Arrowverse: I'm a Hero

Chapter 16: Central City Arrival & Flashpoint Fallout

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Objective: Initiate Central City transition. Sub-objective: Manifest Time Travel Awareness. Primary Skill Acquisition Target: Time Travel Awareness (Proficiency Upgrade). Emotional Triggers: Foresight, Responsibility, Anticipation. ]

Central City hummed with a different rhythm than National City. Faster, certainly. More... vibrant. Adam felt it immediately, a faint but insistent buzz in the air, like a distant, off-key orchestra. It was the hum of a timeline subtly, fundamentally, wrong.

He arrived by private jet – because Adam Stiels didn't do commercial flights unless absolutely necessary, and even then, only if the airline served a decent espresso. His driver deposited him outside a nondescript (to the untrained eye) research facility that looked suspiciously like a renovated warehouse: S.T.A.R. Labs. Even the name felt wrong. He knew it was still S.T.A.R. Labs, but the feeling was akin to listening to a familiar song played in the wrong key.

Inside, the atmosphere was chaotic. He could hear raised voices, scientific jargon, and the distinct sound of something sparking. This was it. Flashpoint.

He found Barry in the cortex, a whirlwind of frantic energy. He was pacing, gesturing wildly, talking to an unfamiliar, incredibly buff speedster in a yellow suit – Wally West as Kid Flash – and a perpetually exasperated Cisco. Caitlin was there too, looking uncharacteristically quiet. Iris, however, was not there, a glaring absence that screamed "timeline change."

"It's just... I can't shake this feeling!" Barry was saying, running a hand through his hair. "Things are different! I know they are! Iris and I aren't... together. Cisco's a billionaire! And... and Wally's Kid Flash!"

Adam, having carefully rehearsed his entrance, sauntered in, affecting an air of mild bewilderment. He had to play this carefully. He couldn't reveal too much, too soon.

"Well, well, if it isn't the fastest man alive," Adam drawled, hands in his pockets. "And friends. Though, I must say, the decor in here has really... changed. Last time I saw S.T.A.R. Labs, it had less of a 'mad scientist's garage' vibe and more of a 'slightly unkempt, but still functional, scientific facility' feel. Did you guys redecorate? And where's the coffee? This timeline's coffee better not taste like despair."

Barry spun around, his eyes wide. "Adam! What are you doing here?" He looked genuinely surprised, as if Adam's existence in Central City was another symptom of the temporal shifts.

"My 'network' indicated some significant... vibrational anomalies in Central City," Adam explained, gesturing vaguely with a hand. "Said I should check it out. You know, just in case the entire city was about to turn into a giant, singing teapot. Happens more often than you'd think in this line of work." He glanced at Wally. "And who's this dashing young man? You guys finally get a decent tailor?"

Wally, looking confused, just blinked. "I'm Wally. Kid Flash."

"Kid Flash!" Adam exclaimed, feigning delighted surprise. "Fantastic! Is that a new flavor of energy drink? Or a highly successful children's television show?"

Cisco, despite his billionaire-tech-bro persona, snorted, a hint of his familiar sarcasm breaking through. "He's a speedster. Like Barry. Only... faster, in some ways, in this timeline."

"A second speedster?" Adam whistled. "Well, that explains the extra lightning bolts on the traffic cams. My 'network' was very confused. We thought maybe it was a very persistent static cling problem."

Barry, meanwhile, was looking at Adam with a mixture of confusion and a desperate flicker of hope. "You... you feel it too? That something's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Adam asked, arching an eyebrow. "Barry, my dear boy, I arrived here expecting the usual Central City charming chaos, and instead, I find a version of S.T.A.R. Labs that looks like a prototype for a villain's lair, you're not dating Iris, and there's a guy in a yellow suit calling himself 'Kid Flash.' If this isn't 'wrong,' I'd hate to see 'problematic.' Unless this is some sort of elaborate prank?"

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Emotion Spike Detected: Confusion/Doubt (Barry Allen). Proficiency Upgrade: Time Travel Awareness (20%). Your subtle nudges are working. He's on the verge of accepting the temporal distortion. Keep pushing. ]

A stronger, more defined ripple permeated Adam's awareness, like a clear note in the discordant symphony of the altered timeline. He could sense the shift, the divergence, the vast canyon between this reality and the one he knew. It was exhilarating and terrifying.

"Look, Barry," Adam continued, his voice dropping to a more serious tone, "my 'network' specializes in predicting... unforeseen variables. And something tells me that while this new reality might seem 'stable' on the surface, there are cracks. Deep, fundamental cracks. The kind that can shatter everything. It's like the universe is trying to scream at you that something's off."

Cisco, surprisingly, looked intrigued. "Cracks? What kind of cracks?"

"Temporal cracks," Adam said, pulling the term from his subconsciously accessed Kryptonian Data Crystal, making it sound like he was pulling it from advanced theoretical physics. "Think quantum entanglement, but with cause and effect. If the cause is fundamentally altered, the effects... well, the effects can lead to very unpredictable and often undesirable outcomes. Like, say, the sudden appearance of a 'Kid Flash' who definitely wasn't there before, or certain relationships dissolving without explanation."

Barry's eyes suddenly cleared, a flicker of raw realization dawning. "That's it! That's exactly it! Things are wrong, and I don't know why, but I know they are!" He paced faster, a nascent thought forming. "This has to be because of the Reverse-Flash. What if I changed something?"

Adam resisted the urge to pat him on the head. Bingo. "That's a very good 'hunch,' Barry. And my 'network' is indicating that certain... 'reverse' elements tend to cause a disproportionate amount of temporal mischief. Especially when they involve, say, going back in time to change pivotal events." He gave Barry a pointed look.

Caitlin, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. "Going back in time? Barry, did you...?" Her voice was laced with dawning horror.

Barry winced, his shoulders slumping. "I... I think I did. To save my mom."

Adam nodded sagely. "Ah, yes. The classic 'save your mom' paradox. Very popular. Very rarely ends well. Usually involves accidentally creating a parallel dimension where everyone speaks in interpretive dance, or accidentally inventing sentient toasters. Or, you know, making things fundamentally worse." He paused for dramatic effect. "Just a professional observation from my 'network,' of course."

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Emotion Spike Detected: Realization/Urgency (Barry Allen). Proficiency Upgrade: Time Travel Awareness (25%). He's on the path to confronting his actions. Your strategic sarcasm is a powerful tool. ]

Barry stared at him, then at Cisco and Wally, a desperate resolve hardening his features. "I have to fix this. I have to go back. I have to find Thawne."

Adam gave a slow, approving nod. The stage was set. Flashpoint was real, Barry was aware, and Adam was firmly embedded. Central City, get ready. You just gained a very sarcastic, secretly super-powered, timeline-aware new resident. And he was very, very excited to meet Cisco.