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The air in STAR Labs was tense. The team was barely holding it together after Zoom's latest attack. Joe was gone, captured by the monstrous speedster, and Barry was on the edge of losing control.
Barry stood in front of the team's command center, pacing like a caged animal. His jaw was clenched, his hands balled into fists, and his voice cracked with barely suppressed emotion.
"We have to end this," Barry said, his tone resolute. "Zoom wants a race? Fine. I'll give him one. But I'm not letting him hurt anyone else."
"Barry," Iris said softly, stepping forward. "We'll find a way. You don't have to do this alone."
Barry shook his head. "No, Iris. I do. This is on me. I let him into our lives. I gave him the chance to take my dad. I won't lose Joe too."
Caitlin and Cisco exchanged worried glances. They had seen Barry like this before, but never to this extent. The weight of his losses was crushing him, and it was clear that he was willing to risk everything to save Joe.
---
**A Lone Visitor**
Unbeknownst to the team, Tony—or Zero—was already inside STAR Labs. Slipping through the ventilation system with the enhanced precision his new body provided, he moved with purpose.
The System buzzed in his mind:
**Quest Activated: Tapping into the Temporal Potential**
Objective: Obtain DNA from The Turtle and fuse its essence with the System.
Reward: Connection to an Emerging Force.
Tony grimaced. The Turtle's DNA was one of the last things he wanted to mess with, but he couldn't ignore the System's warning. If he was going to face Zoom, or worse, survive the fallout of this coming storm, he needed an edge.
The containment vault where the sample was stored was locked behind several layers of security, but Tony's powers made short work of it. A flick of his hand, and the metallic locks twisted and fell apart.
As he reached for the vial, a voice stopped him.
"What the hell are you doing?" Caitlin's voice rang out, sharp and full of alarm.
Tony froze, his hand inches from the DNA sample. Slowly, he turned to see Caitlin standing in the doorway, Cisco right behind her.
"Seriously?" Cisco said, aiming one of his modified cold guns at Tony. "Breaking into STAR Labs? Bold move for a mystery meta."
---
**Confrontation at STAR Labs**
Tony sighed, lowering his hand and stepping back from the vial. "Look, I didn't come here to fight. I came to help."
"Help?" Caitlin snapped. "By breaking into our lab and stealing our resources?"
"You wouldn't have given it to me if I asked," Tony replied.
Cisco narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, that's because you're shady as hell, dude. Who even are you?"
Tony hesitated. He had avoided directly interacting with the team for weeks, preferring to work in the shadows. But now, standing in front of them, he realized there was no more running.
"I'm someone trying to make things right," he said finally.
"That's not an answer," Cisco shot back.
Caitlin studied him closely, her eyes narrowing. "Your powers… they're familiar. And your voice…"
Tony took a deep breath. "I was someone else once. Someone you knew." He looked directly at Caitlin. "But I'm not that person anymore."
Cisco's grip on the cold gun tightened. "Start making sense, or I'm freezing you right here."
Tony sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'll give you a hint." He straightened, his tone growing cold. "You're born to be beaten, Allen. But you always get back up. Now run, Barry, run."
The words hung in the air, their weight sinking in. Cisco's eyes widened, and Caitlin took an involuntary step back.
"No," Caitlin whispered. "It can't be."
"Tony?" Cisco said, his voice barely audible.
"I was Tony," he admitted. "And I wasn't a good person. But that part of me is gone now—mostly. I'm something… someone else. Call me Zero."
---
**Revelations and Resolve**
Before Caitlin or Cisco could respond, alarms blared through STAR Labs. Barry and Iris ran into the room, their faces tense with urgency.
"What's going on?" Barry asked, his gaze shifting to Tony. His eyes narrowed. "Who's this?"
Tony turned to face him fully, his new appearance still unfamiliar to Barry. But the tension in the room was palpable, and Barry's instincts kicked in.
"I'm here to help," Tony said simply.
"Help?" Barry scoffed. "You've been lurking in the shadows for weeks. Saving Wally, taking down metas—why not come to us sooner?"
"Because you wouldn't have trusted me," Tony said. "And I don't blame you. But I'm here now because you need me. Zoom won't stop until he destroys everything. And I'm not going to let that happen."
Barry stepped closer, his eyes blazing. "Why should I believe you?"
Tony met his gaze, unflinching. "Because I've already lost my chance at redemption once. I'm not losing it again."
---
**A New Plan**
Despite their mistrust, the team didn't have time to argue. Zoom was preparing for his final showdown, and Joe's life hung in the balance.
As the team regrouped, Tony slipped away to integrate The Turtle's DNA into the System. The process was excruciating, his body wracked with pain as the slow-force-like connection began to take shape.
The System buzzed:
**Fusion Complete. Temporal Energy Harnessed. Subtle Connection to Emerging Forces Established.**
Tony collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. "This better be worth it," he muttered.
As he stood, a faint voice echoed in his mind—a remnant of the Speed Force.
"Your journey is just beginning, Zero. But your choices will define the forces to come."
---
**The Final Push**
Returning to STAR Labs, Tony found the team preparing for the race with Zoom. Barry was tense but determined, his focus solely on saving Joe.
Tony approached him, his expression uncharacteristically solemn. "Barry," he said, "You're not doing this alone. Whatever happens out there, I'll be right behind you."
Barry hesitated, then nodded. For the first time, there was a glimmer of trust in his eyes.
As the team moved out, Tony felt a renewed sense of purpose. He wasn't just Tony Woodward anymore. He wasn't just Zero. He was something new—a blend of past and present, of mistakes and second chances.
And he wasn't going to let Zoom win.
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