The Vibe's Siren

Chapter 1

MY POV

"Are you Elizabeth Harper?" A voice called out behind me as I turned around removing my headphones, seeing a young man around my age smiling at me.

"Who's asking?" I stood up straighter as I held onto the side of my sunglasses, ready to defend myself as he put his hands up in the air in a calming manner.

"My name is Barry Allen, and I just want to talk. I think I might be able to help you." I stared at him for a moment before I walked up to him.

"Are you sure you can help me?" I hummed, lowering my glasses to show him the soft glow. He nodded, holding up his hand as he made it vibrate fast. Ah. So it's him. "Alright. You've caught my attention." I slipped back on my glasses as he held his hand out towards a car. "A speedster has a car? Oh, and call me Liz. I like it a lot better." As we drove to STAR labs, we chatted as I told him everything.

I had woken up in the hospital after a six-month coma, terrified out of my mind. Medical staff barely saw me unless they needed, always saying that something would spook everyone. My emotions were quick to trigger and went up to a '10' on how strong I felt them. One day while I was in the bathroom, I stared at my reflection, noticing the faint glow surrounding my iris. When I had gotten home and learned about everything that happened in those six months, I knew something had happened to me that night, so I started doing some digging. There wasn't much, and I hid behind sunglasses all the time, scared. Pissed.

"So why not become like the others?" Barry offered as we walked into the labs, a smile on my face.

"The Flash gave me hope."

~

"Can you remove your sunglasses?" Caitlin spoke up, holding a medical instrument in her hand as I gulped.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want to hurt you." I said. She pulled up a stool and sat facing me.

"I don't think you would mean to, even if you did. Do you know how Barry found you? Brought you to join the team?" Caitlin asked, and I shook my head. I had forgotten to ask.

"When we first started doing what we do, Barry met metas who only cared about themselves. Villains. Reports of a female hooded figure came through, and we figured it was just another bad guy to put away. However, when we started digging, turns out this hooded figure would visit places full of sadness, children's hospitals, the elderly. And she would bring cheer to them. No one ever saw a face or could give a name but only that she had beautiful eyes that glowed when she smiled. As we continued digging more into it, we found you and connected you to the dots. We even called the hospital you were staying at. Come to find out, even in a coma, your abilities didn't stop. The medical staff could feel your fear, even if they didn't know what was happening. Barry was thrilled to another Meta who choose good over evil." I took a deep breath, slowly taking off my glasses as I looked up, seeing the reflection in a nearby mirror as my eyes glowed bright, my confidence higher than it had been in a long time.

"Look at that. That's amazing." 

"I used to be a DJ before all this." Caitlin and I walked to another room where Cisco was setting things up to read my abilities.

"We've dealt with a few metas before that had similar powers based around them or their job. It's very interesting and helps us understand it a lot." I stepped into the room, seeing Cisco holding a pair of goggles towards me, a smile on his face as he saw my hesitancy.

"Don't worry, it's safe as can be. The only thing that could backfire is we do end up feeling the effects on the other side of the glass."

"Alright..." I frowned as I opened my music app, turned on some music as placed the goggles on. You can do this. Deep breaths.

~

"You did great, Liz!" Caitlin's voice came on the intercom as I nodded, pulling back from the machine. I rubbed my sweaty palms against my jeans. I stood behind them as they pulled up the recorded visuals they had, seeing something flowing around me as everyone looked excited.

"Somehow, the dark matter from the particle accelerator altered your amygdala and Theta brainwaves. It's quite incredible." Caitlin grinned as I looked around, lost.

"My what now?"

"So your amygdala processes your emotions, simple enough, right? Theta waves are the waves you give off when you're sleeping or daydreaming. It is a repository for memories, emotions, and sensations. So when others pass through those invisible waves around you, their amygdalas think that's the emotion they should be experiencing." Caitlin rambled on in a lot of scientific terms as I bit my lip, trying to understand, or at the very least, to keep up.

"The dark matter from the accelerator merged those and has nonstop theta waves surrounding you, which is how you can alter others' emotions. Pathokinesis."

~

I stood next to Caitlin, my glasses on as I frowned, staring at the 7mph on the treadmill. The fear was bubbling inside me as I crossed my arms. Was that it? The Flash is no more? It couldn't be...right?

"Do we think this is temporary, or-" Barry sat down, a frown on his face as he looked at Wells, who couldn't give him the answer he needed? As Barry stormed out, I could feel a lump in my throat as I took deep breaths. Calm down, calm down.

"Liz?" Caitlin looked at me as I shook my head, holding my glasses against my face as I bolted out of the room, losing control as I could see the bright glow against my lenses. I looked around the Cortex, feeling the fear resonating inside me as I ripped off my glasses staring at a mirror, the glow just as bright as the first day. In anger, I threw my glasses against the wall, hearing them break. I leaned against the mirror, the fears invading my thoughts. What now? What now? What now?

"Liz!" Cisco's voice called out, sounding far away as the thoughts kept crashing against my skull. I mumbled, my own words sounding incoherent as I felt a hand on my shoulder. Cisco stood next to me, worry written on his face as I closed my eyes, the only other way I knew how to stop my abilities. "Liz, it's going to be ok. Dr. Wells and Caitlin will figure it out." 

Most everyone else couldn't control any outbursts except Cisco. They would just give me the space and reassurance once I was calmer, but Cisco would be there even before one started. He always gave me sweets after I practiced, or would just grab me coffee just because. Why was I so scared than on telling him how I felt?

"Thanks, Cisco." He picked up the broken glasses. I sighed, looking up at him.

"I know something that will cheer you up. Come on." Cisco grabbed my hand as we walked towards his workshop, and I looked around, amazed. Placing a box in front of me, he grinned. "I am finishing up on these, but I figure we probably should do a test run." Cisco said.

 I opened the box, seeing a pair of sunglasses sitting in the case, surrounded by wireless headphones. "Oh, Cisco!" As Cisco began talking in full-on nerd mode about what the glasses were made of, I slipped the headphones around my neck and propped the sunglasses on my head.

"Plus good news. They won't break." I leaned over, hugging him tightly.

"I love them Cisco." I felt Cisco's arms wrap around me.

"Anything for you Liz."