The Yin-Yang Complex

Grace

Barry stepped into the common room. He was greeted by an old and musty smell, mixed with the pungent smell of lavender. There were old folks spread out across the room, some in clusters making small talk and playing games, other staring blankly at the TV. There was one woman talking quickly and incoherently, her eyes darted about he room but her hands were gripping tightly down on the arm of her chair. Barry took a deep breath, the nurse beside him pointed at an old lady sitting in the corner of the room, staring out into the street. Barry thanked the nurse and made his way through the chairs and tables to her. He cleared his threat softly, "eh, excuse me ma'am," he asked politely.

Lady turned to see him, she had a small round face, which contrasted her massive glasses that rested on the bridge of her nose. Her pink skirt was draped over her legs and she had a warm smile on her face, "do I know you Mr?" She asked, the way she spoke didn't fit with the way her voice crackled and shook.

"No, you don't," Barry replied with a warm smile, she just pulled a face.

"No I've seen you before mister, I saw you in that ally on the way to my mum," she replied, she spoke like a small child with the voice of an elder. It was scary to Barry, but he showed no emotion but politeness. He ignored the gibberish of the people and patients behind him, trying in vain to focus on the lady in front of him.

Barry was hoping she was talking about Sebastian, that would make things so much easier, "you might be talking about my brother," he explained, the little old ladies face screwed up before it relaxed. She understood, "but he has gone missing," he stated, hope filled his heart, "do you know anything about where he is now?" He asked.

The old woman's face lit up with excitement and happiness, "of course I do, he is a kitty cat now, and a fluffy one too," she giggled like a child. Barry was taken aback, and the woman could see this, "he was so polite I made him into a little cat," she smiled.

Barry felt his heart skip a beat. Nutella. Of course he was Nutella. It made sense now, all of it. The bird, the stubbornness, the pride. It was him, it was him all along. Before Barry could leave though, he had one last question to ask, "do you know how I can turn him back?" He asked.

The old woman shook her head with glee, "nope," she smirked happily.

Barry got the answer he needed, he was gone. He ran through the city, his tie was flapping in his face and his suit was rustling in the wind, he made sure that he wasn't running too fast that his suit caught flames, but he was still quick. He rushed into Star Labs and sped into the cortex, sending paper flying around. Caitlin yelped in surprise, Barry searched the room frantically. The bird was back in its cage and Nutella was sitting by it's side, looking up at Barry with big round eyes. Barry could have cried. In the blink of an eye he scooped up Nutella and held him into his chest, "its you, isn't it?" he mumbled softly. The cat tried to struggle but Barry held him close, he wasn't going to let go, not ever again. The cat slowly accepted Barry's hug and stopped resisting. Barry took in a deep breath of the felines fur. He smelled just like his brother. He hadn't realised how much Sebastian's disappearance affected him until now. The relief was overwhelming him. Caitlin and Cisco watched warily, they weren't sure what to say. Barry stood back and put the cat down, "Nutella is Sebastian," Barry told them with a happy smile. He knelt down in front of his feline brother. The cat meowed loudly and let off a soft purr. Finally.

"What?" Cisco asked. Barry must have been playing with them. There was no way that cat was the one and only Sebastian Smythe.

"The nursing home had an old lady, she told me that she turned Sebastian into a cat, he must have come here knowing we could help," Barry explained so frantically, he tripped up over his own words. Excitement and joy filled his heart as he stared down at the cat. It even looked like his brother.

"Yes, but she was old, and probably not in her right mind," Caitlin doubted, there was no way the proud Sebastian would come to them for help, surely they would be his last choice, then again, maybe they were.

"It makes so much sense though, how he had the folder, how he knew to come to us, why his bird still loves him," Barry explained to them, he couldn't take his eyes off of the cat who just stared between them.

"It does make sense," Cisco muttered to himself, "just to prove it we should get Nutella, or Sebastian, or just the cat to give us a sign," he wanted to make sure that this whole thing wasn't just a coincidence. Before he had even finished his sentence the cat was on top of the desk, meowing loudly.

"I think he is willing to participate," Caitlin replied with approval. This whole idea was absurd, but it could offer an insight into the whole missing people mysteries.

"Okay, well, can you..." Barry trailed off as he tried to think of a good things for Sebastian to do, that normal cats couldn't. There were so many options, like standing on his back legs, or blinking twice, but they were too obvious, normal cats could do that. That's when it occurred to Barry, "stay still for one second," he held up his hands as a sign of peace when he approached the cat. Nutella looked very wary as Barry drew closer, but he held his position.

"What are you doing?" Cisco asked, scrunching up his face. Barry was once again acting weird. He watched his friend lean over the very uncomfortable looking cat.

"Looking for something that Sebastian had," Barry explained, "do I have permission to touch your back?" He felt ridiculous asking the cat that. Yet the furry creature meowed and didn't shy away, so Barry took that as a yes. He softly parted the fur on the cats back. It flinched away, but held its ground. Barry searched, not for very long, until he found three long scars running down the length of the small cats back, "found them," Barry told his friends, "he has the same scars,"

Caitlin had guessed what Barry was looking for, and his point was very valid, but if Sebastian had his scars, then surely he would have his wounds, "what about where he was stabbed, does he still have that?" She asked, staring down at the cat, who looked mortified. It's tail whipped in annoyance and it's ears were flattened to its head. He eyes were wide and alarmed.

Barry looked to the cat for consent, it stared him straight in the eye and meowed. He would really have preferred not to but he knew it was for the best. Sebastian felt disgraced, having his brother so close felt unnatural, but just so peaceful. It was confusing him, it was like he had waited for something for so long, but when it got there, it was so different and strange, it felt like he was too used to waiting that he never wanted it to arrive. He reluctantly sat up straight on his haunches, his front paws were placed across his chest, "awe he looks like a mini dinosaur," Cisco couldn't help himself. That was the day he learned that cat growls were terrifying. The deep and vicious sound rumbled off of Sebastian's chest, surprising everyone in the room, even Sebastian, "even as a cat he is scary," Cisco remarked, putting his hands up in surrender.

Barry rolled his eyes and looked over Sebastian's shoulder, his injury was still there, but it had sealed nicely leaving a thin and raw scar. "Yup, the stab wounds are here too," Barry sighed, he was so disappointed that he hadn't noticed any of this, it must have been because of the longish hair.

"So we are all in agreement, that cat is Sebastian?" Caitlin concluded. She was glad this piece of the puzzle had been placed, because they only needed a few more pieces to complete the picture.