Absolute Zero

Chapter 18

Barry had been acting weird all day and now he was even coping Caitlin when she said the weirdest things. Dr. Wells took him away to talk to him.

"Is he acting weird?" I asked.

"He's been like that all day." Joe said.

~o~

Cisco and I were watching for Mardon when suddenly Barry brought him in.

"I'm gonna break out of here!" He said from inside the pipeline. "I'm gonna create a tidal wave that destroys your entire city!"

"So I still don't understand." Cisco said. "How did you find him?"

"I just had a hunch." Barry said. 

"That's gotta be some kind of record." Caitlin said. 

"Well, there goes my excuse for bailing on my brother's birthday." Cisco said as we all left.

"I said I would go with you." I told him. He asked me earlier wanting to show up with a 'hot successful girl'.

~o~

Cisco and I arrived at his parents place and he started greeting people. The place was nice. Done up for the party well.

"Your parent really went all out on the cake." I looked over at the three tier cake on the table. "I bet Barry could eat the whole thing and still be hungry." I said and he laughed a bit.

"Well, it is Dante's birthday. Most important day of the year." Then a man looked over and noticed us.

"Hey. What's up man?" He said coming up to us.

"Hey." Cisco said.

"Glad you could make it."

"Course." Then he looked at me.

"Hi. I'm Dante."

"This is my friend Rebecca."

"Hi Rebecca." He brought his hand forward and I shook it.

"Becca, please. Happy birthday Dante."

"Thank you."

"Oh I uh, got you this." Cisco said handing him the present. "I think you're really gonna like it. It's-"

"Thanks man."

"Yeah."

"Excuse me." Then Dante walked away.

Later his mother asked him to play the piano and went really far on the praising. Now I know what Cisco was worried about.

"I was a little rusty. I haven't played in a while."

"I mean I know the piece and you did pretty good for not playing a while." I told him.

"You play?"

"I used to. Piano was a creative outlet for depression. I can't imagine how it would sound practiced."

"Well for you I would practice morning, noon, and night." Cisco let out a laugh.

"That mean you'd have to get up in the morning."

"So mom tells me you're still working at S.T.A.R Labs huh?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason man. Guess it was just hard, finding another job huh?"

"Oh I wasn't looking. I actually like working at S.T.A.R Labs."

"If Cisco wasn't working there my brother and I could possibly still be in a coma so. We're thankful to have him." I smiled over at Cisco. "He's done a lot of good."

"Oh he's loyal. Just like a dog. Oh come on, why you so serious mi hija?" Cisco just shook his head and left.

"Nice. Happy birthday." Then I followed Cisco.

~o~

Cisco later that evening went to a bar and me being me, I went back to speak with Dante. I knocked on the door and he answered.

"Becca?"

"Can I talk to you?" I asked and he stepped outside.

"Yes?" He smiled at me.

"Don't. Ok? I'm here because Cisco really tired today. For you guys to be cool and stuff."

"That's great and stuff-"

"I have an older brother. Not by much we're twins but, I would do anything for him, and vice versa. He's my brother. It's what siblings do."

"Look Becca I'm glad, Cisco has someone who appreciates him but-"

"Is this the Ramon residence?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

"You have got to be kidding me." I turned around and there he was with his friend. "Leonard Snart."

"Rebecca Allen."

"Why? Seriously why?"

"Oh we're not here for you. We're here for him." He pointed to Dante.

"Ok. I know he's a dick but he couldn't have possibly done something to you."

"You know these guys?" Dante asked.

"We have a sort of love/hate relationship." Leonard said and Mick came closer.

"I'm not afraid of you this time." I said.

"Nobody has to get hurt Becca, but we're on a time crunch. You both can come with us, or Mick can burn the house down with mommy and daddy inside."

"Leave my family alone." Dante went to his Mick only to get himself hit pretty bad.

"Stop!" I yelled and Mick said. "Ok. You win. Just don't hurt anybody ok?" Leonard nodded his head to Mick, who took Dante. Leonard then walked over and grabbed my arm.

"Glad I get to see you again Becca."

"Don't touch me!" I pulled my arm from him only for him to grab it tighter and pull me into a van with Dante, who was now tied up. "What do you even want him for?"

"New weapons. Cisco's going to help with that. Now be quiet."

~o~

I stayed in the room with Cisco the whole time while he made the weapons. There was no way for me to get them both out of this. If I went for one, the other would hurt someone. Then there was Leonard's sister added to it. Dante was struggling.

"Dante, Dante! Just keep cool ok? Let me do my thing." Cisco said.

"Oh really? And what? You're gonna save us with your mechanical engineering skills?"

"Right now, my skills are the only things keeping us alive right now, so if I were you, I would shut up."

"You shut up!"

"Ah!" Mick said as the three of them walked in. "There she is. I missed this baby." He picked up the heat gun and I instantly tensed up.

"Here it is. All finished. You gonna let us go now?" Leonard looked at the gun.

"You know, I took the first gun you made me apart dozens of times. Learned how it ticked. What went where." Oh no. He motioned Cisco over to him. "Thought you could tamper with the firing pin without me noticing. Nice try kid."

"If you knew how all this why couldn't you build it yourself?" I asked him and he didn't answer me. He just started it up.

"Lenny?" Lisa said. "Where's my gun?" Are you serious right now? "Girls gotta defend herself. Besides, why should you two have all the fun?"

"My sister needs a weapon. Something that suits her personality."

"Make me something pretty and toxic, like me. How about something with gold?"

"Gold?" Cisco let out a sarcastic laugh.

This gets better and better.