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CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR
oxliv. hartley tries to escape
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CHLOE RAN INTO STAR Labs yelling, "I'm here! I'm here! What'd I miss?" The sudden noise made everyone's head snap to the woman.
"Where were you?" Cisco questioned.
"Yeah, you're usually never this late..." Caitlin mumbled.
Chloe coughed, "I slept in-" She lied, actually what had happened was, Chloe had made breakfast for the three in her house, Lisa complaining how she didn't sleep from "the noises coming from Chloes room." Chloe had let out a small laugh, flipping a pancake, Leonard also chuckled at that.
Neither apologized, they never said they'd keep it down... They probably should have though, because someone from across the hall had filed a complaint about the noise.
Leonard simply smirked at his girlfriend, Chloe smacking him on the back of his head, mumbling to him that "she wasn't the only loud one." To say Leonard almost chocked on his pancake was a fact.
Chloe then quickly gave Leonard a kiss, noticing she was late and rushed to work, but not before Lisa shouted about PDA. And here she was now learning that a man had escaped form prison his name, Clay Parker.
"So Clay Parker is a Meta-human?" Joe asked.
"Not exactly." Dr. Wells answered as Chloe sat down on one of the chairs, "The particulate residue Barry gathered at Iron Heights does contain Clay Parker's DNA, but also the DNA of a woman."
"Run her DNA against the CCPD criminal database. See if you get a match." Barry told Cisco.
He clicked a couple keys before a mugshot popped up or a light skinned woman by the name of Shawna Baez. "Yahtzee. Her names Shawna Baez. Mostly petty crimes, and this girl likes to party, apparently." Cisco chuckled slightly, "Long list of disorderly conducts at local bars."
"So I'm guessing we find her, we find Clay Parker." Joe pointed out, before looking to Barry, "Barry?"
"Yeah." Barry nodded following Joe out.
"In the meantime, let's track these particulates and see how they work." Dr. Wells ordered the team, wheeling away as Caitlin got up to follow.
"I'll be right with you guys." Cisco called.
"Me too." Chloe told them, following after Cisco, "Hartley right?" Cisco just nodded.
DOWN IN THE pipeline, Cisco and Chloe stood in front of Hartley, Cisco had his arms crossed, Chloe just leaned against the wall wondering what Leonard and his little team were doing.
"I've had the biggest craving for Thai food." Hartley spoke.
"You said you knew what happened to Ronnie and how he was still alive. And you said Professor Stein was at STAR Labs the night of the explosion." Cisco said.
"Yes. He was." Hartley nodded.
"Why?" Cisco and Chloe asked.
Hartley sat up a bit, "The mystery isn't why Stein went to STAR Labs that night. It's why he didn't leave."
"Tell us." Cisco demanded.
"Can't." Hartley slowly slouched back down, "I have to show you both."
Cisco scoffed as Chloe hissed, "You're just trying to get out Hartley."
"You are not getting out of this cell." Cisco firmly stated to Hartley before the two walked away.
"Fair enough," Hartley stood, "But I know you, Cisco, Chloe." That made the two turn around, "I know how much you looked up to Ronnie, Cisco. And I know you valued him as a friend, Chloe. He was like family. A family you both built for yourselves here. I know how much you both want to see that family healed. That's why Chloe won't spill any of her personal life. I can help you both."
"I don't believe you."
"Neither do I." Chloe paused, "But you say one word about anything about me, you're dead." Chloe glared before turning and walking away.
"I'm telling you both the truth, Cisco, Chloe. When you're both ready you know where to find me."
Cisco simply closed the pipeline door as Chloe just glared at Hartley.
CISCO HAD GIVEN Hartley a pair of handcuffs, just in case he tried anything.
"Didn't know you enjoyed yourself a little rough trade." Hartley joked to Cisco glancing at Chloe, "I know she does though."
"How the hell could you know that?" Chloe demanded, she was starting to wonder how he knew about a lot of things.
"I know about you know who, and I know about that little thing that happened with you know who. So I'm just really assuming." Hartley shrugged.
Chloe knew what he was talking about, she just didn't know how he knew the details. "Shut the fuck up, Hartley."
Cisco just gave a confused look before turning to Harley, "If I'm gonna let you out, I'm not taking any chances."
Hartley finished putting the cuffs on, "Curiosity's a maddening thing, is it not?"
Cisco simply just opened the pipeline door, Chloe staying close so Hartley didn't try anything.
NOW OUTSIDE OF STAR Labs, Cisco questioned to Hartley, "You said you were gonna show us what happened to Ronnie. Ronnie died inside the building. What are we doing out here?"
"I swear to god if you fucking run, Hartley, I'll fry your fucking brain so fast." Chloe threatened.
Hartley just gave her a glance, "What do you see?" He asked Cisco and Chloe.
"I don't know." Cisco started walking down tge steps, "Buildings, walls, dirt."
"Yeah, what the hell are we supposed to see?" Chloe demanded.
"Wells would be so disappointed in your observation skills." Hartley told them, mainly Cisco.
"I don't really care about Dr. Wells' opinion on me." Chloe shrugged.
"Look again." He told them.
Cisco and Chloe walked over to a wall, seeing a mans silhouette seeming to be stained on the wall. Hartley spoke a language Chloe didn't know him saying after, "It's Japanese."
"How can you speak six languages and sound like a dick in every single one of them?" Cisco questioned retort.
"It means "bomb shadow."" He told them.
"They found these all over Hiroshima after the first atomic bomb was dropped. This shadow belonged to Martin Stein."
Cisco and Chloe turned back to him.
"The Accelerator explosion did this to him?" Cisco questioned.
"You really don't see it do you?" Hartley asked, "You're gonna kick yourself when you figure it out."
Cisco scoffed, "Oh, man. You were full of it then, and you're full of it now. This is just another one of your lame ass tricks. Come on. We're going back into the pipeline." Cisco went to grab Hartley, but as the turned around Hartley elbowed Cisco in the face, making Chloe pull out a small device as Cisco and Hartley fought, as Hartley tired to run away and up the steps Chloe clicked the button a high-pitched frequency being sent through the air.
Hartley groaned holding his head.
"You're not the only one who understands vibrations, Hartley." Cisco told him as Chloe smirked.
"Those cochlear devices you're wearing? I made a few adjustments." Cisco told him.
"Ahh- No please don't." Hartley begged.
"If you know how to find Ronnie, then you better tell us. Right now." Chloe warned.
"Please. Make it stop. Please, I'll show you. I'll show- Ah- AH!" Hartley groaned.
Chloe turned the device down, "Try that again and I won't make it stop. Ever."
"I'm impressed. Didn't think you had it in you, Cisco. Chloe, I already knew. But you have to take these off me if you want to find out the truth."
"And why's that?" Cisco asked.
"It'll look a little conspicuous where we're going next." Hartley told them.
"And where's that?" Chloe demanded.
"You'll just have to wait and see."
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AUTHORS NOTE | word count : 1264
Here's chapter forty-four!
Hope you enjoyed!
I literally have nothing to say!
2021 EDIT!!! : Harley knows about Chloes "fake" kidnapping, that's why he made those comments about "assuming things"! Don't ask how, i don't remember i wrote this in like 2019 :/ but Id like to think he keeps tabs on ppl he's worked with ( who weren't big dicks ) so that's why he knows so much about Chloe! I think i just wanted to add more plot relevance or something idk !!!!
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