16

Enemies

Barry ran as hard and fast as he could. Faster. Faster. And still, it wasn't fast enough. He could see on the cosmic treadmill that he was still going his top speed. The same speed he'd been at when he defeated Zoom. He thought it was fast then, but having Savitar to up against now? It was nothing. He may as well have been standing still. What was it going to take to make him go faster? He couldn't go fast enough to save his mother, couldn't go fast enough to save his father, couldn't go fast enough to stop Wally from getting hurt in Flashpoint.

Still, Barry pumped his arms, forced his legs to chug along, lightning trailing off him as he did so. He saw his reflection in the glass that separated his cosmic treadmill from the rest of the speed lab. As a matter of fact, it had become obsolete, as Cisco said when Barry asked about it. What was the point of the cosmic treadmill when they had the rest of the speed lab? But Barry pushed to have it returned. Sometimes he preferred to run and no go anywhere rather than push his top speed around and around while dodging obstacles thrown his way.

Barry took in a deep breath, lungs burning with effort, and willed himself to keep moving. Pushed himself until he started to feel lightheaded, pushed himself until his nose started to bleed. He felt the first drip slide out of his nose and land on his hand. Reached up his hand to wipe it from his nostrils. Saw the crimson smear that easily contrasted with the color of his skin.

With a gasp, Barry slowed down, the Cosmic Treadmill immediately reacting to his movements. It could only be powered by a Speedster, reacting to each of its footsteps within a second, the belt an extension of their feet. When Barry came to a brisk walk, the belt of the treadmill reacted accordingly, allowing him to stop and catch his breath.

Caitlin, who stood nearby, folded her arms in concern. "Everything okay, Barry?" She asked.

Barry nodded and sniffed, running his hand beneath his nose once more. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. Nevertheless, Caitlin walked to the first aid kit in the corner of the room and picked up a First Aid kit. He quickly waved her off, "Caitlin, I promise, I'm fine."

"I think we all know that whenever any of us says it, we're not telling the truth," Caitlin said gently, making Barry smile. Truer words hadn't been spoken. And as Barry watched her, he could see a flash of sadness in her eyes. He knew what she was thinking. "This is for my peace of mind, Barry."

"Fine." Grabbing a towel, Barry wiped sweat off his face and crossed the room to her. "Sorry, I'm really sweaty."

"I've removed a lot of other disgusting things from you and your suit, Barry, I don't think sweat's going to be an issue." Caitlin smiled as she took a few antiseptic wipes and ran it over Barry's nose, removing the blood. "Now, you should've seen what happened with Ronnie. I can't even begin to explain how many times he came back from work covered in grease and slime from working on whatever it was he as doing that day." She laughed quietly. "There were towels we had that were nearly black, because I'd make him wipe up before even think of getting in the shower. They used to be white."

Barry laughed. "And I bet you pretended everything was okay," he said. "That you didn't care so much that everything was getting stained and ruined. Just because you loved him enough."

"Are you able to run fast enough to see ghosts, too?" She teased.

A chuckle escaped Barry's lips. He took an electrolyte tablet from her and placed it under his tongue. He was starting to feel a little tired. Pushing himself hard enough to get a nose bleed was never a good thing. "If I could, then there'd a lot of explaining I'd have to do to my grandmother." He grimaced when Caitlin rose her eyebrows in question. "I never told her that I didn't actually like her casserole." He made a face, making Caitlin laugh. Just by the mention of the food, he felt himself start to dry-heave. How was it possible for a dinner-a disaster-to be equally crunchy and slimy? "No, it's just…my mom would always use some of her best towels to make sure that her little boy was okay after he was beat up. Blood got everywhere. Sometimes I think she was more upset about the towels then upset about me."

"Must've happened a lot."

"Almost every day."

"I can't imagine people disliked you that much." Caitlin knocked him on the arm with her first and said, "It's hard to dislike Barry Allen." She said it with such sincerity that Barry felt his heart swell with pride. He could mess up so many times and still have people on his side. It was a great feeling. But you don't deserve it, Barry thought.

His smile waned. Immediately, he was back in elementary school, ignoring the flicks on his ears and the back of his neck. The had tugs on his backpack handle that'd send him sprawling to the floor while the older students laughed cruelly. Then there were those that beat him up because he stopped them from beating up others.

"I'm not sure too many people would agree with you," he replied. "There aren't too many speedsters around that are trying to keep me alive, you know?" He started to count off on his fingers, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "One…two…Two. Yep, that's it." Caitlin gently whacked him on the arm, making the two laugh once more. "It's hard to dislike Caitlin Snow, too."

Caitlin lowered her gaze.

"Hey." Barry wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Caitlin immediately lowered her head and rested it against Barry's chest. "We're going to figure out your problems and all this stuff with Savitar and Alchemy and the Assassination Bureau. I promise."

Caitlin nodded and brought up her hands to hug him back. Barry closed his eyes, resting his chin atop her head, feeling her squeeze him tightly. Maybe it was her fear of the unknown, with her powers, with his fate, with what was to happen with Savitar and Alchemy that made her hold him tightly. Or maybe he was the one that was shaking, absolving all his fears out in the open. How maybe he wasn't good or fast enough to stop them. Despite that, it was like his father always said. He could always use a hug when one was willing to give it.

Barry reached up to wipe at his eyes, tears suddenly appearing in them, a lump forming in his throat. He really missed his mom and dad. Finally, Barry managed to compose himself and took a step back from Caitlin. "Are you sure you don't have the ability to make people cry?"

"If I did, it would make life so much easier," Caitlin said. She reached into the First Aid Kit and handed Barry a tissue. With a smug smile, she added, "And I think that's the last time you'll make fun of me for wanting to be prepared." Barry laughed and dried his eyes. "Come on." Caitlin rubbed his shoulder. "Let's go see if Cisco found anything about Savitar."

"Yeah."

But they were disappointed and with Cisco's report. Still no information on Savitar. They were stuck with the only information they had and, admittedly, it was short of nothing. That Alchemy and Savitar were somehow connected, that Savitar was a speedster, and only Barry could see him. Every mystery could be cracked with a bit of information and so far, that information was leading them nowhere. And something about the stone that Alchemy was constantly toting around. The same stone that had given Edward Clariss and Frankie Kane their powers.

And…Wally.

Barry watched Wally carefully over the last couple of days. When he wasn't with Jesse, he was at school and when he wasn't at school, he was at the house. It was easy to track him when Barry had a few seconds to spare. So he waited and watched, not completely ignoring the irony of if, knowing Cadence had done the same to him before when she was still part of the Assassination Bureau. He watched for the tell-tale signs of a speedster; increased appetite, unexplained changes in time perception, unexplained…everything.

Still, Wally didn't show any signs of his Kid Flash life and it appeared, as the days went on, that he was coming to terms with it. Every now and then, Wally would make some sort of remark about how he wasn't a speedster if he and Jesse had bee hit by the same dark matter wave when Barry and Cadence were facing Zoom, but those were few and far between.

Barry paced the floor of the Cortex, arms folded as he waited for information. Any information that would be helpful. He racked his brains, trying to determine if anything had been moved from his short-term memory to long term. One of the pitfalls of being a speedster, he supposed. That it was harder for him to retain massive amounts of information when it left his short term so quickly. How many times had he read and re-read Cisco's engineering manuals? Too many times to count. He was starting to get sick of looking at the cover.

"Well, I may have something," Cisco said after a minute, making Barry's head snap up before she was by Cisco's side. Cisco reached up his hands to smooth down his displaced hair. "Easy, Fleet Feet, I said I may have something. It's a dissertation."

"Something is better than nothing," Barry reminded his best friend, leaning close to the screen. "We need to know everything we can if we want to stop Savitar."

"Well, this may be the ticket." He tapped a pen towards his computer screen, eyeing it as if it was going to blow up. "There's this Hindu weapon called the Brahmastra. Legendary artifact with incredibly powers with the ability to create metas."

Barry studied the image on the screen, his blood slowly running cold. He studied the gem on screen, taking in every facet of it. Color, shape size. There was no way around it. "It looks just like alchemy's stone," he murmured.

"And more importantly," Cisco added. He tapped his finger on the screen, breaking his rule that no one was to touch his computer screens. Barry had had many times that Cisco would shoot him a dirty look before making a show of pulling out a cleaning cloth and scrubbed the fingerprints offscreen. Sometimes Barry marked it with fingerprints on purpose, moving fast enough that Cisco wouldn't catch him. "Look who wrote the paper."

Barry's eyes narrowed for as the name jumped out at him. Julian Albert. Of course. His life had a way of surprising him, but this time he wasn't thrown off his game. No, this time he was going to get answers. Before anyone could stop him, he raced into his suit and back to the CCPD. He shot into their office and grabbed Julian from his seat and ran them to the roof where no one would bother them. Julian gasped as he came to a sudden stop and whipped around, eyes widening as he tried to determine where he was.

"Julian Albert," Barry said, flashing his voice so that Julian couldn't recognize him. His face vibrated as well. He couldn't be too careful when it came to facing Julian. If he knew it was Caitlin so easily, then...who's to say he hadn't figured out he was The Flash or that Cadence was Flare? Though Julian seems to just have it out for you, Barry reminded himself. Julian and Cadence were at least professional with each other when the situation called for it.

Julian turned to him, a scowl coming to his face. "Flash," Julian replied with barely concealed contempt. His upper lip nearly curled in on itself as he sneered. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks, of which, Barry couldn't notice appeared to be as new as the shiny leather shoes on his feet. "Or rather, displeasure."

"We have a lot to discuss," Barry replied. He tried his best not to show his own contempt for Julian's attitude. Even when he was The Flash, he didn't particularly like Julian. And the feeling was obviously mutual.

"And what would it be that you and I have in common to discuss?" Julian shifted his weight then folded his arms. His discomfort showed in how he was unable to sit still. His eyes flickered to the stairwell behind Barry. "Other than the kidnapping that you've just committed."

Kidnapping? Barry couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle. This guy certainly had a lot of nerve for making it appear that he was as bad as the other criminals he quite obviously disliked. What was it about the people he went up against that made him feel so smug?

Julian ignored Barry's laugh. "Who would think that the Flash would commit a crime like that? 'The Beacon of Hope'." He pretended to look around the buildings that towered over them, as if trying to peer into the office windows, looking for a witness to the encounter. "I wonder what the rest of the city would think?"

Barry gritted his teeth. God, I hate this guy. Hated the smug expression on in his weaselly face, in his voice, and in his body language whenever the two had to be around each other. This, however, he couldn't quite understand. What was it that he had against The Flash that wasn't so obvious as to what he had against Barry? Instead of allowing his irritation to get the best of him, Barry sucked in a calming breath.

"It's come to my attention that you know a little something. Something that could help me keep this city safe," Barry said, taking a step towards Julian. Julian lifted an eyebrow but didn't otherwise move. Good, Barry thought. Julian was annoyed, not afraid. "Something about the stone that Alchemy uses."

Julian's eyes shifted once more. This time, Barry could see he appeared to be nervous. Julian blinked rapidly, cleared his throat. He shook his head slightly then was finally able to ask, "What does that have to do with me?"

"I got some information from STAR Labs—" Barry started.

Julian swiftly cut him off. "Yes, that team that holds your frosty friend there."

If it was possible to simultaneously stiffen and bristle, Barry did just that. However, he did his best not to let his gaze waver from Julian's. He was sure he had managed to convince Julian that everything he thought about Caitlin was wrong. She wasn't a meta, he had been seeing things, hit too hard. He should've known Julian wouldn't give it up too easily. No, not when he was so sure. Julian could be insufferable that way, so sure of things that he full-steamed with the information he had. From what Barry had seen of him since returning to Flashpoint, it made him a great CSI as much as he hated to admit it. He got all the information needed and went on the attack to close the case. Nine times out of ten he did so.

What would it take to get him off the trail for Caitlin?

"Curious…" Julian's eyes narrowed at Barry's silence. "That Barry Allen doesn't know whether she's a meta and continues to get assistance on his cases from those at STAR Labs." His eyes flickered up and down, looking over Barry's suit, taking in each and every stitch and feature. "And here you are, a meta in his own right. Are you telling me you're unsure if Caitlin Snow is a meta as well?"

"Julian—"

"You called her by name," Julian hissed, making Barry take a step back. When had he called Caitlin by name when she had turned? He was sure to keep everything a secret. Knew how much trouble any of them would be if something like that got out. "I wasn't so knocked out by that point, after you punched me." He brought up a hand and rubbed it along the side of his face. "I managed to stay conscious enough to hear your mentioning that woman's identity. And yet, you continue to deny it." He dropped his hand, leveling his gaze to Barry's once more. "It's only a matter of time until she's found out. I don't doubt Detective Patterson, or the other well-trained personnel of the department, are bloody deaf either. Unless, of course, you put them to sleep, too."

Barry gritted his teeth once more, clenched his hands into fists. A lump so thick it threatened to suffocate him swelled in his throat. The want to scream in frustration tore at him. How could he be so stupid? How could he not case his surrounds like that? How could he have been so...stupid. Completely and moronically stupid to put one of his best friends in danger like that? Barry lowered his chin, tried not to let tears come to his eyes. He truly hoped Caitlin wasn't listening in back at the Cortex.

"There are more important things to deal with right now," he murmured instead of addressing the accusation. He needed to think about everything but that. Everything but what was going on with Caitlin. If she was found out, then Cisco would be next, then Brady, then Cadence…he couldn't stand the thought.

"So, you don't deny it?" Julian demanded. He advanced another step towards Barry, forcing the metahuman to take another step backwards. "Caitlin Snow is Killer Frost?"

"Right now, what we need to know is who Alchemy is and what he wants," Barry snapped back, forcing Julian to stop in his tracks. He said it with so much fervor that Julian looked surprised at the outburst. The CSI stared at Barry, as if seeing him—The Flash—for the first time.

"And you're the best person to help," Barry continued, lowering his voice so that he didn't scare Julian away or make the situation any worse. "Since you've written a dissertation about it. The Anthropological Analysis of the Brahmastra." Julian winced as soon as the words were announced back to him, as if the mere thought caused him great pain. "Give me the information and you'll never hear from me again."

"Is that a promise?"

Barry wished it was, but knew he'd have to face him again when he was called into work. "It's a promise."

The two stared at each other for a long moment, continuing to size each other up. Sirens sounded in the distance and Barry resisted the urge to race off to see what was going on. He knew Cadence could handle it. For a moment, Barry felt a sense of anxiety. It's why he had been running in STAR Labs in the first place. He hadn't heard anything from her since she'd gone to meet up with…whomever it was. As far as he knew, she could be being beaten up by those that had contracted her to kill him.

Has it really been that long ago? Barry thought. So long since he had first been called into the doctor's office to meet Cadence for the first time. Had it really been that long since their lives became so intertwined and fell in a way that he couldn't have ever imagined. He blinked and turned his attention back to Julian when he said, "Fine."

His voice was strong, not as begrudging as Barry thought it would be. He sounded relieved, actually. Like he was holding things in longer than he wanted. Julian took a deep breath, licked his lips to steady himself. "I've heard about the Bhramastra many years ago," he explained. "Or, as it is colloquially called, the Philosopher's Stone. It's rumored to be the first object to give people powers."

Barry couldn't help but turn his gaze to STAR Labs as it loomed in the distance. The day had been perfect then, when the Particle Accelerator turned on. Thunder rumbled in the distance as Barry scurried into his lab. He went to his desk and looked out the window, watching as dark storm clouds slowly started to gather together. Gather around what looked like a beam of light spilling up into the sky. A pyre of brilliance that made Barry's heart sink. He missed the launching of the Particle Accelerator. It turned on and he'd missed it. And he'd been beaten up by a robber who had stolen Iris's bag, having to be rescued by Eddie.

How much more could his ego be broken? What else could go wrong? The sound of water hitting the floor was what. Barry whipped around as soon as the first droplets fell through the open skylight of his lab. That's right, he was supposed to close it before he left to Starling City. Of course. Barry trudged over to the skylight and grabbed the chains to pull it closed. His eyebrows twitched together when he saw lightning continue to roll through the clouds. It looked different somehow. More, alive. Like it was moving closer.

Too close.

Barry's widened. He started to back away. But a lightning bolt shot through the skylight and into the chains in his hand, coursing through his body before he was blown off his feet.

Shaking his head, Barry was back in the present. Julian stood across from him, the rest of his word finishing, mouth moving silently. The memory had shot through Barry's mind so fast it was as if time hadn't passed. Flash Time. He had no idea the same thing happened in his head as well. His voice shook when he said, "Like the Particle Accelerator."

Julian nodded, blissfully unaware of what it was that had been going on in Barry's head. "Over the years it got lost. I became quite obsessed with trying o find it. Did every piece of research I could, as I'm sure you've noticed. Managing to reference my research so easily, it's no surprise you're so smart. With the speed you have." He shook his head. "Must means a vast amount of information is available to you." He cleared his throat, lowering his head to run his fingertips over his mustache and goatee. "Much to my parents' dismay, I used every piece of my inheritance to find the Philosopher's Stone."

"But you never did," Barry realized.

"No, I never did. Soon after that I came here." His eyes flashed as he looked Barry in the eye once more. "I believe that is everything that you would like to know." He started to walk by Barry, heading towards the stairs. "And now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Barry stopped him in his tracks with one question. He couldn't help it, he had to know everything about Alchemy and Savitar as he could. "In your research…have you come across the name Savitar?"

Silence stretched between the two. Julian slowly turned, the bottoms of his loafers scratching against the concrete of the room. Barry turned around to look at him, noticing Julian was scrutinizing him even further. Barry couldn't look at him for too long, his gaze shifted to the roof of the CCPD. In particular, to a blackened portion of the roof, where, he knew, had been struck when he was struck by lightning.

"How do you know that name?" Julian asked.

Getting the answer he was looking for, Barry became emboldened once more. His heart raced. This was it, all the information they were ever going to need to figure out what it was that Savitar was up to. Barry couldn't help but let the growing excitement keep the false confidence out of his voice. "I've done some research of my own," he said casually.

"As far as I know, Savitar is the first meta with speed. That's all I know, Flash. But I suggest you don't waste your time on this. Move on."

"Why?"

"Because you can't beat him. No other meta can. It may as well be why they get removed from the city entirely."

So, that was it. Barry folded his arms. "You would've been one of the ones that had voted to have the Registration Act go through, wouldn't you?" He asked. Julian lifted his eyebrows. "You don't seem to like anything that's different than you and I have it on good authority that you don't seem to enjoy metahumans at all."

Julian smirked. "Allen's been talking to you, has he? Well, let's just say that Barry Allen tends to have a big mouth. Even when he doesn't show up for work."

Barry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was hard, but he managed it. "What is it about metahumans that you don't like, Julian?"

Julian folded his arms. "I don't like things I can't trust. That I don't trust. I can't trust people that have these fantastical powers. And to that extent, Flash, I can't trust you." Julian unfolded his arms to point directly at Barry. Taken aback, Barry's head jerked backwards. "I can't trust you to always be there. And even then, knowing what you can do, even though there have been many times you've saved this city from certain destruction. Which, coincidentally appears to happen every March, it's what happens to the rest of the city that I can't trust. You make the people in this city lethargic and unable to do their own tasks.

"Our own police department has become lazy because you swoop in and handle everything. I dislike metahumans, most them, because they turned out to become criminals. They have these powers to do whatever they want, and they use it to do what? Rob a bank, cast revenge on those that have wronged them." Julian shook his head and lowered his voice to a soft murmur. "But it's not all metahumans that are as bad. I envy them sometimes, because all I've wanted in my life is to make the world as best as it possibly could be and with those powers I could do that. But I don't have powers and I can't. And sometimes it's even those that work closest to you, you can't trust."

Barry pressed his lips together. He knew Julian was talking about him. How many thinly veiled grievances could he have against him that he didn't already know? Barry had hardly been working with Julian and even he knew Julian was difficult to work with. He was a workaholic. A clock counter. And made sure he rubbed in the fact that he was Barry's boss in his face as often as he could. Still, he played dumb as Julian continued.

"Those who continuously hide secrets, disappearing at all hours of the day and only gets a simple slap on the wrist because of the work they produce. I don't trust those people and I never will. Now…are we finished here? I'd like to be brought back to my office, please."

Quick as a flash, Barry raced Julian back to his office and practically threw him into his chair. He stood across from Julian's desk as the CSI fought to catch his breath. He coughed and ran his hands over his hair, fixed his tie, and smoothed down his dress shirt. His eyes narrowed at Barry and he cleared his throat, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Barry replied. He looked over his shoulder when Captain Singh stormed into the office, eyes darting around the office. Internally, Barry cringed, knowing Captain Singh was trying to find him. Julian followed his gaze and a smirk came to his face. Great, just another reason for him to have his point proven.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" Julian asked, the smugness easily dripping into his voice. Barry wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. Maybe this time it would stick to make sure he didn't know Caitlin was a meta.

"You can help me by telling me where Allen is," Captain Singh snapped. He tapped the face of his watch with his fingertips. "West hasn't seen him, neither has Iris, and I know those two are practically his keepers."

"Sir, I hope I'm not speaking out of turn, but have you thought that maybe Allen isn't cut out for this sort of thing. He has been missing in action the last couple of days." Julian shrugged innocently. "Maybe there are some personal issues that he hasn't been able to overcome."

"Well, when you see him, tell him that there are some files I've needed him to give me and that I'm still waiting for him to—"

Barry sped through the office, gathering everything together. The tests and results that Captain Singh had been waiting on were piled together on his desk and in some of his cabinets. Barry collected them together into a neat pile. Then he raced out of the police department and across the city to the tailors. He grabbed the bags marked SINGH on the front, left money on the counter, and raced back to the police department.

Dropping the bags off on his desk, Barry then dropped off the stack of files into Captain Singh's office, scribbling a note on top. By the time that Barry ran back to STAR Labs, allowing everything to slow down, Julian and Captain Singh were left to gape at the bag lying on Barry's desk as if it had always been there.

Caitlin and Cisco reached out to slam their hands atop the papers that threatened to shoot every which way when Barry skidded to a stop in the middle of the Cortex. HR, who stood in front of them, sipping a cup of coffee—which he had recently discovered, for better or worse, and greeted Barry with a bright smile and a tip of his mug.

"Ah, BA, to what do we owe this pleasure?" He asked.

Barry ignored the misuse of his name and pulled down his cowl. "I've got news," he explained.

"It'll have to wait," Caitlin replied. She jutted her chin towards the TV screen behind HR. "Look."

HR turned and gestured to the TV screen with a wave of his hand. "Yes. That. That's something very important going on right now. I should've brought that to your attention first, BA. I'm sorry. But, you know, no one gives a good pleasantry greeting anymore. All you do...you people just grunt 'hey' at me as if I'm nothing more than a common-"

"-HR!" Caitlin and Cisco shouted in unison, immediately shutting him up.

Barry's eyes shifted and widened as he watched the TV screen. He knew things happened quickly in the city but not that fast. The Breaking News headline didn't matter, he barely glanced at it. It was who was onscreen he couldn't help but notice. Frankie.

And Alchemy was standing directly behind her.

"Well, I must say," Amunet said, mimicking Cadence's stance by folding her arms. "It's such a treat to see you here." Her eyes shifted over Cadence, studying her from head to toe. "And, we really need to talk about your styling habits. I mean, I get it, the whole feminine meets cute thing. But you think you want to add something with a little more 'oomph' to it, right?"

"I didn't come here to talk about my outfit, Amunet," Cadence said. "I came here to get some answers. I know Breathtker and the others used you a lot when we were still in commissiion."

Amunet blinked in surprise. "Why, I was under the impression you still were." She tapped the side of her mouth with her fingertip, the elongated metallic ring that stretched over her fingertip scratched against her cheek. "Or, is this what Breathtaker meant when he said to expect a visit from you?" She chuckled, showing off her teeth. "Honestly, I'm surprised you decided to come on your own, knowing what can happen to those who are brave-or stupid-enough to do it." Her eyes shifted as a figure appeared behind her.

Harrison stepped forward, holding a rifle in his hands. He lowered it from pointing directly at Amunet's heart and held it by his hip. "I believe you're in possession of something that is mine," he said.

A/N: And now Julian is come more into play for the story. I've mean to bring him in sooner but you guys know what happens when I have so many plot points t hit, some fall by the wayside. But now a lot of it are starting to come together so it wont' be as widespread as they had been before. I hope you guys enjoyed what I had for Barry and Julian. Especially in terms of their antagonistic nature for each other.

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. I know this chapter was late, but it'll be back on its updating schedule on Wednesday. And don't forget about The Flash and The Flame companion story Naturally. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

-Riley

Review Replies

Guest: Haha, plenty for her coming. Glad you enjoyed it.

Ethan: No, it can't. It just checks to make sure that you're still watching. Who knows if Alchemy and Breathtaker are working together? I mean, I do, but that's completely beside the point. Yeah, Julian messed things up for her, and it's something Cadence isn't going to take lightly. As you can see, things aren't working out for her right now, either.

PowerHero432: There's a lot of connection that can be made, and, God, I wish someone who didn't care about spoilers would let me say what it is because I've been holding this in since the first story. Lol. But it's something that'll be worked out through this one. Amunet is always fun to watch on the show so writing her here is equally entertaining.

DarkHelm145: Well with more focus on Brady coming and how his plot moves in with Barry's and Cadence's, there's plenty of Black Blade to come.

Jason Hunter: Have you been taking a peek into my brain? LOL. More Amunet in the next chapter.

spinquin142: Thanks, that's what I was going for.

yummers: Glad your'e still enjoying everything.

babyj: At the moment, I don't expect her to be as big as she is in season 4, but things like that change for me all the time. So there may be even more than I'm working on at the moment.