The Next day

Damien was in a bed.

He slowly opened his eyes and sat him.

Damien then saw multiple cups of water.

He began to drink all of them, dropping each cup on the ground, thank god they were aluminum.

He finished 2 cups and then looked around holding one cup.

He got up, left the room, and looked around the... apartment.

He walked out and saw Iris writing on a computer.

Damien said, "Hello?"

Iris looked up and said, "Damien. Are you okay?"

Damien nods and says "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I feel like my skull's on fire, but I'm good. It's... Iris West? Right? Back when we were kids, we used to know each other?"

Iris nods.

Damien then remembered what happened and said, "You were the girl that was getting mugged."

Iris nodded again and said, "I was. So... are you a Meta?"

Damien shakes his head and says "No."

Iris asked, "Then what are you?"

Damien sighed and said, "A damned soul." as he was taking a drink of his water.

Iris said, "What?"

Damien says "I sold my soul to the Devil, okay?"

Iris says "What?"

Damien sighs and says "On the night... of March 18, 2000, the Devil himself came to me. He called himself... Mephistopheles."

Iris said, "What? Why would you do that?"

Damien said, "Come on, I was a kid. He said that if I agreed to the terms of the deal, he'd save my mom. But he didn't. He lied."

Iris says "Damien. This is a lot to hear. Especially about you making a deal with the Devil, and selling your soul? Does Barry know? I heard from him that you were back."

Damien sighed and said, "No. I can't tell him. It would crush him, Iris."

Iris got up and walked over and said, "Either you tell him, or I tell him for you. You sold your soul for your mother. He has the right to know that."

Damien says "But... this is Barry we're talking about. He would blame himself for it."

Iris says "Your right, he would. But, he would understand."

Damien sighs.

Iris grabbed his hand and said, "Come on. Let's go. Let's tell him. Together."

Damien nods.

Later

At STAR Labs

Iris had begun to explain what happened last night.

After, Joe and Barry had worried expressions on their faces.

Joe said, "Wait. You sold your soul... to the Devil for your Mom?"

Damien nods.

Barry said, "Are you stupid?! Are you kidding me!?" as he looked away brushing his hair back with his hand.

Damien looked at Iris and said, "I just knew it." he did the same as Barry, looking away and brushing his hair back with his hand.

Iris said, "Barry, calm down. If it were up to you, you would have sold your soul too."

Barry says "You're right. I would. So that he didn't have to. I mean, this is crazy! A soul is what makes us human."

Damien said, "So, you think I'm not human?" as he turned back to his brother.

Barry said, "I didn't say that."

Damien yelled, "You didn't have to! That's basically what you're saying!"

Barry says "No, Dami, it's not. I... I just can't believe you did this."

Damien said, "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you."

Barry was shocked at hearing that and said, "You weren't gonna tell me?"

Damien shook his head.

Barry says "Damien."

Damien looks at Barry and asks "What? I'm a disappointment now?"

Barry grabbed him pulled him closer and said, "No. You are not a disappointment. You're my little brother. And I love you."

Damien nods and says, "How did your mission go at finding the new speedster?"

Barry said, "It went great. But, let's learn more about this..."

Damien said, "I don't know. But I was sent by the Fallen Angel himself. The only problem is... I'm after someone named Blackheart. He's said to wanted to kill you."

Barry says "What?"

Damien nods.

Then they all heard footsteps and Damien turned to see Caretaker.

Damien said, "Dad? What are you doing here?"

The Caretaker says "I came to check in on you and when I came into town, I heard about a motorcycle on fire. I figured it was you."

Barry asks "Who the hell are you?"

The Caretaker says "I've been taking care of your brother, Barry."

Barry nods and says "Thank you."

The Caretaker said, "Is there someplace we all can sit and talk?"

Barry nods and says "Yeah, the lounge."

In the Lounge

Everyone was sitting down.

Damien had pulled up a chair in front of The Caretaker.

The Caretaker brought out his med kit.

He started to sew up Damien's wound.

The Caretaker says "The Rider is the Devil's bounty hunter. Sent to hunt down anyone who escapes from Hell."

The Caretaker holds a needle in front of Damien and says "Sterilize that for me."

Damien asked, "Sterilize?"

He was confused and put his hand out like he was about to shoot fire.

But that didn't work, and The Caretaker says "In that boiling water."

Damien put his hand down and said, "Right."

Damien dips the needle into the water and says "Well, I'm confused."

The Caretaker says "During the day you'll be normal. But at night... in the presence of evil. The Rider takes over."

Damien then started to remember what happened.

Damien says "I remember now. Last night."

Then he had a flashback of the man trying to mug Iris.

Damien snapped out of it and said, "It was some... some punk, and I could see all the wrong, he ever done. And I turned it all against him." 

The Caretaker said, "The Penance Stare."

Everyone turns to the Caretaker including Damien.

The Caretaker said, "Sier the souls of the wicked. It's the Ghost Rider's greatest weapon. All the Riders have it."

Damien asks "Have there been others with my... Ghost Rider problem?"

The Caretaker says "There's been a few. The last one was about hundred and fifty years ago. In a little town called San Vanganza."

He was sewing up Damien's wound and said, "Nice town. Nice people. Until a stranger came along making promises. One deal at a time. Consumed by greed, they turned on one another. Until the village of San Vanganza drowned in its own blood. The souls. Trapped forever in the God-forsaken place."

Damien asks "What does this have to do with Blackheart?"

The Caretaker stopped sewing and said, "Blackheart? He sent you after Blackheart?"

Damien nods and says "And others."

The Caretaker said, "The Hidden. Fallen Angels cast out of Heaven by Saint Michael himself. They hide within the elements. Waiting, for the end of days. You better come home, kid. They can't come onto Hallowed Ground."

Damien nods and says "Thanks. And thanks for the info. I feel much better knowing I'm the Devil's bounty hunter."

Damien pulled his sleeve down covering his arm again.

The Caretaker said, "Are you okay, kid?"

Damien shakes his head and says "No."

The Caretaker asked, "Where are you going?"

Damien said, "Nowhere. I'm not leaving my family, Dad." as he turned his head to him.

The Caretaker sighs and says "What about the Fallen Angels? They can come here, and hurt your family. I know I said you should see them, but now that this has happened... we need to go home. They can't come onto hallowed ground."

Damien says "I know. But, I'm not leaving. I'm sorry."

The Caretaker asks "Why did you do it? Why did you make the deal?"

Damien said, "I was a kid, Dad."

The Caretaker asked, "And you never told me what you got in return."

Damien turns to Caretaker and says "Heartache." as he gets his jacket on.

Iris said, "If you're leaving, can you take me to work?"

Damien nods and says "Sure."

Later

In the City

Damien was driving into the city on his bike, with Iris holding onto the back of him.

He saw the damage he caused and said, "Oh, my God."

Iris asked, "You caused this?"

Damien says "I don't know. But let's get you to work." as he continues to drive past.

Later

At Iris' Apartment

Damien had gotten out of the shower.

He walks in front of the mirror and looks back at himself.

Damien started to check if he looked like a skeleton.

He then started to move his mouth up and down fast making a sound with his teeth.

He then lifted his nose and did the same thing again with his mouth.

He then moved a little to the mirror-like he was trying to intimidate someone.

Then he did it again.

He let out a deep exhale and turned around, then jumped around to the mirror and made a weird sound like he was trying to scare himself into turning into the Ghost Rider.

Hours later

Damien was looking into multiple biblical books.

He opened another and started to turn through multiple pages, then he ripped out a page and set it on top of other books.

He closed that book and set it to the side.

Then he started to look into another book where it was talking about 'Nephilim'.

Now this Nephilim isn't talking about an offspring of a human and an angel, but when an angel descends into their elements on Earth.

Damien said, "End of days."

Damien turns the page and begins to read what it says out loud "Those who gain control over the possessing spirit through concentration on and manipulation of the fire element. That exists within man." he sets the book down and gets up.

He turns to his left and lifts his arm.

Closing his fist.

He stares at his fist and says "I am speaking to the fire element within me. Give me control over the possessing spirit."

Damien opened his fist and smoke started to come from his hand.

Then fire formed on his hand, then he threw it at candles near the window and it lit them on.

Then he flapped his hand and heard the door close.

He thought that Iris must be home now.

Iris walked in and said, "Hi."

Damien said, "Hi."

Iris says "Sorry to barge in. But I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Iris saw the books and said, "Wow. Researching the Ghost Rider?"

Damien nodded and said, "Yeah. And it's working."

Iris then smells something and asks "Is something burning?"

Damien said, "I may have, uh... had control over a fireball in my hand and threw it at the candle lighting it on fire."

Iris smiles and says "So you are learning how to control it?"

Damien nods.

Iris said, "That's great, right?"

Damien said, "Yeah, it is." 

Damien started to close all the other books he was reading.

Iris had seen an old photo of them together.

Iris said, "I remember that day."

Damien walked over and saw the photo of them.

They were smiling, hugging each other.

Iris says "A dozen people were waiting in line, and you went through a whole roll of quarters."

Damien smiles looking at her.

Iris said, "Look at my face, you could tell I was terrified that my dad was gonna... come in any second."

She turned to him and kissed him.

Damien started to kiss her back, as he held her cheek.

Damien lifted her into his arms and she still kissed him while being held.

Damien walked them over to the couch and he laid her down, still kissing her, and leaning on top of her.

Iris moans while kissing him, and he was smiling into their kiss.

They stopped as they tried to catch their breath.

Iris smiles and says "That was amazing, Dami." she cups his cheek looking into his eyes.

Damien smiled and said, "Iris, you are the best thing that happened to me. And I hope that this is over soon. Cause I want to make sure you're safe."

Iris said, "You don't have to worry about me, Damien."

Damien says "I'll always worry about you. How old do you think we were in that photo?"

Iris began to think.

Damien said, "We were so young, that was before my mother died. And if I lose you, I won't be able to forgive myself." 

Iris nods and says "I understand."

Then they heard police sirens near the apartment.

Damien got up and went to the window.

He looked out to see the police had surrounded the building.

Iris asks "What's wrong?"

Damien said, "The cops. They've surrounded the building."

Then there was a knock on the door.

Iris said, "Stay back. I got this."

Damien nods.

She opened the door and it was Kramer and Barry.

Kramer said, "Iris West, is Detective Damien Slade here?"

Iris says "He is. But how can I help you?"

Kramer said, "We have a warrant for his arrest."

Iris asked, "What?"

Kramer said, "Come on out here, Detective Slade. You're under arrest."

Damien walks out and puts his hands up.

Then Multiple cops drew their guns and yelled, "Let us see your hands! Now!"

Then Kramer said, "Damien Slade?"

Damien nods and says "Yeah?"

Kramer shows her badge and says "Captain Kristen Kramer. This is Officer Barry Allen. You're coming with us."

Damien said, "Okay."

Then Damien was getting put in handcuffs.

Iris says "Damien."

Damien says "Iris, stay back. It's okay."