Chapter 85 – Smoke and Silence
The hum of STAR Labs was faint in the background, like the soft buzz of a sleeping machine. But outside the Cortex, the air was different. Heavier. Still.
Dante stood alone on the balcony just outside, back to the door, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. The cherry glowed in the shadows, the smoke curling like a whisper around his face. He exhaled slowly, watching it fade into the night.
His body was still, but his mind was not.
The door creaked open behind him.
Caitlin stepped out, wrapped in her lab coat like armor. She hesitated at the threshold before walking up to him, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Hi."
Dante turned slightly, just enough to glance at her. His eyes—usually that radiant red that flickered like a fire—were dull now. Hollow. They looked... dead.
"Hi," he said back, voice flat.
Caitlin's heart cracked.
This wasn't the Dante she knew.
Not the cocky speedster with the wicked smirk.
Not the charming headache who turned danger into a game.
This was someone else.
Someone broken.
She stood beside him, arms crossed against the chill of the night air. "I thought… you only had one brother. A younger one."
He didn't answer at first.
He just stared at the stars like they had wronged him personally.
Then he spoke, voice low and tired.
"It was… my dad, my mom, Leon, me… and my little brother."
Caitlin looked at him gently. "You never talked about Leon."
Dante took a long drag from the cigarette before answering.
"When I was fourteen, my dad died. Some sickness. Nothing heroic or sudden. Just... slow. It left us gutted." He paused, flicking ash over the edge. "So I dropped out of school. Started working. Someone had to take care of the family."
Caitlin stayed quiet, letting him speak.
"Leon—he was older than me. He was…"
Dante hesitated.
"He was just like that, you know? No responsibility. No seriousness. Always smiling. Laughing at everything. He never took life seriously. Not once."
There was something almost fond in his voice.
Almost.
"I worked while he wandered. That was our dynamic. I used to hate him for it. But then…" He swallowed hard. "When I was sixteen, my mother died."
The silence thickened.
"He broke," Dante whispered. "I mean… really broke. Like something shattered in his soul. He loved her more than anything. More than any of us. I think she was the only thing that kept him grounded."
Caitlin watched him with soft eyes.
"And after that?" she asked.
Dante's voice grew hollow.
"One year later, he vanished. No note. No call. Just… gone. I didn't know if he was dead or alive. I searched for a while. Then I stopped. Life kept moving."
The cigarette had burned down to the filter. He flicked it away and lit another with shaking hands.
"When I turned twenty, my little brother died too."
Caitlin's breath caught.
"The cops said it was gang violence. Wrong place, wrong time. Stray bullets in the alley. Just like that—he was gone."
Dante stared down at the ground, as if the memory had weight.
"I lost everything," he said, quieter than ever. "And somehow… I keep losing. Even when I've got nothing left. I still lose."
His voice broke on the last word, a raw whisper lost in the night air.
Caitlin reached out, wanting to comfort him. But before she could speak—
Dante turned and walked back inside without a word.
---
Later That Night – Cortex
Everyone was gathered.
Barry sat in the corner, head low. Cisco leaned back in his chair, twirling a screwdriver between his fingers. Jay stood with arms crossed, listening carefully.
Caitlin stood before them.
Her voice was calm. But there was a sadness there, soaked into every word.
"I know you all knew about Dante's family. His father. His little brother. We've all heard bits and pieces over the years. But tonight… he told me the rest."
They all looked at her.
Curious.
Concerned.
Caitlin continued.
"His older brother—Leon. He was real. He was everything to Dante. And when their mother died, Leon lost himself. One year later, he vanished. No one ever found him."
Cisco's brow furrowed. "And now the Black Order…"
"Quoted him," Jay finished grimly.
Barry nodded. "Dante didn't say it out loud, but… that quote meant something. The way he reacted—it wasn't just shock. It was recognition."
Caitlin exhaled. "Leon isn't just a memory. He's part of this. Maybe even behind this."
Wells stepped forward. "Which means if Leon really is part of the Black Order, and Dante has to face him again… emotionally, it could break him. Strategically, it could cost us."
Jay nodded solemnly. "He's already on the edge."
Cisco looked away. "We've never seen him like this."
Barry whispered, "Because he's never been like this."
A silence settled over them all.
Heavy with the weight of the past.
Of family.
Of loss.
---
Outside – City Rooftop
Dante stood atop a tall rooftop overlooking Central City. The wind tugged at his coat. The stars blinked down, unaware of the chaos below.
His cigarette burned slowly.
In the glass of a nearby building, he saw his reflection.
And for the first time, he didn't recognize the man looking back.
Was he still Dante?
Or just the remains of a boy who once believed in family?
He didn't know.
But one thing echoed in his mind.
"Impossible is a word that exists in the dictionary of fools."
Leon's voice.
The voice that used to make him laugh.
The voice that used to tell him to keep going.
Now it haunted him.
Now it might be the voice of his enemy.
He closed his eyes.
And for a second… he almost believed in miracles.
Then he remembered.
He wasn't a boy anymore.
And this wasn't a story that ended with a hug.
This was war.
And blood always followed family.
---
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