15

Tough Decisions

Cadence kept her eyes closed as the sunlight drew in around her, making her fall closer to slumber. She knew she should get moving, too much sunlight made her lethargic, but all the same she enjoyed it too much. The time she got to herself. Things had become too hectic as of late. Too close for comfort. Julian knew Caitlin was a metahuman. Or, at least, had an idea that she was one. As far as any of them knew, Barry had hit him hard enough that he could've been seeing things, being hit hard enough to be knocked out was a sure sign of a concussion, maybe bordering on brain damage if they were hit hard enough.

She'd seen enough of them while working in the hospital, even working on Barry and herself. They'd been hit hard enough that if it were not for their healing abilities, they probably would've been turned into vegetables, wasting away on life support. No, Barry wouldn't hit him that hard, he'd feel too guilty. No matter how much he doesn't like Julian, Cadence reminded herself. Her eyebrows twitched as she continued to hold her eyes shut. He hasn't been able to do much more than knock someone out to be put into the Pipeline.

Once again, the thought of how differently they wanted to deal with metas and criminals struck her. They managed to come to a compromise, but it was always something they'd be stuck on. Cadence had managed to maim a few Dominators without thinking about it, yet the others had gotten away. Agent Smith was relocated to Antarctica or Deep Space or wherever it was that he hadn't been heard from. Lyla, though disappointed with the extra work needed to cover things up even further, had merely nodded when she was given the rundown on what happened.

And yet, none of them are aware of what's going on with Breathtaker, Cadence thought. Now that she thought about it, it was probably a good idea to let ARGUS let alone the government know what was going on with him. He was a threat, not just to her own life, not just to the city, but to all humankind. But then that meant having to explain everything and risk going to prison…and….

"More answers to unknown questions," she murmured. The sound of a police siren caught her attention, making Cadence's eyes blink open. It shattered her reverie, almost as fast as the silence of a toddler. Her heart jolted, and she immediately sat upright, dangling her legs over the side of the rooftop. Over the tallest building Central City. Her favorite place to go when she needed time to think and dancing or gymnastics didn't do the trick.

Cadence's mind shifted through numerous topics as she watched police cars race off towards the suburbs. No point in going after that one, she realized. It was something the police and the hospital could handle. It was something Team Flash had to figure out and adjust accordingly to, that the Flash and Flare weren't always needed in the time of crisis. There were cases that the police could handle on their own, mundane cases. A case of sudden death, a car accident, a plea for help to someone who had collapsed. Flash and Flare didn't need to go tearing to the scene to figure out what happened just as much as the CCPD and CCFD needed to be put out of their jobs.

It was a good reprieve for what could otherwise be hectic days. Gave them plenty of time to figure out more pressing matters. Savitar and Breathtaker. What was it they were going to do to get what they wanted? That was the part that was eluding them. Savitar wanted Barry dead, what speedster didn't? But Speedsters, apt to their name, had the power of speed. They could run by and snap anyone's neck before someone blinked. Proven by Zoom when he killed a multitude of police officers the year before. Cadence closed her eyes, feeling despair wash over her. They'd lost a lot of the CCPD within the last few years, lost a few good friends, and she hadn't gone to visit many of them since their passing.

She couldn't.

She had to move on.

Staying in the past was…staying in the past. Unable to move forward. Stuck in a rut that continued to drag its victim down into its depths, drowning them long before they came floating back to the surface. A stain that continued to affect the person alter. Especially when it managed to continue haunting.

Breathtaker…he wanted to have the metas and humans live in harmony. Had no qualms about killing anyone in power that would get in his way. Had no qualms of invading someone's mind to give a mental beatdown. What was it that he needed to get the outcome he wanted? He had the people he needed to cause as much havoc as he wanted. It was shown before. What could he possibly need now?

Cadence's phone sounded in her pocket and she pulled it out to see Deity calling her. Cadence swiped her thumb across the face of the screen and answered, closing her eyes once more to bask in the sunlight. "What's up, Deity?"

"What's the password to your Netflix? I got kicked off again," Deity replied. Cadence could hear the sound of popcorn popping in the background and frowned. It certainly was too early for that, but Deity refused to try cooking anything. Not after the last time she'd managed to completely burn eggs to a crisp.

"They only kick you off if you've been watching too long," Cadence pointed out.

"I've been bored."

"You wouldn't be bored if you'd just—"

"—I'm fine," Deity mumbled.

Cadence was going to say, 'if you'd just get out of the apartment a little'. To get fresh air, go flying, take a walk, anything. But Deity refused to leave. For someone who had been okay with going to STAR Labs or anywhere else she was needed to tag along, that had taken a sharp turn when the Dominators showed up. Nearly every night as she was making her rounds to turn every light off before going to sleep, Cadence would poke her head into Deity's room, finding her sitting at the window and peering out into the darkness that covered the city, as if watching for more Dominators to show up.

Other times she was awakened with the cries that Deity uttered when stuck in a nightmare, tossing and turning at all hours. It was no surprise that she started to stay up at all hours of the night, binge watching movies and TV shows on Netflix, anything she could get her hands on.

Still, she wasn't going to push. Cadence rambled off her password and said, "You know we've got a lot of DVDs and Blu-Ray in the apartment, right? Don't tell me you don't know how to work a Blu-Ray player." The silence on the other end of the phone made her laugh, knowing she was right. "It's not hard, you turn on the machine, stick the disc in, and use the remote to play the movie."

"…Why would I do that when I just use a computer?"

"You got me. But you have to be running out of things to watch by now. There's plenty of DVDs around the apartment to choose from. Just not the ones in my room."

"Why not?"

Cadence smirked. "I'll tell you when you're older."

Deity sucked in a sharp breath, sounding like she was about to protest but then changed the subject. "Well, I'm just waiting for Brady. He wanted to watch the Halloween movies with me because I've never seen them. Insisted on it really, I can't watch without him. He says they're scary. Why would movies about Halloween be scary?"

A loud laugh escaped Cadence's voice. "Trust me, that's something you don't want to miss. It's a staple of pop culture." She paused. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Has anyone ever said you worry too much?"

"It's a mom thing, I can't help it. You should see the looks Cisco gives me when I keep telling him to stop rocking back in his seat. One risk of cracking his head open and he won't be laughing much longer." She gave Deity instructions to air out the apartment if the popcorn burned, thus making Deity make a sound of frustration, before hanging up.

The second she hung up her phone sounded again. This time it was an alarm. It was enough time for hanging out with her inner thoughts, it got to be too dangerous when she was kept to her thoughts for too long. Cadence stood up and brushed off the seat of her pants. She stood on the edge of the roof and continued to look down around the city, a smile came to her face. As much as Metropolis was the place she sought out for refuge when the time came, Central City had truly become her home. And she'd do anything to protect it.

With that, she took a step forward and allowed herself to fall down the side of the building, twisting and turning as she went. The air rushed by her, but she still felt a sense of calm as she allowed it to envelop her. Then she teleported, landing gracefully on her feet just around the corner from Jitters. Brushing her hair back behind her ears, Cadence went into the coffee shop and headed directly to the back corner. It was the most secluded booth in the café, where she and her friends had claimed for their own.

If there was any place for them to get news about metas or police at a short moment's notice, it was the best place. Close to STAR Labs, close to the CCPD, and close to all their apartments and houses. When Cadence arrived, Iris and Caitlin were already siting at a table, nursing cups of coffee. Cadence slid into the empty seat left for her.

"You're late," Iris noted as soon as Cadence sat down.

Cadence gave her a look over Caitlin's shoulder as she gave her best friend a hug. "Normally people say that to Barry." Her words prompted Iris and Caitlin to laugh, knowing how true it was. It was as much of a teasing joke between the Team as his 'wounded puppy' expression was.

"Did you get sidetracked?" Caitlin asked, flicking a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"If by 'sidetracked' you mean, 'racked my brains to figure everything out' then yeah," Cadence agreed. "Unfortunately, I've got nothing." She let out a frustrated sigh and scrubbed at her face with her fingertips. It was frustrating. "I go back through everything that I've done and seen while I was there but…" she trailed off. It was too much to think about.

There were many things she'd seen and done that still haunted her. Less of the innocent people she had killed, but for everything else. The part that made her feel…like a monster. Like there were two sides of her, one that came out when put under intense amounts of stress and shown spades of when she was Flare. The other part being the happy-go-lucky Cadence Nash that everyone knew.

If only they truly knew about the other part, Cadence thought. Instead, she put on a pleasant smile, really feeling it as she said, "But there's going to be something we can do take him down. I can feel it."

Caitlin lifted an eyebrow. "That was a quick change in opinion."

"Yeah, today I'm feeling cloudy with a chance of sarcastic," Cadence replied, wrapping her hands around the mug of hot chocolate that waited for her. She took a long sip as Caitlin and Iris laughed again. "No, but seriously, we don't have a choice of failing at this. We have to figure out what's going on."

"Maybe Breathtaker's put a mental block on you," Caitlin gently suggested. She shrugged, reaching up to rub her shoulder through her cold shoulder blouse. "Maybe to make sure you can't figure out what he's doing?"

"He's never had to do it before and Breathtaker works in almost a set schedule," Cadence remarked after swallowing a large gulp of the chocolatey beverage. "He makes sure that no one can get the jump on him in any way. Not even Mindboggler can read his mind and he gave her the ability to do so."

Caitlin and Iris exchanged a glance, perking p at the same mention. He had given her the ability to do so? Iris shifted in her seat. "What do you mean?" She asked. "How did Breathtaker give her the ability to read minds?"

Twisting her mouth to the side, Cadence shook her head. It was increasingly hard to explain. "He increased her powers, just as he had with Incognito and Stratos."

"Did he do the same to you?"

"I don't know."

Now Caitlin's eyebrows came together. "What do you mean, you don't know? He's enhanced the power of the rest of his team, why wouldn't he do it to you, too?"

Again, Cadence shrugged. "Maybe he always thought I was a flight risk." She grinned. "All those years of being a flyer on my cheerleading team must've paid off." She laughed quietly at her own joke before tucking her hair behind her ear. "Seriously, I'm not sure. There are a lot of things I knew how to do before meeting Breathtaker and there are some things he taught me to do."

"Have you ever shown them in battle?" Iris asked. Cadence shook he head. "Why not?"

"Well, I think reducing something to ash is a little much for a petty criminal, don't you think?" Cadence cringed once the words came from her mouth. She was supposed to be a hero, to insight light, happiness, and hope to everyone in the city. Not allow her own self-pity to continue to stain her words. "Anyway, why do you ask?"

"Because it's like what Alchemy is doing," Iris pointed out. She looked to Caitlin, who nodded in agreement. "He's using that…stone to give other people their powers. The Rival…Shade…who's to say there aren't any other metas out there that are gaining their own abilities because Alchemy is doing it. And what if he's working with him?"

Cadence followed along with Iris up until that point. "Why would Savitar be working with Breathtaker?"

"No, not Savitar," Caitlin jumped in, making Iris nod. "Breathtaker. What if Alchemy is working alongside Breathtaker?" She spread her hands as if to hold down a sheet of paper that was startling to curl up. "They have similar ideations, to increase or give powers to others. And with those powers, those beneath them are the ones that are doing their dirty work. Alchemy is making metas and Breathtaker wants there to be more metas."

Cadence hummed lightly, her eyebrows coming together. That was a good point. A very good point. How had they not thought of it before? That the connection between the two, simply, was their need for more metahumans. The more metahumans, the less humans, the quicker Breathtaker's plan could come to fruition.

"You said Breathtaker wanted nothing more than for metahumans to live in harmony with humans," Caitlin said. "And will do it by any means necessary." Cadence nodded in agreement. "And that he wants you to work with him."

Cadence nodded again. "To give metahumans their space in humanity."

"So, this is going to sound a little weird," Iris said slowly. She looked around to make sure no one was listening. "But it makes sense when it's all put together. He's trying to bring in a sense of enlightenment, in his own way. To create what he feels is what can make the world better." She licked her lips. "He's also said that he's been around for—"

"—centuries?" Cadence broke in with a small smile.

Iris smiled back. "Long enough to know that metahumans have been around for a long time," Caitlin took up the explanation. "Or what can be explained as a metahuman. Just like…back when people were considered crazy though they exhibited all signs of what we now know to be ADD, ADHD, or Autism. Knowing what we know now, there's a good chance that, he could be right. That there were metahumans back then. And he always holds four metahumans around him. Just like the four horses of the Apocalypse."

Cadence raised an eyebrow. She wasn't particularly religious, but having some sort of a biblical connection? That part she didn't quite believe. Metahumans who had the ability to turn into noxious vapor she could believe in a minute. She'd seen it before. But even that thought seemed to be a bit far-fetched.

"With comparison we've seen that the metahumans he has around him; Mindboggler, Stratos, Incognito, and you, or now, White Hot, represent the different horses. There's Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Pestilence is represented by the white horse, the one who symbolizes false prophets, the spread of disease. That'd be Mindboggler, able to create visions and mentally control those around her. Then there's Famine, the black horse, the representative of balance. The balance of mother nature and humans, that'd be Stratos. Death, the destruction of the empire, the pale horse utilizes the power of the other horses, just like Incognito can shape himself to look like and use the power of any other person." Caitlin swallowed hard. "Then, there's War, the red horse, the one represented by battle and strength. And who is also represented by—"

"—Fire," Cadence interrupted. She sat up straight, mulling over everything that was said to her. "Breathtaker said something about blindly following a false God, while Savitar, as HR explained to us, the Hindu God of Motion and considers himself a God." She shook her head.

"Then that must be the connection," Iris said grudgingly. "They both feel that metas should be the ones held in high regards. Just like Gods." She motioned towards Cadence. "And once you got out, he decided to find someone else…White Hot."

"Who we still don't know the identity of," Caitlin broke in. "Nor, Black Blade. I've run facial recognition, there's no hint to anything. With both, there's no criminal past, any records, or misdemeanors to go off." She waved her hands. "White Hot makes sure to block her face every time she comes around, and Black Blade, so far, hasn't given anything other than his name to go off. And we don't know if that's his first or last name."

Iris nodded. "So—"

"—We're in trouble," Cadence remarked. She ran a hand through her hair. "A lot of trouble if we don't figure something out." Caitlin nodded. She reached out to drum her fingertips on the table. Cadence glanced at her and shook her head. She recognized Caitlin's nervous habits far more than the ice metahuman would've liked. So much so that when Caitlin started to chew her lower lip—her signifier of worry, it didn't relax her at all. "What is it, Cait?"

"Nothing, just…" Caitlin paused. She removed her drumming fingers from the tabletop. "Have you told Barry about any of this? About the whole Assassination Bureau thing?" Unashamed, Cadence shook her head. "Why not?"

"He deserves to know," Iris said.

"He does," Cadence agreed. She folded her arms. "I just wanted to know as much as I could before throwing out a silly explanation. You know how he gets, as soon as a thought comes to mind, he runs with it." A small smile came to her face. "And I totally intended that pun. I just didn't need him to do something stupid like going after Breathtaker himself."

"And he would," Iris murmured in agreement. She thought for a moment. "This just means we have to be more diligent with things we can find out about Alchemy and Savitar. No piece of information is too small."

Cadence took in a deep, calming breath, and nodded. Then she looked at her phone as it set off another warning. There was too much to do with so little time. "Hey, I've got to go to work," She said almost pleasantly, despite the seriousness of the conversation they'd just had. "Last thing I need is for Captain Singh to see me coming in late."

Caitlin blinked up at her in surprise. "How do you do it?" She asked. "It's like everything just rolls off your back."

A sincere grin came to Cadence's face while she made her way out from behind the table. "Well, my two moods are, like, glitter and death. You've got to take one with the other. And I'd like to live in 'glitter' a bit longer." She waved to her friends before hurrying to the CCPD. She walked into the bullpen just in time to see Joe and Barry deep in a heated conversation. They looked over as Cadence arrived. "What's going on?" She asked, looking back and forth to take in their wary expressions. "Did Captain Singh bust on you about the color of the suits or something?"

Barry blinked back at her. "The suits?" Cadence raised her eyebrows and Barry's eyes widened. He brought his hands up to his forehead, covering his face. "The suits! I forgot to get the suits! Oh man, he's going to kill me."

"If his ulcer doesn't get to him first," Joe said with his low, rumbling laugh. "Chief Paulson has had him in his office all day, so I think you're safe." Then he turned his attention to Cadence. "Speaking of 'safe', you have a visitor in your office."

"Speaking of 'safe' we've got some news about Breathtaker," Cadence said.

Joe and Barry exchanged glances once more. This time Cadence, had an idea of what the look was. Was it the right time to jump into the conversation when there was a risk of running off, with Chief Paulson right under their nose? It was one thing to come up with an excuse for Captain Singh, who saw on them daily and understood they were still able to get their work done. It was another to do it when the Chief of Police who was already suspicious of them—or at least their alter egos—was around as well.

Making the decision for them, Joe nodded towards her office and said, "That we'll have to deal with later. The long he or Alchemy are quiet, the better off we'll be." Barry didn't look convinced, but he flicked his head towards Cadence's office as well.

Taking that as her cue to leave, Cadence turned on her heel and strode to her office. The moment she opened the door Cadence's eyebrows rose, surprised to find Frankie already sitting inside, her hands clasped between her knees.

Frankie looked up and smiled. "Hi," she greeted quietly.

"Hi," Cadence replied, feeling her body relax. She was about to ask what Frankie was doing at the police station then stopped. There was light bruising around her right eye, disappearing into the hair that framed her face. The knuckles of her fingertips were bruised as well. Her smile was strained, as if it hurt too much to open her mouth any wider.

Eyes narrowing, Cadence eyed her carefully. Watched Frankie's breathing. Her breaths were too shallow. She couldn't breathe too deeply. Probably bruising along her ribs as well. The way her eyes darted from Cadence's face to every other object in the room was a tell-tale sign; looking for a place to escape when the time came. The window maybe? The front door was already blocked by Cadence, who continued to stand firm.

She wasn't going to let Frankie get away if she had come specifically to visit her. Their last visit had been…when Frankie got caught skipping school and shoplifting at the mall. A silent cry for help as far as Cadence was concerned. There weren't many people that skipped school that she wasn't called for, those under eighteen anyway. No, Frankie had seeked her out on purpose.

"What's going on, Frankie?" Cadence finally asked.

"I'm…um…" Frankie mumbled, lowering her head. Cadence could see her shutting down again.

'I'll give you a minute," Cadence said gently, sensing discomfort. "I just want to talk to a few of my colleagues real fast." Frankie nodded, Cadence backed away from her office, leaving the door in her line of sight before turning back to Joe and Barry, who hadn't left their places in the bullpen. "What'd she tell you?"

"Just that she wanted to talk to you," Barry said. He reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "That it was very important that she saw you. Joe and I got her in there just in case Julian wanted to continue his with hunt against her."

Cadence chewed her lower lip. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Julian's sharp voice as he strode down the steps that led to the bullpen with a smug smile on his face. "Rumblings going around that you've got that Frankie Kane here. I'd like to speak with her." He moved slapped a manila folder against his palm.

"About what?" Barry asked, his eyes narrowing.

"About her case," Julian said. "About those blackouts she keeps speaking about—"

"It's very common for foster children to suppress their memories as a coping mechanism," Barry jumped in.

Julian looked at him with a raised eyebrow. A shared look passed through them that was gone in an instant. Cadence recognized it quickly. Mutual suspicion from both sides. Barry explained what happened with Julian at the hospital, how Julian had demanded to know if Caitlin were a metahuman. How Barry had narrowly managed to convince Julian that he had been hit hard enough to be mistaken. How he was mistaking a similar metahuman who may have attacked him.

It had seemed to work, but the fear was still there. Caitlin spent more time around STAR Labs than ever before, afraid to venture too far in case she ran into Julian herself. Barry reassured her everything was okay, but the worry still haunted them. Even Cisco, who hadn't been around the CCPD as much, hung back with her in case their connection was found out.

"Is it?" Julian asked, looking Barry up and down.

Barry scowled back at him. "It is," he replied, in the same mocking tone.

"Julian, has there been any developments on the case?" Joe interrupted, wanting to keep the co-workers from tearing each other's eyes out. It was the worst question to ask, Cadence noted, considering how quickly a smarmy smile came to Julian's face and his eyes lit up with a similar light.

"As a matter of fact, there is," Julian remarked. His eyes shifted to the side, spotting Frankie poking her head out from around the door of Cadence's office. Cadence made a face and quickly motioned for Frankie to go back inside, but Julian was faster. He lifted the folder in his hand and pointed it towards the teenage girl. "You!" He barked.

Frankie jumped and motioned to herself. "M-me?"

"Yes, you." Julian pointed at her then turned to the others that stood around him, eyeing him carefully. Cadence's heard sank, listening to his almost feverish words. "I ran a test on the DNA sample I got from your glass the last time you were here. With that, I isolated an element that was consistent with all five husks that have been found around the city. The last one being that of Edward Clariss's crime scene. It's not one I've found in any other metahuman sample I've found."

"So you think she has the same component in her DNA?" Barry asked. He folded his arms, pressing his lips together. Cadence recognized the look just as she became used to every other nuance of Barry's expressions and signs of body language. He was worried. Worried that Julian was coming too close to the truth.

"I wouldn't have done the tests if I hadn't thought so, now would I? But it's a good thing I did." He looked at Frankie once more. She gaped, taking a step back from Julian, moving further into Cadence's office. "You did it."

"What?" Frankie gasped. She brought her hand up, as if to cover her mouth, eyes widening with fright. Her chest heaved, pain flickering through her eyes with the rapid breaths she took in. "No. I wouldn't…"

"With the light post, you attacked him." Julian continued to wave his folder towards her. "I've got the proof right here." His voice raised with vehemence. "You did it."

"Julian," Joe warned.

But Julian continued his tirade. "You're a metahuman. You put your foster father in the hospital. Didn't you?" Frankie brought her hands up to cover her ears, trying to block out the accusations Julian threw her way. "Didn't you? You hurt him—"

Frankie's head snapped up frighteningly fast. A pupper on marionette's strings, she turned to face Julian, face slack, expressionless. Slowly, very slowly a smirk came to her face as her eyes glowed a bright magenta. "Oh," she said slowly, in a voice unlike her own. A voice coming deep from within her. "I want to do more than hurt him." With that she started to raise her hands in a similar manner Cadence did while igniting her fire around her hands.

She exchanged a glance with Barry, the two moving into defensive stances. They couldn't do anything yet, had to wait to see what sort of danger was coming their way. Had to case the situation and act accordingly.

"Now I'm going to do the same to you," Frankie continued to rasp. The sound of screeching, bending metal filled the air, lightbulbs cracked and erupted, showering the floor of the CCPD with shards of glass. Cadence whipped her head around, watching as all metal started to bend and twist, pulling themselves from their mounted placements.

"Frankie," Cadence called.

"Frankie, stop!" Joe commanded.

But Frankie continued to breathe deeply, holding her hands up higher and higher. As the seconds passed, the screeching sound continued to fill the air, increasing in volume by the second. Then slowly, very slowly, the golden plaque that sat on the wall started to teeter forwards, ripping off its place on the wall and fell towards Julian.

Once again, Barry and Cadence exchanged a glance. Simultaneously, they sprung into action. They raced into their suits before going back to the CCPD, all in a fraction of a second. Then Barry raced forward to grab Julian, pulling him to safety of the plaque that shattered on the ground. Cadence charged forward and wrapped her arms around Frankie and teleported, bringing her outside of the CCPD and into a nearby alleyway.

The moment they stopped, Frankie elbowed her way out of Cadence's grasp and backed away, still sucking in sharp, angry breaths. Cadence held her hand up towards her. "Frankie," she warned.

"I'm not Frankie," She growled. "The name's Magenta!"

"You're like this because of Alchemy," Cadence said, quickly putting the thought together. Strange blackouts, new, sudden powers. The same had to have been said of Edward Clariss before he suddenly turned up dead. Digging into his case, shortly after his body was found, revealed to Caitlin and Cisco his frequent complaints and worries of lost time before his arrival as a speedster. She looked over as Barry appeared at her side.

He took in what she said and added, "He changed you somehow, didn't he? With some sort of a stone?" Frankie continued to watch the two, her eyes daritng back and forth between them. "This isn't you. Just…let us help you."

Frankie shook her head. "I don't need anyone's help."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"It's too late for that."

Frankie's gaze flicked behind the two metas. No, between them. At that exact moment, Cadence recognized the sound of a car coming up behind them. Too late to do anything about it. Frankie had noticed it and lifted her hands into the air. The police cruiser went airborne, the driver white-knuckling the steering wheel as they quickly, effortlessly lost control of the vehicle. It raised high overhead, floating over the two heroes.

With a grunt, Frankie brought her arms down, throwing as hard as she could, a grunt of effort escaping her lips. Leaving Frankie, Barry streaked up the side of the building, pushing his legs as fast as he could go. The world came to a standstill around him—Flash Time—as he ran. He raced up the front of the building and turn, launching himself towards the car. Landing on the passenger side of the car, Barry opened the door—glad to find it unlocked— and reached into the car as it slowly arched to the ground.

Barry saw Frankie slowly lowering her arms, turning to run away. All in very slow, isolated muscle movements. Cadence looked up towards the police cruiser, watching the trajectory of the car's path before starting to run as well. Turning his attention back to the officer, Barry reached in and unbuckled his seatbelt before grabbing his jacket sleeve and pulled him out. Then Barry wiggled the two out of the car and ran back to the ground.

Once he was steady, everything came back into focus, moving at top speed. He expected to see hear the car crash to the ground but found Cadence standing directly where it was falling. She held out her arms and caught the grill of the car against her chest, bending down to absorb the blow. Then, as if holding onto a leaf, she lowered it back to the ground. Cadence caught Barry's eyes and shook her head.

Magenta had gotten away.

"Her name's Frankie Kane," Cadence explained, running a hand through her hair as she sat in the Cortex with her friends. "She's been in and out of the foster system almost since she was born. For the past year or so, she's been with her foster parents."

"She's been on and off the CCPD's radar because of her past delinquencies; shop lifting, skipping school…" Barry pulled off his cowl and rested it around his neck. "But right now…she's calling herself Magenta. And she's a metahuman."

"Meh," Cisco murmured, studying the face of the teen projected on the screen in front of them. "I could come up with a better name than Magenta."

"This Magenta is very different from the sweet kid that Frankie is," Joe agreed. "Like an entirely different person."

"Well, that's simple," HR broke in, pointing to the screen with his drumstick. "She wants to make sure her crimes aren't pinned onto her so she's decided to make up the identity of Magenta."

Jesse, who stood next to him, made a face. She shook her head and said, "Or, she's dissociative," she pointed out. "Having created a split personality within her powers."

"That!" HR declared, shifting the focus of his drumstick point to Jesse. "That. Good going Jesse. Read my…" he tapped his forehead. "Read my thoughts. That's exactly what I was thinking." Jesse chuckled, shaking her head.

Cadence nodded in agreement. "Frankie's been dealing with her split personality her entire life," she commented. "Her records indicate that it started shortly after coming into her pre-teen years. Once the increase of hormones and came into play, it started her steady mental decline. I've seen it a lot through my patients when I worked at the hospital."

"So Julian's interrogation must've triggered her," Caitlin murmured, her chin resting atop her hands. "Splitting the two sides of herself into a meta-powered side and a non-meta-powered side. Much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"Her foster father must have as well," Cadence realized. She closed her eyes, reaching up her hand to tap her forehead with her fist. "He's been abusive to her…I've always known it. I should've done something about it sooner, but I didn't have any proof."

Barry grasped her shoulder. "This isn't your fault, Cade," he reminded her. His words felt hollow to her. In her heart of hearts, it was her fault. Her fault that Frankie suffered so much pain for so long. Especially when she saw what was happening, could tell even without her skills of added perception and tracking. "No one could've know that this was going to happen."

"But I could've stopped it sooner…" Cadence shook her head, falling silent. It was too hard to think about. Knowing there were many times Frankie had cried out for help and she was powerless to do so. As much as she was a vigilante and worked impulsively as Flare, as Cadence there were rules, regulations, protocols, and that damn paperwork she had to fill out before anything could be done.

"There's something else," Barry interrupted. He looked over every face in the Cortex. "She got her powers from Alchemy." Cadence stood up straight and exchanged a look with Caitlin. "When I said his name, she knew who he was. She must've existed in the other timeline."

"Did you ever meet her there?" Jesse asked.

Barry shook her head. "I never saw her, never met her. I only came across the Reverse-Flash, the Rival and…" he cut himself off the other part. The part he hadn't admitted to anyone yet. The part he wasn't sure he should ever say. "I never saw her."

"Anybody with those powers and as angry as her needs to be tracked down fast," Joe declared.

"That, I can do," Jesse agreed. "I'll take a quick trip around the city and see what I can find." Before anyone could stop her, she turned on her heel and sprinted from the Cortex. Joe took her lead and backed out of the Cortex saying, "I'll let you know if there's any leads on Frankie."

"Thanks, Joe," Barry called. He watched him leave before turning his attention back to his friends. His eyes narrowed. "Why do I get the feeling that you guys need to tell me something?" Cadence and Caitlin exchanged a glance. "It doesn't take a forensic scientist to notice the looks you're giving each other. What's up?"

"Or is this some sort of a girl thing you don't want to share with us, men?" Cisco asked.

"Like our plans for world domination?" Cadence teased. Then she became serious once more. "Iris, Caitlin, and I were talking this morning and…we think that Breathtaker and Alchemy might be working together."

"What?!" Barry and Cisco chorused.

"It's not such a weird idea," Caitlin murmured, finally lifting her chin from her hands. "There's so many similarities between what they want, what they're doing…" She nodded towards Cadence. "And why he was using her and White Hot."

Cisco waved his hand. "Because he's a bit of a pyromaniac?" He guessed.

"I know it sounds weird," Cadence said. Even as she continued to think about it, she knew how far-fetched the idea was. But with no other leads to go off, no one else to talk to…she sat up straight. No, that wasn't quite true was it. "But it's the only thing we have to go off. They both give people powers, or in Breathtaker's case enhances them. They both want to make more metahumans thus throwing off the balance of metas to humans. Like a gazillion to one."

Cisco let out a low chuckle which turned into full blown laughter. He ran his hands over his face and said, "Sometimes I wonder what it feels like to know WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" yelling the last words at the top of his lungs.

"You and me both," Barry agreed. HR nodded in comiseration.

"I tell you, BA, there's nothing worse than not having answers to any questions."

"Quit calling me, BA."

"I know where to get some answers," Cadence said mysteriously. "But I have to go alone." Her friends looked at her in concern and Cadence held up her hand. "Trust me. I wouldn't ask for this if it weren't important. You just have to trust me, and I'll be back with some information soon." Cadence walked out of the Cortex, only making it a few paces down the hallway before Barry's hand grasp her wrist. She looked up at him as he moved in front of her.

"Hey," he said quietly. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Barry licked his lips. "Wanting to do this thing on your own...ever since I got back, you've been acting weird around me. Not telling me things. Jumping into fights...I can feel it. This thing with the Assassination Bureau, with Breathtaker…if he's really working with Alchemy, then I need to know what's up. You can't keep these things from me."

Cadence let out a long breath. For the first time in a while she was going to be honest. "This needs to be a longer conversation," She warned him. "But…you were gone. Over here, you were gone at the science convention when the Assassination Bureau got out. The other metas and criminals. I was the leader of Team Flash for a while. I could handle it. Then. I've always been able to handle it on my own. I didn't want the rest of you guys to continue getting pulled into my mess. I got used to it."

Barry nodded. Listened to what she had to say. In a way it was similar to how he wanted to handle everything with the Reverse-Flash. All on his own as it affected him the most. But, he'd had his team to help him in the end. His partner. That's why it worked. "Okay," he said slowly. "I'm not quite sure I understand but…if you wanted to handle all of this yourself, then you should've just told me. Then I can help you, support you. Just like you support me." His eye shifted but he continued to speak honestly. "I can tell this is really bugging you, I can see it in your eyes."

"Well, the thought of instantaneous death within a moment can do wonders for your psyche," Cadence joked. Though her laughter was a little hollow, her words ran true. "I'm nothing but a constant state of internal screaming at this point."

Barry laughed. "Join the club." He ran a hand through his hair, eyes lighting up with mirth. "We get little gift certificates, the concern of one hundred people, and have to pay a membership fee."

"What's the cost?" Cadence murmured. "The loss of a parent?" She took a deep breath and continued before Barry could respond saying, "I'm just so tired of this. And I'm going to put an end to it, one way or the other." She looked Barry in the eye, noting his silent concern. "I'll be fine."

"Promise?" He prompted.

"Promise," she replied.

And it was a promise she planned to keep.

Half an hour later, Cadence walked through the darkly lit neon bar, past the bartender that leered at her and down to the basement. Reaching the last room at the end of the hallway, Cadence waited for one of the two bodyguards that covered it to go inside. He came out a few seconds later and nodded to her. Cadence nodded back and walked into the room, tensing when she heard the door click shut behind her.

No second click, it hadn't been locked.

That was a good sign.

A huge sigh heaved from the woman sitting at the desk in front of her. Cadence lifted an eyebrow and the woman waved a hand, "I express my emotions in long groans at different octaves and right now it's one of wariness. What do you want?"

Cadence folded her arms. "It's good to see you, too, Amunet."

A/N: So, this chapter was all about Cadence and the next one will be all about Barry. I hope you guys enjoyed it as things slowly move forward and the puzzle pieces all slowly fall into place. But who thought there was going to be an appearance of Amunet Black this early? Were you surprised?

Also, don't forget to check out my new collection of one-shots that goes along with The Flash and The Flame series entitled Naturally, up now.

Please remember to review; any feedback helps me become a better writer and motivates me to write more. I respond to every review, even anonymous ones.

Cheers,

-Riley

Review Replies

Ethan: As you know, I tend to change things throughout my stories to make them make sense to what's going on. So you'll see whether or not I decide to keep Barry getting fired at one point or another.

DarkHelm145: Mirror Master won't take too long to show up again now that more of the plots are starting to come together. Glad you liked the multi-city angle. It's definitely going to come up again.

Yummers: I always enjoy writing the two of them when they're sparring with each other. Coming up with different ways that they can come out on top with each other and their powers is cool.

Highlander348: I'm glad you continued to enjoy Cadence's development throughout the series. I hope she's still someone you enjoy as things go on.

Natalie: Fuel to the Fire chapters 43 and 44 deal with Barry's and Cadence's adventures with Kara's Earth on Earth-38. Thank you for asking!

Guest: Glad you liked it.

Spinquin142: I hope this chapter was to your liking as well.