Author's Note: This is the prequel to 'I Hope That You're Comfortable in the Quiet, Lasting Grave' (which I actually wrote first). Both of them can be read concurrently since this fanfic offers insight on Hunter's POV on their relationship and establishes the AU of this series – like how the real Jay Garrick is the Man in the Mask, and that Hunter/Zoom is just posing as him. Also, Caitlin and Hunter are asexual.

While this has spoilers up to Episode 19, it is also very AU. I had only watched up to Episode 14 when I first wrote the sequel and published it. However, a friend of mine said something and the next I knew I was watching very spoiler-y clips on Youtube from the recent episodes. Instead of rewriting what I had, I decided to apply select canon details but still keep the idea I had written originally. So if you see any discrepancies, this is the reason why.

Trigger Warnings - not sure what they are, but Zoom is a manipulative, homicidal asshole and this applies to the entire fanfic.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash. Please note that certain beliefs the characters have do not reflect my own. This fanfic's title is taken from the lyrics in Bastille's 'The Driver.'

...

Chapter 1

One moment, Caitlin's attention had been on him, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to suppress her laughter at the story Hunter told her. In the next, her expression became startled when her eyes flitted to something behind his shoulder.

"Connor!" she cried out, standing up from her seat. Hunter stiffened, turning around to see the person who caught her attention.

It was a brown-haired man, close to Caitlin's age. He had a wide grin on his face as he raised his arms welcomingly. A cool breeze wafted into Hunter's skin as Caitlin quickly went around the table to embrace the stranger.

The world seemed to stop when the unknown man placed a kiss on her cheek. It was a friendly gesture, but in Hunter's eyes, it was far more affectionate than it should be.

Hunter couldn't breathe for a moment, his heart constricting painfully in his chest. And in the next second, it felt as if a dam exploded. Blood roared in his ears. He had to put his cup down and place his hands on his thighs when he realized they were shaking. His right hand, the one he mostly used to execute annoying hindrances and his incompetent lackeys, tingled with the phantom feeling of plunging through someone's chest and shredding their heart apart.

It would be so easy to do that now. Like a knife cutting through butter. Hunter could taste the intoxicating flavor of speed-force hovering on the edges of his senses. Ripping off the restraints that hid it from them would take barely a second –

"Jay." Caitlin's voice abruptly wrenched him back to reality. He felt his expression soften when his eyes landed onto her. "This is Connor. Connor, this is my friend, Jay."

Hunter knew that Caitlin didn't want to bring any attention to him, considering he was an Earth-2 inhabitant. But hearing her say that made him unsettled for some inexplicable reason.

The younger man narrowed his eyes, attention flickering from Caitlin to Hunter, back and forth. He suddenly grinned. "I don't think so, Cait. This guy looks more than just a friend."

"I'm her boyfriend," Hunter said smoothly before she could reply. He stood up and came over to Caitlin's side. She shot him an alarmed look, but Hunter placed a hand on the small of her back, his thumb stroking her reassuringly. In the depths of his mind, a voice was warning him to get a grip on himself – let Caitlin handle this man, and everyone would leave none the wiser – but Hunter ignored it. Something had come over him when Connor used the same affectionate nickname Hunter did. He had only just met the man minutes ago, but Hunter already hated him just as much as he did the real Jay.

Connor gave Caitlin a wounded look. "You didn't tell us about him! Wait till Jessica hears about this."

"Connor…" She groaned.

The man smirked at her before turning his attention back to Hunter. "So, Jay. How long has she been hiding you? Oh sorry, where are my manners?" He offered his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Hunter smiled and took his hand, shaking it. "Nice to meet you too." It was harder than usual to sound like he meant it. The dark feelings howling for blood really didn't help at all. He quashed them down with difficulty, but the seething desire to kill remained. "You guys seem to be really close friends."

"Well…" Connor glanced at Caitlin questioningly.

She sighed. "We dated back at uni. The breakup was amicable, and so we stayed friends. Unfortunately." The last word came out disgruntled, but it was clear that Caitlin was just teasing the man.

"Blunt as ever, Cait. You sure you should be saying this to your boyfriend?" Connor asked good-humoredly.

"I don't like causing drama. And besides," she glanced up at Hunter. "Jay has the right to know."

The adoring look on her face elicited a strange, but not unpleasant sensation in his chest. He faintly noted that this particular symptom was becoming more and more frequent lately and was always accompanied with the urge to kiss her soundly on the mouth.

Normally, such an uncharacteristic reaction would have sent off alarms in his head, but Hunter found no problem with it since wooing Caitlin was part of his plans anyway, and so something like this would only help his case.

His longing must have been visible on his face, because then Connor pretended to make a gagging noise.

"Urgh, you two are so disgustingly in love. You must've been dating for a good amount of time, then. I can't believe you didn't tell us."

Caitlin's smile didn't falter, but Hunter could feel her tense. "I'm sorry, Connor. I've been so busy lately, I haven't even talked to Jessica for a while now."

Connor looked like he was about to call her out on the feeble lie. Before he could even get a word out, Hunter raised his arm and glanced at his wristwatch.

"Cait, we better leave now or we'll be late to the meeting," he said, injecting an appropriate amount of worry into his tone.

She immediately caught on with his intentions. "Oh no! We better go right now –" Caitlin paused, remembering something. "Wait. I have to go buy them some drinks first. Connor – "

"No worries." The man raised his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "I understand. Just promise you'll meet up with me and Jessica sometime?"

Her eyes softened. "Of course. I'll text you later."

She stepped away from Hunter to give Connor a hug. The warmth she took with her left him feeling strangely bereft. He drew his hands behind his back when the trembling from earlier made itself apparent again. Their embrace only lasted ten seconds at most, but to Hunter, it felt like an eternity. He bit the inside of his mouth hard enough to taste blood.

What was wrong with him? Why was he feeling this way? The man wasn't important enough to even be a pawn on his chessboard, much less an issue to occupy his thoughts for this long. Why did he want to kill Connor so badly?

Connor was a threat to his plans. Yes, that was it. Caitlin used to date him, didn't she? It would be troublesome if she suddenly had feelings for the man again. All the time he spent with Caitlin to win her affections would go to waste. That wouldn't do. He wasn't going to let some runt get between him and Caitlin – no, his plans, he corrected himself. Yes, that's right. His plans.

A familiar hand brushed his arm, pulling him from his contemplation. All his murderous thoughts dissipated when Caitlin stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss on his jaw.

"I'll be right back," she murmured, her breath warm against his skin. She left before he could recover.

…No, he decided, watching her walk over to the ordering line. Caitlin was loyal. He needn't ever worry about her leaving him, unless he misstepped – which was never going to happen. Still, the image of her with Connor stayed stuck in his mind and made him want to grind his teeth.

"So, I'm guessing you work with Cait at S.T.A.R. labs?"

Hunter reluctantly dragged his eyes away from Caitlin. "Yes. I'm a chemist."

Connor let out a low whistle. "Nice. How are you guys getting paid anyway? You know, ever since Dr. Wells…"

"Patents. And Wells' own funds. We've got no shortage of money anytime soon."

"What made you decide to come here? I'm assuming you're not from Central City. No one else wants to work there anyway, not after what happened."

Hunter picked up his cup from the table and swirled the contents. He did not drink it however, eyeing the man before him.

"I'm beginning to think you're not just making small talk for small talk's sake," he finally said mildly. "You're interrogating me."

Connor grinned. "Damn right I am. You'd think I'd just let you guys go without squeezing out some details?"

What an infuriating man. Well, he wasn't going to back down from a challenge. And he wasn't worried about it either – a quick glance at Caitlin told him that she would have her orders soon. Connor wouldn't be able to ask as much questions as he wanted. Hunter gestured for him to continue on. "Fire away, then," he said amiably.

But Connor was aware of his dwindling time too and immediately went to the heart of the matter, his expression becoming solemn.

"You're older than Cait. Am I right?"

Hunter almost bristled at Connor's tone, before recalling the differences on Earth-1. Relationships with age gaps were common on his Earth. Over here, they were more scrutinized.

"Yes. By eleven years," he said truthfully, seeing no reason to hide it. "Our life experiences are very different, but…" Hunter trailed off, his eyes finding the subject of their conversation by the counter. The corners of his mouth unconsciously quirked into a soft smile. "She makes me feel more alive. I don't think I've ever loved someone as much as I do now."

The younger man scrutinized him for a long moment. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"I do." The reply came out before Hunter could even process it.

He froze, his heart skipping a beat as the words echoed in his mind. She makes me feel more alive…I don't think I've ever loved someone as much as I do now.

It wasn't…a lie?

Connor was saying something now, but Hunter could only nod distractedly, his mind racing. When did the act become something real? Normally the sickeningly honeyed words would be something he spewed in order to keep up his masquerade, but now it came so smoothly to him it couldn't be anything but genuine.

What the hell was happening to him?

Connor suddenly clapped him on the shoulder, jolting him from his frantic thoughts. It took every ounce of self-restraint to not break the man's hand.

"You seem like a nice guy, so I won't give you the full spiel." Connor paused, and although there was humor in his voice, the look in his eyes was serious. "If you break Caitlin's heart, you better watch out. I'm not exaggerating when I say all her friends and I will track you down and kick your ass."

Hunter smiled. Inwardly, he was imagining the man's pained screams as he ripped him limb from limb.

I'd like to see you try, boy. Not that it would come to that. A possessive fervor took over his thoughts. He was too absorbed in the present to realize what it meant.

She's mine.

"Trust me, Connor," he said smoothly. "That's not something you ever have to worry about."

...

Hunter searched for Connor's doppelganger the moment he went back to Earth-2.

At first, it was a way to expel the accumulation of fury and bloodthirst that had skyrocketed in the presence of the irritating man. Unfortunately, he couldn't get rid of the Earth-1 version without bringing attention from the team. He still wanted them in the dark about his identity after all, and if there was one thing Hunter prided himself in, it was his patience. Connor would receive his dues in time. For now, his counterpart would have to suffer Hunter's wrath.

Fate was definitely in his favor. It turned out that Earth-2 Connor was a member of the CCPD. No one would question Zoom targeting a police officer. It was a common enough occurrence for him anyway. Last Hunter had heard, they had to raise the benefits for their law enforcement members in order to keep them from relocating to a different city.

It was still day when Hunter tracked him down. The man cowered against the brick wall, his empty gun trembling in his shaking hands. Behind Hunter lay the still bodies of the officers who were stupidly brave enough to stand in his way. The air was filled with the screams of civilians and the still howling sirens from abandoned patrol cars. The sound of metal clinking onto the asphalt added to the cacophony as Hunter let the bullets he caught drop onto the ground.

"Wh–what do you want with me?" the man gasped.

Hunter stalked over to him.

"Officer Maddox. I don't have a grievance with you in particular." He stopped in front of him. Hunter was close enough to see the sweat dripping down from the man's forehead like tears. "But," he drawled, watching Connor quake in fear. "In another life, you've really crossed me."

The dark-clothed speedster didn't even give the officer a second to process that. In the next moment, his clawed hand was wrapped around Connor's neck as he effortlessly lifted him up into the air. The man gagged, his hands scratching uselessly at the vise-like grip choking him.

It was so satisfying to see Connor's face take on a puce color. He didn't even have to use much imagination to superimpose the sight of the Earth-1 version onto him. A low growl emanated from deep in Hunter's chest as his fingers tightened. Every ounce of rationality left in his mind was consumed by a thunderous roar.

How dare this stranger touch Caitlin. It didn't matter that it was years before Hunter even met her. She was his, and he wasn't going to let any hands beside his roam over her body, nor could anyone else comfort her, hold her, kiss her –

The gurgling noise suddenly stopped, and Connor went limp, his hands slipping down from Hunter's wrist. Hunter stared at the man for a long moment before releasing his grip. The officer fell to the ground with a muffled thump, sprawled like a puppet that had its strings cut.

He was dead.

Hunter slowly raised his hands before him, palms facing upwards. Tremors shook them. His raspy breaths were surprisingly loud in his ears, and his chest heaved as if he had just ran for hours.

When was the last time he killed a person like this? As Zoom?

Never. No one was worth his time for such a slow execution. It was always a vibrating hand through the heart. It wasn't quick enough for them to die instantaneously, nor was it anymore drawn out than it should be. The victim always had that pained look of cognizance, the split-second realization that their heart was in his hand. That look would be frozen on their face when he finally crushed it.

But this…this was personal. He didn't do personal. Not unless he counted the time with his father –

An animal-like, keening noise escaped from the mouth-slits of his mask as the revelation hit him a second later.

No. No.

It couldn't be –

Memories of Caitlin flitted through his mind. Her smiles. Her laughter. The tremors in his hands eased.

No.

He cared for her. He loved her.

The sound of a whistling dart barely managed to catch his attention in time. He whirled around, snatching it right out of the air. The point of the needle was less than a centimeter away from hitting him.

Hunter slowly raised his eyes. Several new squad cars had arrived on the scene. All the officers were out, crouching behind their vehicles with their weapons trained on him.

The dart shattered in his hand when he crushed it. Broken glass fell. Liquid ran down his arm, glistening blue from the speed-force lightning that arced across his body.

"That was a bad idea," he growled.

Shots were fired in reply.

What brave, stupid people. He almost felt sorry for them.

Almost.

...

Zoom was uncharacteristically distracted today. Reverb was the only one who noticed it.

All the important metas under his command had been called to a meeting hours after the speedster returned from Earth-1. Everyone was reporting the events that occurred during Zoom's absence, as well as the discontented murmurs coming from the gangs comprised of regular humans. The latter were angry due to Zoom's effect on their businesses and his unabashed encroachment into their territory. Not that they could do anything about it. No one could stop Zoom when he wanted something.

Normally the speedster's replies were minced and straight to the point. It was mostly them doing the talking, really. But today, Zoom was quieter than usual. He sat sprawled in his chair like a reclining feline, the tips of his clawed fingers tapping methodically on the arm-rests. They were already three-fourths through the meeting and Zoom had only spoken six times, and that was when the subject of disposable metas that could be sent to Earth-1 came up. Even when they brought up the news of a group of external metas that just came to Central City, he had remained silent.

Reverb's eyes were safely hidden behind his glasses, so he could observe the speedster for as long as he wanted. His eyes narrowed when he saw Zoom's tapping falter slightly. At that same moment, Deathstorm had whispered something into Killer Frost's ear, making her giggle.

His lips pursed into a tight line before a smile could break through. Well, well, well. Zoom had been focused on Killer Frost since the beginning.

It was confirmation for what Reverb had been suspecting for a long time now.

Some meta, Reverb forgot his name, decided to voice a question that had been in everyone's heads since Zoom returned.

"Uh, Boss?"

The clawed fingers stopped tapping. Zoom didn't say anything, but the gesture was telling enough.

The meta gulped. "We've heard the news today. You killed a bunch of coppers in broad daylight. It was, uh, very sudden…"

All was silent. It was as if everyone was holding their breaths. Reverb inwardly groaned. Was the meta trying to get himself killed? He couldn't just keep his curiosity to himself like everyone else.

"Do I need a reason to kill those fools?" Zoom asked slowly. The growling undertone in his voice was more prominent than ever.

The meta balked, backtracking quickly. "No, of course not! We were just wondering, since the last time that happened, someone was poking around too much – "

"Cease your talking. Or you'll find yourself without a tongue very soon."

An undignified squeak escaped from the meta. Zoom started tapping his arm-rest again, his eyes straying over to Killer Frost. It was impossible to see what he was looking at due to his completely black eyes, so no one called him out on it.

But at least one person discerned Zoom's preoccupation, because he had been specifically looking for it.

Reverb cleared his throat. "Back to the topic – what do you want us to do about this gang of external metas, Zoom?"

"Kill them," came the immediate reply. "Clearly they aren't planning to play by our rules. And they still come here after seeing what I do to those who oppose me. I won't have idiots under my command." The speedster shifted, the movement not unlike a deadly panther uncoiling his muscles. "Make their execution very public. Make the message clear that this is my city. I don't have time to deal with weaklings like them, so the honor falls in your hands. I trust you will not fail me."

Reverb bowed his head. "Of course, sir."

"You're all dismissed."

The metas practically scurried out of the room, not wanting to be in Zoom's murderous aura for any longer than necessary. Only one person stayed behind after signaling to Deathstorm and Killer Frost to leave ahead of him.

"What do you want, Reverb?"

He kept his arms relaxed by his sides, but the sweat beading behind his neck betrayed his fear.

Everyone else thought that the Flash was dead. Only Reverb knew better. Zoom would undoubtedly kill him if he found out, but Reverb was gambling on the chance that he wouldn't. He wasn't one of Zoom's top henchman for nothing. The man clearly needed him for his plans.

"I've been having these visions for some time now," he said slowly.

"Don't you always?" the speedster asked sarcastically.

"These are…different. It has to do with your time on Earth-1."

As usual, it was difficult to tell what Zoom was focused on. But Reverb felt rather than saw Zoom's eyes honing in onto him.

"Is that so." The other man sounded calm. Too calm.

"Yes. Particularly with one Caitlin Snow." He wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been looking for it, but Zoom definitely tensed at the woman's name. "Always with you there, though." Reverb paused, licking his dry mouth. "The news reported that all the officers were killed with your usual execution-style – all but one. The man looked remarkably similar to the one who hugged Snow in that café."

Zoom was silent for a long, terrifying moment.

"Reword your statement carefully, and you might find yourself living another day."

"What I meant was, sir," he managed to say steadily, "Is that I can help you keep tabs on Snow. She seems to be really important to your plans if you're spending this much time with her."

"Hmmm. How generous." The speedster sounded darkly amused. "But I believe I hear a threat in there, Mr. Ramon."

Reverb flinched. It had been a long time since anyone used his real name. The fact that Zoom purposely used it, dangling it before him like a bottle of poison, made him more anxious. He was a cold-hearted criminal for sure, but even he still had ties to his family. Frayed ties, but ties nonetheless.

But now, he knew Zoom also wasn't as heartless as everyone thought him to be. And therein lied his opportunity.

"You heard correctly," Reverb said, keeping his chin up.

Zoom's reaction wasn't what he had been expecting. A low chuckle came from his mouth-slits. It quickly escalated to full-blown laughter. The chilling noise echoed unnervingly in the room.

There was a flash of blue lightning, and suddenly, Zoom was in front of him. Reverb couldn't help but take a step back when Zoom bent down to meet his eyes. No emotion shone in his unfathomable orbs. It almost made Reverb wonder if he had been imagining the man's affection toward that woman.

But then he recalled Zoom's latest massacre, and he knew for certain that he was right.

"The only reason you're still alive is because I need your unique powers," Zoom rasped. "You crave this city so badly you would threaten me? Don't be foolish. I can end you before you even lift a finger. Do not even think about touching her, or telling anyone else about this." He straightened, finally giving Reverb room to breathe. "The first thing I do before I recruit anyone is finding out who and where their loved ones are. Keep that in mind, Cisco."

Reverb swallowed. "I understand perfectly."

"Good. Now leave before I change my mind."

Clenching his hands into fists, if only to stop himself from firing a vibrational blast at the speedster's monstrous mug, Reverb did exactly like that. Deathstorm and Killer Frost gave him questioning looks when he stepped out into the hallway, but he ignored them.

Reverb was tired of being under Zoom's foot. With his abilities, he was destined for great things. He could even cross over to Earth-1 right now and find that woman Zoom was infatuated with. But Zoom's promise hung heavily over his head, and so Reverb forcibly reined in his frustration.

Some day, he would topple Zoom from his throne and rightfully take over the city. He just needed to be patient. Zoom already committed his first misstep. There would definitely be more to come. The speedster wasn't as infallible as he made himself out to be.

...

Hunter was furious at Reverb's audacity. Unlike Earth-1 Cisco, the meta was more practiced and refined at using his powers. Hunter hadn't sensed him vibing at all. He had counted on fear holding the meta back from doing such a thing toward him, but apparently it hadn't been enough.

He paid a visit to Reverb's family hours after that conversation. Hunter didn't kill them, but he made sure Reverb would know what happened – and what will happen should he step out of line again.

Still, the meta's threat festered in his mind like a horrible itch he couldn't get rid of. The next thing he knew, he was crossing the breach to Earth-1 in his Zoom attire.

It was late into the night when he arrived. At his max-speed, not even S.T.A.R. labs' sensors could detect his presence. The reserves of speed-force he could use for the day without it exacerbating his degenerative condition was dwindling at an alarming rate – he had already spent most of it terrorizing Earth-2's Central City. The smart choice to follow now was to retreat and recover a good amount before he exerted himself. It was the right thing to do. It was what he should have done.

He found himself in her apartment.

Caitlin didn't even stir in her sleep as he prowled around her bed. Blue light eerily flickered across her skin, illuminated by the lightning that hissed over his body.

She was so small, so fragile. The thought that he should kill her came to him as naturally as breathing. She was a liability after all. A weakness. His enemies would take advantage of him, all because of his feelings for her.

Emotions were a weakness. Didn't his occasional flashbacks to that day prove it? He still loved his mother, still hated his father. They would haunt him to his death, and he would never be free of them no matter how deeply he buried his humanity.

And now he cared for this woman.

There was no getting rid of her, he realized. Just as he could never escape his parents' influence, so too would Caitlin forever be imprinted in every cell of his body.

The fact that he didn't find himself minding so much only reinforced it.

Slowly, the dark-clothed speedster reached out and carefully ran his claws through the woman's hair.

You've made me weak. I should hate you for it. I should kill you too. I've done it easily enough to dozens of people before without a second thought. But I love you more than I could ever hate you, so I can never hurt you. You're the only one who matters to me. You're the only one I would ever be weak for.

The absentminded strokes against her hair suddenly became a tight, possessive grip. Caitlin shifted, but did not wake up.

You're mine, he vowed, drinking in her peaceful profile. I won't ever let you go – no matter how much you wish for it.

You're stuck with me now, Caitlin.

...

Author Notes:

1. Warning - this fanfic will be EXTREMELY AU. I planned this series out when I only watched up to Episode 14, so be aware of cameos by OCs (they won't be the main characters though, just showing up for advancement of plot), and discrepancies. Also, Caitlin and Hunter are asexual here. If you're not into these things, you should probably turn away.

2. On the issue of the time remnant - my friends and I were confused. Does that mean Caitlin had been in love with younger!Hunter all along? So I skimmed through Episode 18 clips again - Iris asks Hunter/Zoom when he got the remnant, and he answers that he retrieved the remnant once they closed all the breaches and headed to Earth-2. Conclusion - it was only when the team went to Earth-2 that he switched out with the remnant, and not before. So older!Hunter/Zoom and Caitlin had fallen in love. BUT how did he go back to Earth-1 when all breaches were closed, including the one at STAR Labs, BEFORE the team went to Earth-2? I'm guessing that's where Reverb comes in - which is why I had Zoom keep him alive despite the risk of him hurting Caitlin. Adding this here because it will be an important scene in a future chapter. ;-)

3. Although this was mostly from the POV of Hunter, I'm pretty sure I actually wrote three people instead - Jay/Hunter, Hunter/Zoom, and Zoom. I thought I made a mistake, but then I remembered that even we have different personalities/faces we show to certain people (ex: I wouldn't act the same way toward a friend as I would with a family member). So hopefully that works out lol.

4. I based off Caitlin and Hunter/Zoom's age on their actors since I couldn't find it (28 and 39, respectively). I wouldn't be surprised if this is canon in the show, considering that Jay looks older than her. This is not the issue in the story though, so you'll only see it referenced in the beginning.

5. Reviews are love! You have no idea how much they mean to me. I always doubted my ability to write, so any constructive criticism, or even just a simple comment makes me happy and motivates me.

6. This fic is also posted on Archive Of Our Own under the user Floating_Red_Lotus.