The plan was simple. Storm the Iron Heights Metahuman Wing. Distract the guards, escape back to STAR Labs with Professor Providence. Get Captain Cold his memories back. Return Providence to the prison before anyone notices. Everything goes back to the way it was before this whole mess started. All sounds easy enough, right? Right?!
NO! Wrong, all wrong! No, it really should have been easy, but it nothing ever goes right when you need it to do so. Everything always goes wrong the moment you ask 'what could go wrong?' What exactly went wrong? Who was to blame? Well, to put it simply, everything went wrong. Absolutely everything went to shit. And as to who was to blame, it was everyone's fault.
The plan had all been going just fine, Providence had had her cell unlocked remotely and had snuck out into the prison yard, and a disguised Barry had the guards distracted until one of the guards had the genius idea to open the high security and solitary confinement cell doors, unleashing the imprisoned powered people into the already occupied prison yard. Pure and simple human error. Almost always unavoidable, but always catastrophic. Over fifteen metahumans who had been without their powers for weeks, some for months, suddenly finding their powers coming back to them and their freedom within reach? Only the chainlink fence, the guards, and the main prison gates separated them from the outside world. Well, there was that, and then there were all of the regular human prisoners, so it was complete chaos out there.
Humans, metahumans, and all of the other non-meta's with powers were all running amok, some helping each other try to escape, some simply beating the shit out of each other. It just made sense in its own strange way. So much rage and frustration kept bottled up inside for so long just to be released in a surprise riot and breakout? There may be no reason for it, but this fighting wasn't senseless, the bare-knuckled brawling and power-driven rioting weren't at all meaningless, it was simply inevitable. Candice looked around, trying to see where her exit point was. Before the impromptu insanity, her 'rescuers' were going to sneak her out the main gates. She just had to get to the meeting point without being killed first. Easier said than done, right? She tittered a little bit as she ran, this was a lot more fun than she would have thought! Not that she did a lot of thinking about prison riots, but you get the gist of it. She dodged obstacles and zigged and zagged until she stood in the epicenter of the destruction. The eye of the storm. She spun slowly, taking in the spectacle before her.
God, the sound of the frenzy was unlike anything she had ever heard in her life. Loud booming of explosions, a chorus of shouting and screams of pain. The crack of lightning and the splash of hot tar. Hissing and fizzing of evaporating blood and water. It was magnificent, awe-inspiring. It was like something out of a twisted dream of a mental patient. That or a nightmare.
Tarpit, Fallout, and Weather Wizard had begun working in tandem to produce a veritable storm of flying irradiated asphalt. Most of the others were trying to avoid being killed by that. While Spin, Magenta, Double Down and Geomancer all seemed hellbent on beating the others to death, and nobody really wants to stop them. Doctor Alchemy, 'Eel' Madden and Trickster, none of them having any powers of their own, are sitting off to the side and Candice is pretty sure that they're making bets on who's going to live. Makes sense, none of them have their weapons or any of their tools so they might as well make the most of this and try to mind their own business. Well, they're either making bets or playing rock-paper-scissors, she's not sure which one is weirder. She's not going to stop and ask them what they're doing, she doesn't need to gamble with her life right now.
And while all of this was happening, Candice saw Blacksmith spinning in slow circles in the center of the yard, completely unworried by the destruction surrounding her. Small flecks of metals in the dirt rose up to surround her in a glittering haze of metallic bits. Blacksmith wasn't bothering anyone at all, though, she just seemed to enjoy having her powers back. At least there was one plus in the middle of this huge mess. Clouds of steam and streams of water rose up from the earth and Candice giggled as she rushed across the yard. She ducked and dodged the flying asphalt, soaring pieces of rock and soil, and angry fists. Much more fun to run for her life than she would have expected. She hunkered by the wall for a moment, the prison yard looked like a war zone. There was so much blood around her, streaked up the knuckles of the inmates and in puddles on the ground, slowly coagulating and soaking into the dried-out soil. Muddy soil, only instead of water it was slowly thickening blood. Twisted pieces of fence and pieces of steaming asphalt rained upon the ground, disrupting the previously smooth soil. Enormous chunks of earth were missing where they had been torn free to join the storm of flying asphalt. The prison yard was an unholy battlefield, jagged edges replacing previously smooth lines. A beautiful chaos, almost poetic insanity. The smell of blood and dirt, metal and electricity floated through the air. It's absolutely magnificent.
She scanned the fence and walls, looking for her exit point. Ah, there they were, on the other side of the fence! Why were they dressed like prison guards? Did they think they were blending in? Whatever, humans are weird. That doctor and the weird nerdy guy, she hadn't thought to learn their names. Ah well, it didn't matter right now, her escape was nigh, she had a way out of here, unlike all these other fools. Well, not all of them. Weather Wizard can fly, and if there's enough metal around so can Magenta. So they might escape as well, but she wouldn't be counting on it.
Candice carefully traversed the treacherous terrain, soon arriving at the fence. She turned to her pair of humans on the opposite side of the fence. "Well, how are you supposed to be getting me out of here, you imbeciles?"
"Ugh, do we have to help her Cisco?" Candice glared at the woman doctor, she could use her powers on her, but it would be a pointless exercise. Especially since she had no clue how their little plan was supposed to be working. Not that she would ever say such a thing of course. "I still think this is a terrible idea."
"Well Caitlin, we're already here aren't we?" The nerdy one was talking now, Candice didn't like how they were talking like she wasn't there. "Might as well go through with the plan. Besides, how often will we have the chance to stage an actual prison break?"
Professor Providence angrily interrupted the duo, "I don't really care what you mongoloids think and yes, you do have to help the individual with the ability to control your every thought and action." Candice gripped the chain link fence and shook it aggressively. "Now get to it you fools!"
"Geez, fine." Candice watched as the doctor and the one she had called Cisco worked in tandem with bolt cutters, clipping a small hole in the fence. Seriously, was that the entire plan? Just cut a damn hole in the fence? Candice rolled her eyes and slipped through the newly made exit. And it looks like they're not even going to close it up, guess they just have to hope none of the other prisoners noticed the FUCKING HOLE IN THE FENCE!? Just had to hope nobody decided to follow and FUCKING MURDER THEM?! It's not like they're surrounded by criminals! Candice just shook her head, it was so ridiculously simple. Just who came up with this plan? Was it thought up by a child? Not that it really mattered to her, she was out of the chaos, now they only needed to get past the main gate and the guardposts in between.
"We should probably try to stay in the shadows," the moment Cisco had finished his statement the bright beam of the searchlight shone down on the trio, instantly illuminating the entire area. "Well, shit."
***Providence Waits***
Cisco, Caitlin, and Professor Providence were running full tilt across the last stretch of ground, they had less than thirty seconds to reach the main gate before it closed completely, trapping them in the prison. The mix of flying bullets, pouring rain, and falling clods of earth were not helping their cause in the slightest, but the trio powered through it, minds on the single goal. Caitlin had taken the lead, followed by Providence and behind the two of them was Cisco, swearing angrily with each step, trying to keep his footing in the maelstrom. In almost no time at all they reached the gate, sliding through and running on towards freedom. There was the same car from last breakout idylling in the parking lot and Lisa Snart sat in the driver's seat, a frown on her face and gold gun in her hand. She glared as they approached, not happy about helping the woman who had caused this entire disaster in the first place. If it hadn't have been for Providence she could be robbing a bank right now, not having to waste time here.
The gold obsessed criminal leaned over and opened the front and back passenger doors, "Hurry the fuck up you morons!" She revved the engine loudly and glared as the trio rushed into the car, slamming the doors behind them. "Buckle up, you idiots!" she yelled as she sped away, gas pedal to the floor, the force of the takeoff laying down a solid quarter inch of rubber on the ground. There were guards already speeding towards their own patrol cars, and she could guarantee that police were already on their way. They just had to get ahead of the entire situation, take the back roads and alleyways.
"Why does it smell like bad Chinese food in here?" Cisco was clutching his pair of bolt cutters to his chest like a lifeline, "it smells like grease and bad chicken, like that place that was in the mall, you know, the one that had the rat problem? The Lucky Dragon, or something like that." Cisco continued to babble nervously as they sped through the streets back towards Central City and their destination of STAR Labs. "I mean, that place was just terrible, it was always bad. There was no reason it should have stayed open for so long. Then that guy stepped on the rat and it got even worse!"
Providence peered into the rearview mirror, catching the eye of Lisa who tried to ignore her unwanted associate. She grinned widely at the predictable reaction, humans are just so weird. She turned her gaze to the woman beside her, Caitlin was anxiously keeping an eye on the suspiciously empty road behind them, her own pair of bolt cutters on the seat next to her. There should be some sign of legal pursuit by now, maybe they managed to lose the cops already. Not likely, but fully possible, they were breaking quite a few highway regulations and possible some of the laws of physics. Providence eyed the bolt cutters on the seat, she could easily grab them and make a run for it, but it wouldn't really be advisable to jump out of a car while it's traveling at such high velocities. Then again, nothing about this entire endeavor was advisable, they tried it anyways and you saw how that turned out. Everything seemed to be going wrong the exact moment it was attempted. So she settled back into her seat and tried to tune out Cisco's inane babbling. He was talking about some new tech he had made, either that or he's ranting about Cool Ranch Doritos… at this point, she's not sure which. Meh, it could probably be worse. At least she had her powers back, weak though they may be. She'll be at full power by the time they get to STAR Labs. Then they'll see what she has in store for the city and the rest of the world.
Lisa glanced in the rearview mirror, catching the eye of the blonde doctor in the backseat. "Caitlin, tell me if you see any cops behind us. Everyone else can just keep their mouths shut, and yes, that includes you Cisco." Lisa shook her head, shifted gears and continued to accelerate, the black sedan reaching reckless speeds. Scenery flashed by at an insane rate, and the speedometer needle wobbled, unable to settle on a high enough speed. The drive back to STAR Labs would usually take fifteen to twenty minutes, Lisa hoped to do it in less than eight.
***Providence Waits***
Barry had already been back at STAR Labs for almost twenty minutes by the time the rest of the group pulled back into the parking lot. Well, if pacing at super speed and doing all of the cleaning in the building could count as him being back, he was back. He had done his part of the plan, and he just had to wait for the rest of them and hope nothing went wrong. However, judging from the newest news reports and the police scanner, something had gotten terribly out of hand.
The moment the black sedan pulled into the parking lot Barry was already out to its side, opening the door and pushing Professor Providence into STAR Labs. He just wanted to get this over with. Barry shoved Providence into the chair in the center of the room, "you know what I'm going to ask, so tell me the answer."
Providence made a dramatic show out of cleaning her glasses and checking her already immaculate nails for grime, knowing that slowing down such a simple task was sure to infuriate the high octane speedster. That and she was a little out of breath from her sudden transportation at such high velocity. "Ahem," she cleared her throat before beginning to answer. "Well Barry, my answer is obviously going to be 'yes,' as you were just so very considerate. Going out of your way by breaking me out of prison? Such a rare kindness in these times." She leered disturbingly upon seeing the angry look on the hero's face and she settled back into the already uncomfortable chair. No chair could be worse than what they have in the prison. Providence cracked her knuckles and kicked her feet up onto the closest tabletop. "Just bring out that criminal you're so obsessed with and let me do my thing."
A rush of air carried Barry down the hall, he would be back in about thirty seconds without using his speed. Providence raised her hands and held her palms parallel to the floor, she could feel the life of her creations, she could almost hear them thinking. A wild grin spread across her face, soon would be the rising of madness.
"Get your feet off the damn desk!" Lisa smacked Providence's feet off the desk, slamming them back onto the floor. "I'm not happy that I had to help you in the first place, so don't test me." Caitlin and Cisco stood awkwardly behind her, trying not to laugh at the look of surprise on Providence's face.
Providence glared up at the trio before speaking. "Oh I wouldn't ever dream of it," Providence said as she rocked back in the chair, kicking her feet back onto the table. "I wouldn't dare to think of trying to cross you, you're far too threatening."
"Don't be a bitch," Lisa crossed her arms in irritation. "Barry might need your help now, but I have absolutely no problem with encasing you in fucking gold and selling you to the highest bidder."
Providence sneered in response, and she gestured dramatically towards herself. "See? You're so intimidating, I'm just shaking in my jumpsuit!"
Lisa tried to unholster her gold gun, only to be stopped by Caitlin's hand landing on her wrist, "she's not worth it." The doctor looked deep into the eyes of the dangerous gun toting criminal. "You don't even want to kill her."
"I know, but she's trying to piss me off!" Lisa stared back at Caitlin, staring long enough to make everyone else uncomfortable. "I'll keep calm as long as she doesn't try to rile me up anymore."
"That's great," Caitlin still hadn't removed her hand from Lisa's wrist, instead continuing her hold. "I'm proud of you for trying."
Providence raised an eyebrow, this was an interesting development, maybe it could be of use later. But it was doubtful, humans are so dim.
The sound of Barry's voice drifted through the doorway before the speedster and criminal stepped across the threshold. "So, you know how I said the team came up with a plan to get your memory from the past week back, well-"
Providence grinned widely and waved casually at the hero and villain the moment they entered the room. "Hello again Cold, just great to see you!"
Len looked a little confused at the unassuming figure with their feet up in the middle of the room. He was still wearing his civilian clothes, his cold gun holstered to his hip. "Wait, she's the one who kidnapped me?"
"What? Let me guess, you don't think I'm dangerous?" Providence rolled her eyes and sneered, "looks can be quite deceiving you know! I thought you would have been a useful acquisition, but all you insects know how that panned out."
"If you're the one who fucked with my head in the first place why are you going to help me?" Len frowned, this situation just made no sense, Cisco was hiding behind Lisa and looked terrified, and why the hell was Lisa holding Caitlin's hand?!
"Oh no, I'm not helping you, my dear Captain Cold. I'm helping myself." Providence crossed her hands behind her head, "I give you your insignificant memories back, I get some time out of Iron Heights, win-win situation." She jumped to her feet in one sudden movement, "now, let's get to it shall we?"
Len anxiously looked around to the people around him, there wasn't a high risk in doing this so he might as well. Those missing memories had been bothering him ever since he had gotten out of his coma. "Well, I might as well, it's the only real way to get my memories back isn't it?"
"Of course it is," Providence pushed Len into her vacated chair and peered into his eyes, laughing silently at his surprised expression. "Now sit down, shut up, and let me work."
Barry stayed near the doorway as Cisco, Caitlin and Lisa grouped around him, Lisa glaring at the madwoman in the center of the room, keeping her hand on the grip of her gun even with Caitlin's hand still on her wrist. She had no reason to believe any of Providence's promises and she had all the reasons in the world to be suspicious of her intentions. Team Flash might believe her, but she never would believe someone who had so little regard for human life. Especially the life of her brother.
She watched as Professor Providence placed her blood-red tipped fingers against Len's temples, and Lisa stared in shock as they glowed ever so slightly. The psychopath's eyes glowed with an inhuman power, and Lisa tightened her grip on her gun in response. But as soon as it had started it was done, Len jumping out of his chair, casting it across the floor and shoving Professor Providence back into the center of the room in his shock. "You bitch!" Len drew out his cold gun in record time, prepared to fire at the slightest provocation. "You have something planned, why the fuck are you really doing this?"
The rest of the group prepared for a fight, Lisa drawing her own gun and Team Flash ready for action. Providence grinned from her new seat on the floor, "why Cold I'm shocked! Why on earth would you think I have some sort of diabolical plan?"
"Because I remember what kind of person you are, you twisted freak!" Len kept the cold gun trained on Providence and he looked back to the rest for support. "She's got something planned, I know it!"
The moment Len had said the word 'freak,' Providence had gone still. Silently she stood, radiating power and anger. "What did you call me?" Her face was hidden in an unnatural shadow, and her fists were clenched tight. "You irreverent SCUM!" She glared up at the people around her, eyes glowing behind the horn-rimmed glasses. Waves of her anger crested and broke, and the very earth seemed to tremble in fear. "How dare you even speak to a God? The time of humans is over! Earth shall be mine for the taking! The time for cleansing is nigh! PARAGON SHALL RISE!"