A/N: Guys, I am on a roll today. This is the second time today I've posted a chapter on one of my in-progress stories. Yay me! I figured I owed you guys, since y'all have been waiting so patiently. I really hope you enjoy this, and that's pretty much all I have to say this time other than

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"So…" Nico drawled. "If you guys aren't doing that, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Leo complained.

Annabeth rolled her eyes but explained, "We're basically on lockdown until Barry gets back."

I half expected someone to say what we were all thinking: if Barry gets back. Fortunately, we have better taste than that. Well, slightly better taste anyways.

"Someone should tell that to Jesse," Leo harrumphed.

Iris frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing," Leo said with mock innocence. "Only that she exited the room as soon as possible and went down into the deep, dark depths of STAR Labs for some unknown reason and hasn't returned."

Team Flash exchanged worried glances, and several people moved to rise from their chairs, but I held up a hand.

"I got this one, guys."

Team Flash stared at me.

"What?" Cisco asked.

"You know," I answered. "The little pep talk thingies that you do. I got this one. Gotta get mine in while I'm here, right?"

"I don't know if that's the best idea," Caitlin started, but I ignored her and walked off.

I found Jesse in one of the four rooms they actually use regularly in STAR Labs, running her fingers over a piece of what appeared to be Savitar's armor. When she heard my footsteps, she hurriedly slammed it back onto the little mounting thingies I assumed it had been resting on before.

"This isn't what it looks like," she said hastily.

I raised an eyebrow. "So, you weren't planning on going after Savitar to avenge your boyfriend."

Jesse's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Okay, so maybe it is what it looks like. But I can do it! Savitar's weak right now. With a piece of his armor missing, I have a real shot at taking him down."

I nodded. "You're right, you do. There's just one problem."

Jesse's face instantly darkened and she growled, "I swear to God, if you say I can't stop him because I'm a girl, so help me I'll-"

"Woah!" I interjected throwing my hands up. "No, no way. I mean, have you seen the company I keep? I don't respect women, I die." Jesse backed off a little, seeming pacified. "I'm just saying, Barry is faster than both you and Wally, right? He's been doing this longer."

Jesse nodded hesitantly. "Yeah. But, like I said, Savitar's weak right now."

"I know," I said, "but he's still just as fast. He could probably take that thing from you in an instant, and you wouldn't even think to react. There'd just be no time."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Jesse exclaimed, her voice laced with frustration.

I smiled. "I get it. So, luckily for you, I know eight powerful people who also hate sitting around, and would like nothing better than to get out and do something, especially if that something is helping people."

Jesse cocked her head. "Really? You and your friends?"

"Yep. Trust me, we're a lot tougher than we look. Especially if we work together. Just think about it; you'll still be in charge, and we can all work to take down Savitar together."

Jesse considered it for a moment. Then she stuck out her hand to shake. "Alright."

"One thing though," I interjected. "If one of us has a logical, safe idea, listen to us. Don't fight us because you want to be alpha dog or whatever."

Jesse nodded. "It's a deal."

I took her hand and shook it firmly.

"Good new, guys!" I exclaimed, practically skipping back into the Cortex. "We're going after Savitar!"

Jesse trailed behind me, an apprehensive look on her face. No doubt trying to gauge what the rest of Team Flash's reactions would be. The answer was: not good.

"Are you kidding?" Caitlin demanded. "That's suicide."

"Yeah," Iris agreed. "You shouldn't do anything about Savitar without Barry here. He's still our best shot at taking him down. We need to wait for him to get back."

Annabeth shook her head tolerantly. "No, I don't think we do. Together with Jesse, the nine of us have more than enough power under our command to at least give Savitar some trouble, if not capture or kill him."

"We can't kill Savitar," Cisco insisted. "If we do that, we're no better than him."

"Excuse me for my language," Hazel chimed in, "but that's bull…" she sounded like she was going to say something else, but changed her mind. "Never mind."

"So close," Leo muttered. "We'll get there."

Frank rolled his eyes at him.

"Anyways," Hazel continued, "that's not true at all. Sometimes, killing someone is the only option. Think about it in terms of a war. If someone is attacking your country, do you just roll over and let them kill your citizens and take over your country? Because if you refuse to kill the enemy, that's what happens."

"But this isn't a war," Caitlin insisted. "This is one person we're talking about."

"But it's one person who's going to kill at least one other person," Piper said. "One other good person.

"We can't kill him," Iris reiterated, "and we can't compare our lives to a war. It's a useless analogy that doesn't apply to anyone but soldiers, and it certainly doesn't apply to civilian life."

Frank shifted uncomfortably before speaking. "Sorry, but I don't think you're right about that. While it's true that day to day life is nothing like a war, sometimes death is the only suitable punishment."

"Let's consider a scenario," Annabeth added in. "A serial killer who targets children. They kidnap from their homes and torture them before finally killing them, ending dozens of lives prematurely."

Jason nodded. "Are you really going to say that they deserve to live out the rest of their lives after stealing that gift from many people far younger than them?"

The members of Team Flash's brows crinkled as they thought.

"Sometimes, souls need to take the fast track to the Fields of Punishment," Nico said grimly.

"Just…" Iris floundered for words. "Don't kill him. And if there really isn't another option, at least find out who he is before you do it."

"Okay," I broke in, rubbing my hands together. "Let's get going people." HR walked in, nursing a cup of coffee and I called out, "Hey, HR, you cool with us going after Savitar?"

"Sure!" he responded, taking another huge swig of coffee. "Yeah, sounds like a great idea."

"Wow," Annabeth remarked. "You are going to develop one desperate caffeine addiction."

"I know, right?" HR grinned.

"Let's get going," Jesse said impatiently. "We've got work to do."