The Line Between Living and Dying

The Fastest Man alive

Barry stumbled out of the precinct. He watched as his hand started to vibrate again. "What's happening to me?"

Suddenly he sped over to a dumpster across the alley. He barely caught himself before he sped back to the other side, crashing into a police car.

Barry pushed himself off of the car. Fear and shock flooded his emotions. He looked around, making sure no one was watching as a smile crept onto his face. He ran down the length of the alley, going so fast that he appeared as a blur. He kept running until he crashed into the back of a laundry van. The driver looked into the back with surprise written all over his face.

Barry sat himself up. "Awesome." He smiled.

* * *

After informing the S.T.A.R. Labs team about his newfound ability, Barry found himself at an abandoned airstrip getting ready to test his power the next day.

"You don't really believe he can run that fast, do you?" Caitlin asked Dr. Wells. Despite her friendship with Dani and knowing what she could do, Caitlin still had her doubts.

"Well, I believe anything is possible, and in a few minutes, maybe you will too." Dr. Wells answered.

Cisco walked up to the big S.T.A.R. Labs van. "How does it fit?"

Barry stepped out in a bright red, wrestling-type outfit with a bulky helmet sitting atop his head and knee and elbow pads protecting his joints.

"It's a little snug." He admitted, climbing down the steps.

"At least you'll be moving so fast, no one will see you." Cisco smiled, patting Barry on the shoulder. "See, you thought the world was slowing down. It wasn't. You were moving so fast it only looked like everyone else was standing still. Dr. Wells will be monitoring your energy output, and Caitlin, your vitals."

"What do you do?" Barry asked.

"I make the toys, my man. Check it." Cisco held up a device that sported a lightning bolt on one side. "This is a two-way headset with a camera I modified. Typically designed to combat battlefield impulse noise, or in your case, potential sonic booms. Which would be awesome."

Cisco took Barry's helmet off, walking away to attach the device while Caitlin came up to Barry with her tablet. She synced it up with the belt around Barry's abdomen. Everything felt so similar to the day she helped Dani better understand her own powers. The feeling put Caitlin in a sour mood as she remembered Marianne Rhodes. She was so supportive of Dani and made Caitlin feel like part of the family in the short time she had known her.

The memory implanted itself firmly in Caitlin's mind. No matter how much she wanted it gone.

"What?" Caitlin questioned Barry, feeling his eyes on her.

"Nothing." Barry shook his head. "I just noticed you don't smile too much."

Caitlin tucked some hair behind her ear. "My once-promising career in bioengineering is over, my boss is in a wheelchair for life, a friend is freezing me out of her life, and the explosion that put you in a coma also killed my fiance. So this blank expression feels like the way to go." Caitlin walked off.

"Mr. Allen, while I am extremely eager to determine your full range of abilities, I do caution restraint." Dr. Wells warned.

"Yeah." Barry nodded. He put his helmet back on, kneeling down in preparation for running off into the distance. Cisco stood behind him, holding a speed gun while Dr. Wells and Caitlin were further back, closer to the van.

Barry glanced back at them, taking a deep breath and running off. A gust of wind shot backward, knocking Cisco on his butt and pushing Wells' wheelchair back.