Watching Caitlin Snow finally quiet down, her body still trembling slightly, Jack Kadere walked over, squatted in front of her, and offered a half-smile. "That's better. Calm and quiet. Don't go screaming like a damsel in a soap opera—it ruins the image I had of you," he said casually, before grinning. "Though, I've always been more interested in... another version of you."
Caitlin's brows furrowed at that. Another version of me? What's he talking about?
"I don't plan to hurt you," Jack said in a gentle tone. "Once Cisco finishes building what I asked for—shouldn't take more than half an hour—you'll be free to leave. Until then, I need you to behave. Think you can manage that?"
Caitlin slowly nodded.
"Good girl," Jack said, giving her a small pat on the head like she was a cooperative cat. Then, as if making small talk, he asked, "So... do you have a boyfriend?"
Caitlin hesitated, then shook her head.
Jack chuckled. "That's good. You seem more suited to being single anyway."
That irked her. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a slight frown.
What do you think it means? Jack mused silently, though he kept the thought to himself—for now. Honestly, it was hard to ignore Caitlin's infamous relationship history—what fans across the multiverse might half-jokingly call her "Netflix Original Love Life: Tragic Edition."
First, there was Ronnie Raymond—her fiancé—who fused with Martin Stein to become Firestorm, then died saving Central City. Then came Hunter Zolomon, aka Zoom, a murderous speedster who fell in love with her and… yeah, also died. And then there was Julian Albert, a.k.a. Dr. Alchemy. He didn't die, granted, but he did move to London and ghost her like it was a paid internship.
Caitlin Snow had the kind of romantic record that made Greek tragedies look like rom-coms. Destiny had clearly unsubscribed from her happy ending.
Jack gave her shoulder a mock-sympathetic pat, slipping into deadpan sincerity.
"Caitlin, and I say this with all the love in the world—please. Never date again. But if you absolutely have to… call me. I'm emotionally expendable."
He smirked.
"Some people have plot armor. I've got rom-com immunity. I just might survive you."
Caitlin blinked at him, baffled.
Call you? Emotionally expendable? Rom-com immunity?
Was he seriously pitching himself as her next doomed love interest—on purpose?
If she weren't tied up in this mess, she would've smacked him with her shoe.
She turned away, pouting like a child trying to show how not mad they are—while being extremely mad.
Still… the fear she'd felt earlier had lessened. Jack Kadere might be a lunatic with electrical powers and a smart mouth, but he hadn't actually harmed her beyond the initial zap. And now that the panic had subsided, the scientist in her was curious.
"How do you generate electricity?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Jack," he replied. "Jack Kadere."
"You're not a meta from this city, right? Were you born with powers or did you get them later? Have you undergone any physical testing?"
Jack arched a brow, amused. "You wanna run tests on me?"
"I mean…" Caitlin hesitated, then nodded. "Based on what I'm seeing, your condition could be the result of some rare genetic mutation or energy-based anomaly. If I had access to my equipment back at S.T.A.R. Labs, I could run full diagnostics—see how your abilities work and what their limits are."
After saying that, Caitlin Snow sighed with a hint of regret. In the current situation, there was no way she could conduct a proper examination on Jack Kadere.
"If you can keep a secret," Jack said casually, "and if I get the chance later, I'll come find you. Then you can do your little examination—quietly. But let me be clear: if you mess it up, I'll have to kill you."
Despite the dark humor, Caitlin's curiosity flared.
"Seriously?" Her eyes lit up with excitement. "When?"
Jack shrugged. "Depends on my mood."
"Deal!" Caitlin quickly responded. "I won't tell anyone the results. I just want to understand the 'why' behind it all." Not wanting to risk him changing his mind, she hurried to recite her phone number. "Call me first, so I can prep the lab."
Jack nodded and mentally noted the number.
Then Caitlin suddenly paused, a realization dawning on her. "Wait a second—why do you even need a sonic device? You clearly have powers already."
"You'll find out soon enough," Jack replied with a smirk.
Time slipped by as the two chatted. Jack didn't restrain her or force her along. Instead, the two simply walked down the stairs and made their way back toward S.T.A.R. Labs—like colleagues returning from lunch rather than a kidnapper and his hostage.
At the front entrance of S.T.A.R. Labs…
The security guard Jack had previously zapped was already inside receiving medical attention. Outside, Cisco Ramon stood at the door holding a box, alongside Dr. Harrison Wells.
When they saw Jack and Caitlin strolling over, casually talking, both Cisco and Wells were dumbfounded.
What the hell?
Wasn't Caitlin just kidnapped by this guy? Why did it look like they were suddenly getting along?
"Caitlin, are you okay?" Cisco asked, concern all over his face.
Caitlin glanced at Jack and then nodded. "I'm fine. He didn't hurt me."
"That's... unexpected," Cisco muttered, then handed over the box. "This is the device you requested."
Jack opened it. Inside was a compact sonic emitter, the size of a watch face, mounted on a black metal ring about two fingers wide. Cisco stepped forward to explain.
"Just tap this pad with your finger to activate it. You can adjust the frequency and intensity of the sound wave here…"