Flicker ⌁ Barry Allen [1]

twenty-five.

I woke up in a stuffy room. I was in a class cage. I wasn't sure where I was, but as I woke more up, I remembered what had happened. Emberlynn.

"Well, well, well. Sleeping beauty is awake, at last."

My blood boiled as I looked at my sister. She was wearing her usual getup, without her mask.

I rolled my eyes. "Where are we, Blink?"

She opened her eyes to speak, but was interrupted by a different voice.

"Welcome to Earth-2, Flicker. Or do you prefer Aurora?" 

Jay. Zoom. Whatever his name was.

"Oh, hey, Jay. Haven't really seen you since you fake-died. I've heard your name a lot, though. You know, every single time Caitlin cried about your death. And afterwards, when she cried about you lying to her, and us."

He faltered, and made an angry growl.

"I'm only keeping you alive because you're bait." He snarled.

"And what about my twin sister? You know, the speedster? Why are you keeping her alive?" I questioned, crossing my arms. 

Emberlynn's eyes grew slightly wider.

"Emberlynn here is a lot more.. useful. She's also stronger and smarter than you." He replied.

I nodded, pretending like I believed him. "So, um, what exactly am I 'bait' for?"

"To get your precious boyfriend's speed." Jay laughed, humorlessly.

"Yeah, except that's not gonna happen, because he wouldn't make such a stupid mistake. Well, Caitlin and Cisco and Wells wouldn't let him, at least." I said, confidently.

Jay flinched slightly at Caitlin's name. What he didn't know, is that the entire time I was talking to him, I was using my psychology degree and other detective skills to figure out his weakness. And I did. Caitlin. Even though he's killed dozens of people, he still cares for Caitlin.

Jay left, probably going to carry the message along that he had me.

Emberlynn stayed to keep guard on me. Not that I could leave. The glass looked reinforced, and there was no way I was fast enough to phase through it. 

Zoom returned in no less than 30 minutes. Or maybe it was an hour. I couldn't really tell. 

"Lucky you. Your boyfriend really is stupid, after all." He said. He then phased through the glass, and injected me with a syringe before I could react. 

"See you soon, Aurora." He smirked. Then my vision left as I slipped into unconsciousness.

When I woke up, I was surrounded by the familiar smells and feel of STAR Labs.

"Rory!" 

Barry.

I opened my eyes and after the feeling returned to my body, I attempted to speed off, but I was held in a death grip off the ground by Zoom.

"Hand her over." He said, steely.

"After I get your speed, Flash." He said. His mask was not on, and his voice was not disguised.

"Caitlin." He said, nodding to her. He acted like he didn't care, but I felt him tense up when she flinched away from him.

"Let's go then." Barry said, nodding.

"Barry, no." I let out weakly.

He looked at me with an apologetic glance.

We entered the room where the treadmill was.

Wells hooked Barry up to the machine, and began the process of draining his speed. After Barry's speed was completely gone, Zoom injected it into himself, but clearly that wasn't enough.

With his enhanced speed, he had detached the device from Barry and attached it to me, all before we could process what happened. He stood over me, watching as the device started to take my speed. Unlike Barry's speed, mine came out in a dark blue.

"Did you really think I would let her keep her speed?" He said, looking at Barry, who was laying on the floor, exhausted.

"If any one of you move, stop the device, or do anything else to try to stop me, I will kill her." He warned.

Nobody moved.

"Did you think, Jay, that my unique speed properties might mess up your speed force? Or that it might not take?" 

Jay thought about this. My speed was different, since it was actually electrified water. He shrugged.

"Can't leave you with your speed either way, now can we?" 

From the machine, I could see that my speed was almost gone. My senses already felt slower. And then I saw a black streak throw Zoom off of me. I yanked the machine out of my arm, and attempted to run off, but my speed faltered and I didn't get much farther than three steps. 

Zoom laughed. "Damaged speed is way more torturous than no speed." he then turned his attention to the one who interfered. My sister.

He shoved his hand in her chest, killing her before I could stop him.

He then glanced at all of us, and sped off.

I ran to Emberlynn.

"Em!" I yelled.

"Sisters till the end, right?" She murmured, before letting out her last breath.

"Guys!" Cisco yelled.

"What is it?" I asked, turning around, tears threatening to spill.

"He took Cait!"