A/N: Don't you just love it when you lack the motivation to do anything but cry and eat chocolate as you watch depressing movies and read books where beloved characters die (cough - thanks, Rick - cough)? Because that's basically where I am right now. And where I have been for like, all of 2018. But the new year is coming up! Maybe 2019 will be full of productivity! And maybe I'll suddenly turn into a dog in the middle of the night.

For now though,

READ AND REVIEW!

I'll spare you the details of how we got my bro Savi back to STAR Labs, but it was way easier than I had imagined it being. Savitar didn't pull against his bonds nearly as much as the Speed Force had pulled when we were fighting over Wally, so we just linked him into the daisy chain and had Jesse speed us all back.

When we did reach STAR, which wasn't long after, the elevator ride up was extremely awkward. It's a little hard to not feel uncomfortable when the evil future version of your friend is packed into an elevator like a sardine with a bunch of your other friends and your other new friend is staring at the future version of your friend in awe and disenchantment while you're all listening to "Le Freak" (Freak out! *disco groove* Le Freak! Se chique! Freak out! *disco groove*).

The remainder of Team Flash was waiting for us when we returned, including Julian. That guy kept appearing and disappearing like a guest star or something.

They were all standing in various positions around the Cortex that kinda looked like they'd been planned out to convey a certain emotion. Huh. Kinda weird, but okay. I noticed that as soon as we entered the Cortex, future Barry turned the disfigured side of his face towards his family from the past. The look on their faces were either confusion and apprehension or boredom and happiness, so I'm thinking the first two are more accurate.

Iris looked like she wanted to say something to Savitar, but at a look from Joe, she stopped herself.

"Take him down to the Pipeline," Joe said, nostrils flaring.

"Are we sure it'll hold him?" Caitlin checked. She didn't receive and answer immediately, as the other demigods, not including Annabeth, were too busy wondering what the heck plumbing pipes had to do with anything.

After thinking for a moment, Cisco shrugged. "Theoretically, it should. I did design it to suppress powers, and Barry - um, our Barry, couldn't get out."

Savitar's jaw clenched almost imperceptibly and his eyes flared with emotion for a moment at Cisco's comment, but he quickly returned to his brooding, moody stoic facade.

Leo looked impressed at the mention of the cells designed by Cisco. "How did you manage that? We couldn't figure out how to do anything about the powers without individually customizing cells or damaging their DNA structure."

Cisco immediately began spouting off some technical jargon that made absolutely no sense to me but seemed to intrigue Leo and Annabeth.

"Um, guys?" Piper spoke up. "You do realize we left Savitar's suit back there, right?"

Hazel looked up. "No problem, I should be able to make it travel to us from underground."

"Awesome!" I exclaimed. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to escort Savi here to the Pipeline. Would you care to accompany me, darling?" I asked Annabeth in a falsely formal tone as I offered her my arm.

She briefly glanced away from her discussion with the engineering nerds and smiled, linking her arm with mine. "I'd be delighted, but I think there are some people here who require my services." She released her grip the same time I did, joining Cisco and Leo in their conversation about hacking.

"I'm coming too," Iris declared. Joe opened his mouth to say something - most likely to dissent - but she shut him down. "No, Dad. I need to."

Joe backed off a little. "Just...be careful." He gave Savi a suspicious glare (not without good reason) and stalked out of the Cortex.

Even though I knew perfectly well where the Pipeline was, Iris began to lead the way through the concrete halls as if I had never travelled this way before.

"This is a pointless exercise in incarceration," Savi hissed once we were relatively alone. "If you think you have any power over me, you should be exceedingly careful, because I am power. I am lightning-"

"-McQueen?" I asked innocently. "You might wanna tone it down a bit, Smaug. We're literally escorting you to a prison cell right now."

"And you think that will hold me? I can not be restrained by-"

"You know what?" Iris interrupted. Apparently, she had slowed as she listened to our conversation and decided enough was enough. "Why don't you shut the hell up and stop bragging like a playground bully? You've been caught. You're finished."

Savitar leered down at her. "Is that so?"

Iris stood her ground and glared up at him. "Yes. It is. I don't know what happened to you to make you so stupid you can't tell when you're beaten-"

Savitar flinched minutely and stepped backwards, as if suddenly reminded of something unpleasant.

"-but the express purpose of this prison is to hold monsters like you. I should damn well hope they can do their job." Tirade over, Iris pivoted sharply on her heels and stalked ahead.

I shook my head and blinked disbelievingly. "You're lucky she hasn't given you lead poisoning yet, if you know what I mean," I muttered as I hauled the uncooperative speedster along.

When Iris and I reached the Pipeline, she stepped aside and let me take Savitar to his cell on my own. I stopped at the electronic display uneasily, not sure exactly how you opened the cell door. I jabbed at a few buttons experimentally. Nothing happened, unless you count Savitar rolling his eyes in utter exasperation at my helplessness.

I caught the gesture out of the corner of my eye and glared at Fondue Face. "Don't you judge me."

He made no response.

"Sheesh," I murmured. "All the times we tried to get this guy to shut up and all we had to do was get rid of the suit?"

Iris sighed and deftly pressed the correct button, causing the blue padded cell to open invitingly. Well, as invitingly as a prison can.

I pushed Savi in the middle of his back, propelling him forward into the cell, even though it was kind of awkward with his still-frozen legs.

Iris pressed another button and the door slowly closed, allowing me to finally release my hold on Savitar completely.

Rather than rage at us or the glass, Savitar merely strode to the back of his cell and continued to mope.

As Iris stared at him, I glanced back and forth between the two of them, mildly weirded out by the soulful looks being exchanged. These people.

I looked up at the camera on the wall and smiled sarcastically, showing everyone in the Cortex a thumbs up.