Chapter 22: Barry, We're Lifelong Bros
The Central City Police Department exuded an air of solemnity and ancient Western knightly spirit, a reverence to the old-world values of truth, liberty, and justice. The entrance was adorned with a mural embodying these timeless virtues.
Eddie Thawne, Iris's current boyfriend, Joe's partner, and ancestor to Eobard Thawne, was among the key players in the final battle against the Reverse-Flash in the first season—a battle tactic, however, that could only be deployed once.
Joe and Eddie were just stepping out of the office, ready to tackle a new case involving a peculiar bank heist shrouded in thick fog from which tens of thousands in cash had vanished. They needed to follow up on leads from the previous day's investigation.
As they exited, they encountered Barry leading Cisco and Elon into the precinct.
Joe, with a furrowed brow, asked Barry, "What are you guys up to?"
Aware of Eddie's presence, Barry kept it brief, "I've asked Cisco and Elon to assist me with a new experiment."
Barry introduced the others, "Eddie, meet Cisco and Elon."
Eddie, full of curiosity, shook Elon's hand, saying, "Cool, Barry, you've got some amazing friends from the East. I'm Eddie, Eddie Thawne."
Elon nodded with a smile, "Elon, nice to meet you."
In his mind, Elon respected Eddie for his noble sacrifice to defeat the Reverse-Flash, a grandeur of spirit that he admired.
Joe glanced at the group, then beckoned Elon aside, "Elon, can you come with me for a sec?"
Curious, Elon followed Joe around the corner.
Joe peered outside to ensure Barry was out of earshot before speaking, "Elon, I know Barry's been close with you guys lately, but I hope you can persuade him to stop running around in that red suit, playing vigilante."
Elon glanced over to see Cisco taking selfies with the mural. Joe's initial resistance to Barry's vigilantism in the series was no surprise to him, only relenting when metahuman crimes escalated beyond the police's capabilities.
"Why don't you talk to him directly, Joe? After all, you've been like a father to Barry for over a decade."
"Okay, I'll be honest. I've talked to Barry about it. I knew it was him fighting crime with super speed right from the start. I've tried to dissuade him indirectly."
Elon bristled at the paternal approach, "You know Barry, but do you understand why he does it? You don't really know his heart. Barry's an adult; he can make his own decisions. Joe, you're trying to steer him in the direction you want, not what he wants. You need to understand Barry better."
With that, Elon patted Joe's arm and returned to the others.
Cisco grabbed Elon for a selfie, "Elon, smile..."
When Barry noticed Joe hadn't returned, he approached, "Joe, what's up?"
Joe was still processing Elon's words, "Nothing much. How about we have a father-son talk tonight?"
"Sure, I'd like that."
With the conversation over, Joe and Eddie left for their case, and Barry led Elon and Cisco up to the lab.
Standing at the lab's threshold, Elon felt a twinge of apprehension. He hoped to find a clue to interdimensional energy, despite knowing the odds were against him. After eight months, any residual energy would likely have dissipated, especially something as theoretical as this.
Cisco and Barry patted Elon's back in a comforting gesture as he took a deep breath and accepted the "Interdimensional Energy Radiation Detector" from Cisco.
Once inside the lab, Elon diligently scanned walls, floors, tables, and even climbed a ladder to check every possible angle. Despite the thorough search, they found nothing out of the ordinary.
Elon's face was blank as he switched to infrared, gamma-ray, and magnetic field scans, but the results were the same—nothing beyond the realm of known science.
Cisco tried to lift Elon's spirits, "Don't worry, Elon. Our technology is advancing every day. We might crack the secrets of black holes and dimensions anytime. There's still hope."
Barry chimed in, "Yeah, who knows? We might even come across someone who can manipulate black holes. Don't lose heart; anything's possible."
Elon knew their words were empty—scientific breakthroughs in such complex fields wouldn't happen overnight. Yet, he also knew that Barry, in the future, could traverse timelines.
Upon hearing Barry's words, a light sparked in Elon's eyes. An idea surged within him.
In the future, if Barry could travel through time, perhaps he could take Elon back to the night of the particle accelerator explosion, to the moment before the vortex in the lab vanished. Maybe that was his ticket home.
Elon's despondent face transformed into one of ecstatic joy as he hugged Barry tightly, "Barry, I'll need your help in the future, please."
Without hesitation, Barry assured, "Absolutely, I'd be glad to help."
Elon vowed silently to protect Barry's present and future, his father, his wife, everything. They were bros for life now.
Just then, Barry's phone rang.
"Caitlin, what's up? A strange fog on Yordem Street? Okay, I'm on my way."
A strange fog? Elon's heart skipped a beat. Could it be...?
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