[Chen's POV]
"Thanks, Chen," Caitlin smiled.
She started gathering her work from the table as I smiled back, and soon she was walking out of the room to continue her research. I had pointed out some flaws to her that were keeping her "next big thing" from turning out. Normally, I wouldn't help unless I knew I'd get something in return, but I like Caitlin. She was a lot better company than Wells and Cisco.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Since the tour a few days before, they decided to move me out of the main lab to a smaller room, so that I could work on my own. That was fine. I was used to working by myself; I even managed to curve group projects in college so that I wouldn't have to spend so much time with people. So yeah, peace and quiet was great.
My phone started buzzing just as I was about to go back to my own work, and when I took it out of my pocket, Lin's contact lit up. I raised the phone to my ear without hesitating.
"Hello?"
". . . Chen. Are you busy?"
Something was wrong. . . I could hear it in her voice.
"I'm working. But if you need me, I can make an excuse. . . Is everything okay?"
She took a moment to respond, but as I heard her stammer out my step-dad's name, I didn't need to hear anything else.
"Okay. . . Okay, don't worry, mom. I'll be there. I'm on my way," I reassured her. "I promise."
Anger rising through me, I stood from my seat and grabbed my jacket. My feet made their way to the entrance of the lab and through the hall, while inside, I was pissed.
I've had enough of you, Ed. I swear, if you lay a finger on my mom again, I won't hold back this time. I won't.
~
The drive to my family's house was way too long to me. It took me roughly twenty minutes in my car, and at one point I wondered if I should've just asked Barry to run me there. However, I made it eventually, and just in time to catch Ed before he ran off again.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked him, my arms crossed in front of me as I stood defiantly in the doorway of my old home.
In front of me was my step-dad, drink in his hand and anger written all over his face. His black hair was messy and pulled, and his eyes were barely focusing on me as he talked.
"What?" He spat, glaring at me.
Behind him, I caught a glimpse of Lin. She looked broken; her eyes were full of melancholy, and she was leaning against the wall, blood dripping from her nose and arms. I wanted to push past Ed and hold her. . . She didn't deserve any of this. She didn't deserve any of the pain she's had to go through.
Before I could even consider it, though, a fist came flying from in front of me and lodged itself into my cheek. I stumbled backward, shocked and gasping in pain.
"Just get out of the way," he mumbled.
Anger flooded my mind—unnatural anger. Something struck a chord in me, and at that moment, I was more pissed at him than I'd ever been with anyone in my life. Without thinking, I turned back to him and shoved him down. Glass went everywhere, but I didn't care. I fell to my knees and held him down with my weight as I threw punch after punch at him.
