The androids head sat on the table while the scientist sat at a nearby computers. Its hollow eyes scanning the room with great trepidation. It focused its eyes on the scientist as he spoke.

"Let me tell you a story my son. There was a great scientist. Who competed with the top minds off his generation. Tony Stark, Lex Luthor, Raymond Palmer. Unlike those scientists he had no interest in monetary gain. As he had none to begin with, he was a nobody. So he was worthless. The scientist turned around in his swivel chair to face the android, staring directly into its eyes.

If the android could understand emotion, it would have seen the bitterness and contempt.

"So, he did the best he could. Became the head researcher at a STAR labs facility, and off to work he went trying to change the world. Then while trying to develop a new deep space telescope, he had an idea and so he got to work and he invented this-" Turning in his chair he slapped a button on the keyboard, illuminating a far corner of the lab where a strange looking monitor sat amidst a computer bank.

The scientist stood up and walked over to it, resting a hand on it. "-I call it the looking glass. Through this the scientist saw the future, and through this he thought he could save the world." He chuckled to himself as he turned back to face the android. "Think of it, all the innovations of the future. Cures for disease, for famine. Global warming, why wait. We could look into the future and bring them here, now."

The scientist shook his head before hanging it low, a much more somber tone coming forth.

"The scientist was naive-" There was a buzzing of an alarm elsewhere in the room. "-but the rest of the tale will have to wait. Your older brother is ready to get to work."

---

The waves crashed gently at the base of the small and isolated island. The general noise of tourists, the screaming kids, shuffling footsteps, camera shots, all drowned out by the thundering of his heartbeat in his ears. Mal Duncan was nervous, and Mal Duncan never got nervous. Champion football player, childrens counsellor. Nothing phased Mal.

"Mal, this way!" Her voice cut through the crowd like a hot knife through butter, he became acutely aware of his tongue in his mouth. How was it supposed to rest in his mouth? No matter what he did he couldn't possibly make it comfortable. His palms were sweaty, breath came hard and fast.

Each inch he took towards her felt like a mile, his feet heavy. What if it didn't go well? Maybe the photographer hadn't shown up - no he could see her over in the distance attempting to look like she wasn't paying attention to Mal or his destination.

He needn't worry about the weather, it was a perfect New York autumnal day, with not a cloud in the sky. Mal smiled as he reached Karen, a big grin plastered over her face. "Hey Beautiful. She pulled him into her warm embrace, before grabbing his hand and pulling him through the crowd of people towards the base of the Statue of Liberty.

"I thought I lost you after getting off the boat! C'mon! I want to take a closer look."

Mal chuckled. "You never have to worry about losing me-" Sensing his struggling nerve he turned his head quickly to look behind him towards the city. An unobstructed line of city to the Manhattan skyline. In one quick motion he pulled his hand out of hers, a small leather box from his pocket and slipped down onto one knee. Opening the box to reveal the glittering green emerald ring.

Karen turned, and turned white as a sheet.

"Karen, you make me the happiest man in the world-" The world around him went silent, he couldn't hear anything else. Only his own voice. No other voices or footsteps, he couldn't even hear the water crashing below. "-will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you Marry Me?" He lowered his head and sighed, all the stress and tension leaving his body.

He had no idea why he had been so stressed about it, they were a perfect couple. He loved her, and she him. Honestly this was just a formality-

"Oh no-" His heart sunk to his stomach. "Mal get up-" He couldn't even look at her, he closed his eyes and hung his head down low.

"No seriously Mal-" Opening his eyes, tears welling in the corner he looked up at her and saw the raw panic on her face. He turned around, and coming from Manhattan was a giant wave, atleast twenty foot high. Jumping to his feet, ring forgotten he pulled Karen along with him.

"Round the back of the statue!" He could hear the screaming now, the crying and the panic. The roar of the water as it came careering towards them, a deafening crash.

The next thing he knew, he was in the water.

---

Koren entered the main compartment of his shuttle, acting as his executive suite during his time on the surface of Mandalore. He nodded to his two guards who filed out of the room, as he keyed in a code to the holocommunicator. A signal from Mandalore wouldn't be able to reach within the transitory mists usually, however, his ship was in orbit to relay the signal and there was another cruiser on the edge of the mists to relay the signal within. He bowed his head respectfully towards his Queen, before turning his head up, a smile playing at the edge of his mouth.

"My Queen."

She returned the bow, and the smirk. "My Prince. How is your diplomatic visit?"

Formal. That means that she very likely has company.

"My meeting with the Manda'lor was... postponed, due to tensions between himself and Empress of the Renkar Imperium. We were advised to leave while they, finished their discussion. He stood up tall, hands behind his back, feet at ease. "I have however conversed with a Jedi Diplomat known as Ro Nuul. He is a fellow survivor, like me. Koren composed himself. Deep breathe in, release. Allow his negative thoughts out with his breathe.

"He seemed hopeful, that whether through the Mandalorian Republic or the Renkar Imperium we should be able to form some form of alliance that will benefit us, to try and keep us safe from the Separatist Alliance."

"That is good news. Good news indeed...

THE HOME OF JOE WEST // CENTRAL CITY

Iris was broken out of her reverie by a commotion at the door. "Sorry I'm late-! Joe was on his feet and returned to the kitchen to fix another place setting and plate as Barry came into the room, smiling at Iris. She briefly returned the gesture, before pointing the remote at the TV as she rewound the documentary.

"Have you seen this?" She allowed it to play again, the scene of Captain America on the beach. The static, damage section came up again—the speedster in the winged helmet. This time Iris noticed more in the background of the next shot as various Nazi soldiers were disarmed and incapacitated at high speeds. How had nobody ever picked up on any of this before? She saw the perplexed look on Barrys face, and chuckled to herself. "You don't see it, do you?"

Barry shrugged, then laughed himself. "No, not a clue."

Iris leaned in, casting a glance to the kitchen. Seeing Iris need for secrecy Barry sat himself down and leaned in. "The speedster."

He raised an eyebrow. "All I see is static, possibly some tape damage." His eyes went wide. "Are you telling me-"

Iris eyes darted to the door as Joe re-entered the room. "-that Joe is watching one of my documentaries?"

Joe chuckled as he placed a mat and plate in front of Barry. "Well, what can I say? They seem a little less crazy these days."

The room went silent as the documentary continued. Barry seemed to go distant, his eyes glazing over. They were all shaken out of their reverie as Joe's phone started to ring. Raising his hand to indicate one minute, he unflipped the antique device. It wasn't long before he came back rushing into the room, and pulling on his jacket. Placing his cap upon his head. "Bomb threat downtown." Rushing out the door he turned back to Iris, pointing at her. "Straight home!"

Turning out of the house Barry smirked back at Iris as he stood back up. "You're not going to stay here are you?"

Lightning flashed in her eyes. "Not a chance." He blinked, and Iris was stood there in her costume. Pulling the cowl up over her head she smiled at him. "Lock the door behind you-" She flashed a wink at Barry. "-I'll be back in a Flash"

---

ABANDONED WAREHOUSE // CENTRAL CITY

Harrison stood with his briefcase in hand. The old door creaked and groaned as he pushed it open, his footsteps echoing on the cold hard floor. "Hello!" His voice echoed throughout the warehouse. Things shifted in the dark, and then suddenly a door opened.

"Wells!" The man rushed forward, a smile on his face.

"Jackson." The man looked ragged and worn. That was to be expected, until several months ago Jackson had worked for STAR Labs as a technician. Until he was found stealing from work to fuel his habits. Harrison twisted the briefcase away from Jackson as he went to grab it.

"Is that what you promised me?"

"This power-cell should be the solution to all your problems-" he twisted the case in his hand. "-and maybe even a little something else too."

"Name your price."

'DOWNTOWN' // CENTRAL CITY

Iris ran the length of the city on foot and was still there before the bomb squad had arrived. She squeezed herself through the first cordon, past the on-lookers stood with their phones out. There would always be fools who tried to get a chance of glory, at risk to themselves. Running up to the police cordon she came to a stop near a group of officers who stood with a bunch of laptops and cellphones. The wind rushed as she stopped scattering their papers everywhere, they turned to her with a mix of annoyance and surprise. She put her hands on her waist, twisting herself slightly in an attempt to look heroic. Instantly regretting the decision she rubbed her hands together awkwardly.

"What's the situation-?"

"Who the-"

"Hey you're that one that fought that Condiment King!"

Iris blush matched that of the red in her costume. "Yup, that's me. Your friendly local superhero." She coughed clearing her throat. This wasn't going very well. It wasn't going badly, but it wasn't going well.

"Well, there's a bomb down the street there Miss uh-?"

"Flash, call me the Flash."

"Really?"

Iris waved off the remark. "Just go with it, so the bomb?"

"Yes, uh. It was called in anonymously about ten minutes ago. The timer still has thirty minutes on it, we're just waiting for the bomb squad to arrive."

Iris looked around the area. While there were some civilians nearby, most of them had likely been drawn in by the police activity in the area. This part of the city didn't typically see much action, especially at this time of the day. The bomb was in the middle of an intersection, easily seen. Easily detected. Not only that it had been called in, anonymously. Everything she had picked up from her father's years of experience taught her one thing. This was a trap.

But is the trap for me or someone else? She had been using her speed to help for a few weeks, but only recently donning the costume and helping in a very public 'superhero' kind of way. That can't have gained that much attention yet?

Iris nodded to the officers. "Okay I'm going to take a look-"

"Not without me you're not." Iris and the officers turned around as a small blonde woman wearing civvies approached, the only thing identifying her as a member of the police was a badge at her waist. She pulled out her ID and opened it up to show Iris, and the other officers present. "Patty Spivot, CCPD Crime lab.

Iris raised an eyebrow, her father and Barry had told her there was someone new in the crime lab, but nothing more than that.

"And why would I take you for a look?"

"Do you know how to disable a bomb?" Iris didn't respond, merely shifting her weight nervously. "That is what I thought." Rolling her eyes, Iris grabbed Patty and within half the blink of an eye, they were at the bomb behind the cordon. Several cylinders were tied together with wires, nuts and bolts. In the centre of the configuration was a Lex 5 Series, the latest smartphone on the market. The timer counting working its way down slowly.

"Got anything Miss Spivo-" The phone's screen turned to a camera, flashing saving their likeness.

They both flinched as the phone buzzed and a notification came through on the screen of the phone.



The timer re-appeared on the screen. Five Seconds. Their eyes went wide. "Badllaaannnnddddddssssss." Iris hadn't even noticed before that there were two attachments on the bomb near the phone. Grimacing she picked up the bomb, and headed south towards the badlands. A barren stretch of land between the city and the mountains.

Digging deep she ran. 4. Over cars, around people. Pushing herself as hard as possible, digging deeper. 3. The wind rushing passed her. 2. As she left the city, and got onto the dirt. A cloud of dust shot up behind her, she came to a stop and dropped the bomb. 1. Turning around and running in the opposite direction she was glad for the goggles that were built into the outfit, she couldn't see anything. She just focused on trying to go in a straight line, there was no telling how big a yield the bomb was going to have. She stopped, skidding slightly on the loose surface as she turned and looked back at the very unexploded bomb.

Approaching it cautiously, the timer on the screen had been replaced by another message.

"Thankyou for your participation."

Iris groaned out of frustration, then threw her hands up in the air before bringing her hands down from her forehead till her fingertips rested on her chin. Iris was sat with two laptops, a tablet and her phone at her desk, each with various searches. Google, Bing, LexSearch and even AskJeeves. More tabs open than she dared admit, and yet there was no trace of this mysterious speedster that she had seen in the video.

Even YouTube had failed her, the only trace she could find of the speedster was in the documentary footage, and nobody on any forums she found seemed to notice him. She had gotten quite a lot of flame for suggesting she had noticed something other people hadn't. 'Typical liberal women, thinking she;s so much better than us men who are experts'. The doorbell rang, and she ran up and checked the peephole. By the time Barry noticed the door was open, Iris had already sat back down at the desk with her cup of fresh coffee.

"I will never get used to that."

Iris smiled. "I'm not used to people showing up unexpectedly at my door." Barry rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Yeah, sorry about that, he's a good man I just didn't expect-"

"The famed Harrison Wells to break several laws and code of ethics and track me down?"

He chuckled awkwardly. "Well you are truly fascinating-" Barry walked over and took a seat in the living room. "-scientifically I mean." Barry leaned back in his chair and looked over to the work she was doing, the various freeze frames and the forums.

"Any luck on your speedster?"

"Argh-" Iris spun around in her chair. "Nothing. No reference anywhere. Nobody else has even noticed him." Iris passed the tablet over to him. "That's the best screenshot I can get of them."

Barry squinted as he looked at the photo. "This is just a blur?"

Iris let out a sigh. "I know! I can see him when I play the video, but I can't pause it fast enough." Barry was about to speak, but Iris beat him to it. "Yes, I understand the irony. It's a technology issue."

"So no leads?"

Iris shrugged. "Kind of?" She picked up the tablet and slid it over to Barry. "Victor Sage. He was the archive researcher for the documentary. He wrote a bunch of pieces for various newspapers until he became blacklisted after a particularly scathing article about the Mayor."

Barry nodded. "I remember it. Wasn't that well over a year ago?"

Iris winced. "That's the kind of part of the lead-" She leaned over the top of the tablet and swiped on the screen. "-he worked for Starrstruck Media for a short period and then, went missing... and is still missing."

"So you want to solve a mystery, by finding a missing person?"

Iris stood up, pacing back and forth. Needing to burn off some of the nervous energy. "It's not ideal, no, but I can't find anything on any of the other people credited as part of the production. He hasn't been reported as dead, so I'm hoping that he just went underground, trying to fly below the radar."

"I mean, I can see if I can pull up anything at the precinct. See if a report has been filed."

Iris stood up and walked to the closet in the far corner of the room, using her speed she quickly stripped down, and pulled on her 'super suit'. Throwing other clothes into a backpack, zipping it closed. She couldn't help but blush as she realised that she had just stripped down to her underwear, and changed, in front of Barry. Not that he had seen anything but a blur, but still.

"Going a trip?"

"Well I'm not going to figure anything out here, I'll chase some leads down in hub city-"

"As the Flash?"

Iris shook her head. "No, I'm just fed up of losing sneakers and clothes, and I have a shift tomorrow so-" She shrugged. "-May as well use what I've got."

"Cheat." Barry chuckled, standing up and clapping his hands together. "So we've got a mission?"

"We've got a mission, I'll call you from Hub City."

FORMER SOVIET PRISON // UNKNOWN LOCATION

0820HRS Steve dove behind a nearby pillar. Feeling the shock as the intended blow hit it, instead of him. The heat permeated the beam, and he scowled. He could hear the chaos spreading throughout the prison, no doubt some of it was fellow prisoners hearing the chaos and taking their chance to make their own bid for freedom. A knot tied in his stomach, but he couldn't allow to give it purchase.

Yes there were no doubt prisoners whose only crime, like Piotr, was not capitulating to those in power. There were however, truly hardened and despicable prisoners who deserved to be contained until which time they were rehabilitated to re-enter society. Not that much of that happened here.

Wincing internally as he rolled to avoid a red fist to the face he chastised himself for allowing himself to become distracted and thoughts to wander. Maybe it had been too long since he had been in a real fight. Ducking under the incoming jab, he followed through with a couple of quick punches to Sokovs gut. With as much weight behind it as possible she wobbled slightly on her feet, and he ducked down and swept his right leg taking her feet out from under here.

Steve didn't even wait to watch her hit the floor before he turned and ran.

He and Alexei had talked through this scenario, like many other escape attempts, many times over the years. The library was the meeting place, central to both of their cells and yet close to Piotrs. No man left behind afterall. Prisoners shouted and swore at him in their cells as he ran. Occasionally ducking into cover when he heard the sound of military boots. He didn't have the time, or the means to get into a prolonged fight.

His heart racing by the time he reached the library. "Halt!" Steve froze as he felt the tip of a gun in the centre of his back, he went to twist for it when he heard another one cock behind him.

Two to one, point blank range. Even he wasn't a fan of those odds.

A yelp, a shot, he twisted away from the gun aiming to bring his palm up under it but was too late as it was already being knocked away. Alexei finished knocking them to the ground, his usual unruly long hair tied into a military style ponytail. Beard trimmed and respectable, no longer the homeless old man. This was a man of action.

"So I got knocked out, and you got a makeover?"

"The ruse is over comrade, today we escape or we die. Either way, I look good."

"That's it Alexei, think optimistically."

Alexei knelt down and picked up a pistol, pulling out the cartridge. Satisfied, he offered it to Steve who waved it off. Alexei merely shrugged and pulled the older guards sidearm from its holster. They turned as they heard the hammering of boots. Heavier than before. Sure enough around the corner came guards dressed in riot gear, the first one dropped before they even registered the two super soldiers. The second was winged before the rest took cover back behind the corner.

"We must get to Piotr-" There was a large crashing noise from below as a crimson hand broke through the concrete and pulled Steve.

He felt like his entire leg going to go through the hole by itself, though thankfully by some miracle the rest of his body followed it. Steve could practically feels all the bruises on his body as he was thrown to the other side of the room. Trying to tuck himself into as small a shape as possible. An involuntary groan escaped his lips as he collided with the wall.

There was no time to feel sorry for himself though as he rolled towards Sokov, making her miss her attack by going straight over his head. The crimson dagger that had formed in her hand slicing effortlessly into the concrete. "Thor-" He tried to shout, but before he could finish she was on him again.

They twisted and turned back and forth. While she couldn't find her way to beat him in skill, her raw power coupled with his being caught off guard and injured. This wasn't a fight he was going to win. Not easily, if at all.

SPRINGFIELD // USA

Iris couldn't help herself, she didn't even hear the beginning of the opening line. "We really need to talk about boundaries Doctor-"

"Iris-"

"No. You don't get to just call me up and play the name card, you just show up at my door one day, knowing my real identity after violating my privacy, tell me what to do. Say you can help me, now I'm in the middle of a crisis and then you just call me up, on a number I never gave you. So what do you have to say for yourself? What excuse for violating my privacy are you going to use this time?"

"Iris look at the news."

Iris scoffed as she pulled her phone down low, swiping the call away all the colour drained from her face as she saw the headline. "ROUGE WAVE HITS ELLIS ISLAND" The photos were all blurry, clearly taken by shocked New Yorkers at the wave that came from within the bay rose up and headed towards the famous statue.

Pulling her phone back up to her ear as the colour drained from her face. "What do you need me to do?"

Digging deeper than she had yet as she raced down the runway she didn't so much hear, as feel the sonic boom. She had done her best to commit the directions to memory as she took off cross country. Lightning tickled at the edges of her vision, each step taking less than a fraction of a second as she powered along the interstate. She couldn't see the shockwave, but she knew it was following her. Rocking cars in her wake, everthing at this speed sat perfectly still. Nothing even came close, Iris was like a bolt of pure electricity.

Coming skidding to a halt at the edge of the bay she was nearly knocked over as the air caught up to her. Several people screamed. "Don't worry, I'm here to help!" Iris managed to push out inbetween breaths.

"With-?" Iris turned to the source of the voice, an older man with a thinning moustache.

"The tidal wave?"

There was murmurs of confusion around her, some panicked, some laughed.

"You sure you aren't lost lady? This is New Jersey, we don't get no tidal waves."

Iris walked over to the railing at the edge of the water looking out towards the bay. There Lady Liberty stood, same as always. From here it looked perfectly dry, boats were still sailing towards it. Nothing seemed terribly amiss.

"I don't, I don't understand. He just called me and-"

"Called you? Whatever you're taking to run fast is messing with your head, the phones are all down!"

"No wait, they've been back, are they down again?"

The man just waved a hand dismissively at her, bored with the conversation.

Pulling her phone out from her trouser pockets through a special flap in the suit, Iris unlocked it and as if on cue, the time jumped. From 12:09 to 12:00. The bars of service were replaced with a SERVICE UNAVAILABLE. Her most recent call? 12:07. Her confusion and reverie were broken however when she heard the screams. Turning towards the group of people, she pivoted again as a wall of water rose up perfectly stationary. Then it was as if it was pushed towards the statue.

Focus Iris.

She looked over the barrier at the water. There were several species of bug that could run on water, boats practically floated once they were fast enough. Iris took a run back giving herself a block to pick up speed.

This isn't the craziest thing you've done all day. Which was an absolutely ridiculous thought to pass through her head, however true it was. Taking a deep breath, and ready for the inevitable plunge, she ran for it. Jumping the banister, pushing herself over it - thanks High School Gymnastics, she landed on the water.

Iris had to refrain from panicking as her first foot sank slightly. Her second sank slightly less. Building up speed she ceased to sink until she was running along the top of the water. The time it took for Iris to work up the courage to take the leap, the wave had already hit. Water washing and swirling along the concrete island at the base of the statue of liberty.

She started grabbing people out of the water, throwing them - as delicately as possible - onto the remaining island.

A flash of Red and Green overhead, someone tried to call something to her as they went gliding passed. She didn't notice however, as a plume of water shot up in the air right in front of her. Twisting, she lost her footing and fell. Bouncing and skidding across the water tumbling head over heels she eventually landed in the water, dazed and confused.

Looking around she saw a young woman helping pull others to safety. "Hey did you see tha-" Before Iris could get another syllable out of her mouth she felt something clamp around her ankle and pull her under. Gasping as she went down it took all her discipline to refrain from gasping out. Eyes open in the murky depths she saw a humanoid figure in the water beneath her. Kicking at what she suspected was its face, she was rather surprised by the fact that it felt like kicking metal rather than squishy flesh.

Which probably wasn't good.