Emma's POV *at the crime scene*

"Bare, Emma, Did you guys find anything?" Joe asked us as Barry and I were crouched down examining the body. Eddie was trailing behind Joe waiting for our answer. It was still pretty awkward between the three of us since Eddie walked in on Barry and I when we were about to kiss.

"Signs of histotoxic hypoxia. The cells in their bodies were unable to utilize oxygen," I said standing up.

"It's consistent with exposure to poison gas," Barry said as he got up as well.

"What kind of poison?" Joe asked.

"We'll need to take a lung sample, see if we can narrow it down," I said.

"Yeah, you two alone...together," Eddie said smirking at Barry and I. We turned red but Joe didn't notice.

"The only other exit was bolted from the inside. They were trapped," Barry said gesturing to the entrance to the restaurant.

"I was thinking they pumped the gas from outside but witnesses say the street was empty," Eddie said.

"So it was from the inside," I concluded.

"That means there should be a canister or a container left behind. The gas didn't just come in by itself," Joe said.

"Unless it had a mind of its own," Barry and I said making eye contact. Joe knew what we were thinking so he told Eddie to canvas the streets again.

When Eddie left, Joe said "Okay, explain."

"The boss collapsed by the table," I said gesturing to the body.

"This guy made it 10 feet away," Barry said gesturing to another body.

"That guy had a chance to move off and fire three shots into the window trying to break the glass," I said point to the window with bullet holes and cracks in it.

"But they all started in the same spot which means they should have all been affected by the gas at the same time, but instead it's as if-" Barry started.

"They were attacked one by one," Joe realized, "If we're gonna solve this one, we're gonna need...backup," Joe said.

"Yeah," Barry said nodding.

*at STAR Labs*

"Fascinating, a metahuman that can manipulate poison gas," Dr Wells said,
"Is it just poison gas, or can he control all aerated substances?"

"And how is he able to formulate the connection? Is it physiological or psychological?" Caitlin asked walking around.

"This individual can create a mental nexus using gaseous substances," Dr Wells said.

"You mean connect with gases on a molecular level?" Cisco asked.

"Yes."

"That is ridiculously cool."

"They get really excited about this stuff," I said to Joe.

"The only thing I'm excited about is putting criminals behind bars. Except Iron Heights isn't exactly equipped to handle metahumans," Joe said.

"Then I guess it's fortunate the ones you've encountered so far are no longer with us," Dr. Wells said kind of harshly. It's not the way he said it, it's just what he said. I gave him a strange look but he didn't notice it.

"Well, unless we're planning on executing every super criminal we stop, you geniuses are gonna have to come up with someplace else to hold them," Joe said.

"A metahuman prison, sweet," Cisco said, "Until we figure out a way to remove their powers. There is one place we can hold them."

"You can't be serious. I mean, we haven't been down there since....it's cordoned off," Caitlin said. Barry and I exchanged confused glances.

"Cisco's right. It could be modified as a makeshift prison," Dr Wells said.

"What could?" Barry asked.

"The particle accelerator."

*Flashback* A Day After Particle Accelerator Explosion

I was sitting on my couch trying to reach Ronnie because I heard that STAR Labs particle accelerator exploded. I know how hard he worked and how dedicated he was to that thing. Even though he joked that he was an overpriced plumber. I also needed to make sure he wasn't injured. Right when I was about to call Ronnie again, Caitlin called.

"Hey Cait, how's it going?" I asked cheerfully.

"H-hey Emma," Caitlin sniffled.

"Have you been crying Caitlin? Are you okay?" I asked concerned.

"Emma there's something....I have to tell you," Caitlin said, probably on the verge of tears.

"What is it? Just spit it out," I said.

"R-Ronnie..." Caitlin trailed off.

"What about Ronnie, is he okay?" I asked.

"Ronnie...d-died," Caitlin said crying.

"W-what? This is a joke right?" I asked, my eyes welling up.

"No, Emma. H-he wanted you to know that he l-loved you," Caitlin said full on sobbing now.

"No, nononono. This can't be happening!" I cried. Tears were streaming down my face while Dick walked in. He saw that I was crying so he sat next to me and rubbed my back but stayed quiet.

"I'm sorry, Emma I-I h-have to go," Caitlin said trying to be strong.

"I understand, go Caitlin," I said crying as she hung up. This couldn't be happening, Ronnie isn't supposed to die trying to achieve his dream. I turned to Dick sobbing.

"R-Ronnie died in the accelerator explosion," I said to him.

"Em, you'll get through this. You're the strongest person I know. Come here," Dick sympathized as he opened his arms out for me. I cried in his arms until I fell asleep.

Dick's POV (a/n: surprise)

Emma had fallen asleep crying in my arms. She had another phone call so I answered it for her. "Hello, you have reached Emma's cell phone. I'm her roommate Dick, how may I help you?" I said into the phone.

"Oh...uuh..Dick can you give the phone to Emma. It's Iris and it's urgent," Iris said. It sounded as if she had been crying. That particle accelerator really screwed things up, didn't it?

"Oh, she's asleep right now. She just found out her cousin Ronnie died because of the particle accelerator explosion," I informed Iris.

"Well, I guess she has to take pieces of bad n-news in one day," Iris said, her voice cracking.

"What happened? I can tell her when she wakes up," I said to Iris.

"Well, our b-best friend Barry just went into a coma, because...he was stru-he was struck by lightning," Iris said.

"Oh man," I spoke. Iris agreed and I heard someone call her name.

"I have to go. We admitted him to the hospital and I think they have some news," Iris explained. I said my farewells to Iris and decided to tell Emma what happened to Barry tomorrow since she had heard enough bad news in one day. I picked her up and set her in her bed. I put her under the covers and gave her a kiss in the forehead. "Stay strong. That accelerator explosion definitely wasn't aster," I whispered before walking out.

*Flashback End* Emma's POV again

"Emma? Emma?" Barry asked shaking me.

"What?" I asked.

"Caitlin and I are going to identify the poison gas and you need to come," Barry said looking at me concerned. He looked at Caitlin and she mouthed something to him.

"Oh yeah," I said walking behind Barry next to Caitlin pretending like I didn't see anything. It was then that I realized I was crying. Caitlin rubbed my back comforting me obviously knowing what I was thinking. I hooked my arm with hers and rested my head on her shoulder as we followed Barry out of STAR Labs.