Author's note: I'm back! And with no classes, I think there might be a chance to finish this fic before season 3 starts? Maybe? Fingers crossed, guys.
My beta is unavailable, so any mistake or gibberish is my fault, sorry!
Thanks for reading and staying with me, I hope you like this chapter. Next tape will come shortly, I hope. x
Chapter 4: Tape 3, Side A
I can't sleep. It's a shame because I was kinda sleepy – you know? When you're kinda sleepy? – but then I decided to go check on the ship and all, because it was bugging me and you know what happened. And now I'm awake and since I don't have anything better to do, I might as well record as many tapes as I can.
There was this heavy silence in the S.T.A.R. Labs room that Caitlin Snow was using to listen to those tapes. Cisco wasn't around anymore, off to do something else she didn't quite pay attention to, so as for right now, she was alone and alone she played with her icy hands.
In part, she was underwhelmed. Those tapes had been around for God knew how long and they seemed to be a big deal, and yes, it was quite sad to listen to Snart's voice again, but only due to the fact that she knew he wouldn't survive. It felt… cruel of him, sort of, to go about and tell people things they won't ever be able to reattribute.
She dug that sadistic side of him a little, but on the other hand, she didn't want to know what he had to say about her.
Of course she was just starting tape 3, there were quite a few sides to get through yet, so maybe it was too soon to tell.
Quite frankly, the rest of her knew it was just her skeptical, fresh out of the cage persona trying to resurface and take over her thoughts, anxious to speed it up side after side until she'd hear her name. That underwhelmed feeling came from Frost trying to speak louder.
The cold gun figurine that she had just made out of ice fell on the floor and broke at that thought. If Caitlin learned something with her father's death, it was that she should respect the dead and their wishes. Leonard Snart could have been an ass, and he might have tried to kill her a few times, but he wanted them to listen to those tapes, all of them. He wanted them to listen, rewind and pass them on, so that was what she would do.
The sound of voices coming from the corridor made her rush to press the stop button, and right after that Cisco was back with someone on his heels.
"Look who decided not to be a stranger anymore!" he said excitedly, gesturing widely to the woman by his side, and Caitlin got up smiling.
"Kendra!" she exclaimed, rushing to hug her old friend. "It's so nice to see you!"
"Hi, Caitlin! It's good to see you too," Kendra said hugging her back.
"I heard you were in Jersey?"
"Yeah, I had been doing quite some traveling, running some errands."
Caitlin frowned stepping back.
"For whom?"
"A friend," she answered simply, not giving away any names. Well, perhaps she was in one of those secret missions again. Who knew if she wasn't from the future, on board again with one of those crazy Waverider cases Rip Hunter and Sara Lance recruited their Legends for. Caitlin was familiar with the feeling of going back to her roots – she made it back to Team Flash after everything that went on, after all, didn't she?
"Hey, how do you like lobsters?" Cisco asked, making Caitlin smile. She knew exactly where he was going with it.
"I…" Kendra answered slowly. "Like it."
"Great, because that's what Barry said he'd be making. It's a dinner for some friends, but I don't think he'll mind you going."
"You're asking me to someone else's party?" Kendra asked laughing.
"I totally am," Cisco answered quickly typing on his phone. "It's just a pre-wedding thing, and you told me you wouldn't stay for the wedding, so I bet he'll be glad to see you… just sent him a text telling him to add water to the soup. It'll be good! Come on, you coming?"
"I guess I am," Kendra said, hands up in defeat as she shared a smile with Caitlin. "Are you going with?"
"You go ahead, I'll be right behind you," Caitlin guaranteed, casting a glance to the shoebox by the boom box on the table. When she looked at Kendra again, the Hawkgirl was looking at the box too, a slight frown on her face. "I just have to grab some things."
"Sure," Kendra said snapping out of her glance and smiling. "Just please don't leave me alone in this."
"Alone?" Cisco exclaimed offended. "What's that nonsense, Kendra, we're among amigos in here!"
With an arm around her shoulders, he led her outside talking nonstop about all the preparation he'd been doing for Barry's bachelor party and how it was going to be the neatest party of the year. They did have a lot to celebrate, that's for sure.
Caitlin looked back at the boom box again and sighed. Seemed like that tape would have to stay for later anyway, might as well get going. She took the tape from the radio and put it back in its case, setting it amongst the other tapes in the shoe box. She got her bag and phone and left the room, the figurine of the gun laid broken on the floor.
I'm at the fabrication room because it's got these rejected comforters that were replaced for much softer versions according to Gideon and she didn't take the time to recycle them yet.
"I will let you know, Mr. Snart, that I've been fairly busy and awfully mishandled the past days."
I seem to recall that, Gideon, thank you very much.
She's just sassy that way, you see. Who programmed you?
"Barry Allen."
Barry Allen? Really? With that level of shade?
"There were some modifications, but that's classified information."
Oh, is it? Interesting. Why is it classified?
"Can't tell you that."
Dang, those are the moments I wish I was nerd enough to tap on those things. Sometimes Gideon is such a smart-ass that I think I was the one who tweaked with her.
…
You know, I just had this feeling that she would immediately tell me off if it wasn't me. Was it me? Will it be me? Whatever.
…
"Are you recording this tape for me, Mr. Snart? Because I have a much more efficient way of keeping your confessions, and you know it."
No, Gideon, this tape is not for you, it's for another Smart-Ass Big Brain of this crew. Speaking of, can you access a specific day of ship data and show it to me now? I'm not sleepy anyway.
"That depends. Several data from before the Leviathan were severed."
Well, that's from after. Try… library before lunch a couple of days ago, please.
"Right away."
There's only one person who will know what I'm talking about – Professor Stein.
"Audio?"
No, just image is fine. Thanks, Gideon.
You don't need the audio, it's not important.
If you had not been in this ship for a while before, I'll tell you something else about it that I think you should be aware of: it gets boring pretty fast.
Have you ever watched Big Brother?
Yeah, like that.
So there's only a certain amount of things you can do while in here; you can work out, spar, eat, sleep… you can pick a random movie from 2076, for example, and be disgusted with what indie cinema will become. You can tell Netflix to kiss your ass and head straight to season 5 of Stranger Things – them Duffer Brothers know how to go out with a bang, don't they? I'm shocked they got to go as far as season 5, but also glad.
And you can do as I did and spend a lot of time playing cards with a cute blonde, or banging your brain in chess with one of the most brilliant minds of the century.
There, Stein, I said it.
I know I act sooooo cool when I play, but I gotta admit that behind that demeanor I'm actually sweating to outsmart you.
Two days ago, you told me it doesn't take much for me to outsmart you and that was one of the nicest things you ever said to me. It was kinda moving, actually, but I'm too much of a stone cold bastard to shed a tear over compliments.
You see, I know I'm smart, no need for modesty now. But some of you are certified genius and sometimes it's like… I've been busting my ass my whole life to get through and find a way to do this life thing, and when you guys say it – Snart, you're smarter than you let show – it's like…
Yeah… you know what, I am.
Reinforcement, right? Works wonders.
But I'm not recording this tape because someone told me I'm smart. Professor Stein, only two people in this ship saw through me besides Mick and you're one of them. Not at first sight, not in a rooftop or fighting Chronos to get out of the seventies, but when you were sick and tired of beating Ray on chess games and I took his place, when fifteen minutes into that game you looked at the table and smiled.
And then, when missions came, you listened to me. Even before Russia, you saw me, and by seeing me, I saw you.
Mick and I are the crooks, and we do our side of mischief, I know. But perhaps Stein was the only one who understood that I always thought ahead. I have worse case scenarios all over my brain in organized drawers, there isn't a step that wasn't thought out.
You know that, Professor, because we're the same. That thing about equals repealing only work for magnets. You just get me, don't you?
So I'm confident that you'll understand what I mean with these tapes. I think you'll be able to appreciate them.
I couldn't not include you in them, because in some twisted way you're kind of how I aspire to be – an annoyingly clever and lovable asshole. You know you're these things, and you keep doing you shamelessly.
Same, same, you and I.
Just don't let it get over your head and know when to appreciate other people's intelligence too. You know I learned it the hard way with Mick, don't follow my lead. Jax will agree with me, won't you, Kid?
These tapes are taking an emotional turn, aren't they? Kinda sensitive. Blergh.
"I think it's sweet of you, Mr. Snart."
Gideon, you don't think anything. You said that like, a thousand times.
"Well, I was tweaked to become more interesting."
Who would want that?
"That's classif-"
Classified, yeah, whatever. Next tape, y'all.
