Firestorm Matrix

Because of Reverse-Flash's actions, Barry, the Flash, finally began training seriously.

But even with everyone at STAR Labs helping him, Barry's speed improved only very little.

Perhaps that was the difference between a pioneer and those who came after. After all, in principle, the Speed Force had been born from Barry, making him the pioneer, while all other Speedsters were successors.

Although Zhang Tianran often looked down on Barry's fighting style, he did not truly think Barry was worthless.

After all, without some outstanding qualities, how could Barry have become the Flash?

Ever since Barry decided to focus on improving his speed, Zhang Tianran had monitored his progress alongside Wells. But after spending a great deal of time with little to show for it, Zhang Tianran eventually decided to give up.

It was not because Zhang Tianran lacked patience. His goal had simply never been the same as Reverse-Flash's.

Reverse-Flash had only ever had one goal: the Flash. Zhang Tianran was different. Even though he had already obtained the Speed Force, it was not his only hope.

So, after casually finding an excuse, Zhang Tianran stopped paying attention to Barry's speed training.

He had originally planned to leave and search the future for materials to create artificial intelligence. But Firestorm's appearance made Zhang Tianran temporarily abandon that idea.

The Firestorm Matrix could provide an enormous amount of energy. Even among the future technology Wells possessed, there were few things that could compare to it.

Therefore, Zhang Tianran decided to master this technology and planned to use it to provide himself with energy.

"Professor Martin Stein, don't leave. I may have a way to solve your current problem. Suddenly becoming a stranger must feel awful, right?"

Without using the Speed Force, Zhang Tianran spent a long time searching Central City with Caitlin before finally finding traces of Firestorm in an alley.

"You know who I am?" Martin Stein, who still wore Ronnie Raymond's appearance, immediately felt a surge of hope.

Firestorm was actually extremely unstable at the moment, and his emotions were exceptionally sensitive, making him prone to losing control. But Zhang Tianran's words gave him a hope deep in his heart—the hope of escaping this life.

Without having time to consider why Zhang Tianran knew his identity, Martin Stein desperately wanted to return to his original identity.

Becoming young again was a good thing, but if the price was everything in his life, Martin Stein would rather none of this had ever happened.

"Your current condition is extremely complicated. Simply put, it's because the Firestorm Matrix you created began to... after the Particle Accelerator explosion..." Zhang Tianran immediately began explaining.

He had to stabilize Firestorm's emotions. With the flames and the sleeping Ronnie Raymond, Martin Stein's emotions were extremely unstable at the moment.

"You really have a way to restore me?" Martin Stein asked excitedly.

Zhang Tianran had only explained halfway when he heard that question and answered without hesitation, "Of course I can restore you. That's the purpose of my visit. After all, the body you're in belongs to one of STAR Labs' employees."

Martin Stein no longer hesitated and immediately agreed to follow Zhang Tianran back to STAR Labs.

"Ronnie..." Only then did Caitlin, having received Zhang Tianran's permission, finally step forward.

Looking at her fiancé's face, even though she already knew from Zhang Tianran that this man was not her fiancé, she still could not suppress the excitement in her heart.

The moment Martin Stein saw Caitlin, he instinctively took several steps back. Only after realizing nothing was wrong did he let out a sigh of relief.

"Let's go. We'll return to STAR Labs first." Zhang Tianran shook the car keys in his hand, signaling for the two of them to get in.

Inside STAR Labs, Cisco was clearly shocked to see Ronnie's face again. Although he had tried searching with Caitlin once before, he had not confirmed it then.

"Ronnie, you really are alive." Cisco could hardly believe it.

Although Cisco was enthusiastic, Martin Stein, whose mind was in agonizing pain, ignored him. He merely turned to Zhang Tianran and asked, "How are you going to restore me to normal?"

"Don't be so impatient. Your problem won't be easy to solve." Zhang Tianran handed him a glass of water containing medicine Caitlin had prepared.

Martin Stein accepted it without hesitation and drank it in one gulp. At this point, he did not care whether the people before him had ulterior motives.

After he drank the medicine, Caitlin arranged for Martin Stein to take a shower and straighten up his appearance. After all, life as a vagrant had left him far too disheveled.

Wells sat in his wheelchair, studying Firestorm's genetic data with an unpleasant expression. Even for him, this situation was rather tricky.

"Wells, I'll leave that guy to you. I've already prepared the equipment for you. I imagine making a Quantum Connector should be easy enough, right?" What Zhang Tianran held was the prototype Superluminal Particle Generator.

Wells accepted it instinctively, only to discover that it contained no Superluminal Particles.

Frowning slightly, Wells realized that he had completely lost control over the adopted son before him.

"A cooperative relationship, don't forget that! I'm waiting for the day you need me." Zhang Tianran patted Wells's thigh where he sat in the wheelchair, then rose and left.

Wells remained silent, lowering his head as though lost in thought. Zhang Tianran did not care at all. He simply sat down nearby and began reviewing the Firestorm Matrix's materials.

Of course, the information Zhang Tianran currently had was incomplete. The true Firestorm Matrix had long since disappeared, and Martin Stein was now the only one who knew about it.

"What did you give me? Since that accident, this is the first time I've felt so clear-headed." Martin Stein soon finished washing up and changed into a fresh set of clothes.

"It was only medicine for dissociative identity disorder. It should help with your current condition," Caitlin said.

Even though she knew the man before her was not her fiancé, Caitlin still could not restrain herself. She could only look away and try her best not to meet Martin Stein's gaze.

"Professor Stein, I do have a way to solve your problem, but it involves some risk. Fortunately, you still have some time before you're in danger." Wells finally lifted his head from his thoughts and spoke.

Martin Stein was clearly delighted to hear this.

Before Martin Stein could be happy for long, Zhang Tianran directly said, "Professor Stein, separating the two of you is only the first step. After that, we'll need other methods to solve your problem."

"Now, could you explain the Firestorm Matrix to me?"