Harrison Wells' Human Shield

Things You Can't Outrun [3]

"I patched into the mall's security system," Cisco said after Clara and Caitlin had returned to STAR Labs and explained Barry's latest reckless stunt. "According to witness accounts, the gas attack was in the main elevator in the north wing,"

"Which one is the north wing?" Barry asked over the comms.

"The one with the Big Belly Burger," Dr. Wells replied.

Cisco looked at the man in shock.

"Why did you kill that woman?" Barry demanded.

"She deserved to die," a male voice wheezed. "Now go run away. I still have one more name on my list. Don't make me add you to it,"

Clara flinched as she heard Barry grunting in pain.

"Barry." Dr. Wells called over the comms, "Barry, can you hear me?"

"His vitals are weak, but he's alive, Dr. Wells. I'm sure he's fine,"

Clara screamed when Barry zoomed in, wheezing and coughing.

"I can't breathe," Barry said.

"He needs oxygen. Get the crash cart!" Dr. Wells ordered Cisco.

Cisco helped get Barry onto a medical bed and took the top half of the suit off to expose his chest.

"Barry..." Clara said worriedly.

"Cici, maybe you should..." Cisco said.

Clara shook her head.

"Cut me open," Barry told Caitlin. "The poison's still in me,"

"He brought us a sample." Dr. Wells realized. "Caitlin, we need to do a pulmonary biopsy extract an active portion of that gas,"

"I can't give you any anesthetic," Caitlin explained to Barry. "Your metabolism will burn right through it,"

"I heal quick, remember?" Barry wheezed.

"Do it," Dr. Wells ordered.

"Cisco, give me the syringe. This is gonna hurt a lot,"

"It's a small needle." Cisco assured, "You probably won't even feel it,"

"You're going to feel it," Clara said as she winced when Caitlin placed the needle into Barry's chest.

***

Clara let out a relieved sigh when Barry began to wake up again, his body hooked up to monitors.

"The streak lives," Cisco smiled.

"You'd be dead if your lung cells didn't regenerate so quickly." Caitlin chastised.

"My chest feels like that one time I had a cigarette," Barry groaned.

Clara looked at him bewildered.

"Yeah," Barry laughed. "Teen me lived for danger,"

"This isn't funny." Caitlin argued, "You could've..."

"I didn't,"

"Now that we have a sample, we'll get to work analyzing it," Dr. Wells said "Figure out the makeup of the poison, maybe get a clue as to his human identity,"

"Or at least a way to stop him from turning into a mist," Cisco added. He looked at Clara "The Mist. Okay, that's his name. End of discussion,"

"I have to get to the station," Barry said tiredly.

"You should be resting," Dr. Wells said.

"I have to talk to Joe,"

***

"Hey, check this out," Cisco said as Barry returned to the lab with Caitlin. "It's a 3-D molecular model of the gas we retrieved from your lungs,"

"We have identified the toxin," Dr. Wells added.

"Hydrogen cyanide?" Barry voiced, confused.

"What's interesting is what's mixed in with the cyanide...a sedative,"

"Of course," Barry realized. "The night of the explosion, find out if anyone was executed,"

Caitlin nodded and moved to the computer.

"Why?" Dr. Wells asked.

"That sedative is given to criminals on death row before they go to the gas chamber and breathe in hydrogen cyanide,"

"That's right,"

"There was someone executed," Caitlin reported. "Kyle Nimbus,"

"That's him," Barry recognized as he looked at the report on the screen.

"He was a hitman for the Darbinyan crime family. They turned on him and testified. Judge Theresa Howard was the judge at his trial. She sentenced him to death,"

"He must have been affected by the explosion while he was being gassed," Clara reasoned.

"Records indicate the execution was completed," Cisco read.

"That's why there wasn't a match." Barry said, "The DNA database only has records of the living,"

"Right," Dr. Wells agreed.

"He said that there was one more person on his list. Check the arrest record. Who caught him? That could be his next attack,"

Clara flinched. "Barry, the lead detective...is Joe,"