April 01, 2015:
Barry and Kitty play dangerously with their powers
Jayville, New York
A ghost town with a long stretch of road.
Characters
![class="image1"](http://cmbeta.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//class="image1"/medium.jpg)
NPCs: Cisco Ramon
Mentions:
Plot:
A Dark Hold
Apocalypse: Only the Strong
Blood versus Family
Bones Of The City
Breaking the Universe
Cyberdata War: First Strike
Dangerous Esterikos Wonderous Mystikos
Dark Gods & Times
De Oppresso Liber
Demon Lord of New York
Diaz de Muertos
Don't Tell Thanos The Babysitter's Dead
Empire of Tears
Escape from Sakaar
From the Ashes
Gateway to the Stars
Genosha: Rebirth
God Of The Dead
Hacker, Sass-Mastah, Engineer, Spy
Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung Setzen
Mood Music: [*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4zluA60hjs The Handsome Road - Far From any Road]
Fade In…
Outside of Jayville, New York
It would have taken all day to get here, but when you're friends with the fastest man alive, you can get anywhere rather quickly. Somewhere along the way, Barry told Kitty that he'd actually gone ahead and invited Cisco to come along. Both of them explained, very clearly, to their close friend Caitlin Snow, that the mystery mutant had requested no one else come with, or more importantly, find out any more about her.
Caitlin, since she was probably the most understanding of the three, didn't complain, but did pack Cisco full of medical supplies just in case.
So now they sit, out on a deserted stretch of road. Cisco has a whole set up of operations on tables with computers plugged into a generator. Flash is suited up as Flash, of course, and there's a van (Cisco had to drive through the night to meet here this morning) with the STAR Labs logo on it.
"Well," the Flash says as he nods to Kitty, "Looks like we're about to get started."
As neither Cisco nor Flash know that Kitty is Shadowcat, she has not dressed up in her X-Man getup. Instead, she is wearing more sensible clothes to test in: leggings, a well loved t-shirt with Japanese on it and running shoes. Her curly brown hair is tied back in into a ponytail, a few strands escaping, but otherwise maintained. Who know show many brunettes from New York have the phasing ability, but even though she trusts Barry and by extension Cisco, she worries.
"Thanks for being so understanding," she tells both Barry and Cisco in their decision to not include Caitlin. "I really don't mean to make trouble. It's just…I can't let too many people know who I am and what I do." On the side of the road, she adjusts her ankle socks and her pony tail, looking for all the world as if she belongs in a 90s music video. All she needs is leg warmers. But, she's not here for fashion, she's here to test things out and these were clothes that she was willing to dirty and/or ruin in the name of science.
At the nod from the Flash, she stands and nods back. "Alrighty. Let's do some science."
"It's understandable," Barry says with a shake of his head, and Cisco approaches nodding. "Caitlin's cool. She gets it."
But then there's something odd. Cisco is holding a contraption that looks like it should be out of an S&M catalogue.
"Okay, this looks weird, I admit," the young scientist says. "But the best way I can figure out how to do this is to have you sit on his back, piggy back style. I need you both to get into this harness to make sure you stay together." His head tilts, "Because if you get separated, it'll be like Mr. Miyagi said: Squish like grape."
Even with his mask, Barry's exasperation is evident, "Are you sure this is necessary?"
Kitty looks at the harness with a raised eyebrow. "I was recently told by someone that I needed to be in my underwear for a spell to work. This is feeling like a pretty similar proposition." Needless to say that the spell worked with her clothes on. "I mean, I can phase through things. Even if I get dislodged or something, shouldn't I be able to cushion my fall?" She looks to Barry and then Cisco. She's never really tested the speed runner and phasing thing. While Quicksilver has carried her off before, they've never used harnesses nor really attempted to push the boundaries of what their powers would be able to to do together.
"I mean, my power lets me float on air at times, I can't see why I have to ride Barry like a horse or something." She looks to Cisco and Barry, raising up a finger. "That was not a euphemism. Just look at that thing, what else am I supposed to think?"
"Because I'm somewhat worried that without friction, Barry is going to run faster than he ever has before, and if, for some reason, he loses base with you the effect could be j—Fine, you know what? Don't say I didn't tell you," Cisco shakes his head, taking his weird harness with him to his control center.
"Thanks," Barry says with a grin, "I'm pretty sure my girlfriend would have broken my spine. How should we do this then?"
Kitty beams at Cisco. "I will never say you never warned us, Cisco. You're a peach." This is not teasing. This is Kitty thinking of Cisco as a friend and colleague. If she didn't trust the man, she would say nothing. "You know, if you wanted this to be all about safety, you shouldn't have brought something in that looks like it belongs on the 50 Shades of Grey set, Cisco. If we get into trouble you'll just have to save the both of us."
As Barry turns to her, she laughs. "Well, that's not very sporting of her. I know my ex wouldn't gut someone because I rode another clothed man in a harness." This is, obviously, teasing. "But, yes, the whole thing did feel pretty awkward. Just don't drop me and I think we'll be good. I don't think you should carry in your arms, and piggy back seems pretty restricting. Fireman's carry? It's still a bit awkward, but seems the most efficient?"
"Yeah, you don't know Ronnie," Barry says with a shake of his head as he readjusts his mask. Fireman's carry looks like the way to go it seems as he starts to loosen up.
"You're hilarious, Kitty," Cisco says, obviously a tad bitter and seemingly falling straight out of love with Kitty (it is presumable he moved on to several other women by now, of course). "Alright, Barry. Kitty. Whenever you're ready."
Once Kitty gets on, Barry starts running. At first it's kind of slow as if he's worried that it might be too much for the gal who rides on his shoulders. He shifts uncomfortably, silently wishing that maybe they would have given Cisco's harness a try. From what Kitty can see, it's enough to make someone puke with how fast it is.
Please don't puke.
Kitty grins at Cisco, not caring about whether he is in or out of love with her. "Why, thank you." She takes a bit of a bow, grinning at Cisco with a wink. She's always had a bit of bravado, even when it's not necessary.
As Kitty allows Barry to pick her up and basically drape her over her shoulders, she attempts to adjust herself naturally. However, by this point they are already running. It's not only Barry who is wishing for the harness now. Worried about the warnings given to her, she tries to keep as still as possible. But, much like trying to not think of the pink elephant, as soon as she's thought that she shouldn't move makes her want to move.
While they run, she does not puke. She's been on far too many strange missions to vomit every time she felt the least bit strange, but she automatically starts to phase when she feels ill, as if anticipating being tossed off of Barry and needing to cushion her fall.
When Kitty begins to phase, Barry really begins picking up speed. The lack of friction removes Barry's major drag. Her phasing kicks off an afterburner, pushing things faster and faster for him. For what it's worth, Flash doesn't seem too worried as they go up and over hills, across roads and fields, through a forest even.
Like all good pioneers, they are heading west.
"Lookin' good, Barry. You just set a new mark," Cisco says nonchalantly. It was easy, clearly.
"Watch it Barry, you're increasing speed exponentially."
"Barry?"
"Barry?"
But Kitty and the Flash have no outrun the ability to be communicated with by Cisco.
"Barry, slow down. Barry!?"
And off they run, Kitty clings to Barry as they run all the faster when she phases. As they are phased, she can't feel the the wind whipping by them nor most of the other indicators that they are moving faster than she ever has been before.
Though she can't her the sounds of Cisco attempting to contact them, she does clutch onto Barry as the move ever faster. "Is this normal?!" She yells, despite the fact that she doesn't have to. There is no wind drag or other factors that would require her to yell. She's afraid, now, to suddenly unphase, unsure if dealing with the speed they'll run into a tree or a building and die from their velocity. "Should I stop phasing?!"
"No, I think I got it…I got it…"
But Barry doesn't got it. Kitty can feel her powers begin to go in and out, weight then no weight, friction then none. As she hangs over him, Kitty can see Barry's face too. It looks weird and expands and constricts in an almost cartoonish way as they motor along. Worse, at some point during the run, the surroundings have turned from browns and greens to reds and pinks. Where they are is indistinguishable, and they keep going faster and faster.
"Barry, I don't think this is working!" Kitty clings all the harder to the speedster, remembering what Cisco said if she were suddenly tossed from Barry. "We've got to slow down." However, she's not about to stop phasing without warning. That's a good way of getting dead. That last thing either of them need it is to be running through a building or a tree or anything when she decides to unphase.
"I don't think this is working properly. Things are distorting weirdly. Like, you. You are distorting." It's a strange thing to have happen and she's not quite sure hot to handle it. "Barry, we need to slow down."
"Yeah, I think you're right," Barry says with a nod. But before he does there's a jarring knock to each of them as both of their powers flickered in unison.
Suddenly, what was morning sky has now turned night, and what was green is miles and miles of brown. Worse, Kitty and Barry are thrown from each other. The fall shouldn't hurt Kitty too much, after all she can phase. But as Barry goes skittering off into the night, rolling across the dirt at hundreds of miles per hour, it's not clear how well he's going to be doing.
It is far brighter out here than one might expect. With the high moon and sparkling stars, there doesn't seem to be a city for …well, forever. The only sign of life is a campfire off in the distance.
The powers flickering is quite the surprise to Kitty. Her mouth opens to say something when she is tossed from Barry. "BA—-" But, her words are cut off as she goes flying at an incredibly velocity toward the ground. Instinctively putting varying cushions of air to try nd catch her fall, she rolls and rolls and rolls, finally coming to inside the ground.
For a moment, she panics as she has no idea which way is up and she has limited air. With a few tricks that may or may not involve spitting to gauge which way gravity works, she starts clawing her way back up to solid ground. Once on the surface, she takes a few grateful breaths, lying on the ground taking in gasps of air. Then, she weakly stands. "Barry…Barry!" she calls out. Perhaps she should be calling for the Flash - she knows better - but in the panic it's the name she knows him by better.
Finally, she takes in her surroundings, realizing that they are certainly not anywhere close to where they were before. That makes some sort of sense, as they were running so fast they could be out of the city limits.
Once Kitty comes to, she'll find that the only sign of Barry are long marks in the dirt where his body rammed the ground before catching air again. The night is quiet—too quiet. And while Barry is nowhere to be found, the fire off in the distance, perhaps a mile or so away, flickers lightly.
Though not quite injured, Kitty is certainly rattled. Her eyes study the fire and then the marks in the dirt. Resolutely, she'll follow the marks. If Barry when that way, that is hopefully where she'll find him.
"Barry!!" she hisses into the dark.
From off by the fire there are loud stamps upon the ground almost like a thundering herd coming towards them. Kitty may or may not pick up the pace, and as she does so the divots in the dirt become longer and longer, telling her that she is close.
She'll be able to hear the neigh of an animal, presumably a horse, as something comes towards her. It's harder to see in the dark, now that she needs to, but she can make out a bit of a lump and a dark crimson object laying in the desert ground. Barry is over on his side, laying away from her.
But just as she comes upon him, those who chase her arrive. Upon tall white horses 4 men wearing traditional Native American garb peer down at Katherine and the Scarlet Speedster. The two who flank have hands on bows and arrows, but the man in the middle seems to peer at Kitty in confusion and with a desire to know more.
"We can help him."
TO BE CONTINUED.