Harrison Wells' Human Shield

Pilot [Final]

Clara brought a couple of boxes into the room that Barry was sulking in and tossed them on the table. "I've been going over unsolved cases from the past nine months, and there's been a sharp increase in unexplained deaths and missing people."

"Where did you..."

"Hold all questions to the end," Clara took a deep breath and glanced at her hand as it phased in and out of visibility. "Look, they didn't mean for any of this to happen. We all lost something. But you're gonna need our help to catch Mardon and anyone else out there like him,"

Barry became confused. "Our?"

"You can quit hiding!" Clara called out, and Cisco and Caitlin revealed themselves behind the door.

Cisco smirked. "If we're gonna do this, I have something that might help,"

***

Cisco pressed a switch in his little lair. "Something I've been playing with." he turned a suit around for everyone to see. "Designed to replace the turnouts firefighters traditionally wear. I thought if STAR Labs could do something nice for the community, maybe people wouldn't be so angry at Dr. Wells any more,"

Clara noticed the glance towards her and rolled her eyes.

"How is it going to help me?" Barry voiced concern.

"It's made of a reinforced tri-polymer. It's heat and abrasive-resistant, so it should withstand your moving at high-velocity speeds. And the aerodynamic design should help you maintain control. Plus, it has built-in sensors so we can track your vitals and stay in contact with you from here,"

"Thanks. Now, how do we find Mardon?"

"I retasked STAR Labs satellite to track meteorological abnormalities over Central City," Caitlin admitted, and the group crowded around her tablet. "We just got a ping. Atmospheric pressure dropped 20 millibars in a matter of seconds. I've tracked it to a farm just west of the city,"

***

Clara was a nervous ball of energy as she paced the computers after Barry ran out of STAR Labs in the new suit. The nervousness caused her body to fade in and out of visibility.

"Barry! Barry!" Cisco called on the comms, "This thing's getting closer. Wind speeds are 200 miles per hour and increasing. Barry, can you hear me?"

"Yeah." Barry replied, "Loud and clear,"

"If it keeps up, this could become an F-5 tornado,"

"But it's headed towards the city. How do I stop it? Guys?"

"What if he unravels it?" Clara suggested.

"How the hell is he going to do that?"

"I'll run around it in the opposite direction," Barry agreed. "Cut off its legs,"

"He'd have to clock 700 miles per hour to do that," Cisco calculated.

"Your body may not be able to handle those speeds. You'll die," Caitlin argued, earning a half-bodied Clara in response.

"I have to try," Barry reasoned.

Cisco chuckled as he looked at the screen. "The suit's holding up,"

"But he's not," Caitlin admitted.

"He can do it," Clara assured herself as she was now completely invisible, minus her clothes showing. "I know he can do it,"

Clara flinched as she heard Barry fall from the strong gusts of wind.

"It's too strong!" Barry exclaimed

"You can do this, Barry," Dr. Wells said as he wheeled into the lab.

Clara relaxed, feeling her father squeeze her hand.

"You were right,"

Clara wasn't sure if he was talking to her or Barry, but either way, it was words both of them needed to hear.

"I am responsible for all of this. So many people have been hurt because of me, and when I looked at you and Clara, all I saw was two potential victims of my hubris. And yes, I created this madness, but you, Barry, can stop it. You can do this. Now run, Barry, run!"

Clara held her breath as she watched Barry's speed climb on the monitor and begin to unravel Marden's tornado. She held her hands over her ears as a large whoosh filled the comms.

There was silence in the room as the team waited to hear from Barry.

"Barry?" Caitlin called out over the comms.

Clara let out a scream when two gunshots went off.

"Barry?!" Caitlin called again.

"It's over," Barry reported. "I'm okay,"

Clara smiled as she felt her father grab her hand in assurance. "How'd you know?"

"Your powers appear in times of distress, so I put a sensor in your necklace..."

"You tracked me?!" Clara exclaimed, causing her father to be pushed back.

"It only pings a location when your body measures signs of distress...like now," Dr. Wells turned the screen on his wheelchair for her to see.

"So you only get my location when I stress out and if I'm wearing the necklace?"

Dr. Wells nodded. "I understand if you won't wear it anymore,"

Clara quickly placed a hand over her necklace. "No, no...I'll keep it. Just as long as you don't track me every time I leave the lab,"

Dr. Wells held up a hand in pledge, "Scout's honor,"

Clara smiled and glanced down at the necklace.

***

Clara swiveled in one of the chairs as Cisco worked on Barry's suit. "Why is it shaped like a lightning bolt?"

"So it's not boring," Cisco replied as he fixed the sensor to the front center of the suit. He glanced back at her. "Don't get mad,"

"I'm not mad, I think it looks bitchin',"

"No, not about that...we weren't able to celebrate...."

"Cisco..." Clara warned.

"I know it's not a good day to remember since the explosion...."

Clara's hand fumbled with the necklace her father had given her right as the particle accelerator activated. She remembered the smiles, and right as she was about to blow out the candle of a cupcake Ronnie had gotten her...Clara shook her head. "It's been nine months. It's a little late for a birthday gift,"

"I don't think you can say no to this," Cisco rolled out another mannequin, and Clara's eyes widened.

"My dad can never know about this,"