WestAllen Love Story (Book 1)

Chapter 9: From the Streak to the Flash

"Oh man! This is so cool!  This is like some seriously weird sci-fi stuff!"  Cisco said with excitement as they finally began to learn exactly what was going on with Barry.  Caitlin gave a slight roll of her eyes hearing Cisco's reaction.  It had now been a few weeks since Barry had learned of his speedster powers, and since then, strange things had been happening in Central City.  Other meta-humans somehow seemed to appear and show up, but however, unlike Barry, they wanted to use their powers for evil, not good, and with the help of Cisco, Caitlin and Dr. Wells, Barry had been able to help defeat a few of them, still learning about what he could do with his powers along the way.

"Dude.  I totally have a nickname for you."  Cisco said excitedly after feeling a bit of a rush once they had put away one of the villains.  Barry looked at Cisco raising his eye slightly.  "Nickname?"  "Yeah. I mean all superheroes have them don't they?  Let's see.  I was thinking the blur.  Or how about better yet?"  He said getting a small grin on his face.  "The streak..  Yeeeaaah!  The streak!"  He said getting a bit too invested in the name."

After an eventful day at Star Labs, Barry decided to head back home as Joe said he didn't need any of his help at the moment at the office.  As he walked into the door, he saw Iris sitting at the dining room table with the computer up and typing in her blog.  He smiled.  "Hey Iris..."  She glanced up and gave him a smile.  She stopped typing momentarily and stood up, approaching Barry to give him a hug.  "Hey.  How did it go at the office?"  She asked.  "Oh.  It's as it always is.  You know."  He said a bit awkwardly.  Iris nor Joe knew that he had inherited such powers from the explosion.  He didn't want to tell them and have them by chance think that he was even weirder than he already was.  Of course, he knew that Joe and Iris were family, and they would never judge him, but he couldn't help sometimes but think.

"What are you writing this time?"  He smiled a little glancing over at the computer Iris had just been sitting at.  She turned slightly towards the table.  "Oh.  At first I was starting to think I should quit writing altogether.  I mean.  I know you told me I should become a writer.  But it was soooo boring!  Until.."  She walks over to the computer turning it around slightly so Barry could see what she was up to.  He narrowed his eyes slightly to see who she had been writing her blogs on.  Him..  As the streak or whoever it was Cisco wanted to call him.

"Hey.  What's wrong?" She asked noticing his disapproving look.  He glances up at her shaking his head slightly.  "Nothing's wrong.  It's just.  Are you sure you should be writing about the streak?  This person?  We don't know who he really is.  And he has enemies Iris..  I wouldn't want you to get hurt..."  She walks back over to him placing her hand over his.  "Barry.  I'm not going to get hurt.  I have you and dad remember?"  She smiled a little.  Barry takes a deep breath.  He couldn't stress anything to Iris without giving it all away.  "Just promise me you'll be careful okay?"  She nodded a little.  "Of course Barry.  I'm always careful."  She said quietly wrapping her arms around him to give him a hug.  He smiled a little then pulled back to get a better look at Iris.  "I know you are."

Over the next few days, Barry had been quite busy at the lab, and had now caught quite a few meta-humans.  Today was different though.  They finally had a little reprieve, and time to relax at the lab.  "So.  Since it seems like you're a legit member of the team now, I have been working on something for you."  Cisco said after he had walked back into the lab.  Barry looked up at him a bit curious.  "Oh?  What is that?"  Cisco grinned a little.  "Follow me."  Barry got up from the computer chair and followed Cisco over to one of the cases that were covered up with a canvas sheet.  Once he knew he had Barry's undivided attention, Cisco pulled the canvas down to reveal a red suit with a circle that had a shape of a lightning bolt in the center.  Barry smiled.  "It looks amazing Cisco."  Cisco smiled back.  "I figured since you were a superhero now, you needed a mask.  And a much cooler name than the streak."

Barry studied the suit a little bit. Seeing the lightning strike on the design, made him think of the title that he had seen on Iris' blog - The Flash.  He smiled a little and glanced over at Cisco.  "What about the Flash?  Something tells me, I have a feeling it will catch on very well."  He grinned a little.  Cisco stayed quiet seeming to consider it for awhile.  "Wicked!"  He grinned back and Barry knew the name had Cisco's approval.  How did you come up with that?"  He looked over at Barry.  Barry gave a small shrug.  "Oh.  It just sort of came to me."  He said, and hoped Iris wouldn't mind that he had sort of stolen her idea.