Always Running

Here We Go

"It's working..."

***

The cut outs are in place. Jessie is secured at the horror house. Eddie is at CCPD with Singh. Iris is at CCPN with Patty. Wells and Joe have guns with meta dampening cuffs and are stationed in the old warehouse connected to the labs. Caitlin is in the cortex with all the sensors and cameras on. Cisco and Barry are in the cortex with her, finalizing the plan for when Zoom runs through.

"I say we hold it open in increments. That'll give you a chance to rest." Caitlin says.

"I don't think we'll need to. He was waiting for us last time. He'll be ready." Cisco says, his voice shaky.

"So will we." Barry says confidently. He turns to Cisco. "You ready?"

Cisco turns to Caitlin who gives him a weak but reassuring smile. He turns back to Barry. "Nope. But let's do this."

Caitlin stands up and walks over to hug Cisco. "You got this." She whispers firmly. She moves over to Barry and pulls his face down and kisses him. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and hugs him.

He circles his arms around her waist and buries his head in the crook of her neck. "Everything is gonna be fine." He reassures her. He pulls back and puts his hands on either side of her face. "Then you and I are gonna go home. Safe. Okay?"

She nods. "I love you." She breathes out.

He smiles and kisses her forehead. "I love you too, babe. Be back in a Flash." He winks.

Caitlin groans and smiles as her hair blows past her. When she sits back down at the control desk, Barry and Cisco are gone. She takes a deep breath. "Here we go."

"Everyone ready?" Barry asks from the hospital with Cisco.

"Ready." Harry and Joe both respond.

"Ready." Caitlin says, more hesitantly.

Barry turns to Cisco. Cisco nods. "Ready."

Cisco raises his hand in the air and closes his eyes. "Let the show begin." He whispers.

A blue light appears in the center of the room. Barry takes a deep breath and readies himself to run. The blue light grows, and the breach can be seen in the center. Just when the breach grows large enough to travel through, a blue streak of lightning races out of it. Barry takes off.

Barry chases Zoom around the city before stopping in an alley.

"You got faster." Zoom growls out. "Good." He says lower.

Barry takes off this time, forcing Zoom to chase him. He arrives at the labs, running into the warehouse where Zoom is stopped by a life-size cut out of his father that appears in front of him. Zoom stops, his breathing heavy. Barry runs past him, punching him and knocking him off balance. He deals a few more blows before Zoom regains his composure, turning, only to be greeted by another cut out. This time of his mother.

"It's working..." Caitlin breathes out.

Harry takes Zoom's distracted state as an opportunity to shoot him with the cuff. Joe follows his lead and shoots another at him, securing him to the floor. Zoom drops, out of breath, confused and unfocused. He looks up to see Barry who walks up and removes Zoom's cowl.

"It's over." Barry breathes out.

"How'd you figure it out?" Zoom asks, now unmasked as the man they knew as Jay Garrick.

"You underestimated Caitlin." Barry scoffs.

"I had to get her to stop looking. Stop trying to save me." Jay admits.