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My name is Barry Allen, and it's been five months since I became the fastest man alive. A lot has changed since then. For one, we have a new addition to the CSI team, a guy named August Heart. It's strange seeing him this early on. In the comics and TV shows, August is revealed to be Godspeed, a villain from the future. To satisfy my curiosity, I took a blood sample after he cut himself at work. His DNA turned out to be completely human—no abnormalities that would suggest speedster abilities. Not that I know what mutated speedster DNA looks like, but there was nothing unusual about his.
Over these months, August and I have become close, working together in the lab and solving cases. He's a genuinely good guy, which makes it hard to believe he might eventually turn evil. I even invited him over to Joe's for dinner, and surprisingly, Ralph was there too. They hit it off right away. It's strange, given that in the future, August becomes a villain. But then again, I once trusted Harrison Wells...
I've also been visiting my dad regularly, telling him about everything going on—about my new friends and how well things are going at work. But I haven't told him about Harrison Wells or about how he's the one who killed my mom. Nor have I told August or Ralph. I've even managed to get on Captain Singh's good side by showing up early to work, instead of barely making it on time like I used to in the TV show.
I've also taken on a new fitness routine—high protein diet, regular gym workouts. Joe was surprised at my commitment. I told him I just wanted to bulk up a bit. Over the past five months, I've been running, lifting weights, and working on endurance. I've grown three inches taller, now standing at 6'3", and built a physique similar to Christian Bale's Batman, thanks to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and high-protein foods. My new body feels stronger, more capable.
Speaking of Batman, I've been planning a trip to Gotham City to meet him. Turns out, the Batman of this universe is the Ben Affleck version. There's no Kate Kane here, which makes sense; this Batman is only in his second year of crime-fighting. From what I know, he saved her life 15 years ago in the *Batwoman* TV show, but that's not part of this reality. There's a Lex Luthor too—yes, the Jesse Eisenberg one, though he's bald now. No sign of Clark Kent or Kara Danvers, but there is a Diana Prince. I've dug into some old myths and rumors about a Wonder Woman who fought in World War II and reappeared in the '80s.
Ralph and I went back to my childhood home, the place where my mom was murdered. We gathered old mirror photographs of the Reverse-Flash killing her and collected blood samples—samples that matched future me. Ralph was confused by it all, understandably. We were now in the CSI lab, poring over every piece of evidence we had on Nora Allen's murder. I even hacked into Eobard Thawne's cameras, feeding him false footage so he wouldn't know we were on to him. It's risky, but necessary. I want him paranoid, desperate enough to slip up and reveal himself. The downside? He might figure out that I'm from the future.
"This doesn't make sense, Barry," Ralph said, scratching his head. "Why is there a blood sample from when you were an adult? Unless you cut yourself while we were there."
"No, Ralph, I haven't set foot in that house since my mom died," I replied, my voice steady.
"Should we take this to Captain Singh?" Ralph suggested.
I shook my head. "We can't. If we show him what we have so far, he might accuse us of planting evidence. It's too risky."
Ralph sighed, clearly frustrated. He knew I was right. Presenting this evidence too early could backfire. Worst case scenario, we'd lose our jobs or even face charges for tampering with evidence.
Suddenly, we heard footsteps coming up the stairs. We scrambled, quickly stashing the photographs and papers. Ralph stuffed the photos into a drawer while I closed the cover on the newspapers. Just in time, we both sat down, pretending to be busy.
"Alright, what's going on?" a familiar voice asked. It was August Heart. He had become a good friend over the last few months, and I'd shown him the ropes of being a CSI. Ralph, too, had taken a liking to him. August even sympathized with my situation after hearing about my mom's murder.
"We're just bored. No new cases, nothing interesting to do," I said casually, which was partly true. Both Ralph and I had finished our work for the day.
"Why don't you two head out early?" August suggested. "The day's almost over, and the captain won't mind."
"What about you?" Ralph asked.
"Don't worry about me. You guys go ahead," August replied.
I nodded. "Thanks, August. We'll take you up on that."
While August was distracted, Ralph discreetly grabbed the hidden photos. We both told Captain Singh that we had finished for the day and asked if we could leave early. He waved us off, and we exited the station just as the sun was setting.
Once we were in a secluded alley, I turned to Ralph. "You got the photos?"
"Yeah, but we need to hide them somewhere safe," Ralph said, glancing around nervously. He was right. Someone would eventually notice if we kept them at the lab.
"What about Joe? Maybe we can show him what we've found," Ralph suggested. "He might start believing your dad is innocent."
I shook my head. "Joe can be narrow-minded. Unless he sees the Reverse-Flash with his own eyes, he won't listen."
Speaking of powers, I've been working on a biometric enhancer, similar to the one from the Godspeed episode, to give myself superspeed. It's almost finished, but I need one final component—*miracle*. Yeah, it's risky, but I think it could work, especially if the Speed Force in this universe functions like the comic book version.
"Okay, then what about Cecile?" Ralph suggested, a little more hopeful. "She's more open-minded than Joe, and she's the DA. Maybe she can help."
I considered it. Cecile and I had talked a few times, but our relationship remained professional. She saw things more clearly than Joe, but even if she believed us, what could she do? The man in yellow was faster than anyone could imagine.
"No, Ralph. It's too risky. Even if Cecile or the captain believed us, there's nothing they could do against someone like the Reverse-Flash."
Ralph sighed, frustrated but understanding. "So, what do we do, Barry? Someone's bound to notice soon."
I smirked. "I think I know someone who can help. Someone who could not only store the evidence but also help us figure out who killed my mom."
"Who?" Ralph asked, though he already had a sinking feeling.
I just smiled. It was time to head to Gotham.