Author's Note: There are some things you need to know before reading. Firstly, everything that happened before this fic is mostly canon-compliant. And secondly, the story picks up during Season 5 Episode 11 during the fight where Barry and Killer Frost teamed up to fight Cicada. Oh, and Nora and Thawne is from the year 2049, that's when they met.

Chapter 1 : Things you can't outrun

FLASH A̶N̶D̶ ̶F̶R̶O̶S̶T̶ MISSING VANISHES IN CRISIS

By: Iris West-Allen

Thursday, April 25, 2024

After an extreme street battle with the Reverse-flash, our City's very own Scarlet-Speedster a̶n̶d̶ p̶a̶r̶t̶n̶e̶r̶ ̶F̶r̶o̶s̶t̶ disappeared in an explosion of light. According to witnesses, The Flash, with the help of F̶r̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ Star City's Green Arrow, The Atom, and Hawk girl began fighting the Reverse-Flash around midnight last night. The Sky took on a deep crimson color as the ensuing battle created the most destruction the city has ever seen since The Flash first arrived in Central City.

Several trucks were caught in the fray, spilling their contents into the street. Power outages swept nearly twenty blocks, between 16th street and Adams Avenue. Five of those blocks still remain without power. All of the buildings in the area were evacuated by the CCPD, with additional help from The Atom.

According to reports as The Flash and Reverse-Flash battled with each other between two overturned tank trucks, the lightning emanating from the speedsters threatened to ignite spilled oil leaking from one of the trucks, m̶e̶a̶n̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶F̶r̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶l̶a̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶i̶l̶ ̶f̶i̶l̶l̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶r̶u̶c̶k̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶v̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶l̶o̶s̶i̶o̶n̶.̶

The smoke from one of the truck's engine made it difficult but it appeared at one point they were having a very heated conversation before continuing to fight. Then suddenly, T̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶v̶e̶r̶s̶e̶-̶f̶l̶a̶s̶h̶ ̶c̶a̶p̶t̶u̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶F̶r̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ Flash sped after the Reverse-Flash, and the t̶h̶r̶e̶e̶ two vanished leaving The Atom, Green Arrow, and Hawk girl behind.

An eyewitness who watched the battle from her apartment building before being evacuated said, "It was hard to see, but The Flash and Reverse-Flash were zipping up and down Main Avenue and then there was a whole bunch of lightning, and then nothing, It was weird"

Other witnesses described a similar phenomenon: a blinding light followed by a s̶u̶d̶d̶e̶n̶ ̶d̶r̶o̶p̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶e̶m̶p̶e̶r̶a̶t̶u̶r̶e̶ then darkness before the sky turned to black. And as the dust settled, it took only moments to realize Flash, ̶F̶r̶o̶s̶t̶ and Reverse-Flash were gone without a trace.

.

.

*2049*

This is what should have been written in that article.

The headline that weighed down on Barry's shoulders ever since discovering it on Gideon's archive, and the byline that defined the relationship of Barry and the future Mrs. Iris West-Allen. Unbeknownst to everyone vital information were erased from what really happened that faithful day and what really happens years after. Something Nora is hell-bent on hiding from them, and the real reason she went back in time.

Lightning sparked behind her vision. Thoughts of what happened flashed in her mind, she could feel it all again, the hurt, the betrayal, and hate.

"He never should have existed. He destroyed my family. I won't let him take what's mine, I'm going to make sure of that, even if I have to run back in time to do it." Nora spat out, bitterness saturating every word.

"Good. Because that is exactly what I need you to do." the man behind the glass said simply, with a calculative glint in his eyes.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that she would be working with him, the man whose sole mission in life was to destroy her father.

Eobard Thawne.

It was the midnight after their encounter with Cicada. The cold early January air blasted inside her apartment through the open window and she could care less, not like she could feel cold anymore. The freezing air actually comforted her more than anything, the gentle reminder that as long as she can't feel anything it means that her frosty alter ego is still inside of her, it means that she's not alone.

Saturday night. Most people would be at home, surrounded by family and friends all catching up around the dinner table over warm homemade food. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that the West-Allen family was doing just that— and not surprisingly, after the whole thing with Nora's fractured spine, she was sure Barry wanted nothing more than to spend some quality time with her. She was happy that she could at least provide that sort of comfort for them, she helped— well Killer Frost did.. Barry and her successfully stopped Cicada tonight. She couldn't help but admire how well they worked together, maybe all those years working with Barry through the coms finally paid off, they were so in-sync with each other on the field it was crazy. Although a small part of her was frustrated, they could have finally defeated Cicada tonight, they already had him. She knew Barry inside out, and no matter how mad he is, he would never ever have it in him to kill someone, so it frustrated her to no end thinking about how Nora and Iris didn't trust him enough to control himself, and how they found the need to subdue him therefore letting Cicada get away.

Caitlin Snow is so tired of feeling alone, and her empty apartment only made her feel more pitiful. So she decided to head back to STAR Labs, to work on the meta human cure for Cisco, and a serum that could negate Cicada's power on the others. She couldn't sleep because of the adrenaline from tonight's battle still coursing through her, so of course she went and made herself useful instead. Physically she was tired as hell, Killer Frost didn't stay out long enough to let her speed healing treat all her injuries from tonight, there was still a dull throb on her side and back where the cricket freak managed to back hand her and when she got thrown across the room when Cicada's dagger flew out when he escaped. She briefly checked her side for any fracture, and when she found nothing but a tender bruise forming she pushed the thought of it the back of her mind to remain composed and get back to working on the cure.

4 a.m.

She glanced up at the digital clock in her lab. She managed to stay awake for four hours already on pure adrenaline, and even that was running low already. She could feel sleep clawing at her consciousness, her eyelids dropping little by little, tempting her to just give into it. The formula for the Meta human cure was finished anyway, she thought to herself, maybe she should reward herself with some much needed sleep.

She managed to close her eyes for about a minute before she heard a whoosh of wind and papers fluttering in the Cortex, her sleep riddled mind wanted her to ignore it but the more logical part of the brain told her to check it out. She was already very used to hearing a speedster flash inside the cortex, and that's what it exactly sounded like.

Hmm... maybe Barry forgot something her in STAR Labs. She thought to herself, still refusing to open her heavy eyes.

But what's so important that he would find the need to run here at 4 in the freakin morning? The more logical part of her brain countered, further waking up her consciousness. So Caitlin decided to just check it out.

Caitlin quietly walked towards the cortex not wanting to startle Barry if he was indeed there, but when her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room she found no one there, just a bunch of papers scattered on the floor like there had been a strong gust of wind from the corridor outside. Caitlin glanced around the cortex again, inhaling very slowly and drumming her fingers along her side, to calm her nerves. There were no open windows anywhere in STAR Labs, that much she is aware of, so she knows something or someone definitely passed by the cortex.

The sound of the time vault door opening in the corridor behind her made her whip around. It couldn't be anyone but Barry, Cisco, her, and Sherloque Wells, only they had biometric access into the time vault. That piece of information at least comforted her, as she went out the corridor to head into the time vault.

"Barr—" She stopped short after hearing a feminine voice inside the small room. The person inside there definitely isn't Barry, Cisco, or Sherloque, her fight or flight response kicked in and told her to get out of there and call Cisco, but her curiosity got the better of her and she found herself taking small deliberate steps stopping just outside the door.

She could hear Gideon's voice as she followed the command of who ever was inside and she could hear papers fluttering like a notebook being turned. Caitlin really wanted to take a peek inside, but barely stopped herself, before the female voice spoke up. A voice she definitely recognizes, one that belongs to Nora West-Allen.

"Shall I send it to the same recipient?" She heard Gideon's robotic voice asks Nora.

"Yes." Nora answered simply.

"Entry sent to Professor Eobard Thawne." The A.I. informed the speedster matter of factly.

Wait.

Did I just hear that correctly?! Caitlin thought to herself, barely stopping the small gasp that threatened to come out. Her whole body froze in fear at just the sound of that name, and her brain can't seem to process the thought of The Reverse-Flash's real name and Nora's in one logical sentence. She started second guessing herself, maybe she just misheard what Gideon said, but she knows deep down that she heard the name loud and clear.

"That's everything for today Gideon, thanks." Nora answered quietly.

She managed to snap herself out of her thoughts just as she heard Nora shutting down Gideon. She needs to get out of there fast. Caitlin wasn't scared of Nora, but she couldn't confront her now if she wants to find out the truth. The problem is, how in the world is she going to outrun a speedster. Nora is definitely going to find out that she overheard her conversation with Gideon if she doesn't act fast.

Think Caitlin! What would Barry do if he was here? Caitlin thought to herself, trying to rack her brain to think of a way to go undetected.

'Oh let's see..what does a speedster do? He would just run.. Duh' A voice sarcastically answered her inside her head. Because all the tension she's feeling, Caitlin almost jumped out in surprise when her alter ego Frost suddenly piped up inside her head.

'Frost! We need to get out of here fast before she sees us!' Caitlin told Frost with urgency.

'Well, Good morning to you too Caity' Frost teased her, not really taking the situation she's in seriously.

'Frost, Now!' Caitlin screamed in her head with authority, as she heard Nora's footsteps approaching her hiding spot.

'Okay chill Caity. Give me the reigns, I got it from here' Frost answered her with confidence, and she could almost feel Frost rolling her eyes at her.

Caitlin emptied her mind and let go, she felt the cold surge up her arms first and then nothing. Frost was in control.

Nora just took her first step outside the time vault when Frost willed herself to become white cold fog and disappear on site, the speedster felt cold air around her but she just brushed it off and ran out of STAR Labs like nothing happened.