Reality Check : : Barry Allen (REWRITING)

22

By the time I have a chance to get to STAR Labs with just Wolfgang as my escort, it's after dusk. I managed to ditch Iris at Jitters when Eddie showed up out of the blue, but I have a feeling Robin was the real cause for my chance to escape.

I head into STAR Labs with Wolfgang on my lap, hoping the Cortex is easy to find. I know from what I can remember of the show that the next meta Barry faces is some guy named Farooq, dubbed Blackout by Cisco.

"--was that?" That's Cisco's voice. I follow the sounds of Barry's heavy breathing over the intercom.

"Barry what's happening?" Wells is there too. More heavy breathing. "Get out of there." A pause. "Run Barry."

"I can't." Barry sounds exhausted. I remember this moment in the episode very clearly. "My speed... It's gone." And I've found the Cortex. I stop in the doorway, waiting for the perfect moment as I watch the three scientist stare at their computers.

Be careful.

"Barry, what do you mean, gone?" Caitlin's using her usual super serious tone.

"I can't... I can't run." Barry sounds confused and shocked and I'm trying my hardest to contain the feels that are welling up inside of me.

"How? What'd he do to you?" Wells asks.

"I don't know. I'm gonna call an Uber or something. We can figure it out when I get back." Barry's com cuts out then and everyone sighs. I take the opportunity to clear my throat awkwardly, feeling surprisingly nervous.

Cisco's the first to turn around and see me, then Caitlin and Dr Wells follow when they notice their colleague freaking out.

"Cara, what're you doing here?" Cisco asks with wide eyes as he glances anxiously between me and Dr Wells.

"I, um, sort of figured out this is where the Flash works from. I wasn't expecting you to be here though." I lie. Caitlin steps closer to me quickly, blocking the computers from my view in the process. Not that I was trying to see them.

"Nope, no Flash here. You're mistaken." She says firmly, her eyes wide. She has an expression that any Flash fan would recognise and understand easily; she's lying.

"Isn't Iris meant to be watching you?" Cisco asks, trying to change the topic.

"Firstly, I don't need babysitting. Secondly, Detective Pretty-Boy distracted her enough for me to leave." I say.

"So Eddie knows too?" Cisco groans. I shake my head.

"No, he was just in the right place at the right time." I explain. Caitlin gives Dr Wells a look and he nods once to her before looking directly at me.

"I'm curious, Cara; why is it that you think the Flash's headquarters are here of all places?" Wells asks. I pull out the map Mya gave me.

"Me and a friend got a list of directions Flash was leaving in and arriving from at each of his sightings, then figured out where the majority point to." I explain as I unfold the large piece of paper and hold it up as well as I can.

"So Mya knows too?" Cisco asks, groaning again.

"How d'you know about her?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, roughly folding the map up again.