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Eddie Thawne wiped his hands on his pants for the nth time since he'd gotten into the elevator with his new partner in operations, Joe West. It was his first day at Central City's A.R.G.U.S division, having just transferred from Key Stone, and he'd come to realize he was in a whole new world. He'd heard the rumors before, how the Central City black site was eons ahead of the Key Stone division in terms of technology and their... special detainees. He was used to keeping watch of small time terrorists - almost-suicide bombers, hired hitmen and brainwashers were among his charges - but the things he'd heard about Central City and the things he'd seen firsthand since Joe started giving him a tour of the facilities were way out of his league. Giant half-man half-shark creatures, a telepathic gorilla the size of a car, a man who could supposedly manipulate his molecules to turn himself into poison gas, another who could manipulate your emotions with a single look and a woman whose very touch could turn anything into a bomb were just a few of who were held prisoner there. So yes, consider him thoroughly spooked.
What was worse, however, was the fact that those weren't even the most dangerous prisoners A.R.G.U.S had. No, there was one person so dangerous that they'd had to detain them below ground. Six levels, he counted when the elevator stopped and he exited with Joe. The hallway was long and dimly lit but Eddie could make out a line of four guards standing in front of a set of double doors, all in full gear with their guns at the ready and their helmets on.
"Wow," he breathed out quietly, as if he was scared to speak too loudly. "All this security for just one person? Just how powerful are they?"
Joe stopped and looked at him, shocked expression turning to one of concern then... pity? "You don't know, do you?" Joe asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't deal with stuff like this in Key Stone," Eddie explained. "So no, I genuinely do not know."
Joe sighed and gestured for him to follow him as he resumed walking. "Ever heard about The Joker and Harley Quinn?" he asked.
Eddie nodded. "Yeah, Gotham's freak show couple. I heard they're psychopaths and even The Bat has a hard time handling them."
"Good, so you know enough," Joe said. "Ever heard of Captain Cold?"
"I've heard rumors," Eddie supplied. "Apparently he has these ice powers? He's some kind of master thief. I also heard he took down Don Santini and completely took over the criminal underground with his metahuman cronies."
"All true," Joe nodded. "But grossly under-explained. Cold is as worst as they come. And I mean he makes what that clown over in Gotham is doing look like child's play. He could freeze this whole city in minutes if he wanted to and he'd do it with no remorse. All the things he's done - the heists, taking over the Santini Family? They're just games to him. He's just playing around and god knows what'll happen if he decides he's done playing. He's like a ticking time bomb, only we don't know when the clock will hit zero."
"That's... wow. Sounds like a real case, sir," Eddie said, nervously glancing at the door as they neared. "Is that... is that who you have locked up down here?" he asked.
"Oh no, no, no," Joe shook his head, a laugh that sounded nowhere near amused leaving his lips. "See, like the Joker, Cold's got a crazy other half too. And like Cold, this one's superpowered."
Eddie gulped. He knew that this maximum security prisoner was one of Joe's main responsibilities and as Joe's new partner, they would be his now too. "That's not nerve-wracking at all," Eddie said with a very nervous laugh though he'd hoped it came out normal. He really was out of his element here and as much as A.R.G.U.S was one of the most secure facilities in the world, he knew better than to be too relaxed in any situation where he had to deal with criminals. Never let your guard down, that was a rule he always strove to live by. He cleared his throat and spoke again, embarrassed by how clearly unnerved he was. "So... Cold's got his own Harley? Except she's what, superpowered and even more psychotic?"
They're by the door now and the senior agent nodded his greeting to the soldiers guarding the door. He held up his ID badge and indicated for Eddie to do the same.
"Giving you gentlemen any trouble?" Joe asked as they stepped into small room where four more guards stood waiting, this time in front of a single door.
"Not much today, sir," one of the soldiers replied.
Upon reaching the next door, they repeated the security protocol of showing identification. The door had a keypad lock on it and Joe carefully entered the code. Just before pushing the door open he paused and looked back at him. "Keep your cool. Scarlet has a way of getting in your head and manipulating you. Just follow my lead alright?"
Eddie nodded, nervous but still somewhat excited to meet this "Scarlet" woman. They must be something else, he thought. "Yes, sir."
With that, Joe pushed the door open to reveal a very large, well-lit concrete room. There was a large metal cage that took up half of the room inside, its bar's glowing a royal blue. Within the large cage was a smaller one and inside, to Eddie's surprise, wasn't a woman. No, it was a man. A young man at that. He looked barely older than twenty-one and instead of the standard gray A.R.G.U.S jumpsuit, he wore a red one that he had pulled up to his waist and tied there, opting to leave his top half only covered in a sheer white tank top. He hung from the ceiling of the inner cell from what looked to be the tied up sheets that must have been from the bare mattress in the corner, like an acrobat. He had the smoothest looking, creamiest skin littered with moles and tattoos that Eddie could see even from outside the larger cage and his dark brown hair was tousled and wild. His emerald green eyes glinted with mischief when he caught sight of Joe, Eddie and the guards and he swung around on the makeshift swing with a feline-like grace, a beautiful smile gracing his lips.
"My, my, Agent West," came a melodic voice. "To what do I owe this visit? And look, you even brought a friend."
Eddie could feel the boy's eyes boring into him and he wanted nothing more than to avoid his gaze. But instead he chose to meet it head on. He couldn't show any signs of being intimidated. Besides, how dangerous could this one boy be locked inside two cells? Six levels underground no less?
"You behaving, Scarlet?" Joe asked as he unlocked the outer cage and they filed inside. The two agents stopped about five feet away from the inner cell and went no further.
"Oh, you know," Scarlet giggled, making a show of leaning backwards on the makeshift swing and looking at them, no doubt seeing them from an upside down perspective. "The usual. Who's your friend?"
"Never mind that," Joe said. "You'll get to know him in time. I need to ask you a few questions about your boyfriend."
Scarlet laughed, loud and maniacal. "And the answer will always be the same, West. I ain't tellin' you nothing about my Lenny. If you wanna know somethin' you best ask him yourself. Not that you'd even get the chance. He'll freeze you before you could blink." Eddie watched as Joe plastered on a smug grin onto his face.
"You're fiercely loyal considering your Lenny has skipped town. Heard he shacked up with some assassin chick who goes by White Canary," Joe said as he pushed his suit jacket back to place his hands on his hips. The mention of a White Canary seemed to spark something in Scarlet's expression. The glint in his eyes changed from playful to murderous in a second and in one swift movement, the boy was dropping down from the ceiling, landing gracefully on his feet. He stalked forward, right to the bars of the inner cell.
"You're nothing but a filthy liar, Joe West," the boy hissed. "Lenny would never betray me like that."
"Oh but he would because he has," Joe said. "Heard they're somewhere in Star City now. Must suck doesn't it, being left out in the cold? And it hasn't even been a month yet since you've been gone. It really is a damn shame."
"You're lying!" Scarlet screamed, grabbing the bars and shaking them wildly. Joe produced a small remote from his pocket and pressed a button, electrifying the cell. It zapped the boy and sent him flying to the ground to which he laughed. And he just laughed, looking up at Joe and Eddie with wild eyes.
"You can tell lies all you want, I'm never ratting Lenny out. Even if what you say ends up being true," Scarlet said, laughing. He hauled himself up slowly, disoriented from the zap before jumping up to get back into his little swing. As if nothing had happened, his playful expression was back and he offered Eddie the sweetest of smiles.
"Oh he's absolutely adorable, Joe!" Scarlet gushed. "Will he be taking Hartley's place? I do so enjoyed killing him last time. But maybe I'll keep this one for longer. He's so much more fun to look at. Might be even more fun to play with."
"Joe... what is he talking about?" Eddie asked, turning to look at the other man who sighed and ran a hand over his face.
"Hartley Rathaway, my partner before you," Joe said. "Scarlet here got in his head, which is why I warned you earlier. See inside that pretty little head of his is one seriously messed up brain. He manipulated Hartley, strung him along like a puppet on a string with that pretty mug of his. Hartley was in too deep and got too close to the cell. Scarlet here grabbed his glasses off his face and killed him with it."
Eddie spluttered. "Wha... his what... his glasses?"
"Stabbed him right in the neck and just sat there, watching him bleed out. Hartley was dead before he could hit the emergency switch. Found him a couple hours later with Red over here making angels in the blood that'd leaked into the cell."
"Come now, Agent West. When you say it like that you make me sound crazy," Scarlet pouted. "I just wanted to play."
"You're a psychopath, Allen," Joe snapped. That was the first time Joe called him anything other than Scarlet.
"Allen?" Eddie inquired.
"Barry Allen," Joe said, sighing as he produced a file that was tucked away inside his jacket. He handed it over to Eddie who skimmed through it.
Barry Allen, aged 26, was a graduate of Central City University with a degree in forensic science and a minor in physics. He worked for the Central City Police Department as a CSI for two years before he went rogue. Apparently, he'd met Leonard Snart - Captain Cold - when he'd been detained for a diamond heist. It was love at first sight it seemed because Barry let him go and ran away with him. That was a year ago, the same night STAR Labs' particle accelerator blew and unleashed the dark matter wave that granted the lovers their powers. Which reminded Eddie...
"So what are his powers?" Eddie asked. "You said he had powers like Cold. Can he freeze stuff too?"
"No," Joe shook his head. "He's a speedster." Eddie's eyes went wide.
"Like Kid Flash?" he asked, glancing over at Barry. His lean, toned frame made all the more sense now.
"Faster," Joe said, his tone serious. "He's at least three times faster than Kid Flash and that's what makes him so dangerous. Him and Cold together, they're a nightmare."
"That's not very nice," Barry said from the cell, pouting like a small child who wanted attention but was being ignored.
"That's crazy stuff," Eddie said, closing the folder. "How'd you catch him if he's so fast?"
"Ambush, and a whole lot of horse tranqs. See, a speedster's metabolism can burn through regular sedatives in less than a second," Joe explained. Eddie didn't even bother hiding the shocked yet awe-filled expression on his face.
"That still doesn't explain everything though," he stated, eyes still on Barry who winked and blew him a kiss. "If he's so fast, how's he being detained right now. I heard speedsters could phase through objects, or is that just another false rumor?"
"No, it's true. But look, see the blue lights in the cells? They're power dampeners. So long as these babies are on, Scarlet over her can't use his speed. He's stuck here for the forseeable future," Joe said, sounding pretty proud. After all, they did manage to capture the fastest known speedster alive.
"Nice," Eddie grinned, allowing himself to relax some. So long as he didn't let Barry into his head, he shouldn't have a problem right?
"Don't look so smug," Barry smiled, swinging back and forth. "I'm gonna get outta here soon. Lenny's coming for me and when he does he's going to freeze this whole place ten times over. You won't even know what hit you."
"You got a lot of faith in someone who's abandoned you, kid," Joe said. "I admire your loyalty." He turned away from Barry then, facing Eddie. "I'm gonna go talk to Lance. He's one of the guards outside. You can stay here or come, doesn't matter. Just remember, don't get too close."
Eddie looked between Barry and Joe and his expression must have showed his decision because Joe gives him a curt nod and exited the room. It was just him and Barry inside now.
"Say, pretty boy. Got a name?" Scarlet - Barry - asked, still smiling sweetly as he swung back and forth, looking almost child-like. Eddie found it hard to believe that this was the person who'd killed a man with his own glasses. Eddie remained silent, earning another pout. "Come on," the man whined. "You know everything about me. I at least gotta know your name." His doe eyes seemed to sparkle and Eddie felt his heart stutter.
"Agent Thawne... Eddie," he found himself saying against his better judgement. Barry cooed.
"You are so adorable, Eddie," the prisoner gushed. "I almost wish I'd be in here long enough to spend more time with you."
"Oh, I think we'll have plenty of time together... Scarlet," Eddie said, testing the name on his tongue. It somehow felt strangely intimate to call him that, especially given Barry the flirty smile on Barry's lips and the playful glint in his eyes. What was he doing? He couldn't let Barry get in his head. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head and pulled himself together.
"It's a shame," Barry sighed dramatically, bringing a hand to his forehead and fake swooning, falling back on the swing. It looked like he was going to completely fall to the ground and out of reflex, Eddie dashed forward, hands gripping the cell bars as if he could catch Barry before he hit the ground. Except Barry didn't fall. He did something akin to a cartwheel and like before, landed gracefully on his feet. Before Eddie realized he was played, Barry darted forward and placed his hands over Eddie's where they held the bar. He thanked the lucky stars he had perfect vision and there were no glasses sitting on his face.
"My, my, don't you think we're moving a little fast, Eddie?" Barry giggled, holding his hands tightly in place. "Holding hands already? We've only just met."
Eddie knew he should have pulled his hands away or called out for backup but he found himself grinning. "I thought moving fast was your speed?" he tested. Barry's eyes widened with glee.
"Oh, he puns!" Barry exclaimed. "Oh I wish I could keep you. Too bad Lenny's coming to get me."
"You sure about that?" Eddie asked. "Because the way I see it is this. You're locked up down here and he's skipped town with some chick. How are you so sure he's coming?"
"Because, Eddie," Barry smiled sweetly, this time there was no hint of playfulness or flirtatiousness in it - no, it was absolutely predatory. "Leonard isn't just my world. I'm his world. Just as I'd do anything for him, he'd do anything for me too. Do you believe in soulmates, Eddie?"
"Not quite," he said, wiggling his hands under Barry's grip to test his strength. He was relieved when Barry allowed him to pull them free but he made no move to step away from the cell bars. They were standing toe to toe, only the bars separating them and as much as Eddie knew it was unsafe, he just couldn't find the strength to move away.
"Well, you best start believing," Barry continued. "See, Lenny and I are soulmates. Where he goes, I go. When he's happy, I'm happy. When he's hurt, I'm hurt. And as you should know, it goes both ways. Did anyone ever tell you the real reason The H Hotel downtown got destroyed?"
Eddie's eyes widened. He remembered hearing the news. Standing at twenty stories tall, The H Hotel was one of the most popular hotels in Central City and part of a large chain across the East Coast. The Central City building had been the target of a terrorist attack which had bombs going off on every floor. Thousands of people were killed that day.
"I thought it was a terrorist attack?" Eddie said.
"That's what A.R.G.U.S told the press to cover up what really happened," Barry said. "See, me and my darling were shacked up there for a few days. It was great. Our suite had the most amazing view of the water front and we had a hot tub and the softest fucking bed I've ever had the opportunity to get fucked on. It was so romantic," Barry said with a faraway look in his eyes. He sighed longingly before his expression changed again. "Anyway, me and Lenny were there and as you can tell by now I'm very protective of him."
"Wait... are you responsible for the bombs?" Eddie asked, backing away some.
"Sweetie it really isn't polite to interrupt someone when they're telling a story you know," Barry sighed, jutting out his hip and resting a hand on it with sass. "As I was saying. We were having a great time right up until some idiot sent up cherries with pits in them when I'd specifically asked for them to remove all the pits. Lenny almost choked, Eddie. He could have died and their shitty management team acted as if I was overreacting. They kicked us out because apparently I was causing a scene. Never mind the fact that their carelessness could've killed the love of my life."
"So you what, blew up the whole place?" Eddie asked in disbelief. It sounded too ridiculous to be true.
"Ding ding ding," Barry giggle, seemingly pleased with himself. Eddie backed away further, feeling less relaxed now. Barry was a ticking time bomb. He was sweet one second and scary the next.
"So you bombed the hotel..." Eddie said slowly. "With thousands of people inside... because your boyfriend choked on a cherry pit?"
"What are you, slow?" Barry scoffed. "That's literally what I just said."
"You're fucking crazy," Eddie said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're a psychopath."
"That's not very nice, Eddie," Barry pouted. "I don't like being called names."
"Whatever, man," Eddie shook his head.
"Oh come on, Eddie. Don't be like that. I thought we were getting close," Barry said, clutching the material of his tank top above his heart. Eddie took note of the little snowflake and lightning bolt tattoos that littered his arms and a bigger one that said "Cold's Scarlet".
"So you can find something to stab me in my neck with? No thanks," Eddie said.
"Oh come on, that was one time!" Barry pouted before sighing. He dropped his forehead onto the bars of the cell, staring at Eddie in silence. Time seemed to stretch between them for a few moments and Eddie swore the temperature in the room dropped.
Rubbing his palms together, he was about to turn and go see the hold up with Joe and Agent Lance when Barry started laughing. It was loud and crazed and maniacal.
"Oh this is going to be so so good," Barry laughed.
"What's gonna be so good?" Eddie asked, feeling uneasy.
"He's coming," Barry singsonged with a devilish grin. He leaped back up into his swing, gazing at Eddie with a sad smile. "It's such a shame, Eddie. I think maybe I'd have enjoyed your company had you been here for longer."
"What the hell are you talking about? Who's coming?" Eddie asked. He was so cold and he could see frost in the air when he spoke. "What's going on?"
"I told Agent West," Barry said. "Lenny wouldn't abandon me. It was only a matter of time before he came."
Eddies eyes widened as realization dawned on him. He felt stiff all over even as violent shivers wracked through his body. Panicking, he raised his hand and he tried to flex his fingers but found that he couldn't move them.
"Cold," he whispered, now blue lips setting in place as he froze from within.
"My, Scarlet. You really got yourself into quite the situation, huh?" drawled a new voice in the room.
Barry huffed and jumped down from the swing. "Hurry up and get me outta here, Lenny. You and I need to have a talk about a certain white birdie, mister."