Chapter 92: The Thawnes

Naturally, the recent revelation about the Multiverse did not go over well with anyone. Not that Barry expected it to — he was a bit freaked out over the situation himself. But he knew that constantly worrying about it would get him nowhere, so after making precautions with the others, he focused on other pursuits.

One of those pursuits was finding an artificial way to increase his speed. He had briefly considered creating a drug of some sort, but dismissed it immediately. Biological agents were only worth pursuing if you could test it on other living, non-sentient beings first for any possible detrimental side effects. As the only speedster on this Earth, Barry would only have himself as a possible guinea pig, which he knew from experience would only end badly.

Instead, he decided to research tachyons. He knew Mercury Labs was pursuing the same avenue of research and had pulled some strings to get a copy of it from A.R.G.U.S. As tachyons had actually been the basis for the quantum splicing device he had built with the others to separate Ronnie and Stein back into their original bodies, Barry was already familiar with them. However, considering that he was using them for an entirely new purpose — to enhance his speed — he was taking no chances and gathering as much information as he could before he even tried to design the device, let alone build it and actually test it.

Compounding the difficulty was that he was still in the process of wrangling the legal tape surrounding the re-opening of S.T.A.R. Labs. One of the conditions that the city refused to budge on was the dismantling of the Particle Accelerator, something Ronnie and the others had been working on alongside A.R.G.U.S. techs since the idea of opening the lab had crossed Barry's mind. They were just about done, but for whatever reason Ronnie was dawdling on the finishing touches. Barry supposed it had to do with his upcoming wedding to Caitlin.

It was for that reason that Barry had decided to take on that work for himself, which, even with his super speed, was easier said than done. The stress over the task was taxing on him, especially since the metahumans in the city had gotten more rowdy ever since his beating at the hands of Zoom (another difficulty to pin the bastard with). And, it seemed it was becoming visible too, judging by the concerned look Iris was giving him during her visit to S.T.A.R. Labs, four days after the incident with Linda-2.

"Barry? Are you okay?" she asked in concern, watching as he sped around carrying another metal sheet that once comprised the Particle Accelerator's inner sanctum.

"I'm fine, Iris. What makes you ask?"

"That's the third time you've carried that sheet from one side of the Cortex to the other."

Barry blinked. "Oh," he said, awkwardly placing the sheet back down on the floor. "Okay, so maybe my mind has been a little occupied with the whole Zoom thing and S.T.A.R. Labs and the spiked metahuman crime rate—"

"Barry," Iris said very calmly, "You need a break."

"I had a break after I came back from Nanda Parbat."

"Which was three weeks ago," Iris pointed out. "You've been working almost nonstop since. I know you've been trying to give Ronnie and Caitlin free time so they can plan their wedding but that doesn't mean you have to overwork yourself too."

Barry narrowed his eyes. "What are you planning?"

Iris sighed. He'd seen through it. "Eddie's parents are in town and they're throwing this huge fancy party tonight and they've basically ordered him to come. He's bringing me because I'm his girlfriend and all, but he also wants others to come with us. I asked if I could bring you and he said yes."

Barry raised an eyebrow. "Who else is going?"

"Ralph."

"Ah." That explained a lot. "Are you sure you want me there? You'll have enough trouble trying to keep him in line."

"I need you there for emotional support. For me, while I'm the emotional support for Eddie," Iris paused, "And I know you'll behave yourself while you're there."

The speedster gave her an impish smile. "What makes you say that?"

"Because I'm going to bribe you," Iris said with brutal honesty.

"Please. What exactly could you give me that could—"

"I'll give you first dibs on the brownies at our next movie night."

"—let me go find my suit and iron out the wrinkles."

Since the Central City Convention Center was still technically a crime scene, most of the social events in the city had been moved to hotel ballrooms for the foreseeable future. Hugo Thawne, currently running for state senator, saw no reason to break with the status quo and so had decided to hold his latest fundraiser ball at the Central City Plaza Hotel — with his son, local detective Eddie Thawne, as one of the centerpieces. Because, despite his obsession with the Flash, Eddie was still an excellent cop and with a strong arrest record.

Which was how Eddie Thawne found himself at said hotel with his girlfriend, his girlfriend's best friend, and his girlfriend's partner.

Eddie was starting to think he needed more friends.

"Edward," Hugo Thawne greeted his son with cold politeness. Hooked hand-in-arm with him was his wife Charlene, Eddie's mother, who gave a similar chillingly polite nod. Barry was immediately reminded of Moira Queen, except without the genuine warmth.

"Dad. Mom," Eddie nodded back.

"I'm glad you could make it. Who are your companions?"

Eddie swallowed. "This is my girlfriend, Iris West, and our friends Barry Allen and Ralph Dibny."

Charlene raised an interested eyebrow. "Barry Allen? You mean the same Barry Allen that was found with Oliver Queen?"

Barry blinked. "You know about that?"

"Of course. The Queens are the Queens, after all," Charlene replied, casting her gaze back at her son. "I'm surprised, Edward. It seems your time here wasn't wasted after all."

Eddie stiffened, as did the rest of his companions. "So am I, Mom," Eddie ground out, baring his teeth into something resembling a smile, "So am I."

The small talk continued for a little bit, before the Thawnes dragged Eddie and Iris away to meet with a group of their potential voters and donors. Barry and Ralph watched them in an oddly strange mix of sympathy and perplexity.

"Dicks," Ralph said after a moment of silence.

"Definitely," Barry agreed.

After an hour of schmoozing around with what passed as Central City's elite, Barry realized why Eddie hadn't put up a protest against his and Ralph's attendance to the fundraiser. It was because Eddie didn't even want Iris here either, and figured they'd make decent shields. And really, who could blame him? All the attendees were stuck-up snobs with their heads so far up their asses they might as well be snacking on their insides. He couldn't help but be amazed at their sheer ignorance.

From what Barry had seen and heard so far, this was the environment Eddie had grown up in. While it vaguely resembled Oliver's life before the Gambit (at least judging by the stories Oliver told him), the similarities were superficial at best. For one thing, Oliver's parents were businesspeople, not career politicians and socialites. They needed their kids to be competent so they could take over the family business, not out of the way so they wouldn't smirch their 'good' names. For another, Oliver's parents actually gave a shit about him and his sister.

The Thawnes, meanwhile, never missed a chance to undercut and demean Eddie whenever possible. Whether it was backhanded compliments or outright insults, Eddie was marginalized at every turn, and even Barry, who hardly even liked Eddie, couldn't help but pity the guy. For God's sake, even Malcolm Merlyn showed more love for his son than they did. He could see Iris' eye twitch every time it happened, and she looked ready to start frothing at the mouth; for all the problems in their relationship, Iris did love Eddie and obviously did not like to see him hurt like this. Barry remembered she had agreed to come as 'emotional support', and found the term scarily accurate.

On the relative bright side, there was free food and entertainment. Not to mention a chance to learn more about Eddie himself. While Barry would still profess to being largely indifferent to the other man, he couldn't help but be curious about his past. Eddie wasn't one to share much, and Iris, understandably, kept mum about what she knew. Plus, the whole thing about Eobard Thawne claiming Eddie to be the most 'boring' of his ancestors. Considering the attitudes of Hugo and Charlene Thawne, it didn't take much of a leap to figure out where Eobard had inherited that from.

"Barry?"

Barry whipped his head around and widened his eyes. "Professor Zolomon?"

"What are you doing here?" the two men said in unison. They blinked again, before they both began chuckling.

"You first," Barry gestured to his teacher.

"This fundraiser is also a science benefit and the department elected me as their representative," Hunter explained, smiling. "And you?"

"My best friend is dating the son of the hosts, and she asked me to come as emotional support."

"Your friend is dating a Thawne?" Hunter shook his head, "Poor girl."

Barry shrugged. "Eddie isn't so bad. His parents, however…"

Hunter held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. "No need to explain. Anyone who's spent any appreciable amount of time with Hugo and Charlene Thawne would know exactly what you mean."

"I take it you've met them as well?" Barry asked, amused.

"Unfortunately." Hunter visibly shuddered for good measure.

"Well then, I'm glad to see that Ralph and I aren't alone."

"Ralph?"

"The other friend who came with us," Barry said, jabbing his finger in the direction of somewhere behind Hunter for good measure. Hunter followed his line of sight, and saw a passably handsome tall man, a few years older than Barry, hitting on a clearly disinterested socialite. About a second later, the socialite scowled and slapped him, then stomped off while ignoring his apologies.

"I see," Hunter said slowly, his tone even and unsure.

After that, they continued their conversation for a few more minutes, before another guest called Hunter over. The professor bid farewell to his student before walking off to meet with his colleague. Barry held up a hand in goodbye, waiting until Hunter was out of sight before he dropped it, along with the placid smile on his face. He sighed.

Man, does that guy give me the creeps.

After that short talk with Zolomon, Barry continued walking around and eating the free food until it was time for him to play the 'emotional support' role for Iris. Apparently, while the Thawnes didn't really care for Eddie, they did care about their reputation, and Eddie, while not particularly well-known, still needed to hold up a respectable front. That meant dating someone that was up to snuff, something they were obviously hesitant to assume with Iris, even if she had something of a casual friendship with Oliver Queen.

Both Barry and Eddie had to discreetly calm her with their casual touches to make sure she didn't blow from the increasingly invasive questioning, at one point sharing commiserating looks after a particularly nerve-wracking one caused Iris to grab both their hands and squeeze. Hard. At least things were going more-or-less as well as they could have, considering the circumstances.

"Tell us, do you do any sports?"

Iris bit the corner of her lips. "Well, I box."

Charlene wrinkled her nose in slight disapproval. Clearly, a bloodsport like boxing was not an acceptable past time. Especially for a young woman who was dating her son. Iris didn't fail to notice this, and Barry discreetly held her back as her eye began to twitch again.

"How… nice." Liar. "Tell me, did you know Edward loves to fence?"

"You do?" Barry burst out, surprised.

Astonishingly, instead of glaring, Eddie tilted his head, looking bashful. "Occasionally."

"Oh, don't be modest Edward. You were a regional champion! It's too bad you didn't go any farther with it," Charlene said sweetly, making it all too obvious that this is exactly what she would've preferred Eddie to do instead of going into law enforcement. Because apparently, a life as a professional fencer would've been far more acceptable to her than an under-payed detective in a moderately-sized city.

"You should have told me sooner, Eddie! I have some interest in fencing myself," Barry said cheerfully, deliberately omitting the fact that his experience with fencing came from being trained by a cult of assassins, "It'd be nice if we could have a match together."

Eddie smiled. It was probably the only real smile he'd had all night. "Just name the time and place, Allen. And don't be surprised when you lose."

"Of course I won't be surprised. I won't lose." They were both grinning at that one.

Charlene cleared her throat, catching their attention again. The conversation continued on, and despite Iris' less-than-ladylike pursuits, she seemed to have passed muster. Somewhat satisfied with the woman her son was dating, she bid them goodbye and sauntered off back into the crowd to search for her husband. The moment she was gone, everyone's shoulders slumped in relief.

"Eddie," Iris started, "I know she's your mother, but—"

"—she's horrible, I know," Eddie groaned. "Try growing up with her. To say nothing of Dad."

"He's that bad too?" Barry asked, more than a little sympathetic.

"Worse."

Before he could say more, however, Iris cut him off. "Guys… where's Ralph?" she asked hesitantly, as if she was scared of the answer.

Both of the men immediately started scanning the room to find their wayward fourth. Barry was the first to find him, and blanched. Iris and Eddie followed his line of sight, and couldn't help but wince themselves.

"Shit," all three of them said simultaneously.

Apparently, in the midst of his failed attempts to seduce the women at the fundraiser, Ralph had gotten a bit into the alcohol. Too into the alcohol. He was stumbling about with a glass in hand, directly towards the steps of the stage that had been erected inside the room for tonight's events.

"We better go grab him," Iris said worriedly, already making steps towards her partner. "The last thing we need is for him to get censured for disorderly conduct off-duty."

"That's a thing?" Barry asked, the sole non-cop of the group.

"It's a thing," Eddie confirmed, "Civil liability and all that. And if he gets caught while out with us—"

"—then you might get censured too," Barry finished, catching on. "… Why did we bring him again?"

The couple shrugged.

Cisco scowled as he continued spinning around in his chair, his arms crossed as he pouted, kicking his feet up and down like a child. He knew he shouldn't be acting so immature, but he was just so mad!

He had done perfectly well in Detroit, thank you very much. Mari had even called to thank him herself! But did that mean he got to go out more as Vibe? No! Barry still didn't think he was ready! They had been training for almost a year now, and Cisco's bruises had bruises, but still Barry didn't think he was ready. It was insulting and disheartening and Cisco didn't know what else he could do to convince Barry that he was ready. He certainly couldn't go out and fight a meta himself. Barry would find out, and Barry would kill him.

What's it going to take? He wondered, looking up at the ceiling.

"Cisco?"

Cisco stopped his spinning, timing it so he was facing the entrance of the Cortex. "Caitlin, Ronnie? What are you two doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Ronnie asked instead of answering, a little harshly.

The engineer frowned. "Barry had me stay behind to watch the monitors in case any metas showed up."

"And where is Barry?" Caitlin asked, voice suspiciously light.

"At this fundraiser thing with the Thawnes. Iris bribed him with brownies to go with her and Eddie," Cisco snorted. The dreaded Flash, capitulating to some baked goods. How the mighty had fallen.

"Good," Ronnie said, his voice taking on an odd tilt. "Really good."

Cisco eyed them speculatively. "… Guys?"

Suddenly, a rush of air blew out from behind him, the force of which sent him down to the floor on his knees. "What the hell?" he screeched, looking up, only to pale.

A portal, the same kind of portal that appeared in S.T.A.R. Labs' basement all those months ago and left them with that weird helmet, was in the middle of the Cortex. And exiting it… was him.

It didn't take long for Cisco to connect the dots.

He looked up the two lookalikes of his friends in horror. "You're not Caitlin and Ronnie," he breathed out.

Not-Caitlin smirked, and her eyes began to glow an icy blue as her hair slowly turned white. Fire began to flicker off Not-Ronnie's shoulders.

"Oh, they are, Francisco," Not-Cisco said, amused. "Just not the Caitlin and Ronnie you know."

Before Cisco could say anything to that, he felt something cold blast into his face. The sheer force of it knocked him into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, the three doppelgangers congregated around his prone form, glancing down on it disparagingly.

"You turned off the security cameras, right?" Not-Cisco asked, crossing his arms.

"We did," Not-Ronnie confirmed, turning off his powers.

"Good. Let's take him to the others and then we can get on with it. Zoom is starting to get impatient."

"He's really that eager for the show to start?"

Not-Cisco shrugged, smirking. "Well, it's promising to be really entertaining, isn't it?"

Another chapter in the bag! Yay! And some backstory for Eddie! Yay!

We're really starting to pick things up. Caitlin and Ronnie (and Stein as well, technically), and now Cisco. Who will be next, I wonder? Who do you think?

Please comment or review, flames will be ignored, constructive criticism welcome, and don't forget to update the TV Tropes page!