Chapter 10

"You're unbelievably crazy," Cisco said, shaking his head and scowling. "Going after Killer Frost like that? You could have been killed! What happened to, 'yeah, okay, I'll wait for you, Cisco, before we go and get Killer Frost, hm?"

"It..." Barry scratched at his hair. "...sort of...happened." He shifted in his chair.

"It was my idea," Eobard broke in.

Both pairs of eyes landed on him, full of obvious irritation.

He continued, "I found the coordinates, and I went after her. The hero, Bartholomew, decided to-"

"Don't call me that," Barry snapped. He turned his gaze to Cisco. "I tried to stop him...but when that didn't go as planned... Well, I thought I could limit any collateral damage he caused."

Cisco continued to glare at Eobard the entire time. "I see. Why am I not surprised to learn this is Thawne's doing?"

"Look," Flash said, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry, but...we did get her home...and we can maybe help her now. She's still out cold downstairs." He walked over to his friend.

Cisco refocused on him. "Some friends in Star City can help her. The technology we need is in its testing stages there. In fact, they've started testing it on criminals who have abused their powers...with promising results. I'll just keep the power-dampeners on her until then."

"Then we should move her immediately, preferably before she comes to."

Vibe sighed. "After everything... I guess I should just be grateful she's back...still trying to get my head around that, too... I feel like this is a dream." He looked at his hand. "But I have the right amount of fingers, so it has to be real." He clenched them into a fist. "...and I still can't believe Evil wanted to help at all."

Eobard furrowed his brow, feeling the urge to explain himself. "I know you dislike me, hate me, even, but I'm not completely evil. I'm just the opposite of the Flash."

"Yeah, that's been well-established."

"I..." Eobard started, leaning forward. He looked straight into Cisco's eyes, wanting to convey his honesty. "I know you don't believe me...but I do care about you and Caitlin. You both are outstanding people."

Vibe scowled. "You don't have any right to say that." He turned away, took a few steps, and stopped. "I guess..." He glanced back, looking like he had tasted something sour. "I guess I should say thank you, though...even if it feels like glass in my mouth, so...thank you."

"It was my pleasure."

Cisco stared at him. It was as if he wanted to speak, to say something. Eobard raised his brows, trying to encourage him.

The metahuman snorted in response. "Whatever." He spun on his heel and marched out of the room. Barry followed.

Eobard found his thoughts drifting, unfocused and uncertain. He turned on a console to distract himself, exploring the internet, but the strange feeling lingered in his gut for awhile.

Something occurred to him.

He stood and raced out of the building.

When Eobard arrived back at the cortex, Barry had returned and was sitting at one of the consoles. He looked up to the other speedster's entrance.

Eobard flung the dark bag he held down onto his new-favorite chair.

"What's...that?" Barry asked, tensing. "If it's a bomb, I'm going to-"

"My necessities," Eobard stated, not bothering to look up as he double-checked his items.

"It's…?" Realization must have dawned on the other speedster, because he said, "really? You're moving in? Why do you need to stay here? Don't you have your own...place?"

Eobard hesitated, glancing over to meet the gaze fixed on him. He narrowed his eyes at the line of questioning. "Of course I do, Allen...but I had this little thought. Time Demon is faster than the both of us. And it could appear at any time in the next month... And guess what? I don't trust it. I imagine it'll attack sooner than expected, to catch us off guard. So, when it does, I need to be here, to assist. If I have to run over here, I won't make it in time... Unfortunately, we need to stick together."

"I..." Barry opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out, save for - "Unbelievable."

"Yeah, you're stuck with me, Allen. Get used to it."

"Not likely."

Eobard chortled. He seized something from his bag, tapping it. "Gideon, welcome to your new, temporary home," he said. He placed the device to the terminal in front of him.

"Thank you, Professor Thawne."

"I'll just go ahead and upload-"

"Wait! What?" Flash exclaimed. "You can't just do that, this is my lab! Just because you-"

"It used to be mine, and, yes, I can do it," Eobard pointed out, pressing a button. "As far as I can tell, you have zero security on these terminals. I could literally unleash a hosts of viruses to wipe out what's left of this place, if I wanted...leaving you technologically helpless..." He paused, grinning. "You know, that's not such a bad idea. Maybe I'll do that after the Time Demon is dealt with." He held his hand up to the console.

"Wow," Barry groaned. "Maybe you forgot that I designed most of this newer stuff, and I'm a speedster. I'm sure I would have your viruses gone in a matter of minutes."

"Doubtful. You underestimate me. Besides, who said the viruses would be the only thing you'll have to contend with?"

Allen gave a loud sigh. "...I don't even have any need for an A.I... Just because you can't get along without one, doesn't mean I'm as helpless."

"Aw, come on. Don't be mean, Flash. You designed her, after all."

"For a friend!"

Eobard swiped a projected screen with his fingers. "And, Voila! Gideon is now in charge of S.T.A.R. Labs' systems. As it should be..."

Flash leaned forward and face-palmed. "Maybe you were right about me wanting to kill you, after all. I think I want to, now."

Thawne grinned. "Told you so."

"Is there a problem, Mr. Allen?" Gideon asked, her voice speaking over the PA system. When she got no response, she said, "I am detecting several inefficiencies in your operating systems. Shall I clean them? I estimate a thirty percent increase in work output if I do."

"Look at that, you do need her," Eobard said, smug. "Fix it up, Gideon."

"I'm sorry, Professor Thawne, but I must have express permission from Mr. Allen before accessing the Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories' operating systems."

"Hah," Barry said. "What were you saying about no security, again? Now I get joint custody of her..." It was his turn to be smug.

Eobard looked down, admitting to himself that little, unfortunate truth.

The Flash said with some reluctance, "fine, Gideon... Update the computers… There better not be any of Thawne's tampering, though, or both of you will get your circuits fried."

Barry held the device under the light, pressing his tools at it. Eobard thought the small mechanism was from the Flash suit, though he wasn't sure what it was. The Flash's brow scrunched, and with the way he toiled at it, the Reverse was doubtful he was making any progress, at all. Through the slowed-down world, he saw how the other speedster worked with careless jerks of his hands, moving far too fast and without any evidence of caution. As if to prove this point, a tiny arc of electricity emitted from the object, causing Allen to yank his fingers back and curse.

Realizing himself, Eobard yanked his thoughts back to normal speed, turning from Barry. "Gideon?" He asked.

"Yes, Professor Thawne?"

"Has my Reverse Flash suit finished repairing?"

"Yes, Professor. It is back to one hundred percent operational capacity."

"Excellent."

Barry's voice carried across the room. "Damn it!"

Eobard glanced over, surprise filling him. The device the Hero of Central City held clattered into a mess of broken pieces. The Flash stopped, dropping his head into his hands, elbows on the desk of the workstation. After a minute, he stood and paced from the station, fists clenched. A swirl of chaotic emotions had his cells vibrating like crazy, and Thawne knew it'd been like this since they'd gotten back, though it was worse now.

Eobard suggested, "why don't you have Gideon look at that? She's a great mechanic."

"I can take care of it," Barry snapped, pacing to his seat. He flung himself onto it, as if to contradict himself. "I don't need an A.I. to do simple repairs." He frowned at his desktop.

"In your current state, you certainly do... What's wrong with you?"

"What?" Barry asked, looking at him. "N-nothing. What are you talking about?"

"Uh-huh," Eobard replied, raising an eyebrow. "You really think I haven't noticed? You've been acting...upset since we brought Caitlin back. I thought you would be glad that she has a chance, now."

"I am glad that we brought her back," Barry threw at him with complete hostility. He sighed. "Nothing else matters…"

"So, what is the problem?"

Barry adjusted his sleeves, glaring back at his console screen. "What do you care?"

"Oh, I don't care," Eobard replied. "It's just annoying to be around you when you're like this. Your wild frequency is starting to give me a headache."

"Right," responded his nemesis. "More likely, you're just looking to find a weakness to exploit. You know you can ignore me, right? You reading my emotions gives me the creeps, anyway."

"So you did notice," Eobard said. "You're...harder to ignore than you realize. Trust me."

Barry glanced at him, expression antagonized.

Thawne shifted. "So...does that look mean you aren't going to tell me what your problem is?"

Flash continued to stare at him, eyes flinty. His jaw worked, but he said nothing.

"Fine," the Reverse said, turning away. "Don't say a word, then." He reached towards his bag, intent on his personal 3D printer.

Barry spoke, an evident need to express the truth breaking through his stubbornness, "...I'm just worried it won't work...or that even if it does, the entire experience will leave her too scarred... It's been a hundred years."

Eobard returned his gaze to the other speedster, crossing his fingers in front of him. "She's a strong woman. I am certain she'll recover. Besides, she'll have her friends to help her."

"Yeah...but what really leaves me in a mood..." He rubbed his temples in a show of stress. "Is the fact that she wasn't wrong, you know. What Killer Frost said."

"About which part?"

"Most of it," Barry replied. "I guess it's just... I knew she was going to say it. I prepared myself for it. I told myself that Killer Frost will say any nasty thing to get at me, that it meant nothing. I knew it wasn't Caitlin...not really...and yet…"

Eobard felt an abrupt drop in his vibrations.

Sorrow.

He guessed, "and yet it still hurt?"

"I can't believe I'm telling you this...but...yeah. It did. A lot more than I thought it would, anyway... It's hard not to wonder how much of Caitlin is still in Killer Frost. How much of that is how she truly viewed me? And how much of it is her alter ego? If it was her real thoughts... I must have been nothing but an awful friend... I did this to her, after all..."

Eobard did not know why it was difficult to hear those words spoken in that tone of voice. He was also uncertain why he was about to say what was on his mind. "I'm going to hit you with my honest opinion."

"You better shoot to kill, then."

"If even the smallest fraction of what Killer Frost had said earlier were Caitlin's true thoughts on you, she would never have stayed by your side for as long as she did. It took years and years for Killer Frost to win over. She fought it, to stay with the people she loved. That's the kind of woman she is. Regardless of what you did, she always cared about you..."

Barry's eyes widened. "Eobard?"

"Well, I'm just being honest." The Reverse grinned. "I suppose I shouldn't have been. Silly me. I'm regretting it already."

"I thought you loved to take every opportunity to hurt me."

"Well, just like everyone else, sometimes I miss opportunities." He shrugged. "Make mistakes." He looked away from the scrutinizing gaze. Well, this is getting awkward... What the hell am I saying?

Bringing Eobard's attention back to him, Barry said, "I just, there's more to it, too..." He scowled, frequency shifting once more. "Regardless of whether or not that's how she truly feels...the things she said. Some of it...rang true. Maybe the reason I save people isn't because of them, needing help...maybe it's because of me. I can't stop doing it. I've tried before...but I can't. It makes me feel...good...better than good, every time. It's an addiction...one that is just as dangerous as any drug."

"I think..." Eobard hesitated before continuing, "...I...know...what you mean... I am...likewise addicted to being Reverse Flash... I like to be the most evil villain...opposing a great force of good..." At that point, he realized he was saying far too much that was personal. He halted that line of thought, knowing he needed to get his thoughts back together. "...but really, I'm just fighting you, a corrupted symbol, a con, a manipulative narcissist disguised as the champion of justice. Doesn't make me seem as wicked, huh, if I'm not fighting the honorable white knight? Like I said to Killer Frost - you're no hero."

"There's the Eobard Thawne I know," responded the Flash, smiling, seeming amused just then for no apparent reason.

"That didn't sound like disagreement, though."

"You know what, Thawne?" Barry said. "I agree with you somewhat. I'm not a hero. I'm just trying to do some good with what I have, and I always believe that it gets better, that it'll all work out in the end. What are you trying to do in your life, anyway? What exactly does being Reverse Flash give you?"

"All I've ever tried to do," Eobard responded, "and all I've ever wanted to do...is bring you down from your satellite, and send you straight to hell. You float in your own orbit, thinking yourself so high and mighty. Untouchable. I want to be the shocking force that slaps you into reality, just before you die. That's what Reverse Flash gives me."

"Here we go," Barry sighed. "And I thought you were having a moment, too."

"I told you I'm not completely evil. You, on the other hand, your eyes are so full of stardust from being on your high horse, that you can't see that you're a walking contradiction. You act like you're a hero, like you deserve to be heralded as one, even though you just admitted you aren't."

"You really do see me through a lens, don't you?" Allen asked. "Because your vision is very skewed."

"I'm not the one whose vision is skewed. I'm not blind to who I really am. Let me spell it out for you, hero," Eobard said, voice turning nasty in disapproval. "To start with, you attend Flash Day where everyone adores you like the bloated egotist you are, and you grin like a fool in love because you are. You're in love with the praise they shower upon you that you clearly don't deserve-"

"I go to Flash Day first and foremost because it let's people who want to see me...well, see me. It gives them hope. It makes them feel safer. Yeah, I do enjoy it, but if that were the only obligation I had to go, I wouldn't."

"You know I'm right, though, don't you? Everything about you screams self-love. Your attitude, your actions, your very persona as the Flash..." He spread his fingers outward for emphasis. "And you admitted it - you save people for the thrill of it…not for them... You're selfish. Almost as much as I am. Not exactly the definition of a hero."

"I am selfish, but unlike you, I don't let it harm others these days... And despite my doubts, I know that no matter how good it may feel to help people, I do it because it's the right thing to do… Not just because it makes me happy...but because they needed someone to help them... To me, a narcissist hurts others with his or her selfishness. What does that make you?"

"The villain... Which reminds me...you have hurt quite a few people, Barry."

"Says you."

"But even you shouldn't have to take my word for this one."

"I've..." Allen sighed, "...made many mistakes over the years, sure...but I've never wanted to hurt anyone."

"But you had such a knack for it... You know what, though? I didn't want to hurt anyone, either. Not at first, anyway... But it had to happen, sooner or later... It was inevitable...and I grew to love it... Besides...I knew the you from the other timeline."

"Well," Barry said, "he shouldn't count. I don't even know anything about him. You're the only person who does."

"He had your D.N.A. though, and thus, your mind, your heart, your lust for heroism, glory, worship... He was everything that you were meant to be - are meant to be. Everything you are..."

"So, what did he do that made you conclude I'm a self-centered narcissist? Because really, every time you look at me, you must see him. I'm not the person you described."

Eobard barked a laugh. "Aren't you? Aren't you Barry Allen?"

"Tell me about this other Flash."

Eobard shook his head. "Everything you need to know about him, you already do..."

"I don't think so."

"If not, you will, one day... Well, this conversation is wonderfully pointless. You remain imperceptive, as always. I'm done arguing about it, you narrow-sighted dunderhead." He stood and left the room.