Chapter Thirty-Two: Iris West-Allen

Central City, 2019, City Hall,

Iris and Killer Frost moved quietly through the disheveled City Hall, careful to listen for any noise that would indicate a trap. They passed through several rooms and hallways, all of which were abandoned and empty, and seemed to be either untouched or had just been passed through by the villains, leaving little indicator that they had been there. The only reason that they continued the way that they were going was because the pulling of the little shard of Savitar's suit told them that it was the right direction.

Think Iris, what are they up to?

" Are we going to find them this week?" Frost asked impatiently.

" We still have Cisco running reconnaissance. He'll radio us if he finds anything. Between the three of us we have to find them soon; I mean, this place isn't that big." Iris replied, carefully shining her flashlight ahead of them.

They turned the corner and found the entrance to the courtroom, both of them freezing at the sight before them.

Sections of the walls surrounding them were missing, charred black and blown into tiny crumbs that covered the previously delicate and untouched flooring, which now had numerous large footprints through it (no doubt from Savitar). A lighting fixture above them flickered as it hung half-way out of the ceiling, filing cabinets flung halfway across the room from where they normally resided, small splinters of metal from them lining a nearby wall. Court papers were strewn everywhere as well, torn and destroyed.

Worst of all, three bodies laid outside the entrance to the Courtroom, horrifyingly lifeless.

" Two of them seem like Savitar's work," Frost said, looking at the scene, noting the stab wounds on them.

" What happened to the third?" Iris asked, unable to even look at it.

Frost waited a moment, having an inside conversation with Caitlin.

" Katy says that the bodies look burned. Blah blah blah some kind of weapon or meta-human most likely that turns people into human kabobs."

This sure would be a good time to have a CSI around...

Iris carefully picked up the man's ID, which had fallen on the ground next to his body.

James McCoy.

" Does James McCoy ring any bells for you?" she asked.

" Nope, never heard of him." Frost shrugged.

" Me neither..."

Why would they break in to kill a couple of low profile people?

" Either way, I think we know where they went," said Frost, gesturing to the large set of heavy doors before them, one of which hung loosely on its hinge.

" Wait," Iris warned, putting her hand out to stop Frost from walking through them.

" We need to talk to Cisco first."

As Frost rolled her eyes, Iris pulled out her walkie talkie.

" Cisco, can you hear me?"

A moment went by before Cisco's voice crackled through the speaker.

" 10-4 trucker buddy."

" Really?" Iris frowned.

" What?"

Iris really didn't feel like she needed to respond to that one.

" Okay, okay. I read you."

" Good. We found somewhere Zoom and Savitar were at least," Iris said, looking at the devastation around her.

" It looks like they were headed into the courtroom for some reason."

" I'm right outside the side entrance. One moment and I can try and get you a visual." Cisco answered.

" Cisco, wait. They have some kind of device with them... it leaves people looking like they just went for a swim in a volcano." she added, as she glanced at the former person a few feet away.

" Yeah, I've seen it too. Two dead bodies, same description, on my way here."

" Any connections?"

" Not that I can tell. One was a guard stationed here, and the other was just a jury member that had been assigned to duty yesterday. Nothing relating the two, or anything special that I could find about them. Just normal, ordinary people."

You don't hear that a lot these days.

" Ok, just keep us posted."

" Sure, if there's any walking tanks or demons that I run into I'll be sure to..."

His voice cut out mid sentence, nothing but static returning from his radio.

" Cisco?" Iris called into it, Frost coming over to see what was happening.

There was no response, the air hanging emptily for several moments before a booming voice echoed throughout the space.

" Hello Team Flash," They heard Zolomon shout from inside the courtroom.

" Care to join us?"

The little shard started to go crazy, furiously trying to pull itself out of Iris's grip and reach the courtroom.

So Savitar is definitely in there too.

Iris looked at Frost, who was already forming icicles in both of her hands.

" What? He asked nicely." Frost said sarcastically as she kicked down the door that was barely hanging onto the wall.

Iris groaned, pulling her pistol's loading mechanism back.

There goes ' coming up with a plan '.

The room that they entered was far from the sight that Iris had seen the last time that she'd been there. The rows of seats where the defendants and prosecutors, along with the people watching the trial, had been smashed beyond recognition. The tall windows had large spiderweb cracks running along the length of them, and standing in the overtly grand and rather oversized jury stand was Savitar, holding a gagged and tied up Cisco on his knees in front of him.

As soon as they entered the space, the tiny piece of Savitar's suit flew out of Iris's hands, soaring across the room until it met Savitar, neatly seating itself back into its place on his blade.

" How lovely of you to join our little trial!" laughed Zoom from the tall judge's seat.

" Unfortunately, the trial has already been completed, and I find this city guilty. Its punishment for failing to recognize me as its rightful leader will be... death ." he smiled maliciously.

" Hi Zolomon." Frost said, rolling her eyes. " What's your little game now?"

" Oh, I don't play games anymore Caitlin." Zoom said, taking on a much more serious tone.

" I've evolved into something bigger, stronger, better." he grinned.

Iris noticed that he looked different than the last time that she had seen him. His muscles all seemed almost twice as large as before, his suit straining to contain them. The claws that he wore on his fingertips looked longer too, as well as a little bony, but they still retained the same black color as his suit.

" Are those his actual fingers?" she thought, in horror.

It didn't take a genius to guess that he was probably faster too.

" Why did you attack City Hall?" Iris questioned fearlessly, stepping past Frost.

" Hey boss, what do you think you're doing?" Frost whispered harshly.

" Leave fighting the supervillains to the powered superheroes."

" I'm doing my job." Iris shot back, before facing Zolomon again.

" City Hall?" he said, looking at his surroundings. " Oh, is that where I am? I didn't even notice."

" Cut the charades." she said shortly, glaring at him.

" No, honestly, it wasn't the place that brought me here, it was the people."

" The people?" Iris repeated, confusedly.

" Metahumans." he purred.

" What do metas have to do with this?" Frost asked, standing next to Iris.

Zolomon stepped down from the stand, heavy footsteps resounding from his large feet as he revealed a second captive that they held.

Zolomon held him by his wrists, dragging him out in front of him so that everyone could see what was about to happen. The man looked middle-aged, probably in his early forties, and was absolutely terrified.

" Tell them your name," he asked, his demonic voice sending chills up Iris' spine.

" J...John...Jonathan." the man stuttered.

" Zolomon," Iris warned.

" Good. Now plee. Plee to your so-called 'heroes' for help."

The man looked over at Iris and Frost, desperation in his eyes.

" Pl...Pl...Please, help me, I have a family." he pleaded to them. " A wife, and a daughter. They need me."

" Shhh... it'll all be over soon enough." whispered Zolomon, stroking the side of man's face gently with his claws.

It was horrible to watch, and reminded Iris of what had happened to Barry and Nora when they had been in the man's place, battered, beaten, and at his mercy.

" Put him down, Zolomon." she commanded.

" Hmmm... No. I think that you need a demonstration."

As he moved to turn on the Glasser, both Iris and Frost lept into action, striking first, as the sound of crackling energy and ice ripped through the open space.

Several energy blasts along with two icicles flew towards him, and surprisingly all scored direct hits. Zoom stumbled backwards, an icicle in both shoulders and searing burns across his upper chest.

" Somethings wrong," Iris thought, as she looked at Zoom.

" Hahahahahaha!" he laughed menacingly, straightening back to his full height.

" It's like I just said, I've become more powerful than you could ever have dreamt of!"

Both the icicles dropped to the ground and shattered as his wounds instantaneously healed, including the burning on his chest.

" I've become more than the weakling that Zoom ever was," he roared, hoisting the man into the air.

"AAhhh!!" the captive cried, struggling fruitlessly against the monster.

" I, am, The Black Death!"

The Glasser roared to life, shooting out almost liquid like metallic tentacles across Zolomon's chest and up his arm, before reaching the defenseless captive. The tentacles seemed to dig into both Zolomon and the man's skin, making dark, black and red veins appear all across their bodies, as both of them shouted out in pain.

I'm not about to stand around and do nothing as I watch him die.

" Frost, go for his hand, try and separate whatever it is that's linking them together. I'm going to free Cisco and the others." Iris ordered, already moving into action.

Frost nodded, immediately shooting a stream of ice at Black Death as she tried to free the captive.

" I've got her," Zolomon strained to say as he saw Savitar about to step in and help, frostbite threatening to creep through his body as ice pelted his arm.

" You stop your wife."

" She's not my wife!" he growled.

" Whatever you idiot! Get her!"

Iris raced up the side of the aisle, realizing that she had no plan on how to get past Savitar.

I just need to get around him for long enough to free Cisco. Then he can help Frost stop Zolomon.

Savitar suddenly sped in front of her, completely blocking her view of the person trapped behind him.

" What are you going to do now that you don't have your friends to protect you?" he taunted, looming over her.

" I'm not as defenseless as you think Savitar, Frost!" Iris shouted, ducking.

A blast of ice soared over her head and slammed into Savitar's chest, knocking him back several feet as he toppled over.

She ran past the stunned giant and began to quickly untie the thick rope that was around wrapped around Cisco.

" Mmmfff!" he exclaimed through his gag.

" What?" Iris asked hurriedly, pulling it off.

" Look out!"

Iris rolled forward just as Savitar brought his blade down, which left a heavy slash mark across the back of her protective armor.

That one was too close.

It continued on its downward arch, smashing through the flooring of the jury stand with ease. She frantically jumped over a row of seats to try and put distance between her and her purser, which did very little. Savitar smashed through the seating row, sending wooden chips flying all over Iris, cutting her in several places.

" You cannot escape me Iris," he boomed, as he watched her run back down the aisle.

" It is your fate to die by my blade!"

He sped to the bottom of the steps, blocking her from leaving.

The long blade on his right arm became unsheathed, the speedster quickly thrusting it back as far as his arm could go.

" Die!"

Let's hope this works!

Iris pulled out her high voltage taser, setting it to maximum charge, before blasting it right into Savitar's face.

" Gggaaahhhh!" he cried, stumbling backwards as he shielded his eyes. " Why does this keep happening?! I need to get a better mask!"

Iris wasn't about to waste her chance. She ran as fast as she could back up the large jury stand, reaching Cisco within seconds.

" Untie me and get my meta-cuffs off!" he yelled over the background noise.

" Then maybe I can breach them into the Pipeline back at Star Labs!"

" What do you think I'm doing Cisco!" Iris shouted aggravatedly as she pulled the loose rope off of him.

" Nevermind, you're doing great."

A large, armored, blue and silver hand slammed down on her shoulder, grasping it firmly, like a metal latch clamps down on its prey.

" I don't agree."

Iris felt Savitar throw her backwards down the aisle, hitting into various pieces of debris before slamming face-first down on the cracked marble flooring at the base of the steps, her armor cracking and falling apart after the beating that it had taken.

Everything around her hummed and became eerily silent.

Her right ear throbbed uncontrollably, the feel of warm blood from it splashed across her neck. Iris pushed herself through the pain to look up, to at least try to see what was going on around her.

Frost was using all of her strength to try and stop Death, pouring two steady streams of ice out of her hands and into his chest. It didn't seem to be making any difference though, as the man got paler and paler and Death continued to laugh confidently.

Cisco was out of sight, probably knocked down by Savitar, who was storming down the side aisle (or what remained of it) towards her.

" It's over for you, Iris." she faintly heard him say, as he menacingly walked towards her.

" No more fancy gadgets," he said, stepping on her taser, turning it into dust.

" No more Team Flash,"

He used his massive blade to slice a row of jury seats next to them clean in half, causing seats to go tumbling around her. The tip of the blade slashed her across the face, creating a light cut along it.

Iris slowly unholstered her pistol, straining to hold it upright as she aimed it at him from the floor.

Savitar swatted it aside as nothing more than a mere inconvenience.

" No more husband or daughter to rush in and save the day. You're alone."

Iris couldn't stop herself from feeling the pain of losing Barry and Nora when he said their names, and unfortunately, it showed.

" Did I touch a nerve?" he asked condescendingly, his voice still far and distant through all the ringing.

" You're not alone Iris," she heard her father's voice say, " They will always be here with you, in your heart."

Iris slowly stood up, holding her injured left arm, facing Savitar head on.

" I'm not alone. I'll always have my friends and family with me. I'll always have my father with me," she pressed forward, causing him to unwillingly take a step backwards. She couldn't even hear her own words, but by his reaction, Iris was sure that she was getting her point through to him.

" I'll always have Barry and Nora with me, no matter how hard you try to take them away."

She saw Cisco slowly sneak up behind Savitar, holding a broken plank in his hands. He nodded at her as he drew closer.

" You can kidnap them, you can break them, you can even kill them, but you'll never, and I mean never, be able to take them out of my heart." she stated fiercely, the fiery love for her family burning bright in her eyes.

Cisco slammed the plank down onto the unsuspecting Savitar's head, which disintegrated into tiny pieces.

Savitar (being completely unphased by the attack), turned around, glaring down at him. It was clear that he was not amused.

" Umm, so, I seem to have misplaced my board,"

Savitar swung his blade outwards, which Cisco avoided by mere inches.

" Hey!" he happily exclaimed, looking down at his meta-cuff free hands, the now two piece restraint sparking on the floor next to him.

" It doesn't matter what powers you have Cisco," boomed Savitar. " You will fall by my blade!"

" Barry!" Iris called from behind him.

" Stop calling me that! I'm not him!!!" the evil clone roared, as he furiously turned around to face her.

" I know,"

Iris (who was now holding her secondary pistol), blasted him three times in the chest consecutively, each impact knocking him back another step.

" Argh!" he shouted as he reeled over, momentarily stunned by the impact (although his armor was still without a scratch).

" Cisco, now!" she called out.

" On it!"

He shot a breach out of his left hand right beneath Savitar, who immediately fell through it without a moment to try and escape.

" This will not be the last that you see of me Iris! You cannot escape your destiny!" Savitar shouted as he disappeared.

" I already did, two years ago." Iris stated as the breach closed.

What happened to you Barry?

" Did you send him to the Pipeline?" she asked Cisco.

" Ummm... maybe?" he replied, uncertainly.

" Maybe?" Iris questioned skeptically.

" There was a lot going on ok!"

Even though she could hear his words, they still sounded like a soft whisper to her, the pounding in her head drowning out most of the sound around her.

I'm going to have to buy hearing insurance after this.

" Guys!" Frost shouted over to them.

They both turned and saw The Black Death's process almost complete, Frost still furiously pouring ice into him.

" Have to try better than that." Zolomon laughed evilly, right before his eyes turned pitch black.

" Cisco, get him out of here!" Iris yelled at what she thought was the appropriate volume to be heard over the roar of the machine.

" We're too late." Cisco mouthed quietly.

The man's feet suddenly became a deep, burnt black, that quickly spread all the way across his body, until there was nothing left untouched by the terrible effects of the process.

We failed to save him too.

Zolomon's body began to undergo changes as well, but not even remotely close to the former person that he had just killed. His muscles grew even larger than before, tears beginning to form all across his suit. His inhuman fingers grew longer as well, becoming even sharper and more hideous than before. And his eyes glowed a deep, disturbing black color. He became more monstrous than anything that Team Flash had encountered before, and it was terrifying to watch unfold.

" Yes! Now you see my true power!" he gloated, tossing the lifeless body to the side.

" With each meta I kill, I consume more dark antimatter. The more I consume, the stronger I become!"

" Look at yourself Zolomon," Frost panted, having overexerted herself.

" It doesn't look like you're doing yourself any favors."

He laughed, a deep, cold laugh that was extremely unnerving to all of the team.

" A small price to pay." he grinned.

" Vibe!" Iris shouted, trying to get his attention.

He didn't have to be told twice.

Cisco's right hand shot up into the air, ready to shoot a breach at Zolomon and stop the problem at its source.

Unfortunately though, they had forgotten one thing.

Black Death's arm shot up first, being powered by his enhanced V9 super-speed.

He waited to launch his attack right until Cisco's arm was fully upright, before activating the Glasser and throwing a glop of the silvery substance at Cisco's hand, knocking him to the ground.

" AAHH!!" Cisco cried as the metallic goo began to chew away at his arm, the hero holding it up in pain.

" No!" Iris shouted as she got on her knees to check on him.

" I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Death warned as Iris was reaching to grab it off.

" It doesn't play well with non-metas."

" Then pick on someone with your own genotype!" shouted Frost.

" Really Katy? That's the best you could do?" she muttered to herself.

Zomolon sighed as he shook his head at her.

" Oh please, Caitlin, this will be a cakewalk."

The Black Death blasted around the room, launching a series of brutal assaults on her.

Iris tried to keep up with where the villian was, but he seemed to be everywhere at once. Punches, kicks, and slashes came at Frost from all angles at once, all backed by his massive force.

And after an excessive twenty seconds, he finally stopped, watching the battered Frost fall to the ground.

" Frost!" Iris shouted desperately.

How am I supposed to stop this guy on my own?!

" I see that the crowds have thinned a little," he said as he casually stood in front of Iris, Cisco writhing in pain beside her.

" But don't worry," he hissed, leaning down so he could whisper in her ear. " We'll still have some fun."

A breach suddenly opened beneath The Black Death's feet, and Iris could see his momentary expression of shock before he fell through it, the glowing blue portal shutting behind him.

" And stay out," Cisco moaned, holding his non-injured hand out, before collapsing back onto the marble tiling.

" Cisco!" Iris exclaimed, rushing to his side to help him.

It didn't look good.

She could see the silvery substance working its way up his arm, leaving his fingertips charred and deformed as it continued to eat away at him.

" Cisco, hang in there," Iris said as she stood him up, hanging his left arm over her shoulder to help him stand. All her muscles cried out in pain under the extra weight, but she pushed the feeling aside and moved forward.

" Frost!" she called, straining to continue holding Cisco upright.

" I'm here," Frost groaned as she slowly got to her feet.

" Cisco's hurt, we gotta get him back to Star Labs,"

Frost looked down at Cisco's arm, and seemed to recognize the severity of the situation.

She said something to Iris, which she couldn't hear as her hearing cut out again for a brief moment, replaced by an ear splitting ringing.

Agh.

She could feel her right ear pounding as she strained to hear Frost's words.

" Iris?" Frost asked, her voice finally breaking through the drowning like sensation that had been surrounding Iris.

" Um, yeah. Let's extrapolate back there and then go grab Ralph right after."

" That's not what I was..."

" I know," Iris said quickly, " We just need to get moving."

Using her free hand, Iris pulled out her extrapolator and opened a breach to the Star Labs medical bay, both her and Frost quickly moving through it and laying Cisco down on the bed inside.

" Ahh!!!" he cried out in agony again as he squirmed on the bed, holding his injured hand.

Frost's eyes went back to Catlin's hazel brown color as her hair turned from white to brown, Caitlin Snow returning.

" Go get Ralph," she told Iris, concern ringing in her voice.

" We need to get this off of him quickly before it kills him."

Iris opened a new breach as she watched Catlin run through tests furiously, going from one option to the next at an unmatched speed, trying to figure out how to get the unknown substance off of Cisco's hand.

Why can't we just have one win today?