53

Vertigo

Jesse rolled across the ground the second she felt the pull of a speedster subside. She gasped in surprise, pressing her palms against the ground, pushing her upper body up to take in her surroundings. It looked like what would be a roman battle arena, though on a smaller scale. She was underground, that was for sure. A stale, almost sickeningly wet breeze came from somewhere, brushing through their hair.

Almost as if a sea creature had pulled its fingers through her hair. Jesse shuddered as she stood up. Her eyes adjusted to the dim lightning, a broken, streaky light that worked through a dust covered lightbulb. Its harsh light cut across her face.

Jesse brought up her gloved hand to shield her eyes. It was then she noticed a figure in the distance, more lights cutting on at the same time. It made her jump. Jesse took a step back, then clenched her hands into fists. Something wasn't quite right, with how quickly she'd arrived…

Savitar was faster than she though. She hoped the figure before her was him. Wanted to see for herself. Wanted to be able to let him know how she felt about him. She'd been nothing but worried when Wally was taken into the Speed Force, completely helpless to help him in any way. Barry had sat her on the sidelines, just because he felt she wasn't ready to take on something as big.

Now she had her chance.

Jesse sped towards the figure that stood before her, then stopped when she came close. Her mouth dropped open. The light above her continued to blink, making the woman's—she could see now it was a woman—movements jerky. Strobing.

She was wagging her finger in front of something.

Jesse moved closer. Her jaw dropped even further, a had gasp sucked into her chest. Her eyes darted back and forth from the woman to the smaller girl that stood in front of her. Herself and her mother. Judging by the hairstyle, a haphazard ponytail, it was a day where her father had been the one to get her ready for school.

She remembered it fondly. Remembered when they would eat breakfast together, she sat in his lap as they read through the newspaper before he got her dressed for school. Where he would then go through everything in her closet before deciding on something, because he needed to make sure she was the best dressed one at school. Where her hair came last because that wasn't anything he was very well versed in, many times grumbling under his breath about needing to invent something to make it easier all the while Jesse giggled quietly.

Aa time before her mother had passed.

And yet, there she was. Another version of Tess Morgan who stood before a younger version of herself, wagging her finger as Jesse, sadly, stood in front of her, lower lip quivering, clutching what looked like an expensive—and broken—piece of equipment in her hands.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to touch the equipment without your father's or my express permission?" Earth-2 Tess asked.

Jesse's lip continued to quiver as she murmured, "I just wanted to help."

"I know you did, sweetie. But this isn't the kind of help I needed," Tess said frankly. She held out her hand and Jesse handed over the broken pieces of equipment, hanging her head further. Tess looked over the broken parts then shook her head—which Jesse then noticed was a dark brunette shade, compared to the blonde Tess of Earth-1 styled her hair as—making Jesse's head hang further. "I'm just glad it wasn't daddy's newest shipment."

"I'm sorry," Jesse whispered again.

"I know, sweetie." Tess moved forward and pressed a kiss atop Jesse's head. "Next time ask. And, this is going to come out of your allowance and birthday money."

"Okay."

"And your father's going to—"

Jesse's face screwed up. "Do you have to tell him?" She asked, voice as petulant as ever. Her pouted deepened and she turned her head away when Tess reached up and patted Jesse's hair, jostling her haphazard ponytail. Then Jesse lifted her gaze and looked at herself, her older self. "Mom!" She pointed.

Tess turned around and looked to Jesse. Her eyes widened in surprise before they relaxed into the warmth Jesse remembered and longed for. This was her mother. This version of Tess was the woman she'd grown up with, loved…missed dearly. But there was nothing she could about it; her father didn't talk about him, seemed not to want to acknowledge she used to be part of their lives.

Tess of Earth-1 wasn't her mother, Jesse could never mistake her. There were mannerisms that were very similar and yet those wildly different. The woman standing in front of her, without a doubt was her mother.

"Hi Jesse," Tess greeted her, unbothered by the two version of her daughter in front of her. Her smile wilted ever so slightly. "What's the matter, honey?"

Jesse reached up her hand, feeling something tickling her cheek. She brought her hand away and saw a tear rolling down her glove to the palm of her hand. Jesse lifted her head, taking in another sharp breath, noticing her mother come closer to her. She titled her head back, allowing Earth-2 Tess to cup her daughter's face in her hands, tilting her head back. Tess looked at her in concern, eyes washing over her face before she brought Jesse closer to her for a hug.

"Mom…" Jesse hugged her mother tightly, squeezing her as hard as she could. Didn't want to let go. Never again.

"Everything's going to be okay, sweetie," Tess said. She rubbed Jesse's back, gently patted it, as if she were cuddling a small child. "Everything's going to be okay."

Jesse closed her eyes, hugging her mother tighter. A smile came to her face. Everything was going to be okay. Her mother was there. Just as she'd always wanted. As she didn't realize she needed so badly. The dusty light flickered, a staccato hum. The lights flashed behind Jesse's closed eyelids. She felt her mom squeeze her even tighter.

Tighter…

Tighter…

Jesse gasped. Feeling her back slowly start to protest at the increasing pressure. She heard something in her back start to crack. Pain erupted through her. Jesse opened her eyes. She took a breath, feeling the pressure move around her even tighter, a boa constrictor squeezing its prey. Jesse tried to breathe again, increasing the pressure band around her.

"Mom," she gasped.

Then Jesse looked up, eyes widening in horror when Mindboggler grinned back at her. The darkness swirling behind her in a vortex. Jesse's eyes shifted back and forth, working to keep her head on straight, trying not to get brought in by the continuous swirls.

"Mommy wants to send on the message that she loves you," Mindboggler said before bringing back her hand and thrusting it directly into Jesse's chest.

Jesse flew backwards, crashing into the wall behind her. She collapsed to her side, looking up when Mindboggler lowered her hands to her side and stretched her arms before her to crack her knuckles. Jesse shook her head, watching her. This was a different Mindboggler that she knew.

On her Earth, the Assassination Bureau were investigators of sorts, working concretely with the government and hired out. They didn't kill as much as they did on Earth-1, though, as far as Jesse knew, Breathtaker was a myth on her Earth. Something that she and the others read about and told 'ghost stories' about when they were blaming disappearances on someone.

Jesse had never run into Leah Wasserman—mostly known as Minboggler—but knew of the black-white haired woman who used her sexual charms, like a snake charmer, to lure men in to isolate and interrogate them. Jesse had never seen it in action, knew the CCPD worked with them as much as they loathed to come in contact with the criminals for hire.

Seeing her up close and personal, Jesse wanted nothing more than to take her down as quickly as possible. She surged to her feet and started to run in tight circles around the room. Lightning started to crackle from her feet, illuminating the room and Leah, who turned to watch her, eyes narrowing a fraction of a second.

Take this, Jesse thought, slowing everything down around her. She brought her left foot forward, planted it heavily. Dragged her other foot around, her body following it as she flung her arm forward. Lightning crackled up her body—from her feet to her wrist—and out from her fingertips as she threw her arm forward.

Jesse skidded to a stop, everytihgn zooming back into real-time as she watched the lightning shoot towards Mindboggler. Mindboggler didn't move, and allowed the lightning to pass through her before disappearing from sight.

"What?" Jesse gasped. Then cried out when something struck the side of her face. She heard a cracking sound, her mouth filling with blood as she slammed to the ground. Jesse spat the blood out from her mouth, a tooth—a shiny beacon—fell into the middle of the puddle of blood.

Twisting back, Jesse watched as Mindboggler dusted off her hands and inspected her nails. She turned back to Jesse and said, "Not so quick on the uptake are you."

Jesse gritted her teeth and started running once more. This time in a figure eight. Around and around she went, wind kicking up at her heels as she went. A vortex slowly started to appear, twisting up through the air, billowing towards Mindboggler. This time, when Jesse came to a stop and threw her arms to change the direction of the vortex, moving it toward Leah, she saw it immediately change direction and come back toward her.

Gasping in surprise, Jesse skidded to a halt just as she was picked up by it and flung into the wall on the other side of the room. She crashed hard against it, landing against the arm she threw out to catch herself.

Cr-ack!

"Ah!" Jesse slammed to the ground, her arm flopping from her back to her side. She stared at it, eyes wide with horror, the revolting z-shape it made as it moved. She tried to bring up her arm then stopped, a flash of red pounding through her, the pain nearly making her pass out.

Shing!

Jesse heard something fly by her head seconds before something brown fluttered in front of her face. Jesse reached up with her good hand, catching whatever it was that came down. She rolled it through her fingers, hearing the low crunching sound of the texture rubbing against her gloves.

Hair.

Her hair.

Shing!

The sound came again. This time, Jesse watched as a butcher's knife flew from the darkness and came toward her. Jesse slowed down time around her, watching as it came nearer. Saw every outcome of the butcher coming toward her. Everyone ending up with her stabbed in some way. The grin that formed on Mindboggler's face proved she knew it was coming, was gleefully waiting for it to come to fruition.

Jesse's eyes narrowed behind her domino mask. She took in a deep breath and stood up, the tip of the butcher knife aiming toward her chest as he did so. Directly at her heart. She looked around the room, her eyes pinging from Mindboggler, to the lights, to the swirling darkness around them.

Over and over.

No way out.

Jesse smiled in resignation.

The butcher's knife flipped end overhead; handle, blade, handle, blade, directly toward her. Jesse allowed time to speed up once more. The second she came out of the perception, the butcher's knife flipped toward her. Jesse rapidly shuffled her feet back and forth.

The ground wasn't made of anything that'd take on the static electricity, a lift cloud of dust formed around her feet. But it was fast enough that lightning swirled up her legs to her hand. Just enough so that when Jesse moved her hand forward, a lightning bolt shot toward the butcher's knife, sending it spiraling off course.

"What?" Mindboggler seethed.

Jesse then took off running. Running fast enough that she created a breach in front of her. She ran through it, opening another breach behind Mindboggler. Running forward, Jesse slammed her shoulder into Mindboggler's back, knocking her off her feet and into the wall directly in front of her.

Mindboggler screeched in pain, colliding with it chest first, breaking ribs as she did so. Jesse pushed herself backwards in time to dodge the butcher's knife flipping toward her once more. It whizzed by and smacked into the wall, bouncing up toward the ceiling. It crashed into the light, knocking one out, the room becoming shrouded in darkness.

It continued to swirl in increasing haphazard ways, slowly making Jesse lean back and forth, trying to stay balanced. Her feet rocked beneath her, as if she stood on the deck of a ship caught in a storm. Shaking her head, Jesse briefly closed her eyes to regain herself.

When she opened them again, she found ger friends lying motionless on the ground. Their bodies tortured and ripped apart, arms and legs flung all over. "No," Jesse gasped.

Screaming exploded in her head. Tortured screams of agony and despair accompanied by the sound of cracking and snapping. Jesse squeezed her eyes shut, twisted her head back and forth, slapped her palms over her ears. It was all in vein. She was then Barry realized that he was listening to the sound of his friends and the screams they had emitted when their bodies had been torn apart by Breathtaker's invisible hands. Then another screaming sound filled the air, louder and more tortured than others.

But even with her eyes closed, Jesse could see everything. Could see Cisco lying on his back, staring sightlessly at the ceiling with a gaping hole in his chest. Could see Harrison, Tess, Maya, Tracy, and HR lying in a heap, different portions of their bodies gashed open, an increasing puddle of blood spreading beneath them. Saw her father twisted in a grotesque direction, as if his back had been broken, blood splattered over his glasses. Saw Caitlin's neck ripped open, Cadence's repeated stabbing, Barry's limbs being ground down to stumps as he was forced to fun, Brady with his neck bent at an odd angle, broken, and Wally…

Wally trying to save her from something, she couldn't quite tell what it was. But Wally being forced to see her death over and over, running back in time to stop it differently, but being forced to watch it. Just as she'd been forced to watch Wally get sucked into the Speed Force and unable to help him.

It played through her head over and over. The screaming continued to increase in volume as the grotesque images slowly, very slowly started to fade. Fade into Mindboggler's gleeful laughter.

Jesse sucked in a deep breath between her teeth. She brought her hands down from her forehead and focused on Mindboggler. She held her breath as Mindboggler approached her, hoping things would work out.

"Come on, come on," she murmured under her breath.

"You can say whatever you want," Mindboggler said. "You can scream, you can cry, you can beg for mercy. You can even stay quiet as you face your death. I don't care." She smirked. "I've heard it all within my years of doing this. What's one more?"

Shiing!

The butcher's knife flew and crashed into the one remaining light above them, plunging the room into darkness. Mindboggler cried out in frustration as she did so, realizing what Jesse had realized before. If Mindboggler couldn't see, she couldn't use her hallucinations and illusions against Jesse anymore than she already had. She had to be able to see her opponent to hang onto them, and the best thing was, the faster Jesse moved, the more lightning she produced, making it easier for her to see Mindboggler, who couldn't keep track of her.

For the first time, Jesse smiled. She lifted her chin and started to run, pumping her arms and legs as fast as she could. Jesse nearly stumbled and fell with the pain that whizzed up her arm when her broken bones shifted against each other. Still, she kept herself on her feet, throwing herself forward, cradling her broken arm against her chest as she ran. Lightning filled the room once more. She threw it towards Mindboggler and launched herself after it.

Mindboggler was struck head on, the force of the blow pinning her to the wall behind her. Jesse darted towards Mindboggler, raining punches and kicks on her body when she had the chance, opening portals to run through and continue attacking when Mindboggler got away from her. The few seconds Mindboggler regained her balance, she used the darkness around them to induce vertigo in Jesse, making the floor roll in waves, threatening to trip her up.

Finally, Jesse crouched low towards the ground, not moving. Mindboggler halted and looked around, giving Jesse the momentum to superspeed herself up into a butterfly twist that struck Mindboggler in the throat. Mindboggler crashed into the ceiling then back to the floor from the force of the hit. She tries to get to her feet, only to receive another lightning bolt strike into her that continued to hold the longer Jesse's legs shuffled back and forth.

A high-pitched wail exploded from Mindboggler's throat as the lightning bolt ran through her. Her clothes burst into flames, hair slowly fell out and fluttered to the ground, skin started to blacken and smolder in the exposed areas from her clothes.

Finally, Jesse supperspeeded forward, leapt high into the air, and came down, punching Mindboggler in the chest. Jesse felt Mindboggler's bones crack and give way beneath her fist seconds before the body left contact with the speedster, crashing to the ground where she lay still, blood pooling out from beneath her.

Jesse landed heard on her knees, breathing heavily. She collapsed to her side, her broken arm unable to keep herself up. Mindboggler's breath came out in gurgling gasps, growing weaker as the seconds passed. Jesse's breathing soon covered Mindboggler's.

It was going to take her a long time to heal from the encounter.

Jesse blinked as a flash of white light zipped out the corner of her eye.

Savitar.

Cadence closed her eyes when they stopped once more. When she opened them, she saw the room they were in was a bit more decorated than where she'd been before. Savitar picked up a tray and held it out to her. Food. Water. When was the last time she'd eaten?

A thought struck her, a horrified one that flooded her with numerous memories of the past that she'd worked to keep deep in the recessed of her mind. When was the last time she'd really eaten?

Cadence ignored the gesture. "Why are you doing this?" She asked. Savitar lifted an eyebrow as he turned toward her. "Why do you keep making me watch my friends fight for their lives." She swallowed hard. "Why don't you just—"

Savitar swiftly interrupted her. "Get it over with? Kill you now?" He twisted his mouth aside, noticing she wasn't taking the tray he offered. Instead, he set it aside and sat on the end of a nearby table. He pursed his lips, fingering the fork that sat on the plate, spinning it around. "There's plenty of time for that."

"Considering you have all the time in the world, right?" Cadence asked. She looked around Savitar's holding chamber. Looked for a way to escape, knowing if she tried teleporting, she'd be shocked once more. Not that Savitar would let her leave so easily, when he could find her within moments. Cadence looked back at Savitar, watching as he tilted his head to the side, allowing his fringe to fall from his face.

The corners of his lips turned up in a smirk, as if reading her mind. Though, Cadence realized, if he truly was the original, future version of Barry, he probably would be able to. And still, Cadence watched him. Watched as he absentmindedly spun the fork around the plate, watched as he watched her. Her eyes roved over his shoulders, rolled forward, his posture, otherwise ramrod straight.

His feet gently kicked back and forth.

Nonchalant.

They couldn't hear the sounds of the others fighting. It was probably the point, she realized. Only bring her in when he needed her to watch. But if he wanted her to watch so badly, why watch them continuously win against those in front of him?

Unless they were his pawns as well.

"What?" Savitar finally asked.

"You're nervous," Cadence finally remarked. Savitar's movements immediately halted. He stopped spinning the fork, stopped kicking his feet back and forth. His mouth slacked. All for a second, then it started up again.

Scritch, scratch, scritch, the fork scratched the plate every time the handle shifted over a partially chipped portion hiding just to the side of the sandwich sitting atop of it.

"Am I?" Savitar finally asked.

"Your body language," Cadence explained. "You don't think you can do this." She paused, lifting a finger. "No, you're afraid of what Breathtaker is going to do. What his plan is with you after all of this is done. You're stalling for time. After you erase Barry from his existence…" She thought for a moment. "If Barry's erased from existence, what's going to stop you form not existing?"

Savitar's face twitched.

"The Philosopher's Stone."

Savitar tilted his head back and laughed. "The Philosopher's Stone," he repeated. "It's funny that you think I need that to survive." He carelessly examined his nails. "Especially considering what's been going on back at STAR Labs. I thought it was crazy, that you'd all be stupid enough to continuously fall for the same tricks. The same diversions that, for those boasting to be the smartest people in the room, can't comprehend." He moved closer to her, dropping his head so that his eyes locked onto hers. "Why do you think I'm not worried about anyone coming for you? Why do you think I'm not so concerned about Barry, Cisco, Jesse, Wally…?"

Cadence clenched her hands at her sides but didn't respond.

"For people who claim themselves to be so smart…" Savitar ran a hand through his hair. He folded his arms and shrugged. "Well, I'm sure you know about that."

"Without the stone and without Barry," Cadence continued, mind whirring at a mile a minute. "There's no way you're faster than other speedsters."

"You're forgetting I'm the fastest man alive."

"Until you cease to exist. You've said you haven't needed the Philosopher's Stone…you don't need Barry, and the only thing that manages to make him faster, to keep him from losing his speed…" Cadence swallowed hard. Her gaze shifted towards Savitar.

He looked back at her, almost a passive glance. But from the gleam that shot through his eyes, she could see there was something coming that he gleefully wanted to explain. But, true to his form, he dangled it in front of her. Like a mouse dangling in front of a cat. Poking a bear with a stick. He waited for the inevitable straw breaking that'd at least give him a show.

"Go on," he pressed.

"I'm dead," she finally breathed. "Aren't I? Not just in this future we've seen, but in your future. The original one."

Savitar clapped. First starting off as a mocking golf clap before using the entire spread of his wing span to clap loudly, each clap sounding like a gunshot through the room they stood in. "It took you that long to figure it out. Ladies and gentlemen, give the woman a prize." He dropped his hands back to folded arms. "Took you long enough." He wagged his finger at her. "I thought you were smart, but you…you really had me there. Must be those Wells genes finally kicking in."

"How'd it happen?"

"Beaten to death." Savitar said it so flatly that Cadence couldn't help but notice. "You try to help people, try to be that 'beacon of hope' for them…start that revolution that should bring everything together. But one false move and everything comes crashing down." He scratched the back of his neck. "Honestly, you'd think people would know that you didn't mean to have that missile launched, but those Gorillas…" he let out a loud whistle.

Cadence swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. No matter what, she was going to die. Even if she managed to live in this future, if Savitar was of the regular future they were supposed to have, she was going to die. So, what was the point of anything? What was the point of moving forward? What was the point of still trying.

Savitar's lips pulled back from his teeth in a shark like smile. He moved towards her, brushing by the back of his hand his knuckles over her neck to flick some of her hair away. Then he lifted her goggles from her face and dropped them around his neck. "So, now you see why I've been taking you around to watch everyone. To give you just a tiny glimmer of hope that you managed to instill in someone. Even if it fails. And,"—his tone turned, suddenly dark—"I want to be sure,"—Savitar lovingly ran his hand over her hair, eyes searching her face—"That you can see how much these people will fight for you, before it all ends." He rested his hand on her cheek, this time she didn't pull away. "In a way, I'm sorry but…" he shrugged. "It's the way it has to be."

"You're going to hurt so many people…" Cadence murmured. "Just because you made the decision to go back and save yourself."

Immediately, like wiping a slate clean, Savitar's smile faded. He pressed his lips together, almost pursing them in the dreaded 'duck face' that Cisco consistently got on Cadence's case about when they took selfies together. "No. Because of the life I've lost and how much I've had to suffer. Because of this Barry's selfish actions. I want to make him hurt as much as he hurt me. If I didn't…" he started to close his hand into a fist, stopping when Cadence winced at the feeling of his fingers increasing pressure on her skull. "It wouldn't be too pleasant."

"Like death is going to be a walk in the park," Cadence said, her voice tinged with sarcasm.

Savitar laughed. "I'm going to miss that," he said. "You always make me laugh, make me relax. Make me feel alive, like I'm not alone." He laughed again. His other hand curled through Cadence's hair, framing her face. "I know this sounds scary, the unknown is scary, but we can enjoy the time we have together before it has to end."

Cadence's voice was dry. "What a honeymoon."

Savitar's eyes roved around the room, bouncing off whatever he was looking for before landing on hers once more. "Call it a—"

"—Gift from God?" Cadence broke in.

Savitar blinked once. Quick as a flash, he swung out his arm and swiped the food and drink off the table. The sound of the plate and glass shattering in the otherwise quiet room was like a gun blast. Cadence jumped. Savitar swung back around and grasped Cadence's face so hard they both shook. Cadence glared defiantly back at him.

"If you don't follow a God, life is meaningless. You're running around blindly, following what you think will bring you happiness and power. "And for what?" He roared. "A shell of a life that leaves you wondering what's out there? For a man who does nothing but continue to be the most selfish creature who destroys everything he touches? For a man who would give you up in seconds if he were to choose between starting everything all over again all because of his power trip? When knowing all in the end that he's not fast enough or strong enough to do anything about it. When he's not strong enough to handle everything that comes his way with the power that's needed to be a strong figure for people to follow. What will you do when he leads you down into the pits of hell and you can't escape? What will you do then? Who's going to save you?"

Cadence lifted her chin, flames flickering in her eyes. Her hands tightened into fists around his own. Savitar looked down at her hands then back into her eyes. She wasn't sure what she saw, when she saw them flicker.

Trepidation, maybe?

Trepidation, fear that maybe, just maybe, he realized he's messed up. That he underestimated the version of Cadence he was currently in the vicinity of, compared to his future wife, feeling she wasn't as strong.

That he realized she truly felt and believed her words when she answered his question with a forceful, "I am," and shoved a flaming sword she'd conjured through his stomach.

A/N: So with everything I'm going to do with the ending of this story I started to re-read Flash Fire and, you guys, it's such a trip down memory lane. I love seeing how everything with Cade and Brady started out (though there are some very tiny things I ended up retconning later) but it also made me notice a few things I hadn't before as well as other things I really need to get back to.

Sometimes, seeing how everything was shiny and new and how it started is just the boost of motivation you need to keep you guys. It's such a trip to remember what happened back then. Sure, there are some things I'd change (as well as some things I've fixed with editing) but I love how it turned out. Also, as I said on Twitter, Barry is either extremely oblivious or just blinded by his love for Iris not to see that Cade liked him from the beginning.

But I hope you liked this chapter. Some more SaviCade for you all. And more fights coming, chapters will get longer! Like I said before, all of these fight scenes were originally in one chapter, but it became wayyy too long so I had to cut them up/arrange them/fix them in ways I thought made them work better.

Cheers,

-Riley

Review Replies

Ethan: If things were gruesome now, it'll be worse when Cadence and Killer Frost finally do face off against each other. Like you said, who knows how they'll be able to move on after that, if they even can.

DarkHelm145: Yep. I always loved the comic powers and wondered why it'd never been worked towards on the show so I needed to include it. Thanks for taking the time to review.

Yummers: Hope that was a suitable response to your question! :)