The Line Between Living and Dying

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"Well, it appears letting Ronnie roam free is no longer an option." Dr. Wells said after he finished reading about the attack.

"He's not even Ronnie anymore. He's Martin Stein walking around in Ronnie's body, like a vampire." Caitlin's face held a sour expression.

Dani's face scrunched up in thought. "I don't think that's how it works."

"Is there a reason that Stein's brain is in control of Ronnie's body, not the other way around?" Barry completely ignored Dani's comment.

"Darwinism, I suspect. A brand-new organism will select the strongest parts of itself in order to survive. Survival of the fittest. In this case, Ronnie's body, Stein's mind. In any event. he badly hurt an innocent man, and we have hunted meta-humans for less. Caitlin, we need to know that you're on board with what needs to be done here." Wells wheeled around the main desk so he was closer to Caitlin.

The brunette hesitated, quickly reminding herself that people were getting hurt. Innocent people. "How do we find him?"

"Quentin Quale, the scientist that Ronnie attacked, is a former colleague of Martin Stein," Wells informed. "If Martin is indeed in control of Ronnie's body, he may be trying to figure out exactly what's happening to him."

"What do we know about him?" Cheyanne asked. "I mean, I don't even know what Stein looks like."

Dr. Wells pulled up a picture to one of the wall monitors. "Martin Stein."

Barry's eyes widened with recognition. "That's Stein?"

"It is." Wells nodded.

"I've seen him before."

"When?" Dani furrowed her eyebrows. She had assumed that the only genius Barry knew was Dr. Wells.

"On the train, the day the accelerator exploded."

* * *

Since Martin Stein had been missing since the particle accelerator explosion, the team, minus Cisco, paid a visit to his wife.

"Of course I've heard of S.T.A.R. Labs," Clarissa, Martin's wife, said. "Martin was always vocal about the competition."

"S.T.A.R. Labs is actually helping the CCPD looking in your husband's disappearance, Mrs. Stein," Barry assured.

"Oh, please, call me Clarissa." She smiled warmly.

"The Conway Prize for Scientific Advancement." Dr. Wells read the title off of one of Martin Stein's many awards.

"Damn," Cheyanne muttered under her breath.

"Martin was very proud of that one," Clarissa informed.

"I'd always hoped to win one of these myself." Dr. Wells scanned the table filled with awards. "Oh, and look at that. He won it three times."

Dani chuckled. "I think someone is jealous."

Barry nodded. "It takes a special kind of person to make Dr. Wells jealous."

"Well, Martin had a talent for making people jealous." Clarissa sighed. "Even me. I sometimes think Martin loved his theorems and experiments more than he did me."

Dani's gaze turned into a stare to nowhere. What Clarissa said brought Dani back to the other night and her troubles with Eric. Maybe that was how he felt.

"I'm sure that's not true." Caitlin finally jumped in. Her voice snapped Dani out of her thoughts and pulled her attention back to the matter at hand.

"And you haven't heard from your husband since he disappeared?" Barry questioned.

"No." Clarissa shook her head.