Hello and welcome to the newest chapter. As always I hope you enjoy and thanks to my co-authors Brightburn1985 and ThomasMarieAmell2.0.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash
Amunet's real name is Leslie Jocoy, and she is currently in an interrogation room with Joe. Bandages covered her face, but they would heal, and they wouldn't prevent her from speaking.
"We've got you. Amunet Black, leader of a small gang of metas in the city and selling metahumans on the black market. We've got you for kidnapping, human trafficking, breaking and entering, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The question is, are you going to be cooperative?" Joe asked her.
Amunet just remained silent. Not making eye contact. They were surprised she was able to remain calm so easily. The rest of the people they knew who worked under The Thinker were frantic when taken into custody.
"It's too bad, because you've caught me at a bad time. As a detective, it's my duty to see you tried and sentenced to Iron Heights, but unfortunately for you, we've another option for people like you. Now I usually would never consider such a thing, but like I said, I'm not having the best time. So I'm talking to you not as a detective, I'm talking to you as a man who's had someone very important to them be taken away." Joe grit his teeth.
"But if you were to be more cooperative, that might just make my day. And I'll be more lenient with you. You're not the one I'm looking for, but you work for the one I am. You know who I'm looking for. You know what he's capable of. Tell me, and I'll make sure you go to Iron Heights."
"And if I don't?" Amunet couldn't help but ask.
"ARGUS has expressed some interest in you." Joe casually mentioned.
Amunet's eyes widened at hearing that name. Everybody knew ARGUS it seemed and the reputation it holds. That it was a branch of government wasn't helping. Recruiting people with special skills to do their dirty work. Sending them on suicide missions and killing them if they didn't accomplish said mission or proved disobedient. There were no good options with ARGUS. If they were showing interest in her, that didn't sound very good.
"What do you want to know?" Jocoy asked quietly.
"Where is The Flash?" Joe asked.
"I don't know," Amunet shook her head sadly.
Joe scoffed in anger and turned away. "I don't know! I swear to you, I don't. I met him before I even knew about my powers. He saw the potential in me and pointed me in the direction I'm in now. I locate metas and exploit them. Selling them to the highest bidder, recruiting them, or sometimes taking them out if they proved unwilling," Amunet lightly alluded to the fact she killed them, "but after that meeting, I barely saw him. Any metas he wants, he sends messages to everyone and when I manage to get them, a portal appears that takes them. I don't know where they lead. Any money that comes from it appears in my accounts. Sometimes I need to dispose of some bodies he sends me through a portal as well."
"So you're the middleman. Give me something I can use. Do you have anything that can lead to this man's take down?"
Amunet sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Something of a name."
"What is it?"
"Devoe. That's all I know, I swear."
Joe made a note in his book and went for the exit. "Enjoy your stay in Iron Heights."
"Thank you!" Jocoy shouted.
The scream of Barry Allen resonated through the entire room. It was all part of his conditioning, making the brain more pliable to their will, and every meta was different. Some were more resistant than others, but so far Allen was proving to be the most resilient.
"We've been doing this for days with not a single break and nothing has changed. Perhaps we should amplify the intensity." Marlize suggested.
"No, if we increase the power, we run a higher risk of him dying, or potentially dealing a debilitating injury, a risk we cannot take. And of course, if we decrease the intensity, it'll just take that much longer to mold him." Clifford said.
"If you're sure. Should we continue with the process?"
"Yes," he answered. "It is remarkable though."
"Nothing has changed since the process began." Marlize commented.
"Exactly the point. Lightning flows through his veins, and I realized that would make him somewhat resistant, but to endure for days on end and still remain as defiant. I will enjoy breaking him down. The plans I have for him. What will be born from him."
"Do you not worry about the possibility of him escaping?"
"Worry? I'm in anticipation. His escape is by no means inevitable, but likely. Should he be set free, I will revel in delight. For the game will have truly begun and he will have proven to be a worthy adversary."
"How much longer do you expect him to be able to continue?" Marlized asked her husband.
"Another hour or so. It's been days since his last meal. He's starving, tired and injured. He'll be exhausted and soon won't be able to put up a fight. Once he collapses, I'd like to begin studying."
"You're saying he'll be susceptible to our manipulations?"
"Yes," Clifford agreed.
"But you're still saying he will escape?"
"Possibly." He nodded his head.
"So, which is it?" Marlize questioned. "Will he be another pawn for us, or will he become free to oppose us?"
"Yes," Clifford stated simply.
"We got a name, but not sure how useful it'll be. Devoe," Joe announced.
"Unfortunately for us, Devoe is a pretty common name. Anything to narrow the search down?" Cisco asked, already having typed the name in the search engine.
"I say we go out and find every Devoe until we find the one that's holding Barry hostage," Caitlin growled.
"What about the babies?" Cisco questioned, saying it more as a joke.
"Especially the baby Devoes." Caitlin pointed at him, completely serious. "Nobody ever expects a baby, which makes it the perfect disguise."
"Well we can eliminate the females. Amunet said it was a male. His hunting ground is Central City. That indicates he's local. You don't put this much effort in a place you don't know. This has been going on for years, so he probably was here during the accelerator explosion. Search hospital records, anyone that might have been affected. His age, I'd have to guess 30s to 40s." Joe was spitballing here. "He wants his real operations to remain hidden, yet he has the confidence and power to keep all these people doing his bidding. He needs the smarts to pull this off as well."
"This is a man who has gotten the art of disguise down to a pat." Julian added in. Barry was his partner in the CCPD, he wanted to find him just as much as anyone else. "Probably has a stable job. His neighbours will be surprised when they find out who he is. An average man who blends into the background."
Ralph decided to add his own two cents. "He would need somewhere to keep all of those metas. Where could he discreetly hold them? If he's passing off as a middle-class, his house is probably average as well. Nothing to draw attention to him. No way could he keep his operations going out of his home."
"I might have something." Cisco said, looking through all the options and ruling them out as they went along. He pulled the one that caught his eye on the screen. "Clifford Devoe. A 42 year old history professor at CCU. He's married with no kids. Lives in the suburbs."
"A professor. That explains his confidence. You need it to be able to talk in front of so many people. And of course no kids. They'd just slow him down." Joe mumbled to himself, but was still loud enough for everyone to hear. "Where was he the night of the accelerator explosion?"
"Ummm…" Cisco continued typing at the computer, pulling up surveillance footage that might have caught Devoe on that night. "He was actually at the press conference Fake-Wells held. And get this. He lost his ability to walk because of the explosion."
"So we know he's been affected by the particle accelerator. Anything on where he might be keeping Barry?" Ralph asked.
Cisco looked through his financial records and possessions and even through the wife's. "Nothing big enough. He's got a decent house but it'd be impossible to operate out of. My best guess, maybe at the university in some place he's sealed off from others."
Caitlin nodded her head, ready for action. "Let's bring him in and get him to tell us where Barry is. Where is he?"
Cisco looked up his address. "He actually lives just a block away from Joe's place."
Everything they had was circumstantial evidence at best. They had no definitive proof this was the 'Devoe' Amunet had been talking about. And they weren't waiting around for a warrant. So the plan was for Joe and Julian to show up and ask a few questions. Ralph would tag along without being known and sneak around a bit in a shape that would be virtually unnoticeable. He was getting better with his powers and Cisco could breach him out at any time if things got hairy.
Caitlin wanted to come as well, but everyone wasn't willing to risk another rage attack like with Amunet. She was Plan C. Not that they had a Plan B, but still.
Joe and Julian approached the normal looking house with Ralph squished in a messenger bag Julian was carrying. As soon as they entered the house, Julian would set the bag down which would signal Ralph to get out and start looking for anything suspicious.
They knocked on the door and it wasn't long before a woman came to greet them. "Hello. How can I help you two gentlemen?"
"CCPD ma'am. Are you Marlize Devoe?" Joe showed her his badge.
"Yes, I am. Like I said, how can I help you?"
"We're looking for your husband, Clifford Devoe. We believe he may be able to answer some questions we have." Julian told her.
"Well alright, come on then." Marlize widened the door to allow them to step inside. She went back into the house to call for her husband. When she was distracted, Julian subtly placed the bag on the floor so Ralph could begin looking around.
"Do you think she knows?" Julian silently asked Joe. The team was unsure of whether Marlize was aware of what her husband was up to and whether she was involved as well. Now that they were here, they were trying to get a read on her.
"When we told her we were looking for her husband, she didn't blink. She didn't ask us what we wanted with him. She isn't surprised we're here. If she doesn't know, she suspects something's up." Joe relayed his observations.
"Does that make her an ally or not?" Julian asked. Marlize would be a boon to have in order to take down her husband, whether she was aware of his dealings or not. The question was whether they could trust her.
"I don't know. Depends," Joe admitted.
"On what?"
"Not sure yet."
Marlize returned with a smile on her face. They weren't sure what that smile meant and it made them wary. "Clifford will be coming out shortly."
Clifford Devoe came out at that moment, rolling out in his wheelchair. "Hello gentlemen. How can I help the people of the esteemed CCPD? My wife has told me you have some questions for me?"
Joe and Julian had to proceed delicately. This was an interrogation under the guise of an interview. One wrong slip up may spell trouble. "We're investigating a slew of missing person's cases. What makes them significant is that all these people are confirmed to be metahumans."
"Oh?" Clifford raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure how helpful I can be. I'm just a history professor. Missing persons and superpowers was never exactly my main focus."
"One of the metas was a former colleague of yours. Mina Chayton. An anthropology professor at CCU." Julian said.
"Yes, of course I remember Prof. Chayton. A bright young mind with so much potential. It was such a shame to hear about her dismissal, but I had no idea she had powers."
"She was arrested for attempting to steal priceless artifacts but suffered from a psychotic break before her trial."
"I don't know how I missed such a thing, but I suppose you never see it. She's missing you say? Well I want nothing more than for her to achieve peace."
Joe and Julian shared a look at that remark. That comment could really go either way. And the way Clifford held himself, calm and collected. It was like he'd dissociated himself from everything. They hoped Ralph could find something in the house, but chances were Devoe didn't keep anything incriminating here.
"When did you last see Chayton?" Joe started off the question. If they could find something wrong with his story, they could start poking holes.
"A little before her dismissal, so a few months ago. We only knew of each other, so we didn't keep in touch. I'm sorry I'm unable to provide more information."
"Did she ever mention being bothered by someone? Perhaps feeling like someone was watching her?" Julian asked. They just had to keep the story going and not let him suspect they may be looking into him.
"No," Clifford shook his head. "Like I said, we weren't close. If she was, I wasn't aware of it."
"Well she didn't just disappear. If you don't mind me asking, what's your opinion of her being a metahuman?" Joe asked abruptly.
"If you're asking what I think about powers, as a person I say they're extraordinary. But as a history professor who's studied humanity, I say people don't change, they only use different means." Clifford said coldly.
"How is that?"
"The first war was recorded in 2700 BC. Most likely there are more before that, it was just that writing hadn't been invented yet. Almost 5 thousand years, and it seems the only thing we're consistently good at doing is killing each other." Clifford said. "It's not that I don't find it interesting, but after looking back on thousands of years, you start to see a pattern."
"Thank you for your honesty. If you think of anything else, you can call me at this number." Joe handed the wife his business card. "We'll see ourselves out."
The two exited through the door, but not before Julian grabbed his bag. The weight it had indicated Ralph had returned and was waiting for them. Once at a far enough distance, Joe called Caitlin and Cisco at STAR and put the phone on speaker so the rest could hear.
"How did it go?" Cisco asked.
"Is he the guy? Can I start beating him up until he tells us where Barry is?" Caitlin asked.
Everybody looked the other way at that comment. Caitlin had been getting more and more aggressive since Barry had been taken. It was reminiscent of when Barry had been trapped in the Speed Force, but at least then they knew where he was. But now they had no idea where Barry could be, and Caitlin's frustrations were being made abundantly clear. They could only imagine what would happen if they didn't find Barry soon.
"He's definitely the guy," Joe said. "We just don't have anything material wise to prove it."
"I searched the house. Nothing even mentioning metahumans. They seem like a completely normal couple. I took pictures on my phone so that we can look over." Ralph told them.
"What makes you so sure he's the guy?" Cisco asked.
"His demeanour. He was too calm, like he'd been expecting us, rehearsed his confrontation. That tells me he's got something to hide. When he was talking about metahumans, he never outright said metas. He only ever referred to them as having powers or the powers themselves. He's more interested in the abilities than the person. They're tools to him. In my experience, criminals generally dehumanize their victims. It makes it easier for them to rationalize their crimes."
"Well if you're so sure, then perhaps Frost and Vibe should pay him a visit?" Caitlin lightly threatened.
"No, he's too smart for that. You'd never be able to break him. We have to catch him in the act. If we find Barry, we've got him."
"And the wife? What about her?"
"Submissive. She deferred to him. He's got too tight of a grip on her, she's not likely going to be of any help, and that's under the assumption she's even aware of what her husband is doing." Joe said.
"So it's up to us then to save Allen." Ralph said.
"We've just got to hope Barry can hold on until we get to him."
"Barry will be fine. He's strong. He'll pull through. He's never let us down before when it mattered." Caitlin said.
Barry's vision was blurry as he was coming to. A sharp ringing in his ear prevented him from returning back to the blissful darkness of unconsciousness.
"He's awake." a woman's voice said.
"I suppose it is that time again. He's persistent, I'll say that. The more I look, the more I'm impressed."
"Devoe," Barry muttered and narrowed his eyes.
"He speaks," the man sounded genuinely surprised. "He hasn't done so the other times. Perhaps he's gained some tolerance to pain. Brainwaves?"
"No change,"
"Able to take the strain of such power. The ideas I have for you. To achieve perfection."
"What are you talking about?" Barry said weakly.
"You're my new project Mr. Allen. Before, it was just defeating you. Gaining your powers was just a bonus. I told you, being your adversary was simply to stave off boredom. Now that I have you, it's time to find a new project. In this case, I will give birth to something new through you. The potential within you, I could create something so beautiful. It's as Henry David Thoreau says, 'Things do not change; we change.'"
"What do you want with me?"
Devoe regarded him with a dead, but amused, look. "Your body has been carrying the Speed Force for years. It tempered you like a fine sword. You might be the one that I simply cannot dispose of. It would take years before being able to get results such as this again."
Barry huffed loudly and closed his eyes. "Enjoy it while you can. I'll be getting out of here in no time,"
"Hmm, highly doubtful." Devoe didn't spare him a glance, simply looking over the results on the computer. "If you had a plan to escape by yourself, you'd already be implementing such a plan. The fact that you haven't shows you have absolutely no idea how. And if you're relying on your friends to save you, let me tell you something. They were here, and they had no idea you were right in front of their eyes."
Devoe turned back towards him with a piercing gaze. "I'm not going to kill you Flash, it's not worth it. By the time I'm done with you, no one will recognize the man I've made."
"Then that's your first and worst mistake." Barry grinned. "As long as I'm alive, I will always fight against people like you. You're not so special. So kill me now, or watch as I tear everything you've worked so hard to build down brick by brick."
"Such big words, but I'm still waiting for you to back them up." Devoe leaned over the glass case Barry was trapped in to look into his eyes. "You won't get the chance."
Devoe flipped a switch that activated the millions of volts to once agains course through Barry's system. The amount had been perfectly calculated to account for his powers, his resistance and his newfound tolerance to ensure maximum pain whilst reducing any long-term risks. Barry let out another scream of pain and his body spasmed uncontrollably in his container. Devoe just watched with mild fascination. He was almost ready.
"Still nothing?" Caitlin shouted in frustration. "We've been at this for almost an entire month. We know who he is. We know where he lives. We know what he does. Why are we not taking him in?"
"You know why. We don't have enough evidence to warrant an arrest. Everything we have is circumstantial. We can't pin the guy on anything." Cisco replied.
"Can't we just take him down for questioning? Grill him until he confesses." Caitlin suggested.
"We can hold him for 48 hours without charges at CCPD, but I don't think he's gonna spill anything." Joe said. "He's planned everything meticulously. An interrogation isn't going to do anything."
"If anything, it's just going to make things harder. We'd be showing him our hand. If we do this too prematurely, we may lose the best chance of nailing him." Julian said.
"So there's nothing we can do?" Caitlin asked.
"Until some new evidence shows up, we've got bubkes. I'm sorry Caitlin." Ralph said.
"Then get looking. You're a PI aren't you? Go investigate already! You're burning daylight!"
"Caitlin!" Cisco grabbed her shoulders to keep her from moving. "We need you to calm down. There's nothing to do. This is just going to take some time. It's slow, but we'll get there. We're going to get this, I promise you."
"Let go of me. Don't tell me how I should be feeling when my husband is gone. You don't understand what this is like. None of you do. So don't you dare tell me what to do." Caitlin glared at them. "I'm leaving."
"Caitlin, come on-" Cisco tried to say.
"I'm going out and I'm gonna find my husband, unlike the rest of you… mindless morons. I'm gonna bring him home."
With that, Caitlin stormed off with mist coming off her like steam. Her transformation was already complete when she entered the hallway.
"Should somebody follow her?" Ralph asked.
"She's angry, and she has reason to be. Caitlin's going to throw this temper tantrum no matter what we do. She'll find some low life to beat up on and calm down before coming back. Either way, she needs to vent, and this is the best way." Cisco said. "Trust me, we're getting off easy."
Caitlin was on the prowl tonight. Strolling down the street with purpose behind every step. She was angry and she had to get out of there. A walk would do her some good, but if someone was dumb enough to mess with her right now, she wouldn't argue against a little fight to get her blood pumping.
Something was suddenly pressed against her back and the click signified it was a gun. "Walk, don't make a sound and you get out of this alive." a man whispered into her ear.
Caitlin could not believe this was happening to her. As in, she couldn't believe how fast the universe had granted her this gift. Maybe Cisco was onto something about the universe always listening. Regardless, she complied. No reason to escalate the situation. Yet.
The man led her to a dark alley. No witnesses. Perfect.
"Give me your purse," the man demanded.
Caitlin turned around to face him. In an instant she used one hand to grab his gun, lowering it, and punching him in the face with the other. The man stumbled to the ground. He raised his gun and tried to fire only to find that the entire gun as well as his hand was in a block of ice and unable to pull the trigger. He looked up at Caitlin in fear.
Caitlin let her eyes glow in fury as she stalked forward. She fired two icicles that pierced the flesh of his legs, and pinned him to the ground. "I am in a really bad mood, so let me tell you something, you came at the perfect time because now, I get to beat your ass without any remorse."
The man frantically tried to get himself free but before he could, Caitlin was above him. "You know, I never really earned the Killer part of my name. Guess it's finally time,"
The robber tried to take a swing at her, but Caitlin just grabbed his wrist and it was with a sickening pleasure that she let a single icicle fire from her palm, completely through his wrist. A perfect hole in his arm.
The man let out a scream in pain and horror. Caitlin released him and he brought it to his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding and ease the pain.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please just let me go." the man begged.
"Were you going to let me go if I weren't Killer Frost?" Caitlin glared hatefully.
"I…" the man stuttered.
"Of course not!" Caitlin delivered a swift kick into his side. The icicles protruding from his legs snapped at the sudden movement. "If I couldn't defend myself, you were going to shoot me as soon as I handed over my belongings."
"No, I-"
"You didn't wear a mask. You weren't afraid of the fact I could see your face because you weren't worried that I would be able to identify you. Because I wasn't going to be walking out of here alive."
The man was hyperventilating at this point. "P-please. I-I made a mistake. I'll never do it again, just please stop hitting me."
Caitlin sneered at him. "You're pathetic. Can't do anything without waving a gun in a girl's face. Makes you feel strong doesn't it? You're just a coward."
The man's back was against the wall. He was losing blood and fast. "Please, I can get you anything you want. Money, information,"
"What could you possibly have to offer me that would compel me to save your sorry ass and not leave you here to bleed out?"
"I know about the Folded Man. Yeah, a metahuman. You look for those, right?"
Caitlin considered the offer. "Talk and I'll listen. If not, I leave you here to die."
"He's just a normal guy, you know. He's able to fold reality around himself. He can go anywhere he wants. He creates portals to anywhere, but just goes about his daily life, using his powers to make life easier." The man was sobbing at this point, practically begging for mercy.
Caitlin regards him for a second and pulls out her phone and dials a number, deciding to take pity. "Hey, someone's gotten hurt. Could you send an ambulance to my current address? Thanks,"
Yikes, that fight was a bit brutal. Caitlin is going a bit berserk and took the fight just a bit too far. I'll admit and say this chapter was a bit boring as nothing really happened, but the team has finally figured out Clifford Devoe is the one behind everything so that's something. It was fun to write though. Next week we'll be seeing the team go after Barry once they find the Folded Man. How will that turn out? Just wait and see.
So long. Sayonara. See you all later.