Chapter 14: Burn the Rage Out
The glass cell was quiet now.
Barry sat on the floor, head in his hands. The red lightning had calmed. His breathing was slower. But the damage was still there—etched into his expression, vibrating just under the surface.
Cisco stared at him from the control panel. "I've never seen him like this," he said softly.
Caitlin stood beside him. "It's not him. It's the effects of Rainbow Raider. The emotional manipulation, the adrenaline spikes. We just need to purge it out of his system."
Harrison Wells rolled forward in his chair, eyes narrowed as he studied the data flashing on the screen. "There's a neurological toxin enhancing the anger response. It's rooted in the Speed Force connection. If we sever it momentarily and reboot his link… we might reset the psychological damage."
"It's risky," Caitlin murmured.
"I know," Wells replied. "But if we don't, Barry could lose himself permanently."
A silence followed.
Then a soft click echoed through the room.
They all turned.
Dante Hart stood at the far wall of STAR Labs, back against the steel, one leg bent casually, a cigarette between his fingers. Smoke curled around his red eyes like mist.
"You want my help or not?" he asked, voice calm but dangerous.
Caitlin blinked. "Help?"
"I can stabilize the Speed Force inside him. Force it into a passive state," Dante said. "But it'll hurt him."
"How bad?" Cisco asked.
Dante looked at Barry. "He'll feel like he's being set on fire from the inside."
Wells nodded slowly. "It could work."
Caitlin frowned. "And if it doesn't?"
"Then I kill him before he hurts anyone else," Dante said without flinching.
"No," Joe's voice cut in sharply as he entered STAR Labs, face filled with worry. "You don't get to make that call."
Dante shrugged. "I don't want to. But if he loses control again, he could kill someone next time. Iris. You. Hell, even me."
Joe stepped forward, but Wells raised a hand. "Let's try the purge. If it fails, we reassess. But right now—Dante, you're our best shot."
Dante crushed the cigarette under his boot and walked slowly toward the cell.
Barry looked up, his eyes still tinted red.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I don't want your apology," Dante said. "I want you back."
He entered the cell.
No fear. No hesitation.
He placed one hand on Barry's chest.
The lab dimmed.
Lightning crackled through the room.
Dante's power surged—not just speed, but something deeper. His body shimmered with raw energy as he pulled at the chaos inside Barry. Pulled at the rage. The poison. The storm.
Barry screamed—loud, raw, inhuman.
Caitlin's hands clenched.
Cisco turned away.
Joe had to look down.
And then—
Silence.
Barry collapsed.
Smoke rising from his body.
His eyes fluttered open.
Blue. Clear. Human.
Dante stood over him, breathing hard. His cigarette gone. His hands trembling faintly.
"It's done," he muttered.
Barry sat up slowly, staring at him. "You saved me…"
Dante scoffed. "I just burned the rage out of you. Don't make it sound poetic."
Caitlin opened the cell as Cisco rushed in to help Barry up.
Joe looked at Dante. "You didn't have to do that."
"No," Dante replied, walking back to his corner, grabbing another cigarette. "But I didn't want to bury another good man either."
He lit the cigarette, leaned against the wall, and said nothing more.
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