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[ Some people, when they first come to a brand new place, like to introduce themselves. They maybe get to know people, socialize and make friends or at least make nice with those who have been around longer — you know, that sort of thing.

And then there's this guy. ]

Tell me you have a clinic here.

Or a bar.

I'm not picky at the moment.

[ There's a newcomer wandering the halls of the mansion today, the brim of his baseball cap tipped low, body language cagey at best. He's doing his best to keep his head down and his hands firmly in his coat pockets — except for when he's got his device out and is tapping out messages to post to the network rapidly. It isn't long before he comes to a stop at the stairs between the fourth and fifth floor, lifting a hand to rub at his temple idly as he lowers himself down to sit for a moment.

He seems tired — exasperated, almost, but run down more than anything else. And if he happens to bear a resemblence to another recent arrival, well. That's probably entirely coincidental. Probably. ]

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How long.

[ It's the first thing that comes out of his mouth and he almost immediately shakes his head, lifting a hand up. It's not that he doesn't want to know; he does. How long has it been, what happened, did they get Zoom, is Jesse safe—

But messing with the timeline is dangerous. They can't. ]

Don't tell me. Forget I asked.

[ It was long enough for her to have healed up. Long enough for Iris West of all people to be happy to see him. The curiosity gnaws at him, but he firmly ignores it as he lowers his hand and goes back to tapping out a few more messages. ]

[ iris opens her mouth, the answer itself stuck in her throat when he stops her.

sigh. ]

There's something else you need to know. [ it's her turn to lift a hand. ]

It has nothing to do with the timeline.

[ and she really, really didn't want to be the one to break it to him. she'd ask herself where barry is, but he's likely off searching for the mad hatter or saving people from dark matter. iris would love to give harry time to settle in first, but she'd rather he learn it from her than stumble across it on his own. ]

[ Harrison glances back up at her briefly, brows furrowing. If it had nothing to do with the timeline, then was there really anything to be concerned about? His gut said "yes;" the Iris West he knew wasn't one to mess around, unlike one Cisco Ramon and Barry Allen. He shifts his gaze back down towards his device, then heaves a sigh and slides it into his pocket. ]

What is it, West.

[ It's not a question, not when he knows she's just going to tell him anyway. ]

Thawne.

[ no, that's not right. thawne isn't only eobard's name. harrison is right: iris doesn't beat around the bush, and she doesn't believe in withholding. it's strange, though, to be the one who knows so much about their timeline for a change. she's not sure the grass is much greener. ]

Eobard Thawne. He arrived with us.

Eobard—

[ Thawne. As in his doppelganger. Or— not his doppelganger, but the man who stole his counterpart's body and masqueraded as him for over a decade. The man who should, for all intents and purposes, be erased from the timeline. Then again, they had just dealt with one of his remnants recently. It could be another, though something tells him that West wouldn't be quite as serious about this if it were just that. ]

Which one.

[ That's the most important thing to establish right now. Which Eobard Thawne are they dealing with — a clumsy remnant, a relic of the past, or the older, wiser one who wore his face? Neither were ideal. ]

[ the succinct questions help.

iris is a reporter. she knows what questions to ask and she knows what answers to give. she's been trying to keep a cool head since their arrival; for caitlin, who seems so fragile and out of sorts after zoom kidnapped her. for barry, who grieves his father even when he refuses to acknowledge it. she can't protect them from their hurt, but she can be a tower. eobard thawne was the last thing they needed, but he's here, and they need to deal with that. ]

He looks like you. I don't know how, but he's from before he was erased.

[ from the timeline. ]

[ Harrison rubs at his forehead as she responds. Of course he would be that Thawne. Of course. At least he'd laid low in the few hours that he'd been here; they had time to plan ahead and consider how to approach this whole predicament. ]

Well. [ His voice is a dry rasp. ] No video feeds for me, then.

[ The sarcasm is ill-fitting; his heart doesn't seem to be as in it as it usually is, but what else is there for him to say about it? Besides the obvious— ]

How did Allen respond?

[ it's all too likely iris' expression tells harrison all he needs to know. barry responded just as they'd expect him to. ]

I tried to stop him, but Thawne kept baiting him.

[ and it's who barry is. if someone's life is in danger, he would never, ever run in the opposite direction. it's one of the many reasons iris loves him, but it also means she worries. barry has a frustrating tendency to shoulder most of the responsibility and all of the blame. ]

He can't take this on by himself. We can't let him.

[ she may not know what to do any more than barry does, but she is certain of this much. ]

We won't.

[ The response is almost instantaneous. It surprises him how quickly it comes, but there's no time to dwell on it. Not now. Harrison shakes his head, clasping his hands together. ]

Right now, we should focus on— [ There's a brief pause as he considers how to put it. Based on what he knows about Thawne and Thawne's relationship with the rest of them, they can't just get rid of him. They can't ignore him, as much as he wants to shove his fingers in his ears and pretend he doesn't exist (like he's supposed to). ] — damage control.

[ As for what that means, even he's still not sure. It's clear as his eyes start searching the hallway that Harrison's scrambling for solutions already, trying to piece something or other together. ]

[ it doesn't surprise iris, ftr.

she will respect wells' decision to stay in the dark about the future, for as long as he wishes. she will keep those details to herself. but she will not hide that they trust him; if anyone could ground barry in a pragmatic sense, it would be harrison wells. the real one. they understand why he did what he did.

(family comes first). ]

We might want to start by making sure we get our stories straight.

[ people are going to have questions. this is a complicated and unavoidable fact, independent of wells' penchant for stealth. wonderland is only so big. ]

[ He nods at that, considering. Even with his hat on, a bulky jacket, and without his glasses, people will still notice the fact that he looks exactly like Thawne. That's not exactly something they can cover up with an alternate identity. ]

From the start.

[ But there's no telling what Allen's said to Thawne already. Harrison heaves a sigh, shaking his head. ]

We'll need to see what Allen's told him. And then take it from there. [ A beat. ] We'll deal with everyone else later. I can lay low until then.

[ That's the least difficult part for him. ]

[ iris is quick to nod her agreement. the whole situation still leaves her uneasy, but it helps to have the star labs team on board, even if it isn't complete. caitlin's sensibility and harry's shrewdness will aid them well. hopefully barry feels as supported as he truly is. ]

Has anyone brought you up to speed on the ins and outs of this place?

[ it's part of why barry can't end thawne, once and for all, though iris is certain it has crossed his mind.

there's literally no getting rid of the reverse-flash. wonderland's policies mean he'd just keep coming back. ]

I got a pamphlet.

[ Harrison picks up his device and waves it at that. It raised even more questions with him, but at least it had some answers as well. ]

You wanna add to it, West?

[ There's almost a sly playfulness there, as if he's daring her to do just that. ]

[ iris west never could back down from a challenge. ]

You've probably already heard people claim there's a no-refund policy, but some residents have been sent back. They just don't pick the 'when.' If they were gone longer than a week, they return with no memories of their stay in Wonderland.

[ a reporter through and through, she's already interviewed residents and scrounged the network. ]

It gives some credibility to the memory-stealing theory.

Sounds like it.

[ There's a long, thoughtful pause as he considers that. He then shakes his head. ]

So. "Escape," in other words, means forgetting everything that happened here, theoretically.

[ It's just a theory for now. But maybe it's better that way. ]

In theory.

[ a faint smile curves on her lips. she isn't a scientist, but the kind of work she does, and the kind of person she is, means she also needs proof before she believes it. iris has met good people, but trusting any of them blindly isn't wise. ]

If sources are to be believed, death ... isn't permanent, either.

[ she knows. it's nuts. ]

[ He doesn't look as surprised as he should. If the dead were here — if Thawne was here, then it would stand to reason that death isn't permanent. Or at least, that something was affecting that in some manner, be it timeline shenanigans or otherwise. He rubs at his jaw idly as he considers that before speaking again. ]

Makes sense.

[ he's chatty as ever, isn't he?

weirdly enough, it's comforting. the familiar is comforting, despite the fact she's already lived this. ]

The death policy comes with provisions. You only get five chances before you lose something, but what that something is depends on the person. It suffices to say I don't want anyone to die, period.

[ she's watching all of you. closely. ]

Naturally.

[ It's a dry response. Harrison has no intention of dying — not here, at least, and not until Jesse's safe and sound. Whatever happens during that process, well. That's something else entirely. He shakes his head, letting out a soft huff. ]

We'll have to keep an eye on Allen. And . . . make sure that Thawne isn't encouraged by all of that.

[ He waves a hand idly as he speaks. ]

[ iris follows the movement of his idle hand. easier said than done, she thinks to herself dryly. thawne seemed more intent than ever to push barry's buttons, and do so in a way that was equal parts sinister and subtle, to those who are unfamiliar with their history.

she nods all the same, releasing a soft breath. her lips tug into a rueful smile. ]

I know you won't understand this, and I'm not going to tell you anything you don't want to know, but we trust you.

[ so she really is glad he's here. ] Have you claimed a room yet?

[ she wants to help him settle in, if she can, aware he'll need some time to process. ]

[ If she looks closely enough, she may seem him flinch ever so slightly at that statement, the corners of his mouth twitching into a concerned frown for a brief moment. He then shakes his head, murmuring softly, almost inaudibly. ]

You shouldn't.

[ His expression smooths out quickly enough as he glances back down the hallway, considering it for a moment. ]

No. But . . . we should stay close for now.

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