Undaunted (adj.): not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger, or disappointment.

15 minutes later

Flash HQ

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"So this is the new place?" Cisco grinned ear-to-ear as he strode inside the underground bunker. "Kudos for the upgrade, boss."

Asami smiled back, nodding at the dummy mounts in the back. "Could've just had all the suits put in a drawer, since he just keeps them in that ring of his all the time, but…I thought an homage to the original Cisco was in order."

"You damn right," he replied, still grinning as he ran his eyes over the whole setup. Eventually, he turned back to her. "Oh, Caitlin's getting in in the next day or so. After eighteen months of absence, she's a little homesick."

Asami arched an eyebrow. "And Ronnie?"

Cisco turned his lips sideways. "You know, she didn't say."

She hummed distractedly in reply, looking off to the side.

A massive gust of wind blew through the space a second later, and they looked toward its source to see Barry pulling on a set of sweatpants.

Asami and Cisco looked toward him confusedly, the former speaking up. "Um…weren't you tracking down a bomber? What happened?" She arched an eyebrow. "And why are you shirtless?"

He groaned softly, snatching up a discarded tee from his chair. "Ugh, don't ask."

Cisco gave him a look. "Okay, I'm gonna ask. Where's my suit?"

Barry gave him a return look. "Dude, you've been gone for months. How is it not my suit?"

"Don't change the subject."

He hesitated a moment. "It's gone."

"What do you mean 'it's gone'? What did you do with my suit?"

"It blew up, dude." He threw his hands up. "I managed to get out of it before it went…kaboom."

Cisco placed his index against his chest, a horrified look crossing his features. "My suit went…kaboom?"

Barry ignored him and snatched up the manila folder Korra had given him. "Got a bit of info on our bomber." He tossed the file onto Cisco's desk. "Bette Sans Souci, red hair, ex-military, and she's a combustion bender, though by using touch, not sight; makes things explode just by touching them."

"And she's pure evil," Cisco added, scowling as he sat down and picked up the folder. "No one blows my tech to smithereens and gets away with it—" he opened the folder, eyes widening comically, "—unless she looks like that."

Asami's eyes rolled as she facepalmed.

"I don't think she meant to hurt me," Barry said. "Or anyone at that station."

Asami looked over at him, arms crossed. "She detonated explosives in the middle of a crowded train station, so you know this how?"

"For one, she told me as much," he replied, "and then when she touched me, she warned me to ditch the suit before it exploded. She looked panicked, like she couldn't control it."

"That explains why she nearly killed you, not why she attacked the station, so until we know more, we treat her like any other criminal."

Cisco's lips pursed. "Yeah, except she isn't. Unless that file is severely out of date, Bette's in the employ of one General Wade Eiling."

"Spirits," Asami sighed, rubbing a hand over her tired eyes, "not this again."

"Oh yeah, which means that if she was in that station, it was probably for a reason, probably on his orders."

Barry's head shook slowly. "I don't know. She seemed a bit too scatterbrained, too…unsure of herself to be on a mission.

"So she could be working under duress?" Asami asked.

"Yeah," Cisco replied emphatically. "Absolutely! I mean…we haven't even met her before today, so it's possible that was the case all those times, even when…" He cast a look at a narrow-eyed Asami, coughing discreetly, then looking away as he fell silent.

"Anyway," Barry interrupted, "we need to find her before she hurts anyone else." He cast Cisco a look. "Coerced or not."

The darker man frowned and turned back to her file.

"And I need to get to the airfield," Asami added. "Got a new model of military-grade biplane I'm having tested and I want to oversee it personally."

Barry zipped over to her side as she made for the exit. "I'll come with you. Keep you company."

She sighed. "Much as I would love that, don't you have better things to do?"

He shrugged. "There's nothing more I can do as far as Bette's concerned, and after my rapid exit at the conference, I think the people'll understand if the construction gig can wait for a bit. Besides," he added with the beginnings of a grin on his face, "I gotta meet this Hal character."

Asami whirled on him, alarm in her eyes, and was about to jab a finger in his chest when Cisco spoke up.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond are stopping by a bit later."

Barry snorted and glanced at him. "Finally coming back from the honeymoon?"

"Dude, get serious," Cisco replied, "even when they're here, they're on honeymoon." He shuddered. "I swear, it's like working with a pair of hormonal teenagers."

Barry gave him a look. "Yeah, you wouldn't know anything about that."

He gave him a deadpan look. "For your information, I had a date last week."

Both snapped over to him, Asami staring in disbelief. "With who?"

Cisco grinned smugly and crossed his arms. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Asami groaned and rolled her eyes, turning back for the door. "Whatever. I'm heading out."

"And I'm coming with," Barry added, still walking with her. "I mean, I didn't even know about this Hal guy until yesterday, but now it seems like I should really get to know him."

Asami sent him a small glare before sighing hard. "Just, whatever you do, don't take him seriously. He doesn't."

Barry chuckled and nodded as the elevator powered up. "Roger that, ma'am."

…

1 hour later

Future Industries Airfield

"I'm going to kill him," Asami hissed through her teeth, completely red-faced as Barry restrained outright laughter. She rose from her chair to storm toward the exit of the control tower and into the hangar that a recently landed biplane had just taxied into, making straight for the grinning pilot, who whooped as he leapt from the pilot's seat.

"Yo boss, did you see that?!"

"Yes," she growled in response. "I saw you recklessly endangering thousands of yuans in investor funds, not to mention my own, all so you could get some insane adrenaline high."

Hal's eyes rolled. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad. Besides, you know me. I can do those maneuvers in my sleep, no problem."

"Except you didn't know if the plane would actually be able to handle it. It's a prototype for a reason, Hal."

He gave her a serious look. "Well how are you supposed to know what a machine's capable of unless you push its limits? I was just doin' my job."

Her nostrils flared as she crossed her arms and kept glaring at him.

A smirk slowly spread over his features as he got unusually close to her. "Or is there another reason why you're upset?"

Asami purposely looked away from him, upper lip twitching.

"Maybe…you were worried about me."

She shot him a glare. "Why would I be worried about you? You're my employee, not my friend."

He dramatically put a hand to his chest and took a step back. "Asami, you wound me. Oh how short are the memories of women."

"My memory is just fine, Hal. And I remember—" Something occurred to her as she glanced toward the entrance, a look of alarm passing over her face before she abruptly shut up. A hard breath was exhaled as she turned back to Hal. "Just make sure you keep the plane in working order." Asami headed for the exit. "And try not to break anything while you're at it!"

He snapped a sloppy salute as he grinned and turned back to the prototype. "Yes, ma'am!" His brows furrowed in concentration as he set about taking care of a few maintenance quirks, hearing a set of light footsteps behind him and turning with another smartass remark coming to his lips. He stopped when he realized it wasn't Asami, but a tall, auburn-haired man, at least three years younger than him…or so he thought. "Uh…hello?"

He smiled and waved at Hal. "Hey. I'm Barry," he added, outstretching his right hand and shaking his.

"Hal," the pilot replied.

Barry nodded. "I know who you are."

Jordan's brows furrowed for a moment as he looked the lanky kid over. "Wait a minute…don't I know you from somewhere? Yeah, I've seen you here before, kind of at the fringes. You work here?"

He shrugged. "Oh…no, I don't. Just uh…I visit Asami a lot. We hang out, when I'm not at her place."

Hal's eyes widened slightly, one side of his face twitching a bit. "Oh."

Barry's hands went up. "It's not like that. 'Sami…she's like a big sister to me. We live together."

Relief passed over the pilot's features as he carded a hand through his hair. "Oh. Gotcha." A smile twitched at his lips before what Barry had just said occurred to him. "Wait…so…why are you here, talking to me?"

Barry leaned against the plane, hands in his pockets, as he shrugged again. "I dunno. You uh…seem like you're a pretty big part of Asami's life, and I wanted to know more."

Hal snorted. "If you were close enough to hear our conversation just know, I think you'd know that the only part of her life I occupy is the stressful one."

Barry smirked. "Maybe, but she doesn't usually stress over something that doesn't matter to her." He looked over at Hal. "Or someone."

The pilot's lips pressed together as he returned to his maintenance.

"So, what happened between you two exactly? She won't talk to me about it."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best."

Barry's brows furrowed as he leaned over Hal's shoulder, looking at the controls of the plane. "Why?"

Hal sighed hard. "Look, kid. You seem like an okay guy, and the fact that the boss saw fit to call you family is a great bonus, but we just met."

The younger man nodded. "Yeah, I gotcha." Silence reigned for a few moments before Barry spoke up again. "It's just…she's been through a lot, you know?"

Jordan stopped moving.

"The past couple of years have been tough. Losing friends, almost losing me, being isolated."

Hal glanced over at him as they shared a look.

"So…whatever happened with you and her, and whatever that means for you now…just promise me one thing."

He blinked.

"Mean it."

Hal gave him a confused look.

"If you feel…anything for her, if you really care, then just mean it. She needs something constant in her life, someone that's gonna be there no matter what. I like to think I'm one of those people, but the fact is…I don't know if I'm always gonna be around. At least, not in the way she needs."

Jordan looked off to the side, jaw tightening for a moment.

"Just think about it, okay?" Barry gave him a smile, then headed for the door.

Hal watched him leave, huffing and shaking his head at how utterly surreal his day was turning out.

…

The moment Barry exited the hangar, his earpiece went off in his pocket, and he put it on. "I'm here."

"Yo," Cisco said, "we got reports of a break-in out in the industrial district. Hang on…wait a minute, police are being waved off. Guy on the call was panicking though. I don't understand."

Barry's brows furrowed for a moment before his eyes went wide. "Eiling."

"What?"

"It's Eiling. He's diverting the police, doesn't want them involved."

"It's Bette. It has to be."

"My thoughts exactly. Give me the street. I'm on my way."

…

2 minutes later

Industrial District

The building was in sight within minutes, one of several biological research buildings owned by Merlyn Global. Barry zipped to the second floor within seconds, finding the redhead in question looking over a set of documents, her fingers never touching them.

"Ms. Sans Souci?"

She snapped around in alarm, eyes wide and staring at him. A relieved breath left her throat a moment later. "You're alive."

Flash smiled a little. "Yeah. Appreciated the warning, by the way."

Bette blinked rapidly. "Why are you here?"

"I want to help you. I know Eiling's been coercing you into doing his dirty work, but me and my friends? We can help you. Protect you."

Her head shook slowly. "Not from this. Not from me."

Barry's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Before she could answer, a high-speeding dart hit Bette's right arm, and she fell over a second later. Flash's speed of perception increased exponentially as two windows burst open and small canisters of flammable materials fell inside. His arms went around the unconscious woman's body as they started to explode, sending blinding flashes of light in all directions. By the time a dozen soldiers flooded the room, they were already gone.

…

2 hours later

Bette groaned softly as she regained consciousness, blinking a few times as she observed her surroundings.

"Welcome back," said a jovial voice somewhere behind her.

Bette turned to see four people looking at her, three in concern, one with a grin on his face. "Uh…hi?"

The dark-haired woman on her left gave her a concentrated frown. "Do you know who I am?"

She blinked slowly to clear away the fog in her vision. "Asami Sato." A sharp breath was inhaled. "Wait—I was hit with a dart. Eiling—"

"Eiling's not here," said a voice behind her, prompting her to turn and see the Flash standing behind her. "You're safe, Bette."

Bette tucked her arms against her chest. "But you're not. No one is while I'm around."

"Why?" Flash asked, getting closer.

She held up her hands. "You already know why. You almost died finding out."

"You can't control it, can you?" Cisco asked.

She looked over at him. "No. Not since…"

Flash's head tilted slightly. "Since what?"

Bette shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe two, three years ago?"

Flash looked over at Asami. She returned his look.

"What?" Bette asked them.

Asami turned to the other dark-haired woman in the room and the man standing on her left. "Caitlin, Ronnie."

The woman shrugged a little. "We have a…semi-working theory on why all the metahumans started popping up. Originally, we'd assumed that they were creations of the Reverse-Flash with some mad science. But the fact is, we've run into metas with bending and other abilities beyond anything of the norm that couldn't possibly have met him."

"Like Blackout," Flash ventured. "He said he didn't see the Reverse-Flash after that night nine years ago."

"So his enhanced bending couldn't have been a result of Thawne's manipulations," Ronnie added. "We think that metahumans were created by Harmonic Convergence."

"You," Asami added, "and other people like you, were affected by the massive energy projected between the spirit and human worlds that night. I think that's why your combustive abilities are so strong."

Bette stared at her hands blankly for a moment. "So…the other metahumans…I'm guessing you've dealt with a lot of them."

Cisco snickered. "Just a few…but no one that looks like you."

The Flash vainly restrained a grin as he facepalmed and the rest of the room rolled their eyes.

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate."

Bette just stared at him quizzically.

His grin faded completely to near-panic. "Please don't leave."

Caitlin turned in her seat, lips pursed tightly. "I know how to perform a lobotomy."

Cisco's eyes widened comically.

"Anyway," Asami interrupted, "in order to help you, we're gonna need to know how your abilities work." She glanced at Caitlin. "I'd like Dr. Raymond to run some tests, find out the extent of your combustive power."

Bette nodded slowly. "Okay. I just…" She patted herself down, sighing in relief as she pulled out a syringe from her jacket pocket.

"Whoa," Caitlin interrupted as she saw Bette about to inject herself, "what is that?"

She held it up. "Eiling gave me this when he found out what I could do, told me it would stabilize my condition, keep it from getting worse."

"Worse than blowing up everything you touch?" Ronnie asked. "I don't want to know what that looks like."

"Me neither," Bette replied, thumbing the plunger and injecting half the syringe's contents. She hissed as the needle exited her skin. "That should hold me for another couple of hours at least."

Realization passed over the Flash's masked features. "That's why you were in that biotech research place. You were trying to get more."

Bette nodded slowly, then stood and planted her feet on the ground. "So…where are we doing this?"

…

2 hours later

"So just pick up the disc and throw it, far as you can."

Bette nodded and complied as Cisco handed her the device in question, throwing it with all of her strength as it started glowing violet and watching as it detonated midair.

Cisco whooped and grinned gleefully, Bette arching an eyebrow at his incredibly cheery attitude. "What?" he asked.

She blinked hard. "Nothing. It's just…no one's ever looked at my abilities that way. Not even my fellow soldiers."

His smile faded. "So…you were working for Eiling all this time."

Bette nodded slowly. "He said…that the only way I'd keep getting the injections was to become part of his special unit. So I did." She winced, face twisting in shame as her head shook.

"Hey," Cisco said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped, snapping her head to him in fear.

He didn't let go, and nothing happened. "We're gonna find a way to help you. I promise."

Her left eyebrow arched. "Why are you doing this?"

Cisco shrugged. "It's my job. It's what I do."

Bette smirked. "Sure it's not just because you think I'm hot?"

His face went beet-red. "Well, um…I…you know…maybe—"

Her shoulder shook with silent laughter as she reared back and let it out. When she was relatively calm again, she grinned in his direction and chuckled softly. "Thank you, Cisco. I haven't…I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

He took a breath and grinned at her. "Anytime."

They both turned toward the setting sun, staring off into the horizon.

"So," he said suddenly, "you're gonna need a codename."

"A what?"

He shrugged. "It's what we do with metas. The Flash, Blackout…Firestorm." Cisco looked over at her. "Any ideas?"

Bette thought for a moment, staring at the ground. "Well…before Harmonic Convergence, before this happened to me, I was working with an experimental—and volatile—new explosive. It was meant to be a new demolition charge for the military, and I was one of the first to give it a test run. Because it was composed of a…moldable, clay-like explosive, they called it…plastique."

A grin slowly spread over Cisco's face as he chewed the name over. "I like it. It's got an elegance to it."

Bette smiled a little, looking back toward the horizon. "Thank you."

Both of them were so absorbed in the moment that neither noticed how close they'd become—or the fact that Bette was holding his hand.

…

2 days later

Three dozen sweaty construction workers wiped sweat off their brows and straightened up suddenly when a red streak zipped past, sending a strong breeze flowing over them. Two men closest to the streak's final destination watched as his blurred left arm repeatedly hammered a railway spike into the foundations of the new track. His right arm lifted out to the side and rotated at super-speed, creating a wind funnel and an air current that served as a powerful cooling mechanism for the entire line of overheated workers.

Sending him a few thankful laughs and whoops, they got back to work with double vigor as he kept moving from one section to the other, double and triple-checking both his work and everyone else's. In the past two days alone, over two miles of track had been laid down thanks to the Flash, nearly connecting Republic City to the line coming from Ba Sing Se's side. The problem was, there was an unfortunate natural barrier between the two ends, and that was proving to be quite the difficulty. A gigantic mountain range had been the single greatest obstacle in this project ever since a rockslide caused by metahuman attack blocked off the original groundward path.

The fact that they had to account for an entirely new elevation because of it meant more work, more costs, and more manpower. Fortunately, the Flash had all three of these covered, but it was slowing things down all the same. It'd be better if the mountain were out of the way entirely, but that would've taken far more time and resources than the city could spare, and the rockslide had done more than topple a few boulders. It had completely changed the surface of the mountain range and eliminated an entire valley's worth of level space. Caravans coming in from the north now had to either go around for miles or traverse the treacherous mountain pass to get into the city.

It annoyed the president to no end, but the chief had assured him that the monorail would get done in time for the coronation, despite the fact that there were only four days left. Given this, the Flash had been working round-the-clock for seven to eight-hour days, and it was glorious. Working with ordinary people, making a difference in small ways (anything from being a portable AC to getting takeout for the crew), it was all giving him a profound and incomparable sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Oliver had been right, as usual. In the meantime, Bette had been learning little by little how to control her powers.

Based off the tech they used to separate Firestorm, Caitlin and Cisco had designed a pair of gloves that were incombustible, allowing her to touch and manipulate things without fear of ignition. Despite all this, she had descended further and further into a crushing depression, falling silent for hours on end, or so Barry was told, and overall making the team nervous about the mental state of their charge. Caitlin had been working around-the-clock trying to figure out what was wrong with her, but so far had come up empty, and Bette's injections were running out. If they didn't find a breakthrough soon, she feared a cataclysmic shift in the meta's physiology was imminent.

Mid-way between hammering in three railway spikes at once, he heard a voice from behind and stopped for half a second, turning back to his work a moment later.

"Hey, you got a minute?"

"Sort of," he replied, tongue sticking out partway as he kept hammering.

Lin sighed hard. "Flash, we need to talk, in private, right now."

He stopped instantly. It was always serious whenever she used that tone. A few seconds later, they were sitting on a landing of a nearby mountain range, Barry peeling open a bag containing three lunches and downing the first in a half-second before slowing down to enjoy it.

"So," he said through half a mouthful of bread, "what's so important?"

Lin pursed her lips. "It's about coronation day. I'm concerned."

He arched an eyebrow. "About?"

She looked over at him. "Kuvira. Over the last two and a half years, she's steadily gained more and more support, both from the people of the Earth Kingdom and the world at large. I know how much appeal power can have, and after Suyin told me about how driven she was to get the Earth Kingdom back into shape…"

Barry gave her a look. "What?"

Lin sighed. "I'm afraid of what will happen…if she decides not to hand over the reins to Prince Wu."

"For one," he said through another mouthful, "there'd be some pretty public outrage."

"Maybe from the ruling classes, but in many ways, common folk see her as a hero of the people." She frowned. "Much the same way that they used to view the Avatar." Her eyes glanced over at him. "And you."

Barry frowned and looked off into the distance, shrugging. "Whatever she decides, Kuvira made a promise, both to the Earth Kingdom and the world, to be a steward, not a monarch. If she goes back on her word, don't you at least think people will start to doubt?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Fear makes people do stupid things, and after everything the Earth Kingdom's suffered through, having a strong, capable leader instead of an inexperienced pup might just trump any concerns of sincerity."

"But she can't just do that without consequences. I mean…can she?"

"Oh, of course not. I'm just saying that those consequences might just shift the balance in her favor."

Barry's lips pursed. "Look, I get what you're saying, but…" he waved at the unfinished track, "being here, working with these guys—I've learned a lot about how people think, how they act. The working class is worried about stability, sure, but they also know their values. Principle is what guides much of their actions, and you gotta have faith that the Earth Kingdom will do the same if and when the time comes."

Lin snorted. "Maybe you're right. Hell, you probably are. Fact is, I'm not exactly the best person to ask when it comes to understanding people. The side of humanity I always tangle with isn't the sort you want to 'hang out' with. Maybe that's made me jaded, but it's also made me cautious, and discretion is the better part of valor."

Barry smirked. "Too true. Bottom line, I don't think you have to worry so much." He shrugged. "I'm not, or at least I'm trying not to." He stood up slowly, stretching. "A little faith goes a long way, boss. You believe in me." He nodded at the people below. "I believe in them."

The chief took a deep breath and nodded slowly as she joined him. "Fair enough. Anyway, you're on the clock. Should let you get back to work."

"Want me to run you back to the station?"

"No, I've got it. Besides, I can't very well leave a squad car in the middle of nowhere."

He chuckled. "Fair enough."

…

3 hours later

Flash HQ

Bette frowned as she looked into the contents of a brown wooden box, Cisco joining her in worry.

"After this shot, I'm out."

Cisco gave her a reassuring look. "We'll figure something out, Bette. I promise."

"Caitlin's been working on reverse-engineering the serum for days, Cisco. I can't wait any longer."

Panic lanced through Cisco as she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. "Bette, wait!" He grabbed her arm. "You can't just go back to him. He'll kill you."

Fire flashed in her eyes as she turned to face him. "I don't intend to go back to him. Not as a soldier, anyway." Regret twitched at her features for a moment. "I'm sorry, Cisco."

Cisco's eyes went wide, but before he could make any more protests, a hard metal object impacted the side of his head. He distantly felt the press of the concrete floor against his skin as darkness took him.

…

Dr. Caitlin Raymond stepped through the side entrance of the hideout hand-in-hand with her husband, a folder in her other hand. Both of them stopped smiling the instant they saw Cisco's unconscious form.

"Cisco!" Ronnie shouted, rushing to his side as Caitlin took his vitals. "Cate?"

"He's all right, just out cold." She rushed over to the engineer's desk and pulled a small bag from his drawer, then took out a round object and broke it in half.

Ronnie gave her a sideways look. "Is that a—"

"It's his grandmother's recipe," she interrupted, waving the broken pieces of a cookie under Cisco's nose."

It took barely a second for him to instantly sit upright. "Bette!" His head snapped in one direction after the next as he scrambled upright.

"Cisco, Cisco!" Caitlin grabbed his arms and steadied him. "What are you talking about? What's wrong?"

He took a few rapid, panicked breaths. "It's Bette. She's gone, Cate." He glanced back at Ronnie. "She's going after Eiling and that serum."

The married couple exchanged a horrified look.

"Yeah, I know. It's bad."

Ronnie's head shook slowly. "A lot worse than you think. We need to get Asami and the Flash here, right now. Gotta find a way to track her down before she does anything."

Cisco gave him a look. "Why?"

"Because," Caitlin answered as she pushed a folder into Cisco's hands, "that serum isn't saving her life. It's killing her."

…

10 minutes later

"Cisco, please tell me you've got something."

The engineer's lips pursed hard as he glared at a bench with narrow eyes. His head shook slowly. "There's nothing here. Nothing that she held long enough for this to work."

"Explain how this happens again?"

Caitlin turned to Barry as Cisco kept working. "Ever since you jumped through that portal, Cisco's been getting these…visions. Like, where something's been, who it's been in contact with. But it only works if they've held or been around it long enough to impart some of their energy, life force."

"So…he's an energy bender," Barry ventured.

"On a massive scale we've never seen before," Asami answered. "He can trace the energy of a person for miles, depending on how much they've imparted on the object in question." She waved at Barry. "It's…at least partially how he knew you were still alive."

Barry frowned and glanced around. "Okay, what…what's something she always carried on her, something she no longer needed?"

Cisco blinked as realization shone on his features. "Or could no longer use."

They gave him a look as he moved with purpose, picking up a wooden box.

"The syringes, of course!" Cate exclaimed.

"Or just the box," Cisco replied quietly. "Just give me a second." His eyes closed for a few moments as he took a deep breath, hands closed over the brown box. They snapped open a moment later, glowing white and staring off into the distance, mouth slightly agape. A few seconds passed before the glows from his eyes and hands died down, and he blinked multiple times before shaking his head to clear it. He laid down the box and stumbled over to a nearby map of the city. "Okay, I can't exactly pinpoint her location, but based on the landmarks I caught a glimpse of, I'd say she's somewhere in the far north of the city, on the outskirts."

"Near the tracks maybe?" Barry asked.

Cisco blinked a few times, shrugging. "Yeah, maybe."

Barry slapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, buddy. I'll take it from here." He glanced at Ronnie as he made for the exit. "Any chance your other half's close by? If she's confronting Eiling, this could get messy."

"I called him as soon as we found out Bette was gone," Ronnie replied. "He should be here right about—"

"Now," the portly spirit finished as he stepped off the elevator. "I'm aware of the situation. Ronald filled me in over the phone."

The young man cringed and gave him a look. "Would you please stop calling me that?"

Martin gave him a look. "It's been eighteen months, Mr. Raymond. I would've thought you'd be used to it by now."

Ronnie just rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Now if we're done chattering, let's get down to business. Do we know where Ms. Sans Souci is at present?"

"Got a pretty good idea," Barry replied, "but we'll need to search this general area." He waved his hand over the northern section of the city closest to the tracks. "And fast. According to Cisco, she's going after the general, and it's been more than long enough for her to find him."

"Understood." Martin turned to his younger counterpart. "Once more into the fray, dear friend?"

Ronnie exhaled hard and placed a newer model splicer on his chest, then extended his hand to Martin, who took it without hesitation. The pair melded together in seconds, a blinding flash of light filling the room for barely a moment before Firestorm was formed, white eyes turning toward Barry. They exchanged a nod before moving for the secret exit.

"Please save Bette," Cisco pleaded as they flew out.

…

5 minutes later

Three trucks bearing the insignia of the United Forces pulled to a stop behind a slight red-haired woman, her eyes staring off into the western horizon and admiring the setting sun. Her heart was anything but peaceful, though, and it showed the moment she turned around to glare at a white-haired man flanked by four firebenders.

"I'm ready to give myself up," she shouted over the wind.

Eiling smirked. "Oh, I highly doubt that." He waved to two of the firebenders, who slowly started to approach. "You think you can pull one over on me? You can't."He nodded to her. "Stand down, soldier."

Her eyes narrowed. "I was never your soldier, Eiling. I was your puppet."

He shrugged, taking a step toward her. "Perhaps. But can you blame me?" He waved toward the north. "Bandits, raiders, metahumans, maybe even another nation—they're all plotting to destroy our country. To end our lives. To stop threats like that, we need to be able to answer in kind, or brave men and women will die." He pointed at her. "But they don't have to. Because of you, we could have victory."

Bette's jaw tightened as she slowly drew her hands from her pockets, both curled into fists. "All I've ever wanted to do was make the world a safer place." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And it will be—when you're not in it!"

Before anyone could react, she threw the contents of her hands in a wide arc in front of her, several dozen marbles that exploded on impact with the ground. Soldiers and vehicles alike were thrown topsy-turvy with the sheer explosive force of her attack, and she started moving toward a prone Eiling with measured steps.

"You made me into a weapon, General. A thing. You blackmailed and coerced me into submission." Bette snarled. "And not just me." She drew within six feet, glaring down at him. "You deserve to feel their pain, just once before you die." Her hand stretched out as she approached him slowly, the general shuffling away as fast as he could until his back was pressed against one of the vehicles.

Suddenly, a flash of red and gold flew through her vision and came to a stop between her and the general. The Flash stood in front of her, one hand held out to stop her.

Panic flashed in Bette's features as she glanced from him to Eiling. "What are you doing here?"

"Listen to me, Bette. You're making a mistake."

She snarled. "You know what he's done, what he plans to do. You know how many people he's hurt, and still you protect him? He deserves it!"

"Maybe," the Flash conceded, "but not like this. You don't have to kill him."

"Yes, I do." She waved to him and his troops. "Look around you, Flash. Eiling? He's untouchable, been given a stamp of approval and unlimited reach! You think you can bring him down playing by the rules?!"

"Yeah. I do." Flash drew a step closer to her. "And we have to, or we're no better than he is."

Her head shook slowly. "You don't understand. He is the only one who knows what's happening to me, the only one who can keep me from getting worse. If I don't kill him and get those injections, I'm dead!"

"Wrong," Flash replied softly but firmly.

Bette stared at him confusedly.

"We ran some tests on your blood and exactly what they do to it. Bette, those drugs were created as an experimental chi enhancer, a military stimulant meant to increase bending power. But it worked a little too well, so it causes the bending of anyone injected to go haywire."

Her eyes went wide as realization struck her.

"Eiling's injections aren't stabilizing your condition, Bette. They're creating it. He's been playing you this whole time." Flash lifted a hand in the prone general's direction. "All you have to do is walk away…and he has no more power over you."

The red-haired woman shifted her vision to Eiling's prone form, nostrils flaring in anger as her hands clenched into fists.

"Listen to me."

Her eyes snapped back to him.

The Flash's lips pursed. "I know what he made you do, how he used you to hurt people. I know what you're feeling right now. The rage, the hate, the thirst for vengeance." His head shook slowly. "But you're not a murderer, Bette." He nodded at Eiling. "Don't let him make you into one."

Bette's eyelids fluttered a few times as she took a deep breath, closing briefly as she let it out, then opening as her lips twitched upward and hands loosened. "Thank you." She glanced behind him and let her eyes widen in panic as Eiling drew something from his pocket. "Look out!"

She shoved him to the side as the general swung his arm and threw something. A sharp pain lanced through her chest as she looked down to see a large, hollow dart imbedded in her sternum. Her eyes widened as she stared into the attached vial, panic filling her as she saw its contents emptied into her bloodstream.

…

Barry snarled and zipped over to beat Eiling senseless, moving back to Bette a moment later as the firebenders started to wake up. Briefly looking from them to the panicking woman, relief struck him when a massive blast of flame separated the rogue soldiers from the two metahumans. Barry sent Firestorm a wave of gratitude as he slowly lowered Bette to the ground. His ice-blue eyes widened in shock when her skin started to glow violet.

He tapped his earpiece. "Cisco, I found Bette."

"Is she okay?"

His lips pursed as he removed the dart, inspecting its label. "No," he said shakily. "Eiling hit her with something. A dose of the serum at least five times the concentration of her usual hit." His lips pursed as her breathing became erratic. "And she's glowing."

"Spirits," Caitlin whispered in horror, "a mass that size, the explosion would be—"

"Devastating," Asami finished.

"Barry," Cate continued, "you need to get her away from the city!"

"But I can't just leave her to die!"

"And I can't let everyone else," Bette whispered brokenly, looking up at him. "No one else is getting hurt because of me."

Barry stared at her with tight lips as his mind raced. His features shifted a moment later as an idea struck him. "What if we siphon it off? Caitlin, you said that serum enhances chi energy, so what if we get her to burn some?"

"Theoretically, it could stabilize her, but the amount of devastation it would cause…there isn't a place in the city you could go without killing someone."

He smirked. "Then we go outside the city. I think I know the perfect target."

"What did you have in mind?" Asami asked worriedly.

Barry grinned outright. "How about a mountain?" Silence reigned over the link for a moment. "I take out the huge eyesore blocking the path of the new rail line, and Bette gets to live. Kill two birds with one stone."

"It's worth a shot," Cisco insisted vehemently.

Barry looked down at Bette for her consent, and she nodded slightly.

"Do it," she said softly.

He picked her up in a cradle carry, turning toward the north. "Now, I'm gonna run around that thing. When I tell you, you reach out and touch the side of the mountain, for as long as you can. Expend enough energy, and that serum will burn itself out."

"You have to outrun the blast," Cisco insisted. "Or you'll both die."

"Understood," Barry replied. "You ready?"

She nodded, careful not to touch him.

He looked out at the mountain, taking and releasing a deep breath. He was gone a moment later, speeding across the plains at a massive velocity, thanking what powers there were that the construction crews had gone for the day. As they approached the mountainside, he recalled the original plans for the railway and angled himself toward the preferred demolition spot.

"Now!"

Plastique reached out with both hands, brushing them against the smoother portions of the rock and causing a violet ring to form around the edge of the mountain as the Flash circled it twice. On the second revolution, the glow intensified to a fever pitch, and Barry glanced at his passenger to see that it had left her entirely. He broke off, back toward the city, and sprinted like his life depended on it. A moment later, the mountain cracked in half, its lower section erupting like a storm and causing a massive collapse that leveled a good portion of its mass.

Chunks of rock and other debris followed the metahumans as far as a mile back toward the city, but none of them came close to hitting them thanks to Barry's quick navigation. Moments later, they came to a stop and he set her down, Bette managing to gain her footing rather shakily but flashing him a reassuring smile. They both looked back, Flash whistling through his teeth at the crater where the mountain used to be.

"You ever thought of getting into professional demolition?" he asked her flippantly.

Bette just doubled over and laughed in relief, catching her breath after a few moments. Her smile slowly faded. "You know he's gonna get away with this, right? Eiling always gets away with it." She shifted. "Much as I'm glad you stopped me from killing him…it just feels like we took a step backward."

The Flash approached and put his hands on her arms. "You're wrong. I have a plan. He is going to pay, but it's gotta be done the right way, or we're no better than him. Worse, he'd be right to fear people like us."

She gave him a long look as sirens were heard approaching them. "Okay…I'm trusting you here."

He smiled. "You won't regret it."

…

3 hours later

City Hall

A uniformed officer strode through the gilded halls of City Hall, making his way to the president's office with an annoyed air. He opened the door and stepped through, closing it behind him as he turned toward the desk of the man in question. The president's chair was turned toward the window, his figure invisible behind its large back. General Wade Eiling stopped about eight feet from his desk, standing at parade rest.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"No," replied a familiar voice. The chair made a 180 degree turn, revealing the Flash in Raiko's seat. "I did."

Eiling sighed hard and rolled his eyes as the Flash climbed to his feet. "What do you want?"

"You, on trial for everything you've done."

"Not gonna happen," he said flatly. "You already know that. Been trying to take me to task for years without success, Flash, and every time, you've failed."

"But things are different now," the speedster insisted, pacing the room. "I have proof." He slapped a manila folder down on Raiko's desk.

Eiling tabbed it open and suppressed a smirk at what he saw. "Proof? Proof of what? That I have a talented metahuman solider in my employ?"

"By force, by coercion. Add the effects of that chi-enhancing serum to the mix and evidence of regular injections, and we've got proof that you were creating a dependency to leverage her to work for you."

He shrugged. "Circumstantial. There's nothing to indicate that we knew the damage being caused by the serum."

Flash smirked and got up in Eiling's face. "There's the testimony of one Bette Sans Souci."

Surprise flashed in the general's features.

"Yeah, that's right. I managed to save her from blowing up due to injections you gave her."

"She threatened my life. It was self-defense." Eiling smirked and got right back up in Barry's face. "And some witness she is. Really, Flash, who do you think people are going to believe?" He stepped back and crossed his arms smugly. "The terrorist who blew up Central City Station, or a respected general of the United Forces?"

Barry's jaw tightened, upper lip twitching as anger flashed in his features. He approached Eiling again, jabbing a finger in his face. "I know you're guilty. You're responsible for kidnappings, bombings, assassinations. You removed convicted metahuman criminals from lawful police custody, transporting them to an illegal military blacksite, and then you experimented on them without consent. You robbed them of their basic human rights, as citizens of the United Republic."

"Yes," Eiling said flat-out, smiling smugly. "But for all your accusations, you'll never find anything to prove any of it. Trust me, I was thorough."

Barry's nostrils flared.

Eiling paced around him. "It eats at you, doesn't it? How utterly helpless you are against me. For all your power, you're just an idealistic boy playing at being a man, unable or unwilling to do what's necessary." He came to a stop in front of the Flash, the speedster looking down and away. "See, the one thing that makes you a hero also makes you second best." He jabbed a finger into Barry's chest. "And you like being a hero, don't you?"

The Flash glared at him.

Eiling smirked. "You like it so much that you're willing to sacrifice victory for the approval of the crowds. See, that? That's why I'm the better man. Because there is no barrier I won't climb, no line I won't cross to defend my nation. And that is why you will always lose." He leaned down into Barry's face, staring him down. "So tell me, hero…" he smiled malevolently, "how does that make you feel?"

The Flash's eyes narrowed as he stepped away slowly, jaw tightening briefly. "Pretty good, actually."

Eiling blinked hard, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

Barry smirked dangerously. "See, I don't need to prove anything." He reached into his pocket and clicked a remote, the shutters of several windows retracting and revealing dozens of metal-clad figures on the other side. "Because you just confessed to a building full of cops."

Eiling's eyes and jaw went wide as he glanced around rapidly.

"Oh, and the entire city too."

Wade snapped back to him, tracing his pointing finger to a camera hanging on the side of a pillar.

The Flash grinned outright. "Smile, Wade. You're on TV."

The doors opened and police flooded the room, led by one very sour-faced Chief Lin Beifong. Two cops immediately cuffed Eiling, but he started struggling almost immediately.

"You can't do this!" he shouted.

Flash picked at his nails and shrugged. "Think I just did."

"No!" Eiling managed to grind to a stop. "You can't. Because I know your secret, Flash."

Barry looked back to him, catching Lin's sudden tension in the corner of his eye as he approached the general.

Eiling smiled. "I can expose your identity to the whole world. Right here, right now."

The Flash stared at him for a few moments, expression neutral, eyes flickering from one of his to the other. A few seconds later, he shrugged. "And?"

Wade blinked hard in confusion.

"I became the Flash because I wanted to be like the Avatar, to help people as a hero, and not just some guy on the sidelines." He stroked his chin and shrugged, looking up thoughtfully. "So, the way I see it, she's my template, my ideal." He turned his gaze back to Eiling. "And if the Avatar can operate in a world that knows her identity…" he approached the general, "I have to be willing to do the same." He shrugged again. "So go ahead, General. Tell the whole world if you want." His jaw and posture set as he crossed his arms. "Because I am never letting fear dictate my actions ever again."

His backup plan dismantled, Eiling stared at him in shock.

"Get him out of here," Lin ordered the police.

Eiling went without a fight.

…

5 minutes later

Flash HQ

"Dude," Cisco laughed as the Flash sped into the Cortex, "that was hardcore, man."

Flash gave him a high-five as Caitlin turned to him with a smile.

"He's right," she said. "That was one hell of a bluff."

Barry came to a stop, shrugging slightly as he faced his team, mask off. "I wasn't bluffing."

A stunned silence fell over the room.

"If I'm afraid to stand up to thugs like Eiling just because they might expose me, then what am I doing here? Doesn't mean I'll stop wearing the mask if people do find out." He grinned and motioned to his face. "I mean, I gotta protect this handsome mug somehow."

Cisco, Asami, and Ronnie erupted into laughter, the rest just giving him approving smiles. Asami was beaming at him as she pulled a large envelope off her desk and marched over to him.

"Bear, I don't think I've ever been more proud of you." Asami shifted in place just an arm's length away from him. "Which is why I think it's entirely appropriate to give this to you now."

He gave her a curious look, the smile not dropping from his features as he took the envelope. His eyebrows furrowed as he tore its top open and pulled out a set of legal papers. His ice-blue eyes scanned the text for a few moments before widening as he reached the end, jaw dropping. He looked back to Asami in shock, finding a nervous smile on her face.

"I thought," she said as she shifted again, "since, you know, we're always saying it…that we might as well make it official." She smiled wider. "So what do you think? Late birthday present?"

Barry stared at the papers for a few more moments, the corners of his lips slowly pulling as far apart as possible as liquid spilled from his eyes. He turned back to Asami, instantly enveloping her in a crushing embrace. "Absofreakinlutely. The best ever."

"Happy late birthday, Barry."

They held each other for a long time, the papers abandoned and forgotten for the time being as the rest of the team took a look. Every jaw dropped except Martin's when they read it: an official, legal record of adoption of Barry Allen, brother, into the family of Asami Sato, sister.

AN: I survived! Winter break has begun! And it's going to last for a while, so I'd really like to write a lot more. I made it through my first quarter, and it's glorious. At any rate, here's another long chapter (sorry). Thought it best we take care of Eiling and a few more things before getting into the meat of Book Four. I'm considering shifting to Korra's point of view for the next chapter, document some of her training with Toph. We'll see how I feel when I get into it.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, especially how it ended, and are looking forward to more. Things are gonna start heating up considerably once Kuvira makes her move, so get ready for one hell of a ride.

Oya, vode.

- CDrake