"We have to wait how long before we can use the meta-human cure?" Barry questions from next to me.

"Not even that long." Cisco stalls from telling us.

"Cisco." I clear my throat, staring at him.

"It's gonna go by-" Cisco snaps his fingers, "-like that."

"Cisco." I repeat, folding my hands together.

Cisco purses his lips, "29 days."

Sherloque chokes on his tea, the number catching us all off guard.

"29 days?" I repeated his words.

"A month?" Nora questions.

"I know, right?" Cisco chuckles nervously, "Just one, teeny, tiny, month until we stop Cicada's purge. You know, historically speaking, this is way faster than we've ever stopped a big bad so-"

"We can't wait that long, Cisco." I cut him off, "If he finds another meta or comes after us-"

Barry nods, "Zee's right, we have to speed this up somehow."

"We have to wait for the compound to fully synthesize or it won't be able to effectively neutralize the dark matter in a meta-human's pituitary gland." Caitlin explained, "Without any way to expedite the exotic evolution-"

"Guys, we're gonna have to wait." Cisco cuts in.

Caitlin agreed, "I think we have to wait."

Sherloque sipped his tea, "Unless you took it into the Speed Force."

"Huh?" I looked at him, "You want him to go into the Speed Force for a month and then, what, come out the same day that he left?"

"Oh, no, no, I'm not saying you manipulate time." Sherloque looks at me, "I'm saying you manipulate dark matter."

"So very simple." Sherloque presents, "It's simple chemistry, right? When you are synthesizing a compound, you use a commodity, uh, substrate, uh-"

Caitlin suggests, "A catalyst?"

"Catalyst, right." Sherloque points at her, "And the most efficient catalyst you can use when synthesizing a compound that negates dark matter is superluminal particles."

"Tachyons?" Nora spoke up.

Sherloque nods, "Tachyons, and the place where tachyons are the most dense?"

Barry exhales, "Speed Force."

"And voila." Sherloque nods.

"That might actually work." Caitlin looks at us.

"Yeah, it will." Cisco nods, "It'll be like nuking it in a pan-dimensional microwave.

I looked at Caitlin, "How much time would this save?"

Caitlin types, then looks at her screen, "From 29 days down to 60 minutes."

"An hour-" I looked up, "That's better than waiting 29 days."

"Yeah, it's gonna be faster." Cisco nods, pursing his lips.

"And also since Cicada has been quiet since your last encounter, maybe there's no time like the present." Sherloque adds in.

Barry looks at me for approval, inhaling deeply.

I nod, "Go for it."

"All right. I'll see you in an hour." Barry nods, pecking my lips, whooshing, changing into his suit and running down to the pipeline with the cure.

Nora's voice fills my ears as I neared the pipeline, "And what happened to Mom because of Cicada-"

"Speaking for myself- I'm fine, Nora." I walked into the pipeline, catching Nora and Barry's attention, "You guys aren't the only ones that can heal."

"Mom-" Nora huffs quietly in defeat, looking at me.

I place my hands on my hips, over the soft fabric of the plaid dress I had on, the only cooling feeling at my legs due to their bareness, black boots on my feet.

"Nora, this is the key to stopping Cicada." Barry held the cure, "I gotta go."

"Wait- before you go-" I jog over, pointing at me, "We're doing Thai tonight, right?"

"Really?" Barry stares at me, "I have to go into the Speed Force for an hour to help speed up this process and you're asking me about dinner?"

"Yes-" I drag out, wrapping my arms around him.

"Yes, we're doing Thai." Barry playfully rolls his eyes and pecks my lips, "I gotta go now."

"Fine-" I step away from him, standing next to Nora.

"If anything happens, just do what I've trained you to do: slow down and think clearly." Barry told Nora, "I trust you, you just gotta trust yourself."

"You'll be fine." Barry nods, then whooshes, disappearing.

"60 minutes." Nora says to herself, letting out a shaky breath.

"You'll be fine." I wrap an arm around her, smiling towards her, walking back up to the cortex with her.

-

[ nora's pov ]

"Hey, Nora- Zee, Cisco hasn't left for his date yet, has he?" Ralph asked my mom and I when we walked into the hall towards the cortex.

"Uh, I don't think so." I honestly told him.

"Great, we get another chance at this." Ralph smiles, starting to walk into the cortex with the Book of Ralph.

"Uh, Ralph, maybe this isn't a good idea-" My mom grabs onto the book, stopping him.

"What? Why?" Ralph questions.

"I mean- why not just let Cisco be himself-" She reasoned, "That's what she has to like him for-"

"He needs the Book of Ralph." Ralph pulls her along with the book, despite her slipping along with him no matter how much she tried to pull back, dropping the book onto Cisco's desk, it making a loud thud, catching everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" Sherloque asks me when I sit down in silence.

"Nothing." I looked up at him, then look over to my mother, Ralph and Cisco.

"Oh, God." Cisco dramatically said, "Not the "Book of Ralph" again-"

"I'm sorry, I tried-" My mom said quietly, shooting him a crooked smile of guilt, pressing her palms together.

"Yeah, buddy." Ralph slaps his hand against the book, "You successfully completed my 27 steps to getting over the love of your life. Gypsy is in the past. You have a new siren, so now it's time for- The Art of Love."

"Um, Caitlin?" Cisco looks at her for help.

"I've gotta finish working on the device to inject the cure." Caitlin comes up with an excuse, leaving the room.

"Also- I have to inject the device for the cure." Sherloque mutters, following Caitlin.

My mom starts to back away, Cisco looking at her instantly, "Zee- z- hey Zee? Zee-"

"Oh- man- I-" She grabbed her bag, "I actually have to go work on a few cases- there's a lot I can get done in an hour-"

"Help? Help please?" Cisco's voice ranged high, practically begging for help in his tone.

"Let me know when Barry gets back." She calls out, running out of the cortex.

"Help me." Cisco mouths towards me.

"Chapter one: Initial Planning." Ralph read.

"Initial planning?" Cisco repeats, "It's a first date, Sun Tzu, not an incursion."

"Trust me, Grasshopper, love is war, but, fine, if you wanna skip to chapter six, Know Your Terrain." Ralph continued.

"We're meeting at Jitters." Cisco stares at him as if he had gone insane.

"Ah, familiar territory." Ralph nods, "You are learning."

I step up, walking over, "Uh, you know, he really should be going."

Cisco jumps up, "I really should."

"Hang on, hang on- one second. This one's really important." Ralph turns the page, "Chapter thirteen, Intelligence and Reconnaissance."

I stammer, "You cyber-stalked Kamilla?"

"No, no, no, no, of course not. That's her public profile." Ralph spoke, "But it did happen to have some info on the types of guys that she might be into.l

"The types of guys that she's into?" Cisco repeats.

"Yes, and, unfortunately, you are nothing like them, but, hey, if you don't wanna get a second date, be my guest." Ralph starts to walk away, "Just don't come crying to me when everything inevitably goes horribly, horribly wrong and you die alone."

"See, now he's in my head." Cisco stares at the photos after Ralph leaves, then sets them down, walking away, "Okay, no thank you."

Cisco halts, turns and grabs the photos quickly, looking at me, "I didn't take these. You saw nothing."

"Nothing." I nod instantly, sitting down in his chair, looking at the time, as it read 8:07 pm.

-

[ zee's pov ]

I sigh deeply, setting down the last case in the pile I had, running a hand through my hair.

My hand was sore from how much I wrote, my head starting to pound from the amount of stress I had gotten from the stack.

I stood up, walking over to the coffee machine, deciding to just grab a cup of the cheap coffee served by CCPD.

I grab a cup, before making my way back up to Barry's Lab, where I had decided to work without any disturbance from anyone downstairs.

I took a sip of the bitter liquid, blinking hard at the taste.

I look up, noticing a shadow coming from behind me, the outline making me piece together that it was Cicada.

I grabbed my phone, tapping the distress signal right before he walked in.

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupts in my head, after being hit with something in the back of the head, my entire vision going black, the last thing I remember being the coffee cup hit the ground and spill everywhere.

-

"You're not the only one who does their research." Cicada paces in front of me, holding his dagger, having me tied up completely, on some sort of roof I couldn't recognize right away, my head pounding with pain, "I know who you are, Zee Allen."

"I'm married." I stupidly joke, "You didn't need to do the research to find that out."

Cicada steps closer to me, "You're a Detective. You're 27 years old. You work at CCPD and spend your mean time at Star Labs."

This shuts me up quick, as he went on, "I know you work with the Flash and the other heroes."

He looks at me, "You came into my home and hurt me. Today- I will hurt you."

"I know- you have a daughter." I call out, "What would she think if you were hurting innocent people?"

"You're a meta." He raises his voice, "She would be happy that I'm ridding this city of them- for her! I'm doing this for her!"

"Get away from her." Nora's voice sounds, a shaky breath leaving my lips, Killer Frost stood right next to her, "She's not who you want."

"No, she's not, but you are." Cicada's attention turns toward Nora.

"Then come and get us." Killer Frost said, ice daggers forming in her hands.

Cicada throws his dagger forward, and suddenly a sharp pain pierced into my back, my eyes widening.

"Mom!" Nora shouts, running over to me, tearing up quickly.

"Zee-" Killer Frost comes by Nora, her eyes wide as ever.

Cicada calls upon his dagger, jumping into the air, as my entire vision goes black and I take my last breath.

-

[ nora's pov ]

"Hey, Nora- Zee, Cisco hasn't left for his date yet, has he?" Ralph comes up to my mother and I, my eyes wide as ever.

''Mom-" I stare at her, her arm wrapped around me, breathing heavy because I had just watched her die.

"Uh- yeah?" She looks at me, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Oh my god-" I hugged her instantly and tightly, "I thought-"

She hugs back, "Nora- your dad left like ten seconds ago. Nothing has happened to me- are you okay?"

"Yeah- I-" I pull away, giving her a weak smile, "I'm fine now-"

Ralph looks at us, "Guys?"

I clear my throat and look at Ralph, "Uh, I don't think so."

"Great, we get another chance at this." Ralph smiles, starting to walk into the cortex with the Book of Ralph.

"Uh, Ralph, maybe this isn't a good idea-" My mom grabs onto the book, stopping him.

"What? Why?" Ralph questions.

"I mean- why not just let Cisco be himself-" She reasoned, "That's what she has to like him for-"

"He needs the Book of Ralph." Ralph pulls her along with the book, despite her slipping along with him no matter how much she tried to pull back, dropping the book onto Cisco's desk, it making a loud thud, catching everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" Sherloque asks me when I sit down in silence.

"Nothing." I looked down at my journal, muttering to myself while flipping through pages, "I just have to fix this-"

"Oh, God." Cisco dramatically said, "Not the "Book of Ralph" again-"

"Book of Ralph-" I whisper in unison with Cisco, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I tried-" My mom said quietly, shooting him a crooked smile of guilt, pressing her palms together.

"Yeah, buddy." Ralph slaps his hand against the book, "You successfully completed my 27 steps to getting over the love of your life. Gypsy is in the past. You have a new siren, so now it's time for- The Art of Love."

"Um, Caitlin?" Cisco looks at her for help.

"I've gotta finish working on the device to inject the cure." Caitlin comes up with an excuse, leaving the room.

"Also- I have to inject the device for the cure." Sherloque mutters, following Caitlin.

My mom starts to back away, Cisco looking at her instantly, "Zee- z- hey Zee? Zee-"

"Oh- man- I-" She grabbed her bag, "I actually have to go work on a few cases- there's a lot I can get done in an hour-"

"Help? Help please?" Cisco's voice ranged high, practically begging for help in his tone.

"Let me know when Barry gets back." She calls out, running out of the cortex.

I drop everything, running after her, stopping in front of her in the hall, a gasp leaving her lips as she jerks to a stop, "Uh, you can't leave."

"Huh?" She blurts out, "What?"

"I mean, you just shouldn't go to CCPD- not right now." My breathing quickened, "It's late and-"

"It's okay- I stay there late anyway." She shrugs, starting to walk past me.

I stop her quickly, "Because Dad is gonna be back, like, any minute and by the time that you get there, you're just gonna have to turn around anyway."

"Nora- I got to finish up the rest of these cases tonight. I've been pushing these off for a while-" She began.

I cut her off, "Yeah, but, I mean, you have your files with you, right?"

"No- they're in my desk-" She shook her head.

I run out quickly, grabbing her cases from CCPD, coming back and handing them to her, "Here- here they are. Why don't you just do it here in the lounge where it's safe?"

"Safe?" Her eyebrows furrow at my words.

"I mean cozy." I sigh deeply, "It's cozy."

"Um, yeah-" She shrugs, "I guess I could-"

"Great, I'll make you coffee." I break out in a relived smile, sighing.

"Okay-" She gives me a sweet smile, heading into the Lounge, setting up her things on the counter, sitting on the stool, beginning to work on the cases.

I follow her, making her a cup of coffee, setting it in front of her.

Suddenly, the alarm started to blare loudly, Ralph's location zooming in on the screen that hung off the wall.

I huff, "Ralph?"

"Get Caitlin." My mom got up, as I nod, grabbing Caitlin, rushing over to where Ralph was, Caitlin turning into Killer Frost on the way.

"Move!" Ralph shouts the minute we got there, as I grab Caitlin, moving to the side quickly, the dagger piercing into Ralph.

"Ralph?" Killer Frost squeaks, her eyes wide with shock at Ralph; who was now dead.

I stressfully exhale, running off again, everything turning white as my speed increased, as I was back at Star Labs, my mother's arm around me.

"Hey, Nora- Zee, Cisco hasn't left for his date yet, has he?" Ralph asked my mom and I when we walked into the hall towards the cortex.

"Uh, no- I'm pretty sure he hasn't." I told him.

"Great, we get another chance at this." Ralph smiles, starting to walk into the cortex with the Book of Ralph.

"Yeah- we do." I let out a breath.

"Uh, Ralph, maybe this isn't a good idea-" My mom grabs onto the book, stopping him.

"What? Why?" Ralph questions.

"I mean- why not just let Cisco be himself-" She reasoned, "That's what she has to like him for-"

"He needs the Book of Ralph." Ralph pulls her along with the book, despite her slipping along with him no matter how much she tried to pull back, dropping the book onto Cisco's desk, it making a loud thud, catching everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" Sherloque asks me when I sit down, opening my journal, "Nora?"

"Nothing." I looked up at him, then turn away and start to write on my journal, muttering to myself, "Come on- I have to figure this out-"

"Oh, God." Cisco dramatically said, "Not the "Book of Ralph" again-"

"I'm sorry, I tried-" My mom said quietly, shooting him a crooked smile of guilt, pressing her palms together.

"Yeah, buddy." Ralph slaps his hand against the book, "You successfully completed my 27 steps to getting over the love of your life. Gypsy is in the past. You have a new siren, so now it's time for- The Art of Love."

"Um, Caitlin?" Cisco looks at her for help.

"I've gotta finish working on the device to inject the cure." Caitlin comes up with an excuse, leaving the room.

"Also- I have to inject the device for the cure." Sherloque mutters, following Caitlin.

My mom starts to back away, Cisco looking at her instantly, "Zee- z- hey Zee? Zee-"

"Oh- man- I-" She grabbed her bag, "I actually have to go work on a few cases- there's a lot I can get done in an hour-"

"Help? Help please?" Cisco's voice ranged high, practically begging for help in his tone.

"Let me know when Barry gets back." She calls out, running out of the cortex.

"Uh, no, you know what?" I jump up, my mother halting at my voice, "Don't go."

She opens her mouth to speak, only for me to cut her off, "Uh, why don't you get them done here? I can bring over your cases-"

I rush, grabbing the cases from her desk and running back, handing them to her, "Uh, I can make you coffee."

"I mean, I know that there's coffee over there-" I stammer, "But- I just think it's really important for the Team Leader to stay here until Dad gets back just in case something happens, okay?"

"Uh- huh." She nods suspiciously, holding the cases, worrying me for a second.

She shrugs, shooting me another sweet smile, "Okay, lounge it is."

She walks away, Ralph speaking to Cisco, "All right, Chapter one: Initial Planning."

"It's a first date, Sun Tzu, not an incursion." Cisco sat up, sighing dramatically.

"Trust me, Grasshopper, love is war-" Ralph began.

I walk over, stopping him, grabbing a pile of it, handing it to Cisco, "Yeah, and I couldn't agree more so read these. They'll help you, and you'll know what to do."

"Wait, wait, how-" Ralph started.

I continued, "And if anything goes wrong, just give us a call." I turn towards Ralph, "You and I are gonna stay here and have our own coffees in the lounge."

Ralph opens his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it, "There's brownies."

"Brownies?" Ralph repeats, instantly giving in, following me down to the Lounge.

I place a few brownies onto a plate, setting it in front of Ralph as he was seated next to my mom, who was working on her cases.

I made coffee for the both of them, setting it in front of them.

My mother reaches over and steals a brownie from Ralph's plate, taking a bite, blinking hard, "Those are so good-"

"And mine-" Ralph pokes her arm.

She looks at him, "I took one- calm yourself."

"You have a lot of cases to work on-" Ralph eats a brownie, "Do you want any help?"

"Actually-" She eats the rest of her brownie, dramatically exhaling, "That would be great. This has been stressing the hell out of me- I mean- I could get grey hairs. That's not good."

"Can't have that-" Ralph grabs a file, opening it, looking through the documents.

The alarm starts to blare, as I stomp my foot lightly, "Come on!"