Chapter Text
"Hello... hello? Miss? Are you okay?" Caitlin blinked her eyes open, her head spinning. She looked around the unfamiliar room, her entire body ached and she gave into the urge to close her eyes again and fall back into the darkness. "No, don't go back to sleep, please. You need to stay awake" the unfamiliar voice begged but the darkness was just so inviting.
When she came to again she was more aware of her surroundings the room she was in had no windows and the only light was coming from a light dim flickering bulb. She queried her eyes closed against the headache the light caused and blinked them open slowly again. Something was wrong. Someone was talking to her and- something was very wrong.
"Easy does it'' the male voice said she turned to him. Her limbs ached as she moved. She felt all wrong and drowsy her throat felt like sandpaper when she groaned at the tightness in her muscles. "Hi- the stranger continued his face coming into focus, it soon became clear that she didn't know this man. Dark tired eyes looked back at her in concern, his caramel skin a stark contrast to her paleness and messy shoulder length raven hair strewn about at odd angles.
"Who-who are you?" Caitlin croaked her throat burning with the effort
"I'm Cisco" he explained softly "here" he handed her some water "do you know where you are? Do you know why you're here?"
She gulped down the water without a second thought then realised that she probably shouldn't have done that because she was currently in a strange place with a strange man and it could be poison.
"I was in my car" she breathed "there was a light thing, and I don't remember anything after that… where am I?"
"we're in a meta cell, somewhere by the coast I think," Cisco said looking around it. Then Caitlin noticed they were in fact in a 6'' x 8'' cell there were two sets of bunk beds in the room along with a toilet and sink.
There was a steel door with a small slot on it.
Caitlin was so confused. Was this a dream? How did she get here? It had to be a dream.
"Why?" Was the only thing she managed to ask
Cisco frowned "because of them, the rebels" he said like it was obvious
"The rebels? Why have they locked us up?"
"No no the rebels haven't locked us up they would never, we're here because of them"
"I- I don't- I don't understand? Where are we? Who are you?" Caitlin started hyperventilating and her chest tightened as she began to panic. She had already asked these questions. She knew that but she couldn't think straight, nothing was right.
What about her son? Where was her son? Where was Alex? Oh god she had left him with a babysitter when she never showed up and they would take her son from her, she was going to lose her son. Caitlin couldn't breath, her son was probably so scared and alone he probably thought she'd left him. What if she died here? He would grow up thinking she didn't love him.
"Hey- hey, it's okay I'm sure we'll be rescued soon" Cisco said but Caitlin couldn't hear him. She was so panicked she felt like she was under water.
Gasping for breath she held her sides trying to pull herself back together because she had to stay calm but oh-god she had been kidnapped she had been kidnapped she was being held against her will- what were they going to do to her?
She couldn't breath.
"Hey it's okay, its okay" the man said gently "just breath, deep breath in its okay we'll be rescued soon I'm sure of it" he soothed "just breath" he reached out to touch her but Caitlin flinched away
"Don't" who even was this guy? Could she trust him? He could be one of the bad guys put in this call with her to gain information, she wasn't okay. This wasn't okay- her son Alex had taken her from her son she was going to lose her son.
That was it she passed out.
***
When she woke up again she almost thought it was a dream.
"Alex?" She called "Alex? Are you awake?"
No response
Caitlin sat up and looked around "oh
"Stay calm, you're okay" a voice said the- Cisco he said his name was Cisco.
"...Hi"
"Are you- are you okay? You had a panic attack a pretty bad one"
"I'm- I feel…what's going on?- have I been kidnapped?"
"Yes, but we'll be saved very soon I promise, no one is going to hurt us they wouldn't"
"You- you said something about rebels" she said because she couldn't panic now she had to get out of here and freaking out again wouldn't help anyone it wouldn't help her get back to her son.
"Well, some people call them rebels, some call them superheros, vigilantes… I prefer rebels. We were taken because of them"
"I don't understand, is this some weird larping or something? Because it's not funny I want to go home I have a son and he needs me- I can't be here"
"You really don't know what I'm talking about do you?" Cisco asked but he had a feeling he already knew. "What earth are you from?"
"What? Earth I'm from earth- the planet earth. What is going on?!"
"Oh damn" Cisco muttered "you're from one of those earths, I suppose you don't have metas on your earth either. Don't worry, we'll get you home my soulmate and I we created breeches like the one you came through I just don't have my powers right now and my soulmate is- well she's not on this earth right now- but she'll be here soon"
"Not on this earth? Powers I- your crazy" Caitlin repeated certain she was hearing things
"Yeah…" he said frowning "she's my soulmate, soulmates are drawn to each other across the multiverse and my soulmate while she's currently not in this universe so they took me to get her"
"So- your -your wife is just going to fall into their trap and you're okay with that?"
Cisco smiled smugly "it's not their trap, it's hers."
"Your wife is holding us captive?"
"No no of course not" he said his eyes widening "I got caught on purpose so she could save me and catch these guys" he said slowly leaning towards hee and glancing up at the security camera "You weren't part of the plan now, do you remember how you got caught?"
"I-I was just in my car driving home and there was this…" she swallowed trying to think about it "this light in the middle of the road I- I swerved and I got out the car and I just walked into the light thing- I don't know why- I felt like I had to… the light it was i think it- was like folding in on itself and I just i don't know why i walked into it but I did and then I was… it… I was in the same place but there were these people wearing all white like robes and they- they grabbed me and I woke up here"
"That's-" Cisco smiled comfortingly "of course you don't understand your not from here." He ran a hand down his face and began to explain everything… and everything was a lot.
She was in another universe. A universe where people had powers meta humans he had called it, and Cisco was a meta human.
"It's a soulmate thing" he explained "soulmates share soul DNA so they have similar or the same powers, they share other things to like skills and hobbies, Cynthia is great at those 3D puzzles I'm great at them to it's a lame example bit it's the truth…" he trailed off "and what happened to you the portable you saw to your soulmate it- there not uncommon people wander to this earth all the time" he shrugged "Your just drawn to your soulmate no one knows why exactly it just happens it always has even before metas were created"
Was it weird that she believed this craziness "so my soulmate" she repeated "where is he? If i was drawn to him then does that mean the people who are holding us captive are-"
Cisco winced "it's- there's a very small chance that may be- but I found that soulmates are like each other and you don't seem like the type to lock people in cells. I think they think your soulmate is a rebel or someone else of importance. When they grabbed you, did they do anything, run any tests, did they do anything unusual?"
"No" Caitlin shook her head "not that I can remember"
"Good that's- good it means you're probably just normal most people from other earth's aren't metas anyway"
Caitlin nodded absently. Other earth's her mind echoed. She had left her son on another earth. Her stomach knotted in a way that made her feel sick.
"about- 16 hours whatever sedative they gave you it knocked you out good"
Oh god.
She was supposed to be home by 9 what had the babysitter done? Did she call CPS? Was she going to lose custody this couldn't be happening.
"Are you okay? You've gone pale, are you feeling sick?"
Caitlin swallowed "I- I my- my son he- he's at home and- the oh god my son he- what if I never see him again?"
"You will. Okay? you will I promise" Cisco assured her "it's really not long now my wife will come for us"
Caitlin couldn't stop shaking "You dont understand hes all I- he's all I have" she chucked on a sob "I can't- I can't lose my son because of some- some portal"
"I understand why you're upset, okay? But it's going to all be alright" he tried to assure her "what's your name?" He asked when he didn't know what else to tell her because she clearly wasn't listening to him.
"Caitlin"
"Well Caitlin, I give you my word we will get out of this and you will get to see your son again" he put a hand over his heart "I promise"
Caitlin seemed to calm a little at that and wrung her shaking hands together "how much longer?"
Cisco grimaced knowing she didn't want to hear this "a few more hours" he admitted "they won't come until the morning" he said lowly, mindful of the security camera in case they could read lips because Cisco knew there was no audio.
"Oh god" Caitlin swallowed "Child protective services they'll take him from me for abandoning him"
"But you didn't abandon him, this is out if your control"
"And what will I tell them? I was taken to another universe because of my soulmate!?" She exploded and felt something cold stir under her skin but as quickly as it came it was gone.
"I don't know" Cisco ran a hand through his hair "I don't know" he repeated, he was out of his depth here Caitlin wasn't part of the plan at all but it seemed the universe had different plans.
***
Neither of them slept much at all that night water was brought to them at some point but that was in the early hours of the morning Caitlin laid on the bottom bunk and Cisco on the top bunk, they talked about everything but nothing important, Cisco vaguely answered her questions about the rebels not wanting to give much away in case her or her soulmate was on the wrong side.
"Well I guess you'd say they're vigilantes story of… but they also fight for what's right especially metahuman rights"
"So you're telling me you're all superheroes?" Caitlin said disbelieving
Cisco smiled "well we're not the avengers"
Caitlin huffed imaging Cisco dressed as captain America "we're cooler than the avengers" he added
Caitlin rolled her eyes "don't let Alex hear you say that, he loves spider-man"
"Sounds like a cool kid"
"He is" Caitlin breathed "I miss him so much"
As if the universe was listening, the door slammed open and she and Cisco both startled and sat up.
"Cisco!" Cynthia said, running to him and embracing him "we need to go now." she said urgently her eyes frantically searching him over she looked over her shoulder at the door then paused as if finally registering Caitlin "who-"
"No time" Cisco said opening a breech "she's on our side" reaching over Cisco grabbed his new friend
"Did you take care of the guards?" He asked when foot steps began to approach
"I thought I did give me a minute -" she began
"No." he shook his head "gypsy we need to go now"
She narrowed her eyes at her husband "Take her. I'll only be a minute-"
"I'm not letting you do this alone" he objected grabbing her hand as she moved away
"Cisco!" She snapped yanking her arm out of his grasp "Go! I've got this. Take care if her"
Cisco cursed "that women" he offered Caitlin a somewhat comforting smile and cocked his head towards the breech "come on we really don't have time the dampeners could go back up any moment" and with that he practically shoved her inside.
She was disoriented and dizzy for a moment as the world melted into greys and electric blues the ground fell from beneath her feet but just as quickly as it happened the world morphed back into its regular colour but they weren't in some sort of base.
Caitlin took in her surroundings, she was in some sort of basement or in a bunker? She didn't know. Her eyes flickered from the concrete pillars to the steel desk with the computers and monitors and then to… mannequins?
There were about 12 of them lined up against the wall with superhero suits on some of them were empty but others were dressed and standing proudly, frowning she turned to Cisco who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly
"Umm- yeah we probably set of an alarm since- I shouldn't have brought you here" he looked at the clock with a grimace "any second now"
"What are you talking ab-"
Caitlin was cut off by a gust of wind and she stared at a man? In red spandex wearing a mask that looked uncomfortable. Besides him stood a woman in white leather carrying- is that a dagger?
This was all too much and she didn't know how to react to this because how? How does someone react to this?
"I- I uh" caitlin opened and closed her mouth "what- is- I- I don't- I-um-what?" Heart beating so fast Caitlin forgot how to breathe because of superpowers? It was one thing being told about it but it was another thing to witness it.
"Breathe Caitlin" Cisco prompted
"It's just- I-" she exhaled "I'm in a different universe and my son- oh god- Alex and- wow- and you know super powers" she was breathing heavily now and a cold chill rolled across her body.
"It's okay its okay" Cisco tried to comfort her "your safe just calm down" Cisco reached out to touch her but she flinched away
"Don't touch me" she raised her hands defensively and to her horror her hands were frosting over? Waves of cold seeping out of her skin, weaving between her fingers and crawling up towards her wrist "oh god- wha- what- did you do?- I didn't I don't- oh god whats- what's happening? What am I- oh god- I can't- I can't breath"
"Caitlin, Caitlin it's okay- it's o-"
That was it she passed out.