Rogue Gone Wrong

[mostlyajerk]

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[viber]

It was hard to explain what was going on with him lately. His life had never been normal, things had never been easy but they'd never been half as weird as this. All his life he had nightmares about impossible things, weird things, stuff he didn't recognise and people he didn't know but never once did he consider them a reality. And then the particle accelerator blew and it was like he was waking up and the world he was in was just a bad dream and everything he'd been seeing was real.

His family thought he was losing it when he stared ranting about different realities, his work place suspended him when he started losing focus, saying odd things but mostly when he started calling his boss a unhinged psycho who put a hand through his chest. Harrison tried to be patient but when Cisco started to rant about burning men and yellow lightening guys, he kind of figured Cisco needed a break.

It had been a rough few months on everyone at STAR labs but Cisco, he'd really lost the plot.

He knew he wasn't supposed to be in work today but he came in anyway, trying to avoid Harrison and his team so he could try and find the right equipment to make the vibe glasses from his dreams. Yes, he was stealing but he was desperate! He had a world to save.

With his arms full of stuff, trying to bluff normalcy to fly under the radar, Cisco walked through the labs, ignoring the confused stares and just praying he didn't run into Harrison. He almost got out free, he almost escape but luck wasn't on his side, of course it wasn't because he ran into Hartley. Shit. The Pied Piper. Cisco clutched his supplies to his chest and made a panicked noise at the sight of Hartley, backing up in almost a comical way. "Hey man... good to see you. Just borrowing some stuff."

[mostlyajerk]

"...you're not supposed to be here." Hartley cursed himself for those having been his first response. He wasn't sure just what had happened to Cisco, but they had all suffered a lot through the explosion. Hartley had spent weeks in hospital and now... His life had changed a lot, not that most people knew about that. Harrison Wells, he could trust him. Everyone else? Debatable.

But just what was Cisco doing here? Hartley frowned and lowered his voice, taking a few steps closer to Cisco as he talked. "What are you trying to make?"

And why was he acting like this? It couldn't be more suspicious if he tried. But Cisco was loyal, he'd always been that. Maybe someone on the outside was scaring him.

[viber]

"Nothing. Just a project. Super top secret and all so, you know, no one can know about it. Not even Wells. Not even me." Okay, that was a step too far but he didn't really want to go into the details of why he was basically stealing from his own employer. He loved Wells, he really did, he loved working with him and he loved his sense of humour but he'd always had this nagging thing in the back of his head, a nightmare from his youth he couldn't shake. He dreamt of Wells killing him and now he believed it could be true.

Just like he believed everything else could be. Until he knew what was what, he didn't want to be around his friends. He didn't even understand if they were who they were or what was going on here but it was trippy as fuck.

"But like you said, I shouldn't be here so I'm out. I'll check you later, Hartley." Cisco made a move to leave, trying to go around Hartley and stick as close to the wall as possible because no, he didn't trust Hartley either. Not after some of the stuff he'd seen. Using scary gauntlets to move cars, smashing buildings, helping him as well and... well, the kissing. Mostly the kissing was freaking him out. "If you could just tell no one you saw me, that'd be a real solid. Laters."

[mostlyajerk]

Hartley frowned and shook his head, stepping closer to Cisco to make it impossible for him to just duck away. He understood that Cisco had suffered some kind of breakdown following the explosion, but that just meant that he had to be even more careful. The explosion had affected many people and unfortunately so far they had yet to find someone other than him that hadn't been affected in a negative way. "What's going on, Cisco? You know you're a terrible liar."

Something that was actually an understatement. "I'm not going to lie for you, unless you give me a good reason and I can't just let you take restricted materials from the lab."

[viber]

"Oh yeah because talking will help. Look, I already have a lot of people trying to get me to talk to a shrink but I'm not crazy so just back off." His parents, Harrison Wells, even Caitlin, everyone was pushing for him to do something about this mental breakdown he was going through but it wasn't one. It was like seeing the world how it actually is and not being allowed to properly appreciate it.

"Look, I just -- I need you to trust me. I need this stuff." Cisco took a deep breath and clutched it closer, protectively, ready to run if Hartley pushed any further. "I need it to save the world."

[mostlyajerk]

"You need this--" Hartley pointed at one of the scraps Cisco was holding. "--to save the world?" Likely story. He looked at Cisco again, tried to at least imagine what he was going through. What had the particle accelerator explosion done to one of his only friends? Maybe it was just the guilt weighing on him. It seemed the most likely explanation. "We all want to make up for what went wrong. We're all to blame, Cisco. But if you want to help makes things right, stealing from the workplace probably isn't the answer."

[viber]

"No! Not like that. I literally need it to just save the world, okay? This isn't right, we're in the wrong reality. This shouldn't have happened. Or it should have. I mean the explosion is just unstoppable." It didn't seem like it could be stopped. It was weird, he had no idea what to do about it, it just sort of made him kind of resigned that what happened had to happen. But the rest? "There's no Flash! I checked already, not even an origin story in the works. Barry Allen isn't in a coma, he's okay which means there will be no Flash and we're in he wrong world, he did something to change it. Maybe it was saving his mom? I don't get why he had to change that. The man in yellow was always supposed to--"

Oh no, he was going full crazy again. He promptly shut up and winced, closing his eyes and giving himself a minute to sort it all out. "I'm not crazy, I'm trying to save us all. You just have to trust me."

[mostlyajerk]

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You mostly just sound confused." Very confused and slightly crazy. Hartley looked at Cisco and tried to even begin making sense of any of it. Barry Allen? Coma? No Flash, what was a Flash? And now a man in yellow. No, not even ringing any bells, although the term origin story made him think Cisco might have somehow have overdosed on superhero comics. A very real danger in Cisco's case.

Hartley put a hand on Cisco's shoulder and tried to catch his eyes. "Why don't you sit down for a moment, Cisco? Then you can explain it to me." Or maybe just sort his head out.

[viber]

"No way, you're giving me that look. That's the look Harrison gave me before he suspended me." The whole 'sit down while I talk to you like you're crazy' routine and he didn't want to do that. People kept acting like he'd just hit his head hard or lost his mind entirely. He hated it. He clutched his stuff close and he knew he had to get out of here, he had to take his stuff and run, make the goggles and see if he could ... whatever that thing was he did in the other time line. Vibe? Whatever. He supposed he had to play dirty if he wanted to leave with everything and avoid a 'talk' that would likely get him sent to another professional.

He had no idea how this would go down so Cisco dropped his tone as quietly as he could and gave Hartley a look. "Move aside and let me leave or I'll tell everyone your secret."

[viber]

"Leonard Snart?"

This was a bad idea. Oh man, this was just like the dumbest idea but what the hell was he supposed to do? Hartley kind of knew and if he stepped in and started trying to stop him changing things then he needed to seek out others. He needed more help fixing this. Hell, he needed someone and from the people in his head, he could only find this one. Mostly because he was a notorious criminal who just hit up a bank van and Cisco had tracked Leonard's bike and followed it all the way here. So yeah, that helped.

And yes, technically this was total suicide but he was desperate and kind of hoping he looked very not threatening and therefore not worth hurting. He held up his hands awkwardly as he stood in the hideout, his heart racing. "I need you to help me."

[catchacold]

Someone who looked like he was fifteen, who knew his name and who had an expression not unlike a frightened rabbit, but who also addressed him by his full name and consequently asked him for help? It didn't add up. Leonard leaned against his bike, adjusting his position slightly. His gun was right there, ready to be drawn should it be necessary. His eyes were narrowed at the kid. "I'm not much into helping. But if you walk down about three blocks, there's a clinic there. Maybe they can hook you up."

[viber]

"You're Leonard Snart, aren't you? I'm sure of it now I see you properly. I've seen you before." In his head but apparently that was a terrible way to lead into these talks so he wasn't about to share that detail. "Captain Cold." He didn't know why he thought of that or if that was a slang name Leonard had but that was the name he put to that face. "I need you. You specifically. You can help me save the world but you just have to trust me." It was a long shot but he had to try. One last ditch attempt. If his dreamed showed him anything, it was that even if Leonard was a cold bastard, he was still a hero.

[catchacold]

Leonard arched his eyebrows and took the special plugs he had for his ears out, not that they had been switched on. He'd heard the kid right and it made no sense. Whatever. Crazy people happened. "Captain Cold, huh? Cute."

With a smirk he pocketed the plugs, no longer fearing that this harmless idiot could be a threat to him on any level. "Look, I ain't in the business of saving the world. Pays badly. Look at the Piper, that's one shabby cloak. You should hit him up instead. Keep him busy. Make life easier for upstanding criminals."

[viber]

"I tried, he just handcuffed me to a chair. Well, no, I didn't really try. I threatened him by accident, he wouldn't let me leave." He shrugged a little and then shoved his hands into his pocket, taking a step back out of instinct, the fear coursing through him. Before the visions happened, he was never like this. He feared men like Cold and this was not a situation he wanted to be in but he was desperate. He wanted to change the world.

"Look, please, I know I sound crazy but I'm not. I know who you are! You're Leonard, Captain Cold, arch enemy of the Flash." Or he sort of assumed? How did he tell enemies from arch enemies? "Only these days, you were more heroic. I'm kind of hoping you still have some of that in you."

[catchacold]

"Sure. That's me. I oppose flashers and I'm a hero." Leonard's voice was dry, but what else was he supposed to say? He rolled his eyes, glad that he didn't actually have to sort this thing out. But there was something there that had caught his attention. "You know a lot about me. So maybe you do know things."

Crazy kid. But still. Leonard stepped closer, even if Cisco was backing away. There was a wall after all and by the time he had him against this, he'd also casually drawn his gun and was currently pressing the muzzle against Cisco's thigh.

"The Piper. Who is he?"

[viber]

"Oh God, come on, seriously? I don't know! Piper just hates me because I'm talking crazy talk at him, I never saw what was beneath the hood." Shit. He was going to be shot in the leg and he totally deserved it. This was an insanely dumb idea, he hated himself. He needed to do something, he needed to try and save his ass before he got tortured to death.

"Please, don't do this! I-I'm very useful to you!" What was he even doing? "If you kill me, you never get the cold gun. Or the heatgun for Mick! And Lisa-- Oh God, Lisa. Look, see, when your dad went after Lisa, I was there to help! I basically saved her life, you might need me to do it again. If you just shoot me then -- then who knows what effect it'd have on everything."

[catchacold]

Talk about accidentally threatening. It was one thing to threaten the Piper, who just whistled a tune. But threatening, however indirectly, Lisa Snart in face of her brother? To bring up their father to him? Not even Mick ever did that.

There was something dark in Leonard's eyes, but he stayed calm. Outwardly at least. His grip on the gun tightened and if Cisco made even one wrong move, his life might not be worth a lot. "Cold gun?"

[mostlyajerk]

Did you go home? Are you safe?

[viber]

No. And yeah. I think. I'm cool.

Don't come after me

[mostlyajerk]

I don't want to hunt you down, Cisco, I just care about you.

I saw your Barry Allen.

[viber]

Doesn't mean you wouldn't hunt me down.

You did? And?

[mostlyajerk]

I hunt down criminals, not my supposed friends.

He doesn't look very flashy. Seriously though, I don't think he is meta.

[viber]

You used your power on me. Friends don't do that.

He's not! That's the problem. He was supposed to be and he isn't. He's meant to be the fastest man alive.

[mostlyajerk]

You tried to steal restricted material while you were suspended from work and threatened to blackmail me.

He's very, very far from that. Among the slowest men, I'd say.

[viber]

I was going to keep it a secret! And technically its my material, I got it with my grant! Whatever. I'm trying to save the world and you won't trust me.

Well yeah, he doesn't have his power!