Catching Up || Barry Allen [2]

03| Flash of Two Worlds

***

Caitlin and I walked into the Cortex where Cisco, Iris and Professor Stein were waiting. "So what is it this time Cisco?" Caitlin asked all of us clearly annoyed that he asked us to come here earlier than usual.

"It's a surprise." He exclaimed. "We just have to wait for Barry and Joe."

"They were both still getting ready when I drove over." Iris informed as she took a seat.

Cisco groaned in annoyance clearly anxious about something. "I swear for someone who has superspeed Barry is always..." Suddenly Barry and Joe walked into the room causing Cisco to stop mid-sentence. "Finally!"

"What is it this time Cisco?" Joe asked slowly as they approached the group.

"Okay so I've made upgrades to like everything." He quickly exclaimed as he walked over to the wall near Barry's suit that was covered with a tarp. "So Diane lets start with you."

He quickly pulled the tarp off revealing a display that had an upgraded version of my suit along with new weapons. I walked over to the suit and touched to soft material, I hadn't seen my suit since I got back from Nanda Parbat and I honestly left speechless. "Wow, Cisco..."

"No need to thank me." Cisco quickly added as he looked over the suit with pride. "I'm just going to need my other suit."

My eyes widened as I remembered what happened six months ago. "The...other suit?"

"Yes, my other suit."

"About that...it's kind of a pile of ashes in Nanda Parbat." I replied slowly as I pursed my lips together waiting for a reaction. Cisco blinked a couple of times before he laughed awkwardly.

"That's funny. It almost sounded like you said that my suit was a pile of ashes." Cisco continued as he looked at me expectantly hoping that I would take it back and say that it was all a joke.

"Hey Cisco are you okay." Barry asked resting a hand in Cisco's shoulder.

"Yeah." He practically squeaked as he shook his head. "Yeah, I'm totally fine. I'm just...you know trying to wrap my head around the whole situation."

"Cisco I'm sorry." I found myself saying, feeling horrible for the look of heartbreak in Cisco's eyes.

"Seriously I'm fine it's just a suit anyways." He replied as he moved over to where Barry's suit was. "Anyways lets move on." He turned on a light that revealed to us the new emblem on Barry's suit. "I added a little upgrade to your suit. It's just like the one from the future newspaper Gideon showed us. I was thinking, you know, you shouldn't fear the future anymore, right?"

"No, and it'll be here faster than we think." Barry said as he took a closer look at the new emblem.

"Well, see, I like it." Professor Stein commented. "The lightning definitely pops more against the white."

"And S.T.A.R. Labs is now safer than ever. Increased security and surveillance." Cisco added. "Re-coded, double firewalled, electronic lock sets. Nothing is getting through here without us knowing."

"So people can't just waltz in and out of here." Iris continued.

"Exactly." Cisco confirmed with a wide smile that quickly disappeared when a man walked into the Cortex. "For real?"

Joe immediately pulled out his gun and pointed it at the man. "Stay where you are." He warned.

"Who are you?" Barry asked defensively.

"You don't know me, but I know you Barry Allen." The man said as he held his hand up walking cautiously towards us.

"Take one more step, it'll be the last step you take." Joe told him as he raised his gun higher. "The man asked you a question. Who the hell are you?"