This actually a teaser of what's coming to you guys so get ready. This story might be a rollercoaster for all of us. I promise
He hears people screaming in his head and sees visions of red skies, dead raven birds and people running. There are even dead bodies. He's been having these nightmares for three years now. He tried looking for a therapist to help him explain what they all mean but they all say the same crap, it's due to trauma. At this point, he's already passed through that trauma and he's mostly talking to stupid people that are not helping or just getting paid to tell you what they think you want to hear. And now with Dante's recent death, it makes it even worse. He went to grieving groups and everything but he still feels like his entire body and soul is shutting down.
"Hey, Cisco, are you okay?" Caitlin asks as she finds him standing in the middle of the lab still as a statue and staring at nothing. If it weren't for Caitlin, he'd still be stuck in those nightmarish visions.
Cisco instantly snaps out of it. "I'm fine. I'm just putting things away for today." He takes off the blue sunglasses (which is actually his Vibe equipment) and puts them in a box.
"How did things go in Star City?" she asks.
Three years ago, Star City was once called Starling City. Now it's Star City. A lot of things happened in three years. Ray Palmer apparently died during an explosion. The Arrow changed his name to Green Arrow and is now part of the Justice League as well as the rest of the Team Arrow. There are new metahumans living in Central City, not just Barry now. Felicity Smoak took the mantle of the Black Canary – yeah, that's hard to believe, even for Cisco. He never really expected for her to pull it off but she did and she's done a good job so far fighting alongside Oliver. Of course, she's married. She and Oliver are just partners. And now Cisco is working with Deathstroke. Again, that part is hard to believe but it's true. Deathstroke and Vibe are working together as partners. Well, Cisco feels more like his sidekick which he doesn't mind much. But while Deathstroke is doing justice for money, Cisco is doing it for…well, fuck it, justice. He always gets paid with half of what Deathstroke earns though. Cisco enjoys working with him even if he has already thrown up a couple of times every time Slade kills someone in front of him.
Cisco has been in Star City the past three weeks working with Slade, hunting down some guy that is being accused of murdering five people on a train and were paid to kill the guy. Unfortunately for Slade, they got apprehended by the Green Arrow and Black Canary.
"It went okay," he says, "For me, not for Slade. I sense an argument back at home. I'm surprised those two aren't divorced yet."
"I'm actually surprised they even got married," Caitlin says, "but they do seem happy. I'm guessing disagreement is part of marriage. But at least they communicate. The worst thing that can happen is that their marriage is full of non-stop arguing and no communication at all. That's how my parents got divorced. No communication. No negotiation. Just endless arguing." She looked at Cisco. He was making a very uncomfortable expression. "Too much information?"
"Yep," he nods his head as he grabs his jacket, "I'm actually going to the movies tonight. I hear that the live-action of Beauty and the Beast is actually pretty cool."
"You're going alone?" she asks with a hint of sadness in her voice. Cisco looks at Caitlin. She looks worried. She's always worried about him. Ever since Dante's death, he hasn't been the same and after what happened three years ago in Nevada…it was a bit too much for him. Everyone has been trying to help him, including Barry. Of course, he and Barry weren't exactly going hand-in-hand after Cisco learned about the Flashpoint Paradox. Cisco doesn't really want to talk to Barry for the moment and rather be left alone than having people hovering over him like a helpless puppy.
"Yeah," he says to Caitlin. He knows she means well. She's always been a good friend to him. "I just think I need some time to myself, you know?"
"Oh sure, I understand," she nods.
Cisco then notices something. "Hey, Caitlin, what's up with your hair? Did you give it highlights or something?"
She has a strand of white hair in her mousy brown hair. Caitlin looks at it and nearly gasps in shock at the sight of it. "How did that…? When did it…? I'm going to check it out. I'll see you soon, Cisco." And she hurriedly leaves the lab.
Cisco frowns as she leaves. Weird.
He puts on his jacket and takes one last look at a Speak & Spell toy that's reclined on the chair. He smiles but it's more like a sad smile, remembering who he gave the toy to. What happened three years ago is still eating at him and no matter how much he tries, he can never shake it off. Caitlin suggested to throw away the toy but Cisco refused. It's the only thing that helps him remember. It may remind him of the bad that happened but it will also remind him of the good. And the Speak & Spell is the only thing he has to remember that certain person that came into their lives.
Cisco leaves S.T.A.R. and drives down the road. He really wishes the theater wasn't so far. He'd be there in less than five minutes. But no, he has to go down a creepy lane where he knows a lot of accidents have happened with cars hitting deer or crashing into a tree via fog. But it's the only shortcut. As long as he keeps the headlights on, he'll be fine. He turns up the volume of his radio to keep the silence in the car from making his skin crawl. Fall Out Boys' Centuries is playing, his favourite band.
Some legends are told
Some turn to dust or to gold
He hears beeping in the passenger's seat. He looks down to find his Meta-Meter on the passenger's seat. It actually detects metahuman energy which helps tell them when a metahuman is nearby. Cisco forgot he left it in the car.
But you will remember me
Remember me for centuries
The meter is beeping and it's going crazy as if detecting a strong amount of energy nearby.
And just one mistake
Is all it will take
Remembering that he's still driving, Cisco looks back up to the road.
We'll go down in history
Remember me for centu -.
"Holy shit!" Cisco screams when he sees a white figure standing in the middle of the road and hits the breaks – CRASH!
Well, that's it for the teaser. In truth, this is the prologue. But I won't write anymore until I finish Black Smoak.
Thanks so much.