Daniel went quiet as Caitlin's words sank in.
Red skies.
The phrase connected instantly with the images he'd seen when the singularity collapsed — flashes of destroyed worlds, strange versions of people, that same red sky hanging over everything.
Red skies and worlds being destroyed...
His expression changed. Wait... Crisis on Infinite Earths.
He knew what that meant.
In the DC multiverse, red skies were one of the signs something far bigger was happening — the Anti-Monitor, born from the antimatter universe, destroying entire universes one after another, the red skies always the warning that came before the destruction.
Daniel rubbed his forehead slowly. That's one hell of a problem coming our way.
For once, he genuinely wished he could just call his uncle and let him deal with all of it.
Would've been a lot easier than explaining a multiversal crisis to Barry, Cisco, and everyone else while half the people around him were suddenly acting like completely different versions of themselves.
"Daniel." Barry nudged him.
He blinked, coming back to the room. "What?"
Barry glanced at Caitlin, then back. "So, do you have any idea how we can solve her problem?"
Daniel hesitated. "I might have an idea."
Cisco perked up. "But?"
"I've already tried something similar." He glanced at Caitlin. "It could force whatever's affecting her to separate from her system, but there's a chance it causes a pretty serious outburst."
Barry frowned. "Outburst?"
Daniel thought back to Kara and Harleen.
"Something like the person becoming aggressive, losing control, powers reacting on their own. Almost like a split personality — one side normal, the other coming out under certain circumstances."
Cisco looked between Caitlin and Daniel. "So we're basically talking about poking the problem until it gets angry?"
"Pretty much."
Caitlin smiled from the chair. "You boys really know how to make a girl feel safe."
Cisco ignored her, focused on Daniel. "So, is it actually safe? Because that sounds pretty damn dangerous."
"No. It's dangerous," Daniel admitted. "I've only tried it once, and I don't even know if it'll work the same way twice."
Cisco stared at him. "Okay, that's not exactly reassuring. What's the probability of success?"
"Ten percent."
His mouth fell open. "Ten percent?"
"Yeah."
"Wow, that's low."
Daniel shrugged. "That's the honest answer."
Cisco looked at Caitlin, then at the restraints holding her down. "So if it fails, I die?"
"Not necessarily," Daniel said. "But you could become the next patient."
Caitlin gave him an unimpressed look. "So you have a handsome face, but you have no idea how to treat a woman. You're a scumbag without a heart."
Daniel sighed but didn't argue. The problem was Caitlin was still their friend. Whatever had happened to her, she wasn't some random enemy they could just take down and move on from.
They had to help her — but they also couldn't let her walk around freely while she could drain heat from someone and potentially kill them.
Barry looked at him. "Maybe you could keep an eye on her."
"That's not happening."
"Why?"
Daniel started counting on his fingers. "Evelyn, Elizabeth, Tamara, Sylvia, Diana, Mera, Kara, Harleen, and a teenager named Rachel Roth."
Cisco stared at him. "Who are all these people?"
"Basically the list of women who show up at my house every day," Daniel said tiredly. "I already have enough people to keep track of without adding another one."
"So you're saying you don't have time to babysit Caitlin?"
"Exactly."
Caitlin looked at him, amused. "You really are a scumbag."
He pointed at her. "And you're the one trying to eat my body heat."
"That's different."
"How?"
"Because I have a good reason."
Cisco shook his head. "I'm starting to think putting you two in the same room was a mistake."
***
Clark stared at the television in disbelief. "What the hell?"
The man on screen wore a Superman-style suit, shown mid-rescue — but Clark knew immediately it wasn't him.
The footage showed the figure flying through the air, lifting a damaged vehicle, then vanishing from the cameras.
Who is that supposed to be?
He tried using his own abilities. Nothing. He focused his hearing. Nothing. He tried to see through the wall. Nothing. He clenched his fist and tried lifting off the ground — his feet stayed planted.
What the hell is happening?
He rushed to the mirror and stared at his reflection. Completely normal.
That was the problem — no enhanced strength, no speed, no heat vision. For the first time in years, Clark felt completely human.
He sat down, trying to work through what could have caused it. Why did my powers disappear?
The image of the fake Superman kept replaying in his mind. Someone else was walking around wearing his symbol while he couldn't even use his own abilities.
He needed answers, and there were only a couple of people who might have them.
Kara.
The last time they'd spoken, she'd mentioned she was visiting Daniel. If Superman himself had suddenly lost his powers, Daniel might know more than anyone.
Clark grabbed his phone. First Kara, then Daniel.
*****
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