Arrowverse: I'm a Hero

Chapter 17: Meeting Team Flash & Cisco's Quirks

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Objective: Build rapport with Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow. Sub-objective: Establish Emotion Lock-on for Cisco's powers and tech skills. Primary Skill Acquisition Target: Hacking/Tech Savvy, Vibrational Manipulation/Breaching. Emotional Triggers: Shared Humor, Enthusiasm, Problem-Solving. ]

Barry Allen, fueled by a potent cocktail of panic, adrenaline, and Adam's very subtle nudges, was a man on a mission. "Thawne. He has to be involved," he muttered, pacing the length of the cortex. "He's the only one who would do this."

Adam watched him with a practiced, casual air. The temporal distortion still hummed, a low thrum against his heightened Time Travel Awareness (now at 25% proficiency). The universe was practically screaming.

"Speaking of Thawne," Barry continued, finally turning to Cisco and Wally, "we need to figure out where he is. Cisco, can you track his temporal signature, even in... this timeline?"

Cisco, still reeling from the sudden revelation of a tampered timeline, ran a hand through his hair. His billionaire-tech-bro persona had cracked, revealing the familiar, slightly overwhelmed genius underneath. "Track a temporal signature? Barry, I barely know what day it is. My brother is alive, but I don't remember him dying, and my job description just got updated to 'Temporal Anomaly Hunter-in-Chief' without a raise." He gestured wildly at the screens. "And who is this guy, anyway?"

Adam gave a charming, easy smile. "Adam Stiels. International investor, amateur coffee critic, and connoisseur of baffling temporal paradoxes. At your service. And yes, your brother is very much alive, which is excellent. Perhaps less excellent is the fact that Barry here probably ripped a hole in the space-time continuum to make it happen."

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Emotion Lock-on: Cisco Ramon (Curiosity/Amusement/Excitement). Proximity: Optimal. Target Skills: Hacking/Tech Savvy, Vibrational Manipulation/Breaching. Initiate Copy Protocol? Y/N. ]

"Oh, absolutely yes," Adam thought, feeling a thrill. This was it. The Vibe. And the tech.

Cisco's eyes widened. "He did what now?" He turned to Barry, a mixture of horror and scientific fascination on his face. "Barry, you messed with the timeline?!"

"It was for my mom!" Barry pleaded, looking genuinely distraught.

"A noble sentiment, but terribly inconvenient for the rest of us," Adam interjected dryly. "Now, Cisco, about these 'temporal signatures' – my 'network' has some theoretical data on interdimensional vibrational frequencies that might be useful. Think of it as advanced quantum resonance imaging, but for timelines. Fascinating stuff. Very niche. Also, very confusing if you don't have the right algorithms."

Cisco's head snapped back to Adam, his eyes narrowing, then widening with a sudden, almost predatory curiosity. "Quantum resonance imaging for timelines? Are you serious? Because I've been working on a meta-human tracking system that uses something similar, but the temporal component is... theoretical." He leaned in, practically vibrating with excitement. "How did your 'network' get access to that kind of data?"

"Let's just say my 'network' has very specific sources," Adam said, winking. "And a much, much larger research budget than most. We're very interested in stabilizing reality, for obvious reasons. Keeps the stock market from crashing due to, say, the sudden reappearance of dinosaurs."

Caitlin, who had been observing quietly, finally spoke up, her voice calm but firm. "Barry, if you truly altered the timeline, we need to understand the full scope of the changes. Adam, your insights are... intriguing. Can you elaborate on these 'temporal cracks'?"

"Of course, Dr. Snow," Adam said, turning to her. "Think of the timeline as a meticulously crafted tapestry. Every event, every decision, is a thread. When a major thread is pulled – say, a key moment like your mother's death, Barry – it doesn't just undo that one thread. It unravels adjacent threads, creating new patterns, new colors. Sometimes, these new patterns are beautiful. Other times, they involve a very angry Reverse-Flash and the potential for everything to just... stop existing. It's a risk-reward analysis, and Barry's current iteration of the timeline is, shall we say, a high-risk, low-reward scenario."

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Emotion Lock-on: Caitlin Snow (Intrigue/Curiosity). Proximity: Optimal. Target Skills: Medical Expertise, Cryokinesis. Initiate Copy Protocol? Y/N. ]

"Oh, most definitely yes," Adam thought, pleased. Caitlin was slower to connect, but once she did, it was usually a profound bond.

He continued, subtly weaving in terms he'd subconsciously accessed from the Kryptonian Data Crystal to make his "theories" sound more plausible and advanced. "The key is finding the point of divergence and re-stitching the original pattern as cleanly as possible. It's like debugging a really complex, multi-dimensional code. And sometimes, the debugger is a very angry yellow blur."

Cisco, now fully engaged, pulled up several schematics on a monitor. "Okay, so if we can track the temporal energy from the original breach, we might be able to pinpoint where Thawne took him! But the energy signatures are all over the place!"

"Perhaps you're looking for the wrong kind of energy signature," Adam mused, walking over to the monitor and pointing to a specific anomaly. "What if it's not a temporal energy you're looking for, but a vibrational residue? Every major temporal event leaves a unique echo, a vibrational frequency that's out of sync with the current reality. It's like a phantom limb, but for the timeline." He was actively pushing his Kinetic Energy Manipulation (now at 28%) and nascent Vibrational Manipulation (from Cisco, 5% already from the lock-on) to perceive these subtle shifts.

Cisco stared at the screen, then at Adam, then back at the screen. His eyes widened. "Vibrational residue... that's... that's genius! I've been trying to filter for temporal displacement, but if it's a residual frequency...!" He practically ran to his workstation, fingers flying across the keyboard.

"He's good," Wally muttered to Barry, clearly impressed despite his confusion.

"He's... something else," Barry agreed, a glimmer of relief in his eyes. Adam was helping him articulate the wrongness, helping him find a solution.

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Emotion Spike Detected: Enthusiasm/Problem-Solving (Cisco Ramon). Proficiency Upgrade: Hacking/Tech Savvy (10%). Initial proficiency acquired! You're speaking his language, albeit with a more sophisticated accent. Keep that genius engaged! ]

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE: Emotion Spike Detected: Trust/Relief (Barry Allen). Proficiency Upgrade: Time Travel Awareness (30%). He sees you as an unexpected ally, invaluable in this unprecedented crisis. The groundwork for his future emotional triggers is firmly set. ]

Adam felt the satisfying surge of knowledge, the immediate, intuitive grasp of complex algorithms and tech schematics. It was like suddenly being fluent in a language he'd only vaguely understood before. He could practically feel Cisco's creative energy and brilliant mind feeding into his own.

He leaned back, a smug satisfaction spreading across his face. This was going perfectly. He was in, he was helping, and he was acquiring the skills he'd need. Central City was chaotic, but it was also incredibly fertile ground for a man with a system and a plan. And a very large 'network,' of course.