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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
oxxxvi. kidnapped?
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AT CCPD THE next day, Chloe stood next to Dr. Wells as Cisco held up the replica Cold Gun that really wasn't a replica. He was going to test it on the shields they had reinforced for Leonard's Cold Gun.
"Uh, Excuse me, if I could have everybody's attention, please!" Cisco called loudly throughout the police department.
"You have our attention Mr. Ramon." Captain Singh pointed out.
Chloe face palmed, "I told you it'd be better if I did this." She told Dr. Wells.
"Okay, check it." Cisco told the police force, "So Dr. Wells, Chloe and I, we took your ballistic shields and-" As Cisco walked with the gun like device pointed to the side Captain Singh pointed to downward, making Cisco stop talking. He simply carried on after a few seconds, "And we lined them with a pretty sweet compacted heating ribbon designed to repel temperature attacks, especially those reaching absolute zero, like Captain Cold's Gun."
"And that supposed to keep us from getting turned into popsicles." An officer asked.
Chloe spoke up, "Yeah they will." Cisco nodding to that, "Yeah, what she said."
"How are we supposed to trust anything from STAR Labs after you nuked the city?" A cop on the stairs asked.
Cisco shook his head, "You're right. You're right, you shouldn't trust us. What happened a year ago- That was our fault. And we can't change the past, as much as we wish we could." He paused.
"But tomorrow is a different story. Tomorrow's a different thing. We just want the chance to make things better. Observe." Cisco pulled the goggles over his face before aiming the gun and the shield and firing. He slowly lowered the gun, the shield smoking slightly but the dummie behind it not affected, the shield not affected at all as the 'ice' started to disappear, making the officers crowd around as they talked amongst themselves.
Captain Singh spoke to Cisco, by looking at his face Chloe could tell he was still worried.
Chloe walked over to Cisco, telling him she was going to head back to STAR Labs to check on Caitlin, she didn't feel like being at CCPD for longer than she had too, she really didn't even need to be there.
The man nodded, as Chloe walked over to the elevator and went down to where her car was parked, getting in and driving back to STAR Labs.
AS CHLOE WALKED into STAR Labs she saw Barry standing by Caitlin, she seemed to be startled. "Hey, everything okay?" Chloe asked walking over.
"Yeah- Barry just scared me a bit, I was too focused. And aren't you supposed to be at CCPD with Cisco and Dr. Wells?" Caitlin asked.
"I decided to come back over here, wanted to see if there was anymore work to do." Chloe shrugged.
"Hey, what's Firestorm?" Barry asked looking over to Caitlins computer.
"It's one of the last things Ronnie said to me before he. . Flew away." She paused, "My dead fiancée can fly. I haven't broken that to my parents yet." Caitlin looked back to Barry, "You doing okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. No, I just. . I told Iris how I felt about her."
"Wait what?! When?!" Chloe exclaimed loudly before saying softer, "Oh shit- How'd it go?"
"Bold choice." Caitlin told him.
Barry shrugged, "I knew where we stood before. We were best friends. And. . I don't know. Now I just don't know what's normal for us anymore." Barry told them.
"Before I meet Ronnie, I knew exactly what was going to happen every day of my life. It was predictable. I like predictable. But when Ronnie and I started dating, everything started to change. He made me try Indian food and Scuba Diving." Caitlin paused as Barry and Chloe both let out a smile, "At first it was scary. But then it was better. Things weren't really normal with you pinning after Iris and her being totally unaware. Whatever happens next, it will be better." Barry nodded.
"And, Hey?" Chloe questioned making Barry look over to him, "At least she knows." Barry nodded starting to walk away before turning around, "Wait, Caitlin, Chloe." The two turned to him, "Scuba."
"Huh?" Chloe questioned.
"What about it?" Caitlin asked.
"Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, it's- it's an acronym." Barry told her.
"What if Firestorm isn't a word?" Caitlin typed it into her search, she then clicked on an article, Barry and Chloe moving closer to see, "Fusion Ignition Research Experiment and Science of Transmutation Originating RNA and Molecular Structures."
Barry let out an inaudible sigh.
"It's 800 pages." Caitlin proclaimed, she looked over to Barry, him clearing his throat before speed reading.
"There's a lot of stuff in there, but it mostly focuses on Transmutation, which is the process of alerting the structure of an element by unzipping the atoms-"
"And rebuilding it to recreate an entirely new element." Caitlin finished for him, making Barry nod.
"Well the article was co-written by Jason Rush, who's a grad student here at Hudson University. So if anyone knows what happens to Ronnie..."
"Maybe he does."
"Maybe."
"Thanks." Caitlin told him, as Chloe looked over to her female friend.
"Let's keep searching, yeah?"
"Yeah."
LATER, CHLOE FOUND out what had happened with Leonard and Mick - his new partner, apparently - had stolen a painting that was worth a bunch of money. She had also learned that Mick had lost control, putting two of the police force in the Burn Unit. She'd talk to Leonard later, she was helping Caitlin with the Firestorm thing at the moment.
Walking into Jitters with Caitlin, She asked a man who seemed to be Jason Rush, "Jason Rush?"
"Yes, Dr. Snow? Ms. Allen?"
"Please call me Caitlin, and call her Chloe. Thank you for meeting us." Caitlin told him.
"Oh, happy to. Although to be totally up front, if this is about the resume I mailed in to STAR Labs, I've already accepted a position at Mercury Labs."
"Oh no, this is about something entirely different." Chloe told him.
"As Chloe was saying, No, actually, we wanted to talk you you about Firestorm." Jason's face immediately fell, he looked around worried, face going pale. "I'm sorry, this was a mistake. I have to go." He told the two.
"What?" Chloe questioned but he was already rushing away, Caitlin trying to stop him.
"No, look, someone I care about is in trouble, and you're the only clue I have to help him." She ran in front of him, Chloe following. "Please."
Jason looked hesitant but soon complied as they were now sat at a table, all with cups of coffee. "What's the line?" Jason asked, "I never got paranoid till they started plotting against me?"
"Why would they be plotting against you?" Caitlin and Chloe both asked.
"Because of our work, because of Firestorm." Jason told them.
"Transmutation, the ability to alter matter on a molecular level."
"That's what they were hunting you for?"
"We had some rudimentary success with out stage one testing, working with sand grains. But Professor Stein said that we should-" Caitlin and Chloe cut him off. "Sorry, Professor Martin Stein?" Caitlin questioned. "The Co-Author of the paper?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, he was our team leader. He didn't believe in baby steps, so we skipped to stage three."
"Which was?"
"We melted a concrete wall. But the university threatened to shut us down. So Professor Stein published his paper without them giving permission, and they went nuts. So he went to talk about o a friend of his to secure private backing." Jason explained.
"Who was it?" Chloe asked as Caitlin asked, "And who was that?"
"He didn't say. He just said he'd call me later. And no one has seen or heard from Professor Stein since." Jason told the two.
"Damn, and no one knows anything?" Chloe questioned.
"Not that I know of."
"What do you think happened to him?" Caitlin asked Jason.
"All I know is that the Army showed up the next day and confiscated all of our research." He paused, "So tell me Dr. Snow, Ms. Allen, do you think I'm being too paranoid, or not paranoid enough?"
Caitlin didn't answer, Chloe just didn't know how too.
WALKING NEXT TO Caitlin through the parking lot to get to the brunettes car felt nerve wracking for some reason. Caitlin was looking at article while Chloe was waiting mindlessly wondering what was going on with Leonard.
They had drove Caitlins car to Jitters, Caitlin was going to drive Chloe back to STAR Labs to get her car and then they'd part ways. Caitlin went to look for her keys in her purse, as Chloe stood idly waiting. Suddenly Caitlins car was blasted by what Chloe could tell was the Cold Gun, making Caitlin gasp and Chloe to have a sour expression on her face.
It seemed her boyfriend was going to kidnap them. Caitlin slowly turned around, as did Chloe whose face was in between an expression of being mad and pouting.
Leonard glanced over at his girlfriend, she wasn't supposed to be there. But he quickly looked back to Caitlin, asking in a mocking tone, "Car trouble?"
Caitlin screamed as Mick ran at her, trying to get into her frozen car door.
Chloe just frowned, and looked to Leonard as Caitlin was knocked out, Caitlin didn't seem to figure out that Chloe wasn't freaking out, too scared of the man who had knocked her out.
"Really?" Chloe asked her boyfriend before turning to Mick, "This was your grand plan? Kidnapping?"
"Uh, who's the chick that's not scared?" Mick demanded, looking like he didn't care as he slung Caitlin over his shoulder.
"I'm that stupid bastards girlfriend." She pointed to Leonard, before adding, "Not that anyone knows that but us and now you." She shrugged her shoulders, before crossing her arms over her chest.
"Ahh, okay- So do we get to knock her out too?"
"No." Leonard simply replied.
"I'll just play along, we better hurry now, wouldn't want you to get caught!" Chloe shrugged walking over to Leonard, whispering to him, "I see you're wearing the parka I got you, Lenny."
"Of course I am, Princess." He responded back, a slight smile on his face.
"Yeah, okay." Mick followed after the couple, not seeming to care that Chloe knew what they were doing.
Chloe knew Leonard wouldn't intentionally hurt Caitlin, not with her there that was. Guess she just got kidnapped by her boyfriend.
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AUTHORS NOTE | word count : 1739
I HATE THIS-
but chloe being okay with getting kidnapped by leonard and mick? whole mood-
not so much for cait- she scared bby-
but uh yeah- idk what to say- did you like this chapter?
it's 4am and i'm sick so i'm going to sleep-
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