Soothsayer ⚡ Barry Allen

Welcome Home

Central City was as lively as I remembered it, but I wasn't here for the city. I had long-since showered and ditched the prison clothes. With a calm expression, I casually picked the lock on the door to an abandoned warehouse, slipping inside and turning on a flashlight. I searched the nearest walls for a lightswitch and flicked it on when I found it, illuminating the cluttered space around me. Large computer screens took up a majority of the room, odd bits of technology scattered around the desk tops.

There was a nice little lounging area in the corner and a good collection of books were begging for my attention as I continued to look around. I stilled when I saw a red and yellow suit. So it was true. I had heard whispers here and there about some "flash" that was turning people in. This is where Barry got his experience with criminals. I slowly walked over and smoothed my hand over the suit, my fingers lingering on the lightning bolt emblem in the middle of the chest. I turned my head a bit when the door closed, my hand remaining on the suit.

"You know," I started, raising my voice a bit, "it makes it really hard to find you when you move every few months." I turned my head to face Barry and gave him a small smile, his shocked expression causing my smile to grow.

"What're you doing here?" he asked in awe, taking a few steps towards me. I dropped my hand from his gear and copied his actions, leaving a good five feet between us.

"Would you believe I got out on good behavior?" I hummed, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Considering I watched you knife some guy in the neck a half a year ago, I'd say no." I scoffed in disbelief but took a moment of consideration before seeing his point and nodding in agreement.

"Okay, I'll give you that, but a promise is a promise." I looked him over for a moment and sighed. "You've done good, Barry. Helping people, saving the world..." I trailed off as I stepped closer. "I'd say you finally made yourself some friends."

"Thanks," he mumbled, his face flushing a bit. I smiled and put my hand on the side of his head, grabbing his attention easily.

"You're everything I wanted to be. Minus the unicorns." He laughed a bit and I dropped my hand, walking around him and sizing him up. "I'm proud of you." I stopped circling him to sit in a chair at the edge of his lounge. "But you'd think with your job, you'd have a nicer place," I chuckled as I sat down.

"Andy..." My smile fell and I looked at him seriously at his damp tone. "I..." he trailed off, almost unsure of himself. "I can't hang out with someone who just busted out of jail... I'm kind of a superhero now..."

"So Batman's your pimp," I sighed, feeling irritation pull on my nerves. I didn't fall seven stories and run through gunfire for him to say that now he can't be hanging out with me. "He doesn't care how you make the money, what matters is that you have it." His eyebrows came together in confusion and I leaned my elbows on my knees, holding my head in my hands. "I know a lot of people in this town. You're the only good one. I could give you the drop on certain people, help you out with Bossman."

I looked up and met his wide, brown eyes with my own simallarly colored ones, a couple of red hairs falling into my view. "Why would you do that?" he asked cautiously, walking over to me. I shrugged, as I initially didn't know why I'd turn rat, but after a moment of silence that I spent staring at him, I realized something.

In Blackgate, I entertained myself by talking the guards into letting me wander around, killing people for Joker, or causing trouble of my own. After that first ten minutes Barry was alotted to visit me, I started losing interest in those things. Since I realized that his visits were routine, I had looked forward to them. After a few months, I was bored by my old past times entirely. I stopped killing for the Joker shortly before I left. Turns out that was Jason's real reason for choking me half to death.

And as I stared at Barry, poor, naive, stupid little Barry, I realized that he had changed me, and not the other way around as Terra and I thought. It was slow and gradual, but there was a definate shift in my behavior. "Because," I sighed, running a hand over my face, "you're my best friend, Barry. I'd do a lot for my friends." No way I was telling him the truth. No, I think I'll keep that bit to myself. After looking over him a bit more, I stood and moved past him, towards the door. "I'll see you later, Barry."

I hadn't gotten much closer to the door before there was a quick flash of blue light and he stood in front of me with a slight frown of concern. "Where are you going?" My brow came together in confusion as I studied him again. I didn't know that he was that quick.

"You said you couldn't hang out with me," I shrugged. "I do have other friends besides the Joker and his crew." I walked forward until we were shoulder to shoulder and facing opposite directions. "Don't worry, kid. I'm not done with you just yet." Against my better judgement, I slid my hand into his and held it tightly, a folded slip of paper between our palms. "Call me whenever you want... Even if you don't have a reason to."

I turned my head and found Barry already looking at me, giving him a small smile as I pulled my hand back and started walking towards the door again. I could feel his eyes bore into me as I neared it, surprising me with his silence as I walked out of his hideout. He usually liked to have the last word. Oh well, just one more place to go.

⚡

Cat didn't stay in Central City often, but if there was at least one cat hanging around her place, I knew she's occupying it. It didn't surprise me that I faced some minor difficulty breaking into her apartment. With her status, she needed it to be heavily protected. I silently closed the door and relocked everything. "Cat?" I called out to the quiet apartment. "Selina?" I tried again. Instead of meeting the face of my old mentor, I met the curious mewl of a calico cat. I'd found the spot.

"Hello, there." I picked up the cat and scratched behind his ears as I walked into the bedroom. "You wouldn't happen to know where your mommy went, would you?" I asked the cat as I sat on her bed. The cat only purred though, closing his eyes and moving to meet my fingers. "Of course not," I sighed.

The whole Barry and breaking out deal really wore me out, so I let the cat go and laid out on Selina's bed. She wouldn't care. If she did, she'd deal with me later. I fell asleep listening to the sound of the cat's purring as he kneaded the blanket in front of me.

⚡

Selina sighed and dropped her keys onto the little shelf beside the door. She paused for a moment. Usually Joshua met her at the door. Quietly, she made her way through her apartment, releasing a light sigh when she found her calico curled up on Andy's chest as the girl slept stretched out on her bed.

Selina had heard rumors that she had finally escaped Blackgate, but she didn't usually take rumors to heart. She slowly moved to sit beside her, pushing the strands of firey red hair out of her face. "Sometimes you make me wonder just how crazy you really are, Andy," Selina breathed, relaxing beside her.