#14: The Cost

The Flash
#14: Rise of the Rogues Part 2
“The Cost”

Barry had gotten reckless since he’d defeated Savitar. His learning curve had been so steep that after learning the ropes he’d felt like a god. He’d done the impossible, so why shouldn’t he be cocky? His answer stood right in front of him, pressing what looked like a gun out of a sci fi movie to his head.

This man had no super powers as far as Barry could tell. All he had was his fancy gun that somehow, someway could slow Barry down. Even still, he shouldn’t have been a problem. Barry had gotten reckless, and now found himself trapped, for whatever reason unable to vibrate out of ice.

Was this how he would die? A victim of his own pride?

“So you’re the Flash? I’m not impressed.”

Barry finally allowed his mind to slow down enough that he could process what the criminal was saying. That was something, at least. His synapses were still firing off at super speed. Whatever this guy had done to him, it only affected Barry externally.

“Look in the mirror. Your supervillain costume consists of Ace Hardware goggles, an Old West bandana, and a stolen sweatshirt,” Barry retorted, aware he wasn’t going anywhere until this guy’s cold blast wore off. He just had to stall for time. “Who are you, anyway? Dr. Ice?”

“Try Captain Cold,” the man growled.

“And we ain’t supervillains. We’re Rogues,” spat the other masked man, who picked up his glorified flamethrower from the ground.

“Could’ve fooled me with the colorful names and sci fi toys,” Barry muttered.

“Let’s just kill this stupid %^&* already,” Axel Walker chimed in, grabbing another pistol off a guard.

“For once, kid,” the hooded man tightened his trigger finger, “We agree on somethin’.”

“So you’re a murderer, too, Leonard?” Iris spoke up, causing the self-proclaimed Captain Cold to loosen his grip on the trigger.

Barry had noted Iris’ presence the instant he’d stepped foot in the room, but hadn’t assumed it would be an issue. Now, however, she was quickly proving to be his salvation. This guy—Captain Cold—was her boyfriend, Leonard Snart?

Before Cold could respond, Iris continued, “Don’t bullshit me, Len. Take off your mask.”

“Lady, shut the hell up!” Axel growled, raising his boot to curb stomp her.

“Don’t touch her,” Captain Cold ordered, aiming his cold gun at Axel.

The young hothead glared at the hooded criminal, but did as he was told. The other so-called Rogues all looked at their boss with incredulity. Barry felt the air around him begin to warm.

“Forget this. Let’s get out of here,” the bearded man remarked before heading toward the exit.

The man with the flamethrower held out his gun, stopping him. The bearded man looked as if he was about to slug the other Rogue, before Iris began.

“I get it now, Len. I understand why you kept all of this a secret,” Iris said, “Y’know, being from southeastern, growing up with a dad who was in-and-out of prison, it’s not an excuse to be a criminal. If anything, it should’ve scared you straight. What’s your damage? Why are you doing this, Len?”

Barry could tell Iris was trying to—if nothing else—stall until more cops arrived. Frankly, this was the coldest move he’d ever seen her pull, because it was working. Captain Cold looked so conflicted that he couldn’t read through her tactics. She was his blind spot. There was no doubt in Barry’s mind that this man was Leonard Snart.

Cold hesitated, before he removed his hood, mask, and goggles, leaving them to hang on his neck. Even still, he managed to mask his emotions behind artificial apathy, but his voice, free of the urban accent he’d sported earlier, gave him away.

“This is who I am, Iris. I’m a criminal. I’m a Rogue.” He sighed, and pressed his cold gun against Barry’s head. “I’m my father’s son.”

That’s when the tide of the battle changed. In a split second, with his powers returned, by vibrating his molecules at an obscene rate Barry freed himself from the ice. Iris had given him enough time to wait out the effects of Cold’s gun. Now, the so-called Rogue was going to get his due…

Barry slugged Captain Cold across the jaw before the criminal could so much as register what had happened. Most of the other Rogues reacted instantaneously, making a break for it. Barry stopped them with a few clean punches, and then turned back to Cold, ready to break his gun, finishing the job. However, he found himself frozen in place, not by the lead Rogue’s weapon, but by a sight that shook him to his core.

Captain Cold had wrapped his arm around Iris’ neck and placed his cold gun against her temple. Barry nearly raced to her rescue, but stopped when he noticed the blue-tinted air around her.

“So you see it, huh? Good. That’s my cold field. It’s what slowed you down earlier, kept you trapped in the ice. It’s also what’ll keep you from reaching me before I can kill her,” Captain Cold growled, his urban edge returned.

“Please, don’t do anything reckless…just take a deep breath, okay? What do you want?” Barry asked.

Iris shivered, not because she was afraid or because the cold air was unbearable, but because she’d realized Len wasn’t bluffing. He’d really kill her. The man she’d fallen for wasn’t just a criminal…he was a monster.

“I know the second I leave the cold field, you’ll take me down, so I don’t expect my freedom,” Cold spat, “I’m just asking for theirs.”

He nodded over at the other Rogues, who had since risen to their feet. Barry knew he could take them down in a split second if need be. They knew it, too. Nobody so much as moved.

“I can’t just let them go,” Barry pointed out.

“You sure as hell can and will if you want her to make it out of here alive,” Cold remarked.

“Len—” Iris protested.

“Shut up,” he shot back, tightening his grip on her throat.

“Okay, okay, calm down. I’ll let them go,” Barry promised, hands in the air in surrender.

Cold looked over at the other Rogues. “Heatwave, get out the way you came in. And take care of ‘em, will you? You’re in charge now.”

The pyromaniacal Rogue didn’t so much as feel the need to speak, simply nodding in return. The bearded man rolled his eyes at Cold’s comment, but allowed Heatwave to lead him out of the room, along with the other Rogues.

“We got a couple minutes to wait now. Hope you’re the patient type, Flash,” Cold said.

Obviously Barry was not, in fact, patient, and this situation made his speed-induced anxiety even worse. Still, he resisted the urge to act. Iris meant too much to him to do anything else.

Seconds passed. It felt like an eternity to Barry. Fear prevented him from thinking of a way out of this.

Iris, on the other hand, managed to clear her head. A lifetime of tragedy—her mother and brother’s passing—had taught her how to handle powerful emotions. Betrayal wasn’t anything new to her. Leonard was about to realize he’d chosen the wrong hostage.

She couldn’t act immediately. That much was obvious. The cold field had to wear down just enough that she’d be able to move quickly. The difficult thing would be judging when that was…

Iris stopped shivering. She felt Len tense behind her. Didn’t take a yearlong relationship to know what that meant.

Iris relaxed her grip on Len’s arm and lashed out at his groin, causing him to recoil. His cold gun didn’t go off. Weird…

The Flash acted instantly, knocking Len out with three quick punches. He’d feel that in the morning.

Before Iris could so much as blink, the Flash had sped out of the room. He returned just as quickly.

“The other Rogues…they’re gone,” he admitted, his voice now masked behind vibrating vocal chords. “Are you okay?”

Iris nodded, resisting the urge to interrogate him. Something about him seemed so familiar. She’d thought that after the first interview. Why the hell could she place Len’s muffled voice beneath a bandana, but not the Flash’s? She was confident she knew him, and yet something about him seemed off. Maybe she was just imagining things. She figured she wasn’t the first person to mistake him for someone she knew.

“Any chance you’d stay for another interview?” Iris asked.

The Flash smiled. “C’mon now, Ms. West. I don’t want people to get the idea that I’m playing favorites.”

Then, with a salute in goodbye, he sped off, leaving the guards to apprehend the seemingly unconscious Leonard Snart.

“I wouldn’t’ve done it, y’know that?” Len said, allowing the guards to pin his arms. “It was a bluff. I wouldn’t’ve killed you.”

Iris faced him, her emotions masked behind cold eyes, “Oh yeah?”

Len couldn’t meet her gaze, his cheeks flushed. “It’s against my code.”

…

Barry’s next stop: Infantino courthouse, where his father was being kept on remand, on-lock 24/7 with power dampening restraints, not that he needed them. The why? The Iron Heights breakout had shaken Barry. Iris had nearly died because she’d gotten involved with a supervillain. Barry had been careless, causing the situation in the first place, and he’d been unable to think straight because of his relationship with Iris. Doubt plagued his mind, not just about being a hero, but about his personal life.

“This is the sixth time in as many days that you’ve visited me, Barry. You have to stop coming here every day,” Henry skipped pleasantries after he was seated across from his son. “You need to have a life outside of the CCPD and your costume.”

“That’s why I’m here, dad,” Barry admitted. “I…just hear me out. I created Savitar. In the process, I got you imprisoned and sentenced Max to a life on the edge of losing control. Today, I nearly got Iris killed. Her boyfriend—her ex was nearly the one who killed her—”

“I’m going to stop you right there, son. You can’t blame yourself for the actions of others. I made my own decisions, as did Max, and Iris, and certainly the man who threatened her. Yes, being the Flash will endanger the people closest to you—”

“—You just answered my question—”

“—Barry, no. You can’t isolate yourself just because—”

“—Why not?” Barry wondered, silencing Henry. Before his father could speak up, he continued, “For all we know, Savitar’s going to return, go back in time, and kill mom. We still haven’t caught her killer. We don’t—the world is so crazy now. I may be the fastest man alive, but I can’t save everyone. I can’t predict what’s going to happen, but maybe by focusing on being the Flash, by pulling away, I can prevent a few more people from being hurt—from dying.”

“Barry…”

“No, I—I’m sorry. There’s something I have to do,” Barry said, rising to his feet. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

He left without another word, ignoring his father’s protests as he was led away by a guard.

…

“Patty, we need to talk.”

The bespectacled scientist looked up from her station, and readjusted her glasses, giving Barry a confused, even concerned look.

“Alright. Can it wait till—”

“Now. Please,” Barry urged, motioning out of the crime lab.

Patty led the way to the front of the police station and out the door. The second they reached fresh air, she said, “What’s wrong?”

“We can’t—I’m sorry, but we can’t see each other,” Barry said, unable to look at her.

“What? I—our date went great,” Patty remarked.

“No, it—it did. I just have a lot going on right now, and I need some space. I’m really, really sorry.” Barry had to fight like hell not to cry.

Patty considered what to say for a few moments, before ultimately going with, “Okay. That’s fine.”

She, too, was hurt, but she didn’t show it. Swallowing her pain, she reentered the police station. Barry watched her go, then, with a sigh, leaned against the side of the building. He nearly went for a run, but was stopped by a newcomer, someone who’d been waiting for the right moment to spring onto the scene.

“Hey, Barry,” Daniel greeted, “About earlier…”

“What do you want?” Barry asked dourly.

“I, uh…wow. I’d rehearsed this a thousand times in my head, but now I’m…” Daniel took a deep breath, then continued, “First off, I guess I want to thank you. What you did for the Gem Cities…what you’re doing, it’s incredible. I know it’s probably weird for a cop to support vigilante justice, but—”

“I’m sorry, Dan, but if all you want is to fanboy then—”

“No! No,” Dan said. “I…I want to help. I don’t know if you’ve got a team already, or what, but I’d like to…you don’t even have to let me join the squad. Just, if you need anything, let me know.”

Barry managed a weak smile. “Thanks.”

“And your secret’s safe with me,” Dan promised, making a cross over his heart with his hand.

Barry bit his lip and nodded in thanks. After realizing he wanted to be left alone, Dan walked back inside, giving him space.

The instant he was in the clear, Barry took off down the street, and focused on the feeling of the wind on his skin. For a moment, he felt at peace.

For a moment…

…

Iris went straight from Iron Heights to the office, and wrote for the rest of the evening. By closing time, she’d completed a first draft of her story. The current title: “My Boyfriend, The Supervillain.”

Okay, so it could use some work.

Still, this was her break. Her real break. One she’d sure as hell earned. The best part? Carla agreed with her.

“Wow, this is…heavy stuff. The other Rogues could be fleshed out a bit more, your vocabulary could use some work, and the title’s meh, but damn, West, you got a future here,” Carla admitted, rereading the article.

“Thank you. So you’ll publish it?” Iris asked.

“Not in tomorrow’s paper, but you do some more research, some rewriting, and you bet it’ll see the light of day,” Carla assured her.

Iris tried to smile. She did, but this victory felt hollow. Len…

“Everything alright?” Carla asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired,” Iris lied. “I should get going.”

Before she could leave Carla’s office, the editor-in-chief stopped her. “Good job, West.”

Iris nodded back, “Thanks, Carla.”

As the rookie reporter left the office, her boss shouted after her, “It’s Florez! For the love of God, it’s…never mind.”

…

Iris returned to an apartment in chaos. With the smoke alarm blaring, Wally rushed throughout the kitchen, trying to put out not one, not two, but three fires.

After spotting her, the tween blushed and shouted, “I was trying to make dinner! I know you had a rough day, and—”

He was cut off by the oven, which burst into flames.

Before leaping into action, Iris smiled.

Home sweet home.

…

Epilogue

The Rogues’ headquarters felt eerily empty to Mick, despite the fact that it was fuller than ever. Without Snart, everything seemed off. Mick hated to admit it, but he’d developed a soft spot for that arrogant POS.

“Before he went and got himself arrested, Snart left you guys gifts,” Mick explained to the others as he led them over to a weapons cache near the back.

“Ooh, didn’t realize Christmas was coming early this year,” Axel joked, opening the cache to discover a number of odd-shaped guns and gadgets. “What the hell is this?”

“In his words: an upgrade,” Mick said. “With this shit, we can free Len. Get the Rogues back together for real.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Sam continued, grabbing a green pistol embedded with four mirrors. “Snart should serve his time like we did. It’s a new era, so the Rogues deserve a new—how was it he put it?—upgraded leader.”

Mick raised his heat gun without a word. Sam met him with his own weapon. The two glared at one another, neither blinking.

“You two can play at badass, but I’m skipping town,” PJ explained. “Ain’t no place in a city with a superhero for me.”

“Have it your way. Axel, James?” Sam said, eyes still on Mick.

“Psh. It’s like you said. It’s a new era. The Rogues are finished.” Axel grinned. “But I’m just getting started.”

The teen grabbed a domino mask out of the cache, then flipped the others off as he left. “So long, suckers.”

“James…?” Sam pushed, only to spot that the other blond had disappeared out of the corner of his eye. “Where the f—”

With Sam distracted, Mick smacked him across the face, knocking him out. He then looked up, discovering the other Rogues had either left, or were on their way out of the building. A scowl ghosted over his lips, and he looked down at his heat gun.

“Guess that’s it, then. The end of the Rogues.”