(Cole's POV)

"What the hell do you mean I'm from this Earth," I asked.

"I mean exactly that. Your vibrational frequency states that this Earth, Earth-1, is your Earth," said Wells.

"That's not true, asshole! If I were from this Earth, I'd fucking know it! Cisco, I think there is something wrong with your machine because it doesn't fucking work!"

"The machine is fine, it's you I'm not so sure about."

"You want to check my fucking mind, asshole?! Here!" I pressed my palm to his head and sent him every single one of my memories since the Blast, every bullet, every bomb, every punch, shrapnel, fall, rock and jolt from contact with water. I showed him all of it and when I was done, we were both on the floor, pain coursing through our heads from the exchange. At the same time I sent him my memories, I saw his. Wells' ego had caused a rift with his daughter. While she was busy being a hero to the people of his Central City, he'd formed a team to help her. A team he controlled and bossed around until Jesse had enough. She kicked him out, and Wells had nowhere else to go.

"Are you ok," exclaimed Caitlin as she checked on me while Barry and Cisco checked on Wells.

"Do you think anyone could've fabricated any of those memories, Wells?" I stood up and looked at him.

"It's possible," he said as he glared at me. He thought for a moment. "But the emotions, not so much. That's what a lot of telepaths fail to do is make the emotions that color the memories strong. So this gives me doubt." Wells stood up. "And I agree with you."

"On what?"

"Someone orchestrated all of this. After seeing what Kessler put you though, I think there's someone setting up something else."

"What is he talking about," asked Barry.

"Someone wanted the new Metas created," I said. "It's like chess. Cause effect. Move, countermove. The board was set up and someone made the first move to force Barry to come back, creating those Metas. You guys played into their hand without even knowing you were playing the same game. With what I went through in Empire City, the pieces were easier for me to see now that more were revealed. I said it's like chess, it's more like Stratego. More pieces, different rules, same objective. Traps could be anywhere, and your strongest pieces remain hidden. We need to find these Metas soon. Starting with the one we know. Barry, is there a way we can talk with Dibny?"

"He has an office downtown. Me and Joe can go talk with him. In the meantime, Cisco, see if you and Wells can figure out why Cole registers as being from this Earth."

"I'm on it, after I go out with Gypsy. I've put this off long enough and it's still One-One-One Day. Whatever the hell that is."

"It's like their New Years," said Wells. "Mixed with Valentine's Day."

"That would be important." Cisco left to open a Breach and I sighed before sitting in a chair.

"MacGrath. Let me see your cattle prod." I handed him the Amp and looked at the screen again. Wells looked like he wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut and walked away. Caitlin looked at me.

"Are you ok," she asked. I sighed and shook my head.

"Not really. I don't know what's going on, but I need to find a way home. Zeke, my parents, my brother, I need to know if they're fine."

"Why don't you ever talk about your family," asked Barry.

"We had a falling out before I was kicked out of college. They wanted me to live my life their way and I rebelled. Trish and Zeke were pretty much the only ones who accepted me for who I was. After Trish died, it was just Zeke and that was strained after his stunt with the Ray Sphere. Now… I just want to know if they're all fine. I want to know that me activating the RFI wasn't in vain, that I actually did the right thing. It was a question of faith and facts. I had an impossible choice in front of me and…" I sighed and looked to the ceiling. "I need to know I made the right one and didn't damn my world to death."

"You did the right thing."

"Did I?!" I stood up and glared at him. "Did I really?! When I first activated the RFI, it was killing us! But I didn't know if Zeke was getting any better! The Plague was ravaging the east coast, and I had no indication if the RFI could stop it! I had two choices. Set off the RFI or don't. Help the Beast, or don't. If I had helped the Beast…"

"You would've killed millions of people."

"They could already be dead along with the Conduits!" My arms sparked up with red lightning and I ignored the pain. "John's plan worked. Awakening the Conduits and allowing humanity to go on further despite the Plague because we were immune. Wolfe's plan had so many holes, I didn't know if it would work!"

"So what, you would've just thrown all those lives away?!"

"To save humanity, yes! Unlike what a lot of people thought on my Earth, I wasn't a hero! I'm not like you! I can't put everything on faith alone! I had a choice! Conduits or humanity! Either way meant survival or extinction!"

"And you chose to put your faith in Wolfe," said Caitlin. "You have to live with that and have faith that you made the right choice."

"It's easy to say and harder to do. You've only had to worry about saving your city for the most part and you didn't need to make a choice that would effect, the entire world. I had to make that choice. And I don't even know if it was the right thing to do. I don't know if I picked destruction over survival. I need to get home."

"And we'll get you home. I promise." I looked at her and sighed.

"Thanks. But a promise won't make me feel better." I left the lab and started walking away. Wells' revelation was jarring. I needed either a drink or something to help me vent. Whichever I found first. I traveled using Induction Grind and started getting more familiar with the city. Ignoring the looks of awe and people recording me on their phones. I just needed to block everything out. A shout of fear brought my attention to a dark alley. Always with the alleys with these guys. I jumped off the wires and used my Static Thrusters to hover to a building nearby. I grabbed onto a ledge and watched as a group of men were harassing a couple, the man on the ground, bleeding from a wound to the head. I hopped down and landed beside one before clearing my throat. "Excuse me, gentlemen." The men turned to me and glared. "Couldn't help but notice you're playing a bit rough. Might want to tone it down a bit."

"Fuck off, Baldy," said the largest of the group. Easily 7 feet in height and built like a truck.

"Now, we can see this done the easy way…" I sparked up my hand, still coursing with red lightning with my anger still potent. "Or I can shock you to hell."

"Watch out, man," said one of the guys. "He's a Meta."

"Like I fucking care," said the big guy. He took a punch at me and I rolled to the side before throwing him into the air with a Graviton Blast. I hit him with a Magnum Bolt before turning to the others. He dropped behind me and I grinned. Two ran off, leaving five to charge at me and try hitting me. I blocked one punch with an arm and shocked him before zapping the knees of the second. Thug three pulled out a gun and shot at me, the gunshots echoing in the air. I drained a nearby light and grinned as he knew he was out of ammo. I gave him a head shock before punching out two of his buddies. The big guy got behind me and put me in a full nelson, attempting to hold me down. I shook my head and surged. He cried out as he had a few thousand volts coursing through him, and I dropped an Alpha Grenade at the feet of the last two who were now running. They shouted as it exploded and knocked them off their feet. I hurried and put all five of them into Arc Restraints before walking back to the couple.

"You ok," I asked. The man nodded as his forehead bled. "Hold still." I charged up my hands before giving him a Pulse Heal. His wife helped him into his wheelchair, and I called Joe to get a squad car to the alley we were in with the woman telling me where it was.

"Thank you," said the man.

"Yeah. In all honesty, I needed to vent. These guys just had the unfortunate luck to be nearby."

"What's your name?"

"Cole." I shook his hand.

"Clifford."

"What were you guys doing down here, anyways?"

"Me and Clifford were out on a stroll," said the woman. "Me and my husband don't really get a chance to go out all that often."

"So you went down a dark alley? To each his own, I guess."

"How can we thank you?"

"No need. You guys just go on your day. I gotta stay behind and reabsorb those restraints when the police arrive."

"In that case, we should stay as well."

"Wouldn't want to keep you."

"And we wouldn't want you to be arrested for assault without our statement," said Clifford.

"Yeah, hadn't thought about that. Thanks."

"Consider it a debt paid in full." I leaned against a wall and waited as I passed a current between my hands. Zeke told me this would be a good way to help focus my control, for the most part, it's worked out alright.

"That's an interesting power you have," said Clifford's wife.

"Wouldn't say it's interesting. Just handy. Never need a battery again."

"I can imagine," said Clifford. "Oh, do excuse my manners. This is my wife, Marlize. We're professors at Central City University."

"Clifford teaches history," said Marlize. "And I teach physics." I shook her hand just as the cruiser pulled up. We told the officer, one of the ones who witnessed the Deacon incident, what had happened and I was asked to get in the cruiser to help with the report at the station.

"All the same, officer, it's better if I ride on top. I'm like a magnet and my powers aren't exactly great for being cooped up." The officer sighed before calling it in as another cruiser arrived to carry the last two thugs after I helped the first three into the first car.

"Man," said one of the officers. "I wish those restraints were standard equipment. Doesn't look like anyone could break out of those."

"Another Metahuman might," said his partner. "Those freaks seem to be able to do anything." I shook my head as I hopped onto the squad car and drained a nearby power pole before nodding to Clifford and Marlize as we rode off. When we arrived at the police precinct, one of the thugs tried bolting. I used an Ice Launch to get ahead of him and clotheslined him to the ground before pinning him as one of the cops raced after us.

"Thanks."

"No problem," I said as I handed the guy off. "This kind of thing happens."

"Not normally." The thugs were brought to the department and I surged to find a nearby power box when I felt a miniscule source of energy on my wrist. I looked at my wrist and frowned as I saw some kind of insect looking thing hanging off of me.

"The hell?" I zapped it off and stomped on it when it landed before walking into the building. After I finished giving my statement, the captain, David Singh, walked over to me.

"Mr. MacGrath," he said. "Can you come into my office, please?"

"Why do I feel like I'm being called into a principal's office when I feel that?" Cole followed the captain and sat down when Singh gestured for him to. "How can I help you?"

"That's twice you've brought someone into my precinct, Mr. MacGrath. Three times if you consider when my CSI, Barry Allen, asked for your help in apprehending Rebecca Sharpe earlier today."

"Just doing my civic duty. I saw someone in trouble, I jumped to help them."

"Not many people would do that out of the goodness of their hearts."

"Maybe more people need to. Why am I here? I doubt it's because I'm simply getting a pat on the back and a good job."

"I'll make this quick. Your abilities are powerful, you seem to be a good person, and you don't wear a mask when you help people."

"Not really much of a reason to do so."

"And why is that?"

"Don't really have anyone people would target to get to me. Flash, Vibe, they have families and they fight bad people who have powers and hold grudges."

"I'm aware. I'm sure it comes as no surprise but there are a few officers who do not have a strong opinion for Metahumans."

"Let me guess, the whole masked vigilante thing started by the Arrow?"

"And the fact that these supposed superheroes are following his example." He handed me a pamphlet and I saw it was for the police academy.

"I want to change that. And you? A Metahuman who helps people and doesn't wear a mask? You're just the person to do that." I chuckled as I placed the pamphlet on the desk.

"So I'd be a PR stunt for the CCPD?"

"You'd be a valuable asset to the Central City Police Department. Powers that not only allow you to apprehend criminals but also heal the other people around you? Any law enforcement agency would do anything to hire you."

"I'd be an official police officer?"

"Provided you go through the training and assessments for the academy. With you an official officer of the CCPD, we can not only get a positive outlook for Metas, we also have someone who can assist against violent Metas and help protect our officers in the event of a major firefight or any other dangerous circumstances."

"I never really considered being a cop before."

"Well, here's hoping that changes. I hope you will give this some thought, Cole. We could really use you around here."

"I'll think about it."

"Thank you, Cole." I took the pamphlet and made my way out of the building before getting pulled to an alleyway before coming to a sudden stop as Wally lost his speed.

"You forgot about that, didn't you?"

"Kinda did, yeah. Actually, I was hoping I could build up a resistance to it."

"Kid, if Barry is getting drained by me, even with the resistance he built against that guy, Blackout, you won't either unless you get a better control than him. What's up?"

"I… I need to get away."

"Away from what?"

"The team. I just got back from Earth-2 and Caitlin told me you were the only one who noticed I left. I mean, I get it, they were dealing with their own problems, but it still hurts."

"Where you gonna go?"

"I don't know. Maybe with the Legends?"

"Those are the time guys, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'd go along with you, but if they're gonna be going to the past more often than the future, I won't be of much help, other than being a battery if the ship loses power." Cole clapped him on the back. "Anything else you need to talk about before you pack and say goodbye to your folks?"

"Oh, yeah. Actually, I was gonna ask you to tag along, if only for a little while."

"Can't help you there, man. Sorry."

"It's cool." My phone rang and I answered it after a second.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"MacGrath," said Wells on the other end. "Get back here. I have a theory, but I need you here to test it and with Ramon with his Earth-19 girlfriend, I need to take time from figuring out what this overall plan is to help you alone, now hurry back." He hung up and I turned to Wally.

"He's a real charmer, isn't he?"

"He grows on you."

"Does he?"

"…I'll let you know when that happens." I chuckled and let him speed me to the lab before he sped off to his home.

"Where's Wally going," asked Caitlin.

"Packing. Think he needs to find himself. Where's…?"

"MacGrath," said Wells behind me. I turned around and spotted him carrying the Amp. "Who made this?"

"The Amp? That would be my brother in all but blood and name, Zeke Dunbar. Why?"

"Despite its crude design, it's quite effective at channeling your energy."

"That was the point. Nothing flashy, nothing too complex, just good old grit, sweat, blood, and way too much free time sailing from Empire City to New Marais. What was your theory?"

"First, I need you to take your Amp and then, I'm sending you to another Earth."

"Which one?"

"And for that matter," said Caitlin. "Why?"

"It's to test my theory." Wells handed me the Amp and two devices the size of my palm. "These will let you travel between worlds, creating Breaches for you to jump through. I've programmed them to open a Breach between this Earth and Earth-38. You're going to go there, spend some time there and then come back."

"Mind giving me a clear answer as to why?"

"No."

"Helluva guy." I turned to Caitlin as he walked away.

"He means well, mostly," she said.

"How do I use these?"

"Oh, it's simple. You press the button and then toss it in front of you in the Breach zone."

"What can I expect from Earth-38? Other than aliens?"

"Just about that and the occasional Metahuman."

"Oh great, so not hopelessly outclassed. Sorry we gotta put our date on hold." Caitlin cleared her throat.

"I… don't remember agreeing to that."

"But you didn't object to it either." I grinned as I put the Amp in its place in my pack. "So what's the answer?" Caitlin blushed lightly before turning to me.

"Can you give us some time to think about it?"

"You and Frost. Need to converse with her on this?"

"Something like that."

"At least you're giving my suggestion a shot. Think you'll have an answer when I get back?"

"Maybe."

"Now MacGrath," shouted Wells. I rolled my eyes before activating the device and hopping through the Breach it created.

I appeared several hundred feet in the air and saw a city below me. "What the?!" I activated my Thrusters to catch myself slightly before looking around and shaking my head. "He could've warned me it would take near orbit, asshole." I let myself drop and started a Thunder Drop to the city below. I came out of it before hovering and landing on top of a stadium without breaking anything or hurting anyone. "Ok, what's there to do around here?" Almost immediately, I felt multiple devices on different frequencies from the lights in the stadium and knew, from experience in New Marais exactly what they were. "Bombs? Ah hell!" I dropped down to the ground and ran into the stadium, pulsing to get exact locations of the bombs in the stadium. When I arrived at the first, I found a few people standing in front of it. They turned to me and I sparked my hands with red lightning. "Come on, move!"

"You won't get in the way of Rao's work."

"Who the hell is Rao?" I noticed the timer and shook my head. "Whatever." I calmed my emotions, shifting from red to blue and hit them with a Graviton Blast before running to the bomb. I drained its electrical components and pulled out the ignition switch before pocketing it and ran for the next bomb, hearing one of the people I just blasted yell out that I was defusing the bombs. I kept running and climbed into the rafters above to avoid detection before making my way to the next bomb.

"Stop him," shouted a man below. I hopped down at the next bomb and pulled out the Amp before hitting away one of the bombers as they ran for me. I placed them in Arc Restraints before limiting my Blasts to stop them from killing people, they had a bit of a fanatical look in their eyes and their talk of Rao made this seem like it was a cult, no need to hurt them too much. I repeated the process of defusing the second bomb and created a Frost Wall when I heard people shooting at me. I treated it like my old Polarity Wall and transformed the bullets into energy with some difficulty as the memory of the power didn't fully translate to the Frost Wall despite the similar functions. I took off and navigated to the next bomb, bullets grazing by my limbs and I ignored the pain. First bomb had a timer of 20 minutes. Needed to be fast, felt a lot more bombs now that I was level with them.

I didn't even slow down to rest or drain some equipment nearby to recharge from the constant blasts. Somewhere down the line, my lightning shifted color again, not to red, but to a green hue. I didn't know what changed them at the time, but I didn't care. Bomb after bomb, I kept defusing them again and again, it got to the point where I couldn't even pocket the switches anymore and I had to smash them with the Amp. I managed to get to the last bomb and spotted a woman in a red and blue outfit standing in front of a man with a detonator in hand. He turned to me and the woman looked at me in turn, she looked weak, her veins glowing green for whatever reason and a look of surprise in her eyes.

I reached into my pockets and dropped the switches to the ground before stomping on them and pulling out the Amp. "Buddy, I just spent the last fifteen minutes. Defusing every last bomb but one in this goddamn building. You've got three seconds to surrender or…" I sparked my arms, giving me an eerie green glow as I walked to him. "I'm gonna smite you like Zeus, Rao be damned." Time slowed down for me as he turned to me, ready to press the button and I zapped his head before using a Lightning Tether to pull the last bomb to me and drain it completely before I removed the last switch and dropped to a knee, panting as I groaned. "Damn. That was a lot more stressful than I expected it to be…" I spotted the cultists starting to surround me and stood up as I drained a nearby speaker, my lightning still green in color. "You can either back off…" I sparked up, balls of green lightning forming a couple of inches above my hand. "Or I'm gonna stop you, here and now!"

The people stared at me, more than likely gauging their chances of taking me on when the woman stood up and looked at them. "Please," she said. "Just go home. I'm not infallible. I'm not Rao's Hand. Please, stop this." I kept my eyes on all of them, making sure none of them tried anything. Then after a minute, they looked downtrodden, and one by one, they left. I stopped sparking and Restrained the man I shocked before I put the Amp back in place before dropping to a knee. "Hey," said the woman. "Are you ok?"

"I don't know what was in those bombs, but it did something to me. I need a large source of electricity to drain, hopefully that'll get me back to normal." The woman nodded and grabbed me before we started flying at high speeds. I shook my head as we landed and drained a nearby generator until my lightning shifted back to blue. I sighed in relief before sitting down.

"Damn. That was tough."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Just exhausted. Whatever was in those bombs changed the electricity I drained from them. Don't know what it was."

"That was kryptonite."

"Kryptonite?"

"It's a… uh…" I looked at her closely now and spotted the s on her chest.

"Supergirl, right?"

"I'm surprised you didn't immediately know that."

"Not exactly from around here. Uh… It's sort of a… Barry Allen situation."

"You know Barry?"

"Just came from his Earth."

"That would explain why you didn't know me."

"Didn't know him either. I'm not from Earth-1, despite what that hack Wells might think."

"Which Earth are you from?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. And Wells isn't much help. He sent me here to test a theory of his."

"What theory?"

"Wouldn't say."

"Why not?"

"Cause he's an asshole, that's why." I stood up and held my hand out to her. "Cole MacGrath."

"Kara Zor-El. But you can just call me Kara."

"Nice to meet ya. What was all that at the stadium?"

"That's a long story."

"I'm supposed to stay here for a bit, so I got time."

"Well, let's continue this chat somewhere less public." We lifted off the ground again and within moments, we were in what looked like a government building. I shook my head before finding people aiming guns at me. I sparked up my hands on instinct before Kara stood between us. "He's a friend! Stand down!" They lowered their weapons before looking at me cautiously as I relaxed.

"Now then. Can we talk?"

(Devoe's Hidden Lair)

Clifford Devoe stared at the feed as it only registered a brief moment of energy expenditure from the Electrokinetic, Cole, and then the feed cut off before they could register exactly what it was. "How did you know he'd be there," asked Marlize as they shut off their monitor.

"Harrison Wells is an extremely egotistical man. Chances were good that this Cole would butt heads with him and go to find something to vent afterwards. It was simply a matter of determining which route would be the route he may take. Timing his arrival to the alley was simple given there is footage of him traveling along the power lines in the city. I was able to make an accurate prediction of where and when we would meet him."

"Do we know how he found the electrical analyzer?"

"Given his electrical capabilities, it's not too far of a stretch to determine he somehow felt the device we left on him."

"If only he had found it later."

"It's of little consequence. We'll learn more about this Megawatt as our plans progress. For now, we keep working to the Enlightenment."

(Earth-X)

A blast of lightning knocked a soldier off of their feet before another shocked him and shut down his nervous system. A man with a mechanical arm frowned before healing his friend. "They're coming," he shouted. "Get out of here!"

"I'm not about to leave you, Cole!"

"Dammit, Zeke! Get the package out of here! She's coming! I can hold her! Get going!" Zeke hesitated before nodding, taking a package from Cole's pack and turning to his brother in all but blood.

"Half as long…"

"Twice as bright. Go." Cole faced the direction of the tunnel they had just run down and sparked up, his arms sparking with orange lightning. "Alright, ET. Molon labe." Cole formed Gigawatt Blades as the energy in the tunnel was shut off. A torrent of Arc Lightning shot down the tunnel as a red and black blur shot towards him, evading the electricity as red lightning sparked behind it. Cole dilated time like he would for a Precision Strike and swung at the blur, slightly making out a human figure in a black onesie. The Gigawatt Blades connected and Blitzkrieg, the Speedster of Earth-X collapsed, dead. "Shit, shit, shit." Cole tried for another attempt at Gigawatt Blades and shouted as his metal arm was sheered off by a yellow blur with red lightning trailing behind it. Further down the tunnel, two figures walked slowly towards him while the yellow blur pinned him to the wall.

"I checked his pack," said the man in yellow, voice distorted from his speed. "It wasn't there."

"Where's the device," asked a masked woman wearing a black suit and red cape.

"Krypton, bitch. It was blown to pieces along with the rest of your fucking race!" The man beside her shot an arrow into his leg and he shouted in pain.

"Now, now, Kessler," said the man. "You should just make it easy for yourself. Tell us where the device it."

"Empire City. A long ways away from here." Another arrow to the leg and Cole grunted, getting used to the pain.

"Weren't there two people who infiltrated the facility," asked the woman. Cole glanced at her.

"The fat man," said the man in yellow. "Kessler must've let him go on ahead."

"Then go after him, Thawne," ordered the archer.

"No," shouted Cole as he started Discharging the energy built up in his body, stunning all three in place while he continued to Discharge before rushing the woman and latching his hand onto her head. "Take this!" The woman tanked the millions of volts entering her system before Cole pulled one last trick and ejected a blade from his mechanical stump, a blade made of a golden crystal, and attempted to stab it into her heart. Thawne overcame the effects of Cole's Discharge and vibrated his hand before stabbing it into the chest of the Prime Conduit. Cole tried his damndest to get the blade into the woman and only ended up nicking her before he shouted out and his body went limp, orange lightning arcing from the remnants of his lifeless body as the archer caught the woman and looked at Thawne.

"Find his friend and return the device." Thawne said nothing and sped off down the tunnel, growling when he didn't come across anything. He sped up and down the tunnel three times before returning to the other two.

"He's not in the tunnel."

"What do you mean he's not in the tunnel?!"

"I mean he somehow got away!"

"Well find him! We need that device!"

"We still have the backup plan. We can resort to that."

"The device is a sure thing. Find it." The archer carried the woman back up the tunnel as Thawne went the opposite route, looking for Zeke once more. Zeke Jedediah Dunbar waited for ten minutes before dropping his cloak and kneeling beside the corpse of his fallen brother. He took off his shades and wept for a single moment, the last remnant of his old life now gone. He pulled Cole's body up on his back before turning his cloaking device back on and making his way back down the tunnel, Cole on his back and Ray Sphere in hand.