The Return Of Bolt//Barry Allen(Book 2)

Breaking Barriers

As I sit here at my cluttered workbench, surrounded by gears, circuits, and half-completed prototypes, I can't help but feel the weight of my recent failure pressing down on me. As I tried to focus on my tasks at work, my raging hangover was making this unbearable.

I had drank around 8 speedster coffees and it had eased up, but the headache and pounding were excruciating.

No one had come down and I was grateful for the alone time. I know that would definitely end once Barry turned up and was told about my little hissy fit. 

Indulging in last night's alcohol offered temporary relief from the guilt I was harbouring over freezing up with Grodd, and I'm cautiously optimistic that it might help me move past it eventually.

But back to the project I have been dedicating my time too. I was attempting to develop an ingenious energy-harvesting device, that would use my rage to convert it into those waves of lightning I sent at Zoom. But every prototype I have made has not gone well.

One caused a mini explosion, one caught on fire and one made me pass out. 

So all and all not great.

Startled by a movement detection alert from the STAR Labs surveillance system, I quickly accessed the camera feeds, and to my astonishment, there he was – Barry Allen, stepping into the building. Curiosity piqued, I activated the camera's sound to see what was going to be said.

"Hey, guys," Barry said, and everyone replied as he scanned the room. "Where's Sam?"

 "Apparently, she created an ultra-potent alcohol specifically designed to affect speedsters, went out for a wild night of partying, and now she's dealing with a hangover from hell. Understandably, she's not in the mood to talk to anyone, so she's hiding out in her lab, and honestly, who can blame her after what happened with Grodd." Cisco explained, putting his hands over his head.

"I can't believe she wouldn't have given us warning though, anything could have happened to her. She was out alone, drunk out of her mind, she's been so careless about her life at the minute. Tell me none of you guys see it, last night, and the situation where she tried to take Zoom on her own, twice! I'm worried about her guys, and she won't open up to us so what can we do." 

 I understand Caitlin's concern, but I can't believe she thinks I should have given them a warning. I'm not some helpless child who can't go out for a drink when I please, and I can take care of myself. Sure, last night got a bit wild, but I've been responsible. The alcohol was meant for a purpose, and it fulfilled that purpose. As for taking on Zoom, I had to do it – we couldn't wait for a better opportunity. But it's true, I haven't been opening up to them, and maybe that's something I need to work on.

Barry settled down next to Dr Wells, feeling a mixture of concern and frustration etched on his face. "I don't know how to get her to open up to me," he confessed, his voice tinged with worry. "We've been together for a few months now, and I've always sensed that she's somewhat closed off, but lately, it's been more apparent than ever. I can't imagine the toll the Grodd situation and that horrific scene must have taken on her, but I just want to be there for her. I wish I knew how to break through her barriers and offer the support she needs."

As guilt washed over me, I couldn't shake the feeling of being misunderstood. I realized that while I didn't have someone like Joe West in my life to guide and support me, I now had people who cared, and I was grateful for them. Yet, after years of dealing with my problems alone, it felt nearly impossible to change my ingrained tendencies. I wanted to open up, but it was a daunting task.