Episode 30 - Flash Fanfiction - Dr Psycho

Chapter 8

"Cisco, whatever you're going to say, I know that I almost killed that man tonight... so just save it." Astrid said, as he entered her office and closed the door behind him. He shook his head and she stood up to face him. He said nothing.

"Yeah, my face and arms look pretty bad... I get it!" Astrid began.

He shook his head again.

"Look, what do you need to say? Just say it, Because right now... I just don't think that I can really deal with any of this!" Astrid snapped. But he didn't say anything, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her. Astrid began to cry, for the first time in a long time she let herself sob like a child. She had tried to resist, but in the end she felt utterly broken.

"Iris," Joe began, as the two of them sat in alone. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Not really, dad. I just can't believe that Astrid Sutherland is actually a superhero. She took most of the torment. I know what my next article is going to be about. I think she deserves it." Iris looked over at Barry and Caitlin speaking with Harry.

Tonight was the first time that she had ever admitted how she truly felt about Barry to anyone. But what she saw between he and Caitlin made her a little envious.

Though Iris loved her career, it was exciting! She was achieving her passion and if she were to be with Barry, that would certainly complicate things.

He and Caitlin had something that Iris did not want to destroy, because despite the way that she felt, seeing Barry this way, was comforting.

Barry noticed Iris staring at him and excused himself from Harry and Caitlin to approached she and Joe.

"Hey, I heard the Flash saved the two of you tonight." Barry said to her.

"Yeah, he did. Astrid also risked her life. I just never thought that..." Iris began.

"...That she was more than just a CEO villainess? Yeah my friends do have a way of surprising people." Barry replied.

"You read my article?"

"I couldn't get past my friends bragging... Cisco on the other hand..." he added with a laugh.

"Yeah, I was told not to give up his secret. I'm just surprised that you weren't here sooner, you're always late to meet the Flash... yet the rest of your friends..." Iris wasn't sure what she was looking for, maybe some link between Barry and the Flash.

"Yep, that's me, I'm always late. Do you realize this is the first time you and I have had a decent conversation, since..."

"Since I turned you down, I'm sorry about that. But there was that time that you and Astrid were... acting very peculiar in Jitters..."

Barry remembered the time that she was referring to, the time that he and Astrid had been under Aphrodite's love spell, it made him groan. "Yeah, let's not go into that..." he said.

"Okay... but it's just sad that it took me having to be kidnapped twice, in two days for us to finally see eye to eye again, but we should talk more often. I should go, Thank Caitlin again for me. You two make a great couple, and I really do mean that!" Iris turned on her heels and followed Joe out of the cortex, leaving Barry quite pleased with the way things had gone.

Caitlin and Harry joined him. "She's going to be okay." Caitlin said looking up at Barry.

"I know," Barry nodded, "And so are you and I, Caity."

"That's good..." Dr Wells said, just as Astrid and Cisco walked into the room. "but I have fears for someone else." Cisco had his arm around Astrid as they approached the group.

"I've decided to take a break from fighting outside of STAR Labs." Astrid said out loud.

"You're sure?" Barry asked her.

"I'm positive, I could have killed that man tonight. While I can control my powers I saw something in myself that I really didn't like. That man managed to break me, and I get that it probably seems like I'm running away... but that's not it..."

"Astrid, every hero falls." Barry said, "it's just a matter of getting back up and..."

"Barry, but that's not it. I will continue to train with the lot of you... and I will definitely keep directing you in battles... my powers really help with that. But, I'm just not ready to go back out there. Not yet anyway." She said.

Caitlin and Barry stared at Cisco.

"Don't look at me, this was entirely her decision, I'm just as surprised as you are that she wants out of the fighting." Cisco said, "Especially because of how powerful she is... but I get it... and I'm willing to support that."

"I think it was a very wise decision, Astrid." Harry said, "It will give you the chance to strategize. Strategy makes an exceptional leader. Have you ever played a game of chess?"

"My father... I mean Robert Sutherland taught me everything I knew." Astrid said.

"Astrid?" Caitlin said, "What do you mean by Robert Sutherland?"

Astrid had not yet realized that she had not told Caitlin nor Barry this news.

Barry held his tongue, he wondered just how much she knew of this truth, if she knew who her father really was, just as he did.

"It's a long story... I'll tell you, while Harry gets the chess board set up!" Astrid said.