051 | Trickster
── ⚡ ──
"All right, this is everything that we know about Harrison Wells, which is actually not a lot," Barry explained to Joe, Jesse and Haylee as the four of them stood in front of the board. "Didn't you two read a whole book about him?" Joe asked Barry and Haylee. "Yeah, 600 pages and the big takeaway is, he's enigmatic," Barry answered him. "Your mom was killed by a speedster. Wells' machine changed you both into a speedster and a Glitch. That's way too many coincidences for this old cop," Joe expressed as he sat down next to Jesse.
"Do you think that he wanted me to become The Flash? Haylee, to be The Glitch?" Barry asked them as he turned around, wrapping his arms around Haylee's waist and resting his head on her shoulder. "Everything he's done since that night you got struck by lightning... bringing you to Star Labs, giving you the suit, training you... it's all been to keep you safe," Joe explained to Barry. "And to make him faster," Haylee added. "Wells once said that he needed more speed from me," Barry told Joe.
"Why?" Joe asked him with furrowed brows. "I don't know," Barry answered as Haylee leaned into his arms. "But he wants something from you, Barry. From both of you. We just need to figure out what it is," Joe told them - Barry's arms tightened around Haylee at Joe's words. "Well, let's go get him then. Let's get some answers," Barry told them but Haylee and Joe stopped him. "We can't do that now as much as we might want to," Joe explained to him. "We can't give him a chance to protect himself, we have to be completely normal like nothing changed," Haylee told Barry with a sigh.
"Joe, you had your suspicions about Wells from the very beginning. You thought that he might be the man in yellow," Barry reminded Joe as he sent him a pleading look. "Except the blood from your house didn't match him," Joe expressed. "All right, so maybe he's not the Reverse-Flash, but you think that he knows what happened that night. He may have the key to getting my dad out of prison," Barry explained as Haylee rubbed his arms in comfort. "Whatever Wells wants from you, it started 15 years ago," Joe replied to him.
"He's been patient. Scary patient," Haylee added with a frown, she was pained by the knowledge that Harrison Wells isn't who he claims to be. "You gotta listen to me. We have to be just as patient," Joe told Barry sternly. Suddenly there were distant explosions that caught their attention, Haylee and Barry didn't hesitate to blur their way out of there and into their suits before arriving at the local park where small red parachutes glided from the sky, exploding upon impact on the ground. "Henry? Henry!" A man called for his son.
Barry saved the boy, handing him to his father as Haylee looked at the remnants of the explosives; the work seemed too familiar to her - almost like she had read the story somewhere before. She looked over at Barry, the couple shared a concerned look before Haylee contacted Star Labs to alert them of what happened while Barry explained it to Joe. After that encounter, they made their way to Star Labs in hopes to get the answers they need.
✫*゚・゚。.★.*。・゚✫*
"Tricked ya. Looks who's back. My tricks. My treat. But I'll give you something good to eat. Today's special - A city in ashes. The Trickster proudly welcomes you all to the new disorder," The new Trickster spoke on his video, Haylee and Cisco watched unimpressed. "Talking in the third person. That's never a good sign," Cisco said with Haylee nodding in agreement with him. "You two are just mad because he named himself," Caitlin told them. "Actually, he didn't," Joe corrected with Haylee pointing at him.
"I remember that case," Haylee told Joe as he placed down a file. "Twenty years ago, Central City was hit by a series of terrorist attacks. One man killed at least ten civilians, two cops," Joe explained to him before nodding at Haylee. "That guy called himself The Trickster," Haylee added unimpressed. "Whoa. Someone was rocking the unitard," Cisco commented as he looked at the photo of the former Trickster. "James Jesse?" Caitlin asked with furrowed brows.
"Like Jesse James, only more twisted," Haylee replied as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Where is this Mr Jesse now?" Dr Wells asked, Haylee noticed the distant glare on Barry's face and it left her concerned. "He's serving several life sentences at Iron Heights. He was just about the most dangerous thing Central City had ever seen. I did a thesis on him at Star City," Haylee answered Dr Wells casually - as she would naturally. "You mean until the Particle Accelerator blew up," Barry snarked.
"Barr, I know you haven't gotten much sleep but keep the moodiness to yourself," Haylee covered, receiving a small smile from Joe. "Barry, Haylee and I will go see this James Jesse at Iron Heights, see if he can give us something that can help us catch his groupie," Joe explained to Dr Wells who had picked up on Barry's change in demeanour. "I'll analyze the video and see if I can figure out the source," Cisco told them as Barry made his way out of the Cortex. Dr Wells watched him walk out before approaching Joe and Haylee.
"Hey, Joe, Haylee. Is Barry doing all right? He seems cranky," Dr Wells asked with a concerned tone, the worried glint in his eyes hurt Haylee more knowing he was hiding something life-changing for all of them. "Even The Flash wakes up on the wrong side of the bed some mornings. He's fine," Joe assured before walking out. Haylee noticed that Dr Wells wasn't convinced so she let out a sigh, "I just think this past year of events is catching up to him. I'm sure it's just an off day." Dr Wells smiled before she left.
✫*゚・゚。.★.*。・゚✫*
"Never seen this part of the prison before," Barry voiced as he walked side by side with Haylee, Joe walking ahead of them with the Warden. "Yeah, I had to have this cell specially built for James Jesse about five years ago," The Warden told them. "Why is that?" Joe asked him. "A criminal psychologist set up weekly visits with him. James talked the shrink into committing suicide," The Warden explained to them - Barry grabbed Haylee's hand, ensuring she was right next to him through the whole thing.
"Oh, you're gonna need these," The Warden handed them a bag of Twizzlers before letting them into the foyer before the cell. "Gentlemen and my, my, a beautiful young lady," James Jesse spoke with a teasing grin. "Please, be seated," James Jesse offered them. "I'm Detective Joe West. This is Barry Allen and Haylee Brager," Joe introduced, James Jesse's eyes lit up at Haylee's name. "Not Vincent's little angel?" James Jesse asked with a wide smile. "I'm not here to talk about him. We're here to ask you a few questions," Haylee snapped back.
"I can smell them in your pocket," James Jesse said to Barry who pulled the bag of Twizzlers from his pocket and stood from the seat. "Yesterday, hundreds of these parachute bombs were released throughout Central City," Barry explained as he placed the Twizzlers and the file into the slot for James Jesse to grab. "Huh. Fun idea, but not an effective delivery system. How many died?" James Jesse asked them. "No one, luckily," Joe answered him truthfully, the clear disappointment on James Jesse's face made Haylee uncomfortable.
"You know, when I was free and at my height, a day without casualties was like... well, like the Cubs winning the pennant... it never happened," James Jesse expressed with a fond smile that sent shivers down Haylee's spine, killing for the pleasure was something that had always disgusted Haylee - even as Raven. "The explosives they found in all the parachute bombs had the same explosive composition as the bombs you set off twenty years ago," Joe explained to him gaining his full attention.
"That's impossible," James Jesse snapped, "I never told anyone that formula." Haylee sighed as she crossed her arms. "The signatures are an exact match. He called himself The Trickster too, just like you," Joe explained to James Jesse. "He is nothing like me, Detective," James Jesse seethed. "Nothing!" James Jesse shouted. "Do you know who he is?" Haylee asked him. "Oh. If I did, I would tell you, so you could find him, cut off his head, and throw it right in his face," James Jesse answered her.
"No, this is obviously the work of a rank amateur at best. A mere pretender angling for my throne," James Jesse rambled angrily. "I hear you. So... help us catch him. Prove there's only one Trickster," Joe encouraged James Jesse. "Trying to trick The Trickster, Joseph, hmm?" James Jesse asked Joe with a grin. "No," Joe answered honestly. "There's only one this could happen. Whoever he is, he must have found my lair," James Jesse informed him. Haylee, Barry and Joe moved to leave the room but was stopped by James Jesse's hum.
"I ask only one thing - when you find this schtick stealer, this gimmick grabber, this pathetic wannabe-fake, make sure your safety's off," James Jesse seethed out suggestively. Haylee, Barry and Joe turned to walk out but James Jesse's giggle caught Haylee's attention. "Oh, and Miss Brager... I do hope you and your father fix things - perhaps that night is more of a blur than you thought," James Jesse teased before sitting back on his bed. "What?" Haylee breathed out before storming off knowing she wouldn't get an answer.
✫*゚・゚。.★.*。・゚✫*
"Only a little static shock?" Haylee asked Joe as they made their way back towards James Jesse's cell after they went to his lair - which had a trigger that blew up. "No, Haylee..." Joe muttered causing her to pout until she and Barry noticed Henry Allen. "Dad. Hey," Barry spoke as Haylee smiled sweetly at the older man. "Barry. Haylee. What are you two doing here?" Henry asked them. "Uh, we have some questions for an inmate about a bombing case," Haylee answered him honestly.
"Dad, listen, I'm close. The man that put you in here... I'm getting close, closer than I've ever been," Barry informed him with a soft tone, his hand holding Haylee's. "Barry, we have talked about this," Henry reminded him. "I know, and I'm done talking. You're not gonna pay for another man's crime anymore. Just hang in there, okay?" Barry asked him before stepping away, pulling Haylee along with him. "Joe, what's he talking about?" Henry asked Joe despite the smile seeing Haylee and Barry finally together.
"What? No candy, fellas?" James Jesse asked them as they walked into the room. "That storage space you sent us to was booby-trapped," Haylee seethed at him, her anger was amusing to James Jesse. "You can never be too careful with your private things," James Jesse told her as she walked closer to the cell window. "You were protecting nothing! Your secret stash was empty," Haylee told him harshly as Barry and Joe stood a few steps behind her. "What do you mean?" James Jesse asked her as he walked towards the cell window.
"No firearms, none of your explosives, nothing," Barry spoke up. "Whatever you had in there, it was stolen, all of it," Joe added as Haylee glared at James Jesse, something felt off about his story. "No. He's stealing my legacy. Whoever this is, you need to find him. I will not let this... this..." James Jesse rambled harshly as Haylee smirked. "Trickster," Haylee said as she tilted her head tauntingly causing James Jesse to growl harshly. "THAT IS MY NAME! MINE!" James Jesse shouted at her.
"What was in that room? What were you keeping there?" Barry asked him. "A bomb - A really big bomb," James Jesse told them with a happy grin. "How big?" Haylee seethed out. "Bye-bye, Central City," James Jesse teased. "Tell me, Haylee Brager, what do you think you remember from that night?" James Jesse whispered to her with a blank expression. "I remember coming downstairs to see my father throw my mother to the floor before raising the blade to stab her - I remember running to stand in front of her before a blur saved me," Haylee told him sternly.
"Or perhaps... You need to take a moment to truly think about that night - perhaps you are missing the key detail that answers all the questions," James Jesse taunted her causing Haylee to falter. "T-This is just a trick," Haylee snapped at him as Barry reached for her hand, pulling her back from the cell so they could leave before she lost control of her emotions. "Though tricks are fun, Miss Brager... I do enjoy the truth more in this situation," James Jesse told her as they walked out leaving Haylee more confused than ever.
✫*゚・゚。.★.*。・゚✫*
Author Note
Hmmm... What could James Jesse mean? Is it a trick?
-Rose <3
{2212}
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top