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WHO: Jay Garrick, Cisco Ramon, Barry Allen.
WHERE: Heropa 13.
WHEN: Today...?
WHAT: Cisco vibin' things he shouldn't be vibin'.
WARNINGS: Spoilers for season 2 episode 18 onwards.

[ It's definitely been a week. Hunter has spent his time treading carefully, finding his feet back in Heropa after a long stint back home. There had been the concern that stuff had gone on, things out of his control and sight that would ruin what he'd built up in this new world. But no, the most that had happened was that the Chinese takeout left in the fridge had needed to be thrown out, a first in speedster history of food going to waste.

Getting back into the routine of a forty hour work week in sneaker retail hell was a thing, and when Hunter gets back to the apartment after his first shift back, the first thing he does is the most natural thing. He takes his sneakers off, leaving them haphazardly to one side as he heads straight for his room. It doesn't get a second thought and Hunter is already busy checking everything is still in the same place he left it during his nine hours away to pay much attention to his housemates straight away. They'd understand; selling things to people all day long was always going to need a ten minute time out at some point.]

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[ Cisco has also been hard at work all day, but on a new drone project for StarkTech, rather than in retail hell. He'd run into Barry on his way home, arms laden down with a giant box of spare parts to work on at home. He's so caught up in chatting as he carries the box towards the stairs to take up to his room, he doesn't notice Jay's shoes in the walkway. ]

So, yeah, dude, let's totally do Indian for dinner. I could kill some tikka masala right now. Just lemme get this upstairs and—

[ And he trips on Jay's shoes, stumbling up a step and spilling the contents of his box everywhere. He barely has time to cry out in surprise as he falls, before everything around him fades to that too-familiar blue-black of a Vibe.

The first thing he sees is blue lightning, flickering in the corner of his vision. He turns, his heart pounding out of his chest, to see Zoom standing behind him, that horrifying black mask inches from Cisco's face.

Zoom laughs, a horrible, monstrous sound, and blue lightning crackles around him again as he reaches up and pulls his mask off.

Cisco comes back out of it, gasping and face down on the stairs, a bruise already blossoming under his eye where his face made contact with the stairs.]

[ The one downside to superspeed is that while you can go super fast, you can't always predict what other people are going to do. So, when you're talking with a friend and they take a spill down to the floor, you can't predict it and they fall despite you maybe trying to catch them. Barry zoomed to grab the contents of the box that flew everywhere just about at the same time they all fell and happened to find himself right by Cisco when he comes back out of his Vibe.

Briefly in the back of his mind, Barry thinks about saying "Cisco what do your vibe eyes see?" but the part of him that's more reasonable and sensible realizes that is not he's supposed to say as one of Cisco's best friends. Which is why instead he bends down and tries to check and see if Cisco's alright. ]

Are you— [ He'll be right back, just gonna get some ice for that eye. ] okay? What happened?

[ Cisco's fine, physically, other than the shiner under his eye, but he looks terrified. ]

Zoom.

[ Yeah, that's all he's choking out right now. ]

[ Barry swears his heart stops when he hears that word. He thought being here would make it so that it didn't actually scare him a little. That it wouldn't make him freeze up just a bit even though— it's not all that logical.

But hearing Cisco say his name after just Vibing sends chills down Barry's spine. ]

He's— [ Don't say it. ] here?

[ He nods frantically. ]

I saw his face, dude, but it can't— There's no way...

[ His mouth opens and closes a few times, much like a fish out of water before what he thinks Cisco is trying to say sinks in. ]

No. You— no. You— it has to be some other universe. Earth-666 or something.

I saw him, dude, it's– I haven't been wrong yet, right?

[ It's impossible not to hear Barry and Cisco talking about something. Considering the sound of Cisco's face connecting with the stairs had reverberated across the entire apartment, it was difficult not to pay attention.

What Hunter overhears has him moving quickly around his room, his few belongings already dumped in a backpack as he pulls the Goya painting out from under his bed. Typical. They always said the most successful criminals were caught through something stupid (some even through tax evasion) and now Hunter knows just how true that was. Things gathered he pokes his head out of his room, expression as vague as always, complete with raised eyebrow.]

You guys okay down there?

[ Cisco looks panicked for a second, exchanging a series of complicated looks with Barry, all of which amount to screaming "DUDE WHAT DO WE DO" before clearing his throat and glancing up the stairs. ]

Uh, yeah, we're... I tripped.

[ Eyebrows raise in question as Hunter peers down the stairs at the pair of them. They look thick as thieves, enough that the speedster is glad he's packed and ready to go. Just in case.

The concern is easy enough to feign.]

Are you sure? Sounded like you landed pretty hard.

[ Barry, for a period of time only noticeable to to speedsters looks like a deer in the headlights. He is aware that was the exact opposite of what he needed to do after Cisco scream telegraphed "DUDE WHAT SHOULD WE DO" with his looks and yet instinct stepped in. After that period of time, he lets out a laugh while waving the bag of ice in his hand. ]

He's good! [ Barry's voice ticks up just a notch involuntarily before he clears this throat. ] He— new power. Sound waves. Amplified the fall noise. It's— I've seen him hurt worse.

[ ...How in the world Eobard never found out about Barry knowing that he ceased to exist after the first time Barry came back, the world will never know. ]

Edited (shh) 2016-05-07 03:19 (UTC)

[ This is the most what the fuck Barry Allen look Cisco can muster. ]

Yeah, uh. Sound waves, right, because like, vibrations? Vibe? That's— I'm still getting used to it.

[ Hunter gives a small laugh, outwardly amused by it all as he takes note of the expressions. Did Reverb ever come out with stuff like this? It's hard to remember, that guy had been idiocy and memes rolled into one.]

Well okay. Just try to be more careful, kid. You've got more than two steps to be walking up.

[ You know, just casually ignoring the fact it was his size thirteens that did it. He'll just go back in his room and glance around, making sure he's not missed anything as he tries to listen in to anything going outside of his room.]

Don't give me that look! You let me do it.

[ Let him. Forgetting that Barry just casually stepped in to answer because he was worried Cisco might give the bad answer. ]

It was the first thing that popped into my head. Are you positive? I— I know you've never been wrong but— [ Barry doesn't actually finish that sentence with words. Instead he finishes it with a cross between ugh and a little bit of a pained groan. ]

[ Cisco just lets it go. Honestly, he probably would've just stammered and given it away, so Barry's terrible answer was better than nothing. ]

I know what I saw, dude. It doesn't make sense, but it... It was him.

[ It takes all of Barry's self control to not run upstairs to punch Jay in the face. As it stands, his hand is vibrating with the effort it's taking to not do it. ]

He— That means he's been lying to us. That means he wants to take my speed. He probably wants both of us dead. And Jay Garrick isn't supposed to be a Zoom. He isn't Zoom, he's the Flash just like me. He's supposed to be.

Dude, let's— Maybe we shouldn't be having this conversation right here?

[ That should've occurred to them a few minutes ago. Cisco gets to his feet, picking up the box of drone parts and heading for the garage instead. ]

[ Barry just glares at Cisco for a second before he ends up following Cisco and once they're both in the garage, he shuts the door. ]

He probably already heard it. But if he really is Zoom. He— what the hell happened to Jay? The real one. Because he can't be a Jay. He can't.

Wait, okay, maybe it's just like the whole Harrison Wells-Eobard Thawne thing. Maybe Jay isn't Zoom, but Zoom just somehow looks just like him?

[ He pauses. ]

...I mean that still means the Jay who's been living with us is Zoom, but maybe it's not the same guy?

You do remember the real Harrison Wells on our Earth was dead because of that, right? Which would mean that Jay is dead. Potentially both Jays are dead.

[ Which makes Barry just visibly pale a bit. ]

Why hasn't he tried to— you know. He had opportunities and it's not like— I don't know Russia couldn't have given him a good cover for me suddenly dying or losing my speed.

I didn't mean exactly like that! He's from another Earth, not the future. There's no way Earth-2 has the tech Eobard used for that.

[ The thought of Barry dead or speedless turns Cisco's stomach. ]

The Porter gave him his own speed without any of the cellular degeneration, though, right? Maybe that's the whole reason he's all crazy evil, and if he's not dying, he'll leave you alone?

You sure about that? Because it would not be the weirdest thing to happen and it would fit into the everything is bad narrative.

[ Narrative. Why in the world he used that word he has no clue. He takes a moment to just try and breathe slowly. ]

Cisco. That does not make me feel better, especially since at home, he still doesn't have his own speed. And considering the story "Jay" told us about Zoom that was at least partially true because he is Zoom. Still think he kind of wants my speed.

I'm not sure about anything right now, dude.

[ He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it back off his face. ]

He hasn't done anything for months, though. No Zoom sightings, nothing. He could've kept pretending and done the Zoom thing too, and he didn't. I mean, don't get me wrong, obviously he's still totally evil and lying to us, but something doesn't add up here.

He— Maybe he thought he'd get caught. I mean, it's one thing lying to us back at home, we live separate enough lives but he lives under our roof. James or Eddie or you or I would have noticed something.

[ Barry's hands just rake through his hair and settle on his neck. ]

Or maybe he just doesn't want to get caught and be trapped here.

God, we're gonna have to tell them about this. James and Eddie, I mean. I wonder if there's a Zoom in James' world, too, maybe he knows something that'll help?

[ Cisco shifts his weight from foot to foot, crossing and uncrossing his arms, too anxious and keyed up to be still. ]

Beyond maybe screaming in horror if he's as bad as ours?

[ It's then that Barry just tries to take a deep breath while shifting on his feet only to have his leg start vibrating with nervous energy. ]

You tell James, I tell Eddie? In the easiest way possible?

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