The face of the Reverse-Flash vibrated at impossible speed, features smearing into a blur like corrupted video, his eyes burning red as he stared at Jack Kadere.
"Don't make an enemy out of me." His voice carried a chilling mechanical distortion.
Jack Kadere chuckled and shook his head. "You made an enemy out of me. I wasn't going to bother with you, but you had to jump in and show off. You want to test me? Fine. Let's settle this the right way—let's see who blinks first."
"You'll regret that."
The moment the distorted voice dropped, the Reverse-Flash moved.
Red lightning surged toward Jack Kadere.
Jack Kadere moved at the same instant.
Two streaks of red lightning crossed and collided through the hall — matched, it seemed, in raw speed. They clashed back and forth several times before the Reverse-Flash suddenly grabbed The Flash's unconscious body and bolted for the exit.
Swish!
Jack Kadere stopped. He didn't chase.
"You're — not going after him?" Peek-a-boo asked. She couldn't track either of them at full speed, but from what she'd seen, they looked about even.
"I've got several ways to kill him. Letting him walk away easy would be doing him a favor." Jack Kadere turned his head toward the far corner of the hall. "What I want is for him to despair."
A figure stepped out from behind a support column, holding a camera.
"That's — how —"
Multiplex and Peek-a-boo both stared.
"You can duplicate yourself too?" Multiplex blurted.
"Duplicate? No. And honestly, I've always found that ability unsettling. Once you split something off, whatever comes out the other side might not really be you anymore." Jack Kadere gave Multiplex an insincere smile. "No offense."
He took the camera from the figure's hands. It flickered, thinned, and dissolved — an afterimage, nothing more.
Moving fast enough to exist in two places at once wasn't duplication. It was still him, doing two things simultaneously. True cloning was something else entirely, and the distinction mattered — at least to Jack Kadere.
Multiplex didn't take offense. He was too busy with a different realization: if Jack Kadere had been filming from here and fighting the Reverse-Flash at the same time, that meant he was far faster than either speedster.
God. How fast is he actually?
"Turned out pretty well." Jack Kadere closed the camera with a satisfied click. "Your mission's done, by the way. Central City is yours now. Do whatever you want."
Multiplex and Peek-a-boo exchanged a glance. Did he just — let them go? No more orders, no more leverage?
The relief lasted about two seconds before reality settled in. They were wanted criminals. They'd publicly fought The Flash and drawn the attention of the Reverse-Flash. If they didn't want prison or a grave, they had no choice but to keep being enemies of both speedsters.
Jack Kadere watched the understanding spread across their faces, smiled, and vanished in a burst of red lightning.
With those two loose in the city, The Flash wouldn't have a quiet week for a long time. And the Reverse-Flash? He'd have to worry about his own problems before he could afford to play hero again.
After leaving the hall, Jack Kadere didn't head home. He ran to Iris's workplace first, circled the building once to check on her, then cut across the city toward S.T.A.R. Labs.
---
Inside S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry Allen opened his eyes slowly. Caitlin, Cisco, and Harrison Wells stood around his bed, watching him with varying degrees of concern. He blinked at the ceiling, disoriented.
"How did I —"
"A streak of red lightning brought you back," Caitlin Snow said quietly.
"Jack Kadere?" Barry sat up, wincing. "Why would he —"
"No idea." Cisco Ramon shook his head. "But while you were out, the squad killed Simmons Stagg. And Girder's dead."
"Dead?" Barry's stomach dropped. "How?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Cisco shrugged.
"The point is you're alive, Barry." Harrison Wells folded his arms, expression stern. "You won't get this lucky again. If you want to save people, the priority right now is building your speed — not throwing yourself into fights you can't win."
"I know," Barry muttered, eyes on the floor.
Swish!
Red lightning crackled through the entrance. Jack Kadere appeared in the center of the lab, one hand raised in a casual wave.
"Hi, everyone."
"Jack Kadere!" Barry was on his feet instantly, body tense.
"I know I'm handsome, but you don't need to get that excited every time you see me." Jack Kadere grinned past Barry at Cisco. "Long time no see. I need a favor."
"What are you going to do now?" Cisco's voice cracked.
"Relax. Being scared won't help you anyway." Jack Kadere held out the camera. "I just need you to play something for me."
Cisco took the camera with stiff fingers. Jack Kadere's gaze slid sideways to Harrison Wells. The man stood perfectly still, face composed, giving away nothing.
Calm as ever.
"Oh — almost forgot. This is for you."
Jack Kadere flicked something through the air toward Barry, then blurred into red light and was gone.
By the time Barry caught the object, Jack Kadere had already reappeared in the same spot, leaning against a console.
"You —" Barry looked down at what he was holding, shoved it into his pocket, and glared.
"You're welcome." Jack Kadere waved magnanimously, savoring the fury in Barry's eyes. "Now. Do you want to know who murdered your mother?"
"You know?"
Barry's eyes went wide. His gaze snapped to the camera in Cisco's hands.
"The person who saved you just now," Jack Kadere said, still smiling. "You felt him, didn't you?"
"Saved him?" Caitlin stepped forward. "The one who brought Barry back wasn't you? Are you saying it was — the person who killed his mother?"
Jack Kadere said nothing. He just gestured toward the screen.
Cisco connected the camera. There was only one file.
The video opened on The Flash arriving at the scene, then getting systematically beaten down by Multiplex, Girder, and Peek-a-boo. The moment Barry went limp from Girder's final punch, the footage shifted.
The Reverse-Flash appeared.
"That," Jack Kadere said, "is the man who murdered your mother. His name is Reverse-Flash." He turned, eyes narrowing, and looked directly at Harrison Wells. "Isn't that right, Doctor Wells?"
"Jack Kadere — why are you asking Doctor Wells?" Caitlin's voice trembled.
"Was I not clear enough?" Jack Kadere tilted his head. "Your Doctor Harrison Wells is the Reverse-Flash. He's the one who killed Barry's mother."
—