EXPEDITE ▇▇▇▇ VOLUME ONE
━━ ❛ 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 ❜

chapter no. 029!

     FLUTTERING HER EYES OPEN, SHE IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT HER HANDS UP TO SHIELD HERSELF FROM THE HARSH LIGHTS. The burning sensation of soft UV rays graced her skin. It was always dark when she was in the basement at Brenner Labs. Not one sprinkle of light was present. The concept of light was nonexistent. So, waking up to being flooded with it was new to the redhead, at least to some extent.

     Noticing how raising her arms didn't pull a muscle, strain them, twitch, or cause them to bleed, she held them out in front of her curiously. Her eyes scanned over her ivory skin, furrowing her brows at the peculiar sight. The cuts and bruises were gone; in their absence was a thin scar running around the rim of each of her wrists. She slowly sat up and looked at her surroundings.

     Every aspect of the room had a luminous hue to it, the edges of inanimate objects glowing white. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, causing everything to look more extravagant. Looking down, she saw that she was dressed in the soft champagne dress that she had worn to the club with the team weeks ago.

     Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she landed her feet solidly on the floor. She took a step forward, feeling the weight of her body successfully being supported by both of her legs. She took a few more steps and walked out of the room and into the Cortex. The entirety of the room was empty and bare. Everything was white, coruscating brilliantly.

     All the computers, monitors, desks, writing boards, chairs, and The Flash's suit were gone, leaving the place bare to the bone.

     Piper spun around in a circle, her chocolate-brown eyes wide as she became more confused by the second. Frowning, she stopped. The room's brightness was almost overwhelming, causing her eyes to squint.

     "This is all my fault..."

     Turning abruptly, her eyes scanned for the source of the voice.

     "I let Zoom take her. I let Zoom take her without a fight. I did this."

     Piper spun around again, meeting nothing but open space. It was clear to her whose voice it was, but she didn't know where it was coming from. As far as she could tell, she was the only one in the Cortex.

     Making her way over to the other side room, she crept in to find it just as bare and empty. Turning her head, she peered into the room where the treadmill was to find that the machine itself was gone, as was everything else. Similar to the rest of her surroundings, it was white and smooth.

     "Barry, this wasn't your fault."

     "Yeah, she made the decision, and we all let her. The only person to blame here is Aureolin. She did this. She is the one behind all of this."

     The voices echoed as the redhead made her way out of the Cortex and down the hall, catching a glimpse at how the walls were now pearly white. Her footsteps created susurrus thuds, and she briefly stuck her head into the speed lab, noticing how it, too, along with everything else, was empty. Then, she walked into the open area where the elevator was. The usual S.T.A.R. Laboratories posters were gone, and in their place were mirrors, bouncing back her muddled expression.

    "Which is why we need to stop Zoom and take her down. We need to come up with a plan."

     "Both of them can crack open breaches to Earth-Two and Four. I mean, if they can do that, what else can they do that we don't know about?"

     "Cisco's right. We need to find out what else they're capable of before we make any sort of move."

     Piper spun around in another circle, looking up to the ceiling. "Barry?" she called, the sound of his name strong and clear. "Cisco? Erin? Where are you guys?"

     At the sound of her voice, the elevator dinged open. She shifted her gaze to the glowing shaft, narrowing her eyes. The sound of it dinging rang again, and she took a step forward, the bottoms of her feet growing colder as she drew closer. The lights on the walls flickered, and she stopped in her tracks, goosebumps trailing up the sides of her arms. Something wasn't right, and she could feel it. The elevator dinged again, and she gulped, taking another step forward.

     Right as she did, the light on the wall to her right went out. The domino effect came into play as if the lights were all in sync and went out individually. "Oh, hell no," she muttered, taking a step back, but the elevator dinged again. This time it was louder and more demanding.

     "We must also figure out why I keep vibing Earth-Four being ripped to shreds."

     "Seriously."

     "It's like I'm watching "Transformers" in 4-D, but, like, ten times more realistic and with much better acting."

     "Look, if you can vibe the future, we need to stop Zoom and Aureolin before that happens."

     The glow of the shaft grew brighter as Piper got closer. Pushing down the bubble of anxiety crawling up the back of her throat, she walked into the ten-by-ten box. The doors shut automatically.

     "Welcome to the instructional guide to How to Save a Life and Live Forever. We will demonstrate common practices and re-introducing you to past events that can help improve techniques and trade secrets to better equip you for your life-saving experience. I urge you to pay very close attention to what you are about to see." A robotic voice spoke and the floor number shot up to two-thousand-and-three.

     Piper's eyes widened, and she felt the box speed up. She held onto the handrails tightly. Suddenly, the elevator made a sharp stop, causing her to stumble forward clumsily. Upon looking up, she noticed that she was no longer in the glowing white elevator shaft and stood outside the house she grew up in. She turned her head to find her neighbor's house behind her— the elevator was gone.

     The worn-out soles of shoes bounded up the wooden front porch steps, and the redhead looked back at the house. Her eyes widened as they landed on a thirteen-year-old Piper Lita, who was coming home from Athena's. Digging through the pockets of her jean jacket, the young girl pulled out the key that would give her access to the haven she would always call home. As her hand rose to unlock the door, she couldn't help but notice that it was already unlocked and cracked open.

     No.

     Piper raced up the familiar steps, reaching to close the front door, but her hand went right through it. Frowning, she tried again and watched as her arm passed right through the door again.

     "Mom? Dad?"

     The house was draped in an eerie silence that sent a wave of chills down both girls' spines. Looking down at the floor, Piper watched as a deep red substance was soaking through the fabric under the girl's feet. A trail of the thick wine-red blood swam past the carpet-painted stairs and to the right, where the living room directly connected to the dining room.

     The older version watched as Piper began breathing in ragged and harsh breaths of air. The girl's hands trembled at her sides and jammed her fist into her mouth, trying to stifle the scream crawling its way up her throat.

     Then, they heard the sound of someone coming— the soft susurration of their footsteps, like a threatening whisper, echoing louder in the darkness as they approached. The noise didn't appear to come from any direction.

     Curiosity got the best of the young Piper Lita as she trudged to the right, begrudgingly facing the living room with tears already prickling in the corners of her eyes.

     Family pictures that once lined the walls were shattered and stained with blood, littering the floor in every direction. Books that once rested in the bookcase to the left were strewn everywhere, along with the remains of the pillows from the couches.

     Hesitantly taking another step forward, the girl felt her legs twitch, fighting off the impulse to whirl around and sprint back down the front porch, leaving behind the scene before her.

     Piper's eyes watered as she knew what was coming next.

     Turning, the girl faced the dining room where the Lita family had once eaten and enjoyed family dinners full of giggles and teasing. Now, all that remained was a broken dining table with a woman lying on top of the splinters of wood, her white blouse soaked in a red darker than any shade the girl had ever seen before. The chairs were fragmented and scattered while the record player in the right corner of the room spun a Patsy Cline vinyl around. The song that was once playing had ended long ago; now, all that could be heard was the faint sound of static.

     Roaming her gaze around the area, her throat closed in threat of screaming when she saw vibrating, yellow lightning that embodied the figure of a person standing before her. Where one's eyes would be, rested two glowing red orbs of hatred that narrowed at her.

     The sound of flesh squishing against splintered wood caused the girl to visibly flinch, backing away as the figure struck a broken chair leg into her already dead father's chest.

     That was when everything clicked, and it only took four seconds before her fist fell from her mouth, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. Piper covered her mouth, holding back sobs as she watched the younger version of herself running to her parents.

     "No. No, no, no, no. M-Mom?" the girl asked desperately, shaking her mother's shoulder. "D-Dad?"

     Neither responded.

     Piper turned away, tears running freely down her cheeks as she dropped to the ground. Her body trembled as she leaned forward, gasping for air as she sobbed. It happened all over again. Why? Why did she have to see that?

     A hand rested on her shoulder, and she flinched, looking up. Ginger Lita stared back at her. "G-Ginger? What— how— how are you here?" she stuttered, grabbing onto her hands that were held out towards her.

     As Piper stood up, she noticed how when her sister smiled, the corners of her eyes didn't crinkle like they used to. Immediately, she let go, stepping backward. "You're not Ginger..." she whispered.

     "No, I'm not, but we thought it'd be more comforting for you to see a face you trust rather than a stranger when we met," Ginger spoke; her voice sounded just like the sister she'd lost long ago.

     Piper frowned again, growing disoriented. "We? Who's we? Is this not real?" she asked, stepping back again.

     "No, it's not. How do you feel, being back here?" the strawberry-redhead replied, gesturing to the house.

     Piper sniffed, wiping away her tears. "I feel like I'm going to be sick," she muttered, walking toward the front door.

     "You can walk out that door, but you won't be able to go anywhere. We're in the past, and once there, you can't escape it. Not until you know." Ginger called softly, stopping the woman in her tracks.

     Piper turned around slowly, noticing how her parents and the younger version of herself were gone. In their place were police tape and evidence markers. Glancing at her sister, she gulped. "Know what?"

     Gesturing to the sofa, Ginger smiled. "Sit." The redhead walked over carefully, sitting down. "Piper," the latter began, "you're the fastest speedster to ever exist. Do you know why?"

     Piper froze, completely taken off-guard by the question. Furrowing her brows, she cleared her throat. "I uh, no, no, I don't know why," she answered.

     Reaching forward, Ginger grabbed onto her hands. "It's because out of all fifty-three known Earths in the multi-verse, you are the strongest, kindest, purest, and selfless soul. You sacrifice pieces of yourself, small and large, every day. Nobody truly notices or appreciates it, but we do. While being a speedster, you've suffered great losses even before that. More than anyone should ever have to.

     "You've held the bodies of loved ones and strangers, telling them everything will be okay, and you won't leave as they take their last breaths. You've saved Caruthers City and Central City more times than people can count. You've always done the right thing— the good thing. No matter how difficult it was to go through with. You, Piper Lita, were given nearly all the power from the Speed Force. Speaking of, how much do you know about the Speed Force?"

     Piper tilted her head. "When the first subatomic particle sprang forth from the Big Bang to form reality, it was there. Then, when the last proton decays and plunges the universe into heat death, it will be there too. It's never-ending."

     Ginger nodded. "Correct. We're also your power source, but you already knew that."

     "Wait, I'm... I'm talking to the Speed Force?" the redhead stuttered, eyes widening. The latter nodded. "I don't know if this is some sick joke, but it's not funny. I need to get out of here," Piper stated, standing up and racing to the door. Turning the doorknob, she grunted as it refused to open. "No, no, no, no."

     Ginger stood from the couch and watched as the woman mumbled to herself, desperately pulling at the door.

     "It won't open."

     Piper's head turned her way. "It has to. My friends are in danger. Aureolin— she's coming back with Zakai and Jeremiah. They're going to kill them once the deal with Barry is done. I need to go back! I need to help them!"

     All the lights went out, and a whoosh echoed throughout the house. Letting go of the doorknob, she froze. Turning her head back to Ginger, she gulped.

     "The door is unlocked, but if you walk through it, you will wake up; you won't be healed, and your powers will be gone permanently. You must stay if you want to stop Aureolin and Zoom for good."

     The Speed Force's words echoed in her mind, and she breathed in deeply. Slowly, Piper backed away from the door and pressed her lips together. The lights flooded back on, and Ginger smiled softly.

     Before the redhead could move or open her mouth, she was pushed backward by an invisible force. Groaning, her body hit the ground. Pressing her hand to the white-tiled floor, she stood up to see that she was back in the elevator. The floor number rested at two-thousand-and-three for a second before it shot up to two-thousand-and-ten, the elevator shaft speeding up again.

     Suddenly, the elevator came to a sharp stop, causing her to stumble forward. Looking up, she noticed that she was no longer in the glowing white elevator shaft and stood in the middle of a hospital hallway. Turning around, she stared at the double doors at the end of the hallway that seemed to stand out due to the royal blue color that they were painted in.

     The hallway was quiet and peaceful. Nurses were walking into different rooms and wheeling patients down the hall. Nothing out of the ordinary. At least that was the case until the double doors were shoved open, slamming into the walls as numerous people rushed in. Jumbles of voices yelling filled the building.

     "What do we have?" A nurse asked, running up to the group as they moved quickly down the hall towards the operating room.

     "Patient was struck by lightning an hour ago. She's been repeatedly convulsing and isn't responding." An EMT responded, merely glancing at the nurse. One of the paramedics sat on top of the unconscious woman, pumping air into her lungs.

     Bursting through another set of double doors, the EMTs and paramedics entered the operating room, beginning to hook the woman up to the machines.

     Piper rushed in, standing near the exit as she watched someone hook a tube up to the unconscious version of her.

     This was the night it happened— the night of the explosion. The night Caruthers City would never be the same again.

     "Heart rate is low." Someone shouted, glancing at the heart monitor.

     "Start compressions now." Doctor Zane yelled as he walked into the room, coming up to Audrey Edleman, the lead paramedic. The surgeons rushed in, pulling on their surgical masks. "Edleman, get a trauma team in here. Stat."

     The woman nodded, rushing out of the room as the EMT on top of the gurney began compressions. "One... Two... Three..."

     Piper's eyes widened as she watched her body not respond, the sound of a flat-line echoing in the room.

     "Try again."

     "One... Two... Three..."

     "She's flat-lining."

     "Try again!"

     "One... Two... Three..." The unconscious redhead released a small breath of air, her chest rising slightly. Piper felt her back hit the wall, and she closed her eyes, rubbing her temples with her index and middle fingers.

     "She's stable."

     The operating room faded from reality, and a hand rested on the redhead's shoulder, squeezing it. Looking up, she met the eyes of Miles Warren. "Not Miles, I assume?" she questioned, raising a brow.

     "You assume correctly," Miles replied as a whoosh of yellow and red sped past them.

     Piper furrowed her brows and turned her head to find that she was crouched behind a football stadium seat. Glancing up, she saw the number two-thousand-and-fourteen flashing around the stadium as the lights switched on. She narrowed her vision in on the boy who stood on one end of the field, her eyes widening once she realized what was happening.

     This was the night she met Barry.

     Well... kind of.

     The brown-haired boy was enraged as he faced off against the Reverse-Flash.

     Piper looked to Miles, who was already staring at her. "Watch." He instructed, nodding towards the field.

     Turning her head, she watched as Expedite zoomed her way to the other side of the stadium to get closer. All at once, the two raced towards each other, and both Piper's winced as the man in yellow elbowed the latter when he crashed into him, sending the brown-haired boy flying. Rolling across the ground, he let out a grunt of pain and looked up to find the speedster standing over him.

     "Not fast enough, Flash."

     The two speedsters began racing through the stadium, brushing past Miles and Piper. Eventually, the speedsters made their way back to the field, and Piper cringed once more as the man in yellow threw the latter, nearly chuckling as he tumbled to the ground. He kicked him in the chest and ran to the other side of his body, remaining silent as the brown-haired boy glowered up at him, blood dribbling down from his nose.

     "Who are you?"

     "You know who I am, Barry."

     Glancing at the slightly younger version of herself, the redhead watched as she face-palmed herself. She snorted, remembering her exact thoughts from that night.

     Speeding up from the ground, Barry attempted to swing at the man but missed him by only a few inches. The man in yellow threw a blow to the chest and ran, kicking him in the back without hesitation. Both Piper's cringed for the millionth time as they heard something crack—most likely his spine. They continued watching as the man threw more punches at the brown-haired boy before flipping him onto the ground.

     "I don't know who you are," Barry protested, struggling to get up.

     The man in yellow shook his head, "But you do, Barry. We've been at this a long time, you and I, but I've always been one step ahead."

     The brown-haired boy stood up and threw a punch, but the latter managed to dodge it. He ran around the stadium in a circle before coming up from behind Barry and sending him tumbling to the ground. "It is your destiny to lose to me, Flash. Just as it was your mother's destiny to die that night." Right after, the yellow speedster sped off, and Barry laid on the ground, breathing heavily.

     Five minutes later, both Barry and Expedite were gone, leaving Miles and Piper alone.

     Turning to the man that resembled her partner and friend, she stood up. "Okay, storytime is over. What was the point of returning to the past and showing me these events?" Piper snapped, growing tired of the constant time jumps that the Speed Force was throwing her way.

     Miles stood and slid his hands into the insides of his pockets. "Each event marks a significant moment in your life. Combined, these three events are what will fuel you to save a life. Multiple lives. The whole multiverse." He walked away and down to the field.

     Huffing, the redhead scrambled after him, pulling up one of the straps of her dress.

     "We need your help, Piper," Miles announced, grabbing a football that rested on the ground. Tossing it between his hands, he continued to make his way to the middle of the field.

     Piper rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "With what?" she asked, coming to a stop.

     Miles turned around. "You know exactly what it is Athena, Zakai, and Jeremiah have planned. After all, you've been in nothing but their captivity for weeks, listening in." His words caused an uneasy feeling to swim around in her stomach, and she gulped. "The Magnetar. We need you to be the one who runs with Zoom on it. Not Barry."

     Narrowing her stare, she tilted her head. "Why not Barry?"

     "Because," he hummed, "you're Piper Lita. Expedite. The fastest speedster alive. However, we know that answer will not suffice. To further explain, we need you to run and create two-time remnants. Two will be enough to trigger the time wraiths to come out of the Speed Force. Athena, Zakai, Jeremiah, and Hunter will be on Earth-One and in the same place when the Magnetar is being powered up. The four of them have messed with the timeline and balance of the world with how many speed laws they have broken.

     "One of your remnants would counteract the Magnetar's pulse, while one would run with Zoom. During that, we need you to tie up both Zakai and Jeremiah. The time wraiths will come and take them. Once the Magnetar is off, they will take Hunter. We have instructed them not to go for you, Barry, or Athena." Miles threw the football across the field, watching as it bounced off the ground.

     Piper frowned, unsure how she felt with this plan they'd constructed. "Why would you spare Athena? She's messed with the timeline more than the three combined," she pointed out.

     The black-haired man turned to her, noticing her grave expression. "It's time for you to return to Caruthers City, Piper." His words caused her head to snap up, eyes wide as her mouth dropped slightly. "To make everything balanced again, Athena must be taken back to Earth-Four— her home— and killed."

     That was when Piper's jaw dropped completely. "You want me to kill her?" she gasped. Miles nodded, folding his arms. "No. I'm not a killer. I won't kill another human being, Miles," she refused, her voice firm as her arms fell to her sides.

     "It's the only way Earth-Four won't collapse. You heard Cisco Ramon earlier and how he's been getting vibes of your world being ripped to shreds. That's only happening because Aureolin is here. This is not her world. This is not her timeline. Her presence has finally caught up to her, and it's going to annihilate an entire planet if you don't kill her," he spoke solemnly, giving her a firm look.

     After all these years, she'd finally found a place she could call home. A person she called home. Friends who were the reason why she fought for her, and others, lives. A family that loved her. She finally had everything she wanted, and now she was being told that her time with them was over. It wasn't fair, but life never was.

     People— hell, a whole planet needed her to save them. She was the only one who could save the families and lives that they had worked so hard for. Being selfish and not killing Aureolin would kill billions. One life versus a billion.

     The answer was simple, but it wasn't easy. Everything would change if she chose to do this.

     She, Piper Lita, would change. There'd be no going back once she went through with this plan. She'd never be who she was again.

     The familiar whoosh darted around the stadium and appeared by Miles's side. Looking up, the redhead saw a blurry purple cloud facing her. "If you agree, you will be given full access to unlimited amounts of speed. You will wake up fully healed and healthy due to reactivating your meta-human healing capabilities. It's the least we could do after everything you've endured and will do to save lives." Miles spoke softly, gesturing to the cloud.

     Piper gulped, nodding hesitantly. "I'll do it. All of it. I'll go back and kill Aureolin."

────

     BARRY ALLEN WAS LEANING AGAINST THE ENTRANCE TO THE SIDE ROOM, ARMS FOLDED AS HE WATCHED PIPER LITA SLEEP SOUNDLESSLY. It'd been two days, and she hadn't woken up once during those. Dr. Snow declared that, given her injuries and lack of food and water, she would be out for a little while. Rest was the best remedy they could give her.

     Soft footsteps approached, and a certain short-haired girl stood by his side. Looking over at Barry, Erin smiled. "You mean everything to her," she whispered. His eyes fluttered over to her before quickly glancing back to the bed. "She talks about you all the time. I don't think I've ever seen her happier than when she's with you."

     Barry's cheeks burned as a small smile lined his face.

     "I know that a lot has been going on," Erin started, her tone of voice capturing his attention. "What with saving the world and Piper being taken, but there are things that have happened between the two of you. Things that you need to talk about. Feelings you need to finally confess. Especially since everybody seems to keep telling the both of you how you feel, yet neither of you says a word."

     The speedster looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet.

     "Every time one of you gets close to something happening or saying something, the moment is ruined. It took you three times just to ask her out. Don't let it take three times to tell her how you feel. Don't do that to her or yourself. You guys deserve happiness and love. After everything that's happened, that's the least you deserve." Erin said softly, watching as her best friend breathed in and out slowly.

     Barry looked back over to Piper, his heart racing at the sight of her. Nodding, he glanced at Erin. "Once she heals and can stand and talk again, I will. Right now, I'm just focused on helping her—"

     "Bad time, Flash?" A voice growled maliciously.

     Immediately, the two spun around, their eyes wide as Zoom stood there. Guns were pointed at him on his left and right. Cisco quickly pulled Caitlin behind him.

     "You..." Barry whispered, his eyes lighting up as he stormed towards the latter. "You gave her to Aureolin. Do you see how badly she is hurt? She can't stand, walk, or talk! That's because of you! You did this!" he yelled, fiery yellow lightning sparking in his eyes as he shoved him roughly.

     The lightning around Zoom disappeared, and he ripped off his mask, his eyes filled with calm waters. "I know, and I'm not done. There's always more to take, Barry." Hunter responded, nodding towards the side room. Erin quickly blocked his view of the woman with her body.

     "You're going to stay away from her," Barry growled, his hands clenching into fists.

     The blonde chuckled, shaking his head. "That's entirely up to you," Hunter sighed, a gleeful smile adorning his cheeks. Harry glanced at Joe, who was giving him a cautious look. If the speedster took one more step, they were shooting. "When we first met, I told you that Zoom needed to be the best. You just didn't realize I was talking about myself."

     Barry's eyes widened, and his face curled into one of anger. "Is that what this is about?" he asked incredulously.

     Over in the side room, Piper Lita's body was glowing purple, her injuries fading away as she breathed in deep breaths of cold air. Her lips faded from blue to a natural soft pink; her cheeks returned back to their natural color, as did the rest of her body.

     "A race, Barry, between you and me... to see who's the fastest. You win: this is over, and you get to be the hero. Think about it, Flash. All I want to know is who's the fastest man alive in either world."

     Piper's eyes snapped open at the blonde's proposal, and before she could blink, she sped from the hospital bed into the Cortex, colliding the side of her body into Hunter's before returning to where she previously was. He flew across the room and into the other side room, crashing through the glass windows. Shards flew everywhere, and a table and vials crashed to the floor.

     Jesse yelped in surprise and moved away from the shattered window.

     "What the hell?" Cisco mumbled, everyone's eyes wide as they stared at Zoom.

     "That's a little sexist, don't you think?" A voice called, and every set of eyes flashed as quickly as they could to the source of it. Piper made her way past the team and into the room, peering down at Hunter. "Not to mention a bit rude. There are fifty-three known Earths, you know. One and Two aren't the only ones that matter."

     "Piper!" Caitlin gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

     Hunter gulped; his eyes were wide and terrified at seeing her completely healed and with her speed back. Standing up, he pushed past her. "This is between Barry and me. Stay out of it, Lita," he replied.

     She scoffed and grabbed onto his left arm, wrapping it around his back and slamming him into the side of the entrance. Moving around, he brought his other hand up to grab hers', but she quickly pulled it back too.

     "This has nothing to do with Barry, and you know it." Piper hissed, twisting his arms tighter. Hunter grimaced, trying not to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was inflicting real pain on him. "I was with Aureolin for over two weeks; did you really think I wouldn't have found out what your real plan was all along?"

     Bringing his foot up, he was about to slam it back into her before she wrapped her leg around his own, stepping down on top of his foot. Their bodies were touching, and she hated it. Piper continued to ignore how wrong it felt to be that close to him. "You're disposable, Hunter. Nothing but a means to an end for her. Once the Magnetar is powered up, you're a dead man, but you already knew that, didn't you?"

     Hunter was silent as the right side of his face pressed harshly into the side of the entrance to the room. Team Flash stood still, their eyes on their fiery redhead, who not only could stand but could walk, talk, had her speed back, and was completely healed. She looked healthier than everyone else in the room.

     "That's what I thought," Piper grumbled, letting go of both his arms and stepping back. The blonde pushed himself off the wall and turned around, his hand curled and ready to punch the purple speedster.

     Rather than ducking, as she normally did, she grabbed his fist in the palm of her hand. His eyes widened as his arm began to shake. Quickly, she brought her right leg up and kicked him square in the chest. His back hit the wall, and she jabbed him in the chest with her elbow. Groaning, he reached out to grab her neck. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, bending down slightly before pulling his body over hers and flipping him.

     His head and body hit the ground, and he groaned. His eyes fluttered shut as he washed over in pain. "If you really knew how to fight as a speedster, I never could've laid a finger on you," Piper grumbled, stepping down on his chest.

     Hunter chuckled roughly, his icy blue eyes sparkling as she peered down at him. "This reminds me of last time, but that ended with me on top of you and a stab to the chest."

     Barry narrowed his eyes at his words and stepped forward, ready to punch that smug expression off his face.

     "Tell Athena that Barry's not racing you. I am. If she has a problem with that, then she knows where to find me." Piper stepped back, pulling her foot off the black and blue speedster's chest.

     The room flooded blue, and Zoom was gone.

     Before she could turn to face everyone, Barry sped over and pulled her into his arms tightly. A smile immediately lit up her face, and she wrapped her arms around him. The two rocked side-to-side, and she could feel how quickly his heart was beating. Pulling her head back slightly, she pressed two soft kisses to his neck. His cheeks burned, and he felt her hold on him tighten.

     She was okay. She could walk and talk. She had her speed. He had his girl back.

     "Step aside, string bean. I wanna hug my girlfriend." Cisco declared, prying the brown-haired man off Piper. She laughed, the sound of it bringing smiles to everyone's faces. No one was sure if, after she woke up, she would smile or laugh for a while.

     The long-haired boy kissed both her cheeks and pulled her into a warm embrace, smiling happily. "I missed you so much," he mumbled into her hair. Piper nodded, blinking back tears as his words hit her hard. Cisco wasn't the only one who missed her— everyone had, and soon, she would be gone for good. This was just one of the last hugs from her other best friend.

     Pulling away, she was immediately engulfed in Caitlin's arms. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, crying into her shoulder softly. 

     Piper shook her head and held her tighter. "It wasn't your fault, Cait," she whispered. Finally, they pulled away, and the redhead hugged everyone else; tears welled up in her eyes throughout it all.

     This was the first of lasts for her with them. This was the beginning of the end.