58

Ticketing The Speed Demon

Breathtaker continued to watch as Gypsy tried her hand at taking him down. His eyes shifted over Central City. Watching as it cleared out amongst the police force that pointed them to safety.

"Run as much as you'd like," Breathtaker murmured. His eyes twitched into slits. "There's no hiding from this." He turned to look back at STAR Labs, watched as the bright pillar of light exceeded into the air, growing as the seconds passed. Then he turned his head back to Gypsy, just as she opened a breach above him and threw a vibrational blast toward him.

Breathtaker lifted his hand, deflecting the attacked, and allowed Gypsy to fall toward him, letting her open another breach to come at him once more. It was fun, he mused, watching the metas use all their energy to take him down. Fun in a completely mindless way. They didn't know what they were fighting for. Fighting for what? For the lives of those that didn't care for them?

That wanted to take them down at every chance they had? That wanted to turn them into mere humans? And for what? Because of their infantile jealousy that made them feel less than, when it was the metahumans they were making to feel less than?

No matter, Breathtaker thought. Once these citizens become metas, they will understand what it means to have power. What it truly means to be the powerful and understand what life has to offer. For those to worship those of us that want the best of this life. A few lives lost for the plan to proceed is a fair enough sacrifice.

"It's almost time for me," Breathtaker murmured. He whipped around and reached up his hand, grabbing Gypsy by the throat as she tried to attack him once more. She gasped, bringing up her hands, trying to rip them from his neck. "But it's an even better time for you." He brought her close to her face, eyeing her carefully. "You're not meant to be here," he said.

Gypsy sucked in a guttural breath through her nose but didn't respond. Breathtaker loosened his grasp around her neck. "Don't fret," he said, bringing up his other hand to pet her hair. To smooth it from her face. "Once this new world starts, there's going to be a place for you in it. On your own Earth, for once I conquer this one, I'll have al Earths at my disposal." He hummed when Gypsy tilted her head away from his touch. "I'll spare you, but It would be better if you didn't make me mad."

"That's my line." Breathtaker turned, watching as Cadence, Brady, Leah, and Frankie all land on the rooftop of the building, aided by Leah's gravity powers. His eyes landed on Cadence, as she was the one who spoke. "And, it sounds better coming from me."

"Ah, my child." Breathtaker reached his hand toward her. "Did you finally come to your senses?"

"Why?" She lifted her chin. "Did you decide to brainwash me again?"

Breathtaker shifted his gaze to the side, a step below rolling his eyes. He wasn't one to lose his temper in such trivial, such human ways. Not since he'd stop being a human, in his mind, years ago. When the world had stopped treating him like one. Started treating him as anything less than despite the power he had to crush an entire city in seconds, if he'd felt prompted.

"Such is the problem with humans, they allow their emotions to get in the way of things they don't understand is good for them. Such as this one not understanding what it is I'm trying to achieve." In a vicious move, Breathtaker, as quick as a speedster, slammed Gypsy to the ground, face first. Leah moved as quick as Breathtaker, if not a bit slower, to relieve Gypsy's gravitational pull before she smashed every bone in her face.

She still hit the ground, Breathtaker's power certainly wouldn't have been taken down by an eleven year old girl who didn't have so much training with her powers, but the damage wasn't as painful, her own metahuman physiology aiding her as well. She rolled to her back, groaning lightly. Not knocked out, but getting there.

Leah lowered her hands, doing her best not to look Breathtaker in the eye.

"I see you've been working hard to train the others," Breathtaker remarked. "Just as I've trained you."

"You treated us like dogs," Cadence shot back.

"I treated you well."

"We were disposable to you."

"All the best things in life are."

"Michael Bloom, Incognito, me…" she clenched her hands. "You're ready to take anyone else in when things don't go your way."

"All a means to an end." Breathtaker waved his free hand carelessly. "You'll understand once everything finishes." He held out his hands, lifting his gaze toward the sky, where the missiles continued to arch upwards, reaching their highest highs. "You'll be willing to help me again, when you know what is to happen." He lowered his chin. "But if you are to still be so stubborn, I trust there to be a way to break you." His eyes shifted towards Brady. "And I believe I know where to find it."

Brady took a step back. He looked to his mother, as if asking a question, and she looked back at him, giving a single nod of determination.

Are you sure?

Yes, it'll work.

Brady nodded back then stepped toward Breathtaker once more, aligning himself with the others. He wasn't going to back down.

Breathtaker smiled. He should've known—did know but hoped they would've been a bit smarter—that they would want to fight a little bit more before willingly bowing toward him. Well, if it was what they wanted, it was what they were going to get.

He would give them what they wanted as a last rites sort of thing.

It was the least he could do.

Breathtaker flicked his chin, signaling, and watched as White Hot appeared in a flurry of flames, and Stratos appeared in a whirlwind. Both looked disgruntled and out of sorts—hair askew from following Savitar's previous commands to slow down the group with their fights. Seems that speedster and the fire meta worked White Hot and Stratos hard.

Just as Breathtaker wanted, really. Similar abilities vs. similar abilities. What a fight to see. Survival of the fittest.

"Brigade," Breathtaker said to Cadence. "I know you don't see the endgame of my plans," he said. "But I've told you time and time again, my child, that you're the one to help me get there." His eyes briefly rolled back in his head as he took in a deep breath, as if the weight of the world suddenly fell onto his shoulders. "No matter what, you're going to help me. But if you want to waste time," he lifted a hand and waved her off. "Go ahead."

Permission granted.

Stratos and White Hot surged toward Brady, Leah, Frankie, and Cadence.

Cadence immediately teleported out of the way, grasped Gypsy, and teleported the interdimensional breacher to safety. She gently dropped Gypsy to the ground. "Are you alright?"

Gypsy nodded and spat out a mouthful of blood. Fire raged through her eyes. "It takes a lot more an albino raisin to take me down."

Cadence grinned and threw her head back to Breathtaker. "Ready to take him down?"

It was then Gypsy took a good look at her. She looked Cadence up and down, her upper lip curling with disgust that Cadence couldn't quite understand. She did just save the breacher's life, so to speak. Whatever it was Gypsy was upset about, she got over it quickly, nodding back to the fire metahuman. "I've been ready a long time ago," she said.

With that, Gypsy threw out a breach and leap through it while Cadence leapt up and ran toward Breathtaker, teleporting at the last moment. The two popped out behind Breathtaker and punched him at the same time.

They were supposed to contain the power of the Philosopher's Stone. To use the power of the calcified Speed Force that was threatening to blow up STAR Labs and siphon the power of the stone's implosion. That was the plan anyway. Once Barry and Cadence had given their ideas of what was to finally take down Savitar and Breathtaker, the first thing they turned their eyes to were the Philosopher's Stone and STAR Labs.

Not just because they needed to save the city, but because of everything that went along with it. If STAR Labs was destroyed, then all the work an information they'd compiled over the years of the Flash and Flare's exploits, their metahuman levels, the upward trajectory of Brady's and then Leah's training, the beginning of Cisco's and Caitlin's powers, the villains' they'd gone up against, etc. etc. would be destroyed. Lost to everyone.

Lost to those that hadn't had the chance to take the information when it had been shared with Amunter's Back Market. Lost to everyone and everything.

That had been Wally's and Jesse's first order of business. They had to get as many backups of the files as they could, to hide in a safe place in case they couldn't stop the explosion when it came. Then they had to take care of the Speed Force. The idea came from Barry and Jay, when they'd traveled to the future the first time, where Barry had traveled to the past for the first time, when Barry had breached to Earth-38 for the first time, they had to siphon as much of the Speed Force as they could.

If the Philosopher's Stone was calcified Speed Force energy, then if they siphoned it and had it go through their bodies, maybe stored it up enough so that they could throw it in a bolt of lightning, release it into the atmosphere, and disperse the energy so that Savitar couldn't get to it.

That was the plan.

Wally and Jesse screeched to a stop beside the growing energy field that stretched its limbs and reached for the rafters of the pipeline as it continued to grow. The two looked at each other, at the growing power field, then back at each other.

"Whatever I expected," Wally breathed. "It wasn't this."

"You can say that again," Jesse declared. She took in a deep breath, shaking her head. "But we have to do something."

"Right," Wally agreed.

The two bent down into a crouch, lightning flashing off their bodies in waves, then raced into the pipeline and started to run the track that looped around the building. They ran and ran, their lightning trails stretching further and further behind them as they did so, until they reached the tail of it once more. Much like a game of snake. As they ran, the energy of the philosopher's stone stretched and followed them, as if attracted to the live speed force energy the speedsters gave off.

They continued to run, working to combat the exceeding energy of the Philosopher's Stone. But they weren't Savitar. They weren't Barry, they weren't Jay, and as young speedsters, who hadn't had the luxury of taking a few years to learn how to get up to their top speed and even further, they were slowing down.

Fast.

And the more they slowed down, the more the Philosopher's Stone gained in energy behind them. Sweat poured down Wally's face. He brought up a hand to swipe over his face, flicked the droplets away. The droplets, instead of falling to the ground, hovered in the air, much like water from an aquarium. They held in place within Wally's continuous revolutions.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and had to run back to the hallway leading to the pipeline. He pressed his back against the wall, feeling his legs quiver like jelly, trying to regain his strength. Chest heaving, he looked up to see Jesse's lightning trail continue to increase and decrease in brightness as she raced by.

She's still running, Wally thought. He shook his head, trying to hold himself up. "Jess," he called. Voice weak. She didn't hear him. Kept running. The Philosopher's Stone energy continued to trail after her, though not as strong as it had been before. "Jesse! We have to go! This isn't working!"

Being a speedster, Wally was able to see Jesse's facia expressions every time she blew by the door. Could see her shake her head every time Wally would shout her name. Would shake it harder as he became more insistent.

"Jesse! This place is going to blow! There's nothing we can do!" They had the information on memory sticks, they didn't need to save anything else. There was no one in the pipeline, no one in the pods that would be in danger. The only danger was anyone in the immediate vicinity of STAR Labs.

"No, Wally!" Jesse shouted back. "I have to do this!" She continued to pump her arms and legs. Her breathing became louder, more desperate. Blood started to trickle down her nose, rolling over her chin. She smeared it away, sniffing hard, trying to keep back the continuous flow.

"He's right, Jesse."

Wally looked over his shoulder, finding HR standing behind him, nervously tapping a drumstick against his leg. He hadn't noticed HR approach. His forehead gleamed with sweat, chest heaved, showing the effort it took for him to run from the streets to STAR Labs.

"This isn't going to work," HR continued. He leaned toward the screen beside him that controlled the opening to the pipeline. His fingers inching towards the screen. "We have to contain this, funnel it somewhere else. There's nothing we can do."

"I have to try!" Jesse shouted.

"If you do this, if you deplete your energy this way, Savitar's going to win," HR continued.

"I'm not afraid of him!" Jesse declared.

"Jesse!" Wally pleaded.

"You can't talk me out of this!"

Wally swallowed hard. He looked to HR, who looked just as helpless as he did. If Jesse wore herself out, it would take too long for the speed force energy to come back to her body, to energize her to be the top speed speedster she could be. And without all their help, the entire team, Savitar and Breathtaker would win. He pressed his lips together, watching her continue to push herself forward.

What happened to her, when she was captured, to have her act like this? He'd faced Stratos without much fanfare, Stratos had been less than interested in him, saying he didn't need to waste his energy on him when it was just a means for Breathtaker to bide his time.

Something had to have happened to her, had to have spurned her on to want to push herself to the very end. Wally looked back to HR, who looked back at him with a sad expression in his eyes, despite the smile that came to his lips. Then, Wally noticed the placement of HR's hand, and the sign on the screen. He was seconds away from closing the door to the opening of the pipeline.

Trapping her inside.

"No," Wally murmured.

HR's smile widened. "I always said you had more potential than you thought," HR said, voice low. A warning klaxon started to go off all around STAR LABS. Jesse continued to run, her lightning trail dimming in its vibrancy as it went. "That was my special talent, to help the out the team…finding the potential in everyone. Just as Harrison helped me find my potential. What I can truly do to help the team."

"HR…" Wally said. "You can't do this. You can't leave her…"

HR cut him off. "Wallace, always remember that you've got what it takes, to be the best speedster you can be. Not the best Barry you can be, but the best Wally. That's all we need you to be. Now…" his fingers twitched. "I hope you remember who told you that." He swallowed hard. "We know Savitar's identity. Appeal to that. But he's going to fight back first, they…they always do, right? Must be in some villain handbook somewhere. That'd come in handy." He looked to the brightening light as it washed over him. He was silent for a long moment then spoke again, almost as if speaking to himself. "He's a speed God. But he's invulnerable. Then why does he need a speed of armor? He's vulnerable under the suit, find a gap, find an opening and go for it. That's what'll take him down."

Wally stared at HR, trying to find the words that would help convey everything he was feeling. That would explain everything that HR had done for him and for the team, who took his licks from the team, was treated that he was less than nothing, an afterthought, but was going to be the one to save them all. And Wally couldn't find the words to explain how grateful he was for all of it.

Hopefully, HR understood.

Hopefully, that last glimmer he saw in HR's eyes proved HR understood, for Wally's legs moved before he realized what was happening. He surged after Jesse, easily catching up to her as she slowed, and grabbed her arm. Jesse waved him off at first, but Wally grabbed her harder, tightened his grasp around her elbow, and pulled as hard as he could as they passed by the opening once more.

Everything happened at once.

There was a sudden pulse of speed force energy that swept them through the opening and back into the safety of STAR Labs just as the hatch fell. Wally closed his eyes against the light and brought his arms up to shield himself. He felt the energy course through him, before it deposited him against the wall behind him before it faded.

Finally, the light dissipated, and he looked around. STAR Labs was in ruin. Even from where he lay, there was a good part of the ceiling that let him see the sky between ensnarled and snaggled beams, twisting and turning around each other. He tried to move his legs, stopped when he found immense pressure put against it.

Wally quickly phased through it and got to his feet, working to stay as steady as he could on the rubble that loosened between his feet. He raced back to where he'd just been standing only seconds before. He gasped for air g for air. Lightning rolled down from his shoulders to his feet as his body adjusted to his speed going from 1000 to 0. His eyes darted around the blast zone, heart ramming against his chest.

"No."

She had to be there.

He'd seen her right before the explosion.

He'd grabbed her.

Wally thought hard, trying to figure it out rationally. The alarms went off, HR closed the door, did he close it in time? What happened when he grabbed Jesse? When did he lose his grip on her?

He'd run fast enough to chase her as she slowed down. Fasterfasterfaster. Until he reached her. He'd raced forward, everything moving slowly around him, his eyes shifting into tunnel vision, the fingers of the Speed Force energy reaching out for him. His footsteps felt like cement as it moved closer to them. Wally screamed as he grabbed onto Jesse, his fingers desperately clawed at the air as he grabbed her.

Now…

What happened?

Terror filled him, clutching at his heart as he looked around. Then he took a breath and raced at top speed to knock large chunks of rock and wall aside, moving them haphazardly with no regard to where they landed. Sweat poured down his face as he pushed himself harder and harder.

Finally, he heard a rustling sound behind him and whipped around, watching as rocks rolled away from a pile. Jesse slowly phased through a large the floor, carefully holding HR's lifeless body as she did so.

"Jesse," Wally breathed.

Jesse looked up at him

Wally felt his heart simultaneously soar and sink. Soar, seeing Jesse was okay, but sink at the state of STAR Labs and HR. He'd failed. They'd failed. Even when HR tried to help them, STAR Labs still blew up…the Speed Force energy still escaped…

Wally wiped at his eyes and—without his superspeed—rushed towards the two, grabbing Jesse in a tight hug. He knelt and scanned Jesse's face and arms and legs before squeezing her in a hug, boa constrictor tight. Then he pulled back and regarded Jesse's face, her eyes were wide behind her domino mask. "You're okay," he said. "You're…you're…"

Wally breathlessly grabbed Jesse's face and peppered her with frantic kisses. "I thought you were dead," he managed to say between each passionate one. "You were by the blast. I don't understand. I thought you were dead."

Jesse held him just as tightly, her tears mixing with his. "I know, I know." She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as she could. Wally squeezed her back with one arm, reaching out with the other to hold HR to him as well.

He had nearly lost his entire family.

Nearly.

And yet, he still lost a member. They all did. HR lay quietly, draped over Jesse's lap. As the silence stretched around them, their tears of exhilaration of finding each other turned to ones of loss. They cried over HR sacrificing his life for theirs. Had he not been there to close the gate, the explosion wouldn't have funneled straight through STAR Labs, would've washed over the city and did the dirty work that Savitar wanted of them.

He was the hero that day.

They'd gone through tougher things before. It would take more than the Philosopher's Stone to tear them down, tear them apart. Wally shifted his face and kissed Jesse again, this time with less desperation, but with relief that she was okay, that she was still alive—thanks to HR—to take down Savitar.

He wasn't going to let go until the end.

They sat with each other for a long time, almost as if waiting for HR to wake up again. But he would never wake up. He'd lie peacefully with half-lidded eyes, drumsticks in hand, and a tiny smile on his face. As if he'd simply closed his eyes and basked in the love he had for Team Flash as the power of the Philosopher's Stone washed over him.

A casualty in the war they were stuck within.

Wally removed his hands from Jesse and grasped HR. He gently moved him aside, propping him up by a small pile of rubble, a makeshift pillow for his endless sleep, out of way of harm. If he had a blanket, he would've tucked HR in as well, nevertheless, he tucked HR's hand over his chest, holding his palm against his drumsticks, his drumsticks close to his chest.

Then Wally turned back to Jesse and reached his hand out to her. Jesse looked back at him and he started, taking a step back. Her eyes were cold. Blazing with an icy fire of revenge that Wally had never seen in her eyes before. A darkness that he'd never seen.

He faltered, dropping his hand. "Jesse?" He asked.

Jesse got to her feet, brushing off her knees. "We have to make sure to come back for HR," she said. "He deserves more than to sit down here." She leveled her gaze on him. "We have to honor him, Wally."

"We will," Wally insisted. He swallowed hard, taking a step toward her. "Jesse—"

"—We don't have time," she said quickly, taking in a deep breath. Put up a wall. Cut herself off from whatever she was feeling. It was strange to him, Wally thought. She was the one who should've been comforting him and yet…he was the one trying to help her. He was the closest to HR and felt nothing but insurmountable pain of losing his friend, and it appeared she wasn't noticing it. "Breathtaker and Savitar are more important."

It was true, but…

Wally couldn't help it. Something was off. Nevertheless. It was true, they had to defeat the villains first. Had to save Central City. "Let's go."

The speedsters raced out of STAR Labs, leaving their lightning trails and a deceased HR in their wake.

Savitar stared at Jay and Barry, the three almost not reacting to STAR Labs exploding behind them. Barry, at least, tried not to let any reaction show on his face. The explosion was going to happen, no matter what, some of the energy was going to escape. They'd only find, later, if the Speed Force energy was made to be contained. It appeared so, if the explosion didn't spread as far as the rest of Central City.

"Garrick," Savitar, being Barry—or ese having the same thought process—only had eyes for Jay. He literally spat, "How'd you get out?" How'd you get out of the Speed Force? How'd you escape your prison? How'd you make it out when I couldn't for years?

"I had some help from some friends," Jay said. With that, he turned and held out his hand, his helmet spinning into it like a frisbee. He grasped it and placed it firmly on his head before smiling to Cisco, who breached behind him and nodded.

Cisco nodded back. Barry looked to him and asked a question with a simple move of his eyebrows. Earth-2 Barry? Iris? Cisco nodded once more, this time a smaller nod. A silent, "they're safe," which made Barry smile. Then his gaze shifted toward Killer Frost, who was still working on keeping Black Flash at bay, thrusting out her hands, throwing icicles to keep him from getting to her co-conspirator.

Savitar gritted his teeth. He reached up, shoved his hair from his face to glare pointedly at them with his sightless eye, and turned on his heel. All at once, there was a blast of white light that shot to the side of the street, capturing everyone's attention. His suit. Savitar superspeeded into it with Barry and Jay racing after him. Seconds later, Cisco saw the Black Flash run, following the trail of any speedster that moved, before two more lightning trails came from STAR Labs.

Wally and Jesse.

They must've done it, Cisco thought. The thought barely crossed his mind before he noticed the sudden drop in temperature around him. He turned his head just in time to receive a sucker punch to the ice of the face. Not just a sucker punch, but an icy punch that hit so hard Cisco felt a tooth work loose before blood filled his mouth. He hit the ground, rolling away, leaving little pools of blood as he opened his mouth to emit small cries.

He looked up to find Killer Frost standing above him, an icy vapor washing over her as her wounds from Savitar's abuse healed. Cisco shook his head. Why couldn't she stay down? Stay out of the way? See the light for what Savitar truly was doing to her. Or else, why doesn't Cade finally get rid of her? Burnout at least had the right idea. A heavy sigh escaped Cisco's lips at the thought, guilt weighing him down. But it was just as Cadence had been saying, Caitlin didn't exist anymore, only Killer Frost remained.

He had to treat her as such.

"Savitar's going to turn on you one day," Cisco murmured, slowly getting ot his feet.

Killer Frost created a long icicle that she slapped against her palm, walking toward him. Her expression never chance. Simply continued being an icy mask that covered any piece of Caitlin that may still be left. "No, he won't." She said it so simply. She truly believed it.

Cisco clenched his hands. He slowly held them up to Killer Frost. A warning that a vibrational blast wasn't out of the question. She kept toward him, eyes flickering toward his gloved hands, but her expression never changing. "A bad guy like Savitar always turn on his partners," he reminded her. "Think of the others he was working on. Frankie…The Rival…Clive Yorkin…the minute he didn't need them anymore, the minute they were gone."

"Not this time." The ringlets of Killer Frost's hair bounced as she shook her head.

Anger surged through Cisco at that moment. Not just because of the fury towards losing his best friend. But toward everything that had been going on since Barry created Flashpoint. And the hell hole that was made in the speedster's wake.

If only…

If only, what?

If only the Reverse-Flash—Eobard Thawne—hadn't become so obsessed with the Flash to the point of hating him…none of this would've happened. But Cisco couldn't hate the Reverse Flash as much as the hate that Barry harbored for him. He could only hate Killer Frost, the entity that was keeping his best friend from getting bac to her true self.

Cisco bared his teeth, blood dribbling down from the empty space in his mouth. "Wake up!" He hissed. His fingers twitched, ready to go. "You're only saying that because he needs something form you. Once he's done with that, then you're toast."

Killer Frost's lips twitched. "You don't have a witty ice pun to use this time?" She tsk'd, shaking her head. "Oh, Cisco, you're losing your touch." She reached out and pressed the tip of the icicle from under his neck, forcing his head back. He felt it stick to his skin. "Are you sure you don't have one in there?"

"Fresh out," Cisco said. He tried to keep his voice steady. He could only mumble, feeling the throbbing pain in his jaw, unable to speak much louder. "I don't use them on you. I use them on Caitlin, to make her laugh despite her horrific situation." Killer Frost merely blinked. She had his attention. "Listen to me, he'll do it, he'll kill you."

"Just like you all want to kill me." Killer Frost tilted her head. She removed the icicle from beneath his chin, tearing the skin away, making him wince. Then bobbed it, repeatedly tapping him under the jaw, as if tapping her own chin in thought. "I get it. There's not enough for me to go around, but if I am going to be killed, it's going to be the fire bug that does it." She looked Cisco up and down. "Though I'll have a good time killing you."

Cisco caught her off-guard with a vibrational blast to the chest. She fell back, tumbling heels overhead, only barely able to catch herself before Cisco threw open a breach and leapt through it, barely missing the javelin-like through of an icicle toward him. Killer Frost whipped around and started to attack when Cisco appeared through the other breach.

The ground became slick, making his feet fly out from beneath him. He crashed hard to the ground, feeling it shudder beneath him. He thought back to his breakout from his cell and turned back to Killer Frost. She still didn't know, not really. He'd only done it once before, but maybe…

Cisco focused on the dissipating waves beneath him. Could practically see it as ripples and focused his energy onto it. Killer Frost, who was running toward him, stumbled, feeling the ground shake beneath her feet. As she started to fall, Cisco placed his hands on the ground and swung his body around, swiping her feet from beneath her in a sweeping arc, a breakdance move he'd learned years before when Dante had taught him how to dance. (One of the few times that the brothers had gotten along, when they took dance classes together).

Killer Frost fell hard on her chest, the wind immediately becoming knocked out of her. Cisco punched a vibrational blast into her back then opened a beach beneath her. She fell through it and Cisco rolled after her, breaching across the city at different intervals as Killer Frost got up and started to fight back.

Over and over the breached and fought before Cisco finally got the upper hand, using a breach to send a vibrational blast from one hand to hit her in the front and the other to simultaneously hit her in the back, freezing her in place.

He slowly stepped toward her.

Killer Frost's lips pulled back into a taunting snarl. "Go ahead Cisco, go bad," she hissed.

Cisco stared into the once brown eyes of his once best friend. Only saw the icy blue ones of a stranger staring back. He made a decision. She was right. It wasn't his fight. As much as he wanted to take her down…it'd be on her own merits.

"No," Cisco murmured. "If this is going to happen, like you said, it'll be whatever Cadence decides. I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to kill Killer Frost because it's what you want." He stepped back. "I can't force you to not be Killer Frost anymore. I understand that." He nodded. "But, you're my best friend, Caitlin." Killer Frost's upper lip curled even further. But she continued to watch him. "You can say you're not her all you want, but I know Caitlin, my best friend, is still in there. My best friend." His lower jaw trembled at his words, knowing more of the truth beneath the words. What he wasn't saying out loud. "The only thing I can do is help you. It's your choice, I don't want to have to hurt you. But I will if it means saving everyone I love."

"Love?" Killer Frost taunted.

"Yeah, love," Cisco insisted. "Just like Caitlin loves us. Do you want to be Killer Frost?"

Killer Frost parted her lips to respond.

But she didn't get the chance to say anything in response.

Cisco reached forward and grabbed onto Killer Frost, vibing he and saw Caitlin trudging through the snowy recesses of her mind. Her hands were brought up, holding her elbows, rubbing her arms, trying to keep herself warm among the snow that continued to fall among the forest she traversed.

She wasn't shivering.

She didn't look scared.

No, she looked determined.

"Caitlin," Cisco murmured.

Caitlin immediately stopped and turned Cisco's way. He wasn't sure if she could see him. And yet…Caitlin looked at him. Her lips pulled back in a small smile, brown eyes flashing with determination. She nodded. Dropped her arms from her elbows and turned back as Killer Frost leapt to attack her.

A sneak attack.

Caitlin fended her off with an icicle, chased after her, running further away from Cisco.

"Caitlin!" Cisco shouted.

The vibe ended.

He gasped, dropping his hands and stepped back.

Killer Frost's eyes, for a second, shifted from an icy blue to a brown and back.

Cisco smiled.

Caitlin was fighting back.

Savitar raced between the trees in the forest surrounding Central City, weaving in and out of the foliage that lined the forest floor, darting behind and over fallen trees to hide himself. His lightning trail gave him away. Barry, Jay, Jesse, Wally and the Black Flash ran after him, running in front of each other, then ahead and behind, to try and catch up to the speed God.

Savitar did all he could to take them down, even sending out spikes from his sleeves to knock down trees and leaping high into the air to throw concentrated speed force energy to the ground, knocking the speedsters over. However, it wasn't just the explosion of power that caught them off guard, but the electricity that ran through the cracked ground and up into the speedsters.

Barry threw himself aside before he could be hit, moving his feet fast enough that he was in mid-air when the electricity coursed through the rest of his team. He could see his friends in his peripheral fall, seconds before coming up behind him once more with Jay at the head. Savitar hadn't caught him off-guard, he, in a way, knew it was coming.

Not just because of Savitar being a future version of him, not because they were one and the same, but because it was something he'd thought of using against Savitar when the time came. So, when it was thrown back at him, he knew how to dodge it.

Savitar seemed to notice and grunted in frustration. He turned on his heel, planting it firmly in the ground to use as a pivot point and stomped the other one as hard as he could. The ground rumbled, threatening to pitch the speedsters over. He used the moment to run in rapid circles around the speedsters. Instead of allowing himself to be sucked into chasing after him, Barry tried to follow Savitar's trajectory. Each time Barry moved his head, it had to be a violent, quick jerk of his head. His eyes weren't fast enough, even with the added perception. The flashes of light as they moved around. Moving faster, much faster than he'd ever managed before—

Savitar appeared in front of him, charged towards him. Arms pumping, he ran directly in front of Barry, a beeline to take the speedster down. Then Barry noticed, too late, when Savitar moved, started to race towards him, that he was charging up a lightning throw. Barry's eyes drifted down, seeing the lightning gather around Savitar's hands that increased in size as the seconds passed. When Savitar was close enough, he threw his arms forward.

There was what looked like an explosion in front of him. Then Barry felt his body completely stiffen, like a board. His arms clamped to his sides, teeth clenched so hard he was sure they'd crack, he lost all cognizant thought. Then the energy became too great and Barry was blasted off his feet. He arched through the air, only to be caught by Wally and Jesse.

"Man, you're heavier than you look," Wally grunted.

"Yeah, man, you've got to lay off the Big Belly Burger," Jesse added.

Barry managed a low chuckle and nod, "Thanks," he breathed, allowing them to push him back to his feet.

He looked over at the cry of pain and saw Savitar send a strong punch to Jay's stomach, knock him over. Savitar crouched over Jay and pressed his palm against Jay's chest. With his other hand, he brought his arm back, a large spike sliding from above his hand. He brough this arm back and started to bring it forward, ready to pierce Jay's chest, then turned aside as the Black Flash screeched, reaching towards Savitar.

Savitar spun and punched the Black Flash hard in the chest, sending it flying back into the woods.

Barry looked to Wally and Jesse and the three nodded and ran towards Savitar at the same time. They conjured lightning and threw it, striking Savitar at the same time. The lightning traversed through the spike above his hand and through his suit, freezing him in place.

Jay grinned up at him, wheezing as he held his chest. "Looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks," he murmured before racing to safety.

Barry, finally, regained control of his body. His limbs violently shook, muscles clenching and unclenching as he worked to stave off the electricity that continued to course through his veins.

Then he was up and running with Wally and Jesse, chugging his arms and legs, propelling himself to run as fast as he could. They had to catch Savitar off-guard. Had to find a way to be faster than him. But Savitar was faster. Every step Barry took, Savitar moved right in front of him. Savitar stopped Barry cold with a solid punch to the chest. Barry fell backwards and as he fell, Savitar shifted behind him and kicked him hard in the spine.

Thwack!

"Aaah!" Barry fell to his knees, writhing in pain. Something snapped, he could hear it, feel the lick of pain as it burned up his spine. On the verge of blacking out, Barry sucked in sharp breaths between his teeth. Hyperventilated. His lungs wouldn't fill up, he was choking.

Savitar battered Wally and Jesse away, turning his attention to Barry and threw out his arm, clotheslining him when Barry circled around and tried to sneak attack him. "Nice try, Flash." He curled his fingers into his palm. "But you lose. I only have a few minutes left, I can feel it. But before I go, I'm going to kill Joe and Wally and Iris and Brady and Cadence…" Then he motioned toward the speedsters that lay on the ground, taken down b his handiwork. "if I'm going to die, then everything you love is going to die, too."

He turned and started toward Jay, Jesse, and Wally, taking long, confident strides as he went. Barry shook his head. No. He wasn't going to let that happen. He hadn't done all that work, lived through some of the hardest times of his life just for Savitar to win.

"No!" Barry surged to his feet and phased into the Savitar suit, knocking Savitar out as he did so. Savitar turned to him, staring in disbelief. Barry took a step toward Savitar, towering over him. "How does it feel to get so close to your ascension and end up on the ground?"

Savitar got up and in a series of flashes, the two grappled with each other, until Barry got the upper hand, pining Savitar to the ground with a spear in his doppelganger's face. Savitar held out his arms, making himself as vulnerable as possible. "Do it," Savitar taunted. "End me! You kill me, you become me. Either way, I live."

Silence stretched between them.

The forest was silent.

In the distance, sirens rang out from Central City.

And Barry continued to stand over Savitar.

Worked to decide.

If he took him down, finally, everything would be over. And yet…could he do that? Could he take down his doppelganger? Do what he was unable to do before? When he felt nothing but sadness for the boy, the man, who had such a great life until he was stuck in the Speed Force while Barry's life was so terrible, starting with the death of his mother.

Could he really take a life like that?

Even when he deserved it.

Savitar's eyes glinted in the moonlight that bathed them in the clearing.

No.

Barry lowered his hand. Shook his head. Took a step back. He vibrated rapidly, breaking the Savitar suit. It crumbled to pieces, falling around Savitar. Showering him in shrapnel. Savitar gaped at him, eyes widening in growing horror.

"I'll never let the pain, the darkness, determine who I am," Barry hissed, looking down on Savitar, literally and figurateively. "I'll never be you." Savitar glared back at him, started to move. Barry super speeded a punch to the side of Savitar's face.

Savitar fell to the ground, only to turn back and race toward Barry once more, having followed the sped up punch, to allow himself the momentum to spin around. Savitar surged to his feet and started toward Barry, gaining momentum as he went, lightning flashing around his feet.

He brought back his hand to send a punch back to Barry.

A shot rang out.

Savitar paused. His eyes widened as a rose of blood bloomed across his front. He slowly fell to the ground, arms stretched out to his side. Cadence slowly brought herself up from her crouching position, lowering her hands, tucking her pistol back into her thigh holster.

A gasping, choking breath escaped Savitar's lips. Eyes, now both sightless, turned toward the sky. He sucked in a deep breath, lips quivering and exhaled once, sharply before pitching forward onto the ground.

"Look at that," she declared humorlessly. "I killed the Flash."

A/N: Well, Savitar's taken down.,,sort of. I only hope you guys enjoyed his end more than what happened on the show. Sort of similar but gives explanations for some things that I have happen. Not to mention I think was a bit cooler, lol.

Now onto Breathtaker!

Fun Fact: The scene with Wally and Jesse I originally had between Barry and Cadence. I had actually written it shortly after the episode aired and thought it'd be in the same context when I got to it, but after what happened with Jesse and Mindboggler, I realized it made more sense for Wally and Jesse.

Cheers,

-Riley