50

Changing Tides

Things in Central City were changing. With the Reverse-Flash and the Flash's appearance, there was a healthy level of skepticism that came from everyone in Central City. People talked about the metas that were starting to appear and wreak havoc, but there were still those that were able to come up with rational explanations for what could be going on.

With Zoom, there were those that started to wonder. Wondered what had been going on in their city. There were plenty that were able to link it to Harrison Wells's Particle Accelerator blowing up. There were more than enough people who could be equated to their lives changing to that night. There were more than enough pieces of evidence that could prove Harrison knew the Particle Accelerator was going to blow up, kill people, and make it so that others would become the impossible. Zoom's presence, then the arrival of Trajectory and other metas were what cemented the city to being 'home of the weird' rather than 'home of the Flash'.

Flash Day was forgotten about as the tides turned.

People were starting to wonder whether metahumans were helping or hurting the city. It was an even divide. Those for what the Flash was doing and those against. There were enough people that were starting to cause a ruckus within Central City. Those that tagged 'Death to Metas' on as many buildings as possible. Chats and open spaces for discourse on the internet brought out more people who could anonymously vent about how metahumans were menaces and all needed to be eradicated, including the Flash and Flare. Those that had the vilest and most hated things to say about metahumans that Savitar's presence didn't stop.

As a matter of fact, Savitar being around helped support the fanning of the flames of those that were against metahumans. But there were those that continued to think metahumans like the Flash and Flare being around were life savers. They felt safer than they'd ever had; not having to just rely on the police wo may or may not come in a timely manner. Their city could be rebuilt from any damage that was done sooner than any officials could have it done. Crime rates lowered. Casualties lowered. The quality of life in Central City was approving.

And yet, people like Lex Luthor were doing their best to affect all the super heroics that they'd been able to achieve. That is, until the gorillas attacked. Until the missiles were launched and Flash and Flare couldn't stop one. Lives were lost. It was a harsh blow against their popularity amongst the citizens of the city.

News reports flashed across the screen day by day, always speaking about what do to about the 'metahuman problem'.

"In today's local news, the Metahuman Problem. Lex Luthor is continuing to hold his campaign platform against the eradication of metahumans within Central City. Last year, CCPD's police chief, Chief Paulson was at the forefront of pushing a Metahuman Registration Act forward. An Act where, if it was passed as law, those that were found to be metahumans were to register themselves; that is their identities, address, occupation, and power sets, into a database that would allow the public to know who they're surrounding themselves with."

"Hm." Cadence hummed, watching the reporter on CCPN. She was just doing her job, reporting the facts, but Cadence could still fell, even through the TV screen, that the reporter had her own thoughts on the matter. If the way her lips twitched as if holding off a smile was any indication. "Sounds like they want to add us to a sexual predator list," she murmured, running a hand through her hair.

"Though there hasn't been any momentum with the Registration Act, the climate of the citizens of Central City can't be ignored. Protests are popping up around the city, those protesting Harrison Wells' STAR Labs, feeling the monetary payout they received was not enough to recuperate the pain and loss those suffered from the night the Accelerator went off. Then there are those that are questioning our very own superheroes, Flash and Flare. Though their numbers of favorability continue to hold steady, there are those that are starting to question their presence within the city, blaming them for the constant stream of metahuman, alien, and dare I say, impossible, attacks that have come across the city. This news comes on the tail of Flare's destruction of an apartment building, of which we still haven't received word for her motivations of doing so, and the missile launch that killed innocent campers in the nearby forest.

"What this all means for the future of Central City and our resident heroes we don't know. But it's safe to say Central City isn't as central in its way of thinking as it used to be."

Cadence lowered the volume on the TV as the reporter signed off and the news station changed to a commercial. She lowered her head, bringing her hand up to rub over her face and the back of her neck, pressing her fingers into her pressure points to relieve some of the tension that mounted in her shoulders.

"Mom," Brady said from beside her. He reached out a hand, gently inching a plate toward her across the coffee table. The frustration in his voice as he said, "You have to eat something," proved he'd been trying to get her attention throughout the duration of the news cast.

Cadence glanced down at the plate filled with eggs and avocado toast, almost as if not recognizing it. Then she took a piece of toast and took a large bite. Licking crumbs off her lips she said, "Thanks bud," before turning up the volume on the TV once more when the news came back on. This time on a story about a new technology company that was going to be built in the middle of downtown Central City.

Brady glanced at the screen and sighed heavily, slumping against the buttery leather of the couch. His attention was already diverted from the news reports, even if metahumans were the focal topic, it bored him. "Mom?"

Cadence looked at him again.

"When are we going home?"

"We are home."

"No, I mean home with Barry."

Cadence sighed and dropped her hand, tapping her toast against the plate in front of her. She watched the crumbs fall to the hardwood floor, knowing Harrison and Tess would be upset seeing their immaculate home messed up. Unlike Maya—and by extension, Cadence, when she was young—who lived with maids and butlers to help keep a house—Harrison and Tess did all the cleaning and upkeep of their home themselves. And as guests to that home, she should've treated it with more respect.

But, in that moment, she wasn't sure what to think. It wasn't that she hadn't expected Brady's question to come, he'd asked it almost every day since they'd left the loft. And while Cadence always responded with 'soon' and he'd not pushed the topic any further, it was something they'd needed to think about. Since knowing Savitar was Barry from the future and knew everything they were doing…it made the most sense that they couldn't be around each other too much in case Savitar, finding out something they may come up with to take him down.

Albeit a bit selfishly, Cadence still couldn't be around him for a long time. Couldn't look at his face and wonder if it truly was Barry who she was talking to or Savitar. Not that being apart was difficult by any means. Work ramped up for them; Barry consistently went out to field cases that allowed him to get lost in the mysteries of what happened to victims and crime scenes. There were more than enough crimes going on in Central City—not to mention chemical tests and backlogged cases he needed to finish—that took up most of his time. Whether or not people felt they could get away with more due to the hatred of metas, bringing the Flash to certain crime scenes, they weren't sure. But Barry started to spend long hours in the lab and even longer hours patrolling the city.

Cadence, on the other hand, buried her head in her case work. There were many times she visited houses of neglectful parents, new parents that simply needed help in how to raise their newborn children, parents addicted to drugs who were on their last chances before their children were taken away, and those she took from danger and into police custody. There were only so many times she could see the fear-filled, innocent faces of children peeking around corners when she arrived or looked up at her when she asked them questions before she started to take it home.

It was something she tried her hardest not to do; compartmentalized her life into multiple pieces; mother, daughter, fiancée, friend, sister, CCPD affiliate, hero in secret…it was bound to spill over.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"—Don't be sorry, bud, you just asked a question." Cadence looked at her son with a small smile. Nudged his shoulder with her own. "Never stop asking questions, remember?"

Brady smiled, both remembering Henry Allen's suggestion to Brady years before. It seemed like such a long time ago. It'd only been a few years at best, but it seemed like forever since she first met Barry and the others, since Brady first met them and learned their identities with nothing more than excitement.

Since she'd gotten to know the best friends she'd ever known; her found family. Everyone at STAR Labs was her family, she couldn't imagine anything ever happening to them, would throw herself in front of certain death for them. Ironically, it's what she would be doing within the next couple of days.

It hit her then.

How fast everything had been moving. She looked down at the ring that glistened on her finger, along with the one she had on her pinkie. One from her fiancé and one from her father. It was funny how much she missed them. She'd always miss her father, but in terms of Barry, she missed her best friend.

Not that they didn't have their moments where they were easily reminded that they were best friends; moments where Cadence would laugh hysterically at Barry's laugh that was a mixture between a wheeze and a honk, where they'd argue over who had the better sports teams between their respective home cities, where they made bets over simple challenges—which reminded her that Barry still needed to dye his hair blonde, binge watching Netflix shows, going to the movies, going to the pool hall.

Their romance and friendship were interchangeable, and Cadence never realized how much she would miss it until her mortality was staring her in the face.

"Anyway, don't you have to get ready for school?" Cadence quickly changed the subject.

But Brady was adept this mother's mannerisms and noticed it immediately. "Are you going to die?" He asked quietly. So quietly, that Cadence knew it was something that bothered him for a while. No matter how brave both of them tried to be, it was something they probably should've talked about sooner than later. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Nothing, you'll be with Ryder," Cadence said. But she knew that's not what he meant. He meant, 'what's going to happen to me without my mom?' As much as Barry was her best friend and Connor was Brady's, she and Brady were the most important people in each other's lives.

Spending over eight years by themselves, there were more than enough time for them to create an unbreakable bond. From the first time Brady smiled to his constant eyerolling, they tackled everything in their lives together. There were rough patches here and there; many times where Brady would beg for the newest toy and she'd have to turn him down time and time again due to lack of money, where she'd let out her frustration on him when he was doing nothing but being his usual questioning, charismatic self, where they argued like rabid dogs which showed the smaller age gap between them than most others would have. But she wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

Even if her death seemed certain, she was going to do her best to fight back from the dead for him, for her friends, and for herself.

Cadence put her arm around Brady's shoulder, snuggling him to her side. He rested his head on her shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh. Tears came to Cadence's eyes, knowing it may be one of the last times she'd be able to cuddle him like that, whether it was from her death or the inevitable time where the last thing he wanted was to be seen with her, it may be the last time to do it.

In the next couple of days…

"And Barry will still be here for you. And Cisco, and Wally, and Iris, and Joe, and Jesse when she visits and—" Cadence broke off when she saw Brady bow his head, making his fringe hang in his face. He surreptitiously wiped at his eyes. Cadence pressed a kiss to the side of his head and hugged him tighter. The two sat in silence for a long while until Cadence noticed the time and said, "You should get ready for school."

"Okay," Brady murmured. He stood up and reached for Cadence's plate.

She quickly pulled it away. "That's mine," she declared to his wounded expression on response.

"I made it," Brady protested, already—and thankfully—moving on from the sad moment before. "You just get to eat it."

"And I gave birth to you and decide to let you live," Cadence shot back. She pointed towards the sprawling front hall, leading to the empty foyer and the marble staircase that led to his room within Harrison's and Tess's house. "Go."

Brady rolled his eyes, turning his body at the same time and started towards the stairs. He made it most of the way before deciding to phase the rest of the way. Cadence briefly wondered if his refusal of a cape on his suit was a good idea, before leaning over to answer her ringing phone. She looked at the time, making note that she'd be late for Frankie's court appearance if the call went on too long.

It'd shocked her when Frankie approached her in STAR Labs. In a good and bad way. In a good way as she hadn't seen the young girl in a long time, and she looked better. Her hair wasn't as matted, her clothes were as baggy and dingy; instead her mousy brown hair lightened to a golden brown and she wore clothes that were more in line with what teenagers were wearing those days. Most importantly, she smiled more. Even with the court case against her former foster father looming closer and closer—which brought her to Central City and seeking out the fire metahuman.

Cadence felt guilty about that, she'd put off responding to Frankie's attempts at contacts due to so much time being spent on Savitar and Breathtaker.

She saw Iris's name come up on her phone and hurried to answer it. "Hey Iris, I don't have a lot of time—"

"—You need to make time for this," Iris said. Cadence's eyebrows came together, hearing rapid footsteps and her heavy breathing. Straining, Cadence could also hear honking horns, the quintessential sounds of Central City. "It's important."

Cadence's heart immediately began to race. "What's going on?"

"They're finding metas."

"What? Who's finding metas?"

"Lex Luthor, Chief Paulson, Mayor Bellows, I'm not sure where all this ties to, but it may stem as far back as the government. They're looking for metas and they're finding them." Iris took a deep breath. "Do you remember that project you asked me to do?"

Cadence felt her heart drop to her feet. She did remember. She hadn't expected to get much out of it. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well, I haven't forgotten. At first, I didn't think there was much to it, I mean we talk about metas and do stories about them all the time at work. But once Chief Paulson started his tirade against you and Barry and Kara and Debby once they came to our Earth, I knew something was changing. And since then, there've been more and more people who are spreading their message that metas need to go. Including Lex Luthor."

"Well, what did you find out?" Cadence pressed. She started to pace the large floor of the living room. She brought her free hand up, starting to chew on her fingernails. She only managed to do it for a few seconds before her mother's nagging voice, "Stop biting your nails," a reprimand she heard for years, entered her head.

"It's bad, Cade. They're targeting a lot of the young kids in the city to see if they'd rat out their parents or anyone else they know how are metas or vigilantes in any way. You remember those cars that Brady said followed him to school?"

That was so long ago. "Yeah, sort of. He said something to Oliver about it."

"And Oliver said there were watching them. And that was shortly before all the meta-dampening tech was added to the school. Officially, they said the meta-dampening work and cameras were added to keep the students safe from any attacks that would go on inside, but what if they were trying to figure out who were metas inside the school?"

Cadence nodded quietly, allowing Iris to keep going. Investigations were her wheel-house and it seemed she was excited to get as much information together as she could. "And that CPS representative that came to talk to you and Ryder."

"We already knew about that one," Cadence interrupted. ""Natalie was Natalie. Until she talked to Ryder, that was Incognito pretending to be her to find out more about me."

"Yes, but shouldn't Incognito already know everything about you?"

"Well, I wouldn't say we were BFFs or anything."

"Cade, think. All of that happening together, and then suddenly Brady needs to get new shots where a letter hadn't been sent home from the school board warning you of the immunizations needed? Not to mention, you can't find any information on the shots anywhere. Nothing. I called the school for a quote and they gave me the run around before naming the drug. And then I remembered Ryder telling me that he didn't feel comfortable when Brady was at the office because they needed his fingerprints—"

"—They needed his fingerprints?"

"The nurse insisted on getting his fingerprints. Cade, all of this put together; the metahuman registration act, the encompassing technology in the school, this new vaccine, wanting fingerprints…consistently being questioned about your work, where you go, the Assassination Bureau knowing what you're doing every step of the way, it's not a coincidence. It's like they—"

"—wanted this all to happen," Cadence interrupted. She paused. Then felt incredibly moronic. How could she have been so stupid not to have seen it before? How could any of them have missed everything that had been going on for the past…well, since she first arrived in Central City? How could any of them had been so blind to see anything that would come up from metahumans appearing in the city?

More importantly, how did they not notice people coming closer to them?

"Do you have anything on your plate today? Any big stories?"

"I cleared my schedule to work on this, I was going to pitch it to my boss—"

"—When you're done, come to STAR Labs. We need to tell the others about this. And I need to talk to Ryder."

Iris paused, as if surprised by Cadence's sudden change in demeanor. It probably wasn't that, Cadence realized. But that she was realizing her own mortality and was working on tying up loose ends at work before the inevitable. "Right, yeah, uh, I can be there soon. I just have some things that I need to do."

"See you soon." Cadence gripped her phone tighter. "And Iris?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for all your help."

"…Yeah."

The girls hung up and Cadence turned back toward Brady as he phased through the floor to stand next to her. He hitched his backpack up his shoulder. Cadence immediately grasped his shoulder. "You're not going to school today," she declared.

Brady's eyes widened in surprise. His long lashes framed his hazel eyes, making him appear much younger and more innocent than the past few years would have anyone believe. "I'm not?" He asked.

"No. You're coming with me."

HR hummed to himself as he waited for the STAR Labs elevator to bring him up to the floor that held Harry's office. It's not his office, it's my office, he remembered Cisco practically snarling at him when HR referred to it as such once. Right, sorry, Cisco's office. Not that it mattered much, there were a bajillion offices within the entire building and they had to fight over the one that gave them the most to work with.

It was ridiculous, and yet Cisco graciously let them take over his workshop once they explained why they brought in Tracy Brand and how they could help her. However, HR also knew it was because Cisco couldn't stand to spend too much time in STAR Labs without becoming too unencumbered by memories of a best friend that didn't work there anymore. That wasn't part of their team.

And teamwork was important.

While HR tended to stand back on the sidelines, he still felt that he was a big part of Team Flash. A part that made them less serious sometimes. A part that reminded them how to laugh. How to have a good time and see the bright side of life, let alone to think about their problems in different ways. That's why he was so adamant about the STAR Labs Museum opening and continued to push for that opening.

Sure, they were a bit preoccupied with Savitar at the moment, but the STAR Labs Museum was something they could really use. But, that morning, what they needed more than anything else was something to keep their energy levels going.

Coffee.

And that's why he was ready and willing to go to Jitters and order up a bunch of coffees for the team of extraordinary gentlemen—and ladies—that would be coming up with what would ultimately take down who was actually one of their own.

The doors to the elevator opened and HR continued the jovial bounce in his step that took him toward the workshop. He stepped inside, gleefully brandishing the tray of drinks towards Harrison, Tess, and Tracy. "Good morning my scientific chums. Are you all ready for a break for that nutritious, delicious, and not exactly healthy in terms of possible carcinogenic additions to a drink that keeps us all awake and alive?"

Tess chuckled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Good Morning, HR."

"Is it morning?" Tracy popped her head out from behind what looked like a rocket launcher, blinking rapidly. She rubbed her eyes with gloved hands, dropping a wrench as she did so. It clanged to the ground but she didn't move to retrieve it. "Oh." She looked at a clock that hung on the wall and yawned. "I guess it is."

"Been working all night?" HR guessed.

Harrison's lips pressed together in a strained smile. "And not making any sort of progress," he said.

HR nodded, as if he knew exactly what Harrison meant. As if he hadn't been asleep at a reasonable hour the night before, sleeping soundly with no worries to keep him up at night. "Well, let's hope that this manages to perk you up a little, huh?" He gestured with the tray of coffee once more. "I myself will have a triple shot no whip mocha Flash." He set his drink aside then moved to Tess.

"And for Mrs. Wells, classic and cool, we've got a nice jasmine tea with a lemon drop." HR handed the drink to Tess, who smiled and nodded her thanks. Then he moved to Harrison. "I would think a straight black coffee for you, but that's more of a Harry Wells sort of thing. So I got you a lot of cream and sugar to put in it as well." He lifted the cup, as if tipping his hat towards Harrison.

Harrison merely grunted his thanks and pushed up his glasses to rub his eyes.

"And for the lovely lady," HR said, turning toward Tracy, his smile widening, eyes shining brighter.

Tracy quickly held up her hands. "Oh, well, I couldn't expect you to know what I like to drink. It changes on my mood. I'm always changing it, but I guess, right now I need to calm down." The corner of her mouth turned up into a sheepish smile. "So, I don't know if you got me a Zoom but—"

HR blinked at her blankly. "A Zoom? W-what's a Zoom?"

"Oh!" Tracy's eyes shifted aside. She reached up and brushed her hair from her face. A move that was casual amongst many people, but seemed nervous as she did so. All her movements appeared to be nervous and jerky. As if she were waiting for someone to jump out at her. "Well, a Zoom is a triple espresso with a shot of cayenne—"

"—with a shot of cayenne," HR harmonized, bringing the cup over to her. Tracy let out a quiet squeal of surprise, wrapping her hands around the cup and eagerly taking a sip.

"I figured you were that kind of girl. Vivacious, always on the go. Always willing to jump out and do what she wants to do, even if others don't think it's a good idea." HR bobbed his head back and forth. "I kind of see the good in people, that's my job around here."

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Harrison and Tess exchange knowing smiles as they quietly continued on…whatever it was they were working on. HR smiled at Tracy, who smiled back, and suddenly became at a loss for words. He cleared his throat and turned to the semi-rocket launcher and asked, "So, what do we have here?"

"Oh!" Tracy swallowed and lowered her cup. She placed it precariously on the edge of a table—which Tess swept up as she moved by, and gestured towards the mechanism. "Well, we're not quite sure what it is yet, it's all just going off an idea."

"Mhm." HR rubbed his chin.

"It goes along with what Tess had been studying for her thesis," Harrison explained. "All tying into quantum mechanics."

"But, focusing more on speedsters," Tess agreed. "Which is why we sought her out in the first place. Tracy had quite a reputation for herself around CCU. There were whispers of what she talked about here or there, I even sat on a few of her presentations and speaking engagements to get a firsthand look on what she was studying."

"I didn't know that," Tracy said. She shuffled her feet, embarrassed by the attention coming her way. Years of thinking she was less than had certainly affected her, HR noticed. Not that he didn't know hwat it meant. He could easily commiserate. How many times had he been pushed aside for what Randolph Morgan could do despite all the help HR had given him as well.

They were partners and yet he was regarded as something less than. Nevertheless, HR continued to work to the best of his abilities, all with a positive outlook on life. If he could spread that to Earth-1, then he was certainly going to do his best to do so.

"Yes, you've made quite a reputation for yourself in the science world," Harrison remarked. He kept his eyes on the side of the machine, twisting a wrench to the bolts that were attached to it. He paused long enough to give a fond smile. "Always ahead of your time."

"Oh. Well." Blushing, Tracy motioned for HR to move closer to her. HR dutifully stepped forward, spinning a drumstick around his fingers as he did so. "This is what we've been working on," she explained. Tracy cleared her throat and said, "When it comes to speedsters, there wasn't much research on them as you could all understand." She looked to her audience before continuing. "One day Central City is the quintessential metropolitan city and the next, there's a speedster running around saving people. Stopping giant tornadoes. And there are those that are using their newfound powers to their advantage.

"I always wondered what it was that made the speedster continue to run as fast as they could," Tracy continued. "What made it so that they didn't run out steam, so to speak? I assume they'd have to consume a lot of calories a day—"

"—About 10,000," Harrison agreed.

"—right, that aside. What is it that generates their ability to move at such high speeds. It was then I noticed that with every speedster, they generate some sort of lightning behind them. But," Tracy held up a finger, eyes growing wide, "I don't think all of it is generated from running. I think it's coming from somewhere. I think it comes from that Speed Force thing that you all have explained to me."

"Right…" HR said slowly.

That wasn't anything new. His crash course on the Speed Force had certainly been a crash course. One handshake from Harrison and Harry had made it so that everything they'd learned over their lives slammed into his brain. Even that small portion that was Eobard Thawne was nestled somewhere in there, giving him the information about speedsters and the speed force that others could only hope to understand.

"So, I've been doing some calculations and I think there might be a way to manipulate that lightning that's generated; maybe even control it."

"Right, right!" Excitedly, HR wiggled his finger. Now he knew what she was getting at. "There's, that move I love, you know that." He punched the air a few times. "That lightning throw. That supersonic punch. Great moves by young Master Allen if I do say so myself."

"Well, we're thinking of this being on a grander scale," Harrison explained. Each word of his was punctuated with a twist of the wrench. "We know Savitar was in the Speed Force prison, what if we could manipulate that?"

"I don't know, I think there are some laws you have to pass to be able to manipulate a prison," HR joked. Harrison smiled, chuckling quietly while Tess rolled her eyes.

"You're definitely a version of my husband," she murmured.

"And yet, I don't remember ever meeting a version of you on my Earth." HR whipped out his phone and started to bring up a draft document. "Is your full name 'Tess' or is that short for something. Like Tessa? Beatrice?" He looked at the three faces that looked him blankly and practically jumped. "Right, right, not the time. Now's not…it's really not…" he cleared his throat and gestured towards Tracy. "Please, continue."

"That energy from the speed force, the lightning that comes off his suit. What if we were able to harness that energy? The light reflects off Savitar's suit in a way that is unlike any other metallic compound I've ever seen. In simple terms it's called 'strange metal' it's a theoretical compound capable of dispersing heat at high temperatures."

"Similar to the boosts that Cadence can give him," Harrison agreed.

Tracy took over her explanation once more. "I think Savitar moves so fast that he needs that suit to neutralize the charge he builds up around him. So, if we could build a device capable of harnessing that power, theoretically we could use his own velocity against him. And de-power him."

Lightbulbs started to go off in HR's head. A way to depower him. Using his velocity against him? Something that may be manipulated? They didn't just need whatever this contraption was going to be. They needed something bigger. Something that was flashed in front of them throughout every encounter they'd have with Savitar.

"With a—" Tracy started.

"Speed Force Canon," Harrison declared.

"Speed Force Bazooka," HR said, broke in.

"Speed Force Gun…" Tracy said at the same time as the two versions of Harrison, throwing her hands up into the air in fanfare of her idea. She slowly. "Okay, well, the Speed Force Bazooka sounds better. But if we don't get it working soon, it'll be an epic fail."

"It's not going to be an epic fail, sweetie," Tess reprimanded her. She sighed heavily, moving her bangs off her forehead. "Though it certainly has been that way so far."

"You just need to take a step back from it and let yourself relax," HR chided them. He stopped to take a long sip of his Flash. "Because sometimes to move forward you just need to take a step back." HR chuckled to himself. "Or, as we're dealing with Speedsters here, a million steps back. And what is the best step backwards of all of this?" He spread his arms wide, grin as wide as a rainbow, waiting for the response.

Instead, he received three blank looks.

HR's exuberance waned slightly. "You guys. Come on! It's obvious, it's—Flashpoint, right? Right? Flashpoint started this all. But it started everything when Barry went back to create Flashpoint. But what started everything here on this Earth?" HR pointed towards the ground. Still, he received nothing but stares. "It'd be Flashpoint again, but what created the metas and the problems in the first place?"

"Alchemy," Tess replied.

"Yes!" HR pointed at her and jumped up and down excitedly. "Right! Correct Beatrice! Now, Alchemy was the catalyst. And the entire time, he had the Philosopher's stone at his disposal. You guys…we just need the Philosopher's Stone and we're golden!"

Savitar twisted his mouth to the side as he looked at his suit. It seemed to be in working order. He hadn't expected to receive so much damage from Barry's attack. Didn't think there was going to be any sort of pushback from a man he deemed so weak and pathetic.

Then again, he had taunted Barry easily. Threw everything in his face that rounded him to be the person he was. Knew exactly where to hit him where it hurt. Especially considering it hurt him to say the same things. There were more than enough times he'd wanted to explain to Barry everything he'd managed to feel and experience within the Speed Force but couldn't muster the emotion.

He didn't need words when what he really needed was to watch Barry squirm and beg for his life before killing him.

Savitar turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, ready to snap at Killer Frost for interrupting him during his work once more. She was so annoying at times, constantly wondering what he was doing to move his plan forward. Once he was done with everything else, he'd kill her himself. That is, if the future weren't set in stone and she decided to get herself offed by her best friend.

That was a battle he was excited to see, to see what turns two people who are so caring into murdering each other without a second thought. If being in the Speed Force so long turned him into that sort of monster, what was it about Killer Frost and Cadence's mindset that would turn them into murderers.

Well, Savitar reminded himself. She already is a murderer.

The thought turned through Savitar's head as he turned to find Breathtaker standing behind him. Not just Breathtaker, but Stratos, Mindboggler, White Hot, The Top, Mirror Master, and another meta he'd never seen before, standing all with him.

"It's time," Breathtaker said.

Savitar grinned. He'd waited years for this. "Finally."

A/N: It's starting. It's starting! Or, well, ending. I can't wait for you guys to see everything. If I don't get another update to this anytime soon (or any of my other stories) please all have a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!

Cheers,

-Riley

Review Replies

Ethan: It's not going to be the last heartbreaking moment, that's for sure.

DarkHelm145: I'm glad it worked out better than the show. I take it as a massive complement considering I hated how the reveal on the show worked out, plus it makes more sense to me for it to be the original Barry. (Though I"m sure it can be explained away as well, lol).

XxGeekyxX: It won't be the only time. .Some more of it is coming.

Yummers: Well, I'm glad my emotional points of it worked out so well.