Chapter Text
S.T.A.R. Labs was quiet. It was a big building for five of them to rattle around in, and sometimes Cisco missed the hustle and bustle of pre-accelerator S.T.A.R., the corridors full of chatter, and atmosphere bursting with anticipation. But pre-accelerator S.T.A.R. didn’t have Lily. Iris wouldn’t have been able to visit in the evenings. And he’d spent most of his time with Caitlin, Ronnie, Hartley, and Doctor Wells anyway. Caitlin was here, incredibly happy, and it did Cisco’s heart good to see that. Hartley was living with Cisco, he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. Maybe Ronnie wasn’t around so much, off flying with his superpowers- Cisco still couldn’t believe the accelerator gave people superpowers and he’d been right next to it and just got a concussion- but he dropped by frequently enough.
And with empty labs Cisco could build whatever he wanted, and no one would get in the way. Doctor Wells was almost always free if Cisco needed advice, that was nice.
Maybe they should have pushed the date back. After Hartley’s discovery, he’d suggested it. January 7th was only a few weeks after December 21st. But there was enough protest; pushing it back would just give them more reason to say it was going to end horribly.
And they were so sure they’d fixed it.
Doctor Wells still felt guilty, Cisco knew. That was why he’d been so quick to agree to Caitlin’s suggestion of helping Barry Allen, why he’d insisted on helping Cisco fix everything up to bring Barry to S.T.A.R. as soon as possible. He wasn’t the only one Doctor Wells had offered to help, but the Wests were the only ones who’d fully accepted the offer. And Cisco knew that was because it came from Caitlin, not Doctor Wells. Central City had no faith for the man they saw as having blown a hole in their city, however much he’d suffered himself.
They’d all felt guilty. They’d all felt responsible for what had happened. Hartley especially, it had been him who’d first come up with the changes. He’d noticed the first flaw, he felt he should have noticed this one, that if he’d done one final check, if he’d been a little more thorough, that maybe it would have worked. It had taken Cisco months to convince him that they couldn’t have been more thorough, that there was nothing more he could have done. It hadn’t helped that the whole time, Cisco had been feeling guilty about Ronnie, even though he knew there was nothing he could have done, and Ronnie told him so when he came back. Cisco hadn’t wanted Hartley to go through everything alone, it was why he suggested Hartley stay with him. He knew Hartley accepted because he didn’t want Cisco to be alone. Caitlin had spent a few nights with them as well, and she had Iris. They all got better. Ronnie came back from the dead, sort of. They met Lily. Hartley didn’t need to stay at Cisco’s anymore.
But they’d fallen into a routine. Cisco liked Hartley being there. Hartley liked being there. He didn’t need to stay, but Cisco wanted him to, and he didn’t need to go. It was nice having a roommate. Especially Hartley.
Cisco opened a packet of sweets.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to check your blood sugar?” Caitlin asked, without looking up from her computer.
“My blood will be all sugar when I’m finished.”
“That’s hyperglycaemia.”
“Want one?”
A beep came from the monitor at Barry’s bedside, and Caitlin frowned and walked over. The beeping was speeding up.
“What is it?” Cisco asked.
“I think his heart rate’s accelerating again.”
“It hasn’t done that for months.” Cisco pressed a button, and music started to play.
“What are you doing?” Caitlin asked.
“Iris said he likes this song, it might calm him down.”
“That’s not-” Caitlin stepped back as Barry gasped and sat up. “Oh.”
“Should have played Lady Gaga months ago, do you think-”
“Cisco!” Caitlin said. Barry looked around and tried to climb out of the bed, and Cisco rested a hand on his chest.
“Easy, man, you’re all right,” he said. Caitlin shone a light in Barry’s eyes.
“Pupils are equally reactive to light-”
Cisco turned to the computer, shut off the music, and spoke into the microphone on the desk.
“Doctor Wells, you’re needed in the Cortex.”
“I need a urine sample,” Caitlin said, and held out a pot.
“Stunning bedside manner, Doctor Snow,” Cisco said. “Hey, you’re okay, you’re in S.T.A.R. Labs.”
“S.T.A.R. Labs?” Barry asked. He reached up to rub his eyes.
“Wait a minute,” Caitlin said. “I’ll remove the cannula and IV, do not touch them.”
“You’re Iris’ Caitlin,” Barry said. “We met in Jitters a few weeks ago, I’m Barry. You were there, you’re…”
“Cisco Ramon. That wasn’t a few weeks ago, buddy.”
“Why am I here, what happened?”
“You got struck by lightning.” Cisco helped Barry up and he stared at the mirror. Static electricity seemed to crackle around them. “Nine months ago.”
“Why do I have abs?”
“We’re not sure,” Caitlin said. “Your muscles started regenerating instead of developing atrophy, we believe it was something to do with the particle accelerator.”
“What?”
“We think you developed super healing,” Cisco said.
“That makes less sense.”
“All it gave me was tinnitus,” Hartley said from the doorway. “I’ll swap.”
“It’s good to see you awake, Mister Allen,” Doctor Wells said. “Iris will be pleased.”
“Iris, I have to-”
“You woke up like a minute ago, you’re not going anywhere,” Cisco said.
“You said it was the particle accelerator,” Barry said. “The news, the news said they were evacuating S.T.A.R. Labs, what-”
“Why don’t you walk with me, Barry?” Doctor Wells asked. Barry’s eyes widened a little. “If you’ll pardon the expression.” Barry nodded and followed Doctor Wells out of the Cortex.
“Should we call Joe and Iris?” Lily asked.
“Doctor Wells won’t be long,” Hartley said.
“It must be a lot to take in. Nine months is a long time.”
“Long enough to grow a whole person,” Cisco said. Everyone looked at him. “What?”
“It’s a strange thing to say,” Lily said. “Or maybe a strange way to say it?”
“Are you all right, Cisco?” Caitlin asked.
“Fine,” Cisco said. “It’s not quite nine months anyway.”
“Close enough,” Hartley said.
“-really do feel fine, Doctor Wells,” Barry said. “Thank you, thank all of you, but I need to find Joe and Iris.”
“There’s so much we still don’t understand,” Doctor Wells said.
“I can come back. You can run as many tests as you want, I just really need to see them.”
“Caitlin could take you to Jitter’s,” Lily said. “Then she could keep an eye on you and you can see Iris.”
“I don’t want to be a bother, I can-”
“They’ve been dating for like ten months,” Cisco said. “As if Caitlin needs an excuse to go see Iris.”
“Right. I forgot.”
“It will probably take you a while,” Caitlin said. “I really don’t mind.”
“Thanks,” Barry said.
“Can you bring me back coffee?” Cisco asked.
“Caitlin,” Doctor Wells said. Cisco looked over from where he was tinkering on a new earpiece for their communications system. “What? Of course, Cisco can drive, I’m sure he has something. I understand Mister Allen’s enthusiasm, but if you could drive him there, that would be better. Yes, I understand.” Doctor Wells put the phone down. "Cisco, do you have any clothes that are friction resistant?"
Doctor Wells seemed to glance at his fireman's suit, and Cisco frowned.
"I think I might have some things I was testing?" Cisco said. "Why?"
"I need you to pick it up and drive me to the old Ferris Air Field."
"Did something happen to Caitlin?"
"It seems Mister Allen's abilities might not be limited to ‘super healing’, as you put it."
"What?"
Cisco had picked up the clothes- a vest top and shorts- and a helmet, goggles, kneepads, and elbow pads. He'd helped Doctor Wells find some equipment to measure vitals as well, and Hartley and Lily helped carry it.
Ferris Air had used the small airfield as a testing facility, but Cisco had never found out what they'd been testing. He knew the pilot had disappeared and it had been put up for sale after that. Apparently, he'd been a friend of the owner or something, they hadn't wanted anything to do with it after that. Doctor Wells had bought it. S.T.A.R. Labs had plans to expand- Cisco had come up here a few times to test a few things- but the accelerator had put a stop to that. Mostly it was abandoned. There were probably kids who came up here to see if they could find what happened to the pilot, or to muck around where their parents couldn't find them, but in the middle of the day it was empty.
Hartley helped Doctor Wells get set up, and Cisco passed Barry the clothes Caitlin arrived. Iris was with them too, that wasn't a surprise.
"So, what happened?" Lily asked.
"He said he saw Tracy drop her tray, but it was like time stopped," Iris said. "Then it happened again in the station after Dad left, and he ran outside. We went after him, one of the windows of the police cars was smashed, that must have been him, and he just vanished. By the time we caught up with him, he was lying in a laundry van at the end of the street, grinning madly."
"He teleported?" Hartley asked.
"No," Barry said, emerging from the van, trying to pull the shorts down. "I ran. These are really tight."
"That's because you're taller than me," Cisco said. "They're just pieces I was testing the fabric on. This should measure your vitals."
"We'll keep watch on them," Doctor Wells said. "When you're ready, step up to the line, and run."
"Are you sure about this?" Iris asked. "You just woke up."
"I'm sure," Barry said. He got into position and ran.
Cisco stared as Barry streaked away.
"He's going a hundred miles an hour," Caitlin said. "His vitals are fine."
"Two hundred," Hartley said. "Doctor Wells-"
Lightning was flickering around Barry.
"Oh no," Iris said.
Water was thrown up as Barry crashed into the barrels. Iris took off running.
"I'll help," Lily said, running after her.
"Cisco, Hartley, maybe you should help load the van," Doctor Wells said. "Caitlin-"
"I'm going."
Barry sat in the Cortex and flexed his wrist.
"It really does feel fine," he said.
"Three hours ago, it was broken," Caitlin said. "I know we said super healing, but this, this is just..."
"Awesome?" Cisco asked. "Dude, that was so cool, what'd it feel like?"
"I'm buzzing," Barry said. "It's like there's this electricity just under my skin, I've got to do that again."
"You crashed," Hartley said.
"Yeah," Barry said. "That was... That was just..."
"You were fine until that point, Mister Allen," Doctor Wells said.
"It was the lightning, wasn't it?" Iris asked. "I trust them, Barry."
"Do you?"
"They saved you. Caitlin came with me to see him a few times, and I think after what we just saw..."
"I guess," Barry said. "My dad's in prison."
"Iris told me," Caitlin said. Cisco and Hartley exchanged a look. "I don't know what you saw, but-"
"A man in lightning," Barry said. "He had a yellow suit and glowing red eyes, and he was so fast. He looked right at me, then I was twenty blocks away. By the time I got back, they were taking my dad away and my mom..."
"I'm so sorry," Lily said.
"It wasn't my dad, it was the man in the lightning, I saw him. But no one believed me, except Iris."
"So, when you saw the lightning when you were running..." Cisco said. Barry nodded.
"And that's why you asked if it were possible to create a metahuman without a particle accelerator," Doctor Wells asked. Iris nodded. "Fourteen years is a long time.”
"Yeah," Barry said. "I think I need a walk."
"I'll come with you," Iris said.
Hartley put his hand on Cisco's shoulder. He frowned up at Hartley and waited for Iris and Barry to disappear.
"Come with me," Hartley whispered. Cisco nodded and followed him down to the lab. Hartley sat on the desk. "What do you think?"
“That superpowers are awesome, and concussions are not?”
“You read about the man in the lightning, it was why you built the Cold Gun.”
“You think we should tell Barry?”
“I think we should look it over again at least. It’s a big coincidence if Barry has the same abilities as the man who killed his mother.”
“Or not a coincidence,” Cisco said. “Hartley-”
“We just met him. I know Iris trusts him-”
“And he trusts her enough to trust us, that couldn’t have been easy to tell us. Iris is right about other metahumans, we’ve both heard of Gotham.”
“Then why would Harrison be so quick to dismiss it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Do you think Eiling will show his face again?”
“Ronnie and Professor Stein haven’t heard anything. He wanted Firestorm.”
“And then he found out Firestorm was a person,” Hartley said. “I think he’ll be very interested in metahumans.”
“I still don’t know why he didn’t come after us.”
“Do you feel like you’re missing a piece of a puzzle, Cisco?”
“There’s something in the air. You know the excitement you could feel just before the accelerator? Like the air was electric from everyone buzzing? It’s like that. I think it’s Barry. He seems to have this cloud of static around him.”
“He was throwing out lightning.”
“We know why he heals now, he needs it to withstand the friction.”
“Maybe. I was thinking, we could stop at the green-grocers on the way home, see if they have anything nice. I’ll cook.”
“You’re the best roommate I’ve ever had.”
Iris and Barry weren’t gone long, and Barry was fuming when he got back.
“Barry, breathe,” Iris said. “You remember the bank robberies where the storm started inside the bank?”
“The ones you’ve been writing about?” Caitlin asked. “We thought it might be a meta.”
“A meta who controls that weather,” Cisco said. “That is so-” Barry glared at him. “That’s awful, we should stop him.”
“You’ve been writing about this?” Barry asked. “I don’t understand, I thought you said you hadn’t forgiven me for suggesting journalism?”
“I came around to it,” Iris said.
“But it was yesterday.”
“Barry.”
“Right. Not yesterday. What did Joe say?”
“He still doesn’t believe in it.”
“Yeah, I noticed. But you said your friend was like me?”
“Not exactly,” Lily said. “Do you remember just before you got off the train you were talking to someone about the accelerator? That was my dad, Professor Martin Stein. He was on his way to S.T.A.R. Labs.”
“I remember.”
“He was there when it went critical and merged with Ronnie.”
Barry frowned.
“Both of them in Ronnie’s body,” Lily explained.
“Ronnie’s the tall one,” Iris said. Barry nodded.
“That’s how I met everyone. They were looking for Ronnie and the only lead was my dad. Their powers come from the thermocore my dad was working on.”
“They catch fire and fly when they merge,” Cisco said. “It’s so cool.”
“A man called General Eiling took my dad. We rescued him.”
“But you didn’t tell Joe why he took your dad?” Barry asked.
“We didn’t tell him at all,” Iris said. “Hartley, Lily, and Ronnie broke in, we had some help from your friend Felicity, and your other friend you didn’t tell me about.”
“You didn’t tell Joe?”
“What could the police have done, Mister Allen?” Doctor Wells asked.
“If you had evidence-”
“Evidence our friend catches fire sometimes?” Hartley asked.
“All right, Ms. Horton, or Peter, or if you called Felicity, she’s got a friend, Laurel-”
“I don’t know who any of those people are,” Cisco said.
“Cecile Horton is the D.A., she’s friends with Joe, she’s nice, Peter Farley was my roommate while I was doing my degree, he’s a lawyer now, and Laurel Lance is a lawyer too. You should have told Joe.”
“Hartley, Lily, and Ronnie broke in,” Iris said. “He’s a detective.”
“And you just told a C.S.I.,” Hartley said. “Speaking of keeping things from law enforcement professionals.”
“Barry’s already not telling anyone who the Arrow is.”
“I made a promise,” Barry said. “Also, that was like two days ago, it hasn’t been relevant to any cases because my case was the Mardons, and then I got struck by lightning and it’s not two days ago, it’s nearly nine months. You didn’t tell Joe about any of this?”
“No,” Iris said. “You said it yourself, he doesn’t believe in this.”
“But if he’d seen it, if C.C.P.D. knew there was something going on-”
“C.C.P.D. know,” Hartley said. “The whole city knows, there’s been a spike in the unexplained. They just can’t do anything.”
“But you could help. You must be able to understand why-”
“Mister Allen, we’re scientists,” Doctor Wells said. “And not ones C.C.P.D. will be in a hurry to trust.”
“You could still explain, that Mardon’s abilities-”
“Perhaps Hartley and Lily were reckless in their rush to save Professor Stein, but we are not crime fighters, we have no obligation to stop this Clyde Mardon.”
“I do.”
“You are a forensic assistant who got lucky, you may have met the Arrow, you are not like him. You cannot fight, I will not let Hartley and Lily endanger themselves again, and I advise you leave this to the professionals.”
“I’m not asking anyone to endanger themselves. You have the information the professionals need, and you’re not giving it to them.”
“Mister Allen, your abilities are unique, if we could discover the cause of your healing, it could lead to breakthroughs in medical science, you cannot risk that. You could save one person stopping Clyde Mardon, or you could help hundreds with the knowledge we could learn.”
“I know I’m not the Arrow. I am nothing like him. There is a due process to the law, a proper way of doing things, but I can help. Maybe I only save one person, but why does that person have less of a right to be saved than the hundreds?”
“Barry-” Iris said.
“I have to try.”
Barry took off in a swirl of lightning.
“I don’t know about you,” Cisco said brightly. “But I thought that went terribly.”
Caitlin put an arm over Iris’ shoulder and steered her away.
“Maybe he’s right,” Lily said. “We’ve known about metahumans for months.”
“We don’t have anything that could stop Clyde Mardon,” Hartley said. “Unless I-”
“No, Hartley,” Doctor Wells said. “I don’t want to risk adding you to Mardon’s apparent list. Mister Allen no doubt will return soon enough.”
“I have to go and build something,” Cisco said.
“Cisco-” Caitlin said.
“I just need to build something,” he said. “It’s one of those moments. I’ll be downstairs.”
Barry wasn’t back after half an hour, and Iris wasn’t getting an answer from his phone. She didn’t want to call Joe, he’d only worry. Doctor Wells seemed certain Barry would come back soon enough.
Cisco had added lightning bolts to the ear pieces. His suit should be friction resistant enough for Barry to run. Doctor Wells was wrong, Barry wouldn’t change his mind. Cisco was sure of it. Not after that.
And Barry wasn’t wrong. The metahumans were their fault. Cisco was sure he didn’t mean it in a bad way, but if anyone had a right to be angry about the accelerator, it was Barry. He’d lost nine months of his life. Sure, he had superpowers now, but that was a long time. And he obviously didn’t have a good relationship with these specific superpowers, there must have been a lot going through his mind.
Iris had mentioned Barry had told Joe what he’d seen, and Joe hadn’t believed him. Cisco couldn’t blame him; he wouldn’t have believed Barry nine months ago either. But if Barry had been telling him about these things for fourteen years, to have proof and still not be believed…
Yeah, Cisco could understand why Barry had run off.
He’d waited for the Cortex to be empty before he went back up. He wasn’t sure where everyone else had gone, they’d still be in the building or someone would have come to find him, but they’d clearly all needed time to think.
Cisco’s suit was under a cover. He looked across at the computers. S.T.A.R. Labs had a satellite. If he could use that to track weather patterns, he might be able to find Mardon. And do what, he wasn’t sure.
Barry skidded back in. His jacket had disappeared, and his shoes were smoking.
“Hey,” Cisco said.
“Hi.”
“You know you’re on fire?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“Sorry, I just…”
“Yeah,” Cisco said. “But you came back.”
“I did,” Barry said, taking his shoes off. “I spoke to a friend.”
“What friend?”
“Err, in Starling.”
“Dude, did you just ditch us to go talk to the Arrow?”
“I know it’s been months, but it still feels like it was only two days? I thought, he’s the only one that might know what I’m talking about.”
“So, it is a he? Am I right, is it Mister Diggle?”
“You do know I can’t tell you that, right?”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“It’s an I made a promise and I’m not breaking it. I will tell you I made his mask.”
“Nice. Out of?”
“Compressed micro fabric.”
“Barry Allen, Iris has been holding out on me. What’d you study?”
“Organic chemistry, with criminology.”
“Interesting. I have just the thing for you.”
“For what?”
“You’re going after Clyde Mardon.”
“I know you think it’s a bad idea. But I read Iris’ blog, there’s a lot of unsolved cases probably caused by your metahumans. I know you didn’t mean for any of this to happen, and I don’t want to get anyone else involved or put anyone in danger-”
“You just need something that won’t catch fire when you run, so you don’t show up to fight Mardon in some smouldering boxers?” Cisco asked. Barry made a face. “I told you, I’ve got just the thing.” Cisco pulled the sheet off his suit. “I’ve been working on it for a while, it was supposed to be for firefighters. It’s actually what I was testing the day we took Caitlin to Jitters and she met Iris. S.T.A.R. Labs may have had to be evacuated. What you were wearing earlier were tests for the heat as well.”
“I like the colour,” Barry said.
“Iris did say you like red. I’ll have to make some adjustments for it to fit, but it should measure your vitals, I can keep watch from back here. Caitlin helped with that bit.”
“I don’t-”
“Dude, you think I’m going to pass up the chance to help a superhero?”
“I’m not a superhero.”
“Superpowers, going to save the day.”
“I’m going to be a superhero,” Barry said, smiling. “This has gone from one of the worst to one of the best days of my life so quickly.”
“Think you can get changed as quickly?”
Barry ran forwards and Cisco barely blinked before he was wearing the suit.
“How does it feel?”
“Really good.”
“Cisco, are you-” Hartley stopped talking and looked at the both of them. “Not that I don’t appreciate the view, but what are you two doing?”
“Hartley, this is not the time for flirting,” Cisco said.
“Maybe later,” Barry said. “Can you track Mardon?”
“What makes you think we can track Mardon?” Hartley asked.
“I figured you were probably both geniuses.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Allen.” Hartley sat at the computer. “This is a terrible idea.”
“That’s exactly what I said when you decided to go after Eiling,” Cisco said. He walked over and sat next to Hartley. “There’s some ear pieces here you can use.”
“Thanks,” Barry said. “Why lightning bolts?”
“So they look cool.”
“There’s a reading from a farm just outside the city,” Hartley said. Barry ran over.
“I know that one, that was on my list of places the Mardons might be hiding. I’ll-”
“Bartholomew Henry Allen,” Iris said. Caitlin and Lily exchanged a look behind her.
“Iris, I’ve got to try.”
“Three hours.”
“Yeah, I… I needed some advice.”
“You needed someone who agreed with you. You could get hurt, you could-”
“Iris.” Barry rested his hands beside her shoulders. “I’ve got to do this. I know it’s dangerous. I know I just woke up. But if I can help, I have to try.”
“It’s like Spider-Man,” Cisco said. “With great power comes great responsibility. And anxiety. Spider Sense is basically anxiety.”
“I don’t think that’s helping, Cisco,” Caitlin said.
“Please,” Barry said. “I need to try, Iris.”
“If you die-”
“I will do my very best not to,” Barry promised.
“Good luck,” Lily said. Barry disappeared in a flash of lightning, and papers blew everywhere. “I think we should invest in paperweights.”
“Do we have a plan on what to do once he’s caught Mardon?” Caitlin asked. Cisco shook his head. “Iron Heights can’t do anything if he’s as powerful as the stories Iris found say.”
“We can work on that,” Hartley said.
“Err, guys?” Barry’s voice came over the speaker. “Do any of you know how to stop a tornado? Also, Joe and Eddie are here, Eddie’s unconscious.”
“Dad’s there?” Iris asked.
“Yeah,” Barry said. “I guess he did listen to us?”
Caitlin took Iris’ hand and they joined Hartley and Cisco at the computer terminal.
“Considering we’re supposed to be smart, you’d think we’d have thought this through more,” Lily said. “I could grab the Cold Gun and drive out there.”
“Do you drive like your mother?” Cisco asked.
“What’s a Cold Gun?” Barry asked. “Never mind. Can I unravel it?”
“You want to unravel a tornado?” Hartley asked.
“It’s approaching category F-5,” Caitlin said. “You’d have to go at least seven hundred miles an hour.”
“Can he do that?” Iris asked.
“The suit can,” Cisco said. “I can make some upgrades, but it can take it.”
“He’s gone two hundred,” Caitlin said. “That’s a big jump. We don’t know what affect it’ll have on his body.”
“Well,” Barry said. “Dad always said I learnt to run before I could walk.”
“Does that mean something?” Lily asked.
“Yeah, he just passed four hundred miles an hour,” Cisco said.
“Five hundred,” Hartley said.
“His heart rate’s increasing,” Caitlin said. “Barry?”
“I can’t- I can’t-”
“You can,” Iris said. “You can, Barry, you’ve always been stronger than you know. You can.”
“Mister Allen,” Doctor Wells said. Cisco shuffled over to give him better access to the microphone. Cisco hadn’t heard him come in, he must have been too focused on Barry. “My mistakes caused the accelerator to fail. I’ve seen the hurt it did to people I care about. All I could see from your proposal was another source of hurt, but I was wrong. You can fix my mistakes, but you need to run, Barry, run.”
“Six hundred and fifty,” Hartley said. “Come on, Barry.”
A distant boom echoed through the comms and Caitlin squeezed Iris’ hand.
“His vitals are steady,” she said softly. “He’s still breathing.”
“I’m not a murderer like you,” Barry said. “You’re going to prison, Mardon.”
A gunshot echoed and even Doctor Wells was visibly shaken for a moment.
“It’s fine,” Barry said. “I’m fine, Joe shot Mardon.”
“Barry?” Joe’s voice was faint, but Cisco could fix that.
“You told him?” Iris asked. “Bartholomew.”
“Was this the lightning?” Joe asked.
“Yeah,” Barry said.
“You were right. This whole time, you were right. I’m sorry.”
“Joe-”
“I can’t ask you to stop this, can I?”
“No.”
“It’s dangerous. I don’t want Iris involved.”
“Tell him I’m already involved, he can’t-”
“Iris is on comms,” Barry said. “Can you two have this conversation not through me? Is Eddie okay?”
“Back-up’s on its way. You should go.”
Cisco barely blinked before Barry was racing back in, grinning wildly.
“Well done, Mister Allen,” Doctor Wells said. “What I said earlier-”
“It’s fine,” Barry said. “Today has been a really long day. I should probably go talk to Joe, it’s too late to go and see Dad. And I guess I have no food at home.”
“Your landlord cancelled your lease,” Iris said. “It’s been nine months, Bare. We didn’t know when you’d wake up, or what you’d be like.”
“Oh, right. So, Joe’s then. I can run us.”
“Not this time. Caitlin, are you still coming to dinner?”
“I’d love to.”
Moon curled up on Hartley’s lap while Cisco switched the film on, and Hartley rested his head on Cisco’s shoulder once he sat down. He stroked Moon absently with one hand. Cisco gave her a tiny stroke.
“The rescue centre has four females,” Cisco said
“I know, I just can’t choose,” Hartley said.
“As long as there won’t be any babies.”
“I’ll pick them up tomorrow. That was an interesting day.”
“It’s not going to be a one-off, is it?”
“You and your superheroes.”
“You could be one,” Cisco said. “Rebrand the Pied Piper.”
“I don’t have superpowers. Barry seems nice.”
“Yeah, I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be great friends. We should tell him.”
“What if it’s not him?”
“But what if it is?”
“Let’s give him a few days. He’ll have enough on his mind. Iris might say something.”
“Maybe.”
Barry was buzzing in the seat next to Cisco. Cisco had looked a few times and Barry had given him an apologetic smile, but he started bouncing his leg again after a few seconds.
“Dude,” Cisco said.
“Sorry,” Barry said. “How long do you think they’ll be?”
“Probably a while, it’s new, and Caitlin loves testing blood. Did Doctor Wells actually tell you you have to stay?”
“I think he wants to get all the tests done now. I managed to go see Dad first thing this morning, so I’m free all of today, tomorrow’s Saturday, and then Monday I’m back to work.”
“You only have three days off? You just woke up from a coma.”
“Captain Singh insisted, he said if I was at my desk before nine o’clock Monday he’s suspend me, not that I’ve ever had an issue with being early before. I don’t think he was serious.”
“You tried to go back to work the day after you woke up from a coma.”
“I unwound a tornado the day I woke up from a coma. And I ran to Starling. And-”
“Did you tell your boss?”
“What? No. Should I? No, I shouldn’t. Unless it’s relevant to my work? I think metas are bound to be. And I don’t think Iron Heights can do much. Iris and I worked out how to break in when we were fourteen, with superpowers…”
“I bet I could build something,” Cisco said. “Hartley can help when he gets back.”
“Where is he?”
“In one of the storage rooms downstairs looking for something. I don’t think you have to stay here, if you want to go for a run.”
“I can’t explain it. There’s this feeling, egging me on, I can’t stop moving. You know like when you see something brightly coloured and possibly squishy and you immediately want to touch it?”
“I am concerned about you being near dangerous chemicals but yes, continue.”
“It feels like that.”
“I can monitor your vitals if you’re wearing the suit.”
“Do you think Doctor Wells will mind?”
“I’ll talk to him.”
Barry was changed before Cisco could finished and prodded the lightning bolt emblem on his chest. Cisco had added it that morning.
“What’s it for?” Barry asked.
“Looking cool.”
“It feels cool.” Barry smiled. “Thanks, Cisco.”
“Don’t mention it,” Cisco said. “GPS and comms are on and-” Papers blew as Barry whooshed out of sight. “And you’re already gone.”
“Sorry,” Barry said. Cisco could almost hear his smile. He kept watch on Barry’s vitals, and Hartley slumped into the chair next to Cisco. He didn’t say anything, and Cisco tapped his shoulder.
“Nothing,” Hartley said. “I just couldn’t find what I’m looking for. Where’s your suit?”
“Barry couldn’t sit still so I told him to go for a run.”
“Didn’t Harrison and Caitlin want him to stay here until they were sure this is permanent?”
“Caitlin thinks it is.”
“And it has no degenerative affects?”
“We looked after him when he was unconscious, awake must be easier.”
“Your easier to look after patient’s speed just rapidly decelerated.”
“I’m fine!” Barry said. “Sorry, I’m just working out corners and stopping. It is just metahumans I’m supposed to be stopping, isn’t it?”
“And even that’s a reluctant yes,” Hartley said. “Harrison will not be happy.”
“Never mind that, Caitlin might kill us,” Cisco said.
“Joe will probably worry and go into overprotective Dad mode,” Barry said. “And Iris…”
“You’re going to do something stupid, aren’t you,” Hartley said.
“I am going to do something incredibly stupid,” Barry said. “I shouldn’t run a bank robber to the middle of C.C.P.D., should I?”
“Not yet,” Cisco said. “Can you even run while carrying someone?”
“I don’t know, Iris didn’t let me try.”
“I assume he has a weapon,” Hartley said.
“Yeah. I could take it off him, leave it somewhere he can’t reach, and run away again?”
“Great plan,” Cisco said. “How will you reach?”
“I’m really tall.”
“Can you go to ours and get me something off the tops of one of the cupboards?” Hartley asked.
“I told you, I can do it!” Cisco said. “I’m not short!”
“Cisco, take advantage of our new tall friend.”
“How long have you two been together?” Barry asked. “It’s done, by the way, just give me-” He skidded in and sat in the chair again. “-one second. That was so cool.”
“You should get changed before Harrison and Caitlin see you wearing that,” Hartley said. “And that was a one off.”
“Hart,” Cisco said. “Hartley, Hartley, Hartley, there is a chance for superheroics here. You need a name. Let me think about it.”
“Is this like how Caitlin said you tried to name the masked man who lead that attack on Starling City?” Hartley asked.
“What attack?” Barry asked.
“We’ll fill you in,” Cisco said. “Your name needs to be perfect, if we’re doing this.”
“We shouldn’t,” Hartley said. Cisco looked at him, eyebrows slightly raised, and eyes wide, and Hartley sighed. “Fine, but I’m not telling Joe when he gets himself killed.”
“Relax, Hart. This is going to be great. We can be the eyes and ears, Barry can be the feet. Don’t tell your boss.”
“I won’t,” Barry said. “Can we go back to masked men attacking Starling City?”