Su Sheng's pointed question stirred a mix of disbelief and unease among the group. Caitlin Snow, though clearly shocked, was the first to respond, instinctively defending Harrison Wells.
"That's impossible! Dr. Wells has been with us this whole time. He couldn't be Reverse Flash!" Caitlin protested, her voice filled with conviction.
"Exactly!" Cisco Ramon chimed in. "And Dr. Wells didn't even know Barry back then, so how could he have killed Barry's mother?"
Barry Allen's trust in Harrison Wells was evident in his voice as he turned to Su Sheng. "If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny."
Su Sheng smiled, unperturbed by their reactions. "I figured you'd respond this way. But that's fine; sometimes it's more fun to draw things out slowly, like cutting meat with a soft knife." He nodded towards the video on the screen. "First, you have to admit there's another speedster involved, right?"
Barry hesitated, then nodded. Both speedsters were faster than him—there was no denying that.
"If you're fast enough, moving between two points quickly can create an afterimage, making it hard to tell what's real," Harrison Wells remarked, his tone measured, though the implication was clear. He was suggesting that Su Sheng could have easily staged the appearance of Reverse Flash.
Wells was outwardly calm, but inwardly, he was seething. The speed force energy he had accumulated was nearly depleted when he rescued Barry. Yet, Su Sheng had recorded the encounter and was now threatening to expose his identity. Thankfully, Wells had quickly concocted a plausible explanation to deflect suspicion.
"As expected from Reverse Flash," Su Sheng remarked with a chuckle. "You do know your speed tricks well. Sure, I could have staged it, but so could you. You could play the part of Reverse Flash, rescue Barry, and still continue to be Dr. Harrison Wells."
Wells smiled thinly. "That would only be possible if I had your speed."
Su Sheng leaned in slightly, his tone darkening. "Your biggest mistake was messing with me. I know who you are, where you come from, and what your weaknesses are. But don't worry—I won't use that knowledge against you just yet. We'll take this slow, play a little game. And when your nerves finally give out, you'll be the one on your knees, begging for mercy."
Despite the veiled threat, Harrison Wells maintained his composure. Su Sheng then turned to Barry, his voice lighter. "Think carefully about who saved you."
And with that, Su Sheng disappeared in a flash of red lightning, leaving the lab in an unsettling silence.
The group was left to process what had just happened, their minds racing.
Cisco was the first to break the silence. "Guys, maybe we should focus on dealing with the trio that's left of the rogues. They've still got something up their sleeves."
Red lightning streaked through Central City as Su Sheng dashed to his next destination: a power station where he was searching for a man named Farooq.
Farooq had been with his friends watching the launch of the particle accelerator from a distance when it exploded. The surge of electricity had killed him, but Farooq had miraculously come back to life, with the ability to absorb and release electricity. This seemingly ordinary power had a darker edge—Farooq could absorb the Speed Force, even stripping The Flash of his speed. Eventually, Barry had to take a massive electric shock to reignite the Speed Force in his cells.
Wells had used Farooq's genetic material to devise a way to steal the Speed Force energy, proving just how dangerous Farooq's abilities could be.
After searching, Su Sheng finally found Farooq, who was busy absorbing electricity from the power station. His eyes were glowing white, his hands crackling with electrical energy.
"Hey, stealing electricity is illegal," Su Sheng called out casually.
"I need… energy…" Farooq turned slowly, his voice hollow as he waved his hand, releasing a bolt of electricity at Su Sheng.
Swish!
Su Sheng easily dodged the attack, chuckling. "Thanks for the ability, but now… you can die."
In a flash, Su Sheng was in front of Farooq, delivering a punch. He made sure to use no energy that could be absorbed, relying purely on physical strength—but it was strength multiplied fifty times.
Boom!
Farooq's head caved in from the impact, exploding into a mess of blood and bone. His headless body crumpled to the ground.
Su Sheng watched impassively as Farooq's lifeless body hit the floor. With a flick of his wrist, he ignited a flame, burning the corpse until nothing but ashes remained.
The reasoning behind this gruesome act was simple: by eliminating Farooq and erasing all traces of him, Su Sheng ensured that Reverse Flash wouldn't be able to absorb Barry Allen's Speed Force energy. Now, with Farooq's ability copied, Su Sheng could absorb the Speed Force himself, keeping both The Flash and Reverse Flash in check.
Traveling through time? Disrupting the timeline? Not on his watch.
Reverse Flash accumulating enough Speed Force energy to return home? Forget it.
With Farooq's power, they were now at Su Sheng's mercy.
"It's no wonder Farooq stayed hidden for so long. He was just an ordinary guy who died and came back to life—his need for energy was enormous, and he spent all his time trying to absorb it. But I'm different. I just need to eat a little more when I feel hungry," Su Sheng mused as he felt the impact of his newly acquired ability.
Red lightning flashed again as Su Sheng disappeared.
Su Sheng returned to his villa and asked Laura to prepare some food. After devouring everything, the gnawing hunger from the new ability subsided.
Laura, observing him quietly, couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you?"
Su Sheng wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair, smiling at her. "This is the first time you've spoken to me because you wanted to, isn't it?"
Laura fell silent again, her usual demeanor returning. She had spent her time in the villa cooking, cleaning, and occasionally asking Su Sheng to study how to gain her own Speed Force. She had thrown herself into her duties, even complying silently whenever Su Sheng needed her. But speaking up? That was a rare occurrence.