42

Baseless Accusations

"One will betray you, one will fall, and one will suffer a fate worse than death?" Cisco asked. His eyebrows rose so far they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "That's not the kind of fortune cookie I want to get."

"Leave it to you to think about food at a time like this, Cisco," Iris said, folding her arms. She heaved a sigh so heavy that even Barry practically felt it from the other side of the Speed Lab. He paced, watching Jesse and Wally zip around and around the Speed Tube. His mind was torn, half of it focused on the speedsters racing around in circles, the other wondering how he'd managed to go so long and not know Julian was Alchemy.

How had he missed all the signs? How'd he miss Julian's consistent dislike for metas as anything but…but what exactly? It wasn't like Julian was trying to figure out that Barry was a meta. He hardly looked at Barry for more than a few seconds. Or else, maybe he'd known the entire time. Maybe Flashpoint had done it.

Caitlin leaned against the computer panel she stood behind. Her eyes scanned the facts and figures in front of her, watching Wally's and Jesse's vitals. She shook her head, seemingly not noticing Barry's plight. "This doesn't seem to be getting any better for us," She murmured. "First Flashpoint, then Savitar, then Killer Frost, and now…" her fingers curled into her palm, nails cutting into her skin. "Now Julian's Alchemy and he's working for Savitar."

"You're forgetting the whole death and destruction at the hands of metahumans thing," Cadence commented. She held up a finger. "Which is also helped by Savitar, who is making metahumans from those that were metas in Flashpoint to ensure Breathtaker's master plan goes through." A humorless chuckle escaped her. "And, of course, I'm going to die, Caitlin's going to die, Iris is going to die, and Brady may or may not become Breathtaker's apprentice." She noticed the looks Caitlin and Cisco shot her way and shrugged. "Just saying. We can't leave anything out. If we're going to stop these guys, we have to keep everything in perspective."

So, like usual, it's all brought back to me, Barry thought. He ran his hands over his face. Once again, he needed to think before he made any rash decisions. "No one's going to die, alright?" Barry said, sounding more than tired. Downright exhausted and tired of everything. "We'll think of what to do."

"With which part?" Cisco asked. "The prophecy part or the we're all going to die part?" Barry glared at him. Cisco turned back when there was a strong gust of wind that tugged at his clothes, leaving Wally and Jesse standing in the middle of the Speed Lab, hands on their knees, gasping for air. "I'm just checking, dude, geez!"

"Guys, you're really starting to kill the vibe here," Wally said, standing up straight. His chest heaved with each struggle to catch his breath. He pressed his hands into his sides, working out a cramp. "Aren't we trying to learn how to phase right now?"

"Yeah, I don't think I can handle running into walls anymore," Jesse added. She rubbed at the lump on her forehead. It would've healed within minutes, but with the amount of times she'd thrown herself into the same wall Wally had run into, her healing wasn't working as quickly as it should have.

"Just…" Barry waved his hand. He dropped it to his side, clenching his fist as hard as he could. His hand shook. His entire body shook. He didn't know what to say. Didn't know how to confront anything while simultaneously unsure of how to comfort everyone.

Forcing them, forcing anyone to keep going as if nothing had just happened surely was not the way to go. If they were open about everything, then they'd all continue to have black clouds over their heads. If they pretended nothing was going on, it'd all build up until they couldn't take it.

Hence, Flashpoint.

Barry ran his hands over his face and blew a long breath out through his lips, making them flap. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't know."

"Okay, so why don't we start with signaling that each problem we have is a portion of a bigger problem," Jesse suggested.

Cisco gave her a look. He turned to the others, spinning his finger in a circle beside his head, making the universal, 'crazy' sign. "Uh, I think we already established that. You know, cause, all of this all seems to be happening at the same time and with the same people involved. And, you know, death and destruction and all that."

"Just another Tuesday in Central City," Iris agreed.

Barry managed a rare smile.

"No, I think I get what she's saying," Caitlin said. She folded her arms, hugging her elbows tightly. "Whenever we have a problem, we're always working on it in steps. You can't work on the result until you figure out what cause and effect is going on. So, we need to think about all of this in steps. And the first step, is Julian."

"We know he's working for Savitar as Alchemy," Wally pointed out. "That was literally just pointed out to us since Julian left Barry lying on the street like that." He gestured with his hand. "And if it weren't for dad, something else could've happened to him."

Barry nodded in agreement. Had Joe not still been around at the crime scene, finishing up his round of questions with the chef, Barry could've been lying on the sidewalk for a long time with no one knowing where he was or what happened. Let alone Julian opting to do something stupid. Barry had done, what he thought, was a good job at deflecting from the fact that he was, indeed, a metahuman. But how Julian knew and found out…? That was the part that worried him. Had he known all along? Was that why Julian hated him?

And if that were the case, why not say anything? Why target Caitlin throughout the whole thing and not Barry? Unless, like Jay, he was trying to keep me close, Barry reasoned.

"But does he know he's working for Savitar as Alchemy?" Cadence pointed out. Barry looked at her, eyebrows coming together in concern. "When I was working for Breathtaker, I was aware of everything I was doing because my body was being controlled. Not my mind. Mindboggler can't control my mind and my body at the same time. When Caitlin becomes Killer Frost,"—Caitlin winced at the mention of her alter-ego—"She completely blacks out and doesn't remember any of it. Maybe it's the same for Julian."

"And Julian doesn't even have any powers," Iris reminded them. "He just has the Philosopher's Stone. What if it's the stone that's making it easier for Savitar to control him? To use him as Alchemy."

"So, we get the stone, we get control," Jesse remarked. "Sounds easy enough."

"Easy isn't the word I'd use," Cisco murmured. He pulled his hair back into a ponytail. "We'd need to get the stone from Julian first. If he even knows he has the stone."

"That's going to be the hardest part," Caitlin reasoned. She stepped out from behind the computers and started to pace the Speed Lab. She stepped around HR, who sat unusually quiet on the steps leading to the floor, gently spinning his drumsticks within his fingers. "Making sure that Julian understands he is Alchemy and that we're not accusing him of being Alchemy. If you told me I was Killer Frost without the proof, I probably wouldn't believe you." She reached up and started to run her fingers along the dampening necklace around her neck. "We need to be delicate about this whole thing or it'll push him further away."

"And take my identity along with it," Barry murmured. He leaned against the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets. "If Julian really does know, and not just Alchemy, then I may as well give myself over to Savitar now."

"Well, it seems to me that there's only one way to go about this," HR spoke up, eyes lighting up with an internal shine that didn't seem to be quelled. Not even when Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco all rolled their eyes, unable to hide their irritation. "Ask him."

"Ask him what?" Sarcasm dripped from Cisco's voice. "Ask him why he's willingly going along with Savitar's plans? Ask him why he wants to get rid of Barry? Ask him if he knows he's Savitar's lacky?"

HR blinked back at him, his smile widening. "Exactly." He pointed to Cisco with his drumstick, chuckling to himself, then waved the drumstick around. "You know…you scamps are always so fun to watch. You…you're all so smart and you do a great job of making sure everyone is heard. It's like you share leadership around here. I like that."

"And?" Barry asked, his tone implying he wanted HR to hurry up with his point.

"And, it really doesn't make much to figure out that you don't need a huge plan here. You just need to utilize what you have. See everyone's strengths and understand how you can use them to your advantage." He stood up and went to Iris, throwing his arm around her shoulders. "Alice here,"—Iris made a face at the name HR gave her—"is a journalist. Have her ask some questions." He then turned to Barry and Cadence, holding out his arms. "BA, Candace, you work for the police. You should all know by now how to get answers you need. I mean, you were raised by a police officer for God's sake."

Again, Cadence lifted a finger. "I wasn't," she pointed out.

"And yet, you have some of the better know how when it comes to figuring out when people are lying," HR said. "And then, just give the audio feed back to our lovely team here and we can figure out what's going on with Savitar and Alchemy. Come on, you guys." He tapped his drumsticks against the side of his head. "Use your imagination."

"And what are you going to be doing the whole time we're working on Julian?" Jesse asked. She pressed her lips together, watching the doppelganger of her father. A mirror image despite how bouncy and excited HR was. Her father had been like that, once upon a time. When he wasn't so bogged down with following her everywhere, making sure she was safe, doing everything he could to avoid speaking about her mother.

"Thank you for asking, Jessica." HR's smile widened. "I'm still working on that museum to make sure everything is right as rain for our opening."

Iris's eyes widened incredulously. "After all that's going on you still want to open the museum?"

"Why not?"

"Uh, because have a speedster killer on the lose," Cisco pointed out.

HR waved a hand. "And we need distractions. Guys, listen. If there's anything I know about life, it's that there's always something good that comes along with the bad. This is all…this is really…everything's terrible right now. But the STAR Labs Museum is going to be one of the best things that happens to us."

"Until Savitar and Breathtaker get their hands on all of us," Iris murmured. "For all we know, they plan on striking at the same time."

"Breathtaker wouldn't be so stupid," Cadence denied with a shake of her head. "He doesn't like to share. He likes a lot of attention. If Savitar attacks in May, Breathtaker will either attack before or after. He needs the notoriety."

She exchanged a glance with Barry, wo nodded back at her. It was the same when he attacked years before. How he'd addressed the entire city before they saved the day. Before the minds of everyone in Central City had to be erased to make sure they didn't remember anything that'd happened.

To everyone but Barry and Cadence, it was like it never happened. Flashpoint made it easier to forget. And yet, they were able to still remember. Barry because not even Flashpoint could wipe his mind, and Cadence…well, Barry realized. He wasn't quite sure. But it was probably that Breathtaker wouldn't allow her to forget.

"Well, it doesn't sound like we have a lot more to go off of," Jesse said with a sigh. "We just need to bite the bullet and see what he knows. Especially, since he seems to know about Barry."

"Not unless Barry continues to deny it," Cisco pointed out. He snorted. "I mean, come on!" He waved a hand towards Barry, whose eyebrows rose, but his expression otherwise didn't change. "He's tall, gangly, kind of has a weird run if you slow him down enough, isn't that athletic, and the best thing about the lightning strike was that it gave him abs. Do you think anyone would really believe that Barry's The Flash?"

All eyes turned to him in a glare. Cisco jumped, noticing the fiercest glare—which was only just staving off an air of offense—coming from Barry. Cisco cleared his throat and muttered something about looking over Jesse's and Wally's vitals, and lowered his head over the computer screen. Caitlin smiled, patting him on the shoulder, leaving her hand once she'd finished.

Wally, grinning at Cisco's comment and Barry's irritation, turned to the team leaders. "So, you think you guys are up for an interrogation?"

Cadence shrugged, a small smile coming to her face. "I'm not so sure about Barry and Cadence, but Flash and Flare are ready to go."

Her eyes crackled with fire at the same time Barry's crackled with lightning.

At least he'd be able to have some fun while talking to Julian. Maybe he'd be able to get out everything he'd ever thought about him.

Brady hardly waited for the car to stop before he pushed open the door and climbed out. So much so that he stumbled, yanking his backpack out of the car as he did so, barely able to right himself. He turned back and grabbed the lacrosse stick that sat behind his seat. "Thanks for the ride, dad."

"You're welcome, buddy," Ryder replied. He leaned over from the driver's seat when Brady slammed the door shut. "Remember what I said."

"I know. I know." Brady rolled his eyes. "Call the nurse if I feel sick. Dad, I feel fine. It was just a shot. I'm not going to suddenly get the flu. I've never had the flu in my life."

Ryder looked at him seriously. "When the doctor can't completely answer my questions about what kind of virus we're trying to prevent with your shots as well as to why they needed your fingerprints scanned to be admitted for said shot, I think I have the right, as a father, to worry."

At that, Brady ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows momentarily twitching upwards, "But not worried about it enough to tell mom?"

Ryder sucked in a deep breath through his mouth, let it out of his nose, leaned back against the seat. "There are some things that your mom doesn't need to know," he said finally. "Especially until I have the answers I need."

"But mom's a doctor."

"Was a doctor."

"Don't you think she'd know?"

"She knows about the shots or else she wouldn't have signed off on the permission slip. Just as, because she was a doctor, I'm sure she would've heard about them becoming mandatory for students throughout the city."

Brady thought it was probably true. He didn't know much about adult stuff like that, but his dad seem to know for sure. And…it wouldn't be the first secret they kept from his mom. A lot of their trip over the last summer had been a secret. Especially with how Ryder actually managed to break his leg. That was an entire other thing that he didn't want to think about or even remotely bring up knowing what it'd cause; tests to be run, blood to be collected…a lot of things he wasn't quite in the mood for.

Not, especially, when he still wasn't quite sure how to go about dealing with the metas he'd found at school. It wasn't like they could go on a field trip to STAR Labs when the rest of the team was gone and use the equipment to help them out.

The most important thing, is figuring out whether Alicia got the papers back to her dad, Brady thought. Brady shrugged. "Mom doesn't tell me anything."

"Your mom tells you everything," Ryder contradicted. Brady pressed his lips together, knowing it was true. The irony wasn't lost on him. He and Ryder were keeping a secret from his mom, and he and his mom were keeping a secret from Ryder. "Just do this for me, please."

"Fine." Brady watched as Ryder popped open the glove box and reached inside for some pain medication. "Does your leg every stop hurting?"

"Do you know how many surgeries I've had on my leg? There's only so much I can do before I, probably, have to have it amputated. "And believe me, I don't think you ever want to see what it's like when a one-legged man is chasing after you."

Brady shuddered, taking a step back. "'Bye dad." He waved when Ryder pulled from the curb then immediately turned to the school. He pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt and started up the walk to the school, eyes darting back and forth over the faces in front of him. Some he recognized, others he didn't. And all were in as much danger as he was.

In danger of being used by Breathtaker to attack, in danger of being turned into a meta by Savitar and Alchemy. It was bigger than what he'd wanted to do before; find other kid metas to make sure the school didn't find out. No, now he had to find those metas to make sure they were kept safe from danger. And the first way to do that was by making sure Chief Paulson wouldn't suddenly come knocking at the door to their apartment.

Brady walked up the front path into the school. He spotted Leah ahead, waving goodbye to a teacher as they finished their conversation. Brady reached out with his lacrosse stick and jabbed it between himself and Leah, using the long end of the stick to propel her forward.

"Hey!" Leah cried in surprise. Her eyes widened as she was ushered along the hallway. "What are you doing?"

"We need to talk." Brady moved his lacrosse stick aside and moved to her other side, making sure not to trip any of the other students walking by.

"About?" Leah asked. Then her face screwed up, looking Brady up and down. "Is there any reason why you're dressed like a cat burglar?"

Brady scowled. "I see you've been spending a lot of time with Alicia, lately," he remarked.

"She's my best friend."

"I still don't understand why."

"Conner's your best friend and I don't question you about that."

"That's because Conner's not crazy." Brady then lifted an eyebrow. "And, I think that's the first time I've seen you not blush whenever Connor's name is mentioned." Leah rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"I was collecting all his homework. I don't know how it'll get to him, but I don't want him to fall behind in case…you know…" She shrugged. "In case he's able to come back."

Brady decided not to say anything about the chances of Conner being able to come back when he was in hiding in the first place. When it was, really, his grandmother's pulled strings and favors that made it so that he was able to be found and brought back. He didn't know what it was that made it so that his grandmother had that power, probably something else he wasn't supposed to know until later. All he knew was he'd gotten better and figuring out how not to get his hopes up so that he truly was surprised later.

Not to mention that, right now, the further away he is from all of this, the better, Brady thought. He was a big help in figuring things out with the Top and Mirror Master. If it weren't for him being there, he probably wouldn't have figured out the connection between that, the Assassination Bureau, and Amunet.

"Anyway," Brady said quickly. "I wanted to ask you about your shots. Have you got them yet?" Lean nodded. "And?"

"And what?" Leah replied. "I went to the doctor's office and got shots."

"That's it?" Brady watched her face, looking for any signs of insincerity. Any sign she was hiding something. "Nothing weird happened?" He stopped by his locker and yanked the door open a little harder than he meant. It swung back and crashed against the metal front of the locker beside it.

Leah leaned against the locker, shoving her hands into the front pocket of her own sweatshirt. "Like what? And why do you look like the grim reaper?" She pulled his hood back, seeing his face clearly. "Are you being stalked or something?"

"Or something." Brady sucked in a deep breath, putting his things away. His eyes narrowed in thought as he spoke. "With the way my dad reacted, you'd think so. I went to get my shots and it was all pretty normal. But when I was signing in, it was kind of weird. They wanted my fingerprints."

"They wanted mine, too," Leah agreed.

"That's not weird to you?"

"You can unlock your phone with your fingerprint. Or by holding it up to your eye. Why would singing into a doctor's office be so different? And anyway, my mom and dad say that it's just new technology that's going to be set up everywhere. Soon we'd be able to sign into gyms and other membership programs by doing that." Leah giggled quietly. "Maybe even just by spitting on everything." Brady made a face. Leah shoved him on the arm. "Oh, like you and Conner don't still have spitting contests."

"Just watermelon seeds and spitballs," Brady defended himself. "I'm a little classier than that." He paused. "Most of the time."

Leah giggled again, making Brady smile. The hallways filled with more students, waiting for the day to begin. He looked over, watching the faces of every one that passed him. Some were friendlier—such as the guys who played on his soccer and lacrosse teams, and some that weren't as friendly—such as Rachel who sneered at him and Leah as she passed by before skipping over to Alicia's side.

The two girls talked for a minute while Brady and Leah waited for the all-clear. Brady wondered why they didn't just go ahead and talk to Alicia, ignoring Rachel, and Leah explained they couldn't, that it would be suicide if they were to interrupt. At that Brady shook his head.

Girls.

He didn't get it.

But whatever worked so long as they were able to talk with no one else overhearing. It was bad enough they had security at the front desk, policemen to patrol the campus, security cameras almost everywhere, and meta dampeners in the walls. So far, he hadn't found many places in the school where the dampeners hadn't been put in yet. He needed more time to figure out how to get away if Savitar or someone else were to attack again. He had a list of excuses ready to go.

Finally, Alicia and Rachel finished their conversation and Brady and Leah went over. She tucked her head inside her locker, studying her reflection in the mirror hanging at the back, running her fingers through her hair, working to get it perfect.

Her eyes shifted when the two friends approached. Brady noticed his reflection in the mirror, his eyes widening slightly. When had those dark circles appeared under his eyes? When did he start to look so tired? It was fitting, in a way, considering what his powers were.

"So?" He asked, tearing his eyes away from his reflection.

Alicia blinked in surprise. She looked over her shoulder, looked at Leah, then looked back at Brady. "Like, so, what?" she asked, still running her hands through her hair.

Brady did his best not to let his upper lip curl. He lowered his voice to ask, "So, did you get the stuff back to your dad?"

"Oh, that." Alicia waved her hand. "Piece of cake. He, like, didn't even notice it was gone. I guess he was just too busy."

"Too busy with what?" Leah pressed.

Alicia shrugged. "Just too busy. I went back to my house, the day after we had everything, and he was holed up in our drawing room with some guys. I don't know who they were, but as soon as they saw me get home they closed and locked the door on me. I asked mommy what was going on, but she said she couldn't tell me. That not even daddy told her." She placed her hands on her hips, pouting. "I asked him later that night when we went on our nightly walk with Teeny—"

"—Teeny?" Brady repeated.

"My dog," Alicia explained. "Remember, she was, like, part of my costume at the Halloween party when I was Dorothy?"

Brady only remembered eating copious amounts of candy, leaving the party to stop Shade, and then throwing up all the candy the rest of that night. Truth be told, it felt so long ago that he didn't even remember what his own costume was. Though, it did remind him that he hadn't seen Black Blade in a while. The thought alone didn't sit well with him, among everything else it was like a black hole was starting to form in the center of his very being. Everyone around him was in danger, everyone around him was slowly but surely getting sucked into his double life.

He didn't know how much longer he could stand it.

"Well, what did these guys look like?" Leah pressed. "Do you remember? Any scars? Tattoos?"

"No," Alicia said slowly. "Like, nothing out of the ordinary." She thought for a moment. "Actually, there was this guy there, really tall, dressed really rich. I couldn't really recognize his voice, though, it sounded familiar."

"Anything else?" Leah asked.

"The other guy there wasn't dressed as well as the first one. You could tell he's not from money. He was wearing flannel. And muddy work boots. But they were talking to my daddy really seriously. I couldn't hear what was going on, but I think it might've had something to do with Lex Luthor."

"Did you hear his name brought up?"

"No, I just…" Alicia shook her head, suddenly looking troubled. "I just…had a feeling. But everything was given back just fine. I promise." She earnestly looked to Brady and Leah. "I was telling the truth back there. I don't want anything to happen with the good metas. It's the bad ones we have to figure out."

"That's the problem," Brady said. He sighed, resting his back against her locker, watching everyone in the hallway move about without a care in the world. He wished he remembered what it felt like. Where he wasn't so stressed all the time. Twelve years old and he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Slowly crushing him further every day. "How can you tell a good one from a bad one?"

"The good ones are trying to save the city," Alicia pointed out.

A small smile came to Brady's face. "How do you know the good ones from the bad?"

"Steal from the rich and give to the poor and all that," Leah pointed out. She tucked a ringlet of blonde hair behind her ear. "I guess you can never really tell."

"You're wrong." Alicia's voice was so emphatic, much stronger than it had been before. "You can always tell. If they put other people in harms' way and don't care, they're evil."

"So, is your dad evil, too?" The question slipped from Brady's mouth before he could stop it. Leah gasped quietly while Alicia's eyes widened. Her eyebrows furrowed together, and she lowered her gaze to her feet.

"I don't know," she murmured.

Silence stretched between the three. Leah looked back and forth between them, then cleared her throat, quickly changing the subject. "So, uh, how did you guys do on the math homework? I thought it was kidn of hard. I had to wait for my parents to get back to get their help on it and even they couldn't quite figure it out."

"What are parents good for anyway?" Alicia asked. "They haven't been in school for a bajillion years, like they could ever help." She looped her arm through Leah's, pulling her to her side. "Come on, we have some time before class, let's figure out what we're going to do this weekend. You could come over and we could do makeovers."

"That sounds like fun."

"And after that we can…"

"…What about we…"

"…I think…"

"…Brady?"

Brady's head jerked back, crashing against the lockers behind him. He felt two pairs of hands grab onto him, holding him up. A dark haze swept over his eyes. A shadow covering his vision. Fatigue took over his body. Not again. Not again. Brady shook his head back and forth, fighting to work off the exhaustion. He felt his feet start to give out from beneath him, but Leah and Alicia continued to hold him up.

"Brady! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Brady blinked, slowly feeling the exhaustion wash away. He nodded once, twice, three times. Took a deep breath. "I'm okay," he murmured.

Alicia shook her head, looking over him closely. "You look terrible. You should go to the nurse."

And have her use all her instruments at her disposal to figure out I'm a meta? No thanks. I'd rather alphabetize all of Aunt Caitlin's inventory again. "I'm fine."

Alicia tightened her grasp on his wrist. "Leah, tell the teacher I took him to the nurse. I'll be back as soon as I can." She grabbed her purse from the floor and hitched it up her shoulder before dragging Brady down the hall behind her. "Come on."

"I don't need the nurse."

"Have you looked at yourself lately?"

"Is that supposed to be an insult."

Alicia sighed, brushing her hair back from her eyes. Looked at him closely. "Look, I guess I'm, like, worried about you, okay? You just seem, like, really stressed or whatever. And this whole thing with my dad obviously isn't helping."

Brady tried not to let his surprise show. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I, like, don't want your mom or Barry to lose their jobs. That's why I was so careful with making sure my daddy didn't find out about my taking his files. He might've been table to, like, trace it back to you or something. I don't want your mom to, like, lose her job. From what my daddy says, she can hardly keep one as it is." Brady scowled. "But she does great work."

"That's the only reason why?"

"What other reason would there be?"

"I don't know, Alicia. Up until this past year you never liked me."

"And you didn't like me either." Alicia pouted. Stopped and turned to face him as they arrived at the nurse's office. Dropped his hand after a second. "I didn't like how you thought you were better than the rest of us. You constantly missed school because you were traveling a lot and didn't talk to anyone when you got back. Every year."

Brady nodded. That was hard to explain as well. How could he explain that part of the time he'd been kidnapped and held for ransom, tortured and mistreated for days, weeks all just to get back at his mother. The memories bothered him more than he'd like to admit, but the way it felt that his brain had been breaking when it all came flooding back was the worst part. The part he was…afraid of. Still, how could he tell her that when he couldn't tell her who he was?

Not when it'd put her in so much danger.

"I didn't know what to say," he said honestly. "People already don't like my mom and treat me different because of that. I didn't want to bring attention to myself."

"So how come you didn't like me?" Alicia asked.

Brady gave her a 'duh' look. "Because you're a spoiled brat."

Alicia gave him one back. "Yeah? And?" Brady smiled. She threw her hair over her shoulder. "Anyway, I didn't want to say this before because I wasn't really sure if it would mean anything to you. But since it's like you're so plugged into this meta stuff—"

"I'm not plugged into it." Brady left it at that lame defense, didn't need to bring more attention to himself. "All of Barry's work is with metas. And so are Aunt Caitlin's and Uncle Cisco's work made metas so…"

"Anyway, I thought you might want to know. Those guys that were with Chief Paulson, I think your mom might know one of them."

"Who was it?"

"I think it was Clark Kent."

Brady's nose wrinkled. He pushed off another wave of exhaustion. "Why would Clark Kent be talking to your dad? And why would he be here in Central City? He does reporting work in Metropolis."

"I don't know." Alicia shrugged. "I don't even know for sure it was him. He wasn't dressed like a reporter. Not like he usually does. He looked more comfortable in the flannel, honestly. It's just a feeling. I can't explain it."

"Okay. I'll ask my mom."

Brady wasn't quite sure what she would know that he wouldn't, but things had been changing with Team Flash lately. He'd been able to make his own decisions that the others listened to. Part of him was surprised that Barry and his mom had agreed with his decision to stay back on Earth-1, but they were the ones who thought nothing would happen if they decided their whole team could charge off to Earth-2 without anything happening.

It was naïve, to the point he didn't understand how he could see it but none of the adults—and some of the smartest people on the planet—couldn't see it. Add that they were taking his training and letting him out in the field more seriously and he was truly starting to feel part of something. Of course, there were still times where their overprotection got in the way, but it'd been few and far between the longer Savitar and Alchemy were around.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Alicia asked. "I could wait with you."

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks, Alicia."

"You're welcome." She flashed him a smile over her shoulder as she hurried to class. "I'll see you later."

Brady waved after her then stepped into the nurse's office. He looked around for a moment, not finding her there. He shrugged. A few minutes of sitting on the bed wouldn't be so bad, he'd just explain what happened when she came back. Brady pulled his phone from his pocket, wondering if he should call Ryder and tell him what happened.

Something washed over him then. A feeling, a sense that something was watching him. Brady lifted his chin and looked around the office. An everyday office; a desk that held a computer and a small version of a filing cabinet for mems form the teachers and administrative faculty. A larger filing cabinet that held the medical history of all the students in the school. An examining table, a large cabinet that held all the medicine and bandages for whatever ailments arose, probably filled with EpiPens and inhalers as well. Very reminiscent to the medicine basket in the linen closet in his own apartment.

No cameras.

No motion detectors.

Nothing.

And yet, he still felt that he was being watched.

"Brady."

Brady jumped, whipping around to see Black Blade stepping through a small shadow in the wall, practically contorting himself as he went around. "Are you sure you're not a stalker?" He asked, partially joking. "Because you seem to know where I am all the time. And, my mom's a cop, she has put a lot of people like you in jail."

Black Blade leaned against the filing cabinet, holding a hand against his lower stomach. He breathed heavily, face almost as pale as his hair. "I found you as soon as I could. I don't have a lot of time. There's a lot you need to know."

Barry paced the clearing of the park, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. The last thing he needed was for anyone to notice him and gather around, wanting to get as many pictures and autographs as they could. He'd do anything for his fans and since Flash Day became a thing, there were more people standing around at crime scenes taking pictures and videos while Barry smiled and waved bashfully to them.

This was ten times more important than that.

Cadence leaned against her car, watching as Barry paced. It was probably the slowest she could remember seeing him move as of late. When he wasn't sleeping, anyway. But even through the throes of slumber, Barry managed to most fast. He had restless legs, managing to shift them more times than not as he tried to get comfortable. Kicked her hard enough to bruise when he moved too fast. Then there were the days where he was up at all hours of the night with a brain that wouldn't quiet enough for him to sleep.

It wasn't so often that, during the day, he was so restless when not stopping a meta or fighting crime of some sort. Even when running tests for cases or doing paperwork, he was in a relaxed, serene state. Julian's knowing of his identity had to have thrown him far more than he wanted to let on.

"You're sure he's going to be here?" It took a moment for Barry's question to register to Cadence.

She looped her arm around the steering wheel and leaned back in the driver's seat, smiling a small smile. "Well, I don't think he's ever going to turn down the chance to talk shit about you, so yeah, I think he'll be here." Cadence's smile widened as Barry turned an irritated glance her way. He reached up, fiddling with the hood of his suit, making sure it was snug over his eyes. "If he already knows you're The Flash, I don't think hiding your face is going to make much of a difference."

"You know why I have to wear my mask," Barry said.

"Yep, it's part of the plan," Cadence agreed. Barry looked at her once more. "Sorry, that sounded a lot more sarcastic than I meant it to be. I'm just saying, if he's so emphatic that you're the Flash, do you think showing up in your suit is going to change his mind?"

"It's not about changing his mind, it's about figuring out what he knows."

"Really? Because, to me, it sounds more like your desperation for justice."

Barry planted his hands on his hips. He finally stopped pacing. "If this were Breathtaker that were doing this, or Stratos or Mindboggler, if they didn't let you know until now that they knew your identity, that they had a message for you for what's going to happen in the future, for a future that I'm desperate to stop…" his eyes searched hers. "Wouldn't you do whatever you need to do to get answers."

"Yes," Cadence said readily. "But, all the same, I'm starting to worry about you. Your sense of justice is, borderline, an obsession, and…" she trailed off.

"And?" Barry prompted.

"And, I'm starting to wonder what it's really for." Cadence lifted her gaze from the dashboard to her fiancé. His eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second. A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he turned his head away, moved his hand as if to run through his hair. "Don't give me that look, Tholly."

"Mm?" His eyebrows rose. "What look?"

"That 'Barry-Allen look'," Cadence explained. "Not the wounded puppy one, but the one where you're ready to do something stupid and you're frustrated because you know deep down it's not a good idea and you're starting to regret it even before you've made the decision look."

Barry chuckled in amusement. "Do I really give that many looks?"

"Only the ones I pay attention to," Cadence explained. She started to count on her fingers. "There's those, your guilty look, your pissed look…" she waved a lot of hands. "There's a lot of looks. I've learned to distinguish them."

"I hope you're as good as figuring out if Julian is lying as you are to figure things out with me," Barry said.

"I'd have to spend a lot of time with him if I wanted that. Maybe date a little. Maybe get engaged…" Cadence propped her chin in her palm, watching as Barry's smile widened. Cadence's eyes shifted behind Barry, noticing another car pulling up nearby. "He's here."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Barry asked her.

Cadence snorted. "I think I can handle myself about Julian Albert. I don't know if you've noticed, but he doesn't really put forth an air of being intimidating. I mean, not unless he's got some sort of a magic wand hidden somewhere and can turn me into a frog." She wiggled her fingers, jumping out of the driver's seat, slamming the door shut. The she nodded to the nearby picnic table. "We'll be right there in plain sight. I'll get as much information out of him as possible and let you guys know if he's lying. And once this is all over, we can all go back to our normal lives." She shrugged. "As normal as it is."

"If we get everything we need to know, I'll take you to that restaurant you've always wanted to go to," Barry promised.

"Ooh." Cadence sucked air between her teeth. "Sorry, Flash, I guess I should've mentioned." She lifted her left hand, showing off her engagement ring. "I'm already taken. Got a wedding to plan and everything."

"He's a lucky guy," Barry remarked.

"Oh no, I'm the lucky one." Cadence pressed a hand to her chest as if she were about to swoon. "I haven't met anyone who was wimpy enough that I could completely control. It's great."

Barry's smile immediately faded. He pointed at her. "You're going to pay for that one," he said before zipping out of sight, leaving a streak of lightning behind.

Cadence watched him go, then turned her attention back to Julian, who walked up the grassy knoll toward her. He, for once, looked calm and casual, dressed in a black sweater and jeans. Compared to his tailored suits at work, it was a good change. Enough so that, for a moment, she wondered if she were greeting an old friend. All until he spoke.

"Let's get this over with," he said, hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks. "What is it that you want?"

Cadence's eyelids twitched. She gestured toward the picnic table and the two sat down. She clasped her hands together and leaned toward Julian. If he were to know about her abilities, he'd know to look closely at her eyes. Would know that the blue-green that imperceptivly took on an orange sheen was her looking closely at his body temperature to watch for any change.

"Allen went running to you, has he?" Julian asked, the first to speak. "Spoke to you about what I said to him."

"You mean, what you accused him of," Cadence shot back.

"It's not an accusation when it's based on truth, that's allegation." Julian mimicked her stance, clasping his hands together, leaning toward her. "As a part of the police force, I'd expect you to know that, yeah?"

The side of Cadence's mouth turned up. "I know as much as you do. And plenty more from the numerous areas I've worked within the CCPD. And, as you've incorrectly stated, the way you spoke to Barry about his being a meta was an allegation, not an accusation. As you don't have the proof needed to determine the truth."

Julian chuckled, leaning back. "And you're planning on marrying this guy?" He asked. "The man can never be on time for work, is always flippant about the rules that are put in place for all of us that work at the CCPD, he has blatant disregard for his work, and the moment someone ever tries to speak poorly about him, it's like kicking a bloody puppy." Cadence tried not to snort at the irony of his comment. "All because his bloody parents died?" He paused for a moment, looking away from Cadence. "I'm sorry that happened, a tragic loss like that is very difficult, but it shouldn't give him free reign to do what he pleases."

"If this is a problem with the CCPD, then take it up with the CCPD," Cadence pointed out.

"Don't you think I've tried?" There wasn't a spike in any of his body temperature, not negatively. The intense expression on his face hadn't changed. Julian's hands clenched into fists. He was telling the truth and was angry. "Talking to Captain Singh is like talking to a bloody brick wall. It goes in one ear and out the other. If it were for Chief Paulson, no discipline would go on in that precinct."

"Why not leave then?"

"I have my own reasons for staying, thank you very much." Julian leaned back, stretching his arms over his chest. "But I must ask you the same question." Cadence turned her head, looking at Julian out the corner of her eye. "Why do you defend Barry so much? Working at the CCPD, when you were a medical examiner no less. His tardiness and absence had to have put a toll on your own work."

"I did okay."

Julian continued to eye her as suspiciously as she did him. "Or, maybe it's the same thing. Your feelings for Allen cloud your judgement. Isn't there a rule against dating within the police force?"

"Can't date within the same department," Cadence explained, already ready with the answer. She and Barry, since making their relationship official to announce to the CCPD, had scoured the company policy on what was allowed of their relationship. There was a gray area of their dating when she was still a Medical Examiner and he was a CSI; working within the same department but under different bosses. Barry reported directly to Captain Singh while Cadence reported to another Captain. "Though that's not entirely any of your business."

"I mean, it must be difficult having to sleep next to someone who manages to ruin nearly everything he touches."

Cadence ran a hand through her hair, her eyebrows twitching upwards. "Sleep next to or sleep with? Because I can assure you that both are amazing."

"Isn't that grounds for harassment?"

"We can ask Captain Singh, considering you were the one who brought up the conversation topic in the first place."

Julian's upper lip curled. "What is it that you called me out here for?"

Fell right into my trap. Cadence's smile widened. She leaned toward him, resting her chin atop of her hands. "You work as the Meta-human CSI Expert, I'd expect you to know who is or isn't a metahuman considering all the work you've had to do to get the job in the first place."

Julian cleared his throat. "Yes, well, before there was the position of the Meta-human CSI Expert at the CCPD I've done my fair share of studying it. Which, thankfully, fell in line with my studies."

"I thought you were a archaeologist."

"I was. Archaeology has a lot to do with what I do as a CSI, it is the study of human history after all."

"And what have you found out about human history in comparison to metahumans?"

"That there are more remarkable people in the world than we've ever thought there were," Julian said. He tilted his head, running a hand through his hair. "So much so that, if I can make a good link, I can prove there have been metahumans for years and more to come."

Just like Breathtaker, Cadence thought. She thought back to the conversation she'd had with Caitlin and Iris with their theory. The four horsemen of the apocalypse. Breathtaker's wanting to take over the world as long as he could live. He'd lived for years…Cadence continued to watch Julian. Wondered if she could get him to slip up. "And you think Barry is one of those remarkable people?"

"Ordinarily I'd have to say 'no'." Julian's voice was flat. "There's nothing remarkable about Barry Allen, but considering he is a metahuman, I'd have to say that's the only thing I can say is truly remarkable."

"And you're sure about that? That he's a metahuman?"

"I can just about guarantee it."

Cadence's lips pursed. "What if I told you I could prove that he's not?"

"I can assure you I've never been surer of anything in my life." With that, Cadence brought her hand across her forehead, swiping her fringe to the side, so that her hair moved out of her eyes. She scratched her forehead, just above her left temple. The moment she lowered her hand, there was a gust of wind that blew across the clearing, making Julian jump.

His eyes went from the Flash to Cadence and back again. Cadence watched Julian's every move. He shifted his hands from the table top, curling his fingers to his palms, dropped them to his lap. He was slowly starting to grow nervous. Cadence smirked. The small movement of her mouth was pointed, increasing the temperature around Julian. He shifted in his seat. "What's going on?" He demanded.

Barry folded his arms. "Let's just say you're going to be our guest for a while." His vocal chords vibrated rapidly, disguising his voice.

Julian's eyes narrowed into slits. Anger. Cadence felt and saw the burst of his body temperature. "You," Julian spat. "I always suspected that you had your own ways of getting around the police's work when interrogating your enemies." He glared back and forth between him and Cadence. "You want to explain why I'm here?"

"I know You're Alchemy, Julian," Barry said.

Julian snorted. "I don't know what you're on about, Allen, but I'm not Alchemy."

"You're turning innocent people into metahumans," Barry continued, ignoring the way his stomach clenched when Julian called him, 'Allen'. So sure that he was indeed Barry and not just some man who was the impossible. "Worshiping Savitar?"

Cadence continued to watch Julian. Her eyes continued to glow orange, increasing in the shine as she watched him. She looked at Barry out the corner of her eye. He looked back at her, seemingly unconvinced. "You think I'm Alchemy?" An incredulous laugh escaped Julian's lips. He grasped the edge of the picnic table, the wood creaking beneath his grasp. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard in my life. It's absurd. And anyway, I should be asking you about your double life."

His eyes shifted behind Cadence, eyes widening. Cadence looked over her shoulder and smiled, seeing Barry come their way, running as fast as he could go. He stopped at the table, gasping for air, pressing his hand into the picnic table. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "It took me a little while to…well, to find this…" He pulled fabric from behind his back, dropping it to the top of the picnic table.

An ominous wind blew as the three looked over the fabric, a mask with a long beak at the front. "What is that?" Julian asked.

"It's a mask," Barry replied. He started to stutter. "A-a mask I found in your…uh, our lab."

"You went through my things?" Julian spat.

Cadence jumped on his slip-up. "So, you admit this mask is yours?"

"No!" He spat back. Angry. "I've never seen that mask before in my life." He pointed a shaky finger at her. "You're trying to set me up. You're framing me, aren't you?" He laughed again. Another incredulous laugh. His eyes shifted to the Flash then to Barry and back. A new wave of disgust washed over his face. "The Flash of all people setting me up."

Barry, as The Flash, shook his head. "You're insane," he murmured. But Julian wasn't able to be quelled from what he thought he knew.

"The great hero is trying to set me up!"

Barry, as the Flash, started to ask a question, but Cadence broke in. She could only listen to Julian's incessant ramblings for so long. Most of the time I can ignore it, but now it's getting annoying. "Have you ever been losing time? Blacking out?" Julian scowled at her. She pressed on. "Hours pass, you wake up somewhere different? Not sure how you've gotten there?"

"No," Julian said flatly.

"No?" Barry repeated.

"No," Julian spat. His eyes shot back and forth between Barry and Cadence. "And I'm tired of your baseless accusations and ridiculous theories."

"Julian, we're trying to help you," Barry, as The Flash, said. He reached out a hand, making Julian back away. Afraid to be touched. "But you need to trust me."

"Why should I trust you?" Julian demanded.

"Because, you're Alchemy. I don't think you're aware of it."

Julian folded his arms over his chest, smug. "Well, there's just one problem with that theory, Flash,"

Again, Cadence watched Julian through the conversation. She tilted her head. Something about the way he was suddenly so smug...she wasn't quite sure what the connection was, but something about the manic look in his eye made her ask, "What do you know about the philosopher's stone."

Julian rolled his eyes. "What I've already told the Flash before. I'm sure he could've filled you in." He eyed the Flash warily. "We went to India, we looked for it, we found it. Next thing I remember, I woke up in the hotel room with my team slaughtered. I fled to America; my team had been found dead at the site. I thought they would blame me for their deaths, so I ran. I already have that weight of the world on my shoulders, you can't pin anything else on me that shouldn't be. No matter the silly little games you've been playing to frame me, especially with this two-cent piece of rubbish." He jabbed at the mask.

"I know you don't like me, Julian, but you've accused me of being a meta—"

"—And to get back at me you've decided to accuse me of helping the very thing I can't stand?" Julian shook his head. "I knew you were a weak man, Allen, but I guess I never knew how weak." He looked to Cadence, his words dripping with sarcasm. "I hope with your upcoming nuptials that you understand what you're getting into. I'll be sure to send you both a toaster as you live out the rest of your miserable lives. Now…" he glared at the three. "Are we done here?"

"Don't go too far," Barry, as The Flash, replied.

"I'm anticipating your visit."

With that, Julian walked back to his car. He climbed inside and peeled away from the park. The second his car disappeared around the corner, Barry, as The Flash, let out a loud groan and collapsed onto the bench next to Cadence. The second he sat down, Barry, the speed mirage, disappeared, leaving Barry gasping heavily, bringing a hand to his chest.

"You okay?" Cadence asked, running her fingers through his hair.

Barry reached up and yanked off his hood, beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks. "I've never run that fast before." He took in another deep breath. "Did you get everything we need?"

"And more."

A/N: This chapter was twice as long, but I ended up cutting it in half. That being said, Black Blade returns and has a bigger part from the story on out, thanks again for DarkHelm145 for coming up with him for me. As well, with the rest of the story there are going to be major changes with the way things went on the show (as per usual) so I hope things continue to be exciting as the story goes on.

Thank you all for being so patient for this update. For those wondering, Brady, now that he's older, will have a large part in the next story. To the point that you'll see a lot of his school life, not just parts in the hallway between classes, and what I've revealed on tumblr/twitter where he has a love interest. Also, as a warning, the next story will start as a 'T' rating and eventually move to a 'M' one.

I hope you're all excited.

Cheers,

-Riley

Review Replies

Ethan: They'd have to have skin to skin contact for Savitar to mind-meld with Barry, thus revealing himself to Barry for it to work.

DarkHelm145: Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed this one as well!