Timeless ❄️ColdFlash⚡

Chapter 5: Possible Futures

Super soldiers. Bombs. The Army taking over a local police case. Caitlin was just relieved that after the first explosion, once they calculated the distance Wally needed to start from to run up the side of the building, he'd been able to save the falling window cleaner.

All the case files had quickly been taken by the meddling General Eiling the next day, but once Caitlin and the team were gathered at STAR Labs to discuss it, Barry produced the files from nowhere, though when he'd left the Labs or how he'd gotten his hands on them remained a mystery.

Between Wells admitting his connection to Eiling's experiments and the information Barry provided, they had all they needed to track the person responsible for the explosions.

Bette San Souci.

Before Wally went to intercept the former disarmament specialist, Barry warned him, "Don't let her touch you, but she doesn't mean it. Sometimes the bad guys hide in plain sight and the heroes are the ones running."

Barry was right, of course, like always. Wally got Bette back to the Labs without incident and they learned everything they needed from the woman who blamed Eiling for what happened to her.

They provided gloves since her meta abilities triggered a reaction through touch that eventually exploded like a bomb, no ordinance required, and she agreed to let them test her in the hopes they might find a way to turn her powers off.

"Maybe off and on again?" Cisco said. "Coz we could really use some extra metas out there who aren't psycho killers...Plastique."

Always naming everyone, but Bette, whose dangerous powers were something she only wanted to use against those who deserved it, didn't seem to mind being accepted into the group.

Caitlin didn't mind either, not as much as she expected. It was easier to trust someone that Barry seemed so comfortable around, like he was their meta human litmus test, even when Wells remained skeptical that Bette belonged.

"We should be worried about the General," he said. "If he tracks Miss San Souci here or tries to make trouble for us, he might prove a difficult man to get rid of."

Caitlin was checking Bette's vitals-carefully, always carefully-while Barry kept vibrating through the glass between the med room and Cortex, much to Wally's delight, but try as he might, the younger speedster couldn't go fast enough to mimic him.

It was remarkable how effective Barry was as a teacher even without words or direct focus, something Caitlin couldn't help but notice seemed to wound Wells's pride a little, not that he showed it openly.

Eventually, despite Barry's distracted attention and occasional utterance of words that made no sense to the moment, he grabbed Wally's shoulders, started vibrating to get them in synch with one another, and phased both of them into the med room.

"Did you see that?" Wally said in barely contained joy, whirling about to face Barry like a little boy awed by everything his older brother did. "That was dope, man. Freaking amazing! I think I get the frequency now and can do it on my own."

Caitlin shared an amused expression with Bette after informing her that they were done for the day. It was easier to smile around Barry, often surprising Caitlin how easy, when for so long there hadn't been much to smile about.

Wells, however, scrunched his brow in irritation.

"Sorry, Dr. Wells, we're listening," Caitlin said, "there have just been so many other things to focus on. We understand that the safety of the people here matter more than anything else, even before advancing their abilities."

"I do want to control my powers without having to wear these someday," Bette said as she slipped on her gloves.

Wally and Barry were less easily brought back to the conversation, especially when Wally finally succeeded at phasing through the wall with a blur of motion, almost as if he'd gone invisible only to reappear with an animated shout.