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Suddenly, an idea came to mind.
"Gideon, can you search for any siblings Lex Luthor might have?"
"Of course, Barry," Gideon responded. Moments later, a picture appeared on the screen, and my blood froze. Clark Luthor. He looked exactly like Tom Welling's version of Superman, but this time it was Ultraman—the evil one from Earth-2 in the *Smallville* show. I mentally scowled. How did I not see this before? And why, of all universes, did I end up in one with an evil version of Superman?
I sighed, trying to push the thought aside. "Gideon, has Hal Jordan acquired a green ring yet?" I knew there was a Hal Jordan in this universe—hopefully, he'd become a Green Lantern by now.
"Affirmative, Barry. There have been rumors of a Green Lantern mysteriously saving people," Gideon confirmed.
I smiled. Finally, some good news. Maybe having Ultraman here could actually work to my advantage.
"Gideon, could you make a slight modification to the miniature spy bots' design?" I asked. I had built them to spy on people, but now I had a new idea.
"Of course, Barry. What modification would you like?" Gideon inquired.
I smirked. "Make them able to take blood samples, like a mosquito."
Suddenly, there was a knock at my door. Using one of the cameras I installed in my Flash cave, I saw it was Iris. I had made sure this place could only be accessed by a few trusted people. Meta-humans could trick a DNA scan, so I told Gideon to only let people in if they knew the password.
I pressed the button to speak through the comms. "Sorry, Iris, but you know the rules. I can't let you in until you tell me the password."
Iris sighed in annoyance. "Barry, this is ridiculous. You know it's me."
I snorted. "Nice try, Iris. How do I know you're not some kind of alien disguised as you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Hamdumbhangingpork."
The door opened.
Iris walked in with a look of irritation. "What is with you and your newfound paranoia?"
I grinned. "First, there's nothing wrong with taking precautions. Second, it's not paranoia if everyone really *is* out to get you."
She shook her head in frustration. "Barry, I think you need to stop watching *Men in Black* so much."
I rolled my eyes.
"Wow, look at what you've done with your fortress of solitude," she remarked, glancing at the neatly arranged chemicals on the shelves.
I snorted at the unintentional Superman reference. "Fortress of Solitude?"
"Well, yeah. Considering you spend most of your time here, it seems fitting," Iris explained.
"Really? I kinda like it. The name fits," I admitted. "So, why are you here? Did the ideas I gave you for the article not pan out?" I had suggested she get into journalism about a week ago, giving her a few ideas to kick-start her career.
"No, it's not that. I actually love some of the ideas you gave me," Iris replied, though she thought Barry had gone a little overboard with some of the topics. "I'm here because I want to know what's going on with you."
I smirked. "Didn't you already ask that question? Besides, aren't you enjoying my newfound sense of humor?"
Iris laughed. "As much as I enjoy watching my dad get annoyed by your sarcasm, that's not what I'm talking about. You just seem... different. Wiser. Like you've been through a lot."
"You're right. I have. That's why I built this place—my own fortress of solitude." I paused for a moment. "Gideon, why don't you introduce yourself?"
Iris jumped as a blue-headed hologram appeared. "Hello, Ms. West. My name is Gideon, an artificial intelligence created by Barry to assist him, his friends, and family in any way possible."
Iris's eyes widened. "You created an AI?" she asked, incredulous. "Barry, you could be working at a place like STAR Labs with that Dr. Wells you keep talking about."
"You're right, Iris. I could. But I prefer being a CSI," I said with a hint of sadness. "I guess you could say I have trouble moving on."
Iris realized I was talking about my mother and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Barry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"Thank you, Iris. It's okay—you didn't know," I reassured her.
She still seemed a little guilty. "Dad wanted me to tell you we're having pizza tonight. Also, this was delivered for you." She handed me a paper-thin package.
I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Iris shrugged. "I don't know. It was delivered anonymously."
"Thanks, Iris. Tell Joe I'll be home for dinner," I said, inspecting the package. There was something metallic inside.
"When will you be home?" she asked.
"Depends on what's inside this package. I should be home in 45 minutes to an hour."
Iris nodded and left.
Once she was gone, I tore open the package and found a burner phone inside. I chuckled. "Could it be? Probably."
I pressed the only number saved on the phone. "I gotta say, I didn't expect you to give me a way to contact you," I said.
"Don't try to trace this," came Batman's voice on the other end.
"I doubt I could even if I wanted to," I replied, though Gideon might've had a shot at cracking it.
"Why were you in Gotham?" Batman asked, getting straight to the point.
I smirked. "That's a good question. But then again, you already know."
"You went there to enlist my help in solving your mother's death," he stated.
"Yes. I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want you to think I saved you to collect a favor. I saved you because it was the right thing to do."
Batman was silent for a moment. "Kid, you're a dying breed."
I was shocked. Did Batman just compliment me?
"Thank you, but you probably just think of me as the kid covering for his dad," I said, my voice somber, recalling Barry's frustration with people not believing him.
"I don't. I believe your father is innocent," Batman said firmly.
"I—thank you," I replied, feeling a spark of hope. Knowing that Batman believed in my father's innocence meant the world to me.
"I have proof," I continued, "photos of the man in yellow breaking into my house that night. But you'd need to see them yourself."
"Why?" Batman asked.
"Because I trust you."
"I'll help you," Batman said, "but I need you to do something for me."
"What is it?" I asked cautiously.
"Stop investigating your mother's death."
I sighed. I had a feeling he'd ask that. "Batman, I can't let this go. You have to understand—this man killed my mother."
"Meet me in Gotham, at the GCPD building. Bring the photos. Come alone," Batman said, his tone leaving no room for argument before hanging up.
I grumbled, knowing this was far from over. But I had bigger plans in play.
When I got home, I found out today was my birthday—November 6th. Joe, Iris, Ralph, and August had thrown a surprise party, complete with cake and presents. It was strange. Ralph and Barry weren't friends until much later in the show, and August… well, he was going to be one of my greatest enemies someday.
As the night went on, I almost didn't notice the somber look August had.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Birthdays just remind me of my brother," August said quietly. "He died during one of my birthday parties."
"I'm sorry, August," I said sincerely.
"It's not your fault," he replied, brushing off the apology. "But thanks."
Looking at August now, it was hard to believe he'd become Godspeed. Should I try to change his fate? I'd already set plans to stop Ramsey from becoming Bloodwork by curing him and his mother. But could I stop August from turning into one of my greatest foes?