20
Expect The Unexpected
Wallace!
Wallace…
Find me.
Find me and become whole.
Find me…
"Wally! Wake up!"
Wally's eyes shot open. Lightning crackled in his eyes. In a flash, he was on the other side of his bedroom. His chest heaved up and down, back pressed against the wall as a sheen of sweat dripped over his body. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for the source of the sound, the source of the dry words whispered in his ears. But he didn't find it. Instead, he found Jesse standing by his bed. Her hand was still extended as she had shaken his shoulder.
Her eyes, which were trained towards him, body still frozen in her original position, were wide as she took in his sudden movement. The two stared at each other for a long moment, a long, silent, tense moment. Wally's harsh breathing was the only sound between them, ragged, still filled with fear. That voice hadn't been Jesse's, no, it was in his head. Hers was sweet, melodic, one that always made his heart race with passion.
His was now racing with fear. Not just because of the disembodied voice, but now because of his powers. He'd waited and waited for Barry or Jesse to say something. Waited for them to call him out on how quickly he'd managed to run across the street when saving that citizen, handling Frankie. Neither of them had said anything. Maybe they hadn't noticed, maybe they'd moved so fast to stop him that they didn't see his abilities.
Now Jesse and Wally continued to stare at each other. Wally swallowed hard, broke the silence so he was the first one to speak. "Jesse? What are you doing here?" He asked. Then he blushed, suddenly realizing he was only in his pajama bottoms. And that there was a good chance Joe and Iris were still around. He didn't have his first class until noon, wanted to sleep in, Joe rarely let that happen. "If you've got time to sleep, you've got time to get some work done," Joe had said when he explained the rules of staying there when Wally first moved in.
Iris nodded in agreement. "Dad always told me and Barry that if we stayed up too late, it was our fault, not his. And that he still expected us to get our work done."
"Right," Wally said, hesitating only slightly. "Okay."
He agreed to it at the time, now it was one of the more dangerous things he could've done. Powers aside. Jesse seemed not to notice—or completely forget that had Harry been there, he would've killed them both—and pointed at Wally. "How'd you do that?" She asked. "How'd you get there so fast.? When did you get powers? Wally, you're a speedster!"
"Shh!" Wally brought his fingers to his lips, shushing her harshly. "They'll hear you."
"Wally—"
"—Yes, I have powers, okay?" Wally interrupted. He let out a long sigh and pressed his back further against the back wall. It was cool to the touch, slowly allowing him to calm down. He stopped sweating, already the heat that'd encircled his body through his nightmare had dissipated. "I'm…I'm a speedster."
He couldn't help the smile that came to his face, it felt so good saying it out loud. Finally. Everything he knew was true. He was a speedster. As if to prove it to himself, to Jesse, he held up his hand as it rapidly vibrated. Jesse gasped, taking a step back. She straightened herself and stared at him, looking him up and down. Then she smiled a small smile, moving closer to him. She reached out and grabbed onto his hand, letting out a laugh of surprise when she felt an electrical tingle moving through her hand. She'd felt it once before but…thought it was nothing short of the Speed Force in her body.
Now she knew. It was that Wally was a speedster, too. She should've seen it coming, if she were being honest. But he'd delayed in showing his powers for so long. Jesse closed her eyes, feeling the electricity flow back and forth between them. Remembered how it had been when they were facing Zoom in the first place.
"What are the rules?" Barry asked.
Zoom lifted his hand, waving it over the Magnetar. "One lap inside of this loop will produce 1 gigawatt of energy and I need 500+ to do the job. Once it's full, I win." His eyes roved, almost lovingly over the Magnetar. His adoration for the machine was nearly palpable. "There's just no stopping it."
Barry followed Zoom's gaze. Looked up at the machine that was to determine what was going to happen to Central City, to himself, to his team. "So all I have to do to beat you…is to stop that from happening." Simple. Yet so complicated.
"Right." Zoom shrugged. He reached up, pulling his hair from his forehead with the nonchalance that only a model could. "But if you decide that you want to stop racing before it's done, then father number 2 will die." He wiggled his fingers towards his team. "And so will your fan club."
"They're not my fan club," Barry replied with a proud smile. "They're my family. They're the reason I'm running. Why I'm going to beat you."
Zoom snorted. "Let's see what you're made of, Flash." He reached up and pulled his mask down over his face. Barry followed suit and the two got into position, lowering themselves into a crouch. For a few, long, tense seconds, the two waited quietly. Then Zoom spoke. "Run, Barry, run." And with that they streaked into the Magnetar, going in circles faster than their friends could see.
And Cadence waited. Waited for her cue, waited for that moment she would go in to help Barry stop Zoom once and for all. Along with her friends and family, her head shifted back and forth, watching the lightning streaks zip all around the Magnetar, the circular tube over and over twenty times within seconds.
And still, she waited.
Waited for the right moment.
Barry raced after Zoom, pushing himself to the limit. Every time he came close to the evil speedster, he'd knock Zoom in the side, hoping to jostle him off balance. But Zoom would recover, doubling back a few paces, then would continue along, chugging his arms even faster. Around and around they went, zig-zagging across the surface of the Magnetar in the circular pattern, powering up the core as they went along. White lightning struck from the energy they created, slowly beaming up into the sky. Central City became illuminated in the glow of the pillar of light.
"Come on Barry," Cisco whispered, bringing his hand up to his mouth to chew his nails. "Catch up."
The beam continued to streak into the sky, causing a red electrical storm to appear. Lightning crackled back and forth over the clouds that started to form. Thunder rumbled in the background as it continued to increase in strength. The team flinched as a bolt of lightning struck the ground nearby, making them move to shield their faces.
And still Barry continued to run. Fast, fast, fast, fast. Faster and faster. Until his entire body vibrated, vibrated until it felt like he was splitting in two. Felt his fingers slowly start to split apart, his footsteps stumble as his feet shifted to the side. Suddenly, was a jolt of light and he found himself looking at a split version of himself. The other version looked back at him and nodded, eyes flashing with understanding. Barry nodded back. Then there was another flash of light as the two Flashes split up. One went down to release Joe from his restraints, taking him out to his family and friends who waited nearby.
"Barry?" Joe's eyes widened, twisting to look at the sphere above him. He could've sworn he'd just seen his son running along the Magnetar and now he was here…? Joe looked at Barry once more, eyes roving over the young man's face, hoping what he was seeing was true. "What? I don't—"
"I'll explain later," Barry interrupted. He vibrated his hands and ripped Joe from his restraints, working hard to move as fast as possible. He glanced up towards the Magnetar as he ran Joe to safety.
Zoom, noticing what happened, growled and turned to the other Barry, tackling him out of the Magnetar and to the ground. He wasn't going to be fooled so easily. "A time remnant," Zoom hissed, visibly shaking with fury. "You stole my trick. But you're too late."
A white lightning bolt streaked upwards and illuminated the sky.
Time-Remnant Barry continued to run around the Magnetar while Barry flipped to his feet and attacked Zoom with everything he had. Every punch, every kick, every blitz as he moved from one direction to the other to keep Zoom on his toes. All the while Time-Remnant Barry continued to sprint as fast as he could go.
"What's he doing?" Brady asked, watching the fight intently.
For a moment, Cisco was stumped. Then he figured it out as quickly as the lights that shot up intot eh sky. "He's creating his own pulse," Cisco realized.
"Why would he do that?" Jesse asked.
"It'll counteract the pulse of the magnetar," Harry said.
"But his body can't handle it," Tess insisted.
"What's going to happen to him?" Brady asked.
"He'll die," Harrison said.
"No," Caitlin whispered.
As the words escaped Harrison's lips, the Time-Remnant Barry slowly started to deteriorate in front of them, breaking apart into particles of dust as the lightning energy he created shot up into the sky along with the original pulse. Once it reached the electrical field that opened there was a pulse of energy that rained down around them. The pulse swirled through the industrial park, threatening everyone to pitch over, though Jesse and Wally were the only ones who fell.
Then the pulse blinked out. Leaving the sky as inky-black as it had been before. Even the stars that lit up the sky were nothing in comparison to the light that had been showing before. Like a dimmer switch had immediately and abruptly cut off.
"No!" Zoom shouted. He whipped around and grasped Barry by the head. He made sure to dig his talons into the speedster's skin before he ran. And as he ran, he flung Barry like a ragdoll. Back and forth. Slamming him into the ground and the sides of the Magnetar so hard the thuds echoed around the open space. And Barry took the beating, took in the anger that Zoom had been unable to hold any longer.
But Barry broke free and immediately took the offensive back against Zoom. The two speedsters elicited a flurry of attacks to each other that was only visible to the others in small bursts of light. Finally, Barry pinned Zoom to the ground, holding a vibrating hand over him. Barry glared into Zoom's face while Zoom merely smirked back at him.
"You're a hero, Barry," he taunted. "If you couldn't kill me before, you won't kill me now."
Barry smirked back. "I don't have to." He looked over. "Now, Flare!"
Cadence nodded back and ran a few steps before teleporting. Zoom looked up as Cadence teleported over him. Zoom knocked Barry off him and flipped to his feet, started to attack Cadence. Cadence flipped and twisted around Zoom, blocking the punches and grabs he tried to hit her with. But Zoom was still fast enough to grab Cadence by the arm and throw her towards the Magnetar. She fell hard to the ground and spun back to her feet, just in time for Zoom to get a hold of her.
He'd taken down Barry and now could take down Cadence as well. And he gave her the toughest thrashing of her life. Back and forth, across the industrial area, Zoom threw, punched, kicked, throttled, maimed, and attacked Cadence while she fought back as shard as she could. Every time she was knocked down she continued to get back up, but slower and slower each time.
"Ugh!" Cadence felt her back crack as she smacked against the Magnetar when he threw her again. She fell to the ground and spat blood out of her mouth. Her face burned, body ached, and her arms quivered as she tried to bring herself back to her feet.
"She's not healing," Ryder muttered from where he watched. "Why isn't he healing?"
"She's exhausted," Tess remarked. "Without the energy to heal…"
Cadence stood up, swaying so much the threat of a gust of wind could knock her over. And even with one eye swollen shut, a gash across her forehead, a bruised jaw, bruised and broken ribs, and scratches all up her arms Cadence stood, waiting for Zoom. "What's the matter?" She rasped. "Burned out?"
Zoom's eyes widened behind his mask. He made a show of cracking his knuckles before racing towards her once more.
Wally still remembered the way the electricity had coursed through his body as he was hit with the wave of dark matter. How his body arched, pressing his chest up into the air, his body becoming tightened as each muscle was affected. His fingers had clenched together, toes curled so hard his feet ached for days afterward. His jaw was stuck together so tightly he couldn't let out even the slightest groan. This feeling, the feeling of the speed force moving between their hands was incomparable in the best way possible.
"Wow," Wally breathed.
Jesse smiled back at him. Then her smile washed-out, and she looked at him seriously. "Wally, how long has this been going on?" She asked.
"Not long," Wally hedged. He saw Jesse's eyes search his face for any insecurity. He added earnestly, "I'm still trying to figure everything out."
In surprise, Jesse dropped her hand, but didn't disconnect it from his. If anything, Wally tightened his grasp around hers. He needed it. Needed that lifeline to stay grounded. If not, he felt like he was losing everything. He needed to stay grounded. "You haven't told anyone," she realized. "No one else knows you're a Speedster."
Wally felt his irritation skyrocket. "Some team," he mumbled. "They act like they don't keep things from each other and know everything. But the moment they get the chance, they try to figure things out on their own. They don't let me do anything. Every time a meta come around, I'm being relegated to the sidelines."
"You didn't have any powers—"
"—I do have powers."
"Now."
"Always! Just like you! I just…I hadn't been able to tap into it before." Jesse shook her head. Wally dropped his hand from hers, backed away from her. She didn't get it. "What are you doing here, anyway? Did you come here to rub in how everyone is so in love with Jesse Quick?" It wasn't like he could ignore the newspaper articles that heralded her aiding Flash and Flare with Frankie.
"I came here to see what you were doing today," Jesse replied, placing her hands on her hips. She frowned at him in a way that was very similar to how Harry would frown at Cisco. It made Wall shiver. "To spend some time with you. I didn't think I'd come in to see you freaking out over your powers." Then her face dropped. "It looked like you were having a nightmare."
The sudden change of topic made Wally blink in surprise. "Yeah," he said. He ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, yeah, I was." It was the voices again. He'd heard them more and more lately. Not just when he was sleeping, but when he was awake, when walking around campus. He'd hear the voice calling to him and he'd stop in his tracks. Sometimes, he'd be in class and would jolt to the side, knock his books to the ground, because of the abrupt voice in his head. It was getting worse, he knew it.
And he knew it was Alchemy. What he couldn't understand was why Alchemy was coming after him. Not until he remembered what Barry had said about him; Alchemy was giving powers to those that had them in Flashpoint. If that were the case…then Barry had been keeping it from them. Not that he was surprised, Wally realized with a bitter frown. Barry was the leader of the Team, he was the Flash. He could do whatever he wanted; be a hypocrite any way he wanted. And the others just had to live with that.
Wally was tired of living with it.
"What was it?" Jesse whispered.
"Nothing." Wally hated the way Jesse was looking at him. Like she could see through him. She probably could. With her speed everything he did was in slow motion. She could probably see everything in his face he was able to skillfully hide from everyone else. Not like they'd even care to know if Barry's not involved. "I…I didn't see anything."
"Wally."
"It's nothing."
Jesse stepped forward and grasped Wally's face in her hands. She gave him a kiss that immediately made him relax, shoulders slumping so quickly his muscles ached. Had he really been that tense for so long? She pulled back and looked him in the eye. "If we're going to make this…whatever it is…work then you have to be honest with me."
A wry smile came to Wally's face. "You've been watching a lot of Lifetime movies here, haven't you?"
"We don't have Lifetime on my Earth," Jesse agreed.
Wally chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her waist. He sighed through his nose. "I…I keep hearing this voice calling to me. And I'm not sure what it is, I think it might be Alchemy—"
"—Alchemy?"
He immediately sensed her panic. "I said 'I think' Jesse. I don't know for sure."
"But if it is—"
The two froze as soon as they heard a rapid knock on the door. Joe's voice was then heard saying, "Wally? Is everything okay, son?" Wally didn't get the chance to respond. With his powers, he could raced forward and slapped the door shut. Could've raced forward and knocked Joe away from his room. Could've gotten as far away as California before Joe had even realized what'd happened. Jesse could've done the same.
Their mutual shock caught them both by surprise. Not so much more that Joe and Iris, who both poked their heads around the door as Joe opened the door to the room. Wally's eyes met theirs at the same time Joe's head jerked back in surprise. Iris's lips curled into a smirk as she folded her arms, in only the way a sister could when she caught her brother doing something wrong.
Wally closed his eyes, dropping his hands from Jesse's waist. He could only imagine what they thought. "Um," he started weakly. "It's not what it looks like." He reached up to scratch his chest then blushed even harder, further realizing what the situation looked like.
"Um, I, uh," Joe stammered. Then he cleared his throat and looked at Wally sharply. "You, do remember the rules we have around here?" He asked pointedly.
Of course Wally remembered. He didn't know any other twenty-year-old that had such harsh rules about having people over. Then again, Barry and Iris hadn't given him much space for leniency, not since the infamous 'crashing the new car' incident.
"Hey Jesse," Iris greeted. Her smile widened. Clearly, she was enjoying his. "What are you doing here so early?"
"Uh—" Wally hesitated.
"Wally has powers," Jesse blurted. Her eyes shifted over Iris's and Joe's faces. "He's a speedster."
Wally watched as Iris and Joe both reacted similarly to the news. Their eyes widened, jaws dropped before expressions of anger and frustration at his deception was clear on their faces. "What?" They asked, voices filled with varying degrees of disbelief.
So much so that Wally wished they only thought he had a girl in his room.
"And for homework tonight you have to read chapters six and seven. Make sure you pay attention. I'll be asking you some questions for reading comprehension and I want you to be prepared."
Brady nodded and quickly wrote down the assignment in his notebook. When finished, he shoved his books into his backpack, throwing his pen in along with it. He hurried from the room and to his locker, looking at his phone as he went. The same message he'd been sent ages ago, when he was desperate for answers. And now was the time to get some.
Stopping by his locker, Brady grabbed his other books for homework as well as his soccer ball. A good excuse for anyone who might come across them. So he'd miss one soccer practice. It wasn't the end of the world. And besides, so long as they got some answers and he made it back in time for the housewarming party, things would be fine. Especially if they got answers.
"Hi." Leah walked up to him, tightly holding the straps of her backpack. She rocked forward and back from her toes to her heels. "Are you ready to go?"
Brady nodded, closing his locker door with the flat of his palm. "You look nervous."
"Aren't you?" Leah's eyebrows rose in surprise. "We're going to meet a guy who says he wants to train you, but may actually try to kill you." She tilted her head. "Doesn't that worry you a little?"
Brady's face screwed up in thought. "Not as much as being trained by Oliver manages to worry everyone else. I mean, they're acting like he's going to shoot an arrow through my heart or something." He shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past him, but I'm not worried about it happening."
Leah laughed. It was then Brady noticed her hands shaking. "I don't know, I still think, maybe, we should get some help with this." Brady tried to keep his face as neutral as possible. "I know you don't like Alicia at all."
"I like her just fine. Sort of."
"But she does have the best chance to getting the information we don't already have." Leah turned on her heel and the two started towards the front doors of the school. "You said you weren't getting much out of STAR Labs, right?"
Brady shrugged. "Can't get much information of people you don't know," he pointed out. "We don't even have surveillance for that meta we saw at the game." He kicked the soccer ball up in his hands and spun it around. A meta that could control glass. It wasn't something they could ignore. He had gotten away and hadn't reappeared since. Let alone leaving any sort of DNA evidence for them to lead up on. Any broken glass was swept away with the meta.
"All the more reason to ask Alicia for help."
"But—"
Leah gave him a pointed look. Despite the warm smile on her face and the pleasantry in her voice, she was serious when she said, "That wasn't a question." With that, she grabbed Brady's wrist and dragged him around the corner to the locker bay that held the other half of lockers for their grade.
Standing at her locker, Alicia leaned into the mirror that hung on her locker door and pursed her lips, rubbing lipstick onto them. Then she flipped her hair back over her shoulders with a few swipes of her hands, making sure it was in place. She must've spotted them coming behind her, for she closed the door and whipped around to face them. "What brings you to this side of the school?" She asked with a light laugh. "It definitely can't be the lightning." She pulled out her phone and leaned back and forth, studying her expression. "Can't take a good picture."
Leah laughed. "I'm sure your dad wouldn't mind having a lower phone bill."
"You're right." Alicia laughed as well. She placed her hands on her hips and looked back and forth between the two. "What's up? It looks like I'm interrupting some sort of outing." The lift to her voice made it evident what she was implying.
Leah and Brady both recoiled at the thought. "Ew!" "No."
Alicia giggled, moving her hand up over her mouth. "I'm just teasing. What's going on?"
With a thump of Leah's elbow in his side, Brady said, "We…need your help." Alicia motioned for him to continue. "Your dad's the chief of police. And every now and then my mom and Barry—"
"—Barry Allen, the CSI?" Alicia asked.
Brady nodded. Seemed that Barry's reputation was growing by the day. "They do some cases with metahumans sometimes. We know your dad doesn't really like metas, but we thought there'd be a way you can get some information from him that they can't."
Alicia frowned, her eyes shifting towards the ground as if she were contemplating it. "What sort of stuff."
"Files on who they may be. You heard about that meta that attacked during the soccer game?" Brady pressed. Alicia nodded. "Well, we're trying to figure out who that may be. There was no DNA evidence left that we know of."
"-And this other meta named Black Blade," Leah broke in. Brady shot her a confused look. They already knew enough about Black Blade. His name, his metahuman name, his abilities. The only thing they didn't know was what he truly wanted. That wasn't something she expected to get from a police file. "And White Hot."
"Maybe even something on Breathtaker or Savitar, too," Brady added.
Alicia held up her hands and took a few steps back. "Whoa, one at a time. I'm not asking for your dinner order." She folded her arms. "You're acting like I can get this stuff. Some of it, maybe. But everything else?"
Brady couldn't help the sarcasm that came to his voice as he asked, "Daddy's little princess can't wrap her father around his finger?"
Alicia smirked back, not taking the bait. "That's the easy part." Then her smile faded. "The hard part is, like, he talks about some of his cases but, like, not the big ones. This stuff would be classified. Like, under a SWAT team classified."
"So you can't help us?' Leah asked.
"I didn't say that," Alicia said quickly. "It's like Brady said, I've got my dad wrapped around my finger. He let's me do whatever I want. Still, this is, like, the police. I'll do my best but, I can't promise anything." She tapped her finger against her lips. "Now, what is it I want in return?"
"It's not like we can pay you," Brady pointed out. He motioned toward his pockets. "I'm on allowance and I've already spent it."
"Same here," Leah agreed.
"I don't think money's going to be a problem," Alicia pointed out dryly. She flipped her hair behind her shoulders once more. "I'll let you know when I figure something out." She wiggled her phone back and forth. "ASAP."
"Thanks!" Leah stepped forward and squeezed her friend's arm. "This really does help a lot. I'll call you later tonight, okay?" Alicia nodded in response and flung her purse—she didn't carry a backpack—over her shoulder and walked away as the hallways cleared out. Then Leah grabbed Brady's wrist once more and the two left the school at a fast-paced walk.
They went along in silence for ten minutes with Brady reading directions off his phone. They avoided any areas of the city where they could hear sirens or screams emanating. The last thing they needed was for Barry or Cadence to catch sight of and stop them. Dropping his soccer ball to his feet, Brady rolled it in front of him, lost in thought.
So far Black Blade hasn't shown that he's dangerous, Brady thought. But he hasn't completely shown he's trustworthy either. This may be a trap we're walking right into.
Brady kicked his soccer ball into his hands as he and Leach came up to the street corner. He glanced up at the light that signaled for them to wait then let out a short sigh, pressing his palms into the ball as hard as he could. Anything to relieve himself from the nerves that threatened to take over his body. Make him shake like a leaf. He wondered if that's how his mother felt when she was about to go out into the field.
Leah shifted at his side, moving her weight from foot to foot. Her fingers fluttered at her sides before she folded her arms, obviously as nervous as he was. "Okay, so we have to figure out why Black Blade wants to train you." Leah pursed her lips as she thought. She looked up as the light changed and the two started across the street. "Maybe he's from the future?"
"I think we've had enough people that can run through time to deal with already," Brady muttered. He dropped his soccer ball to the ground and started to rhythmically kick it with the toes of each foot, watching intently as the ball rolled back toward him so he could do it all again. "We know he's not a speedster, so I'm not sure how he'd be from the future."
Leah nodded in agreement. She reached up, pulled her hair behind her ears. "Maybe he's you." She looked at Brady for his reaction.
His face screwed up and he paused in his steps. The soccer ball moved back towards him and he popped it up to his hands. "Huh?"
"From another Earth."
That made Brady snort loudly. "Do I look Japanese to you?" Then again, his mother did have some sort of Asian ethnicity in her, coming somewhere from back in Harrison's or Tess's family, it was evident from looking at her. Though as far as Brady was concerned, not many Asian men had silver hair and blue eyes either. And aliens exist so who knows what he really looks like, he reminded himself.
Leah rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying there's a lot of things it could be." She reached out and shoved Brady on the shoulder, jostling him. He was sure she used part of her powers to give herself more force against him. "You don't have to shoot down all my ideas if you don't have any, you know."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm just…" Brady sucked his lips into his mouth. "I'm just trying think of things logically. Like Caitlin and Cisco and Barry would do." It was all he could do, and how hard could it be? He'd been around them long enough, eyes bouncing back and forth as they speed of their conversation rapidly increased as ideas were thrown back and forth. He'd been around STAR Labs long enough to slowly start to understand their technical jargon as well.
"Well, what do they think?" Leah's eyes widened as Brady grinned. "You haven't told them?"
"I don't want them to worry."
"Have you met these people? I don't know them that well and even I can tell that they tend to worry even if you plan on just going across the city."
Brady's smile widened, knowing it was true. "Well, what can I say, they're family, they worry." His frown then replaced his smile as the two stopped in front of a dilapidated building. They were at the crossroads of the city, where the poorer side met the richer side. "This is it. Worst comes to worse, I can phase us out of there in a second."
"And I can hold him still," Leah added. Silence stretched between them for a moment. "You ready?"
"Yeah." Brady glanced at the screen once more, reading the instructions that had been sent him. He sucked in a deep breath and made his way into the building, trying not to look too freaked out when what looked to be a regular hotel lobby greeted them. Brady and Leah ducked their heads as they walked by the curious gaze of the man at the front desk and hurried to the elevator. It wasn't until they were inside and Brady jabbed his thumb into the correct button of the floor they were to stop on that he said, "So stranger danger is a thing, but we're willingly going to this guy's hotel room?"
Leah burst out laughing, easing the tension around them.
Finally, the elevator doors dinged open and the two went to the correct room. Brady reached up and knocked on the door. He stepped back and glanced at Leah, who nodded back, subtly pulling her fingers into her palm. She was ready in case he decided to catch them by surprise and attacked.
However, Black Blade—or Ryuto, as Brady remembered him introducing himself—gave them a warm smile as he opened the door. "You made it," he remarked before pressing his hands to his sides and leaned forward in a bow. Brady and Leah exchanged a glance and mimicked him, then hesitated and started to bow again. "You only have to do it once," he reassured them before taking a step back to let them in. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."
"We didn't have anything else to do," Leah said, casting a dismissive glance at Brady's soccer ball. He shot her an exasperated look in response, making her stick out her tongue. "And what you said was kind of important."
"You said you wanted to train me," Brady said, getting right to the point. "Why?"
Black Blade's blue eyes narrowed for a moment. "To make sure you can live up to your potential."
"Are you from the future?"
He smiled. "No."
"Can you see into the future?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"I'm from Earth-2," Black Blade explained, to Brady's surprise. "I was brought over with White Hot when Zoom opened the breach to this Earth. I've been unable to return to m Earth."
"So that's what you want to do?" Leah asked. "You want to go home?"
Black Blade shook his head. "I don't want to return to my Earth until I'm sure it's reverted back to the peace it had been before." Brady frowned. "And that can't happen until Breathtaker and Savitar are both defeated."
Barry fastened a bowtie around his neck with rapid movements of his hand. He stood in the mirror, twisted back and forth, then frowned before unfastening it to replace it with another one. After a few minutes, he went through all the bowties that sat in his dresser drawer before giving it up completely. With a frustrated sigh, he placed his hands on his hips and turned away from the mirror to find Cadence sitting at her vanity, tilting her head to the side as she put in an earring.
"I never knew you cared so much about the way you looked, Tholly," she teased.
Lifting his gaze, Barry locked eyes with her reflection through the mirror. He managed a small smile, noticing the teasing one that graced her lips. "It's not that," he defended himself. "Just excess energy."
"You know, I've always wondered what happened if you didn't run during the day." Cadence tilted her head the other way to put in her other earring. "And now I know it's excess energy and the want to look good." She leaned back and turned her head upside down, her hair falling from her face. "You haven't thought of modeling before, have you?"
"Haha." Barry leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, which she eagerly returned, before angling her head back up. "No, I'm just thinking about Wally," he said.
"You're not the only one," Cadence agreed. Her eyebrows came together. "There's so many of us that have powers now."
"Yeah, but not all of them are metas because of you. Caitlin, Wally, and Jesse wouldn't be one if it weren't for me." Cadence lifted an eyebrow. Barry quickly explained, knowing he was only so far away from getting another lecture. "The only thing we can do now is train them like we do everyone else. Jesse's going to be going home soon and I'll just repeat the training I did with her with Wally."
"I meant thinking of how many targets Savitar and Alchemy have now," Cadence said gently. She spun in her chair to face Barry fully, crossing her legs at the knee. "And I'm sure it doesn't help much now that Wally knows about Alchemy and what happened in Flashpoint."
Barry sucked in a deep breath, nodding in agreement. How stupid had he been, to think that they'd been able to keep it a secret. To keep that Wally was Kid Flash away from Wally, Joe, and Iris. He'd meant to tell them earlier, he swore he did. Yet there never seemed to be a good time. Especially when he saw the thunderous look on Joe's face when he stormed into the practice room that morning. Iris and Wally followed behind him, both with lowered heads. Barry'd been so surprised at their sudden arrival he received a punch upside the head that sent stars twirling before his eyes, a punch he usually could've evaded with ease.
"Sorry," Cadence had quickly apologized.
"Not your fault," Barry replied. He rubbed his jaw, turning to Joe, who stood seething before him. His gaze shifted to Iris behind him, hoping for some warning, but she merely shrugged in response. "Uh, what's up, Joe?"
"You tell me," Joe replied. He sucked a deep breath in through his nose. "Seems that there's something about Wally that you never planned on telling us." Barry's eyes narrowed, heart ramming into his throat. "Like how Alchemy has been targeting him because in Flashpoint, he was a speedster!"
Barry's jaw dropped. He glanced at Iris once more, who lifted her chin and shot him an apologetic gaze before Barry turned his full attention back to Joe. "Look, I'm sorry, Joe. I know I should've told you sooner." Joe made a scoffing sound and turned away, running a hand over his head. "But I wanted to keep him safe. I didn't think there was anything that would happen. Wally had never shown any signs of being a speedster, I didn't think—"
"I know you didn't think!" Joe snapped back. He quaked with fury, the only kind of fury Barry had seen from Joe once before. The first time he ran away from home when his mother died. He'd gotten so far to Iron Heights without anyone stopping him, Joe had been so angry. By the time he caught up to Barry he yelled and screamed every threat and grounding he could before breaking down into tears, showing how worried he was. "If you had, you would've told us sooner and we could've been sure Wally was okay. Now he's being targeted by a madman that's giving metas their powers."
"But he didn't get his powers from Alchemy, dad," Iris reminded him. "He got them the same way Jesse did, when the Magnetar blew up and sent out that wave of dark matter."
"Does that mean I'm going to turn into a meta, too?" Joe demanded. Iris lowered her chin, unsure of how to answer. "Are you? What about Harrison or Tess or even Harry? Maybe over on Earth-2 he's managed to become a meta and we just don't know it. Are the rest of us going to be targeted, too?"
"Look, I'm sorry, Joe!" Barry cried. His voice echoed around the walls of the practice room. "But there's nothing we can do about this now. You should've seen him in Flashpoint. He was a hero. He was the Kid Flash! And Iris worked alongside with him." Iris perked up at the mention of her name, exchanging a glance with Wally that Joe didn't see. One of curiosity and excitement. "They were a brother-sister crime fighting team that really helped me when I was over there. They helped me get home and Wally was amazing. Joe, if he's a speedster, then the Speed Force is in him. It chose him for a reason. Just like it chose me."
Joe seethed quietly, watching Barry throughout every word he spoke. Barry licked his lips, took a step forward. He placed his hand on Joe's shoulder. "I should've told you. I'm sorry. But now that Wally's a speedster, it gives us a better chance to stop Savitar. Three speedsters are better than two and two are better than one. If he's as good as he was in Flashpoint, he'll be amazing over here."
"Wow." Wally rubbed his arm, not used to the praise from his pseudo-brother. "Thanks, Barry."
Barry nodded back. He looked at Joe earnestly, who had softened within the last few seconds. Relaxing, Barry squeezed Joe's shoulder and shook him back and forth. It was going to take some time for Joe to understand why he did what he did, but at least he could be watched now. Able to use his powers freely rather than trying to hide it on his own.
"So," Cadence's voice broke through the tension. Her eyes shifted over each West's face, a small, mischievous smile coming to her lips. "How fast can he go?"
As they found out, Wally was faster than Barry had been at that point in his training. And Wally didn't enjoy anything more than being able to run as fast and as freely as he could. Barry and Jesse joined in with him as they raced around the speed lab, their top speed clocking in at different variables. But it couldn't be denied, Cisco said as he and Caitlin and HR watched the readings on the tablets. Wally was indeed at an amazing top speed for his start as a speedster.
Barry and Jesse came to a stop, prompting Wally to do the same. He nearly fell over with the speed he put on the brakes, but there was nothing that could wipe the smile from his face. Not even knowing how many speed tests Caitlin would put him through.
"Okay, okay, anything." Wally rubbed his hands together, unable to keep the eager smile from his face. "But when do I get to go out in the field with you guys."
"Not for a while, I hope," Joe said. It took most of the day, but Joe finally had been able to wrap his head around the truth. Wally was a speedster and there was no way for his powers to be taken away. Barry was glad it gave Joe enough time to stop being so angry at him.
Now all they needed was to figure out when and where Alchemy would show up next. Especially now that Wally was revealed to be a speedster. He'd gone after Frankie long enough and considering the voices they heard were similar. We may not have a lot of time, Barry thought. If Savitar knows—Barry groaned as Cadence suddenly pushed back in her seat, sending it into his stomach.
"Could you zip me up?" She asked, turning her back to him. Barry nodded and did as he was told, grabbing the zipper in his hand. "Or maybe it's a good thing that they know about Flashpoint. Joe seemed to be pretty excited about things by the time we were done with practice."
"Yeah, but you don't know Joe as well as I do," Barry agreed. "There's always a storm brewing under that calm. You think he took it lightly when Iris and I took his car for a joyride?"
"No parent would, Tholly. I hope you know that."
"Didn't you do the same thing?"
"No, I took my motorcycle that they grounded me from."
"And what happened?"
Cadence smiled sheepishly. "I crashed it."
"Exactly." Barry took a step back from Cadence and folded his arms. "I'm just a little worried. It's my default mood now." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's starting to become annoying, honestly."
"Mm." Cadence mimicked his stance. "You sure that's the only mood you're in?" She asked. Barry shrugged and nodded. The fire metahuman lifted her hand and pointed with her thumb towards her back. "Because I asked you to help me zip up, not zip it further down."
Barry blushed and laughed. "Yeah, well, you know how hard it is to turn my brain off, sometimes. I guess I'm a bit more distracted than I thought." He zipped her dress up and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "What about you? Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Cadence replied, her eyebrows coming together. She gave him a funny look as she left their room, carefully grabbing the railing so not to fall down the stairs in her heels. "Why?"
"It's just…" Barry pressed his lips together, thinking of the best way to bring it up. "It's just…even before Deity left you've been acting kind of funny." Cadence lifted her eyebrows. "Distracted. And kind of distant. You seem to be driving yourself crazy with this whole housewarming thing. I mean, I know your mom kind of pushed it on you—"
"—Then you understand why I'm a bit distracted," Cadence interrupted. She shrugged. "And, like you, I kind of have my mind on an evil meta who wants nothing more than to see me dead, so that can be a bit difficult to wrap my head around at times, you know?" Barry did know. Still, he watched in concern as Cadence went into the kitchen, pacing back and forth as she talked to herself. "Plus, everything we learned from Brady about Black Blade today—"
"—I don't like the way he did it either, but you have to admit it was some good information."
"I can admit that, I just wish things were easier. We've always had to do the hard work and for what? To still have things be unfair? Geez." Cadence scratched the back of her head before reaching around to repeatedly drum her fingers against her fingertips, eyes shifting back and forth. "Do you think I should've gotten some of that jazz music mom offered?"
"Is that a Metropolis thing? Having to have such upscale…" Barry waved his hands around, indicating the china plates, soft lighting, and massive spread of food. "Everything?"
"This is Metropolis on a miniature scale, Tholly." She jumped topics again. "Okay, the quiche is in the oven, the beer and wine are in the fridge and the candles are on the table."
"You forgot to light them," Brady pointed out from where he sat at the table, looking at his phone. He sat up as Cadence rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, it's always so cool."
"So, you decided to go and blow them all out?" Barry asked.
Brady gave him a look before slouching in his seat. "If she sneezed, they would've gone out anyway." Cadence smiled and ruffled his hair as she passed him. "And dad's done fixing the window, by the way."
"Thanks," Cadence said, to which Brady lifted his hand in a wave to say 'you're welcome.'. "I nearly forgot." Then her eyes widened, and she pressed the sides of her head. "But I forgot the ice."
"I'm on it." Barry raced from the apartment in a gust of wind that knocked out the rest of the candles. Brady huffed loudly as his hair shifted from his face and he had to use both hands to fix it and said, "Sometimes, I hate it when he does that."
"Join the club," Cadence agreed. She walked to the living room where Ryder finished rolling up the sleeves of his button down and dusted off his hands. "Wow, you really did fix the window," she remarked, looking at it. "You'd never know a fire extinguisher went through there."
Ryder smiled, one half of his mouth turning up. "That's my job, Cadey." His eyes squinted. "And something tells me that I don't want to know why a fire extinguisher went through a window."
Cadence shrugged, brushing her hair behind her ears. "Something with a meta and an alien who were trying to make dinner."
Ryder stared at her so long Cadence wasn't quite sure he'd heard her at first. She made a face, lifting a hand to wave in front of his eyes, then, finally, he blinked and shook his head, closing his tool box. "That's a terrible set up to a joke."
"It'd be funnier if it weren't true."
"Such is life."
The two smiled, closing their eyes against the blast of wind that shot back through the apartment when Barry reappeared. He grinned, clutching a large bag of ice against his chest. "Here you go."
"Thank you, you're a lifesaver." Cadence grabbed the bag and walked it to the sink before she could melt it on accident. She passed Brady, who knelt on his chair over a candle and barked, "Brady, stop messing with the candles."
"Well, if you're not going to light them…"
Ryder noticed the look of intense irritation on Cadence's face and went to his son, lifting his hands to ease the tension that was slowly building. He patted Barry on the shoulder as he passed. Barry nodded back then watched as Cadence dumped the ice into the sink, being careful to plug the drain before doing so. Barry's eyebrows came together.
Finally, he couldn't keep himself from asking, "Hey, how're you doing?" He saw Cadence's shoulders tense, making him lower his voice even further. "For real, are you okay? You seem really tense."
Like a bobblehead, Cadence nodded. "Yep." She popped the 'p' on the word. "I'm fine." With a hand, she pulled her hair back from her face and watched Barry watching her. She knew him well enough by that point to know he wasn't going to let it go.
"Because if you're not, you can talk to me." He pressed, eyes searching hers. "You know that, right?"
"I know."
"Because you've always been able to. No matter what, that's not going to change."
"I know."
Silence stretched between them and Barry continued to watch her. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew there was something she wasn't saying. He wished she had her sense of perception, it was the only advantage she had—that he could see—from being in the Assassination Bureau. Being able to read people so clearly, so easily. Nevertheless, Barry nodded and let it go. He had to do what he always did and trust her to come to him when the time came.
He jumped when the doorbell rang. Cadence's expression immediately changed to mirth—with a hint of nervousness, he noted, before she wiped her palms off on the sides of her dress. Barry held up his hands and went to answer the door. Cadence, resting a hand on her hip, turned towards the remaining candles that still needed to be lit and winked, immediately setting them ablaze to Brady's delight. The smile on Barry's face was genuine as he greeted his friends and teammates who had arrived promptly. They filed in one by one with, all holding a housewarming gift. Wally smiled as he greeted the two with a small plant in his hands, of which Jesse explained was one the two spent a few hours deciding to pick out.
HR, however, stole the show with a glass bowl filled with a tiny turtle. "On my Earth, we give reptiles," he explained to Barry's stunned surprise. "I present to you…McSnurtle The Turtle." He lovingly patted his hand atop the opening of the bowl. "Be careful, she bites."
Barry blinked rapidly as he took the bowl. He turned it this way and that, studying the small reptile that sat inside. "This is for me?" He asked, unable to keep the smile working onto his face. He used to have fish, a long time ago. Remembering how much time and care he put into them. It'd been so long since he had a pet.
"Cool!" Brady reached up and grabbed the bowl from Barry's hands, peering into it as he walked it to the dining room table where Caitlin and Cisco crowded around. Barry's rapid blinking turned to his wounded puppy expression as he regarded Cadence who simply shrugged and said with a smile, "It's Brady's now. He's been begging me for a dog for years, maybe this will be better."
"Wow," Cisco said as he twisted around. He whistled appreciatively and exchanged glances. Caitlin nodded as she shifted a large bouquet up into her arms. "You guys did a great job here; this place is nice!"
"Thanks," Cadence beamed. She waved a hand around the living room. "Barry picked out the place, but I did most of the decorating."
"I knew you said you were into interior design, but this is amazing," Caitlin said. She handed the flowers over to Cadence, who shifted them to her left arm so that she could give her best friend a proper hug. "It must've taken you a long time to get everything together. It's a lot of space."
"Interior design was one of my pregnancy projects," Cadence explained. She chuckled. "I also got a little bit into plumbing and mechanics. Nothing more than being able to do basic maintenance. Let me tell you, when they say you get into a nesting phase, they're not kidding."
"This is the girl who decided that the entire nursery needed to be rearranged top to bottom when she was going into labor," Maya said, coming up to her daughter and placing a kiss on the side of her head.
"It didn't look right," Cadence defended herself. She smiled and hugged her mom tightly. A welcome change from the way she was around her mother before. "Thanks for coming, mom."
"I wouldn't miss it," Maya replied. "I'd love to get to know your little friends even more. And you know me, I'm not one to miss out on a party." She waved to Harrison and Tess, who arrived holding onto a large bottle of wine. Then her eyes shifted towards Jay as he walked into the room behind them.
Barry and Cadence exchanged worried glances. They hadn't gone so far into the explanation of alternate Earths to Maya despite seeing Harrison and Harry for herself and meeting Jesse. Nevertheless, she seemed to have understood for she quickly patted her hair and practically purred, "And who's that handsome—"
"Don't!" Barry and Cadence barked in unison, making Maya jump and widen her eyes innocently.
"I was just asking a question."
Barry laughed along with his friends before excusing himself to go to the kitchen to get something to drink. He noticed Joe sitting at the counter with two tumblers of wine sitting in front of him. His hand sat near the left tumbler, which was already half empty.
"Is that for me?" Barry asked, nodding towards the other tumbler. He took it and gratefully poured it all down his throat when Joe nodded. He couldn't get drunk, but sometimes he needed to at least try. Anything to act even a little bit normal. "Thanks."
Joe nodded in response. He lifted his gaze to rove around the expansive kitchen. "This place is incredible, Bare."
"Thanks."
Joe was pensive for a moment, but Barry continued to watch him. He passed his tumbler back and forth between his hands, waiting for what Joe had to say. "You know, I miss you around the house," he said slowly. Then he let out a long breath, turning his attention to Wally, who sat on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms and nodding to something Tess was telling them. "But Wally keeps me plenty occupied."
"Yeah…" Barry slowly smiled. "Iris told me about you guys finding him with Jesse this morning." He couldn't help but laugh when he noticed Joe's dark cheeks darken even further. "Did you go as postal as you did with me and Becky."
"I never had to worry about Becky," Joe reminded Barry. "You were too nervous to even sit next to her." Barry's smile immediately faded, making Joe laugh. "Well, except that one time."
"We don't need to talk about that."
Joe laughed even harder, knowing he got to Barry even further. Then he sighed and said, "But now with him being a speedster…"
"Look, I know you don't like it." Barry rolled his eyes. Not liking it was an understatement. Joe hated practically everything meta related since Barry had first become The Flash, mostly due to the shock of new metas and his heart being unable to take it. "Honestly, I'm not so happy about it, either. But…there's nothing we can do about it now." Barry watched Joe's face as he continued. "Wally's always had that drive to be a hero, to help people and now…maybe he can do that. Be the best hero he can be."
"Well, I can't say it'd be too bad to have both of my sons as heroes," Joe said.
Barry smiled and clinked his tumbler against Joe's. Then he tilted his head and looked longingly into his empty glance. "Sometimes I wish I could celebrate like a true hero. That whole needing a glass to wind down thing hasn't felt any more amazing than right now."
"Be careful with that," Jay said, walking over. "I hear alcohol and speedsters never really mix."
"I didn't think speedsters could get drunk," Joe reminded him.
A wry smile came to Jay's face. "You learn a few tricks when you're desperate enough," he said. He took a glance around the kitchen and said, "It looks like you've decided to follow my advice." Barry squinted. "To slow down and let things happen naturally. I've been watching you for a while, kid and you've been starting to run yourself ragged."
"I could've told you that," Joe remarked.
"Just like another speedster I know, who doesn't know when to give up their heroics." Jay's eyebrows twitched upwards as he grabbed his shoulder and rubbed at his neck. "There's plenty going on, on my Earth to keep this old man busy."
Barry shook his head. "You're not old."
Ja laughed. "You probably can't tell just by looking at me. Speedsters tend to age a bit slower. But I'm certainly older than many would give me credit for. It's flattering up until I remember that my bones don't work the way they used to. Hence, my need to slow down."
"And why you keep reminding me," Barry realized.
"That and because I don't want to see you give up your entire life to be a speedster. You may be the Flash, but you're still Barry Allen. The more you remember that, the better off you'll be."
"But Flashpoint—"
"Flashpoint…" Jay briefly closed his eyes. "Flashpoint was a mistake, yes. A mistake that has had some disastrous consequences. However, some good has come out of it as well. You've got another speedster on your side, a team that's growing bigger by the day. It's only a matter of time until you've got everything you need to take down Savitar. And until then, it's better to relax and live in the moment." He looked around the apartment. "And right now, I see there's plenty to live for."
Joe pointed towards Jay. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Are you sure you're not my doppelganger?"
"I've seen your doppelganger on my Earth before," Jay replied. He sucked in a breath between his teeth. "That's something I'm not sure you want to know about.
Barry laughed at the expression of horror that came to Joe's face at the implication. Then he looked up at the sound of soft clinking on glass. For a moment, he wondered if someone had managed to break already then found HR standing in the middle of the living room, holding a drumstick in one hand and a tumbler in the other. Barry turned to shoot Cadence a questioning look, she gave him a shrug in response
With HR it was hard to predict anything he was going to do.
"So I've asked myself to say a few words," HR said once all eyes were on him. He smiled at each and every face turned his way before continuing. "um, on his occasion. I hope you don't mind, it's only a few words and then we can get back to this party at this gorgeous home. A home, it's more than bricks and mortar or a turtle." Barry rolled his eyes. "It's a feeling. A feeling of belonging. Of love of hope, for the future." He smiled, waving with his drumstick back and forth between Barry and Cadence. "I don't know if I have ever met two people who are more suited to one another than you two." Barry smiled as he felt Cadence wrap her arm around his waist, making Barry instinctively move his arm around her shoulders. "To know they're partners in and out of the field; it's very rare, very lovely when able to experience it yourself. I'm sure everyone here can say it's something we all aspire to have in life." He lifted his glass. "To Barry and Cadence."
"To Barry and Cadence," came the unanimous response as glasses were raised.
Barry looked down at Cadence, who beamed back at him. "To us," they said in unison.
Julian pushed himself back from his microscope, letting out a quiet sigh. He turned around to Savitar, who sat on the windowsill of the lab, looking down at the city below. The scarred side of his face was pointed Julian's way, the eye, which should've been blinded, hidden beneath the worn skin, fluttered at Julian's movement.
"Why haven't we attacked yet?" Julian asked, Alchemy's voice coming from his mouth as his lips moved. "We're running out of time."
"Patience," Savitar said. His eyes flashed as he passed the Philosopher's Stone back and for the between his hands. "They deserve some time to themselves." He tossed the Philosopher's Stone into the air and caught it again. "I've learned over time, the best time to strike is when they lease expect it." He grinned, the scarred side of his face moving upwards. "And I know them well enough to know the perfect time to strike."
A/N: And now Team Flash know about Wally. And so does Alchemy and Savitar. I told you there'd be a lot of answers within this arc (though some more questions are coming in as well). What do you think about these cliffhangers, guys? There's plenty more action/fight scenes coming up, I know these last few chapters have been a bit light on them.
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 update my story every Wednesday, if there's a time that I won't it will be posted on our twitter: DarkElements10.
Cheers,
-Riley
Review Replies
Ethan: No, Cadence doesn't know what Harrison and Tess told Maya. Cisco had questioned her about it, to ask Harrison to be sure, but she'd refused to know, just in case it was Harrison who had actually done it. It was said back in Fuel to the Fire that she didn't want to know the truth. But who knows now that Maya knows, how long it'll be kept a secret.
DarkHelm145: So I hope the rest of the sneak peek as to your liking. Besides, cliffhangers are fun for me. There's always something that can be done to hold people's attention and with some more of the answers that need to be given-as well as increasing the pacing for teh story-there's bound to be a lot of them as the story goes on.
yummers: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I guess I've been torturing Cadence a bit too much. There are happy moments with her coming up, especially one big one. ;)
Guest: I hope things continue like that, where people don't see what I have planned coming. Lol.