Tala Merlyn sat staring at Cisco sitting in Wells' wheelchair. He was staring in the opposite direction, either not feeling her stare, or ignoring it. This was the first time in a week that Tala had been alone in a room with Cisco, but she couldn't think of anything to say to him that wasn't related to the company. Tala blinked as Cisco suddenly stood, staring at the wheelchair as if it had shocked him.
"What's wrong?" Tala asked, concerned. She stood and stepped closer, but kept out of his reach.
"Why would Wells use a wheelchair? Did he tell you?" Cisco asked, pain flaring in his eyes at the second question.
"His speed kept giving out, and to avoid suspicion, he said," Tala said, trying to swallow the guilt she still felt whenever Cisco looked at her. "But after he planned that trap I don't think any normal person would've suspected a not paralyzed Wells. Why?"
"What if he had a reason for using it? Get the team here. Have someone bring food, I'm starving," Cisco said.
"Then it's a good thing Tala asked me to bring you something," Cody said, walking into the cortex. He had Big Belly Burger bags with him. The engineers ate and examined the chair while they waited for Caitlin and Joe to show up.
"I kept asking myself, why would Wells pretend to need a wheelchair?" Cisco asked once everyone had shown up.
"Sympathy, I suppose," Caitlin offered.
"That's what we thought, at first," Cisco said. "But he's the Man in Yellow, he's the Reverse-Flash. He's much smarter than that. Sympathy can't be the only reason."
"Yeah, it was a misdirect. Just like everything else Wells has done," Joe said, shaking his head. "I mean, the last person we'd suspect to be the Man in Yellow, is someone who lost the use of their legs."
"Exactly right, Joe," Tala said, grinning. "Which is why Cisco started messing with the chair. See, even I didn't know this little bit about the bastard."
Tala and Cisco tipped the chair over, revealing the underside of it.
"That's when I found this," Cisco pulled off a panel at the bottom and revealed a whole lot of tech.
"Damn. You can't get that at RadioShack," Joe said, bending to look at it.
"That looks like the tech inside Gideon," Barry said. Tala nodded.
"I think it is. But what's interesting is the casing. See the circle? It's absorbing all the energy it sends outward, nullifying my ability to feel vibrational energy," Tala said, pointing to a specific piece. "But it still gives off energy. It's kicking off serious juice. And I mean, enough to power all of Central City."
"Seriously?" Joe asked. Tala and Cisco nodded.
"What do you think Wells was using it for?" Barry asked.
"He couldn't get back to his time after he killed your mom because his speed wasn't always there," Tala said, leaning against the wall. "He could use it, but it would often fail. I think he was using this as a battery. The same thing with the tachyonic prototype. It would also explain why he was so much faster than Barry. This is the equivalent of steroids."
Tala turned suddenly, pulling her powers around her as a computer alarm went off. She frowned as Cisco ran to the computers.
"The accelerator, it's been reactivated." Cisco said.
"I'm sorry, what?" Tala said, looking at him. "Please tell me you did not just say my worst nightmare was happening."
"How can that be, it blew up?" Joe asked.
"It would've had to be rebuilt," Cisco said, pulling open the specs on the monitor.
"Wells," Barry and Tala said, looking at each other angrily.
"Even if he did rebuild it, how did Doctor Wells turn the particle accelerator on?" Caitlin asked.
"He's still here. Barry and I have been searching the city, not the building! We're so stupid!" Tala shouted, rubbing her temples. "That's why we couldn't find him."
Joe drew his gun and Tala pulled for her armor, flicking her bow out. She led the way to the pipeline, hearing Cisco follow a moment behind her. Tala pulled back an arrow before rounding the corner to face the vault door.
"Cisco, why did you bring your drink?" Tala asked, half amused.
"Whenever something happens with the Reverse Flash, liquid floats in the air. You know, Barry's fish tank, Wells' champagne, Lance's coffee, remember that?" Cisco explained. "If this does the same thing, we'll know that Wells is in there."
"Smart. Open the pipeline. I'm ready," Tala said, taking a deep breath. He opened the door and Tala walked forward, checking in every direction for Eobard.
"Man, this is big," Joe said in awe. Tala hummed her agreement.
"Oh, God," Cisco said. Tala felt Eobard's energy and tensed slightly; turning in the direction she felt it coming from.
"He's here," Haven growled, pushing a wall of energy around Cisco to protect him, just as Eobard raced past them, pushing Haven off the gangway, and shoving Barry and Joe against the walls.
"Now what do we do?" Haven growled, holding her snapped bow in two hands. She was bleeding from a scratch on her cheek from the arrow.
"Prisoner release protocol initiated," the computer announced. Haven snarled and turned, leaping back up on the bridge as Shawna teleported from her now open cell to just behind Joe. Baez grabbed the gun and knocked Joe and Cisco off the bridge before shooting at Haven. The teleporter shot the button, locking them in until someone did a palm scan. The vault door slammed shut in front of Haven who sighed in frustration.
"Cisco, Joe, are you okay?" Tala asked, pushing her armor back to its stand, still holding her broken bow.
"Fine, just pissed," Joe said, standing. He let Tala help him up onto the bridge.
"That hurt," Cisco complained, jumping up next to the assassin. "Let's hope Caitlin can get us out of here."
Two minutes later, the vault door opened, revealing Caitlin and Iris carrying an unconscious Shawna.
"I dunno what happened, but I'm impressed," Tala said, hugging both girls.
"Are you okay?" Cisco asked Caitlin.
"Yeah, I will be," Caitlin said, smiling at Cisco before turning to Iris. "Thanks to Iris. I'm glad you showed up."
"How do you think she got out of there?" Iris asked.
"Wells sabotaged it. We came here looking for him, and he ran past, just before she got out," Tala growled.
"Help!" A voice shouted.
"Eddie," Tala said, moving into the pipeline. She pushed tendrils out and followed the sound and the energies "Eddie!"
She shouted and started moving faster, feeling his energy more clearly. Tala found a trap door and threw it open.
"Eddie?" She called as she started climbing down the ladder. "Are you down here?"
"Tala? Oh thank God," Eddie said. Tala dropped to the ground and looked around. "Wells, he's gone."
"Yeah, we know. Barry chased after him. Let's get you out of here," Tala pulled out a knife and cut the ropes keeping him tied to the chair. She pulled the dehydrated and exhausted man onto her back and started climbing out of the hideout as Iris looked around. Tala carried the detective to the cortex where Caitlin had already prepped an IV for him.
"Your vitals are normal, you're just a little dehydrated," Caitlin said, looking him over. "The IV should help with that, but drink some fluids and stay off your feet. Okay, Eddie?"
"Thanks Caitlin, and you Tala, for finding me," Eddie said, smiling at everyone. Barry raced in, panting slightly.
"Wells got away," he said, leaning over to catch his breath. "He was too fast. He's always too fast. Eddie!"
"We found him under a hatch in the pipeline. Freaking Eobard had a second hide out he neglected to mention to me," Tala seethed.
"I'm so sorry. I thought I looked everywhere for you," Barry apologized, looking at the detective. Tala put her hand on the speedster's shoulder.
"We both did. He must have energy dampeners in that room. I should've felt that," Tala sympathized.
"It's not your fault. Sometimes you just can't see the clues, even if they're right in front of you," Eddie said, turning his gaze on Iris. Tala wondered if he'd seen the newspaper.
"Well, you know, all that's important is that we're all safe," Iris said, reaching out to take Eddie's hand. "And back together, right?"
"Eddie, why'd he take you?" Joe asked.
"I dunno. He said that we're family," he sighed, looking bewildered. "Said his real name was..."
"Eobard Thawne, your descendant," Tala cut in, nodding. "Just like in Cisco's dream."
"Did he say anything else?" Joe asked. "I mean, anything that could help us figure out what he's really after? Tala knows some, but not enough to predict his next move."
"He didn't say much. Just kept working on some tube," Eddie shrugged.
"A tube? What did it look like?" Cisco asked pushing forward to stand next to Tala.
"Metallic and futuristic. He said it was the key to him getting back everything that was taken from him," Eddie said, still confused and slightly disoriented.
"I don't understand," Barry said. Tala was trying to think, knowing she was missing something.
"I don't know, look, I just want to go home," Eddie said. Tala nodded absentmindedly, moving away to stare at the computer. It started beeping and everything clicked for Tala.
"The tube is how he started the accelerator," Tala said, stepping out of Cisco's way as he crossed to check the alarm.
"Oh, no, no, no!" Cisco said and turned, running down to the pipeline. Tala grabbed her tablet and chased after him, cursing in Russian under her breath. The two engineers raced down to the pipeline, where they easily found the tube, a few feet from the trapdoor where Wells was keeping Eddie. Tala video called the cortex, holding the tablet for Cisco while he talked.
"Do you guys see this thing?" She asked, staring at the glowing blue thing. "That's the tube Eddie was talking about."
"It's some sort of future power source," Cisco said, looking at it. "That's what's charging up the accelerator."
"Can you shut it down?" Barry asked from the cortex. Tala snorted, rolling her head.
"Sorry, we're brilliant, but we aren't that brilliant," Tala scoffed.
"Do you see a power button anywhere on this thing?" Cisco asked, rolling his eyes. "Dude, this thing is from the future! It's beyond us. We press or touch or cut the wrong thing, I could bring the whole building down."
"Okay, how long until it's fully functional?" Barry asked. Tala looked to Cisco for an answer.
"Best I can guess, thirty six hours," Cisco said.
"That's when Wells will be back," Barry said.
"Why would Wells want the particle accelerator to work again?" Joe asked. Tala adjusted her grip on the tablet, putting them both in the camera.
"I don't know. He never told me any part, only that he would need me when the time came," Tala said, shrugging. "And it's not like his first time was a success."
"It made me the Flash," Barry said.
"That's not all it did," Caitlin said, thinking of all the Metahumans they'd encountered. Tala and Cisco exchanged looks, and ended the video stream before heading back up to the cortex.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Tala asked, him, stopping him in the hallway. She went to reach for his arm, but stopped suddenly and pulled her hand back before she touched him. "Baez hit you pretty hard."
"You don't need to worry," Cisco said, stepping around her. "And I don't need your protection."
Tala watched him walk away before she shook herself and followed, entering the cortex a moment later.
"So, what happens if the particle accelerator turns on, while the Metahumans are in containment?" Caitlin asked, watching the security feed of them in their cells.
"They're toast," Cisco answered.
"We put them down there," Caitlin said. "And now their lives are in danger because of us."
"Look, I think you all know I've never been a fan of this arrangement here," Joe said. Tala nodded along, thinking of a plan. "I thought the whole plan was to rehabilitate them and set them free."
"It was. We've just been a little busy," Caitlin defended.
"Well, if they stay in there they die, and if we let them go, they destroy the city," Cisco said.
"We have to move them," Tala said.
"Move them where, Tala?" Joe asked. "Iron Heights can't handle Metahumans!"
"So we put them where they can't hurt anyone but themselves," Tala said, a feral grin appearing on her face. "If we can figure out a way to move them, convince Singh to let us block off traffic until we get out of the city. I've got a jet to spare, or Lyla can lend us one. We can send them to Lian Yu."
"What the hell's a Lian Yu?" Joe asked.
"It's purgatory, where Ollie spent the five years after his ship wrecked. He went there, I went to the League of Assassins," Tala explained. "Argus built a covert military prison on it. It currently holds Deathstroke and Captain Boomerang."
"Oliver keeps his worst criminals there," Barry chipped in. "They won't be able to escape. And more importantly, they won't be able to hurt anybody."
"Great," Joe said disapprovingly. "So we ship them from one illegal black site to another."
"Until we can retrofit Iron Heights to hold Metas, we have no other option, Joe," Tala said.
"So how do we move them to Oliver's own private Alcatraz?" Joe sighed.
"I'll call him, maybe he can help," Barry said. "And Cisco, if we do this, nobody can get loose."
"I might have a way of getting them out safely," Cisco said.
"Alright, get on it," Barry said. Cisco and Caitlin went one way, and Tala went back to her office at Merlyn Industries, intent on getting some sleep before everything went down. She knew Cisco would know where to find her if she was necessary.
Tala woke up to her phone going off, alerting her to a phone call. She rolled off her office couch and reached for it, answering it in a sleep induced haze.
"Merlyn," she said, shaking her head.
"It's Barry. The DA shut us down, we don't have an escort. Do you have any favors you can pull in?" Barry asked. Tala thought for a moment, running her fingers through her hair.
"Yeah, I have an idea. You might not like it though," Tala said. "Leonard. I know where he is, I'll see if he'll help. I'll call you."
"Don't make any promises you'll regret," Barry warned, ending the call. Tala sighed and checked the time.
"If I leave now, Cisco will be out of the house. I can shower and change then find Leonard," she muttered, standing and leaving her office.
Tala shook her hair out as she latched her helmet to the handlebar. She stood outside Saints and Sinners, a relatively seedy bar on the outskirts of town. Tala walked in, aiming straight for the bar.
"Strong and fast," Tala barked at the bartender, glaring at the guy next to her who was staring. The bartender poured her a triple of whiskey and accepted the money she passed him. The biker standing next to Tala wrapped his arm around her waist, causing her to growl as she threw back the drink.
"What brings you here pretty girl?" he asked. Tala pulled his arm off her and bashed his head into the bar, letting him slide to the ground unconscious.
"Next person that touches me won't be able to get up, ever," Tala thundered, glaring around.
"And what if it's me?" Leonard asked, behind her.
"Then you won't want to get up," Tala said, winking at him. "We need to talk. Now."
Leonard smiled as she walked over to him and wrapped her arm around him. He led her over to a pool table, where the players quickly cleared out.
"What brings you to my corner, Little Killer?" Leonard asked.
"Barry and I need your help, moving some people out to Harris air. Five Metas that we've detained," Tala said, leaning against the pool table and spinning the ten ball. "Questionable on the legality, yes, but I've never been one for the law. We need your help getting them out."
"Why should I help the Flash? He's no friend of mine," Snart argued. "And I don't do hero work."
"If they get out, they'll destroy Central City. You can't rob anyone if they're all dead," Tala said. "Tell me what you need, anything that you want and I'll make it happen. Please, I cannot do this without you and your crew."
"What, your little Kitten not enough anymore?" Snart asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"He's not mine anymore. He doesn't agree with my decisions," Tala said, annoyed. "What do you want Snart?"
"You, Killer, and something else," Leonard said. "I'll think about it and call you."
"You know how to find me," Tala said as she left the bar.
Tala walked into the cortex to find Cisco had taken apart Wells' wheelchair to get at the energy source. He had removed the energy dampener and Tala staggered as she walked closer to it, feeling its vibrations.
"Wow, that thing is powerful. Barry, I need your help," Tala called, pulling him and Joe over to her. "I talked to Leonard, he'll help, but he has demands. He's thinking about what it is, and he's going to call me."
"What do you mean you talked to Leonard Snart?" Joe asked, looking at the assassin like she was crazy.
"I asked him for help," Tala shrugged, unconcerned.
"Tala, why would you do something so stupid?" Joe demanded, scolding her like a child.
"Because, Joe, we have already tried the legal option. The DA turned you down, and Singh is on his freaking honeymoon," Tala shouted, banging her fist against the table. "Ollie is in Nanda Parbat, Caitlin tried to get Firestorm here, and we can't stop all of them if something goes wrong. The particle accelerator goes online in?"
"Sixteen hours," Cisco called, focused on his task.
"In sixteen hours, those five people are going to be dead unless we do something drastic," Tala continued. "And like it or not, Leonard and his crew, their guns that Cisco and I designed are drastic. We need his help."
"Then lucky for you I figured out what it is you can get me," Leonard said as he walked into the cortex. Joe pulled his gun and Tala threw up a wall to protect him. "Hello, detective. Nice to see you again. Caitlin, Cisco."
Tala glared at Joe until he holstered his weapon. She crossed the room and stood next to Leonard.
"I thought about your proposal," he said, resting his hand on Tala's shoulder. She didn't notice the dark look Cisco sent Leonard when she turned to smile at the Rogue. "You want my help, this is what I want. My fingerprints, dental records, DNA, criminal records, family tree. Everything there is in this world concerning Leonard Snart, I want it destroyed. All of it. At CCPD, online, everywhere."
"The brass on this dude," Joe said. "You really think we'd do that for you?"
Tala and Barry looked at each other, measuring their need for his help against what he was asking them. Tala raised her eyebrow, and Barry nodded.
"I'll do it," he said. "If it's the only way, fine."
"You and me need to talk, right now," Joe said, poking Barry before walking away. Barry nodded to Tala and Snart before following Joe into an adjoining room. Tala waited until the door was closed behind them before sighing and running her fingers through her hair.
"As for the other thing?" Leonard asked, turning to face Tala.
"Other thing? I thought that was the only thing he wanted?" Cisco asked, glowering at the assassin and the thief. Tala smirked at Leonard.
"I wouldn't be much of a thief if I couldn't take everything I wanted," Leonard said, turning to wink at Cisco.
"And what else do you want?" Caitlin asked. Leonard sat down in the computer chair and pulled Tala down onto his lap.
"Hell no," Cisco shouted, glaring at Snart. "You cannot have her!"
Cisco twitched and threw his knife at Snart. Tala moved and grabbed it out of the air, holding the blade tight enough to draw blood from her palm. She shot Cisco a scathing look as she walked over and put the burgundy blade back into his wrist holster. Caitlin handed Tala the bottle of Lazarus waters and watched as she dropped it onto the cut.
"I am not a material object that can be owned or traded," Tala said in a dangerously low voice. "I can choose to spend my free time with whomever I decide. You, Francisco, pushed me away and said that what we had was over. Therefore you cannot control me."
Tala grabbed Leonard's arm and led him to Wells' old office, where she sat at the computer and started creating a virus.
"If you need to be somewhere else, go, just don't let Cisco stab you," Tala said. "I'm working on this virus that will delete you from everything."
"I think I'll stay, it's interesting watching the engineer squirm," Snart drawled, making Tala laugh.
"Just don't let him kill you, and don't kill him. He hates me, but I don't hate him," Tala warned.
"That's why you reached out to me, because you know he would hate seeing you with me," Snart said, propping his boots up on the desk.
"Until Lisa shows up. He still has a crush on your sister," Tala said as Barry walked into the room. She pulled the flash drive out of the USB port and passed it to him. "Plug this into the computer at CCPD, and it'll delete everything to do with Len. And me, but that's inconsequential."
Barry nodded and ran off, leaving the two alone again. Tala sighed and stretched, looking around the room.
"Come on, I need to find a new bow, Baez snapped my other one," Tala said, standing. Snart followed her to Cisco's lab, where there was a bow hanging above the door. She grabbed it and pulled for her armor, hooking it around herself before pushing the armor back to her gym.
"Neat trick," Snart complemented, looking impressed. "Is it a result of the explosion?"
"Nah, I once knew a man, Damian Darhk, who taught me magic," Tala explained. "I stitched a spell into my suit and when I focus on it, it appears around me."
"Was that also what healed your hand?"
"No, I was in the League of Assassins, and there is a pit, the Lazarus Pit, that can heal any wound, and bring people back from the dead," Tala said, walking back to the cortex. "Damian gave me his stock pile once he noticed the magic extending his lifetime. Since I'm his protégé."
Leonard turned to the elevator, rather than entering the cortex. Tala waved as he left, and went to offer Cisco her help.
"That thing needs to be stuck in a power dampener," Tala said, glaring at Eobard's battery pack. "What else needs done?"
"The room in the house, where no one's powers work, how'd you get it to encompass every power?" Cisco asked, not looking at her.
"Energy dampeners, the same as what Eobard had that thing cased in," Tala shrugged. "They stop the vibrations that allow us to use our powers. Just, bigger. Cait, can you make a tranq something or other to knock them all out so we can get them into the big rig. I'm sending Cody and Kyle to Gotham until we can get this taken care of."
Tala turned and sent the message to Cody, who complained but took his husband out of town. She sighed and started helping Cisco with the tech they needed.
Tala looked up from her emails as Barry entered the room with Leonard and Lisa. She crossed the room to stand between Barry and Leonard as they seemingly faced off against Cisco, Caitlin and Joe.
"Please tell me this is a joke?" Caitlin asked.
"Oh, you were right, Lenny," Lisa said. Tala closed her eyes, knowing this wasn't going to end well. "She is very uptight."
"I am not uptight!" Caitlin said. "You can't call me uptight."
"Look, guys, we need their help if we're going to pull this off," Barry said. Tala looked at him, confused.
"Sarie, why are you wearing your mask?" Tala asked. "Len already knows who you are."
"And I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. That includes my sister," Leonard said, surprising Tala, who smiled happily at him, glad he was keeping his word.
"Jerk," Lisa pouted.
"Train wreck," Leonard responded. "Don't look so surprised, Detective, I am a man of my word."
"Yeah, you better be," Joe said, glaring at Snart. "Else I'll make sure you're on that damn plane too."
Tala snickered and followed Joe to check over their plans. She watched Lisa as she approached Cisco, trying not to glare at her too obviously.
"Hey, Cisco," Lisa greeted.
"Oh hey, Captain Cold's evil sister," Cisco responded, making Tala beam proudly at his back.
"Oh, you're not still mad at me, are you?" Lisa simpered. "I really did enjoy kissing you."
"You kissed her?" Caitlin yelled, spinning around in her chair. Tala bit down on her lip to prevent herself from laughing.
"Under duress, calm down," Cisco said, holding up his hand.
"You know, I've thought a lot about you," Lisa said. Tala hoped she didn't kiss him again. Not in front of her.
"Have you really?" Cisco asked. Lisa just looked at him. "Well, stop. Because this, right here, it ain't gonna happen."
Tala paled and watched as Lisa stepped closer to Cisco, looking down at him. She started growling softly, watching the way he reacted to her. Joe grabbed Tala's arm and dragged her out of the cortex as a wind started pushing her hair around. The detective threw the angry assassin into her gym. Tala stumbled backwards and glared at Joe.
"What has gotten into you? You're acting like an animal possessed by the devil!" Joe demanded.
"He is mine!" Tala growled, her voice coming from everywhere in the room.
"Not anymore!" Joe shouted. "He left you, because of your choices. Because of what you did. You need to accept that and move on."
Joe left the room, leaving Tala to sink to her knees and stare after him, wondering if she would ever recover from what she did. She shook herself and pulled for her armor, moving through a short series of meditative motions to calm her mind and focus on what she needed to do.
Tala opened her eyes and looked in the reflective silver arrowhead. She saw that her eyes were blue, but there wasn't the normal dissociation she had between herself and Haven.
"I can do this. I can get over this, I've gotten over worse," Tala said to herself as she left the room, heading for the cortex. She met Joe and Cisco who were about to head out to see how they were transporting the Metas.
"Haven, did you wanna come with us?" Cisco asked. Tala smiled at him gently, before nodding.
"It's Tala actually. I think I finally figured out my powers. Or at least, Haven and I have come to an understanding," Tala said as she followed them.
"Cisco, this is dope!" Tala said, looking at the big semi truck. "Where did you get this?"
"It's my uncle's. Merlyn Industries may have bought it from him," Cisco said, smiling sheepishly at the CEO. Tala shrugged. "His company hauls frozen food cross country. Okay, so, I retrofitted the cooling system with the wheelchair's power source, and added Tala's energy dampeners."
"Which means what, exactly?" Joe asked.
"Basically, the back of this rig is flooded with so much power, that it's creating a transient pulse strong enough to disrupt the Metahumans' powers, Tala?" Cisco explained. Tala jumped up into the rig and tried to use her powers, they wouldn't work. "We can get them to the airport and get them on the plane without them getting fresh on us! Technically we need someone with a class A commercial driver's license to drive this though."
"You couldn't have mentioned that before I sent Cody to Gotham? He could've done this," Tala said, rolling her eyes.
"With all your abilities, you can't do it?" Joe asked the assassin.
"Hey, Cisco had to teach me how to drive a normal car, I can't handle an eighteen wheeler," Tala said, shaking her head.
"I can drive it," Lisa said. Tala and Cisco turned to her, openmouthed. "What? I have a Class A CDL."
"You do?" Caitlin asked.
"We can't all be doctors," Lisa said. Tala raised her hands in concession, giving up on understanding the Snart family.
"Alright, well let's do this, the plane is going to be here in two hours," Barry said, nodding to Tala. Tala and Caitlin went up to the cortex and activated the tranq gas, knocking out all the Metas, before Tala used her powers to carry them all back down to the garage. Joe and Cisco made sure they were all secured in the back of the rig and Tala kicked her Ducati to life, winking at Leonard.
"Dampers are fully functional," Cisco read off, turning on his comms. Tala adjusted her hood, and tightened her gloves, hoping the transfer went smoothly.
"Alright. I'll make sure the roads are clear. Do not stop for anything," Barry ordered, running ahead. Tala pushed her powers out, adding an additional layer of protection around the rig. She watched Cisco pull himself up into the truck and settle down next to Lisa.
"Let's move out!" Tala and Leonard said, revving their engines. Behind them, Lisa started the truck.
Tala and Leonard drove ahead, scouting out the traffic before Tala doubled back to flank the truck.
"Sarie, we've got traffic up ahead," Tala said, pulling alongside the cab of the truck. Cisco looked out the window and nodded to her.
"I'm on it," Barry said. Tala felt his energy run around her twice, throwing up roadblocks.
"How's our cargo doing?" Tala asked, looking up at Cisco.
"All quiet so far," He replied. Tala nodded and sped up, pulling ahead of Joe and Caitlin in the SUV.
Tala sighed in relief when they pulled into Ferris air, glad the move went with little issue.
"The Metas are probably awake by now," Tala said, parking her bike next to a wall.
"I thought this place got shut down?" Leonard asked.
"Merlyn Industries bought it a few months ago when we realized we could use it to train Sarie up there," Tala explained, pushing her hood down. "I shut it down, but since I own it, we can use it whenever."
"Where's the plane? I wanna get this over with," Joe said, getting out of the SUV.
"Should be here any minute," Barry said. "Look Joe, I know you don't agree with this-"
"Save it Bear, I just wanna get it done," Joe said. Tala nodded in agreement.
"Your Argus friends aren't very prompt," Len said as Tala leaned against him slightly. "Maybe that's why they've never been able to catch me."
"Oh, there it is," Caitlin said, pointing to the incoming plane. Tala grinned; glad it was all going according to plan. She turned as Cisco jumped out of the cab of the truck.
"Guys, guys, we have a problem!" Cisco said as he ran over to them. "The damper's fluctuating. The rig's losing power. I dunno why."
"Can you do something?" Barry asked.
"I'm trying," Cisco said, frantically working on his tablet. Tala looked up as lightning flashed across the sky, a storm coming in that wasn't supposed to happen.
"Oh God," Caitlin said as Tala swore in Arabic. She pulled out her bo-staff, locking them into place as one long staff.
"Mardon," Joe said, watching the plane. Tala hoped they landed quickly. The group watched in disbelief as lightning struck the plane and it crashed, flying overhead to land in a ball of fire. Tala snarled as the back of the rig blew open and the Metas jumped out.
"Trip's cancelled!" Mardon yelled.
"Take your last breath," Nimbus said, glaring at Barry. Nimbus jumped out of the trailer, turning into a mist as he did, and chased after Barry. Simmons, the Meta Oliver found in Starling, took aim at Joe, who started firing at the Metas. Bivolo looked deliberately at Caitlin, who lunged for Cisco. Tala leapt over the hood of the car to get in between the two of them.
"He locked Ronnie in the pipeline! He killed Ronnie!" Caitlin shouted, trying to get past Tala to Cisco.
"Joe, focus on the Metas, I'll handle Caitlin," Tala barked, pulling her friend back away from Cisco and out of danger.
"Cait, listen to me, Ronnie isn't dead!" Tala said, holding her friend tightly. "He's in Pittsburg, remember? With Martin!"
"He killed Ronnie!" Caitlin shouted, sobbing angrily. "It's his fault he's dead!"
Tala sighed and pulled a box into existence around Caitlin, locking her in place where she couldn't be harmed, and where she couldn't harm Cisco in her rage. The assassin turned as Leonard killed Simmons with a blast from his cold gun.
"How about we call tonight a tie," he said. Tala walked over, frowning slightly. Bivolo's eyes started turning red and Tala instinctively threw up a wall of matter between Rainbow Raider and Len.
"I'd power down if you don't want me to melt your face," Lisa said, holding her Gold Gun to his temple. Tala smirked as Bivolo's eyes lost their red glow.
"Let's all go our separate ways," Len said, lowering his gun. Tala twirled her bo-staff wondering what she should do. "My name is Leonard Snart, this is Haven."
"I know who you are," Mardon said, glaring at Snart.
"Always happy to meet a fan," Snart said. "Just remember who it was made sure you didn't get thrown on a plane bound for nowhere."
"You're just letting us go?" Mardon asked.
"You lot are gonna have to owe me, but yes," Tala sighed, holstering her bo-staff. "The place we were previously keeping you is set to blow. We don't want you dead, so you need to be elsewhere. Iron Heights can't hold you so we were shipping you to an Argus facility. That went bust."
"Why'd you kill that guy?" Mardon asked, gesturing to Simmons.
"He owed me money," Len said, shrugging.
"What, you want a thank you?" Mardon asked. Tala smirked.
"Who doesn't like a thank you?" Tala and Len replied.
"Thank you?" Bivolo said cautiously. Tala nodded to Lisa and she lowered her gun.
"You, are so very welcome," Len replied. Bivolo and Mardon walked away, and Len walked over to Barry. Tala sighed and went to check on Cisco, Joe and Caitlin. Cait had sat down in her box, glaring in the direction Cisco had run. Tala waved her hand, dissolving the box, and Caitlin ran over to her, grabbing her tightly.
"I'm going to take you back to Star Labs, alright?" Tala asked, feeling the doctor nod her head. "Joe, keep an eye on them. Cait, you're going to have to hold onto me, we're taking my bike."
Tala helped Caitlin mount her bike behind her, and instructed her how to hold on properly, before she kicked the bike to life and rode away, getting to the labs before anyone else. Tala led Cait to the same lights device they used to fix Barry, and sat her in front of it before turning it on. Tala waited until Caitlin clutched and shook her head before turning the device off.
"Why wasn't I angry with you? Barry wasn't either when he got whammied," Caitlin said, standing and walking back to the cortex.
"Blue is a very calming color. I think my powers surrounding me negates Bivolo's powers," Tala said, shrugging and getting the painkillers for Caitlin. "Either that or I'm impossible to get angry at, but I highly doubt that since Cisco won't look at me."
"You need to give him time," Caitlin said, taking her hand. "He will forgive you, one day."
"I'm just worried that the one day might be too far away," Tala huffed, walking down to her gym, pushing her armor away as she did. She growled and punched at her punching bag, annoyed with how everything went down. Starling City was easier. Bad guys died, good guys lived, and the ones in the middle went to prison. Here there was too much gray.
"Are you angry we messed up, or angry at yourself?" Cisco asked from the door.
"Both. Mostly myself though," Tala said, turning to face him. He held out a cup of coffee, with the barest hint of a smile. "It's my fault. I don't doubt Barry would've ended up asking Snart himself, but I'm annoyed I didn't predict his double-cross. I'm also annoyed I can't just kill the bad guys anymore. We need to figure out a way to make Iron Heights Meta proof."
"And we will, as soon as Wells is dealt with. I've already had a few ideas, we just need Merlyn Industries to sign off on it," Cisco said, leaning against the salmon ladder.
"If we can convince the board, it'll go easier. The new financial manager still doesn't understand why we're pushing so much money towards Star Labs," Tala said, rolling her eyes.
"You just need to move the CFO out here. Come on, no more brooding. We're going up to the cortex and we're going to plan," Cisco demanded, shepherding Tala out of the room and back up to the cortex.
"Plan what? How to catch Eobard? The bastard's been a step ahead of even me," Tala pouted, upset with herself.
"No, it's Thursday, or did you forget?" Cisco asked, laughing. "It's movie night, and it's your turn to pick."
Tala blinked at him in disbelief, choking on her coffee slightly. Cisco turned to her, an apology she didn't expect in his eyes.
"Despite it being you that reached out to Snart, Barry had put most of his faith in his word," Cisco said. "I think I understand a bit better why you agreed to help Wells. So you're coming to movie night."
Tala smiled as she sat down at her computer next to Cisco, feeling his hand pressed against her shoulder. She groaned and glared up at the ceiling as an alarm went off throughout the building.
"Guys!" Cisco shouted through the PA. "The particle accelerator is fully charged and online! Whatever Wells needs it for, it's ready."
Tala turned on her security cameras that surrounded the building, showing Wells walking up to the building. Barry was glaring at the video, his energy vibrating faster with rage.
"Barry, don't even think about it," Joe said. Tala put her hand on the speedster's arm.
"You can't go out there by yourself," Tala said, pulling for her armor.
"Yeah, I can," Barry said, turning and running out. Tala glared at the spot he had just been.
"I swear that boy is going to be the death of me!" Tala growled as she sprinted after him, using her powers to steady her quiver on her leg. She skid to a halt next to him, glaring at Eobard.
"Well, I heard your prison transfer didn't go so well," Eobard said, smiling at the two of them. "I'm so sorry."
"Not as sorry as you're going to be, Eobard," Tala snarled.
"All a part of your plan, I assume," Barry stated, showing less anger than he felt. Tala felt the two speedster's energy, Eobard's was cocky, Barry's angry and determined.
"Actually, that didn't factor into my plan at all, I expected Tala to kill them all," Eobard said, smirking at the assassin. "But I'm impressed. You went to such great lengths to keep those people from harm. Ever the hero, huh, Barry?"
"You've hurt enough people," Barry said, holding his hand out to prevent Tala from attacking him.
"I know. You see me as the villain, but Barry, Tala, if you were to look back, look back carefully at everything I've done, every wheel I have set in motion, you would realize, I have only done what I had to do," Eobard said taking slow steps forward. "Nothing more, nothing less."
"And the particle accelerator? How does that fit into your grand plan?" Barry asked.
"Why don't you go on inside? Let me show you," Eobard said, causing Tala to scoff.
"You know, we just learned the hard way not to trust the bad guy," Barry said.
"And yet you still work with Tala," Eobard said, winking at the assassin. "But I have shown you time and time again you can't beat me, Barry."
Tala turned and smiled happily as she felt two familiar energies. Firestorm landed next to them, Ronnie's eyes glowing white. Tala pushed her powers out, turning her eyes blue and sharpening her nails. She stepped to the side as Ollie zip lined down next to her, wearing League standard armor.
"Welcome Mister Queen," Eobard said.
"Hope we're not too late," Ollie said. Tala drew her bow and notched an arrow.
"Perfect timing, Brother," Tala said, beaming. "I don't care how fast you are. You can't fight all four of us at the same time."
"Oh, I can't?" Eobard asked, but rather than making Tala nervous, it just hardened her resolve. She had too many people to protect from him for her to fail. "Trust me, this? This is going to be fun."
Eobard pushed his hand forward and his suit flew out of his ring, impressing Tala. She wanted to know how that worked. He sped into his suit, and started for Barry. Tala and Oliver aimed their arrows at the circle of lightning, but couldn't shoot without hitting Barry.
"Barry, move!" they yelled. Eobard grabbed Barry and pinned him against the fencing before throwing him against the Star Labs sign. Firestorm flew upward as Tala and Oliver fired an arrow each at the reverse flash. It distracted him long enough for Ronnie to get a good shot in with a fire blast.
Tala watched in dismay as Eobard created a wind funnel that threw Ronnie away. Barry raced after Firestorm, intent on catching him. The reverse flash pulled Oliver's arrow out of his leg and Tala noticed it wasn't a normal arrow.
"Nanites, courtesy of Ray Palmer," Oliver explained. "They're delivering a high-frequency pulse that's disabling your speed. You're not gonna be running around for quite a while."
Tala and Oliver fell into their habits of fighting side beside as Eobard charged them at a normal speed. While Oliver battered him down with his bow, Tala dropped hers in favor of her bo-staff, flicking them out and connecting them. Eobard grabbed a pipe to use as a weapon, but Oliver used it against him to flip the speedster over and drop him on a stack of plywood.
Oliver picked up Tala's discarded bow and tossed it to her as she sheathed her staff. As she turned, Tala saw Eobard vibrating, pushing the nanites out of his system.
"Damn it, where's Hartley when you need him?" Tala cursed, drawing an arrow and aiming it at him, as he sped around the assassin and pinned Oliver on the ground.
"The history books say you live to be eighty six years old, Mister Queen," Eobard said, distorting his voice. "Well, I guess the history books are wrong."
"You knew he was alive!" Tala shouted, kicking the speedster off her brother. "I mourned for him and you knew he was alive and you never told me!"
Tala smacked him with her bow, shoving him in line for Barry to hit him, sending him flying into a dumpster, rolling to a stop.
"That's the spirit," Eobard hissed. "You can't stop me, Flash. And you never will."
Eobard ran up the side of the labs, Barry chasing after him. Tala pulled Oliver to his feet, making sure he was alright.
"I don't like you in the League armor. You look better in green," Tala commented, looking him over.
"Don't let my wife hear you say that," Oliver said, rolling his eyes.
"Wife? You and Felicity got married? And you didn't invite me?" Tala demanded, hitting Oliver's arm.
"No, Nyssa. Ra's al Ghul demanded it," Oliver said. Tala blinked at him, trying to understand that sentence.
"You and Nyssa are married? I guess you really are my brother now. I will stand always behind you, Warith al Ghul," Tala said formally. They turned in sync as Eobard fell from the roof, caving in the hood of a car, and fired, each hitting a shoulder.
"Night night you son of a bitch," Tala said as he collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Barry and Ronnie landed around them. "Ollie, this is Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein. Firestorm, this is Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow."
"Nice haircut," Barry said, looking at Oliver. "And I see we've abandoned our traditional green."
"Trying something different. Look, I might need a favor from you, Barry," Oliver said, looking at the Flash. Tala picked up Eobard's unconscious body and threw him over her shoulder, pulling the arrows out.
"I'm gonna dump this asshole in the pipeline. Be safe Ollie," Tala said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Make sure you say hi to Cait and Clarissa before you flame off again boys."
Tala carried him down and threw him in a cell in the pipeline, locking him in it. Barry joined her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"We got him," she said, smiling at her friend.
"We got him," he echoed.