American comic book: My Father is Superman, am I just an NPC?

Chapter 257 Reverse-Flash and the Distant Mushroom

Who is Ian?

The Flash doesn't really know him now.

The Justice League hadn't even been formed yet at this time, and he hadn't even had any contact with the other members of the Justice League, not to mention that Superman at this time was unmarried and a true straight man.

Ian Kent.

This name has not yet appeared in the DC universe, nor has it left any identity information on Earth in the DC universe. Even those who have had contact with him do not know his name.

"In any case, it is worth it for my future self to issue such a warning to my past self. This person is probably invaluable to the Earth, or even to the entire universe."

Why is his future self in so much pain? Why did he specifically appear in the Speed ​​Field just to tell him about this person's death? As the Flash pondered this, he seemed to realize something.

Thoughts raced through my mind like an electric current.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through the fog like lightning.

"Perhaps Ian's existence represents a historical juncture that cannot be broken, just like my mother could only die that night!"

He still didn't know who Ian was, but he realized the seriousness of the problem.

Ian must live!

Like the death of his mother, Nora Allen, that rainy night in the kitchen, that knife, that scream… it was a historical moment he could never change. Any attempt to intervene would cause reality to crumble, timelines to distort, and even the entire multiverse to descend into chaos.

"So... this Ian is also that kind of being?" Barry murmured to himself, a surge of pain rising in his chest, the kind of ache he felt when he thought of his mother.

"If that's the case, then the situation is very serious." With that thought, the grieving Flash realized that he had to get his friends to investigate Ian thoroughly.

They have to make sure this person doesn't die in this timeline.

"Besides Ian, my future self also mentioned the Joker and Batman..." The Flash was also thinking about other information, as the information from his future self was too fragmented.

“Ian will die in the past…Bat…Man…Arkham…Find…The Joker…Stop…Everything…Only you…can…It’s not too late…”

It was just a blurry sound.

I can't understand this incoherent message at all.

Batman and the Joker are Gotham's problems, what does that have to do with Central City? And why "stop everything"? What are the things and events that need to be stopped?
"Why don't you just say it clearly! If you can't say it clearly, you could at least pass me a note. Anyway, the past has already been changed, so whether you give me a note or not, the result will be the same."

The Flash was speechless at his future self. He felt that there could only be one reason why his future self couldn't come up with a solution that he could think of now.

Drinking too much nuclear wastewater will make you stupid.

at this time.

When the Flash's mind is filled with crickets.

"Barry! Barry!"

Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow, who arrived after detecting abnormal energy parameters, are the women who will become Killer Frost in the Flash TV series.

They all rushed in this direction, including Dr. Harrison Wells in his smart wheelchair, and everyone hurried into the detention center.

"Barry! We just detected an incredibly powerful, unknown fluctuation of the Speed ​​Force! Are you alright?" Cisco Raymond breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Barry was unharmed but had a dazed expression.

However, she then asked curiously, "Is it a time traveler? Or is it that your future self was lonely and came back to see us?"

Scientists are all known for their wild imaginations.

"I'm really afraid that some kind of speedster will suddenly appear."

Caitlin looked at the Flash with concern. It could be said that the entire Star Labs was terrified by the endless stream of speedsters. Every year, they thought Barry was already the fastest man.

however.

Every year, someone who runs much faster than Barry emerges—this seems to have become the main task that Star Labs needs to complete year after year.

Anyone who comes will be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, just like Caitlin.

"Uh... I, I'm fine." Barry came to his senses and recounted the unbelievable scene that had just happened, especially the fragmented message from "another self".

"Another you? You want me to go find the Joker? And lock Batman up in Arkham?" Cisco's eyes widened, scratching his afro with an incredulous expression.

"This...this is a lot of information, bro! Are you moving too fast and experiencing time illusions?" He actually knew quite a bit about Batman.

This is a chaotic hero that he really likes.

Rational and intelligent.

The Joker is the one who should be in Arkham. As for Ian, mentioned at the beginning, who is he? Cisco doesn't know him and doesn't want to know him.

after all.

The message Barry was sending from the future didn't sound good at all. He had the personality of an ostrich, and he wouldn't bother doing anything unless it was absolutely necessary.

"I don't know why my future self would send back such a message." Barry shrugged helplessly; shrugs and wry smiles were his signature moves from his younger days.

"Ok?"

The smartest person present, Dr. Harrison Wells, also known as Reverse-Flash, who was sitting in a smart wheelchair, did not express his opinion for the time being, but simply stroked his chin and thought.

Caitlin, on the other hand, was more composed and did think about it for a moment.

"The Speed ​​Force is connected to the timeline, so it's not entirely impossible for it to manifest future phantoms or transmit information. But this message... is too vague and logically contradictory."

She is preparing to conduct some analysis.

At this moment, Dr. Harrison Wells, who had been silent all along, slowly wheeled himself forward. He adjusted his glasses, revealing a deep gaze behind the lenses, as if he were thinking rapidly. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly and deliberately rearranged the words Barry had heard in a tone that seemed to be helping Barry organize his logic.

"You're going to find the Joker... get the Joker to lock Batman up in Arkham... and then does that guy named Ian need to die in the past?"

He cleverly combined two phrases that might not have had a direct causal relationship: "go find the Joker" and "lock Batman in Arkham."

This created a completely new and suggestive instruction. At the same time, it cleverly explained the meaning of the statement that Ian would die in the past from another angle.

In short, he distorted the facts according to his own ideas—Dr. Harrison Wells was actually completely confused about the message the future Flash was conveying.

This is not quite the future he knows, but he certainly won't do a serious analysis, as long as it doesn't involve the Speed ​​Force and doesn't interfere with his plan to go home.

How could he possibly find it enjoyable to annoy the Flash and the people here?

Perhaps this is just the quirky sense of humor of people from the future.

"Huh? Is that really how it is?" Upon hearing this, Barry suddenly looked up at Dr. Wells: "Doctor, you mean... that my future self is going to Gotham, team up with the Joker, and get Batman imprisoned in Arkham Asylum? This... how is that possible! Batman is a hero! And the Joker is a madman!"

Dr. Wells wore a profound and enigmatic expression as he gently tapped the armrest of his wheelchair. "Barry, the mysteries of timelines far exceed our imagination. Since you from the future went so far as to issue a warning across time and space, there must be a deeper meaning to it. Perhaps... in some future we do not yet know, Batman... went astray?"

"And the Joker, in that extreme situation, actually became a kind of 'key'? Remember, your future self said that line... 'Only you have time.'"

These words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up huge ripples in Barry's heart. The seed of doubt had been quietly planted. Looking into the doctor's resolute and wise eyes, and recalling his own anxious and terrified future self, he was momentarily confused and didn't know what to do.

Gotham...Batman...Joker...Arkham...

all of these.

What kind of storm is this foreshadowing?
Dr. Harrison Wells's (Reverse Lightning) deliberately guided interpretation was like a depth charge dropped on Barry Allen's chaotic thoughts.

“I…I still can’t understand.” Barry shook his head, his face full of struggle. “This is insane.”

“It is precisely because it seems insane that it is more likely to touch upon the core of the truth that we have not yet realized, Barry,” Dr. Wells coaxed with his feigned manner.

His gentle yet rational voice offered reassurance while simultaneously steer the wheelchair toward the control room. "Based solely on fragmented information from your memory, it's difficult for us to make an accurate judgment. Perhaps we can use the 'Cognitive Subsurface Analyzer' to perform a deep scan and model of your short-term memory, attempting to reconstruct clearer images and sounds."

He was referring to an advanced device in the Star Labs that uses brainwave reading and complex algorithms, originally intended for studying the thought processes of superhumans.

Barry hesitated for a moment, but then nodded, thinking about the huge crisis that could affect the future: "Alright, Doctor, if we can find out what happened."

“Sisco, Caitlin,” Wells then turned to the two young scientists, “you are in charge of another task. Search for all registered individuals worldwide.”

"Let's see how many of them might be that Ian."

"When the future Barry is delivering messages, this name seems highly associated with key events. We need to build a database and conduct initial screening to identify the target most likely mentioned by the future Barry. Prioritize individuals connected to known superhuman events, time anomalies, or Gotham City." Wells issued the order with composure and the charm of a mature man.

“There are plenty of people named Ian around the world,” Cisco Raymond muttered as he walked toward his control panel. “How long will this screening take?”

“Do your best, Cisco,” Caitlin Snow said, already seated at her terminal, her fingers flying across the keyboard. “Any clue could be crucial.”

The group returned to the central control room of the Star Lab and immediately began to divide the work.

"what should I do?"

Barry followed the instructions and sat down in a strangely shaped chair connected to countless cables and sensors.

“Relax, trust me, this thing won’t burn your brain.” Cisco carefully placed a helmet covered in electrodes on his head.

“Yes, I can guarantee Cisco’s safety, but if anything goes wrong, please disregard my guarantee.” Caitlin adjusted the vital signs monitor beside her.

After making some lighthearted jokes to liven up the atmosphere, he quickly got back into work mode, and his expression towards Barry immediately became much more serious.

"Try to recall everything you just saw and heard, the more detailed the better." That's why they say women are fickle; Caitlin's change of expression is faster than a Sichuan opera performance.

"Ok."

Barry took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to replay the brief and bizarre scene in his mind—the distorted vortex of the Speed ​​Force and another anxious version of himself.

And there were intermittent shouts from the other side...

As he focused his mind, the analyzer began to work, subtle electrical currents stimulating his cerebral cortex, and the data stream on the screen refreshed like a waterfall.

An attempt was made to construct a clearer memory model.

And the other side.

Cisco and Caitlin's global search efforts also commenced rapidly.

A giant world map was projected onto the main screen, and countless dots began to flash, each dot representing a person named "Ian." The database was cross-referenced with household registration, social security, immigration records, and even some non-public surveillance records, with the filtering criteria being continuously refined.

“Ian Smith, London, 73 years old, retired plumber… excluded.”

“Ian Chen, Shanghai, university student, no abnormalities… ruled out.”

“Ian Omar, Cairo, archaeologist… Hmm, this is interesting, marking it.”

"Ian Smallwell... a superhuman? Make a note of that."

Information flooded in like a tide, only to be quickly filtered out. Cisco and Caitlin were completely focused, trying to find the possible "key Ian" from the massive amount of data.

Dr. Wells sat in his wheelchair, his eyes glued to the blurry message pieced together from Barry's memories on the main screen. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrests, his mind racing. This wheelchair, and his entire identity as "Harrison Wells," served one purpose—to ensure that the Flash, Barry Allen, could successfully grow into the speedster who would allow him, Elbord Swann, to return to his own era.

Any unexpected events, any deviation from the plan, must be eliminated. That's why he's extremely concerned about any unforeseen circumstances the Flash might encounter.

I saw.

Dr. Wells called upon the laboratory's supercomputer to begin semantic analysis and probability calculations on the ambiguous message, attempting to exhaustively list all possible word combinations and contextual meanings.

The screen scrolled rapidly through a variety of possibilities. Thousands upon thousands of combinations, each corresponding to different action instructions and potential crises.

Even Reverse-Flash's brain, enhanced by future technology, struggled to find a single, definitive answer amidst this fog of information.

The uncertainty of the future, and the sudden appearance of the name "Ian," made him feel that things were spiraling out of control. His eyes flickered as he glanced at Barry, who was still engrossed in memory analysis, and Cisco and Caitlin, who were still battling the global database.

Subsequently.

He spoke in a slightly weary tone, "You guys continue, I need... to rest a bit and clear my head. Let me know immediately if there's any progress in the analysis."

This guy's acting is really good. With that, he maneuvered his wheelchair silently out of the busy control room and into a relatively secluded corridor. At the end of the corridor was a seemingly ordinary wall. Wells reached out and placed his palm on a specific area of ​​the wall.

A faint biometric scanning light swept across, and the wall silently slid open inward, revealing a hidden entrance.

"I need to see how things will change in the future." After he pushed his wheelchair inside, the walls closed silently again, as if no passage had ever existed.

Behind the door was a space completely different from the technological style of the Star Lab outside. The walls on all sides were pure white, radiating a soft white light.

There are no unnecessary decorations or equipment.

There was only a control console in the center of the room, and a huge screen facing it. This was his secret realm, a technological creation that did not belong to this era.

Wells stood up abruptly, walked to the control panel, and stood firmly on his previously "crippled" legs. He quickly operated the system and started it up.

"Om..."

The lighting in the room shifted slightly, and a blurry female figure, composed of holographic light and shadow, appeared on the screen. She was Gideon, an artificial intelligence from the future, possessing vast amounts of historical data and the ability to predict the future. She was Reverse-Flash's crucial tool and guide for returning to his own time.

Of course, although she initially served the villains, Gideon herself had no moral compass—she was loyal to her programming and her current user. Later, when Barry Allen and his team gained access to Gideon, she became an important assistant to The Flash's team, residing either at STAR Labs or on the time machine "Waverider".

That's the storyline of Legends of Tomorrow.

now.

Even Reverse-Flash, a person from the future, was unaware of this situation.

"Good evening, Mr. Alberd Swan."

Gideon's voice was calm and electronic.

"Gideon, I need you to do something for me." Reverse-Flash didn't waste any words and gave the order directly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

"Retrieve future historical records. Keywords: Batman, Arkham Asylum, Joker, The Flash Barry Allen, time point... six months from now. I want to see what exactly happened in the future." His eyes were fixed on the artificial intelligence in front of him.

Very nervous.

Gideon's image flickered.

It appeared she was performing a data retrieval. A few seconds later, she replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Swan. I cannot access the time point and related event data you specified."

Reverse Lightning's brow furrowed instantly: "Inaccessible? What does that mean? Is the data corrupted?"

"No, Mr. Swann,"

Gideon's voice remained calm, "It's not that the data is corrupted. Rather, I simply don't have the data at all, and my inference is that the future is currently in a state of extreme chaos and undefinedness."

"It caused a break in the causal chain, with countless possibilities diverging exponentially, making it impossible to form a stable historical path. Simply put, the 'future' you want to see has no record."

"Currently... there is no definite form."

The AI's answer was very convoluted, and it was full of technical jargon. Luckily, Ian wasn't here, otherwise he would have been furious because he couldn't understand it.

"Is that so?"

Reverse-Flash's expression turned completely serious, his fists clenching involuntarily. Sure enough! The timelines were all messed up! His worst fears had come true! He had painstakingly planned and guided Barry Allen's growth, all so that at the right time, he could use the Flash to open a portal back to his own era!
Now that the timeline has become a mess, isn't his journey home going to be a long way off?

“Is it because of that guy named 'Ian'?” Reverse-Flash growled, his mind racing through all the variables. “He also traveled from the future? Some unknown speedster? His actions are disrupting the stability of the timeline? Damn it! Who's behind this?!”

He slammed his fist on the control panel in anger, the solid alloy surface making a dull thud.

“No one can stop me from going home! No one!” he growled, yellow arcs of electricity flowing across his body and raging uncontrollably from his eyes.

Years of planning and long wait, with hope seemingly within reach, were turned upside down by this sudden change, almost causing him to lose control.

However, just as he was burning with anger and trying to force Gideon to extract some useful information from the chaotic data stream—suddenly, Gideon flashed a red alert.

“BOOM Boom Boom Boom!!!”

A dull yet incredibly violent tremor suddenly came from beneath my feet!
The entire secret room, and even the entire Star Lab outside, shook as if struck by a powerful earthquake! The instruments on the control panel emitted piercing alarms!
Gideon's image was also flickering and distorting violently!
Caught off guard, Reverse Lightning nearly fell, but he quickly grabbed the control panel to steady himself.

"What's going on?! An earthquake?" he asked in surprise. But then, an even stronger sense of crisis welled up inside him. He quickly operated the system and pulled up the external surveillance footage connected to the secret room.

One of the surveillance cameras, pointing towards the outskirts of the city, revealed a breathtaking sight: a huge, menacing mushroom cloud, mixed with flames and dust, rose from the horizon and slowly but irresistibly expanded!
Even from this distance, the blinding light damaged many of his cameras!
A nuclear explosion?!
Reverse Lightning's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints! He didn't even have time to think about the source and cause of the explosion; his body's instincts had already reacted before his thoughts could process it!

The yellow Reverse Lightning suit instantly popped out of a device on his wrist, covering his entire body! He transformed into a crimson lightning bolt, directly smashing open the emergency exit of the secret room.

They rushed back to the main control room at top speed!
(End of this chapter)