Chapter 61 – "Ten Points to Mick"
The battlefield was quiet.
Dust settled around the smoldering ruins. The only sound was Dante's ragged breathing. The glow of the Void Force began to fade from around his body, vanishing like red smoke in the air. His knees wobbled, and he dropped to the ground, sitting with a grunt.
"God damn," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, which was damp with sweat. "I didn't know running through time took so much power…"
He groaned, tilting his head back, staring up at the bruised sky.
"How the hell does Barry do this every other Tuesday?"
No one responded.
Dante chuckled softly to himself.
"Well… I guess he's the Flash for a reason, right?"
Still, the Legends said nothing. They just looked—at him, then at the ruined body of the Time Lord whose head he'd just punched clean off.
Sara Lance was the first to speak.
She stepped forward slowly, her voice cautious.
"What brings you here, Dante? I heard from Cisco you just woke up."
Dante turned his head toward her, a faint smile curving on his lips.
"Yeah, I did. Scared the hell out of Cisco." He laughed at the memory. "They actually threw me a party. We danced. Drank. Smoked some expensive-ass cigarettes. Joe brought them. I almost kissed him on the lips for it."
His words hung in the air awkwardly. No one laughed.
He continued, unfazed by the silence.
"And then Barry told me something funny."
He turned suddenly.
"Mick!" he called, too loud, too cheerful.
Mick flinched slightly. He didn't move, didn't respond.
Dante grinned wider.
"You wanna hear a joke?"
Mick's jaw tightened. He remembered. Of course he did. The last time he saw Dante like this was back in Central City, years ago—back when he and Snart had kidnapped Caitlin to bait Team Flash. Dante had shown up, eyes glowing with flames and fury. The only reason he and Snart hadn't been reduced to ashes that day was because Caitlin had stopped Dante with a single word.
But now…
Mick saw it again—that look.
The same burning rage, tightly leashed.
Mick's lips parted, and only one word came out.
"Caitlin."
Everyone turned toward him, startled.
Ronnie's expression twitched.
Dante's smile didn't waver.
He pointed at Mick like a game show host.
"Bingo. Ten points to Heat Wave."
Ronnie stepped forward slightly, confused and tense.
"Dante—what is this? What are you talking about?"
Dante's smile vanished.
His voice lowered.
"The joke is… I was in a coma. For a long time. Caitlin never left my side. You know Caitlin, right? Sweet. Innocent. Always blaming herself for everything. My best friend."
No one said a word.
Dante stood slowly, dusting himself off, eyes locked on Ronnie now.
"And you? You left. You and Professor Stein went on some noble adventure through time. You abandoned her."
Ronnie stiffened. "That's not fair—"
"I'm not done." Dante's voice cut through the air like a blade.
He took a step forward.
"She lost her friend. You left. And she stayed. She stayed in that chair beside me, While you? You played hero in the timeline."
He exhaled through his nose, eyes flaring with red light again.
"She called you. Begged you to come back. And when you did?" Dante tilted his head.
"You called her a liar. A cheating waif. Accused her of loving me instead of you."
Ronnie's face paled.
"Dante—"
"No." Dante raised a hand and the Void Force sparked around his fingers like red electricity.
"Please, Ronnie. I'm begging you—begging—give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
The silence was absolute.
Even the wounded groaned quietly behind the Legends but dared not interrupt.
Dante's expression wasn't rage anymore. It was something worse.
It was clarity.
He wasn't out of control.
He was in control.
And still wanted to kill.
Ronnie opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Sara stepped in.
"Dante, listen—"
"I'm not threatening him," Dante said calmly, still watching Ronnie. "This isn't a warning. I'm asking for a reason. Because I'm out of excuses."
Zari glanced at Nate. Nate looked at Ray. No one dared move.
Dante took another step closer.
"I'm not mad you left. I'm not mad you didn't write. I'm not even mad you didn't call."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I'm mad you made her cry."
Ronnie's voice cracked. "She doesn't love me"
Dante's eyes narrowed.
"She loved you, Ronnie. She told you the truth and you spit in her face. You shamed her for not giving up on someone she cared about. You're so damn insecure that the second she showed kindness to someone else, you turned it into cheating. That's not love. That's control."
Ronnie looked at the ground, trembling.
"I was scared…"
Dante's voice turned harsh.
"You don't get to be scared when she needed you to be strong. You don't get to run when things get hard."
He turned slightly to the rest of the Legends.
"Do you know what it's like waking up in a world that moved on without you? To hear that the one person who believed in you was punished for it?"
Ray opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry, Dante—"
"Not your fault, Ray." Dante cut him off.
He turned back to Ronnie.
"Your move."
The air was still.
Void Force crackled in Dante's palms.
Everyone could feel it—he wouldn't hesitate.
Ronnie finally stepped forward, shaking.
"I was wrong," he whispered. "I was afraid. Afraid of losing her. Afraid that she… that I wasn't enough anymore. And I lashed out. I hurt her. I know that. And if you want to kill me, I won't stop you."
He dropped to one knee.
"But let me say goodbye to her first."
Dante's hand twitched.
Silence again.
Then, the red light faded.
He lowered his hand.
"Smart move," Dante whispered.
Ronnie looked up, stunned.
"She deserves to say goodbye to you properly," Dante said, turning away. "That's more than you gave her."
He looked at Sara.
"Make sure he gets back to her in one piece. When time comes"
Sara nodded quietly.
Dante took a step toward the breach again.
Then paused.
"And Ronnie?"
Ronnie looked up.
"If you ever speak to her like that again if i ever see your face near her in less it's your going to die and you came to say goodbye if it's any other reason… I will kill you."
------
You can contact me through my official page on the following Accounts:
telegram:
miraclenarrator
tiktok:
miracle_narrator
instagram:
miracle_narrator