Present

"Her name is Frankie Kane, but she's calling herself Magenta," I state as I cross my arms, looking at the screen in S.T.A.R. Labs. 

Barry and the others stare at the screen as well before looking over at Joe. "Magenta is a whole different type of person rather than the scared...kind, girl I interviewed."

I think back to my encounter with her. "It seemed as if Frankie was still there...like she was trying to fight against Magenta. She's still in there."

"So Frankie has some sort of split personality?" Jesse asks then, resting her hand against the metal bar attached to the desks.

Caitlin types away on her computer for a moment before following up on Jesse's question. "According to her medical records, it is a condition she's dealt with her whole life. All of the yelling at CCPD must have triggered it."

"You said she was raised in the foster care system?" Iris asks then as she finds herself a seat at one of the other computers at the desk. "It looks like her current foster father, John, the one that was hurt in the attack...he's got more than a few disorderly conducts. He might have some information we could use...I could follow up with him?"

Barry nods his head as I raise my eyebrow. "I know that this guy is laying there injured in a hospital bed, but just to be safe, I can go with you if you want?"

Iris nods her head. "The more the merrier."

Just then, I remember something. "There is something else. Before Magenta threw that cop car into the air, she said that Alchemy was who made her who she is...meaning she got her powers from the other timeline."

Harry and Jesse give me a weird glance, but instead of asking, they don't say a word. I knew someone would have to explain everything to them soon enough. Instead, Joe points at the screen where Frankie still was shining up on. "Either way, with powers and aggression like that, she needs to be stopped. Fast."

"Fast I can do," Jesse says casually before dashing off, Harry calling after her to slow down. It was then I saw a sad look on Wally's face, and I knew it was because he didn't have speed like Jesse. For some reason, I felt sorry for the kid.

Barry runs off after Joe then as I turn to Iris, finding her still at the computer typing away. "Just let me know when you want to go over there."

She nods her head, pulling her eyes from the screen for a moment to look at me. "In the meantime, can you cover for me at work?"

I think about Scott for a moment, letting out a puff of air. "Easy peasy..."

-*+*-

"What did you end up saying?" Iris asks me as we walk into the hospital, the cool crisp air causing me to shove my hands into my leather jacket pockets. 

I glance around the lobby area, remembering the conversation vividly. "I told him that you were working on a new story...he asked me what about, but I told him that it was going to be a surprise."

Iris gives me a look. "A surprise story? I don't have a surprise story to give him."

I bite my tongue. "Sorry...it was the best excuse I could come up with. I thought about telling him that you were having lady issues but-"

"Okay never mind, the surprise story is just fine," she cuts me off as she shakes her head, a faint smile on her face. "I can figure something out."

"You're Iris mother-fucking West," I say as I look over at her. "Of course you can figure something out."

A large smile forms on her face then before we make it to the front desk, Iris taking control from here. "Hi, what room is John James currently staying in?"

After a few words were exchanged, we got the room number and headed up to go see him. When we finally made it to the room, I was surprised to see how banged up he really was. For a brief moment, I felt bad for him. However, my attitude about him quickly changed after Iris started to speak to him.

"Hi, John. I'm Iris West and this is Raven Black..we're both reporters for Central City Picture News. We wanted to ask you a few questions about Frankie Kane." 

John lifts his head up and glances between the two of us, one of his eyes being black. "Did they find her yet?"

Iris shakes her head. "I don't think so, no."

"Well, what in the hell is taking so long?" John asks again, a look of anger appearing on his face. I bite my bottom lip then, anger starting to build up inside of me. "Damn metahuman freak nearly killed me."

Iris takes a deep breath. "I know...I'm sorry."

"That's what I get for taking Frankie in, right?" John continues on, and at this point, I was holding my breath. "God help me if I ever see her again."

Iris shoots me a troublesome look as I stare at John with cold eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means that she's going to be the one in the hospital," he says finally, and that was when I just snapped. 

I take a step forwards as I grip the bar at the end of the hospital bed. "And you wonder why you're laying in that bed right now, John? It sounds to me that you've treated Frankie like a dog you picked up on the side of the road, so tell me exactly what makes you think that you don't deserve to be sitting here now?"

John sits up a little as he stares me in the eyes. "What did you just say to me?"

"Do you want me to repeat myself?" I throw back in his face coldly. "I'm pretty sure you heard me the first time."

He narrows his eyes. "I've given Frankie everything she could have ever needed. A roof over her head, food on her plate, clothes on her back-"

"None of that means anything if you don't give her the love that she deserves," I fume, thinking back to everything that happened between Hunter and I. Back then, I thought that I had a good life. He provided me with what I needed to survive, but he also was what put hate into my heart. I saw this situation now with Frankie and John to be the same type of thing, and it made me red to the core.

Iris steps in then, but it was more of a realization. "She was getting back at you for hurting her...and she's going to try it again."

It was then I realized that Iris was right, but before I could really process what was happening, something behind her in the window caught my eye. Before I can even think, I'm running over to the window as I look out below, watching as a giant tanker rises into the air, Frankie being the cause of it.

"Oh my God," I hear Iris breathe into my ear as I stare for a long moment, not being able to snap myself back into motion. However, when I am able to, I'm thinking too fast.

"Get ahold of Barry and the others and tell them what's going on," I say as I start to walk towards the door. "I'll work as fast as I can to get everyone out of here-"

"She should be here to just finish him," Iris thinks out loud. "Why is she wanting to take down the whole building?"

"Something tells me that Frankie is losing control on herself," I state before I look over at John in the eyes, hard as stone. "Are you seeing all of this? Innocent people might die because of you. I hope you realize that."

Before I can let him say anything back, I'm flashing out of the room and quickly putting on my suit, starting from the top of the building and working my way down to get everyone out. I knew that I was fast, but every time I got down to the next floor level, I saw how much higher the tanker was rising...I wasn't fast enough to get everyone out. There were too many floors filled with people and patients.

"Barry!" I shout into my coms as I drop another person off, dashing back upstairs to grab a few more people. "I'm not fast enough to get everyone out of here before this thing comes tumbling down!"

Barry quickly responds. "We need to get to Frankie and get her to stop all of this. I can't-"

He sounds terribly out of breath, and I wasn't sure why. After a moment of silence, Barry is answering me again.

"I can't leave the roof, Raven. I'm making a wind tunnel to keep the tanker from falling, but I won't be able to do this for much longer. I know you can get through to Frankie...you have to try."

I stop then as I reach the ground level, looking over in the distance at Frankie as she looks to the sky, her eyes burning a dark pink. That was when I remembered that Iris was still inside, causing me to start to run back...but then I realized that Barry was right. I couldn't save everyone inside unless I was able to stop the cause of it.

So, the next thing I know, I'm flashing over to Frankie, keeping a decent distance away from her with my hands stretched out. She glances down at me, but her main focus was the tanker up above. "Magenta...please, you have to stop this."

"Why should I?" she fires back at me, her hands rising higher into the air as her eyes burn a vibrant pink. "All John has done to me is cause pain. Only fair that he gets it in return."

"I know that John hasn't been the best to you, but this isn't just about him anymore. Are you willing to kill hundreds more just so you can get revenge on one person?" I ask, earning a glance from Frankie. I could tell I was getting through to her. "There was a time in my life I was in the same place as you, believe it or not. I would do anything to get revenge on just one person...other lives didn't matter to me; but I'm here to tell you that this isn't you. Taking innocent lives isn't who you are. I may not have had someone to tell me this when I was in your place, but you have me now, so please Frankie...think about who you really are."

She stares me in the eyes then as tears start to well in her eyes, and I knew that my words must have done something to at least make her reconsider. The next thing I know, she's looking back up towards the sky and bringing the tanker back down, lowering back to where it came from. A breath of relief escapes my lips as Frankie looks back at me, shaking her head.

"This isn't me," she breathes before she erupts into tears, causing me to pull her closer to me. I close my eyes for a brief moment as I live in the moment, it feeling good to be able to help people again. 

I open my eyes then when I hear cheering come from inside, causing a bright smile to form on my face. It was then I noticed Iris standing by the doorway with John, giving me a smile and a nod of approval. It was after that I looked to the sky and saw Barry looking down on us, pride in his eyes as well.

It was then that I realized that Frankie and I had a lot more in common than I had originally thought. She wasn't the only one struggling to fight against something darker inside of her...something that was bigger than her and everyone else. I was fighting against something in myself in a similar way, but there was one major difference between her and I.

I was determined to never let it reach the surface. 

-*+*-

late update again...sorry guys, it's been a hectic week once again! hopefully I can write a little bit more this weekend since I'll have some more free time.

don't forget to comment and vote! I hope you guys are liking this book so far...it'll start spicing up next chapter for sure (;