The Flash: Next Generation

chapter 5: the race

(In this chapter Emma is 14 and in 9th grade.)

Barry's pov:

It was a Saturday afternoon and all morning Emma had been bugging me to train her so she could help work out on the field. "NO! Emma No!! I've already answered you and my answer isn't changing!" I say walking into the cortex at star labs. "PLEASE DAD!!" Emma begged chasing after me. "No." I said walking into the speed lab. She followed me in. "Why not?" She asked. I rolled my eyes. She just doesn't give up. "Because it's to dangerous. " I say turning around to face her. She looked up at me with those big brown puppy eyes. Oh no. "But, you do it. And I just wanna help." She pouted. "That's different. I've been doing this for a few years. I know most of the metas powers and their weaknesses." I say. "That's why you would train me. So I could know them too." Emma said with a big grin. I rolled my eyes again. "No Emma. Drop it, you've been bugging me all morning about it." I say heading towards the cortex. I got to the door way and turned around. Emma was sitting on the floor pouting. I sighed, "Ok... here's the deal. We are gonna have a race." I crossed my arms and leaned against the door frame. I had a smirk on my face. "What do you mean?" Emma asked looking up at me. "Me and you. We are gonna race all over central city. We will have a starting point and star labs will be the finish line." I explained. Emma stood up with a big grin. "If you win I'll train you. If I win, you wait until your 16. We'll race next Saturday." I say holding out my hand for a handshake. She walked over and grabbed my hand, "deal." She said with a big old smile. "Get to running squirt." I say walking out.

Emma's pov:

Dad walked out of the speed lab with a smirk on his face. I set up the track. I started the countdown to start and walked over to the entrance. I had on a star labs t-shirt and some running pants. I also had on a pair of special shoes that Cisco had made for me. I heard a loud buzz and started running. Dad's top speed was mach 8, mine was mach 1... I wasn't really allowed to run much. I really didn't do much the rest of the day except run. When I finally had enough I ran out of the tunnel and walked over to the computer pannel to see how fast I had gotten. "Mach 2.5." I said out loud. "Not bad." I say again. I shut everything down and walked out into the cortex. Nobody was in there, that was kind of strange but I really didn't think to much about it. I shrugged my shoulders and went to raid the star labs kitchen. I know Ralph keeps a box of donuts hidden in one of the cabinets. I walked in and found his stash. I grabbed the box and picked out one of the donuts. I picked it up and ate it. I put the box back in Ralph's 'secret' hiding spot. Then I ran out of star labs and straight home. I zoomed in the door and stopped right behind the couch. Mom was sitting on the couch working on her newest story. "Hi mom." I say walking around to sit down beside her. "Hey baby." She says not looking up from her work. "What have you been up to? I haven't seen you all day." She asks. "Oh, I was running. Working on my speed..." I said awkwardly playing with my shirt. She looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. "Working on your speed... for what?" She asked. "Um... dad and I are gonna have a race Saturday." I say with an awkward smile. "Oh really?" She says putting her stuff down on the coffee table. She stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "What are you guys racing for?" She asked while washing the dishes. "Well...." I say walking over. I lean against the counter. "He told me, if I can beat him in this race... then he'll train me..." I paused and waited for a reaction. "Oh." Was all she responded with. "That's it? Just oh?" I say turning around to look at her. "Yup. That's it." She said. She started putting the dishes away. I walked away and went upstairs to my room. I flopped on my bed and started thinking.

|two days later|

Barry's pov:

I was running  to work thinking about what I had done. I had made a deal with my 14 year old daughter that if she beat me in a race, then she could help me out in the field. Apparently Iris had found out, so she gave me the whole 'that's to dangerous' lecture. I already knew that. I also knew Emma had no chance of beating me. So I wasn't to worried. I mean, Emma had no training at all. I had ran with her a little. But it was just enough so I could teach her how to control her speed and all of the basic tips. Iris acts like I'm going to just throw a 14 year old out in the middle of a fight with no experience. Then got to my lab at CCPD and started work.

(Imma skip ahead to race day)

|Saturday|

Emma's pov:

That morning my alarm went off and I jumped out of bed! "It's race day!" I say. I zoomed around my room and threw on some clothes. Then I zoomed downstairs. I got something to eat and then ran out straight to star labs. I wanted to get in some more training before the race. I walked into the cortex and no one was there. 'Weird' I thought. I walked through to go to the speed lab. I walked in and set everything up again. Then I started running. I started running so fast the next thing I knew there was this blue color all around me and body started to tingle. "What is happening!?" I say. I wasn't able to stop! I was gonna call for dad or Cisco, or anyone! But then I noticed like a portal. It looked kinda like one of Cisco's breeches so I ran through. When I got out of the other side I was at, dad's old house? His childhood home? "The heck?" I whispered. I started to head back to star labs when I felt a big gust of air. I turned around just in time to see dad running towards me. 'How'd he know I was out here?' I thought. But he ran past me into the house. "Ummm.. Ok." I say. I walk to the front door and open it a bit. I started listening and heard a voice say, "it's poetic. Returning to your childhood home." I walked in a little so I could see who it was. I saw dad and some guy wearing a black suit. He was holding... my grandfather! What!? Where the heck am I!? "Take me! Kill me!" I heard dad say. "NO!" Grandpa yelled. I was so confused and I knew I shouldn't be here. But I just couldn't leave. I knew how this would go. I had heard the story. I started listening again. "You have made me the happiest father." Grandpa said. "Dad." Dad said. He started walking closer I could see tears in his eyes. I tried to leave but I couldn't. I need to help. My eyes started to get blurry, and then tears rolled down my cheeks. I heard dad scream. And looked to see grandpa fall on the floor! Dad ran over and started desperately begging him not to leave! "Not again! Dad! Come on, come on!" Dad said placing his hands on grandpa's face. Tears rolling down his face. I turned away and had my back against the wall. I could hear dad crying. I had never really seen my dad cry. I didn't know what to do. I heard the man in the black suit talking. But I didn't care what he was saying I just wanted to get home. I zoomed out and started running as fast I could! Tears were streaming down my face while I was running. I saw the same blue and felt the same tingling feeling as before. When I looked up I saw the same breech thing as before. I ran through it hoping that this time I would be back at star labs. When I got out of the portal thing I came to a screeching stop. I ran out of the speed lab and through the cortex. "Hi Emma. You ready for the race?" I heard dad ask as I ran by. I just ran home. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Especially dad. I sat on my bed and sent dad a text. 'I don't think I wanna have the race today. I mean, you would win anyway.' I sent the text and waited. A minute later he texted me back. 'Ok kiddo. Are you ok? You ran out of star labs pretty quick.' I wanted to tell him what had happened. He might know what to do, but I  couldn't face him. Not after what I had seen. 'I'm fine. I just remembered something I had to do.' I texted back. 'Alright.' He sent back. I don't think he believed me.