In A Blink ➳ Barry Allen/The Flash

37.

chapter thirty-seven ; the search begins

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Before she could face back around, a gust of wind blew Natalie back and onto the ground as Barry's grip disappeared from her hand, leaving in yellow lightening. The speedster's name left her lips in a scream, but it was already too late. Barry had gone after the Man in Yellow.

Natalie felt a tugging on her arm, pulling her up to her feet as her eyes trained on the last place she saw the lightening. "Natalie. Natalie we have to go. Come on, Nattie. We have to go." The young brunette snapped out of her haze and looked to see Caitlin and Cisco by her side, trying to urge her to come with them. Nodding, the two lab workers took that as a sign she was okay and the three quickly hurried after Joe.

Joe walked quickly and on guard as he led them down the halls, gun held out in front of him prepared to defend. He led the group to the Cortex, quickly making sure it was clear before they went inside. Before any words could be spoken, Barry sped into the room and headed straight to wear his suit was displayed. "We have to find Iris," Barry announced.

Joe left his post by the door, the concern of his daughter outweighing everything else, "Iris, why?"

"He has surveillance videos set up everywhere," Barry explained, his breathing heavy as he spun around to face the group. "All of our homes, my lab at the police station, Central City Picture News."

Natalie looked at her cousin in disgust, mumbling under her breath, "Not only is he a psychopath and a murderer, the douche is also a perv. Great."

In a flash of yellow lightening, Barry changed into his suit, his mask on as he walked up to the desk Cisco and Caitlin were occupying. "He's been watching all of us for months. Including Iris and Eddie. We have to get to them first before Wells does. Call me when you have a location." Before Barry could leave in a flash of yellow lightening, Natalie rushed forward to him, quickly kissing him before he could leave, "Be careful, Barry." Barry held onto her hands that rested on his cheeks and nodded, racing off once he gave her one last kiss.

Natalie, knowing she wasn't going to be able to do anything at the computer desk, pulled out her phone to call Eddie. As she held the phone up to her ear, she looked around the room, watching the concentration on everyone's faces as she let out shaky breaths. Her brown eyes settled on Joe, the older man's eyes red and brimming with tears, his dark hands shaking as he gripped his phone. Natalie, only getting Eddie's voicemail, paused for a second, walking up to Joe and squeezing his hand in reassurance. "He's gonna find her, Joe," Natalie hushed as Joe looked up at her, the blink of the eye sending the tears down his cheeks. The brunette stayed by his side, squeezing his hand as the two continued to call Iris and Eddie.

"I'm not picking anything up on the traffic cams, only Barry," Caitlin called out, biting her lip as she gave bad news. Natalie looked at Cisco, who only shook his head. "Cisco, Caitlin, can you try and ping their phones," Natalie asked as she and Joe kept, phones going to their voicemails.

Cisco nodded his head, "I started that as soon as Barry said to find them. We just have to wait- Hey, we got a match!" Natalie and Joe rushed behind the desk as Caitlin tried to find street cameras near the location. "Barry, Barry we got a location," Cisco said into the intercom connected to Barry. "Eddie and Iris are at the bridge."

"What bridge?" Barry shouted as he continued to run.

Cisco seemed at a loss so Natalie grabbed the mic from him, slamming her finger on the button, "That one really cool bridge I talked about the other night. It's the only bridge that doesn't let cars go over it and it's over by the pier." Barry affirmed he knew what bridge she was talking about and continued to run.

Joe took a seat next to Cisco, holding tightly onto Natalie's hand that rested on his shoulder as they waited for Barry to say something. "There aren't any cameras near the bridge or water front. Barry's the only source we have," Caitlin said sadly as she turned to the other three.

Cisco stared straight at the intercom, waiting for any words from Barry as he chewed on his fingernails, "Please let him get to them in time."

"Iris, it's me. It's me," Barry's voice rang through the speakers, causing Joe to let out a laugh of relief. Caitlin, Cisco, and Natalie continued to focus on the intercom as they heard Iris' hysterical breaths, her voice faint as she wasn't directly by Barry's ear com.

"He took him. The man in the yellow. He took Eddie," Iris cried in-between her heavy breaths.

The group at S.T.A.R. Labs heard Barry hush her and try to calm Iris down, "I promise I will find him, okay?"

Iris' once heavy breaths grew fainter as she regained it slowly, "What is happening?"

"Listen to me. Go home. Don't say anything to anyone. I swear to you, I will bring him back, alright?" Barry ordered her before he left, racing off again to go find Eddie. "Guys, Eddie's-"

"We know, Barry. We heard everything," Cisco said into the mic as Joe grabbed his things and left to go find Iris. "Caitlin and I are running the facial recognition software, looking through the traffic cams.. We'll find him, Barry."

Natalie heard Barry's heavy breaths through the speakers, "What about Natalie and Joe? Are they okay?"

Cisco looked up at Natalie, who was sat in the corner on the floor, calling Eddie's phone even though she knew it was no use. "Natalie's fine, Barry. It's just a lot right now, for all of us. Joe just left to go find Iris."

After about an hour and a half, Caitlin and Cisco were both trying to keep their eyes open as they tapped away on the keyboards. Noticing their exhausted state, Natalie hoisted herself up from the floor and sat in the plopped herself down next to Cisco, pulling on the desk to scoot the rolling chair closer to the desk. "Barry," Natalie said into the microphone as she pushed her finger on the button. Both Caitlin and Cisco looked up tiredly when they heard her small voice. "Barry you have to come back."

"I can't," Barry breathed back, his breaths heavy, "Eddie. I have to.. I have to find him."

"Barry, it's no use if you run yourself out. Too much exhaustion could kill you. Come back. You can't keep running. We'll look tomorrow, I promise," Natalie tried again, her eyes drooping shut as she drifted off towards sleep.

A gust of wind entered into the Cortex, making the three in the chairs jump thinking it could be Dr. Wells returning to the lab. But it was only Barry.

"We're gonna find him, Barry," Cisco stated as he gathered his things and powered off the computers. His eyes heavy and red, Barry nodded and left to go change. Cisco and Caitlin both mumbled their goodbyes to Natalie as she waited for Barry to return.

Barry shuffled back into the Cortex dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, clinging to Natalie as he once again buried his neck ini her shoulder. "This is all of my fault. Eddie-"

"Shh, it's not your fault, Bare. You can't keep blaming yourself," Natalie cooed as her boyfriend cried. "Let's go home. Yours or mine. It doesn't matter."

Barry removed his head from her neck and let Natalie wipe the tears from his cheeks. He sniffles as he watched her, her eyes heavy with sleep and red from crying on her own. "Have you thought about it?" Barry muttered, "Moving in. Have you?"

Natalie looked into his green eyes, seeing all of the pain that courses through and nodded. "If it really makes you feel better, I will."

Smiling gratefully, Barry nodded, "I just don't want to see anyone else get hurt."

"Let's get home. We'll save the packing for tomorrow," Natalie mumbled back, her eyes opening and closing slowly as sleep beckoned her. Barry gently picked her up and raced them to the house Joe raised him in, quickly unlocking the door and carrying the now sleeping Natalie into his room.

He laid her on his bed, gently stroking his thumb across her cheek and brushing the hair out if her face, planting a kiss on her forehead before he crawled in beside her. Barry pulled the covers over too of them, wrapping and protectively over Natalie's waist as he too was pulled into sleep.

The last thought on Barry's mind was that he wasn't going to let anything happen to her or anyone else.

They were going to find Eddie and stop the Man in Yellow.