Just a heads up, this chapter is a lot longer than most of the others so far.

Also I'd just like to say thank you to everyone for your reviews/comments. It means a lot to me, and feedback is much appreciated and welcome! :D

"Earth-1," the words echoed around in Cisco's head for a moment, his mind trying to process what he had just heard.

"What, why?" He questioned, scrunching his nose.

"Because that's were Zoom is," Jay revealed, a growing urgency in his voice.

All eyes seemed to snap to the speedster, faces ranging from surprise to curiosity.

"I overheard Zoom talking to one of his Lieutenants," he explained, his tone low. "He's been taking hundreds of meta's from this Earth, and moving them to the other one."

Cisco suddenly felt his blood run cold, a pit forming in his stomach.

"Why would he do that?" Barry inquired, perplexed.

"He's after the Flash...the other Flash," Jay warned, "I'm not sure why, but he's taken special interest in him."

Cisco barely registered what exchanges followed, his focus having shifted elsewhere. He should've been watching, he should've been keeping a closer eye on the situation.

"Hey," a voice snapped Cisco back into reality.

"You alright?" Caitlin inquired, a worried look on her features.

"Yeah," Cisco nodded absently, "yeah, I'm fine...I just...I need to check on something."

Cisco quickly stepped away, grabbing his vibe-glasses as he went. He then made his way to the other side of the room, just out of earshot of the others. The breacher moved to put on his glasses, hesitating at the last second.

"Please, please, please," Cisco whispered shakily. "Please tell me he didn't," he prayed as he put on the goggles.

Cisco took a fortifying breath before immersing himself in the vibe. A billion different energy signatures flickered to life behind his eyes. A billion different universes and a billion different timelines. But he knew how to tune them all out and find what he was looking for. He focused on one energy signature in particular. One person, one name.

Dante.

The name reverberated through his mind as he began his search. He began to weave around and through billions of frequencies and energies, never stopping on one for too long. When Cisco didn't find what he was looking for, he broadened his field. He reached and reached until he passed the borders of dimensions, and after that he reached some more.

Eventually, he did find it, that glowing frequency he had come to know all too well. But it wasn't as it always had been. It wasn't bright and burning, like a destructive star. It was faint and weak, like ripples spreading through water, or impressions in the sand. That in itself was enough to set off alarms in Cisco's mind, a sense of dread and worry overtaking him. But he braced himself nonetheless, and tapped into the frequency, a thousand memories washing over him in a moment's time. Some he knew because he had lived then too, others were not his own.

He remembered their dilapidated apartment that could barely be considered a home, and he remembered their parents death. He remembered the stealing, the cons, and all the other less-than-honest things they had done to survive. To be able to go to bed with food in their stomachs, and later, a roof over their heads.

He remembered the day he left it all behind and went away to college. Dante continued his life of crime, even after Cisco returned and got a job. After that came the particle accelerator, and everything went to hell. Thus began the reign of Reverb and Rupture. Cisco skipped over that, it wasn't a part of his life he was proud of. Truthfully, he wasn't proud of most of it, but he had tried to get out. He had tried to make something of himself, but he had ended up getting pulled right back in.

Finally, Cisco found the period he was looking for; right after Reverb 'died.'

What he saw was shocking and upsetting and painful. He kept watching though, right until the very last moment the frequency flickered out of existence. Right up until Dante faced a death that had been far to similar to his own pseudo-ending.

Cisco came out of the vibe with a start, practically ripping off the glasses. His heart was hammering in his chest and his knees threatened to give out. He scrambled to find a surface to grip, only to knock over a tray full of instruments in the process. A chorus of worried voices and exclamations followed, but Cisco heard none of them.

Instead, he found the nearest wall and slid down it, burying his head in his hands. Cisco's breaths came out in ragged gasps, tears clouding his vision.

He was gone, his brother was gone.

An ache radiated through his chest and tears began to spill from his eyes. He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, but when he did finally become aware of his surroundings, he was met with the sight of several confused faces.

Caitlin and Barry had knelt in front of him, and Jay stood behind them worriedly. They were asking him questions, trying to reach him, but he was having a hard time focusing on it.

"I never..." Cisco choked out between gasps, "I never should've left...I should've stayed...I should've..." he broke off, the weight of the situation hitting him full force.

"Hey," Barry spoke, managing to sway his attention. "Hey, look at me."

"Breathe," Barry instructed, maintaining eye contact. "Just breathe."

Barry demonstrated, Caitlin even joining in as well. Cisco complied, inhaling and exhaling slowly until he managed to get it under some semblance of control. It took him several minutes, but eventually he calmed down enough to speak.

"What did you see?" Caitlin asked calmly.

"Dante," Cisco whispered unsteadily, trying wipe the tears from his cheeks. "Rupture," he corrected.

"Who..." Barry began, turning to Caitlin.

"His brother," she answered solemnly, realization dawning on her.

"Zoom," Cisco began, his tone bearing both sorrow and anger, "he...he told him my double killed me, then he took him to the other Earth."

"Then he..." Cisco partially covered his face with his hand, willing back the tears, "he went full Inigo Montoya. He went after the other me."

"Then Zoom killed him," Cisco finished, trying to keep his breathing steady. "Zoom killed Dante."

A heavy silence blanketed the room. Cisco simply fixed his eyes on a distant wall, attempting to ride out the tidal wave of emotions that slammed into him.

"He was all I had," the breacher whispered, his tone raw.

He didn't really know why he was still talking, he hardly knew these people and he probably shouldn't trust them. But somehow he couldn't bring himself not to trust them either.

"He wasn't always the best influence, but even when we had nothing, we had each other," Cisco admitted, the ache settling into his bones.

The looks on both Barry and Caitlin's face stood out to Cisco through the haze of it all. It was different from that of even Jay's, it wasn't pity or baseless sympathy. There was an understanding in their eyes, a genuine understanding. Maybe that was why they had all ended up in this situation. Why they had oddly fallen together, because they were facing the same things.

"Listen," Jay began, "I understand if you don't want to..."

"No," Cisco interrupted, a sharp determination in his tone. "You're going to Earth-1," he stated, pushing himself up and raising to his full height, "and I'm going with you."

Zoom had taken something from him...perhaps even from all of them. Now it was time for him to pay.

Caitlin furrowed her brow and bit her lip, concentrating on adjusting the small disk-shaped objects in her hands. The lab was quiet and still, the only audible sound being the soft rain tapping against the windows. Caitlin took a deep, anxiety filled breath, setting the objects down.

Ironically, she was more scared of herself than she was of the fact that she was about to travel to another universe. She knew she was going to have to fight, to use her powers...to change. Caitlin was dreading it. She didn't want to lose herself again, and she didn't want to be that person anymore.

Caitlin turned her attention back to her current task, once again checking and re-checking the devices as they prepared to set out for Earth-1. It had been a long time since she had been in a scientific environment of any kind. It was both refreshing and intimidating. The entirety of the lab itself was nearly empty, the only occupants being herself and the others. Apparently, it had yet to reopen after the building had been evacuated when Zoom had come searching for Harrison Wells.

Caitlin glanced over at Barry, more to check on him than anything. He was talking with Jay, going over the plan and exchanging information. Given the circumstances, she thought he was doing remarkably well at keeping it together. Though, there was still a hollowness to his eyes every time he looked at the speedster, a sadness. He was a reminder of all that he had lost.

"Alright, here we go," Cisco announced as he entered the room, having left some minutes prior.

They all broke off from their previous activities and gravitated towards the breacher. He had returned with a small stack of clothing in one hand and a rifle of sorts in the other.

"This is for you," he turned to Barry, holding up the weapon.

"What is it..." his tone was apprehensive as he awkwardly took it.

"It's a pulse rifle prototype, it lets out a high-energy blast," Cisco explained. "I figured you could use it."

"Keep it on stun and don't shoot yourself, or any of us," he instructed firmly.

Barry nodded, attempting to get a feel for the weapon.

"What are those," Caitlin inquired, gesturing to the stack of sleeveless vests.

"These bad boys," he began, handing one to Barry, " are made of light-weight Kevlar. They're designed to protect the wearer from normal projectile weapons as well as a wide spectrum of meta abilities. The lab is developing them for the CCPD."

"How do you know so much about this place?" Barry asked curiously, examining his vest.

"I use to work here," Cisco admitted, growing quiet. "Before it turned the whole city into a garbage-fire."

Cisco then turned to Caitlin, offering her a vest.

"You know I heal quickly, right?" She reminded, taking it all the same.

"Still," he simply stated, "you won't have to heal at all if you just wear the vest."

"I didn't know you cared," she replied, almost jokingly.

"Yeah, you did," he simply answered, a strange sincerity in his eyes.

They shared a brief moment of understanding.

"What about you?" His attentions shifted to Jay.

"I heal quickly too. That, and I already have my own," he informed, tapping the front of his suit.

"Suit yourself," Cisco nodded, "Literally."

"How are the power-dampers coming?" Barry asked, turning to Caitlin.

"All done," she stated, walking over to her work area and gathering the stack of smooth metal circles. After that Caitlin began to hand them out, keeping several for herself as well.

"And you're sure they work?"

"They're based off of the tech from Zoom's mask," she replied calmly, "they'll work."

The next several minutes passed in relative silence as everyone got their respective gear in order.

"You ready to suit up?" Cisco questioned, putting on his gauntlets.

Barry joined them, his vest now on and his rifle over his shoulder.

"I am," Caitlin answered, though she suspected what he meant.

"No, I mean," Cisco made a vague gesture with his hand. "Can you wake up your powers?"

The moment she had been fearing had come.

"I think so," Caitlin spoke, a tightness in her throat and a tremble in her hands.

She had no doubt she could summon her abilities, there was already plenty of adrenaline and fear in her system. That wasn't the problem.

"Just...please just promise me something," Caitlin continued, her gaze shifting between Cisco and Barry.

The two of then both nodded, listening intently.

"Don't let me kill anybody," was her sincere request. "When I use my powers, when I change, I get lost sometimes. It's like I become a different person and I can't always stop it," Caitlin explained.

"I just don't wanna hurt any of you or anybody innocent," she admitted, an edge to her voice. "If I'm...if she's not on your side, do whatever you have to do."

"Hey," Barry gave a concerned frown, placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's not going to come to that. You controlled it once before, you can do it again."

"Barry, I..." she began, only to be cut off.

"I believe in you," he spoke with conviction, holding her gaze. "You should too."

Caitlin nodded slowly, bringing her hand up to squeeze Barry's.

"You got this," Cisco gave an assurance as the two stepped back to give her a bit of space.

Caitlin drew in a deep breath, loosening her shoulders a bit. She was still afraid, terrified even. But there was something else there now, an inner strength she felt she could draw from. Because Caitlin Snow had never really had anyone who believed in her like that, anyone who had made her feel strong by simply being there. Her whole life, she had grown so accustomed to feeling small and unimportant. Perhaps that was why her powers made her so hard...so careless and arrogant. They were an armor, and a shield. But they were hers, and she mustn't forget that she alone could control the thickness.

So Caitlin closed her eyes, and welcomed her ice. She felt the chill wash over her, the power thrumming beneath her skin. She exhaled slowly, opening her eyes just in time to see her visible breath.

Barry and Cisco both wore a look of awe. Jay soon joined the group, a little surprised by the transformation as well.

She felt different now, like she was not herself. Perhaps she was right, but she found solace in the fact that she still had one hand on the wheel. She wasn't exactly Snow, but she wasn't exactly Frost either.

"Are you ready," Cisco glanced at her, preparing his glasses.

"Ready," she replied, her voice a duel-tone.

"Does everybody know the plan?" Jay confirmed, adjusting his suit.

"We take down as many meta's as we can, put dampers on them, then I breach them to the front steps of Iron Heights," Cisco listed off without missing a beat.

"Then we go after Zoom," he added darkly.

None of them were going to chastise him for it, it reflected their feelings quite well. Cisco held up his hand and his glasses flickered to life, a swirling portal appearing soon after. Jay went through first, followed by Barry, Cisco and Caitlin herself.

The moment she stepped through, the air around her shifted, and she was no longer inside. They stood on what appeared to be a deserted road. The air was cold and crisp, the sleek skyscrapers lighting up the night. The sound of traffic could be heard and sirens wailed in the distance.

Jay broke off from the group early on, using his speed to canvass the city. The remaining three walked the desolate streets for a long while, their surroundings deathly quiet. They walked for so long that they began to wonder if Cisco had breached them to the wrong Earth. However, they eventually came to an intersection and found exactly what they were looking for.

The streets were in chaos, smoke wafting from several burning structures. Blasts and explosions of all different colors painted the night like a canvas. Their were even a few winged meta-humans swooping over head from time to time.

Frost felt a new wave of ice flow through her palms, and a chill set into her veins. This was going to be fun.

Barry was running. His chest hurt and his leg muscles burned, but he kept a steady pace. He had never been very athletic, but it turns out being chased by an 8-foot-tall meta-human is a very good motivator. (Cisco had insisted on calling him Blockbuster.) He also happened to be incredibly strong, he could crumple whole dumpsters like they were soda cans. Needless to say, Barry was having some regrets at that moment.

The forensic scientist took a sharp corner, nearly tripping on a trashcan in the process. A deep and guttural voice roar behind him, only urging him to move faster. Blockbuster was close behind, leaving dents in the pavement every now and then. But Barry kept running despite the fact his legs felt like jelly and his heart was pounding in his chest. He ran until he felt he couldn't any longer.

Then finally, the signal came.

"Now!" A cold voice called, and Barry instinctively dove to the side.

Killer Frost stepped into the spot he had been moments prior, thrusting her hands down to the ground. A thick layer of ice spread across the pavement and coated everything in sight. The meta lost balance and slipped, slamming into the ice with a hollow thud. He slid down the naturally steep street, and into an awaiting breach. Caitlin cracked a small smile as the breach flickered out of existence. She then turned her attention to Barry, offering him a hand. He took it gratefully and got back on his feet.

"How many is that," she asked as Cisco emerged from the shadows.

"20? I don't know, I lost count," he admitted.

"We forgot to put a damper on him," Barry breathlessly pointed out, using his knees for support.

"Oh no, that guy went straight to his cell," Cisco informed, "Iron Heights had one built especially for him last year."

Barry nodded, retrieving his pulse-rifle from where he had stashed it.

"Now what?" Frost inquired.

"We keep moving," Reverb replied, "I think the fight's moved to the south side of town."

"I'll see if I can tap into some of the police scanners..." he added, but the words died in his mouth.

A strange sound had begun to resonate through the air. The noise grew louder and louder, morphing into a deafening screech. Barry covered his ears, his knees beginning to buckle. Caitlin and Cisco did the same, crying out in pain. Barry became disoriented and the world faded to a blur. The next thing he knew he was being dragged towards a breach, his consciousness quickly slipping away.

When Barry opened his eyes again, it was to a cloudy night sky. Rain fell steadily, splattering into small puddles around him. He looked over, finding Cisco and Caitlin on the ground as well, trying to get their bearings.

"What the hell was that," Frost muttered, moving to a sitting position.

"Frequencies," Cisco answered, pulling off his glasses, "it was a sound wave of some kind."

"Why?" Barry asked, a faint ringing still in his ears

"Every Earth has its own frequency and the people by default. Find the right frequency and you could incapacitate any being from this earth," Cisco explained, sitting up. "It's what I would do."

"What about Jay?" Caitlin questioned, the white beginning to melt from her hair.

"He's not from around here, he'll be fine," Cisco spoke over the loud patter of the rain. "I'll vibe him," he stated, slowly getting to his feet.

It was 30 minutes before they arrived back at S.T.A.R. Labs, rain soaked and tired. Together they trudged back into their supply-closet of a headquarters, leaving small puddles in their wake. The lab was still empty, the faint rumble of thunder in the background.

"Nice hat," Cisco commented, sparing Jay a glance.

The speedster now wore a metallic helmet, winged emblems adorning the sides.

"Ironically, it's a symbol of hope here," he added.

"So I'm told," Jay replied, absently reaching up to touch it, "I figured I could carry that on. And maybe take something from Zoom in the process."

"It suits you," Barry complemented, with an almost-smile.

"Thank you."

"What happened over there anyway?" Caitlin spoke up, ringing out her damp hair.

"Your doppelgängers," Jay answered, leaning against a nearby table, "They unleashed a sound wave and it knocked out everyone from this Earth."

"See, told you," Cisco chimed in, snapping his fingers.

"What about Zoom?" Barry inquired, setting down his rifle.

Jay paused for a moment, heaving a quiet sigh. "He escaped. He opened a breach, then he was gone."

"To where?" Cisco spoke, raising a curious eyebrow.

Jay only shrugged, "Beats me. But we need to find him."

Barry opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted.

"Not if I find you first," a gravelly voice cut him off.

Barry felt his stomach drop and goosebumps broke out across his skin. He whirled around and grabbed his pulse rifle, pointing it in the direction of the voice. Zoom was now standing across the room, his eyes as black as pitch. He held Caitlin from behind, claws wrapped tightly around her throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he threatened, pulling Caitlin a little closer to him.

The look of terror in her eyes was not something Barry would soon forget.

"Didn't I kill you two already?" Zoom asked, glancing between Cisco and Caitlin.

"It didn't take," Frost bit out, her eyes beginning to glow.

She reached up and harshly latched onto his arm, ice crackling as it spread through him. Zoom let out a yelled, but his grip remained firm.

"That's not going to work this time," he taunted, leaning a little over her shoulder. The speedsters arm began to vibrate, the ice melting away in an instant.

"Let's go for a walk, shall we," he stated, sharply tugging her towards him.

"Let her go," Jay's voice boomed as he stepped forward. "You're not the only one who's fast."

"Maybe not, but you're going to be awfully busy," Zoom informed, twirling a strand of Frost's hair around his finger.

It made Barry's skin crawl. Had he had a clear shot, he would've happily emptied the entire clip into the speedster's face.

"Their are over 16 bombs hidden somewhere in the city," Zoom explained. "Let's see how fast you really are."

The blood drained from Jay's features.

"I'd start running if I were you," Zoom suggested, becoming nothing but a blur of blue electricity.

With that, he was gone, taking Caitlin with him. A growing sense of panic had began to surface within Barry.

"You go get the bombs," Cisco spoke up for the first time, his voice steady and commanding, "we'll get Caitlin."

Jay nodded, speeding away in a blink. Cisco took only a moment to hone his focus, vibing Zoom's location.

"The roof," he stated, an edge to his voice.

Cisco quickly opened a breach, the two practically running through it. The first thing Barry felt was the rain. It was still pouring, an echo of brontide resonating through the air. Zoom stood at the very edge of the building, already damp with rain. He held Caitlin by the throat, dangling her over the edge. She fought and kicked against his grip, but it was to no avail.

"Leave her alone," Cisco growled, fists clenching.

He moved forward to charge Zoom, but the speedster was too fast. He slammed into Cisco full force, sending the other meta reeling back. The breacher was violently knocked over and into one of the concrete ledges. He didn't get back up. Zoom was back at the edge of the roof before Barry could even register what happened.

"Your turn," he spoke, his coal black eyes landing on Barry

"Just let her go," Barry pleaded, "if you're gonna hurt anyone, hurt me."

"Oh I will," he replied darkly. "You three took something that belongs to me, and you're going to pay."

"Starting with her," he added, shaking Caitlin harshly.

"No," Barry yelled, his hand outstretched, as if he could will him to stop.

"You know, I went back to the other earth and broke the Flash," Zoom continued, his voice an unearthly bellow. "I thought I'd already broken you. You're more resilient than I gave you credit for."

"Let's see how you handle someone else dying because of you," he added loosening his grip on Caitlin.

"Don't!"

"Oops," Zoom chimed, letting go entirely.

Caitlin tried to grab onto him, but her hand passed right through. Then she was gone, plummeting to the street below.

"NO," Barry screamed, his voice holding as much fury as it did agony.

Zoom only laughed, thunder crackling in the background.