Sorry about the wait, guys! But, long chapter?
Kittens don't always have correct grammar. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, because I'm not consistent and I do what makes it funniest, I hope.

Oh no, I wrote action? Or attempted. Yike. This kind of merged with idea types I've had floating around for AUs of episode 16, brought on by "holy crap, hedgi, why the heck have you seen this episode 21 times, are you insane?"

Also, I don't speak Spanish. And google translate is unreliable and I don't wanna get into that, so, sorry, I'm doing the mono-lingual cop out and I feel bad for it. Text will indicate when it's a full Spanish sentence until I track down my Spanish speaking friends because I'm Lazy.

Kay, shutting up now.

Chapter Six

So, getting a ninja cat dumped on him was not the worst birthday gift Dante Ramon had ever gotten. Even if he wasn't sure exactly where the darn thing had gone, skittering away under a table and then…somewhere else shortly after another stint at the piano, after most of the guests had left. No, the Cat was not the worst birthday present even of that particular birthday.

Getting hit over the head—and sucker punched in the face- as he took some of the trash out was. He didn't remember hitting the ground, but the next thing he was aware of was waking up with his face pressed into carpeting. His head ached, and he tried to sit up. A firm hand pressed down on the back of his neck and he realized, very suddenly, that his hands were tied and there was cloth weighing down his tongue.

"Stay put," a gruff voice commanded, and Dante froze. What was going on? His family wasn't rich by any stretch of imagination, and none of them were particularly important. He worked in a music store selling pianos and recorders and giving lessons to spoiled kids, for heaven's sake.
Something soft brushed his ankle between the top of his sock and the cuff of his slacks, but he didn't dare look, just tried to get his breathing under control.
There had to be a way out of whatever this was.

Fuzzwhump woke with a jolt and peered around. It was still night, she could tell that from the way the light filtered in from outside the windows, harshly orange and flicker instead of warm and soft like sunshine.
Sco was still not home. Fuzzwhump paced, working stiffness from her paws, and tried to think. His bag was still on the table, he always took the bag when he went to see the others, or one of them. There was one that he put one of his Screen boxes that folded flat in, that one was gone, but he usually took this one too, and he never went there at night. She was not allowed on the table, but that hardly mattered now. She climbed up the side of the chair, digging her claws into the wood , then scrabbled to the top of it and flung herself bodily onto the table, wishing she could jump as well as Faulkner or Frieda. She landed easily, and nosed open the bag.

It smelled like her human and the things he liked, the food he didn't share with her that came in little crinkly papers and bright colors, the stuff he sprayed on his screen to clean it, pens full of ink that she liked to chew on until he took them away and gave her wooden pencils instead. A shudder of Sad went through her, nose to tail. What if Sco was hurt? The Wheelman might have hurt him, might have killed him, and she wasn't there to stop it. She pawed through the bag, pulling out papers until she could wriggle inside. Some of them got caught on her claws and ripped. Sco wouldn't like that, but Fuzz didn't care. If Sco didn't like it, he could come home and stop her, so there.
After a minute she squirmed out. It was small and dark in the bag and it smelled like Sco but it wasn't. She twitched an ear. Maybe he was hiding. Maybe he'd come home while she was asleep and was hiding. Shrilling, she charged into the bed room, or tried. The door was closed. She threw herself at it, and it rattled.
Again. Again. Usually Sco opened it if she did that enough. Usually it wasn't closed. She remembered the tricks Frieda and Georgia had told her and leaped for the shiny circle. On the third try she had it and curled her whole body around it. It shifted and the door swung open.
Empty.
Fuzzwhump growled, fur fluffed up on end so she looked at least as big as Sue, which was still not very big, and backed up against the wall, looking around suspiciously.

(FRIEDA) she tried thinking at the momkitten, who had taken care of everyone before Sco and the Soft one and the Nyoomman had been there. (FRIEDA HALP.)

All she could do was wait, Fuzz knew. She did not want to. Full of panicked energy, she could not stay still. Maybe if she ran as fast as Nyoom, she could get outside and start looking. Maybe she could make a lot of noise, and the Old Lady who smelled like mothballs and lived next door would open the door and she could get out.
Fuzzwhump left the bedroom, her mind fixed on the bookshelf in the big room. That would make lots of noise.

Dante strained at the ropes around his wrists again, unwilling to just sit by like a captive princess in an opera, because that never ended well. He'd seen his kidnapper's faces, and Cisco—of course this was because of Cisco and Cisco's job, of course it was—clearly knew exactly who they were. That meant they could be identified, and that coupled with the fact that Snart and Mick—vaguely familiar names—wanted science-fiction type weapons, like something out of his little brother's comic books, left Dante with a very bad feeling. No way they were just going to walk away from this.
"Stay cool, ok, let me do my thing," Cisco muttered, looking up from the laptop that both brothers had been sorry to learn would not connect to the internet no matter how Cisco tried. Snart, the ringleader, had taken their phones, as well as every other electronic Cisco had had on him, as if a souped up MP3 player from 2006 could be used to signal the police.
It totally could, but Cisco wasn't sure if Snart knew that or was just being careful. I don't think a vacuum cleaner with LEDs is gonna help this time. If it was just one of them, I could probably use the cold gun against them, but three of them, one of me, and Dante in the crossfire…

"Oh, your Mechanical engineering skills are gonna save us?"

"More than your Beethoven, so if I were you I'd shush, I need to concentrate." Cisco fired back, fiddling with the firing pin. Maybe he could jam it, put in a second safety, something. He couldn't just hand Snart and his buddy weapons, not when they'd nearly killed Barry, Caitlin, those cops… He swiped hair behind his ear and blinked hard, trying to follow his own advice and keep calm. Dante interrupted his thinking again.

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to save your life! Believe me, this was not how I wanted to spend my—"

"Not you. You." Dante gestured with bound hands at his lap. "How did you do that?"

Cisco blinked. Maybe he should have been more worried about the bloody bruise on the side of Dante's head. Then something occurred to him.

"Dante, did they get Rita, too?"

"I don't know, Idiot, they hit me over the head, but there's a cat on my lap. An invisible cat."

"Rita, can you go get—" Cisco stopped himself before saying " Barry." " The others? Yeah? The others? I bet Caitlin has Tuna treat. Go home, go find Peanut Butter. C'mon. Go on."

Dante snorted.

"Is she doing anything? I can't tell." Cisco said.

"She's chewing on my shirt sleeve. Wait. Why are you not surprised that—did you know she was invisible? I swear to God, Cisco, if this was-"

"Man, I knew should have given you Spike or Schrodinger, they'd be really useful right now."

"You gave me an invisible cat on purpose?!"

"….ye-es. Yell at me later. See if she'll chew through your ropes."

Dante shifted slightly. It wasn't like he hated cats or anything. He just preferred being able to see them, and them not being prank gifts. "Ok, you. Chew on these, and I'll give you salmon every night for a year."

It was a better plan than "sit here and hope we don't all die."

"Has anyone seen Cisco?" Caitlin asked as Scrap climbed from her pocket to give nosebumps to Felix and Moose, both sprawled out in the middle of the walkway waiting to trip someone up. "I don't think he had a very good day yesterday."

"It got better" Barry said. "Trust me. What, Nyoom? You already had six bowls. Wait five minutes, fishbreath."
Nyoom twined around his ankles, looked up, and batted her eyes at him. Barry gave in.

"He's not here, then?" Caitlin asked. "What about Fuzzwhump? He wanted me to run another test, in case she was sick."

"Haven't seen them," Barry said, getting down the bag of cat food from a locked cupboard. He was more or less instantaneously mobbed, and it took all of his agility to not get knocked over.

"Well, I'm going to call. Just, to see if Fuzzwhump's doing better."

"Caitlin, maybe give it more time. It's not that late, he probably just….overslept." Barry reddened slightly, and Caitlin huffed.

Doctor Wells looked around, counting cats, and paused. "Rita's missing, it seems, unless she's sulking."

"That's funny, she usually turns visible for food." Barry muttered, looking around. " Maybe she's down in the pipeline?"

"Ah, no." Caitlin coughed. "She's, um, with the Ramons. Cisco's brother. It was his birthday and," well, she wasn't about to say it had been a petty prank, not when Dante clearly deserved it. "I thought it would be nice. She's the best behaved of the unattached cats…." Her voice squeaked as she trailed off. "You know, I will call right now and make sure it's ok. I'll get the number from Cisco." Caitlin decided, and dug her phone out.
There was no answer—it went right to voice mail.
"Cisco never turns off his phone, not even in movies. Just puts it on silent." Caitlin looked up. "Don't tell me that's not odd."

"Well, last night, there was this girl—" Barry started, before the desk phone started to ring.
"What?" Dr. Wells blinked. Star Labs wasn't even officially open, so why was someone calling? Unless it was an automated carpet cleaning telemarketer?

"Hello?" he asked. Apricot leaped onto his lab.

"Is this the workplace of Francisco Ramon?" an old woman's voice croaked.

Dr. Wells blinked in confusion. "What is this call concerning, Ms…?"

"Cantwell, Doreen Cantwell. Put that boy on the phone right now."

"I am afraid I can't do that, Ms. Cantwell, but I would be more than happy to take a message."

There was a moment of stony silence. "He left his cat at home, alone, while he goes off to work at some ungodly hour of the morning, and the poor thing is making a racket. Why you have him leave so early I don't know, and I don't care, but that cat has been screeching. You tell him to come calm her down, or I'll have my grandson knock down the door. Believe I will!"

"Ms. Cantwell, I must ask—"

"He's away at school, Hudson University, you know, but he'll come back, oh that poor cat."

"Ma'am, please—"

"I think it's dreadful, and Francisco is usually so careful, except when he watches movies during my Sunday nap, but still. It sounds like there's a tornado in there!"

That last was shouted, and Caitlin looked at Barry. "Mardon's still locked up, right?"

"Yeah?" there was a streak of lightning as Barry went to check and returned. "Yep."

"Doctor Wells, I have a spare key, I'm going over there. Now." Caitlin got up and gathered Scrap. "Barry? It'll be faster."

Barry nodded. As he and Caitlin left, Dr. Wells managed to cut into the old biddy's monologue with a curt "Yes, well, it should be resolved shortly."

Wells shooed Apricot off his lap, and went to consult Gideon, to make sure things were still in order.

(I SAID HE WAS IN TROUBLE AND YOU DID'T LISTEN) Fuzzwhump mewled, staring at the other cats.

(Fuzz, we don't know . Sometimes humans do silly things like go out. Sure he's fine.) Nyoom licked a paw and tried to brush the static from her coat with limited success.

(I can prove it!) Fuzz cried.

(Fuzz, really, you need calm down.) Frieda purred soothingly.

(NO. I'm telling you, I—he was dead, he was dead and it was the Wheelman and and and he wasn't, but—but now he's gone and why don't you believe me? I'm telling truth, Sco's in trouble, I know is, please.) Fuzz lashed her tail.

(Fine.) Peanut Butter slid into place beside the younger kitten and licked one of Fuzzwhump's ears. (We'll look for him. Won't we? Sco's Papacat. And if Fuzz says he's maybe in danger…..)

(Frieda, he always comes to feed us, and today he didn't, so I think we shouldcheck. Maybe Fuzz sees the future like Cassie.) Georgia mewed. (Cassie? Did you see anything?)

(Nope. Just Nyooman leaving?) The smudgy black and white cat said as Nyooman answered his phone and left in a blur. Nyoom chased after him, gone in a flash.
Fuzz didn't wait, just took off towards the doors, racing back and forth and skidding on the tile until Peanut Butter came over and linked Tails with her. Together they walked through it, and the tawny cat went back for the others. Fuzz shook her head, hating the feeling of walking through things but knowing she had to, to find Sco.

The big room downstairs, with the metal platform, was empty. There wasn't even a smell of Sco, or of the Wheelman. Fuzzwhump darted around, nose almost to the ground, searching.

(It…it was here. He was here! He was, I—I saw it, I was there, I…) Fuzzwhump looked up at Peanut Butter and Frieda. (Where is he? Where is my human?)

(Don't know, Fuzz.) Peanut Butter mewed.

(We go upstairs now. Georgia say, Faulkner knows something.) Frieda chirped, twitching her ears.

Upstairs, the Humans were indeed very upset. Sue could tell that much without even entering the room, and she moved to circle the Nyooman's legs. He didn't reach down to give her pets, which she thought was rude of him, and moreover, he was not calming down.

(What say?) Fuzzwhump mewed worriedly, hearing her human's name.

(Something about a cold. Humans get cold, they don't have much fur.) Faulkner peered up at the screens. The Wheelman was typing something, and he wanted to see what it was. Suddenly there was a picture up on the main screen, and Fuzzwhump felt her heart stutter. It was Sco! It was Sco, getting into a Car-monster.

(Ok. Now says, Snart's sister. Sco is with her. I not think is good person. Wheelman does not like, Nyoomman do not like.) Faulkner translated the human babble.

(My human has bad dreams times. Sometimes says word, Nart. Maybe is same.) Scrap mewed from her perch.

(We save Sco.) Fuzz declared, her tail ramrod straight. (We find Sco, we save Sco.)

(YES) the remaining cats meowed together. All but Frieda, who shook her head as if trying to get a bug off her nose.

(I hear voice. Is scared. Is Rita.) She blinked her green-gold eyes. (Is with Sco and littermate and Bad People. Georgie, help)

"Any luck?" Cisco hissed to Dante across the table, keeping an eye on Mick Rory, who was busy with some setting fancy alcohol on fire.
"She's trying," Dante muttered back, scooting his knees closer to the table leg his hands had been tied to so that Rita could chew better. He'd never known a cat smart enough to listen to orders, or to keep trying even when she was interrupted, or tired.

Twice she'd taken little naps, turning visible for a few minutes. Cisco and Dante had worried Snart would see her, but they'd had that much luck, at least. Still, the ropes were thick, and Rita's mouth was little and kitten soft.

"Hey, You, you're doing great. Keep it up," Dante whispered to where he thought Rita's ears might be. One flicked and brushed his cheek.
"This has to work. If they were gonna let us go, they would have already." Dante muttered, switching to Spanish.

"I know." Cisco responded in the same language.
"You know who they are." It wasn't a question.

Cisco only nodded.

"How do you get mixed up in this kind thing? Making weapons for comic-book type super villains?"

"Believe me, I'd love to know." Except that Cisco did know. As soon as Barry started stopping criminals, he'd known. He'd watched all those cartoons, Mama badgering him to practice the violin instead until he'd faked an issue with his wrist tendons.
He'd missed Dante's question.

"What?"

"It—it doesn't matter." Dante aid after a second. "Thank you, though."

"For what?"

"I know you. Noble. Honor. You only made those guns because of me. You could have told him no."

"No," Cisco shook his head, feeling a momentary annoyance that Snart had taken his bobby pins—as if he could do anything with two bobby pins—as his hair got in his face.

"You could have, but you wouldn't." Dante pressed. "Mom and Dad never saw that, you know? Your conviction, your—passion. Honor. They didn't ever see that."

"Dante, what are—?"

"You fought them at every turn to be who you are. I just went with what they wanted. I never fought for anything in my life." Dante shook his head at himself and looked down, then shifted his leg to the side. There was a soft thud as Rita plopped on the carpet. "Shoo, You, go hide."

"Dante, what are you—" Cisco fought to keep his voice down. Dante kicked at the table leg, spindly and thin at the top, and yanked as hard as he could with his mostly-bound hands. The table leg gave way, and he gripped it like a club, charging Rory.

Rita watched from her corner as the Big Yelling man hit her human over the head (again!) and sent him crashing to the ground, and put caution to the wind, racing out from cover to try to help. She nosed Dante, and saw that he was still breathing, then let out a demonic shriek. Sco got in the way and she skidded to avoid crashing into him, crashing into a chair. (FRIEDA GERORGIA HALP NOW PLEASE HALP) The constant cry for help she'd focused on as hard as she could for hours reached a new level of desperation as the Big Yelling man punched Sco. He didn't even notice when she swiped a paw at him, her kitten claws digging into his smelly pants.

"Mick, stop, we need them. Mick, calm down."

Cisco took Rory's pause at Cold's voice as a chance to roll away and try to get to his feet. He hadn't known Snart and his creepy sister were back. Need. He still needs us, for what? A trap for Barry, like what they did with Caitlin? His mind was racing, his eyes darted around. He couldn't see Rory or Lisa, Dante was on the ground a few feet away. By the way his shirt shifted, Cisco thought Rita must be over with him.

Snart still had the cold gun, though he wasn't pointing it at anyone. Yet, thought Cisco darkly.

"I like you, Kid."

Cisco scoffed. Captain Cold ignored him.

"You're smart, pulled yourself up from humble beginnings…you seem like a good brother. So. You answer one question for me, I let your brother walk. How does that sound? I'll even consider leaving him out of this game for good."

Sweat trickled down Cisco's back. He'd gotten Dante into this mess by building that damn gun in the first place, if he could get his brother out… "What's the question?"

"The Flash. Who is he?"
"I…I don't know. He always wears a mask." Cisco couldn't breathe.
Without even looking, Cold pulled the trigger. There was a cry from Dante and a yowl from Rita, suddenly visible, her plumed tail frozen. Cisco dove, eyes glossy with shock at the sight of Dante's hands turning mottled blue and purple, almost smoking.

"That's first degree frostbite. With treatment, your brother and—that cat," Snart looked momentarily nonplussed "will recover. If not, well. You built this. You know what will happen. So I'll ask again. Nicely." Snart moved close and pointed the gun again, this time at Dante's head. "Who is the Flash?"

Cisco closed his eyes, dryheaving. Rita hissed and positioned herself over Dante's hands as if trying to warm them herself. Dante whimpered, and Cisco thought he'd never hated himself more.

"One." Snart said warningly. "Two…"

"Allen." Cisco whispered, feeling deflated and tiny and powerless. "His name's Barry Allen."

"There, that wasn't so hard." Snart smirked, then shouted. "Lisa, Mick."

Both returned, Mick more than a little sullenly.

"Yeah, Lenny?" Lisa asked, mock sweetly.

"Take him to the nearest hospital. Give him back his wallet and drop him off there. No detours."

Lisa sighed. "Fine. C'mon, handsome." She pulled Dante to his feet, and Rita hissed angrily.

"The cat too. You know how I feel." Snart called after them.
Cisco remained on the floor, numb. Barry. He'd Told. Barry'd never forgive him for that, for putting everyone he cared about in danger. For betraying that trust. If he'd had anything in his stomach, he'd have thrown up.
Lisa returned in a hurry, holding out her phone. Snart took it and nodded, then held the screen in front of Cisco's face. A picture of Dante and Rita entering the St. Francis Hospital. Cisco slumped over more. His family was safe, for now at least.

"Time to go." Snart said after a second. He grabbed Cisco by the back of his shirt, and Cisco suddenly seemed to wake up, struggling as Snart pushed him into a nearby closet and locked the door. "Mick, you stay here. If Lisa and I are delayed more than ten minutes without calling—and only IF, Mick, then torch him."
Cisco's blood went cold as he heard footsteps retreating and Mick chuckle.

(This way!) Georgia called, racing down the street. Frieda was better at voices, but she could see pictures better, and Rita had very clearly showed them a big house, very fancy. They needed to find it, and find it now. The other cats followed her, Nyoom racing ahead like a lightning bolt and doubling back with cries of (Not down this street.)

Fuzzwhump wished she could run as fast as Nyoom, or grow big like Scrap and be faster that way. Scrap had needed convincing to leave the Soft One's side, but had left. The humans would only get in the way, so they'd snuck out through the walls.

Scrap grew in size, and Fuzzwhump clung to her back, peering ahead.

(HERE FOUND IT THIS WAY) Nyoom screeched, and they doubled their speed, Spike and Peanut Butter latching on to Scrap as well. The big house Rita had shown Georgia and Georgia had shown the rest loomed above them, a few lights on.

(Hang on) Peanut Butter growled as Scrap charged through the door, not bothering to phase through as Peanut Butter helped the others to do, instead just smashing it to bits. The rest of the cats behind them followed in their wake.

Fuzzwhump smelled Anger and Blood and Scared in the air, sour tangs in her nose that made her sneeze, but above it all she smelled Sco. There was a big man who looked at them and said something she didn't understand, and then Scrap tackled him, and sat on him. She washed her tail.

(You still bite him) She informed the others. Spike had a better idea than just biting. The man continued yelling, but it was muffled.

(SCO!) Fuzzwhump yowled. (SCO WHERE IS?) She'd let the others deal with the Yelling man who had hurt Sco, she just needed to find him. (SCO?)

Lucy stood in a doorway and Vanished, while Frieda concentrated on telling Rita things would be ok, hoping the message got through. Schmendrick batted at a large orange and metal thing on the ground and wrinkled his nose.

(Smells like Ginger after Ginger goes on fire) the tom told everyone.

(Do not care. Care Sco.) Fuzz mewed, darting into the next room. There was a wooden door with a not-shiny circle, and the door shuddered the way doors did when kitties wanted in or out and had to try and bash them open. (Sco?) Fuzzwhump mewed, because it smelled like Sco, it smelled like Sad and like Scared and like Sco.

"Fuzzwhump?!" It was Sco's voice.

(Yes, me, found you! Lucy!)

Lucy popped into the room and looked at the door, then popped away again. A second later, she returned to the doorway she'd been in, this time sitting on Sco's shoe. Fuzzwhump flew at him, climbing up his pants until he bent down to scoop her up with tied together hands. She pressed her head to his chest, purring with relief.

"Let's go home," Cisco whispered.

Fuzzwhump did not understand most People talk, but she knew that word.

(Yes, Home)

Yikes. Long. There's still a tiny bit more in this story arc bit but it'll fit into next chapter and this one's getting long. Yay, the day is saved, no one is dead and the cats have earned every kitty treat in Kenna's pet shop.
Please leave a comment, this chapter kicked my butt and I hope it was worth the wait.