations. One individual, however, has a particularly significant personal association with her."
The display changed.
A photograph of John Stewart appeared on the screen.
Barry stopped moving.
"John?"
"John Stewart. The available information indicates that he and Zoe were involved in a romantic relationship. Evidence suggests their relationship was concealed from some of the people around them."
Barry stared at the photograph for several seconds.
John Stewart was a familiar name. In Barry's previous life, the name had carried its own weight in the world of superheroes and Green Lanterns. In this reality, John was a real person whose connection to Zoe had become relevant to an investigation into a surviving Manhunter.
Barry folded his arms, considering the implications.
"Show me everything we have on him."
Gideon brought up additional records, footage, and a timeline of John's movements. Some of the material was incomplete, and several gaps remained where recordings were unavailable. Still, the evidence established that John had been close to Zoe and had reasons to know things about her that the other individuals might not.
Barry watched a recording of John entering a building associated with Zoe, then compared it with another showing him leaving later. He examined the timestamps and pulled up the surrounding footage, searching for anything that might establish what had happened during the missing interval.
There wasn't enough to prove that John had participated in the Rushville incident.
But there was enough to make Barry suspicious.
"He's our strongest lead so far," Barry said. "He knew Zoe personally, their relationship was hidden, and he may know more about what happened than he's telling people. That doesn't make him guilty, but it does mean I want to speak with him."
"I'll prepare a consolidated file containing his known movements, the available recordings, and the gaps in the timeline," Gideon replied. "I recommend treating him as a person of interest rather than a confirmed suspect until additional evidence becomes available."
"Agreed. I don't want to accuse someone just because they knew the victim. But if John knows something about the Manhunter, I'm going to find out what it is."
Barry returned to the main workstation, pulling up the recordings once more. His hands accelerated as he moved between files, comparing images and tracking individuals across the footage.
Something bothered him.
The mission was clear enough. Find the last Manhunter. The System hadn't given him a name, a location, or any other information that might narrow the search. He had to work from the evidence available to him, and so far, the Macon family and John Stewart were the strongest connections he'd uncovered.
But the investigation had revealed another problem.
Barry paused a recording and enlarged an image of an individual walking along a street near one of the relevant locations. He checked the next camera, then another, comparing the person's appearance across several recordings.
His expression changed.
"Gideon, pull up the footage from the other side of the street. I want to compare the same individual across both recordings."
The screen shifted. Barry studied the images, then moved to another camera and repeated the process. He checked the timestamps, examined the person's movements, and compared the available frames.
He leaned back slightly, scratching his hand as he stared at the screen.
"Since when do Manhunters shapeshift?"