[ That is one kid who has absolutely no idea what he wandered into, let alone the scope of what he had just walked out of.
Iris is silent for a few seconds, before she lets out a small, bemused huff - ] God, they're getting way too young for us.
[ next thing she knows, they'll call her auntie, and she doesn't want to be an auntie. At the same time, Ven's words - and his last reply for Mr. Flash - are wigging her out. Devoe must've known that Ven was sweet and innocent. He must've also known that Ven would easily relinquish his duty, and that Cisco and Iris could manipulate him right back.
It's a game of speed chess, and she sure doesn't know what pieces she's playing with... ]
Okay, I don't know how long the others will be, but... we should really think this one through.
[ Cisco's never been one to miss an opportunity for a well-placed movie quote. Still, there's some truth to it. The thought of Devoe manipulating a kid into a situation like this, where he could have easily killed someone, or gotten shot, or arrested and had his life ruined... it makes Cisco feel sick and angry at the same time.
He lifts a hand to his earpiece, says: ]
I'm inbound.
[ The cops from the nearby cars are heading towards him, but Cisco throws a portal and hops through it before they can get any closer. Then he's back in the Cortex, looking at Iris over by the band of computers. He pushes his vibe goggles up onto his head, sighs as he tugs off his gauntlets. ]
Well, that was a a whole new level of messed up. Thanks for the backup, boss.
[ Once Vibe returns, Iris safely turns off everything save what's necessary. No need for outbound communication, after all - and she's still frowning over what had just transpired. ]
No problem, [ she says, a little absentmindedly as she looks up at him. ] Honestly, I still can't believe Devoe recruited a little kid. What the hell was he thinking?
[ Villains usually didn't have morals, sure. They'd both seen some messed-up shit in their day. But kids?? Dragging young'uns into this without a second thought? This game of chess just got a lot less exciting. ]
[ Cisco lets out a short sigh, dropping his gauntlets onto the low desk and then rubbing his hands over his eyes. Unlike Iris, he isn't really surprised. It's nothing new, after all. He'd realized too late that the same thing had been going on with Dr. Wells, and that was why so many of the employees at S.T.A.R. Labs were young people, like him, and Caitlin, and even Hartley, who didn't have a whole lot of friends, or a close relationship with their families. It was a pattern he should have spotted much earlier than he did.
(And one of the only reasons they'd ever gotten to the bottom of things had been precisely because Barry was not the same, because even though he was young, he had Joe and Iris in his corner, making it so that Dr. Wells wasn't his only source of love or belonging. Joe and Iris, both underestimated, both persistent, always asking questions that Wells that he wasn't prepared to answer.) ]
I can. He was thinking, 'hey, this'll be super easy'.
[ Try as he might to keep his voice cool, Cisco's never been great at hiding what he feels, and right now it's obvious that, despite the unexpectedly good outcome, that he's pretty upset. After all, even though Cisco had been way more naive and easy to manipulate, back when he'd first joined S.T.A.R. Labs, at least he hadn't been fourteen.
But he channels that agitation into action, because that's way better than dwelling. Cisco's never been the guy to brood, after all. He'd rather take action. He makes his way over to one of the computers, tapping a few quick commands in, to start an analysis of the data that had been collected during the fight. ]
I'm gonna have to look over the readings I got on that weapon Devoe gave him. I've never seen anything like it.
[ Cisco says that with venom and rage that can only come from experience, and Iris swallows thickly at the thought. She's no stranger to verbal manipulation. She's seen it time after time in the journalism room, and she's sure as heck heard it in their line of work.
Yet Cisco's words explain a few things about the way S.T.A.R. used to work, and more importantly, how Thawne used to operate. Prey on a little kid's love and trusting nature, and throw him straight into the fiery pits of hell. Like she'd let someone like that Ventus kid get into Devoe's clutches for good - ]
Sure. I'll contact his Master, too. [ there's a beat, while she realizes the implications of calling a kid's legal guardian Master - ] His training Master, Eraqus, back in Brightcrest. Seeing that the kid ran away, he probably has no idea what's going on.
[ So she'll give him all time he needs to analyze the readings by pulling out a phone and typing in a number she acquired off the Internet. Time to tell a legal guardian just what his wayward charge was up to... ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Iris is silent for a few seconds, before she lets out a small, bemused huff - ] God, they're getting way too young for us.
[ next thing she knows, they'll call her auntie, and she doesn't want to be an auntie. At the same time, Ven's words - and his last reply for Mr. Flash - are wigging her out. Devoe must've known that Ven was sweet and innocent. He must've also known that Ven would easily relinquish his duty, and that Cisco and Iris could manipulate him right back.
It's a game of speed chess, and she sure doesn't know what pieces she's playing with... ]
Okay, I don't know how long the others will be, but... we should really think this one through.
no subject
[ Cisco's never been one to miss an opportunity for a well-placed movie quote. Still, there's some truth to it. The thought of Devoe manipulating a kid into a situation like this, where he could have easily killed someone, or gotten shot, or arrested and had his life ruined... it makes Cisco feel sick and angry at the same time.
He lifts a hand to his earpiece, says: ]
I'm inbound.
[ The cops from the nearby cars are heading towards him, but Cisco throws a portal and hops through it before they can get any closer. Then he's back in the Cortex, looking at Iris over by the band of computers. He pushes his vibe goggles up onto his head, sighs as he tugs off his gauntlets. ]
Well, that was a a whole new level of messed up. Thanks for the backup, boss.
no subject
No problem, [ she says, a little absentmindedly as she looks up at him. ] Honestly, I still can't believe Devoe recruited a little kid. What the hell was he thinking?
[ Villains usually didn't have morals, sure. They'd both seen some messed-up shit in their day. But kids?? Dragging young'uns into this without a second thought? This game of chess just got a lot less exciting. ]
no subject
(And one of the only reasons they'd ever gotten to the bottom of things had been precisely because Barry was not the same, because even though he was young, he had Joe and Iris in his corner, making it so that Dr. Wells wasn't his only source of love or belonging. Joe and Iris, both underestimated, both persistent, always asking questions that Wells that he wasn't prepared to answer.) ]
I can. He was thinking, 'hey, this'll be super easy'.
[ Try as he might to keep his voice cool, Cisco's never been great at hiding what he feels, and right now it's obvious that, despite the unexpectedly good outcome, that he's pretty upset. After all, even though Cisco had been way more naive and easy to manipulate, back when he'd first joined S.T.A.R. Labs, at least he hadn't been fourteen.
But he channels that agitation into action, because that's way better than dwelling. Cisco's never been the guy to brood, after all. He'd rather take action. He makes his way over to one of the computers, tapping a few quick commands in, to start an analysis of the data that had been collected during the fight. ]
I'm gonna have to look over the readings I got on that weapon Devoe gave him. I've never seen anything like it.
no subject
Yet Cisco's words explain a few things about the way S.T.A.R. used to work, and more importantly, how Thawne used to operate. Prey on a little kid's love and trusting nature, and throw him straight into the fiery pits of hell. Like she'd let someone like that Ventus kid get into Devoe's clutches for good - ]
Sure. I'll contact his Master, too. [ there's a beat, while she realizes the implications of calling a kid's legal guardian Master - ] His training Master, Eraqus, back in Brightcrest. Seeing that the kid ran away, he probably has no idea what's going on.
[ So she'll give him all time he needs to analyze the readings by pulling out a phone and typing in a number she acquired off the Internet. Time to tell a legal guardian just what his wayward charge was up to... ]