#15: Mirror, Mirror

The Flash
#15: Rise of the Rogues Part 3
“Mirror, Mirror”

Looking good had always been one of Sam Scudder’s top priorities. Even in prison, he’d groomed his beard and hair to perfection, worked out extensively, and protected his face during the occasional yard brawl, securing his status as a would-be, should-be model. Lisa had always called him a Renaissance man. By that, she’d meant he looked like he’d been carved out of marble.

Or wait, was it Sam who’d come up with that nickname?

“Who cares?” Sam muttered under his breath, fixing his hair with the aid of his phone’s camera.

What was it he’d been thinking about? Right. His looks. Sam had to look good, now more than ever. After all, he wasn’t waiting in the bleachers of a practice ice rink for just anybody. He hadn’t bought golden roses for just anyone. Sam had his eyes on his fiancé, the love of his life, the only person he believed looked more divine than him…

“Lisa—go, baby, go!” cheered a chubby middle-aged man from the edge of the rink.

Lisa’s coach, Mark Rector. Sam remembered him. Like every other man Lisa worked with (or every other man in ice skating, for that matter, Sam thought), he was gay, meaning he wasn’t a threat.

“That’s it! Just like we practiced!” Mark urged.

Sam leaned back in his seat, eyes glued to Lisa. She twirled once, twice, three times, took a leap of faith, leaned back—ohmigod she’s going to—

WHAM.

Lisa smacked her shoulder against the ice, falling most of the way through the flip. Sam immediately got to his feet, ready to rush to her aide, only to have to force himself back. He was wanted, after all. Moreover, Lisa had support.

Mark ran to her side. Sam couldn’t make out what the two said, but Lisa appeared to be fine. If anything, her pride was more bruised than her shoulder. Mark helped Lisa back up onto her feet, motioning her over to the exit. They were done for the day. Sam stepped forward, ready to intercept her when it happened.

Lisa kissed Mark. On the lips. And he returned it in kind.

Sam’s mouth fell open as he struggled to muster the words. Mark Rector’s gay, right? Is kissing gay guys a thing now? What the f…?

“I’ll see you later, babe. Love you,” Lisa shouted back at Mark as she began to head in Sam’s direction.

His heart racing, Sam threw on his coat’s hood, ruffling his perfectly moussed hair, and hurried out of the bleachers before Lisa could catch him.

…

Water hid Sam’s tears poorly. Maybe that was because he had nobody to hide them from in a motel bathroom. Maybe that was because Sam couldn’t hide them from himself.

Lisa hadn’t been wearing the ring. Sam hadn’t registered that until now, but he hadn’t seen her engagement ring on her finger. Wait, she’d been practicing, right? She wouldn’t wear it during practice…

Sam noticed the golden roses out of the corner of his eye. Overcome with grief and rage, he screamed, lashing out at the flowers. He stomped them with his naked feet once, twice, three times before he turned his attention to the cheap shower head, which he ripped off its piping. Water spewed everywhere. He didn’t mind.

Soaking wet, Sam looked at the stupid toy gun Len had left him. Another Snart who’d betrayed him, leaving him to rot in jail for a year. Sam took the weapon in his hand, then looked up at the bathroom mirror. Disgusted by the sight before him, he threw the gun into his reflection, shattering the glass and the gadget.

The whole room noiselessly imploded in an instant.

…

When the motel owner left his office to check on the source of the noise complaints, he found nothing in the near-literal sense. It was as if some enormous monster had taken a bite out of his motel, and left not so much as a drop of blood. There were no human remains, no wooden planks, or broken pipes. All that had survived were pieces of shattered glass, reflecting the pink-streaked sunset.

…

STAR Labs

Elias’ hand hovered over a letter sent from STAR Labs’ headquarters in Metropolis, then his cup of coffee. Sixth cup of coffee. He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. In fact, he’d spent his every waking hour on the web, not in search of escape, but opportunities. This letter was the print confirmation that—

“Hey, Dr. Elias,” came Barry’s voice from right behind him, “Is Chess on lunch break?”

Elias resisted the urge to scold the speedster for the umpteenth time for arriving without warning. As it turned out, his brief stint with Batman had cemented some of Barry’s more obnoxious habits.

“Yes, Barry,” Elias replied, shoving the letter into a desk drawer, “Just as you should be.”

“I ate already. Thought I’d stop by, say hi,” Barry explained. “I have a couple things I want to talk about with the team. Something I’ve been considering for a while…”

“Oh? Do tell,” Elias asked, feigning interest so that the attention deficit cop-turned-hero wouldn’t spot…

“What’s with the boxes?” Barry asked, pointing to a stack of aforementioned packaging items. “You moving labs?”

Elias had only one way out now, a route he was all too familiar with…he had to act like a jerk.

“It doesn’t concern you. In fact, I’d prefer you leave me to work in peace. Unlike the others, I’ve never been a real part of ‘Team Flash,’” Elias spoke those two words with the utmost condescension.

“Yeah…okay, my bad,” Barry apologized, heading toward the exit. Before leaving, however, he stopped to say, “Y’know, if TV shows and comic books have taught me anything, behind every insult there’s pathos, and behind every jerk scientist there’s a heart of gold.”

“Or a villain awaiting his origin story,” Elias retorted.

Barry shrugged, “Touché. I’ll see you around, Dr. Elias.”

In a flash of light, Barry left STAR Labs. Elias’ gaze lingered upon where the young man had stood just seconds before, then turned back to his desk. With a sigh, he retrieved and opened the letter from STAR Labs Metropolis. Eyes darkened, Elias began to read it silently, all too aware of what to expect…

“Darwin Elias, we’re sorry to inform you that your contract with the Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories (STAR Labs) has been terminated effective…”

…

Gambi Fashion had become known throughout the Gem Cities as the premium mom-and-pop shop for your finer clothing needs. With quality products, speedy delivery, and even better prices, the owner, Paul Gambi, had created a foothold in an industry dominated by corporations. Of course, it certainly didn’t hurt that he had connections with, shall we say, seedier organizations. His partnerships with the various Gem City mafias had kept him afloat on more than one occasion.

So it was that Paul had found himself completing a fitting order of suits for new recruits into the resident Italian gang, the Monteleones, on this fine evening. After finishing the sleeves on one jacket, Paul checked the clock for the time. 5:04 PM. He had a late night ahead of him. Better to close early to avoid additional projects.

As Paul approached the front door to lock it, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Freezing, Paul scanned the area, but found nothing except empty suits and a vanity mirror.

“Need a vacation…” Paul grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

After locking the door, he returned to his desk, only to see movement in the same place again. Oddly enough, he’d noticed it in the mirror. Paul checked behind him, but no one was there. He looked deeply into the mirror, only to find nothing but his reflection in its gaze. Sighing, Paul turned back to his desk—

--And walked right into Sam Scudder, in the flesh.

“Long time no see, Paul,” Sam greeted, leaning casually against the desk, ruffling his fresh-pressed blue suit.

“Jesus, Sammy—”

“Y’know I always liked you, right? I mean, you’re like a one-man suit factory, fast as a speeding bullet. Liable to make a man think you’ve got some oh-so secret gifts. And the quality! Just look at this.” Sam fingered the flaps of his suit jacket. “This is one of yours, and whoo boy. Speaks for itself.”

“Why are you here?” Paul asked, his voice steady.

“I want you to make me a new suit by midnight,” Sam explained.

“And why the hell would I—”

Just like that, Sam disappeared in a flash of light. Paul screamed in shock, but before he could get to looking for the other man, Sam called from behind him, “Turn around, buddy.”

Paul did as he was told, only to discover Sam’s reflection in the mirror. He swiveled around, but Sam was nowhere to be found in the shop, and yet…

“Cool, right? I’ve got one of those oh-so secret gifts I was talking about. We’re talking,” Sam emphasized every word with a step, emerging from the mirror into the physical world. “Top-of-the-line meta shit.”

Paul dry swallowed, the unspoken threat abundantly clear. Even his allies in the mob couldn’t stand up to a metahuman. He had no choice.

“So you—you want it like the one you’re wearing?” Paul stammered.

A pearly grin crept over Sam’s lips as he responded, “No, I was thinking of trying something different…something a little flashier.”

…

Parked in front of St. Matthew’s School for the Gifted, Elias had begun to nod off when someone began to knock loudly on the passenger door of his Prius. Elias unlocked the car and greeted his daughter, a lanky seventeen-year-old with a bob cut, with all the optimism he could manage, “Hey, Lindsay. How was school, sweetie?”

“I’ve got bad news,” Lindsay blurted.

Elias’ heart sank. “What’s wrong?”

“Metropolis University emailed me today, and I…” Lindsay’s eyes flooded with tears. “They rejected my application.”

Elias sighed, and put his arm around his daughter, allowing her to lay her head down on his shoulder. “That’s…it’s okay. It’s their loss. You’re worth—”

“An acceptance letter,” Lindsay’s head perked up, a mischievous smile lingering on her lips. There wasn’t so much as a tear in her puffy eyes. “And, admittedly, a crap financial aid package.”

“You…that was a prank?” Elias clarified.

Lindsay nodded, eyes alight with glee and pride. Elias should have probably been at least a little angry, but he felt only joy. His daughter had been accepted into Metro U, her first choice, which made the news he’d received last night a little easier to swallow.

“We’re gonna be able to pay for it, right? Without the scholarship?” Lindsay wondered.

Elias felt as if the car had closed in around him. He struggled to breathe for a moment.

“Dad? Daddy? I’m sorry. It was just a practical joke—”

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine,” Elias managed. “Don’t worry about Metro U. We’ll manage.”

He hoped.

…

Every Wednesday night, one of Central City’s foremost gangs brought together the entire family for a dinner in the boss’s luxurious lakeside home on the outskirts of the city. Running well past midnight time and again, it was a joyous, playful occasion—read: party—meant to build unity amidst a void of ‘business talk.’ At least, that was usually the case. This particular night, however…

“—and Johnny says, ‘let there be light,’ and the whole freaking car explodes!” told the head honcho, the boss man himself, “Blackjack” Vincent, drawing a cacophony of laughter from those seated near him. “Best part is, the sergeant, he shits himself. I’m not kidding—”

“—‘He shits himself?’ Last time I heard that story, it was a lawnmower, and a beatcop who pissed himself. Can’t keep the story straight, Vinny?” came a voice from the back of the room.

All eyes focused in on the speaker. Who the hell had the balls to speak to the boss like that?

Sam Scudder, that’s who. He was dressed in a lightly armored orange and green costume with a see-through glass plated mask. Diamonds littered his green-gloved hands.

“Sammy…is that you?” Vincent Scudder wondered, his anger diminishing only slightly.

“The one and only, bro,” Sam noted, bowing.

“So the prodigal brother returns…in a homo costume, no less,” Vincent rose to his feet. Slowly, his gold heeled shoes tapping against the wooden floors, he approached Sam. “I heard you escaped Iron Heights. Your time in the slammer make you reconsider things? You back to rejoin the family?”

Vincent extended his hand to Sam, palm down, exposing his gaudy diamond ring. The sentiment was clear. ‘Kiss it, and take your place at my side.’ Sam just eyed his brother with the utmost contempt.

“I’m back,” Sam spoke smoothly, like a politician or a marketer, “To take it over.”

Vincent burst out laughing, which didn’t so much as faze his younger brother. “You think—let me get this straight—you think you’re gonna be the boss? My baby brother, leading this family?”

He looked over at his lieutenants, all of whom began to laugh as well. Sam rolled his eyes. In a split second, he grabbed his brother by the collar and smashed his head against the windowsill, knocking him out. Every armed man and woman in the room drew their guns. Just like that, Sam disappeared in a flash of light.

“What the hell…?” the consigliare muttered.

“I should have had control from the start,” came Sam’s voice from behind him. The consigliare swiveled around and fired, only to discover he’d broken but a mirror.

“I’m smarter, stronger, and more charismatic than my brother,” echoed Sam’s voice.

Three mobsters looked for the source, but couldn’t find it.

“The only reason he took over after dad died was because he was the eldest. The old ways should have been buried with my father,” Sam continued.

“Where the hell are you?!” roared the consigliare.

“Far away…” Sam whispered into the consigliare’s ear, “…yet never closer.”

The Consigliare unloaded upon Sam, but the bullets had no effect. They passed through him like he wasn’t there…like he was made of light.

“It’s an illusion, Johnny, courtesy of my new gifts,” Sam’s voice came from a dozen places at once, his head appearing in every reflective surface around the room. Some of the mobsters dropped their firearms. Others screamed. “In more ways than ever before, I am superior to my brother. I left after my father’s death to find a family. What I didn’t realize until recently is my family had been right here waiting for me to take control the entire time…”

Sam appeared beside his brother’s unconscious form, arms out like a prophet. “From this day forward, I’m your boss. The Scudder Gang is mine.”

Sam extended his right hand, just as his brother had done minutes ago, “Kiss my hand, all of you.”

The moment lingered, but Sam remained patient. Finally, Johnny, the consigliare, stepped forward, kneeled down, and kissed Sam’s diamond-encrusted hand. One after another, the other mobsters did the same.

“This is the dawn of a new era for the Scudder Gang, and we’ll start it,” Sam grinned, “By eliminating our city’s greatest pest…”

…

The following day, at STAR Labs, Gehenna walked in with a tray full of CC Jitters’ very best, hoping to surprise the others with her sudden return (and treats). However, before she could so much as open her mouth to announce her arrival, she overheard Elias’ strained voice coming from his office.

“…I know it seems sudden, but I’ve decided—yes, education is where my heart lies. Exactly.”

Odd. Elias had bemoaned the American education system on more than one occasion. Gehenna pressed her ear against the door to his office.

Elias continued, “Yes. I must remind you that I’m one of the most renowned names in meta and astrophysics. I was here when the Flash began to fight crime, and I—I know him personally. Hiring me would be a big win…yes, I’m finished with STAR Labs—”

Gehenna’s eyes widened and she had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from audibly reacting to that statement. Elias—

“Gen! You’re back!” came Chester’s voice from the entrance.

Suddenly, there was naught but silence from Elias’ office. Gehenna hurried away from his door, forcing a smile.

“Surprise! I brought coffee,” Gehenna said.

“I don’t drink coffee. And what were you doing…?”

“I mean, a super mocha pumpkin spice vanilla latte. For you. And can we talk about this—” Gehenna cut herself off when Elias emerged from his office, no longer on the phone. “Hey, Dr. Elias. Surprise. I’m back early.”

Elias looked lost in thought. He didn’t so much as smile at Gehenna. Had he realized she’d been listening in on his conversation? Moreover, what the hell had he been talking about?

Before the tension could build considerably, an alert sounded from the main computer system. Chess rushed over to check it, eyes suddenly alight with excitement as he sipped his super mocha pumpkin spice vanilla latte.

“Ooh, we got a classic. Robbery at the BoA on 50th. Somebody call the Fastest Man Alive!”

…

Barry had learned from his run-in with Captain Cold that stopping to crack wise could have nasty ramifications, so this time he was all-business all the time. Speeding into the bank, he counted out thirteen masked mobsters and a gaudily dressed supervillain in orange and green leading the charge. While he had to slow down to prevent the potential crippling or death of the robbers, he still managed to knock out ten of them before any of the others could react. It just so happened that that reaction time was enough for the leader to completely disappear.

After knocking out the other mobsters, Barry slowed to a halt, looking around the bank. “Is everyone alright?”

A couple civilians nodded. A child stood up and pointed up at the ceiling. “Behind you!”

Before Barry could register what he’d said, he found himself slugged by the costumed supervillain. Barry sped up, but barely managed to spot the villain before he traveled through the air into the stained glass roof in a form of pure light.

“Man, you are so predictable. Knew one bank robbery was all it’d take to make you come running,” the villain gloated.

“So you’re a metahuman,” Barry realized, motioning to the civilians to leave. They all rushed out in a panic.

“Just like you, Flash,” echoed the villain’s voice. “As fast as light.”

“Mirror Master,” came Chester’s voice over the comms. “I’m calling this dude Mirror Master.”

Said villain came at the Flash faster than he could react, knocking him to the ground with a clean punch. He then grabbed one of the sacks of money, only to give the Flash the necessary time to recover and slug him, shattering his mask. However, before the speedster could apprehend him, Mirror Master had fled into the confines of the shard remnants of his mask with the money in tow.

“You’ve met your match. Central City’s my town now,” Mirror Master said.

The Flash stepped on the glass, breaking it up further. However, the villain remained unharmed, his head appearing in each of the tiny pieces.

“You can’t harm me while I’m in my mirror dimension. In fact, I’ve got a theory…”

In a split second, Mirror Master emerged from the glass and grabbed the Flash. Before anything else could be done, he pulled the speedster into the mirror dimension with him, where he freed him.

The mirror dimension was a place of pure light and imagery, not unlike the Speed Force, only littered with—surprise—mirrors that revealed numerous locations. From this dimension, Sam could feasibly access nearly anywhere in the world through reflective surfaces. Admittedly, the sheer number of options made it difficult to find any one place in particular, but that threat alone still made Barry nearly shudder with fear.

Recognizing Sam’s face from the breakout, Barry noted, “You’re one of the Rogues.”

“An ex-Rogue, actually. Now the foremost mafia boss in Central City, soon to be the only one. Organized crime—this entire city, for that matter—will be mine,” Mirror Master replied.

“Like hell,” Barry grunted, speeding forward.

The villain disappeared into one of the mirrors before Barry could touch him. He moved from one to the next, forcing Barry to constantly divert his gaze to locate him.

“I wonder…what would happen if I left you here alone?” Mirror Master disappeared.

His throat clenching with anxiety, Barry tried to speed out of the mirror dimension back into the bank through one of the mirrors, but ended up just shattering it. Back in the bank, its glass ceiling shattered into a million pieces.

Suddenly, Mirror Master appeared back in the dimension, cackling. “Ooh, that’s fun. So long, Fla—”

Barry grabbed the villain before he could finish gloating and pinned him against the (nonexistent) floor. Mirror Master tried to leave through a mirror, but ended up dragging Barry along with him into the Scudder Mansion. The Scarlet Speedster bloodied his nose, before he managed to push himself away, disappearing into a mirror.

“Shouldn’t talk so much,” Barry uttered. “I’m faster than you.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Mirror Master muttered.

He nonetheless came at the Flash again, only for the speedster to slug him across the jaw. The villain started to ping pong across reflective surfaces, but the Flash caught him twice, nearly knocking him out in the process. Mirror Master roared with frustration, hiding in a mirror.

“You can’t beat me,” the Flash warned. “But you can try.”

“And get arrested? Again? Like hell,” Mirror Master growled, trying and failing to hide the panic in his voice. “I’ll be back. And next time…you won’t know what hit you.”

Just like that, the Mirror Master was gone, disappeared from any of the reflective surfaces in the mansion.

Barry sped around the mansion, discovering numerous mobsters on their way to his previous location to check the source of the ruckus. Better yet, he found cocaine in the basement. Slowing to a halt, Barry activated his comms.

“Hey, Chester, send the CCPD to my location. It’s the Scudder Gang’s HQ. Drugs on the scene. Tell them it’s low maintenance. I’m about to clear out potential threats,” Barry said.

“Aye aye, Captain,” Chester agreed.

And just as he said he would, Barry knocked out each of the mobsters, broke their firearms, and left the scene as sirens neared.

So, he hadn’t managed to catch Mirror Master, but he’d successfully crippled an entire gang. He’d had worse days on the job.

…

“Congrats, Barry, on defeating your third supervillain,” Chess said upon his arrival to STAR Labs.

Barry removed his cowl and brushed the comment off, “We still have to find Mirror Master and the other Rogues, figure out a way to take them down. I’m willing to bet he wasn’t the only one who’s got powers now.”

“A problem for another day,” Elias said, patting Barry on the back.

“Yeah, we have something else to deal with right now,” Gehenna said, eyeing Elias.

“What’s wrong?” Elias wondered, as the others gave her inquisitive looks.

“Dude, is someone a mole? Oh crap. Is it me?” Chess wondered, feeling himself for faults.

“Dr. Elias, would you mind explaining why you’re ‘finished with STAR Labs?’” Gehenna urged.

“What? I’m not—“ Elias quieted upon her continued pressuring gaze. “I…I’ve been fired.”

“What?” Barry exclaimed, as the others looked on in shock. “We—is there anything we can do?”

“No, Barry, although I appreciate the sentiment. Leonard Snart’s infiltration and latter theft of STAR Labs was the last straw. The board is convinced that I’m ill-suited to the culture here, let alone a director’s position. I’m terminated effective tomorrow,” Elias explained.

“But they—they can’t just fire you? I mean, they’ve gotta at least keep you on in another position,” Chess argued.

“That’s a naïve perspective.”

“How the hell didn’t we know about this?” Gehenna wondered.

“It appears that the board wants to make my departure a quiet one, to prevent the PR nightmare that would ensue otherwise,” Elias conjected.

“Dr. Elias, we’ll reach out to Metropolis. We’ll—”

“Don’t…don’t worry about me. I’ve already secured a teaching position at Metropolis University, and in turn a hefty scholarship for my daughter, who got accepted early to their metaphysics program,” Elias assured them. “It’s for the best, I imagine. I’ve never been much of a leader, and I certainly have no place on Team Flash.”

“That’s not true,” Barry protested.

“But isn’t it? When have I offered anything of use?” Elias argued. “Regardless, I—I need to finish packing.”

He turned away, even as the others tried to stop him, and walked over to his office, locking the door after him. Barry and Gehenna exchanged a worried look, only for Chester lose himself in thought. After a moment, he perked up.

“Guys, I’ve got an idea…”

…

Back in a Scudder warehouse, Sam watched the news of his gang’s collapse on a TV.

“Idiot…I’m an idiot,” Sam growled, running a hand through his hair, ruffling it. “I panicked, took him right to our home…RRAAHHH!!”

Sam lashed out, upturning a table. Seething with rage, his gaze lingered on the screen, on a blurry image of the Flash speeding down Central City.

“I’ll end you, Flash. I swear to God I will. And if the Family can’t do it…” Sam tightened his hands into fists, gritting his teeth. “Then the Rogues will. My Rogues will.”

…

Needless to say, Elias wasn’t looking forward to his last day at STAR Labs. Walking past the secretary, the sense of impending doom that he felt only grew that much stronger.

“Morning, Sara,” Elias greeted glumly.

“Good morning, sir,” she replied, “Is everything alright?”

“Just peachy,” Elias lied, swiping his keycard to get into the back labs.

He passed the one-time home to Arthur Park, their world-renowned green energy expert. He passed the mechanical engineering labs where Leonard Snart had worked and, in turn, stolen his own work. Lastly, he passed the near-abandoned astrophysics laboratory, complete with a telescope of epic proportions and a couple of scientist hard at work on who-knows-what. Elias had as good as grown up there. It was where he’d started as an intern, where he’d grown into a man and a proper scientist, and where he ultimately met his wife well before their split. That lab was where Elias had developed his infamous ego. It was where he’d found himself.

Taking a moment to rest his hand on the glass over the telescope, Elias felt like a child again, an outsider looking in, gazing at his betters engaging in the research of scientific revolutions. With a sigh, he continued down the hall to the main lab, his lab, and walked through its automatic entrance.

“SURPRISE!”

Barry, Gehenna, and Chess all stood around the lab, halfway prepared for a party. Some streamers were thrown about. Balloons hung around the many desks, and Gehenna stood atop a ladder, nearly finished putting up a banner that read: “Goodbye, David! We’ll miss you!”

“Sorry, we weren’t expecting you for another half hour,” Gehenna admitted, taping the last corner of the banner.

“Wanted as much time in the lab as possible before…” Elias’ voice faded off, then he motioned to the banner, “Who’s David?”

Chess interjected, “You are! I mean, your name’s actually Darwin, but we couldn’t find a Darwin, so we, uh—”

“It’s the best we could come up with on short notice,” Barry explained. He reached behind the computers, revealing a cookie cake. “I brought cake.”

“Cookie cake…how’d you know…?” Elias mumbled, awe struck by their kindness.

“Chess told me it was your favorite,” Barry admitted, placing it on a table.

“As is Queen,” Chess hit a button on a remote, and Bohemian Rhapsody began to play over the loudspeakers. “We’re gonna miss you, Dr. Elias.”

Gehenna continued, “You’re our mentor, and I know we fought—a lot, but—well, we appreciate everything you’ve done for us. All of us. And you may not realize it, but you’ve influenced all of our lives for the better.”

“You were my hero growing up,” Barry admitted, “Still are. And hey, once a member of Team Flash—”

“—Always a member of Team Flash,” Chess finished.

Elias choked up, and his eyes flooded with tears. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry…”

“Looks like somebody needs a group hug!” Chess exclaimed, embracing his boss.

“No, Chester—”

“If you insist, Dr. Elias, I guess I’ll hug you,” Barry teased, joining in.

“Please, I’m begging you—”

“Can you feel the love tonight,” Gehenna hummed, the last to hug Elias.

“You just made it weird,” Chess noted.

“Super weird,” Barry agreed.

“What they said,” Elias admitted…smiling.

And so it was that Team Flash lost their second member…but he would not be the last one to go. No, their collapse was far from complete.