The Line Between Living and Dying

Bad Decisions

Team Flash puls Joe and Zander stood in the cortex watching cells zip around on a screen. 

A prisoner had escaped Iron Heights the previous night and the DNA sample was just about the only evidence found.

"Not even Barry's cells move this fast," Caitlin said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"So Clay Parker is a meta-human?" Joe asked.

"Not so fast." Dr. Wells countered, noticing something on the screen. "The particulate residue Barry gathered at Iron Heights does contain Clay Parker's DNA, but also the DNA of a woman."

Barry turned to Cisco and Cheyanne. "Run her DNA against the CCPD criminal database. See if you get a match."

"Yahtzee," Cisco said as Cheyanne pulled up the match.

"No way." She muttered.

"Her name's Shawna Baez." Cisco started reading. Dani choked on her coffee, gaining everyone's attention.

"You're kidding me." She coughed. She turned to Zander. "Is this a prank? Are you punking me?"

"I wish it was." Zander chuckled.

"Wh-what's going on?" Barry furrowed his eyes at the brother and sister.

"Shawna is the girl Dani got into an altercation with in college," Cheyanne informed.

"That's the girl you beat up?" Barry pointed to the screen.

Dani huffed, crossing her arms. "She started it, thank you very much."

"Did she really though?" Zander asked in a teasing tone. "You do tend to start things."

"I'm about to start something right now." Dani took a threatening step forward.

"Okay!" Joe said loudly. "So, I'm guessing we find her, we find Clay Parker. Barry, Zander?" He gestured toward the hall.

"Yeah." Barry and Zander responded in unison, leaving with Joe.

"In the meantime, let's track these particulates and see how they work." Dr. Wells wheeled away with Caitlin and Cheyanne following him.

"I'll be right with you guys." Cisco made eye contact with Dani nodding toward the hall.

She rolled her eyes, following him anyway. 

"Okay, I'll go get Hartley, you go get dressed," Cisco told her.

"You really want to do this?" Dani questioned. "I mean, Hartley could very well be lying."

"He's not." Cisco insisted. "Just... meet me in the pipeline." He walked away, determined to find his friend.

* * *

Cisco went into the pipeline, a pair of meta cuffs in his hands. He passed them to Hartley. Even though he had Dani as backup, he wanted his nemesis restrained.

"Didn't know you enjoyed yourself a little rough trade," Hartley smirked as he slipped on the cuffs.

"If I'm gonna let you out, I'm not taking any chances." Cisco shook his head.

Then, as if on cue, Dani walked into the intake, fully dressed as Vortex.

Hartley let out a scoff. "Curiosity's a maddening thing, is it not?"

Cisco backed up, opening the cell door. Hartley strolled out, smiling deviously.

"Try anything and I'll put you down." Dani threatened.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Hartley mockingly assured. Dani rolled her eyes at his cockiness.

Dani and Cisco followed Hartley's lead. He brought them to a side entrance the opened onto a cement staircase.

"You said you were gonna show me what happened to Ronnie." Cisco glared at Hartley. "Ronnie died inside the building. What are we doing out here?"

"What do you see?" Hartley questioned.

Cisco started walking down the stairs aimlessly. "I don't know." He shrugged. "Building's, walls, dirt."

"An idiot who lied to try and get his freedom," Dani added, staring intently at Hartley.

"Funny." He rolled his eyes, following Cisco. "Wells would be so disappointed in your observational skills. Look again."

Cisco glanced around. His eyes fell on the wall ahead of him. A distinct shadow of a person darkened the surface. Cisco stepped forward, touching it.

Hartley spoke in Japanese, announcing the technical name of the shadow. "It's Japanese."

"How can you speak six languages and sound like a dick in every one of them?" Cisco snapped. Dani couldn't help but laugh.

"It means 'bomb shadow'." Hartley sassed.

"Right. They were found all over Hiroshima after the atomic bomb fell." Dani spoke up.

"I'm impressed." Hartley smiled. "This shadow belonged to Martin Stein." He nodded toward it.

"The accelerator explosion did that to him?" Dani took the words right out of Cisco's mouth.

Hartley chuckled. "You really don't see it, do you? You're gonna kick yourself when you figure it out."

Cisco scoffed. "Oh, man. You were so full of it then, and you're full of it now. This is just another of your lame-ass tricks. Come on." He grabbed Hartley. "We're going back into the pipeline."

Hartley suddenly slammed his elbow into Cisco's face. He stumbled back, giving Dani her opening to punch Hartley across the face and shove him against the wall.

"I told you; if you try anything, I'll put you down." She gritted her teeth.

"And I lied." Hartley head-butted Dani, punching her straight after. While she was dazed, he made a break for it.

Cisco quickly dug in his pocket. He pulled out a futuristic remote and pressed a button.

Hartley collapsed on the stairs as a high-pitched ringing invaded his ears.

"You're not the only one who understand vibrations, Hartley." Cisco stomped toward him. "Those cochlear devices you're wearing? I made a few adjustments."

"No, please don't!" Hartley begged.

"If you know how to find Ronnie, then you better tell me. Right now."

Dani joined Cisco. She almost felt bad for Hartley as he pleaded with Cisco to stop but reminded herself that he was a dick.

"Please, make it stop. Please, I'll show you. I'll show ah--aah!" Hartley screamed.

Cisco reluctantly turned the volume down. "Try that again, and I won't make it stop. Ever."

"If you had that remote thingy then why did you need me?" Dani looked at Cisco.

"Just in case this didn't work." Cisco held up the remote.

"I'm impressed. Didn't think you had that in you." Hartley gave kudos. "But you have to take these off me if you want to find out the truth." He turned to Dani. "And you're gonna have to change."

Dani scoffed. "And why's that?"

"It'll look a little suspicious where we're going next."

Dani and Cisco shared a skeptical look. Neither wanted to trust Hartley but they didn't seem to have much of a choice.

A/N: I'm loving this friendship between Dani and Cisco. I had no intentions of making them so close so quickly but it honestly kinda works. And I'm really excited to continue with it.

Thanks for reading and vote or comment if you enjoyed this chapter!