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Cynthia Reynolds had a secret. When she said she was from out of town, she meant a little further than Detroit.
She hadn’t told Barry or Caitlin the truth. Even after Zoom had come through from Earth-2. Not even after HR had arrived from Earth-19. Sometimes she wondered if Eobard Thawne had known, but he’d never mentioned it, even after he’d revealed his true identity.
She especially didn’t mention it when for some unknown reason she’d decided to stand up for HR Wells of all people and challenge a collector from Piradell to trial by combat.
But whatever power of the multiverse pushed her to put that foot forward must have known what they were doing.
“We can stop if you’re not feeling it today,” Vibe said, drawing back.
“You’re cute,” Cynthia said, and pulled him back in for another kiss. “I missed you. I don’t miss people.”
“I missed you too.” He kissed her again. “We didn’t get to spend nearly enough time together last time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no, your job is important and I get it,” he said. “Being at S.T.A.R. Labs with you is more than enough, this is something else.”
“One-one-one Day is still so schmoopy.”
“I like it. Your soul and my soul are a matching pair.”
“Yet you still haven’t told me your name, Vibe. You do have another name.”
“I don’t not.”
“You don’t have to. Maybe some other time.”
“Yeah.” He kissed her again. “I will be right back.”
He disappeared into Cynthia’s bathroom and a scythe cut through the air and a man stepped through the breach. Cynthia raised her hands to blast him, and he aimed the scythe, and she flew back against the wall.
He was here.
He found her.
She found her.
Rupture lifted Cynthia up and she threw him back with two blasts. She had to get out of here, had to-
“Stop,” Vibe said. He blasted the scythe from Rupture’s hand. “Leave her alone.”
Rupture turned from Cynthia and strode over to Vibe. Cynthia raised her hands, ready to fight, maybe to flee, but Vibe stood his ground.
And Rupture hugged him tight.
“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
“She-”
“Not yet, but if you keep sneaking off like this, someone will notice.”
“Yeah, because stealing Mando’s scythe was such a subtle plan.”
“I needed a way to get to you.”
“I-”
“You know, when I realised which Earth you’d been running off to, this is not what I thought you were doing.”
“Vibe?” Cynthia asked.
“Breach, this is my big brother Dante, Dante, this is Breach, my girlfriend.”
“A pleasure,” Dante said. “My apologies for my entrance. Please excuse me.” He turned back to Vibe. “What the hell were you thinking!”
“She defeated me in mortal combat but spared my life,” Vibe said. “And then she helped free me from a telepathic gorilla, and she helped with Abra Kadabra. I owe her my life, and we spent time together, I really like-”
“Home, now.”
“Dante, just give me-”
“Go home. Now.”
“No,” Vibe said. “I really like her, Dante. A lot. Just stay for one day so I can prove how special she is. Please?”
“And when Mordeth realises her Hound’s scythe is missing and sends him after us.”
Vibe opened a breach and threw the scythe through.
“Mando won’t hurt us,” he said. “One day, Dante. Please.”
“Fine. One day.”
Dante glared at the coffees Cynthia brought over.
“Earth-19 doesn’t have coffee,” he said.
“Why don’t I get you a tea?” Vibe asked. “A nice, chamomile tea.”
Vibe walked over to the counter, leaving Cynthia sitting opposite his brother.
“What do you want with my brother?” he asked.
“I don’t-”
“And don’t lie to me. What do you want with my brother? To play games with him like Mordeth?”
“She’s evil.”
“I know.”
“Then why do you want to bring him back there?”
“Because if she finds out where he’s been and who he’s been with, she’ll hurt him. I know who you are, Cynnthia Mordeth.”
“Cynthia Reynolds.”
“That doesn’t change anything. She’ll hurt Cisco when she finds out he’s been disobeying her, she’ll hurt him for not bringing you to her, and then she’ll hurt him to get to you.”
“My father hid me here when I was fifteen. She hasn’t found me.”
“Yet. But she will come looking for my brother and she will find you both.”
“She can’t travel here.”
“I’ll give you a five second head start. Prove you could hide from Mordeth and protect my brother.”
So, Cynthia found herself running. She got it, she did. If Mordeth found out…
If Mordeth found out she wouldn’t see Vibe again. How could she have been so foolish?
“Cindy?” Barry asked. “Why are you under my lab bench?”
“I’m hiding from Vibe’s brother.”
“Okay,” Barry nodded. “Why are you hiding from Vibe’s brother?”
“I’m trying to prove I can hide well enough Vibe’s boss can’t catch us, and she’d know if I used my powers.”
“Oh. Because he’d get in trouble?”
“Because Mordeth would send her Hound to kill him, and they were talking, they know Rupture somehow. Enough Dante wasn’t scared to take his scythe, and everyone is scared of Rupture. Even Breacher almost died fighting Rupture before he ran.”
“Okay. But you know we’re here, don’t you? Whoever these Mordeth, Hound, and Rupture are, if they want you, they’ll have to get through me.”
Cindy laughed bitterly.
“Barry, Mordeth could tear you to shreds with a snap of her fingers.”
“Vibe’s told you about her? Oh, get down.” Cynthia ducked under the table and Dante walked in.
“Sorry, sir, you actually can’t be in here,” he said. “This is a restricted space, so I need to ask you to leave.”
“You’re the speedster.”
“Please don’t say that while I’m at work. Barry Allen, you must be the older Vibe.”
“Dante Ramon. Where is she?”
“Iris and Caitlin were with Ralph Dibny last I heard from them, Linda is still at work but who knows if she’s in the office or running around the city, Cindy’s probably at S.T.A.R. too? I will be honest, right now I am in the middle of analysing this bomb residue and it’s quite important so once again I will have to ask you to leave.”
Cindy waited and Barry stuck his head under the bench.
“He’s gone. You do know your powers aren’t your only gifts, right?
And then Joe was in trouble and Cynthia ended up saving Ralph and not staying hidden all day. Great.
“You take after your father,” Dante said while Vibe was distracted talking to Iris and Barry about dark matter.
“My father could help you.”
“No, he couldn’t. Cisco’s too powerful. She’ll never let anyone else have him.”
“She’ll send her Hound for him.”
“Do you know Rupture’s real name, Princess?”
“No one does.”
“It’s Armando Ramon. Mando always remembers Cisco, no matter what she’s done to his mind. I’m not afraid of Rupture finding us. I’m afraid she’ll do what she did to Mando to Cisco. She was going to. She says all the time. But I made her a deal. I get to look after Cisco, and I’d make sure he follows all her orders without her having to touch his mind.”
“Does he know?”
“He was unconscious. He assumes she’d use me to get to him, but he doesn’t know the promises she’s made me. I don’t have powers like my brothers. I’m only useful as a bargaining chip. He’s happy with you.”
“I’ve been afraid of being close to anyone for so long, and he’s from Piradell, I can’t-”
“We’re from Earth-1, not Piradell. There was a breach, we didn’t know it back then, and Mando fell, and he died, but then he came back but wrong and there were these people looking for powers like his and it led them straight to Cisco and she wanted him too and I couldn’t lose both of them.”
“After Rupture fell, she was distracted with him. That’s when my father managed to get me out of her castle and to here.”
“She would have taken Cisco regardless of whether she found you or not. He’s even more powerful than Armando, he just doesn’t know it yet. But he could find out if he was here. Safe, away from her. He could go home, back to our parents.”
“And if he’s that powerful, she’d come looking.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t let that happen to him.”
“So,” Vibe said. “We were in the middle of something before Dante interrupted.”
He leaned in and Cynthia leaned away.
“Okay. Some other time? I was thinking, I know this world with actual dragons and there’s a spot-”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cynthia said.
“What’s wrong? Dante said something to you.”
“This isn’t because of your brother. I just don’t think this is working.”
“You don’t?”
“We’re from different worlds. We’re so different. And you don’t even trust me with your name.”
“Cindy-”
“I care about you, but I think we should stop this. I’m sorry.”
She opened a breach and ran. She barely noticed she was knocking on Barry and Iris’ door until Barry opened it and gathered her up in a hug. She sobbed into his chest.
“Cindy, hey,” Barry said. “Hey, I’ve got you. What’s wrong?”
“I ended it with Vibe.”
“Because of today?”
“Because I know what she’ll do to him.”
“Cindy?” Iris asked. “Cindy, come in and sit down. Barry, hot chocolate?”
“Coming right up,” Barry said. He darted over to the kitchenette and Iris led Cindy over to the sofa to sit with her.
“Cindy, whatever it is, you can talk to us, always,” Iris said. Barry pressed a warm mug into her hands. “You don’t have to now if you’re not ready, but we’re your friends and we love you, whatever is going on, we want to help.”
“I’m not from Detroit,” Cynthia said. “I’m from Piradell. Earth-19.”
“You’re from Vibe’s world?” Barry asked. A knock came from the door. “I’ll get it.”
Cynthia ducked out of sight and Iris wrapped an arm over her shoulders.
“Hi, Vibe,” Barry said.
“Cisco. Just- It’s Cisco, please call me Cisco. Have you seen Cynthia?”
“Why?”
“Can you pass on a message when you do? Tell her I already knew. Tell her… Tell her it doesn’t matter to me, I don’t care what Mordeth will do to me, I love her and she’s worth it.”
“Cisco, I like you,” Barry said. “But I think right now you should go. I’m sure Cindy has her reasons.”
“Yeah. Or she has Dante’s reasons. Please just tell her?”
“I will.” Barry shut the door. “Cindy?”
“She’s my mother,” Cynthia said. “Mordeth. She’s my mother. She brainwashed Vibe’s brother, his other brother, into being her devoted servant and she kidnapped Cisco and Dante when she was looking for me because she thinks Cisco will be more powerful and she wanted my powers to do something bad to the multiverse, either to rule it or destroy it, I don’t know, she’s done both to Earth-19. I don’t know what she’ll do to him, but I know if she finds out he’s been breaking her rules to come here and he’s been meeting me then she’ll take his mind from him just like she took Rupture’s. I can’t let that happen; I love him.”
“Oh, honey,” Iris said.
“I’ll go make up the guest room,” Barry said. “You can stay here tonight.”
“We’ll figure it out, Cindy,” Iris said. “Whatever you need, we’re here for you. We can figure this out.”