[ his heart his breath - everything freezes when cisco says kill me.
and then goes into overdrive as he continues his explanation. it's getting harder to follow, more confusing, convoluted, there's so much information being thrown at him, and he's still trying to come to grips with another person who means more to him than he can say - having died.
he wants to scream. to hug cisco. to find a way to personify the multiverse so he could kick it in the balls.
he sits there and tries to focus his mind, to keep listening to cisco's story. his eyes glisten with unshed tears, and he bites down on his lip, trying to clear away the cloud of rage.
he nods stiffly at the question, deciding to keep his answer short. he doesn't need his voice betraying him. he doesn't need cisco to feel like he has to comfort him, like kitty did. there's so much he wants to say but the story is clearly still not over. ]
[ it's easier once he tries to break the tale into parts ]
So what we knew was this, Eobard Thawne was the Reverse Flash, he went back in time to kill Barry who was a kid, failed - we'll get to that and because he was pissed, killed Barry's mom and since he was stuck without his speed and out of his time, he killed the actual Wells, used some creepy tech to take his face and identity and set out to create the Flash to use his speed, he created the condition, the explosion, everything that happened was planned. All of us were just - means to an end. Now, Thawne wants to go home, he told Barry that he - future - Barry - went back in time to save his...child self and ruined his plans. Thawne offers him a deal, Barry will run fast enough to create a tear in time and space and send him back to his timeline and in return, he could go back in time to save his mom.
[ with all the mess with zoom and earth-2, this all seems like it happened years ago ]
Barry went back but he - didn't change the timeline, he didn't save his mom. he did save his younger self and so Thawne's plans went to hell. he was - angry. we finally stopped only when - Eddie shot himself. He killed - himself. He was Thawne's ancestor and when he died, Thawne was erased from the timeline.
[ the night comes back in a flash, Iris screaming, Thawne disappearing, Eddie dying on the floor ]
before he died, I got the chance to talk to him, I told I remembered him killing me. He said - it wasn't a dream. He said I was - well. Like Barry. a meta-human, that I could - see through the vibrations of the universe - the multiverse, we later found out. He said he was excited for me, that my destiny is great, shaped by him and that I have to remember those powers were given to me by him. that he did it all out of love.
[ he looks at his beer and finishes it ]
Barry named me. You asked. I'm Vibe. But I'm - I can't be proud of what I have, these powers, they always feel like traces of him. They always feel like I'm channeling him and I know that there is a darkness hidden in them.
[ if he makes the wrong choices. he saw what he could become. reverb. the one eobard thawne would be proud of, really. ]
His darkness. I don't control them, I don't know if I want to. Every time I use them, I remember him, it's like he's always there. There are traces of him in my powers and I have the potential to become something like him. Someone - terrible.
[ he takes a deep breath and releases it, feeling exhausted and just - sad. they really are each other's earth's version of -- each other. ]
I know how you feel. [ it sounds empty right now, he knows, but it won't in a minute - not after he explains. he's not going to go into the amount of detail cisco did - definitely not now because he doesn't want to make it about himself. just enough for his point of view to carry some weight. ]
I was always exactly like my dad - I got my genius from him, a lot of my personality from him, I even look like him. Which, would've been fine if he hadn't snapped when I was 11 and murdered half a dozen people with a bomb in a teddy bear. Recently he told me -- that I'm exactly like him, his greatest creation. That his genius - his madness - it's in me. That we're linked. And I'm - terrified that he's right. But if I don't use my brain because it might be like him - then the dark side wins, man. We have to take it back. He may have given you your powers - but you're the one who has them, you're the one who controls them. You're the one who decides what they get to be used for.
[ and yes. he knows it's easier said than done. but he believes in cisco more than he believes in himself. ]
The power's not evil - it's the user. And you're not. You're not the reverse. You're the good guy.
Like - Voldemort and Tom Riddle, I know. But I saw my counterpart on Earth-2, Reverb. Before I came here. He was me, he controlled those powers and he was a killer. It was like I could see what Thawne thought I will be - what I have the potential of being.
[ he sighs, runs a hand over his face ]
My father never cared about me, he never even got to know me, Wells was -- he really cared but all he felt was twisted and - what if it's too late for me? What if Thawne saw Reverb when he looked at me?
I know it's hard not to see it like that, but different Earths - mean completely different people, completely different paths. There are people here - great people, even [ they've put hank's counterpart behind them, he doesn't want to reopen the case, not with cisco. yes, he's mad at the guy for hurting kara, but that doesn't mean he has to go through this mess again with another friend and crewmate. ] - who are unspeakably evil in other worlds. It doesn't say anything about them, though. This - Reverb, he's not your future, he's a future, a possibility. Your - Reverse Flash. But you know what that makes you? The Flash. The hero. That potential's way stronger from where I'm sitting. You're not a killer, Cisco. I'd bet my life on it.
[ cisco doesn't seem like he has an evil bone in his body. and maybe - maybe he can hope that if ciso beats his odds - he could beat them too. ]
[ he nods, he understands all too well. he's lived in fear for so long of people finding out...until they did and nothing changed. well, mostly. at least they didn't beat him up, like kds used to. ]
But anytime you do wanna talk, just call me up, I'll come meet you. And I'm - I'm really sorry, for all of it.
[ it's so awkward. he wants to give the guy a hug but they're sitting down and it just feels awkward. it's the kind of thing he wouldn't have a problem doing with kara, or kitty, or even kate. but with a guy...it just feels so awkward. ]
[ sidetracked - he jumps to his feet too and gives cisco a warm hug before heading to the bar with him. he hasn't really touched his beer yet, but now that the mood isn't so gloomy, he'll catch up easily enough so he may as well get the next one. ]
She's -- she's Kara. She's strong, she never stays down for long.
[ but he knows how hard being here is on her. what happened with hank wasn't helping, neither was his reaction to it. he tries his hardest, but it never seems to be quite enough, and it takes all the cheer right out of him to think about it. ]
The game'll help. And she asked me to add emoji to the network - how're you at drawing? Wanna give me a hand?
[ Kara's nice, after all. she reminds him of barry in her happy go lucky way but being a bff of the latter, Cisco knows the cheer and smile can hide many other things beneath. It probably doesn't help when she wants to be Supergirl, strong for everybody's sake. ]
I'm not the best but I think we can whip a few emojis.
[ he nods. nothing ever feels like enough - every time he tries to help her, he feels like he somehow just ends up making things worse. she's supergirl and he's superfail. ]
Hey, if they suck they'll make her laugh, I'll take that.
It's a hard in a space-world without comfort food. With Caitlin, I usually buy her ice cream and 3 scoops later - new person. Got us through really weird times.
[ and difficult ones but he was already enough of a debbie downer today ]
the worst feeling is that some people might be eating popcorn and enjoying her heartbreak - I WILL GET YOU -
[ whoa - dude. he actually jumps back a little bit cuz that was unexpected, but he nods along in earnest agreement. ]
It's support team's turn to save the day. And show the multiverse why you don't mess with the nerds.
[ he has dreams sometimes cisco. such glorious dreams of viruses infecting every system they've got, sending them back to the fucking stone age where they belong. you do not use tech for evil. you just do not. especially not to hurt his best friend. ]
Huh, is her metabolism different than ours? because if it is, she is really like Barry as far as eating goes. I once saw him go through 14 stacks of pancakes and that was before we hit the Chinese restaurant.
[ shaking his head. you'll get used to the dramatics, winn ]
So basically....like Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day!
Then she totally is like Barry -- I wonder who'll win in a pie eating contest - at potstickers it's totally gonna be Kara, she's a bottomless pit for those - and pizza - and ice cream - actually, yeah, my money's on Kara -
[ his money is always on kara though. you get an excited smile there, cisco. ]
Forget the fat lady. You're obsessed with fat lady. Just get us out of here!
Ok, this argument is futile. Barry's not here, we can't test this theory and I cannot kick your ass at a wager over him winning when the loser has to eat a whole bottle of cheese-flavored gel. You would have lost though.
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and then goes into overdrive as he continues his explanation. it's getting harder to follow, more confusing, convoluted, there's so much information being thrown at him, and he's still trying to come to grips with another person who means more to him than he can say - having died.
he wants to scream. to hug cisco. to find a way to personify the multiverse so he could kick it in the balls.
he sits there and tries to focus his mind, to keep listening to cisco's story. his eyes glisten with unshed tears, and he bites down on his lip, trying to clear away the cloud of rage.
he nods stiffly at the question, deciding to keep his answer short. he doesn't need his voice betraying him. he doesn't need cisco to feel like he has to comfort him, like kitty did. there's so much he wants to say but the story is clearly still not over. ]
Think so.
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So what we knew was this, Eobard Thawne was the Reverse Flash, he went back in time to kill Barry who was a kid, failed - we'll get to that and because he was pissed, killed Barry's mom and since he was stuck without his speed and out of his time, he killed the actual Wells, used some creepy tech to take his face and identity and set out to create the Flash to use his speed, he created the condition, the explosion, everything that happened was planned. All of us were just - means to an end. Now, Thawne wants to go home, he told Barry that he - future - Barry - went back in time to save his...child self and ruined his plans. Thawne offers him a deal, Barry will run fast enough to create a tear in time and space and send him back to his timeline and in return, he could go back in time to save his mom.
[ with all the mess with zoom and earth-2, this all seems like it happened years ago ]
Barry went back but he - didn't change the timeline, he didn't save his mom. he did save his younger self and so Thawne's plans went to hell. he was - angry. we finally stopped only when - Eddie shot himself. He killed - himself. He was Thawne's ancestor and when he died, Thawne was erased from the timeline.
[ the night comes back in a flash, Iris screaming, Thawne disappearing, Eddie dying on the floor ]
before he died, I got the chance to talk to him, I told I remembered him killing me. He said - it wasn't a dream. He said I was - well. Like Barry. a meta-human, that I could - see through the vibrations of the universe - the multiverse, we later found out. He said he was excited for me, that my destiny is great, shaped by him and that I have to remember those powers were given to me by him. that he did it all out of love.
[ he looks at his beer and finishes it ]
Barry named me. You asked. I'm Vibe. But I'm - I can't be proud of what I have, these powers, they always feel like traces of him. They always feel like I'm channeling him and I know that there is a darkness hidden in them.
[ if he makes the wrong choices. he saw what he could become. reverb. the one eobard thawne would be proud of, really. ]
His darkness. I don't control them, I don't know if I want to. Every time I use them, I remember him, it's like he's always there. There are traces of him in my powers and I have the potential to become something like him. Someone - terrible.
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I know how you feel. [ it sounds empty right now, he knows, but it won't in a minute - not after he explains. he's not going to go into the amount of detail cisco did - definitely not now because he doesn't want to make it about himself. just enough for his point of view to carry some weight. ]
I was always exactly like my dad - I got my genius from him, a lot of my personality from him, I even look like him. Which, would've been fine if he hadn't snapped when I was 11 and murdered half a dozen people with a bomb in a teddy bear. Recently he told me -- that I'm exactly like him, his greatest creation. That his genius - his madness - it's in me. That we're linked. And I'm - terrified that he's right. But if I don't use my brain because it might be like him - then the dark side wins, man. We have to take it back. He may have given you your powers - but you're the one who has them, you're the one who controls them. You're the one who decides what they get to be used for.
[ and yes. he knows it's easier said than done. but he believes in cisco more than he believes in himself. ]
The power's not evil - it's the user. And you're not. You're not the reverse. You're the good guy.
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[ he sighs, runs a hand over his face ]
My father never cared about me, he never even got to know me, Wells was -- he really cared but all he felt was twisted and - what if it's too late for me? What if Thawne saw Reverb when he looked at me?
[ he puts a hand on his shoulder ]
I'm sorry. About him. Fathers, man.
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I know it's hard not to see it like that, but different Earths - mean completely different people, completely different paths. There are people here - great people, even [ they've put hank's counterpart behind them, he doesn't want to reopen the case, not with cisco. yes, he's mad at the guy for hurting kara, but that doesn't mean he has to go through this mess again with another friend and crewmate. ] - who are unspeakably evil in other worlds. It doesn't say anything about them, though. This - Reverb, he's not your future, he's a future, a possibility. Your - Reverse Flash. But you know what that makes you? The Flash. The hero. That potential's way stronger from where I'm sitting. You're not a killer, Cisco. I'd bet my life on it.
[ cisco doesn't seem like he has an evil bone in his body. and maybe - maybe he can hope that if ciso beats his odds - he could beat them too. ]
I'm sorry too. Your dad's really missing out.
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[ them. Their friends. Those who are here, those who are home. One thing, however, remains certain ]
...it has to stay a secret. Thawne, Vibe. I - don't want anyone else to know.
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[ he nods, he understands all too well. he's lived in fear for so long of people finding out...until they did and nothing changed. well, mostly. at least they didn't beat him up, like kds used to. ]
But anytime you do wanna talk, just call me up, I'll come meet you. And I'm - I'm really sorry, for all of it.
[ it's so awkward. he wants to give the guy a hug but they're sitting down and it just feels awkward. it's the kind of thing he wouldn't have a problem doing with kara, or kitty, or even kate. but with a guy...it just feels so awkward. ]
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[ he looks at his finished beer and then at him ]
If I get up to get another and you get up to help me, we could hug it out and move on to me kicking your ass in air hockey.
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We can move on to you trying -
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[ jumping to his feet ]
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[ sidetracked - he jumps to his feet too and gives cisco a warm hug before heading to the bar with him. he hasn't really touched his beer yet, but now that the mood isn't so gloomy, he'll catch up easily enough so he may as well get the next one. ]
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[ grabbing a second beer, he sits down and looks at his board ]
My finest creation yet.
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[ he is making you donkey kong. he grabs a beer and sits back down, finally taking a long sip from his first and smiles. ]
It's a beauty - Kara'll love it - we should have game night.
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[ he takes a sip of his beer ]
last time I've seen her she was - bummed.
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[ but he knows how hard being here is on her. what happened with hank wasn't helping, neither was his reaction to it. he tries his hardest, but it never seems to be quite enough, and it takes all the cheer right out of him to think about it. ]
The game'll help. And she asked me to add emoji to the network - how're you at drawing? Wanna give me a hand?
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[ Kara's nice, after all. she reminds him of barry in her happy go lucky way but being a bff of the latter, Cisco knows the cheer and smile can hide many other things beneath. It probably doesn't help when she wants to be Supergirl, strong for everybody's sake. ]
I'm not the best but I think we can whip a few emojis.
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[ he nods. nothing ever feels like enough - every time he tries to help her, he feels like he somehow just ends up making things worse. she's supergirl and he's superfail. ]
Hey, if they suck they'll make her laugh, I'll take that.
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[ and difficult ones but he was already enough of a debbie downer today ]
the worst feeling is that some people might be eating popcorn and enjoying her heartbreak - I WILL GET YOU -
[ said loudly to no one in particular ]
AND YOUR LITTLE SPACE ALIEN DOGS, TOO.
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[ whoa - dude. he actually jumps back a little bit cuz that was unexpected, but he nods along in earnest agreement. ]
It's support team's turn to save the day. And show the multiverse why you don't mess with the nerds.
[ he has dreams sometimes cisco. such glorious dreams of viruses infecting every system they've got, sending them back to the fucking stone age where they belong. you do not use tech for evil. you just do not. especially not to hurt his best friend. ]
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[ shaking his head. you'll get used to the dramatics, winn ]
So basically....like Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day!
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[ his money is always on kara though. you get an excited smile there, cisco. ]
Forget the fat lady. You're obsessed with fat lady. Just get us out of here!
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[ firm nod ]
he is a bottomless pit with super speed. My money's on barry.
[ is this the team flash vs team supergirl showdown ]
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[ it absolutely is. team supergirl all the way! ]
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[ :| ]
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[ :D ]
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