Vera Pyra (The Flash) (Book One)

Chapter 10__The Man In the Yellow Suit

Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, Dr. Wells and I were in STAR Labs.

Barry had a bag of presents. "Merry Christmas. Just a small token of my gratitude for everything you guys have done for me this year."

Barry handed out gifts.

"I think I speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say you've been a gift for us, Barry," Wells told him.

Barry took out a thermal.

"What is that?" I asked.

"This is compliments of Iris," Barry answered. "Grandma Esther's famous eggnog."

"That's what I'm talking about," Cisco told us.

"Maybe later for me," Wells told us. "Wouldn't wanna drink and drive."

Wells rolled away, leaving.

"Did I say something wrong?" Barry asked.

"No," Caitlin answered.

"No, man," Cisco answered. "He, um... This used to be his favorite time of the year, but the accident happened before Christmas, so it ruined the holidays."

"I'm gonna go get him a present," Caitlin told us. "Maybe that will cheer him up." She looked at Barry. "Thank you very much."

"Oh, uh, me, too," Cisco told us.

"Yeah," Barry told us. Caitlin and Cisco walked out, leaving. Barry looked at me. "So, what are you doing for Christmas, Vera?"

I put my present down. "Oh, I don't know. I haven't really done anything for Christmas since my... last year of foster care. Never had someone to celebrate the holiday season with, and even back then, I wasn't into it after everything that happened." Barry nodded in understanding. I sighed, looking down. "Christmas was my favorite holiday from birth to nine years old. My, uh... my parents used to take me, my brother and my sister all over for vacations, and we'd see anything you'd imagine. Summer, winter, whatever. Or we would just stay home, have a regular Christmas like every other family. But if we did that, my dad, Lucas, would always play a Christmas song on his guitar, and my mom, Isabella, would always sing it. And when we got old enough, me and my brother and my sister, Josh and Kaylee... We would sing along. And we would... literally have a ball." Barry smiled a small smile. I looked down, swallowing, sighing, no longer in the nostalgic mood. "And then the fire. And I knew that nobody could top those holidays, so I didn't try to."

Barry nodded in understanding. He let a moment of silence pass by. "So, what did you mean before, when you were affected by Rainbow Raider?"

"Oh, come on, Barry," I told him, walking around the table. "You know that that wasn't me. Well, it was me, but the things I said, I didn't mean them. I sure as hell didn't mean to try to kill you or Oliver."

"I know," Barry told me. "And w--we know. But you said that all you thought you were was a sidekick that was this close to going dark side. Now, Vera, if that was true, and if you were really just a sidekick, then you wouldn't have been able to kick my ass and Oliver's ass at the same time. I'm pretty sure that an actual superhero could've stopped you more efficiently. Like Batman or Superman or something." I looked down, managing a small smile. "And if you were that close to the dark side, then you wouldn't have put yours on the line so much to save others and put the bad guys away." I looked up. "Believe it or not, we couldn't do this without you."

I smiled a small smile.

~

There was a crime scene with a witness reporting to see a blur surrounding a man in a yellow suit.

We were all at STAR Labs in the Cortex.