the new rogues
part two
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AS SOON AS the trio arrived at the bank where the alarm was ringing and echoing off the walls, Anna already felt that something was different. She was always a little nervous before taking down a meta, but knowing that one of them could jump through mirrors and the other could put you in a crippling state of vertigo, she was just a tad more nervous than usual especially knowing that they didn't have a plan.
From around a corner, a man in a dark blue tailored suit carrying a bag twirled a woman wearing a yellow jacket and a god-awful yellow and green skirt around like she was a ballerina.
Anna noticed the bag instantly and she rested her hands on her hips. "Where are you guys heading?" She questioned, catching both metas off guard as they turned toward the trio of superheroes.
"Yeah, so, uh, we're not gonna let you leave here with that," Barry called out and shook his head. He smiled brightly, making Anna wonder if he was just as nervous about the fight as she was.
"Hey, Flash," Mirror Master called out, causing Barry to wave his fingers. "Swift," he added and nodded at the speedster in blue. "Heard a lot about you."
"That's great," Barry said and nodded his head.
"I'm glad we're already acquainted," Anna added, pushing down the nervousness that bubbled in her chest and replaced it with the same witty confidence she always had when fighting a meta.
Mirror Master pointed a finger and Jesse and shook his head. "Can't say the same for you, though," he said and smiled, glancing down at the blonde woman who clung to his arm with a smug smile.
"The name's Jesse Quick," Jesse announced and shifted her feet, standing in a more confident stance with her shoulders squared and chin tilted up slightly.
"So... I'm sorry, Scudder, but your little crime spree, it's gonna have to end here," Barry said and took a small step forward, standing just ahead of the two women that stood on either side of him.
"Oh, I don't think you have much of a say in it," Scudder said and shrugged his shoulders, making his way toward the trio slowly. "I'm gonna take whatever I want."
"I thought you were looking for Leonard Snart," Barry said.
"Why bother? His reign is over," Scudder stated and smiled. "There's a— a new king in town," he said confidently and pointed to his head like a crown sat there.
"And I'm the queen," the blonde woman declared and smiled.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure about that," Jesse stated and shook her head.
Anna laughed softly, the sound barely reaching her own ears as she looked Top up and down slowly. "Not with that god-awful outfit, sweetheart," she jabbed and met the blonde's eyes.
"Oh, baby, I don't like the one in blue," Top said and narrowed her eyes at Anna. She giggled softly and looked up at the man beside her, her smile growing as she stepped toward the wall of mirrors to his right; both of them disappearing inside.
Anna's eyes widened and she looked around quickly before following Jesse and Barry outside once they took off. The trio came to a stop just outside the bank and Anna looked around once again, hoping to catch a glimpse of Scudder and his blonde.
"Where'd they go?" Jesse asked suddenly.
"There," Barry stated and pointed a finger up at a building covered with windows. Anna and Jesse looked up, too. A light-like ball moved up the building, making it appear as though it was dented inward as it carried the two metas up toward the sky. "Stay here. I'm not kidding," Barry ordered to Jesse and gave Anna's arm a tap, nodding his head toward the building before bolting off.
"Jesse, stay put. Please," Anna said and turned toward her cousin, resting a hand on her face. "We need you, but let us do the chasing," she said and dropped her hand from Jesse's face once the girl nodded. Anna turned on her heels and chased after Barry, coming up beside him within seconds. "She's not going to stay put, you know that, right?" She called out as they began to run up the wall of the building full of windows.
"She listens just as good as you do," Barry called out and glanced at Anna, smiling softly before he took the lead and shot ahead.
Anna glanced behind her and watched Jesse run up the side of the building. While she really wanted Jesse to stay out of the chase, she was glad her cousin was getting a chance to witness the action behind a chase. "Keep up!" She called out to Jesse and ran forward even more, passing Barry slightly.
The three speedsters scaled the building with ease, but staying right on Scudder and Rosalind Dillon's trail was hard, even for Anna.
Scudder appeared out of the glass —alone— and flew across the large gap between one building to the next. While Jesse and Barry chased him across the building, Anna noticed that Rosalind wasn't with him and decided to look for the woman.
"I'm going to look for Rosalind. You two keep chasing Scudder!" Anna called out through her comms as she pushed the button on her earpiece.
"Be careful, Anna," Barry stated firmly.
Anna ran up to the top of the mirror-like building and skidded to a stop just a few feet away from Rosalind. "Oh, honey, that outfit is even worse in the dark," she called out, causing the blonde to spin around dramatically which caused her skirt to twirl with her. "Mind if I give you a few pointers?"
"I think you're the one who needs some pointers, Swift," Rosalind snapped and furrowed her brows as her lips curled up into a smirk. "You might want to hold on to something." The woman's eyes glowed green for just a moment and then Anna's head began to spin.
Anna inhaled sharply as the world began to twist and contort around her, making her nauseous. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, hoping it would help but it only made it worse. She opened her eyes and stumbled helplessly as Top watched her with a smile on her face, soft giggles escaping her lips. "Barry..." she whispered softly and swallowed hard, feeling her heels and calves connect with the concert trim around the building.
A scream ripped through Anna as she fell through the air, fighting to regain her balance so she could plant her feet against the building to save herself. Her body rolled over, her eyes now facing the ground that was getting closer and closer by the second. She braced herself for impact, hoping and praying to the God above that someone would manage to save her.
A flicker of light flashed across her eyes and an arm wrapped around her waist tightly, pulling her up and away from the floor that she had almost collided with.
"I got you," Barry whispered into Anna's hair as they came to a stop on the concrete. He adjusted his grip around her back and under her knees, holding her tightly against his chest as the urge to throw up burned through her throat. "You're okay," he said and set her down on the ground carefully.
"I got her. Go stop them," Jesse said and sat down behind the dizzy speedster. She pulled Anna back against her and held her tightly.
"Barry, it feels like my brain is spinning," Anna panted and looked up, watching as Barry's face warped and twisted in front of her eyes.
"I know. It's okay," Barry said and kissed her forehead before standing up. "You're gonna be okay," he added and backed away from the two women, looking up toward the top of the building Anna had fallen from.
Scudder jumped out of a window behind Barry and grabbed his shoulder, throwing him back toward a mirror-like sculpture. "But you won't," he snapped as Barry disappeared inside the mirror. "Good luck getting him out," he laughed and ran off, disappearing back into the windows again.
"Jesse, call your dad," Anna ordered and rolled onto her knees, letting out a deep breath as she looked at the sculpture that Barry was trapped inside of. She pushed herself up to her feet and stumbled toward the glass that Barry banged on with his fists. She leaned against the glass and pressed a hand against it, sighing deeply. "I'm gonna get you out of here."
.: ｡
"WHAT HAPPENED?" HARRY asked as he paced back and forth in front of the glass sculpture that Barry was still trapped inside.
"I don't know. I don't know, okay?" Jesse said and sighed as she looked at her father who was now standing with his arms folded across his chest, his eyes darting back and forth between his daughter and his niece. "Anna looked at Dillon and fell off the building. Barry saved her and I came to see what happened."
"Dillon's a metahuman who induces vertigo," Joe said and patted Anna's shoulder lightly. "You got whammied."
"Tell me about it," Anna muttered and blinked rapidly, still feeling the effects of Rosalind's powers.
"And now Barry's trapped in there because of me," Jesse said sadly and frowned before leaving the room quickly.
"Jesse," Anna called out but the girl kept walking, ignoring her completely.
Wally stepped toward and smiled softly at Anna and Harry. "I'll go talk to her," he said softly and chased after Jesse.
A voice erupted from inside the glass sculpture as Barry began to speak, but his words were distorted. Everyone raised their brows at the speedster trapped in the mirror as he continued to speak, his words not making any sense.
"What is he saying?" Iris asked and furrowed her brows.
"Is that some sort of mirror language?" Joe asked and looked at Harry for answers.
"Mirrors show objects in reverse," Harry pointed out and turned toward the team. "Maybe that's what we're hearing here."
"Only one way to find out," Cisco piped up and walked toward a small filing cabinet, pulling open one of the drawers. "You ever see "Twin Peaks"? Of course not. Why do I ask?"
"I have, thank you very much," Shannon spoke up and rested her hands on her hips, glaring at the back of her boyfriend's head.
"I know, and I love you for it," Cisco said and turned toward the team, holding a speaker-like object in his hands that had one blue light and a few buttons. "This is an old backmasking trick they used for the Man from Another Place, where they—"
"Recorded his audio backwards and then played it forwards," Shannon cut in with a smile as Cisco placed the device on the mirror. "I pay attention to the movies you watch."
"Like the Ozzy Osbourne records," Joe added.
"Sure, let's go with that," Cisco said with a nod and a smile.
"Okay, Barry, say something," Iris said.
Barry opened his mouth and spoke, but his words were still coming out backwards to those who stood on the other side of the glass.
Cisco's smile dropped from his lips and he let out a nervous laugh. "Oops," he whispered and pushed a button on the device.
"Say it again," Harry said and jabbed Cisco in the ribs with his elbow.
"Um, get me out of here," Barry stated clearly and Anna sighed with relief now that she could hear her boyfriend's voice normally again.
"Now we can understand you," Joe said and smiled. He shifted his gaze to Harry and frowned. "How do we get him out of there?"
"Have you tried to phase out yet, Barr?" Anna asked and took a few steps forward, hoping that her simple idea was just grand enough to work.
Barry nodded with a frown. "Yes. But it's not working," he replied, causing Anna to frown slightly. "But it was a good idea, Anna. Thank you."
"If Scudder uses this mirror as a wormhole, then these molecules are in a hyper state of flux, so all—"
"We need is something really cold to slow them down," Caitlin jumped in, cutting off Harry before he could finish his explanation.
"I can help with that. Let's go," Cisco said and grabbed Harry's arm, leading him out of the room and waving his hand for Caitlin and Shannon to follow; they did.
"Keep him company," Joe said to Iris and Anna before he followed the others out of the room.
"I gotta go do some work for the paper, will you be okay?" Iris asked and looked at Anna, resting a hand on the back of her arm. She gave her a small smile, but her eyes were full of concern.
"I'll be okay," Anna replied and nodded, returning the same smile back at Iris. "Thank you."
Iris nodded and looked at Barry. "We'll get you out of there," she added before leaving the room just like the others had.
"So, how is it in there?" Anna asked, suddenly feeling lonely even though Barry was there for her to talk to.
Barry looked around and let out a weak laugh, shaking his head. "Dark," he replied and Anna let out a small laugh, too. He sighed deeply and his smile fell from his face. "I'm sorry that we keep getting interrupted. Every time we start to have fun and have just a minute of peace, something comes up."
"That's not your fault, Barry," Anna said and rested her palm against the glass, smiling softly once Barry rested his hand against the glass too. "It's part of the job application," she joked.
"I know, but... we've been dating for a year and a half and we barely get any time alone," Barry said and sighed deeply again, sliding his hand down the glass and then pulling it away. "Happy year and a half, by the way."
"Happy year and a half, Barry." Anna smiled and Barry smiled back, the sight of his eyes crinkling and cheeks turning red caused butterflies to form in her stomach.
"You know, this morning, I had a whole day planned for us," Barry said and rested his arm against the glass, leaning forward slightly in a way that made Anna's heart skip a beat. "I was going to cook breakfast and then take you out to wherever you wanted to go. Then we were going to come back to the apartment and get ready for dinner at a restaurant that I had a reservation for."
Anna smiled softly, wrapping her arms around herself loosely as she watched Barry. "We'll get our day alone, Barr," she said and walked toward the sculpture, resting her hand on the glass. "And we can eat breakfast together and go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant."
Barry nodded his head slightly and blew out a deep breath. He shrugged his shoulders and searched Anna's face with his eyes. "I just wish it could be different, you know? Don't get me wrong, I love being the Flash and I love that you're Swift, but I wish we could just take a day off and leave the city in someone else's hands," he said and looked down at the floor, shaking his head. "We're always around each other, but I still find myself missing you throughout the day."
"I know, Barry," Anna said and frowned, wishing she could hold his face in her hands and kiss him like it would be her last. She knew what he meant because she felt it too. They had been together for months and months, and yet they barely saw each other outside of "work". They saw each other when they woke up in the morning and when they went to bed at night, but between those hours, they seemed more like co-workers and not a couple. "I'm still glad that we get to see each other daily, even if it is mostly for work and we don't get time alone together. I love you, and I'll take every minute I can get with you."
"I know. I love you too, and it's all worth it," Barry said with a small smile despite the obvious sad look in his eyes. "And it sucks that we're having a talk like this while I'm trapped in a mirror."
Anna stifled a laugh but swallowed it down quickly, nodding her head. She wished she could make Barry feel better, but she didn't know how, considering she was upset about the same things he was for the same reasons and she needed cheering up as well. "Everything I've been through is worth it because I get to be here with you now," she said softly, watching Barry's smile grow just a little bit. Anna felt herself smile just because he was, despite feeling a little sad herself. "I just wish I could give you a hug, or a kiss, or just touch your face. It's like you're here, but you're just out of reach," she added as she rested her palm against the glass.
Barry's smile faded and his eyes widened slightly — the same face he pulled whenever an idea popped directly into his head. "Anna, you're a beautiful genius," he said and smiled brightly, causing butterflies to erupt in Anna's stomach and chest from her boyfriend's compliment even though she had no idea what he was talking about.
"What?" Anna furrowed her brows and blinked at Barry, trying to piece together why he had called her a genius when she never felt smart enough for that term to even be used as a joke against her. "What did I do?"
"I think I just figured out a way to stop Scudder, thanks to you. I wish I could kiss you," Barry said and tapped his palms against the glass, staring at Anna in amazement as his eyes twinkled.
Anna smiled proudly, taking in the fact that Barry was congratulating her on somehow coming up with an idea on how to stop Mirror Master. She knew she paid some kind of contribution for the team but she rarely —if at all— found herself coming up with the ideas on how to actually stop the metas. "Thanks," she said softly.
"You are amazing! Absolutely amazing, Anna Wells," Barry exclaimed, his smile growing larger.
Anna opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off by footsteps that entered the Speed Lab. She shifted her gaze to the doorway, watching as Harry, Cisco and Shannon walked in. She furrowed her brows at the wiring Harry was holding and the vacuum-looking object Cisco was carrying. "What the hell is that thing?"
"This is how we get him out of there," Harry replied and smiled at his niece as he passed by her with Cisco trailing behind him, who showed her the device he held.
"I have no idea how some tubing and a waffle maker will bust Barry out of there, but go for it," Shannon said and chuckled, shaking her head as she took her place next to Anna, almost standing with their shoulders pressed together. "Can we talk later?" She asked quietly as she looked over at her friend, her voice barely a whisper.
Anna looked over at Shannon, meeting her eyes instantly. She nodded slowly, a sudden urge to throw up boiling in her stomach. She and Shannon hadn't sat down and had a real conversation since before the team found out about Anna's time travel accident, and now that the time had finally come, despite her wanting to be able to talk to Shannon again, Anna wasn't sure if she was ready. "Of course," she forced out and swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Whenever you want to."
Cisco and Harry quickly set up the device, screwing in tubes and flicking switches and pushing buttons silently as they both worked away. As they were working, Joe, Wally, Jesse and Iris had returned from wherever it was they had gone and all watched the two men work on the machine.
"We need you when the mirror freezes, Anna. You and Barry can phase at the same time and you can try to get him out," Harry said and looked over at his niece who nodded firmly in response. "But don't try too hard or you could shatter the glass and he'll be stuck in there."
"That was a great thing to say, Harry. Thank you," Anna grumbled and sighed deeply, the nauseous feeling growing more intense in her stomach.
Cisco picked up a device with what looked like two suction cups on it and walked up to the mirror, sticking it on the glass. "Alright, go time," he said and pressed his palms together, rubbing them back and forth.
Harry nodded and flipped a switch on the machine and ice began to crawl up the mirror, almost completely covering Barry's reflection. "Alright, Anna," he said and gestured toward the mirror.
Anna walked up to the mirror and placed her hands on it away from the ice, meeting Barry's gaze as her body crawled with worry. "Barry..." she whispered and shook her head.
Barry placed his hands against the glass so their palms were pressed together and he smiled softly. "It's okay," he said back and nodded his head slowly. He took a deep breath and exhaled, rubbing his lips together. "Now," he said and began vibrating his body, causing Anna to do the same but much slower than he was going in fear that she would shatter the glass.
When Anna's hands didn't even begin to push through the glass, she took a step back as she stopped phasing. "It's not working," she said and looked over her shoulder at the team, feeling like she had been punched in the gut — of course, it wouldn't be that easy.
"It's only negative 280 degrees Fahrenheit," Caitlin pointed out and looked down at Cisco and Harry.
"We got to get it colder somehow," Harry said as he began to fiddle with the settings on the device.
"I thought you said this thing could get him out of there," Joe said and pointed at the device and then the frozen mirror.
"This thing is a highly advanced molecular decelerator that's being powered by a cryo-engine, and we just kind of improvised it in the last thirty minutes, so let's just— just cut us some slack, please?" Cisco rambled and raised his brows at Joe, clearly growing aggravated with the fact his idea hadn't worked out the way it should have.
"Just keep trying, Barry," Harry said and nodded at the speedster trapped inside the glass. "You too, Anna."
Anna walked back up to the glass and placed her hands in the same spot that Barry had, letting out a sigh of frustration. As soon as she was ready to start phasing, an alarm sounded through the Speed Lab, alerting the team that a metahuman was back in the city causing trouble.
"Metahuman alert," Caitlin said.
Anna groaned and dropped her hands away from the mirror, giving Barry a sympathetic look as she stepped away. She rested a hand on the glass and gave Barry a nod. "We'll get you out of here, okay?"
Barry nodded and pressed his hand against the glass over Anna's. "Be careful," he called out as Anna walked away. "I love you!"
"I love you," Anna called out in response and as she and the rest of the team left the Speed Lab to go check out the metahuman alert.