EXPEDITE ▇▇▇▇ VOLUME ONE
━━ ❛ 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 ❜
chapter no. 014!
YOU'VE GOT THIS. You look great. Just keep walking and focus on the mission.
Erin had convinced Piper to wear a ball gown to the Central City Museum: The Crystal Ball gala. The museum was showcasing a recently recovered famous painting from Markovia. Jay, Barry, Caitlin, and Piper were going to it to keep an eye out for Turtle, a meta-human that Cisco had kept an eye on for some time.
Turtle could slow down time to where everything and everyone in a given area would move incredibly slow except for him, giving him time to steal whatever it was he wanted and then leave.
Hopefully, they will get lucky and be able to take him down for good tonight.
Don't get distracted.
Peering over her shoulder, her chocolate brown eyes roamed the room, looking for the meta. Turning her head, she passed through a doorway, the floor-length black dress flowing at her ankles. Her hair was curled and pulled back into a ponytail, loose curls framing her face. The neck of the gown wrapped around her neck like a choker, the black silk feeling cool and comfortable against her skin. Part of her back was exposed, and the front of the dress had a slit down the middle, diving towards the waist where a soft, black mesh fabric puffed and flowed out, making her look like a princess. Diamond earrings adorned her ears, and she held a small black clutch. This was the fanciest she'd dressed in a long time.
Walking further into the room, Piper could see couples dancing together, a smooth jazz song playing in the background.
"Cisco, are you and Harry in position?" Caitlin whispered into the comms, her eyes dancing around the room she was in.
"Yeah, I'm in the security feed. I've got the facial recognition software running, so we'll be able to spot Turtle before he makes his move." Cisco spoke; he and Harry were outside in a S.T.A.R. Labs van.
A presence came up behind Piper, and she knew who it was. "Black suits you well, doesn't it?" she asked, not bothering to look over her shoulder.
"Yeah, it does. It suits you just as well, you know. You look drop-dead gorgeous." Jay mused, brushing his hand up against her spine. "I've got a proposition for you, beautiful."
"Whatever it is, the answer's no," Piper replied, leaving him and making her way through another doorway. The longer she stood and talked to Jay, the more annoyed she became.
Upon her entrance, Barry looked up from the table he stood next to, lowering his drink. His eyes were fixated on her, moving up and down her figure. Piper Lita looked breathtaking. Anyone who glanced her way could see that.
A smile tugged at his lips as he admired her, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
The redhead's line of sight landed on the already staring speedster. His eyes were wide, and his lips parted. She could feel her cheeks burn as she made her way over.
I officially believe in God. His name is Barry Allen.
"You—" Barry was speechless as she stood before him, her cheeks pink. "You um, you look breathtaking."
A shy smile danced across her red-painted lips. "You do too," Piper responded, causing him to chuckle. Reaching for her hand nervously, he stepped closer, their fingers intertwining.
Piper, don't say something stupid. Please.
"Have you seen Turtle yet?" she asked as his focus remained on her.
"No, not yet," Barry murmured, watching as Piper glanced down at their hands. Biting the inside of her cheek, she couldn't help but smile happily. "Do you want to dance?" he blurted, causing Piper's head to snap back up. "We can still look for Turtle, obviously, but do you want to?"
Piper's cheeks flamed red, and she nodded. "Yeah. I'd love to."
The pair made their way to the room that had unofficially been declared the ballroom. Walking to an open space, Barry wrapped his arm around Piper's waist, and their hands met again. She placed her left arm over his shoulder and stepped closer, diminishing the space between them. The sparks that had become familiar to them raced up down their spines.
"Piper?" Barry asked, looking down at her.
"Hmm?" she mused, raising a brow.
"There's something I wanted—" His words cut short as he caught Turtle over Piper's shoulder, ducking from view.
"We've got eyes on Turtle," Cisco announced, and the redhead twisted her head to see where Barry's line of vision rested.
"Go," she whispered, turning back around. "I'll get people out." Barry nodded, quickly pressing a kiss to her forehead before walking out of the room. She stood frozen for a moment before she pushed what had just happened to the back of her mind. She'd have time to dwell on it later.
Speeding in her dress, she raced everyone out of the building before returning to the ballroom and witnessing Turtle taking the famous painting. Snapping her finger, an orb of purple lightning appeared, and she chucked it, hitting him square in the chest. He stumbled backward before glaring at her, releasing a pulse of energy.
The room turned green, freezing everything momentarily before the atmosphere returned to normal. Turtle was gone, and the sound of a gun clicking made Piper spin around. He was now behind her with a gun aimed straight at her. Caitlin and Jay ran in, eyes wide as the Flash entered. He stood at the top of the staircase that looped around the room.
"Drop the gun, Turtle," Piper ordered.
"Is this supposed to be a trap? I'm slow, not stupid," Turtle scoffed, releasing a pulse of energy. Caitlin and Jay were frozen, along with Piper. Pointing the gun up, he shot the chandelier and watched as it began to fall straight down, right where the redhead was standing.
The Flash sprinted down the stairs at full speed, entering the green bubble of slowed particles. Pushing himself, he managed to get closer to Piper before slowing down. Turtle issued another pulse, observing how the speedster stared at the damsel in distress. He recognized the emotion that was motivating the hero to save her.
It was then that he disappeared. The green bubble was gone, and Barry pushed Piper out of the way, the chandelier nearly crushing them both.
"Piper," Barry breathed, pushing himself off the ground and running to her. She laid unconscious on the floor, eyes closed. Cupping her cheeks, he squeezed his eyes shut, guilt beginning to eat at him for not getting her to come with him when he left, for leaving her to get everyone out.
Caitlin and Jay ran over quickly, the doctor getting on her knees, checking Piper's pulse. "Her pulse is weak," she whispered, looking up at the two men as the room turned green again. Reappearing from the shadows, Turtle walked in, painting in one hand as he reached down, picking the unconscious redhead up and leaving once more.
"No, no, no, no, no," Barry muttered as soon as the room faded back to darkness and he saw that Piper was no longer in his arms. Standing up, he sped throughout the entire building, desperately searching for her but coming up empty.
She was gone.
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A HIGH-PITCHED RINGING NOISE ECHOED ALL AROUND HER, AND HER CHOCOLATE BROWN EYES FLUTTERED OPEN. Bright lights hung from the ceiling above her, nearly blinding her as she looked upward. Her eyes swept the room frantically, noticing all the furniture and ludicrous artifacts lying around.
Something was repeatedly clicking in the room, and she looked down, noticing that she was no longer wearing a dress. Instead, she wore black leggings and an oversized grey t-shirt, her feet bare and cold against the concrete floor.
Who the hell changed me? I swear to G—
"Ah! You're awake!" A rough and low voice exclaimed.
Piper's head whipped to the right, and she saw Turtle sitting at a desk, messing with an item she couldn't see. "What do you want from me? Why am I here?"
The man merely glanced up as he admired whatever he was holding. "I want you to stop moving forever."
Piper stared at her arms and legs that were tied to the chair. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out as she tried to phase through the chair. Feeling nothing, Piper looked down to see that she was still sitting. She snapped her fingers, waiting for an orb of lightning to appear, but it never did. The redhead was tied up with rope, and nothing in this room would dampen her powers, yet her speed was gone.
You've got to be kidding me.
"What do you get out of killing me? Huh? Satisfaction? Joy?" Piper demanded, turning to look at him.
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you. That's much too fast and messy. No, I'm going to be precise and clean. I like to take things slow."
Chills raced down her spine. "You don't have to hurt me to prove a point, Ninja Turtle."
"This isn't about hurting you. It's about hurting someone who values you. The Flash."
Piper's blood ran cold at the mention of Barry. "What does he have to do with this?"
Turtle stood slowly, making his way over. "I saw how he looked at you before he saved you," he murmured. "It was the same way I used to stare at my wife. Love."
Barry doesn't love me, not like that.
Piper blinked, shaking her head. "He was doing his job: saving people who need saving. He's a hero."
"It's a waste of time. People who are saved take everything for granted." Turtle snapped.
"So, you just decide to take the things they value the most?" the redhead questioned, becoming angry.
"My wife Rosalyn took me for granted. She wanted to leave me— the thing I valued most."
"So, that's what all of this is about? You're hurt because your wife left you?!" Piper retorted, glaring daggers at him.
"No, because I couldn't let that happen. So, I made her mine. Forever." Turtle grabbed a dark green sheet, yanking it down to reveal a human-sized glass case holding his taxidermized wife.
Piper blanched, her eyes tearing up at seeing the woman's body. A rush of panic seeped through her veins. The air leaving her lips was ragged and harsh as a scream stifled her throat.
He made his way to another sheet, pulling it down to reveal an identical case, except this time, it was empty.
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THE CORTEX WAS FILLED WITH A TENSE PANIC. The only sound heard was footsteps pacing and keyboard keys clicking.
Barry Allen paced back and forth, his arms crossed while his lips pressed together. "Bar, we'll find her," Joe reassured him for the sixth time, feeling helpless as his son only grew more worried by the second. The speedster didn't hear his words; a million different thoughts and scenarios played in his mind.
"I'm not getting any leads on this guy. It's like he's totally fallen off the grid." Cisco announced from where he sat behind the computer screen. Caitlin, who was standing behind him, was watching Barry worriedly. She knew this was driving him crazy— not knowing where she was. At least when she was avoiding all of them, they knew where she was half the time and that she was alive. Right now, however, they knew neither of those.
"You know, any of the stuff he's stolen, I can't find it."
Barry sat down, his elbows pressed to his knees as he leaned forward, covering his face.
Harry stepped forward, messing with the marker he was holding. "He keeps them. He keeps them the way a serial killer collects trophies."
Barry looked up as Joe pointed at the look-alike, seeing where he was going with this.
"He's stolen a lot of stuff." Caitlin reminded everyone.
"Which means he needs a lot of space to store it, right? That's where we start. See if he rented any storage spaces." Joe advised, and Cisco began typing, new windows popping up.
"No, no... I'm not getting anything. Wait a minute." Barry looked up again. "His ex-wife used to be an archivist for antiquities at the Naydel Library before it shut down, and it shut down three months after the accelerator exploded." The speedster got up, walking over to join everyone.
"That place is big enough to hold Turtle's stuff," Joe replied reasonably.
"Okay, all right." Barry breathed, turning back around and heading towards his suit.
Everyone looked at him as if he had lost his mind, preparing to leave without a plan. "Wait, Barry, we haven't even figured out how to neutralize the Turtle's power," Jay interjected.
"Well, I'm gonna have to power through it," Barry grabbed his suit, sprinting as fast as he could out of S.T.A.R. Labs. He raced past cars and buildings, through a tunnel, and around several corners. Coming to a stop, he looked to see the library in front of him. "I'm here," he spoke into the comms.
"Barry, the only way to save Piper, is if you grab her in-between each of the Turtle's pulses," Cisco stressed, praying to God that he would bring the redhead back in one piece.
"You'll only have two-tenths of a second to make your moves," Caitlin added.
Nodding, Barry closed his eyes for a second, breathing deeply before racing off towards the front door.
Inside, Piper watched from her seat as the grey-haired man brought the needle closer to her arm, ready to paralyze her body. Clenching her fists, she gritted her teeth together as she tried to phase out of the chair, but nothing happened. "No," she grunted as the needle got closer. Piper had never felt so helpless as she struggled to move the tiniest bit. Then, the needle tip pierced her pale skin right as something crashed from the other side of the room.
The Flash burst through one of the doors, sprinting towards the two. Turtle dropped the needle and narrowed his eyes, releasing a pulse of stored-up kinetic energy. Looking down, Barry noticed that he wasn't moving at all.
Turtle walked closer and punched him across the face. Swinging again, he hit Barry square in the jaw. Next, he threw an undercut, and Barry's lip began bleeding. Finally, bringing his fist back, he threw a blow to the speedster's stomach, sending him flying as the green bubble vanished.
The scarlet speedster glanced at Piper, who was watching with diligent eyes before he sped out of the room.
"I guess he doesn't care about you as much as I thought." Turtle mused, walking back over and picking up a silver dagger. Piper leaned back, gulping as he approached her.
Barry's going to save me. He's going to save me.
If Turtle stabbed her, it wouldn't be her first time, but it could be her last if he knew what he was doing. Positioning himself in front of her, he brought his elbow back. "No, no, you don't have to do this." She held her breath.
The door to the room burst open, the hinges flying off as Barry sped back in. Turtle stepped back and released a wave, and the speedster pushed through it, his eyes focused on the woman tied to the chair.
Narrowing his stare, Turtle unleashed another wave, watching as the figure of red continued to push through it with more difficulty. Barry kept his focus on Piper, allowing his emotions to take control as another wave rolled out, hitting him. Grunting in pain, he strained against it, feeling his body collide with the Turtle's, sending him soaring into a wall.
The green bubble was gone, and Barry was gasping for air, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Standing up, he grabbed the dagger that'd fallen and cut the ropes secured around Piper's arms and ankles.
Piper quickly jumped up, wrapping her arms around Barry as her breathing began to slow down. "Oh, thank God," he whispered, holding onto her tightly as she tried to calm herself down. She pulled away and cupped Barry's face, her chocolate brown eyes glistening with tears.
"Thank you," she whispered, and he kissed her forehead.
"You knew I would come back for you after I left, right?" Barry asked, and she nodded. "Good, good. I'll always come back for you."
"I know you will, and I always will, too," Piper replied, meaning every word she spoke.
The scarlet speedster smiled before looking at an unconscious Turtle. "We need to take him back to S.T.A.R. Labs before he wakes up," Barry stated, picking the man up. "Wanna race back?" A deep frown settled on Piper's face and her eyes watered. "P... What's wrong?"
"My speed," she cleared her throat, blinking back tears. "It's gone. I don't have my speed."
His face blanched as he stared at her, a sinking feeling weighing down his heart. "Hold onto me. I'll take us back. Once we lock up Turtle, we'll find out what happened to your speed, right?" Piper nodded, walking towards the speedster. Wrapping his arm around her tightly and ensuring he securely held the unconscious meta, he sped off.
It took less than a minute for them to arrive back at S.T.A.R. Labs, lock Turtle up, and make it back to the Cortex. Barry ripped off his cowl as everyone stood up, their eyes on the redhead, who looked shorter than usual due to her being completely barefoot.
"Caitlin, we need to run tests on Piper," Barry breathed quickly, and the doctor furrowed her brows.
"Why? Did he inject you with something?" Caitlin asked, turning her attention to the other speedster.
Piper shook her head as she stepped forward, snapping her finger and opening her palm. Everyone was accustomed to seeing an orb of purple lightning resting there, but now, they saw nothing. Harry looked at her, eyes widening. "My speed's gone," she stated, her voice cracking.
"What?!" Jay exclaimed, holding himself back from strangling her in front of the team.
"How?" Cisco gasped.
Piper shrugged. "If I had my speed, you wouldn't have had to come to get me, but I didn't. When I woke up in that place, I tried to phase out of the chair, but I couldn't. I tried conjuring up lightning, and I couldn't. I tried to disintegrate the chair I was in but couldn't. My powers were gone, and Turtle didn't have anything on or around that could have dampened my powers."
It was silent until Harry stepped forward, and a dawning realization set in. "Turtle's powers. The pulses that he puts out absorb all the particles and kinetic energy. It didn't take away Barry's powers because he was moving fast. When it hit, you weren't using your speed. It drained your abilities and took them away temporarily."
"How long is temporary?" she asked, sighing heavily.
"I don't know. You aren't from here, so we can't compare your meta-genetic make-up to Barry's. Humans from different Earths vibrate at a higher frequency than the people on this planet do. So, any tests we run for your speed and where it went will be inconclusive." Harry replied, sliding his glasses back on.
Piper sighed, rubbing her forehead as she could feel a headache coming. "That's... great. Really great," she grumbled, sitting down and placing her head in her hands.
Jay stalked out of the room, and Caitlin followed after. Harry walked out as well, and Cisco yawned sleepily. "I'm going home, guys. I'll see you tomorrow, and we'll finish figuring out how to get your speed back." Cisco announced, running over and hugging Piper before leaving.
Looking over at the scarlet speedster, Joe nodded towards the girl. It took Barry a second to catch what the detective was trying to get across to him, and he nodded. Sending him a thumbs up, Joe left the room.
Barry sped out of the room and changed back into his clothes, placing his suit back on the mantle. Walking over to Piper, he touched her shoulder lightly, causing her to look up. "It's been a long day. I can take you back to your apartment if you'd like," he offered, and she nodded, giving him a weak smile.
Piper stood up, and Barry hesitated for a millisecond before wrapping his arm around her waist. Barry ran down the streets toward the apartment complex, leaving behind S.T.A.R. Labs. He raced inside and up the stairs to floor five. Stopping in front of apartment 210, he let go of his secure grip on her waist, and she reached up, grabbing the key from the door frame.
Unlocking the door, she stepped inside and flicked on the lights. Erin wasn't home, and she probably wouldn't be for the rest of the night. Her roommate had informed her that she would be spending the day with Iris since they both had the day off, meaning Erin would do whatever she could to hang out with the reporter for as long as possible.
"You can stay for a while if you want. I don't know if you have anywhere to be, but you can." Piper said awkwardly, feeling uneasy about inviting Barry to stay over.
"Are you sure?" he asked, and she nodded, letting him in.
Closing the door, she locked it and headed to the kitchen. Barry slipped off his shoes and looked around the apartment. It was pretty big. There were a few photos and framed comic books on the walls, which made him chuckle. He walked to the kitchen, his eyes roaming over the furniture and decor.
Piper searched for something to eat in the fridge when her eyes landed on a tub of ice cream. "Hell yes," she muttered, relieved that Erin had eaten all of it yet. "Do you like cookie dough ice cream?"
Barry looked away from the massive comic book collage on the wall next to the window seat. "Of course, who doesn't?" he retorted. Piper grabbed two spoons and held one out towards him. She skipped to the reasonably big window seat, sitting down and leaning her legs against the window. Barry joined her, taking a spoonful of ice cream.
"So, I see that you have quite an extensive comic book collection," he observed, only growing fonder of her.
Piper snorted, nodding with a smile on her face. "Yeah, both Erin and I are huge nerds."
Barry smirked, grabbing another spoonful. "What's your favorite?"
The redhead left the spoon in her mouth for a moment, pondering over the question. "Shit, that's hard. Uh, it's an even tie between Hollands, Daredevil: Born Again, Asterios Polyp, Maus, and Watchmen. That doesn't narrow it down at all, but I love them all equally." Piper answered sheepishly.
"Hollands? I've never heard of that." Barry remarked, his focus solely on the woman beside him.
"Oh, it's such a good book. The plot and character development are brilliantly written. My father read it to me when I was a kid. It was his favorite. It's by this woman on my Earth, Tabitha Roth. Essentially, it's about this girl, Hollands Fitzgerald, gifted with the power of seeing into the future. However, her visions only show her the awaiting tragedies she will one day face. Her goal is to make the visions not come true and to prevent the world's destruction as a secret government agency goes rogue and begins a revolution." As she spoke, an exciting look had taken over her features, her eyes shining brightly. Barry could tell this was something important to her and made her happy.
Piper took another spoonful of ice cream while Barry nodded, an intrigued expression on his face. "That sounds really cool. Maybe one day you can show it to me," Barry responded, causing her movement to stop.
Looking up, her eyes widened. "Really?" He nodded, letting the ice cream melt in his mouth. "Yeah, sure. If I ever make it back to my world, I'll definitely show it to you." Piper smiled, noticing that she hadn't called Earth-Four home like she used to. Barry saw this as well.
"Is Earth-Four no longer your home? You didn't call it home. You called it 'your world.'"
Piper shrugged, frowning lightly. "This Earth feels more like home than mine ever did. Of course, I have friends, a team, and people I protect, but other superheroes in Caruthers City are more than capable of taking care of it without me. Here, I'm not consumed with heartache and anger, lost in a pool of unanswered questions. I don't feel as broken as I used to." Barry watched her, a slight frown itching to show. "I feel like that's a really selfish thing to say— not to want to go home because of the tragedy I've lived with for thirteen years," she suddenly mumbled, a sense of guilt overriding her system.
"It's not selfish. I understand how you feel; I've felt it too. To live with that broken part of you for so long and then be allowed to detach yourself from it, you want to take it. You almost need to take it. It's not selfish to listen to your heart. It's brave and heroic." Barry spoke softly.
The two speedster's eyes met, and Piper impulsively grabbed his hand. "Beauty and brains. You really do have it all," she sighed, and Barry laughed, the sound of it making her smile grow wider.
"I could say the same for you."