Episode 16 - Flash Fanfiction - Gotham's Gladiators

Chapter 2

"Alfred, would you mind getting our guests some refreshments?" Bruce asked when Team Flash was gathered at Wayne Manor.

Alfred looked over at their guests. While Barry and Astrid had taken a seat on the brown leather couch, Cisco was marveling at the shelves filled with books, valuable objects and assortments like a kid in a candy store.

"Just water please, we won't be staying long. Cisco, don't touch anything that you can't afford to replace." Astrid said.
"Just water for me too, thank you," Barry said, he knew that he was very hungry but the three of them were wasting time while they should be out looking for Caitlin.

As Cisco reached for an item, it fell making a clatter. He quickly fixed it back into place before anyone noticed, and joined his friends on the brown couch.

Bruce sat on the couch opposite the three of them and leaned back comfortably, "If I had known the three of you would be in town, I would have thrown a party." He commented, as a dig.

"Heh, heh... because our party had a guy who was pretty much Central City's version of the Joker..." Cisco laughed. He looked at his friends who were not amused, so he buttoned his lips and shuffled nervously in his seat.

"We're actually looking for some friends of ours that have gone missing," Barry said as he leaned forward and rubbed the back of his neck, nervously.

"Friends? From Central City? Why would they..." Bruce began.
"Come here?" Astrid asked, "Good question... but regardless we haven't heard from any of them."

"Why didn't you call the police? Besides, how do you know that they didn't just leave? People leave all the time." Bruce said calmly, as Alfred brought a cold glass jug of water, a bottle of scotch and four glasses.

Bruce poured himself a glass of scotch and Barry poured he, Astrid and Cisco some water.

"Yeah, people do go missing all the time!" Astrid exclaimed, "But not these people... Stein, Ronnie, and Caitlin are our friends. I supposed that you would understand that if you had friends!" Astrid drank her water and stood up ready to leave.

"Astrid..." Barry said as he stood up with her in an attempt to calm her down.

"Miss Sutherland..." Bruce said, as he too got to his feet, "You're welcome to stay in Gotham city, you and your friends are even welcome to stay at Wayne Manor, as Gotham isn't exactly known for being like sunny Central City... But, unfortunately... if you're looking to find your friends... You may not find them..." Bruce's face fell to the floor. The two of them knew what he was trying to say.

"Thank you, but we're going to have to decline, it won't stop us from searching. Thank you for your hospitality." Barry said as he and Astrid left out the door. Cisco who was still sitting comfortably on the lounge looked over at Bruce and Alfred.

"Cisco, let's go!" Astrid called out from the other room.

Cisco jumped to his feet, and politely said "goodbye" to Bruce and Alfred and left the room.

Though the minute he stepped out past the door, he realized that he was still holding his glass. So he popped his head back in and handed the glass to Alfred said, "I should give you this back," and left again.

They eventually reached their hotel rooms after being ripped off by their driver and found that their hotel rooms had been ransacked. Astrid had booked a room for herself and a double room for her friends.

"See, I told you that we shouldn't have trusted the bellboy." Cisco said, "we should have just stayed at Wayne manor."

"Yeah, but you know Astrid. She really doesn't like that playboy bachelor...Plus we can't risk anyone finding out who we really are..." Barry replied, he did a thorough search of their hotel room, "...I'm surprised they didn't steal anything valuable... all your equipment is still there..."

"Speak for yourself!" Cisco said angrily, "They took my comic books!"

"I meant that... never mind." Barry replied, knowing that the argument was pointless.

"I'm not going to be sleeping tonight." Astrid announced as she walked into their room and sat on Barry's bed. "Even with the Flash here, this place seriously gives me the creeps. Why would they go snooping through my things and not take anything? Who knows what they were doing?"

"Maybe it was kids..." Barry suggested, "they took Cisco's comic books."

"Comic books?" Astrid asked in disbelief.

"Hey... they had real sentimental value... they took the first edition of..." Cisco protested.

"You guys... let's just focus on where to start looking for Caitlin. I just hope that Killer Frost has her wits about her. I can't imagine how Caitlin would survive in a place like this, without letting her take over." Barry said sadly.

Caitlin awoke on the cold dark concrete floor. Her mouth was gagged, her arms were cuffed behind her back and her feet were tied. she was frightened. She screamed out, but the cloth to her mouth only muffled her. She realized that her cuffs were made from Cisco grade materials, so it kept Frost at bay.

She struggled to get to her feet, but when she managed to, she saw that she was being kept in what seemed like an old brick room, with a metal door. there was an old shabby bed to the right of her. She hobbled over to the door and pushed her weight into it and called out for help.

But nobody came. She jumped her way over to the bed and slipped on a piece of rubbish, banging her knees and chin hard on the floor. She felt sick to her stomach as the smell of urine engulfed her senses, but she managed to climb up and onto the bed. She couldn't feel her phone in her pocket and wondered where she had lost it, knowing that Cisco would have been able to track it, were it still in her pocket.

But even if she did have it with her, she had told her friends not to find her. But surely that wouldn't stop them, they would have to come for her. Or at least the Flash would. She knew that right now, hope was all that she had left.