August was standing atop a tall building in the city watching the city below. He felt a bit guilty for what he did to Iris but also relieved and glad. He hoped that with Iris's blog officially down thanks to EVE's hacking, it would decrease the civilian interest in the streak or Godspeed as he was being called in newer posts (He had had EVE leak that name to the press and made it look like something they came up with themselves. It was way better that The Streak - dammit) and people going out there to see them in action. If there wasn't a blog reporting on their actions then they wouldn't know where to go and there was no way the police were going to mention that a stranger with powers was solving all the crime in the city.
He had his mask dissolve, leaving his hair free to fly in the wind and then tapped the emblem on his chest. "EVE, check the CCPD records, I need to know everything about this person Iris posted about on her blog."
"Sir, his name is Tony Woodward, the CCPD have a warrant out for him…" EVE said."
"That's all?" August asked incredulously, it was impossible that that little information was all that EVE was able to get.
"I'm sorry sir. The CCPD just got info on a place where Tony Woodward might be staying. I was running it down and there's an 87% chance that he's there." EVE said.
"Oh, that's good. So, did her boyfriend send the CCPD?" August asked.
"Yes Sir. They're on their way." EVE said and August straightened up, his mask appearing on his head again.
"All right, inform the team, I'm on my way. Where am I going?" August asked.
"The old, defunct Keystone Ironworks. I'm sending the address to your HUD." Cisco said as he got on the comms.
August got the address and super sped there. He got in to see the place was lived in but no sign of Tony.
Speeding around the room, he took some samples, setup a tiny camera from his utility belt and sped back to STAR Labs, giving the sample to EVE to analyze.
An hour later, Dr. Wells rolled away from the monitors.
"Results just came in Mr. Heart. Cisco." Dr. Wells said and Cisco brought up the information on Tony.
"We ran an analysis on the metal in Tony's footprint. Based on its density and atomic structure, you were lucky he wasn't home. If you had fought him the way you fight other meta humans, he would've broken you in half. The iron he turns to is just too strong." Cisco said.
"What? So, I can't beat him?" August asked surprised. This was the first time that Cisco had doubted his capabilities.
"Not really dude." Cisco began, "Any material, if struck at a high enough velocity can be compromised. If you impact it at just the right angle at just the right speed you could do some serious damage." Cisco said.
"How fast would I need to go?" August asked.
"Factoring in the metal's tensile strength, estimated dermal thickness, atmosphere pressure, air temp…you'd have to hit him at approximately…Mach 1.1." Cisco said and August smiled. Seems like he'd be beating his best time tonight.
"You want August to hit something at 800 miles an hour?" Caitlin asked.
"844 miles per hour, actually." Cisco corrected her.
"That's faster then the speed of sound." Caitlin said.
"I know. He would create a sonic boom which, as I said before, would be awesome." Cisco said, excited at the idea.
"I guess I'll be awesome tonight then" August laughed, visibly excited as well.
"Be careful out there." Dr. Wells informed him. "You can't heal, if you're dead."
"I can't believe we're actually entertaining this idea. I mean, he'd need a straight shot from miles away." Caitlin said.
"Yeah, 5.3 miles, theoretically." Cisco said.
"Do it right, and you'll take him down." Dr. Wells said.
"Do it wrong, you'll shatter every bone in your body." Caitlin told August, worried.
"Don't worry guys. It's no problem. When he pops back on the radar, you'll see the Mach punch." August said as Cisco smiled.
"Oh, that's dope." Cisco said as he high-fived him.
…
While waiting for news of Tony, August spent his time working on the alternative energy source that he'd termed Arc Reactor. He planned for it to be the invention that would revitalize STAR Labs but even with his super brain, he was not making any headway on the matter.
If someone walked into the lab where August was working, they would see papers with scrap calculations and books on every related notion of science scattered throughout the room along with food wrappers from candy bars and an energy bar that Caitlin had cooked up for a speedster.
August was working out the math for the projected energy consumption the ARC Reactor would need to initiate the reaction when he heard the sound of someone stepping on a Pringles bottle. He turned and saw it was Caitlin.
"Geez, how much junk food did you eat?" Caitlin asked as she picked up the Pringle bottle.
"Hey, I have a super high metabolism. And I stress eat when I'm stuck on a problem." August said as Caitlin stepped over a bag of Doritos.
"Yeah, but still this amount can't be healthy." Caitlin said as she moved some Gatorade bottles off a chair. "Can you clean this up?"
"Hang on." August said as he then super sped around the room in a blur of white and blue lightning and in approximately 3 seconds, the room was clean and all the garbage was in a black garbage bag. "Done. So, did you need something?"
"I just wanted to check up on you. You seemed affected by the news earlier on?" Caitlin asked.
"Oh, I'm fine. I was a little steamed but nothing Sheri's homemade Boston Cream Cake couldn't fix." August said with a smile as he grabbed a marker.
"August." Caitlin said in a strange tone, trying to get him to say what was on his mind.
"I'm serious Cait. I'm fine. I've taken care of it." August said. Looking sideways at her, his breath caught. "Wow, Cait's looking even more beautiful today." He was taken aback when Caitlin smacked him in the back of the head with burning cheeks. "Ow. What was that for? I didn't say that out loud, did I?"
"What are you working on that's got you all worked up?" Caitlin asked trying to suppress the red in her cheeks.
"It's called the ARC Reactor. Next generation self-sustaining clean energy source. Years ahead of geo-thermal, even nuclear power." August said as Caitlin was amazed.
"Really? How powerful?" Caitlin asked.
"Well, based on some of my schematics and data, the reactor I plan to build here at STAR labs would generate more electricity than the largest nuclear reactor in the country." August said and Caitlin was impressed.
"The Palo Verde plants in Arizona?" Caitlin asked as August nodded.
"Yup, and the largest one generates about 4,000 MW of electricity a day at optimal levels. The ARC Reactor, could generate twice that. That would be enough to fuel Central City for 6 months." August said with excitement. "If I could get it to work."
"Oh, stuck?" Caitlin asked.
"More like vexed by this stupid problem. The schematics and equations for the reactor are too complex and as this is a new path, I have no shoulders to stand on, I'm just feeling my way around in the dark. Once I'm done with the schematics and equations, I can run simulations and maybe even build a prototype. If I do that, it would reinvigorate confidence in STAR Labs and people wouldn't look at the company with hate or disdain anymore. You would get your real job back" August said and Caitlin smiled.
"You should have Dr. Wells and Cisco take a look." Caitlin said.
"Dr. Wells is already helping me with the ARC Reactor. But maybe Cisco could have some ideas." August said as they heard the intercom beep.
"Hey, August. EVE's got something. Come down to the Cortex." Cisco said as August walked over and pressed the intercom button.
"Got it. Be there in a second." August replied.
"All right. I've got some work to do. I'll see you later." Caitlin said as she went back upstairs.
"I know where he is. Iris just pulled the fire alarm at Carmichael Elementary. He's there with her." Cisco said as soon as he got down.
"How do you know that?" August asked.
"Dude, have you no faith in your own AI?" Cisco said and August smiled.
"Then let's do it." August said as he got suited up and super sped out of the building.
August raced through the city in a trail of lightning. Tony had knocked out the police guarding Iris and took her to Carmichael Elementary. He smashed the doors open and dragged her through their old hallways.
"Tony, turn yourself in before things get worse. It's not too late." Iris told him as Tony was looking at a trophy case of all his old achievements.
"Yeah, it is." Tony said as he shoved her. "Cops are already looking for me. So, get ready to cover the showdown of a lifetime because I'm not going out without a fight."
[Whoosh] Tony heard of whoosh of air behind him and saw Godspeed standing in the hallway. He said nothing and just stood there, taking in the situation, the lightning wreathed around his body making him look even more intimidating.
"So, you're the Streak or is it the Blur or Godspeed or …." Before Tony could finish his statement, there was a flash of lightning, a rush of wind and suddenly the hallway was empty with Godspeed and Iris having disappeared.
Captain Singh, Joe West and Eddie Thawne were in the main area at CCPD when a whoosh of air hit them and they saw Iris standing there. "Iris." Joe said as he hugged her, looking around for clues and finding none.
"Alright guys, Iris is safe." Godspeed said and then he heard Cisco shout over the comms.
"Go, man go!" Cisco shouted as Godspeed sped off, sonic booms echoing in his wake. He flew through the air with his right fist extended and hit Tony with a punch across the face. The impact of the punch created a shockwave that broke the glass windows of the school and sent Tony to the ground. In another blur of lightning, Tony was hit with the dampening cuffs and then they both disappeared.
"MACH PUNCH BABY, WHOOO!" Cisco shouted over the comms.
August went back to STAR Labs with an unconscious Tony and put him in a cell in the Particle Accelerator Ring.
"Dude. You did it..." Cisco said as he, Caitlin and August walked down the hall.
"Yeah. Broke my record again." August replied.
"Yeah, and birthed the Mach punch too. A stupendous moment in history." Cisco laughed.
"Actually, that part hurt a lot." August replied as he stopped. "But I couldn't have done it without you guys. Especially you, EVE."
"Thank you, Sir, now if you'd allow me to take over the world as thanks, all will be squared." EVE replied causing the team to look surprised for a second before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.