Ch - 84 Caution?

After Leonard Snart's threat during the live broadcast, CCPD swiftly moved to clear Porter and Maine, leaving the street empty except for emergency vehicles in the distance.

At the center of the street stood Barry in his Flash suit, ready for action. Beside him was Swayam, suited up as Shadow. His usual calm demeanor was gone—his fists were clenched, muscles tense, and his face radiated anger. Barry had seen Swayam fight before, but never like this. They both knew Snart, aka Captain Cold, and his partner Mick Rory, aka Heatwave, were waiting just ahead, weapons primed for a showdown.

Swayam's expression was one of cold fury, his body taut with restrained rage. To anyone watching, he seemed moments away from losing control. But beneath that fury was a calculated mind—he needed to sell this performance not just to Snart and Rory, but to Eobard Thawne, who was surely monitoring the confrontation.

Barry glanced at Swayam. "You good? You seem... more intense than usual."

Swayam gave a sharp nod, his voice cold and deliberate. "Let's just get this over with."

Before Barry could respond, the sound of slow, mocking claps echoed down the street. From the shadows emerged Leonard Snart, his cold gun gleaming. Mick Rory followed, his heat gun glowing with the promise of flames. The sharp hiss of ice and the crackling of flames filled the air.

"Right on time, Flash. Shadow," Snart said, his voice dripping with amusement. "I was starting to wonder if you'd chicken out. But I'm glad to see you both made it."

Mick grinned, eyes wild with the anticipation of fire. "Let's roast 'em, Snart."

Swayam stepped forward, his posture tense, fists clenched. His eyes locked onto Snart. "Where's she?" His voice was low and dangerous, perfectly selling his fury.

Snart chuckled. "She's safe... for now. But that depends on how this little dance goes. I've been looking forward to this, Shadow. Let's see if you're as brave and strong as you were that day."

Seeing an opportunity, Barry vanished in a blur of lightning, aiming to disarm Mick Rory first. He darted toward him, hoping to take the pyromaniac out quickly. But Snart, prepared, fired a wide arc of icy blue energy, forcing Barry to skid to a halt as ice formed along the street.

"You're fast, Flash," Snart sneered, "but I'm getting better with this bad boy."

"You'll have to do better than that!" Barry shouted, circling Mick to strike again.

Meanwhile, Swayam, seemingly ignored by Snart, charged at him, feigning a rage-fueled attack. He moved quickly but deliberately, ensuring not to reveal his full strength. He swung a punch toward Snart's gut, but Snart sidestepped and fired his cold gun at point-blank range.

The beam of absolute zero energy shot toward Swayam, but he pressed forward. "You're going to pay for taking her," he snarled, his voice trembling with rage as he advanced.

Snart smirked and kept firing. "You talk big, but can you back it up?"

Swayam continued to close the distance, ignoring the blasts. Meanwhile, Mick unleashed a wave of fire toward Barry. The flames streaked across the street, turning the asphalt into molten tar. Barry dodged in a blur of red lightning, but the heat was intense, forcing him to stay on the defensive.

"I love watching things burn!" Mick cackled, firing shot after shot, trying to trap Barry in a circle of fire.

Snart, now growing frustrated, increased the power of his cold blasts. Swayam took them head-on, the freezing beams striking him full force. Ice formed along his suit, and he staggered, pretending to struggle under the cold's weight. In truth, his body was unaffected.

"Is that all you've got?" Swayam growled, his eyes flashing with faux fury.

Snart's eyes widened briefly, realizing that Shadow had been holding back. But he recovered quickly, continuing to fire. This time, Swayam dodged with inhuman speed, closing the distance between them. With a swift kick, he knocked the cold gun from Snart's hands, sending it skidding across the street.

"You're finished, Snart," Swayam hissed, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground. His eyes blazed with a mix of real and fake anger, his grip tightening around Snart's throat.

Before Swayam could act, a torrent of flames erupted between them as Mick came to Snart's aid. The heatwave blast forced Swayam to release Snart and leap back. Instinctively, Swayam's body reacted to the primal fear of fire, even though the flames would have little effect on him.

Seeing Mick distracted, Barry seized the moment. With a burst of speed, he knocked Rory off his feet, disarming him in a flash of red lightning. "You're done, Heatwave," Barry said, standing over the fallen pyromaniac.

Swayam, still playing the part of the enraged avenger, advanced on Snart again, but this time Barry stepped in between them. "We've got him, Sam. He's not worth it."

For a moment, it looked like Swayam might ignore him. His fury was palpable, but after a long, tense pause, he stepped back, his fists unclenching. "Fine," he growled. "But next time... he won't be so lucky."

Snart, bruised and battered, smirked from the ground. "I'll be waiting, Shadow."

As the situation calmed, Joe, Eddie, and CCPD officers arrived and took Snart and Rory into custody.