Flashette(Book Four)

13

I remained in the center of the room for a while after I finally to get myself and the twins settled down. We're gonna make it through...I thought to myself. We're strong...But despite these affirmations, my mind still had its doubts. I knew that Barry's DNA and fingerprints were going to be all over the body, though I know in my heart he didn't do it. I knew they were going to question Barry until the ends of the earth because he was being framed for something he didn't do. And despite all his attempts and how many testimonies he'll have to endure, no one will believe him. That's the worst part of it all for me. He's been through so much hell, and now history is repeating itself.
By the time I settled into bed it was around 2am, giving me only around 5 hours of sleep. And even after I settled into bed, I had a hard time falling asleep. It was hard to close my eyes and drift off when all I could think about was Barry sleeping in a cell all alone. Because this crime was so serious, they prioritized his trial to tomorrow, giving him no time to prepare for what was to come. I dreaded it so much.
The next morning after I managed to get out of bed and get the twins together, I put on something presentable for the court and made the trek over to S.T.A.R Labs before the hearing. I called them last night after the incident, so they already knew what was happening. Joe knew before everyone else.
"That must be what he meant when he told Barry he needed someone to miss when he's gone," Cisco said, taking a sip of his coffee as he leaned back in his chair. "Must be all part of his plan." I nodded. I definitely felt this was deliberate too. I just didn't understand why DeVoe would do such a thing. He didn't even know us.
"I just don't get why he would go through such lengths to do something like this. All of our prior enemies had a motive. We don't know him well enough to establish one," I responded, picking up a few files off the table and examining them. Joe brought them over from CCPD early this morning. They were Barry's mugshots. My heart sank at the sight. After looking them over for a moment, I put them down before I got too emotional. You could see the pain in his eyes. It was making me relive the moment all over again.
"You said last night that Barry mentioned Dominic. Barry was with us the entire night. So was Dominic." I pointed a finger at Caitlin.
"Dominic showed up a little late to Joe's party...Maybe he planted the body and used Dominic as some sort of replacement."
"Putting him aside for a moment, what about all the other metas on that bus? Why create all them?". The team stood in thought.
"Sounds like a larger scheme to me."
"Think back to the beginning..." I trailed off. "All the other metas straight out the gate we're completely normal after they got their powers. When Barry came out of the speedforce, he could barely speak English". Cisco instantly perked up.
"That's where you're wrong, honey," Cisco said, tapping a few buttons on his computer screen and standing up. Something was now displayed on the monitor. We all looked at it. "Cisco did a little digging into Flash's rebirth, and look at what I found," Cisco said before pressing the play button. On the monitor was a video of Barry a few months back, his beard outgrown and his hair long. He was sitting in a room at CCPD writing symbols all over the walls. I remember this day. It was the day I got him back, finally. "A little longer into the video, you see Barry rocking back and forth in the corner of the room, saying..." Cisco said before he pointed to the screen.
"Your honor...I-I'm innocent...I didn't do this...I didn't kill anyone...", the confused Barry pleaded. My head tilted at his words. Things were starting to make sense here.
"If DeVoe was responsible for all of this, that would make sense. Barry said he was able to see everything and time went by so fast when he was in the speedforce. Ofcourse, this would all make sense if it was DeVoe's doing. Maybe he saw the future."
"Why don't you look back at everything else he said when he emerged?". Cisco nodded before I looked down at my watch and took note of the time.
"We should head over the the courthouse," I said reluctantly as I picked up my coat and purse off the chair and slung them over my shoulder. I then walked over to the Twins' area and placed them in their stroller. I wasn't planning on taking them with me, but the rest of the team is going to the hearing, so I didn't really have a choice.
Upon entering the court room, I took note of the scenery. A jury of 10 judges sat on the room opposite of Barry. Cecile and Barry sat in the front of the room, their backs to us. On the other side, the prosecution. Infront of them was the judge, who I recognized from a few other cases I previously testified for. Never did I think i'd be sitting in this room as a member of the audience, considering I was used to testifying for other murder cases. I especially never thought i'd be at a hearing for the murder conviction of my husband.
"Hey", Joe said as he took a seat next to me. The rest of the team sat on the other side of him (Caitlin, Cisco, Ralph, and Iris). Joe placed a hand on my arm and rubbed it. He looked at me with concern in his eyes.
"How are you holding up?" He asked, pulling me in and planting a kiss on the top of my head. I shook my head.
"Last night was rough...Not exactly easy to sleep when you constantly see your husband being dragged away in handcuffs". Joe sighed.
"I can imagine this is very hard for you. You just got him back, and there's a chance you'll lose him again...". My eyes became glossy. It was hard fighting these emotions. I'm "Flashette". You think I'd be tough after all I've faced. But nothing in your life can prepare you for this. Especially when I know Barry's going through it all over again.
"As much as I hate to say it, I don't have much hope..." my gaze fell to the floor. "There's too much evidence against him. His fingerprints were an exact match. I've seen way too many of these trials...It won't last. He's not going to stand a chance against them." I began to cry softly. Joe shook his head and placed a hand to my back.
"Don't give up hope so quickly. Cecile took a leave of absence from work to be Barry's lawyer. She's the best in town...I testified, Singh is going to testify, and we're all on his side." I nodded my head slowly.
"Maybe you're right."
"Besides, if he does get convicted, it's not like he's gonna be held in prison for very long. He's...You know...". Joe raised his eyebrows. I shook my head. I knew where he was going, and I knew Barry.
"Barry wouldn't expose himself like that. We've fought too hard and long to protect that secret. He won't let himself be a fugitive. Imagine the dangers we'll be in if the secret gets out". At this point, the trial was about to begin. Cecile whispered in Barry's ear, causing him to look in our direction. I looked at him with a small smile and waved. Despite the immense fear I was feeling, I knew I had to be strong for everyone. Barry blew a small kiss before the judge entered the room.
"Ladies and gentleman!" the judge exclaimed, striking his gavel on the podium, causing everyone's eyes to focus on the front. "We are going to proceed with this next case on the docket: Number 5567-B, The People vs Bartholemew Henry Allen. The prosecution will speak first...". The judge flipped through the case file and examined the details. "Mr Anton Slater, you have the floor...", the judge motioned to the wide empty space in front of him. The prosecutor then stood up from his seat and buttoned up his blazer jacket. He took a few steps from the table and turned towards the audience.
"Your honor, ladies and gentleman of the jury..." he addressed. "We are taught at a young age that those who serve as police officials are here to protect us and keep us safe....They uphold the laws and serve as prime examples of what a citizen should be...." he paused. "One person in particular, infact sitting among us today, has gone against that oath. He has broken that sacred trust....Indeed, this indivudual committed one of the worst crimes man can commit to another. That individual sitting among us today, is no more than Mr Barry Allen sitting to my right," the prosecutor said as he pointed to Barry. I wanted so badly to scream out at this man who was patronizing my husband, but I kept my cool. I knew things no one else did. Nobody would understand. "He wears a mask...he used his experiences as a Crime Scene Investigator for the Central City Police Department to commit the perfect murder. He stalked and killed in cold blood a very well known professor and husband....
Clifford DeVoe." The man walked back to his seat and pulled out a sheet of paper from an evidence folder. "The document I am currently holding in my hands is a court-issued restraining order, issued to the wife of Clifford DeVoe, Mrs Marlize DeVoe, against the defendant, Mr Bartholemew Henry Allen. And what was the reasoning for this order?..." he asked rhetorically. "Harassment." I looked around the room and noticed the judge and the jury all writing down this information. Everyone was so intrigued. "Mr Allen a few days earlier, illegally broke into the DeVoe's home and entered the premises, searching its contents...Clearly, he has an obsession. Not to mention, he followed the victim everywhere, including Mr DeVoe's place of work." I continued listening to the prosecutor's words. Everything he was saying was true. Even I got upset at Barry for not leaving DeVoe alone. "Now, as you can imagine...A powerless man in a wheelchair trying his best to defend himself against a fully abled adult...Barry Allen's skin cells were found under the victim's fingernails, showing a sign that he struggled under Mr Allen's attack". My CSI brain began to wander at this revelation: Where are the scratch marks on Barry's body? What was Barry's motive? I thought to myself. I wanted so badly to interject, but I didn't want to hold Barry or myself in contempt. I knew that sooner or later, my emotions would take over and the problem would get worse if I intervened. This prosecutor was saying things that were all true, but what no one knew was that DeVoe has been planning this. "My last piece of evidence i'd like to include is the murder weapon: the knife that was used to kill Clifford DeVoe". Slater walked over to his seat and picked up the clear evidence bag, the bloody knife resting at the bottom. The audience, the jury, and the judge gasped. The jury frantically wrote down this piece of evidence. It didn't look promising.
Joe shifted uncomfortably in his seat at this moment and I looked over to see him looking down at his phone. He turned to me.
"Meta attack downtown". I looked down at his phone to see a little red dot pinging on the map displayed on the screen. "They need me to go process the scene". Ofcourse, something has to happen at a time like this. My two separate lives crossing. Cisco could tell I was conflicted.
"You stay here, we'll take care of it," Cisco said as he looked over at me. Joe placed a hand on my arm.
"You need to stay here for Barry. We'll come back later. Joe waited for a pause in the testimony and stood up out of his chair slowly, not to distract the discussion going on up ahead. Caitlin, Ralph, and Cisco followed behind Joe, leaving me to watch the events play out for myself.
"At this point I would like to call up my first witness, Captain David Singh," the prosecution declared. Captain Singh stood up from the bench beside some fellow officers and walked up to the witness stand beside the judge. He adjusted the microphone and brought it closer to his face so they could hear him clearly. The prosecution asked Captain Singh a series of questions regading Barry during his time at CCPD. One topic the prosecution repeatedly mentioned were Barry's extended periods of absence, which Captain Singh agreed to. Singh testified to facts about the case, such as that Barry was the one found with the body when the police broke in.
"He returned a few months later from a..." the prosecutioner began as he looked over Barry's case file. He also had Barry's police records, including his timesheets. "6 month Sabbatical to the Czech Republic..." the prosecution stated as he looked over Barry's file. "Is this correct?". Singh nodded in confirmation. That was the cover we told Singh before he found out the truth.
"Yes."
"Did he get approval from you first?". Singh hesitated.
"Not exactly..." Singh replied. Singh knew exactly why Barry was gone at this point, but he wasn't going to openly admit that in court. "I'm sure he had a good reason to go. It could've been for research, personal reasons. Despite being gone, he still managed to get his work done."
"According to records, it also says he was late 72 times in the past two years..." Slater added. I knew this fact was true as well. And as hard as it was to admit, every piece of evidence the prosecution mentioned was true. It was hard at times keeping up with our double lives, but Singh knew that. He knew that in his heart. But he doesn't make the rules. Everything has to be on record one way or another. "Did you ever ask him why?".
"No," Singh replied, sternly. "Reardless of what time he came to work, he always got his work done."
"With this conviction, i'm interested in his life outside of the workplace. Have you ever considered that Mr Allen is leading a double life?". Singh shook his head. "Consider this...I think Singh here is covering for him. Singh clearly has a strong bond with Mr Allen, and has nothing but good things to say...It all seems too...perfect."
"That is not true," Singh replied to the prosecution's statements sternly. "I'm not covering for anyone, I'm stating facts."
"But is it true Mr Allen was targeting and harassing the deceased."
"Yes. That is why I issued the restraining order and told Allen myself to stay away."
"That didn't stop him, did it?" the prosecution persisted. Singh sat back in the witness stand chair. "Mr Allen kept going, all the way up until the nigh he had the perfect opportunity and killed Clifford DeVoe. How do we know he won't kill again?" the prosecution hounded.
"He wouldn't do that. He didn't do this," Singh stated.
"Barry Allen is a killer! He will for sure strike again if we let him loose!" the prosecutioner exclaimed.
"Objection!" Cecile yelled suddenly, standing up from her chair.
"Conjecture", Slater retaliated, pointing a finger at her.
"Out of line, Mr Slater. Control yourself!" the judge demanded. Slater took a deep breath.
"And with that, no further questions, your honor." Slater said calmly as he walked over to his seat and sat down slowly. I saw his eyes squint in Barry's direction as he settled in his chair. It's almost as if it's the prosecution's mission to take him down. But despite the persisting, Barry didn't even bother to look in his direction. Barry was the calmest in the room. I found that to be ironic, considering he was the one in the hot seat and about to be convicted for murder.
At this time, Cecile stood up, pulling down her skirt as she stepped away from the table. She stepped closer to where Captain Singh remained at the witness stand.
"Captain Singh..." Cecile called. "You mentioned in your previous testimony that you interviewed Mr Allen for this position a little over 5 years ago." Singh nodded in agreement at her words. "Can you tell me what your first impression of him was?..." Singh looked off into the distance in thought. "What made him...stand out among the rest?" she asked, crossing her arms. Singh responded fairly quickly to this loaded question:
"Though he was very young and had a lot less experience than the others that were interviewed, he was different than the rest. Most of the interviewees talked about the satifsfaction of locking up those who were guilty. What Mr Allen repeatedy mentioned was his interest in helping the victims of these crimes. Those who were innocent". A small smile crept onto my face at Singh's words. This was something said about Barry during this entire hearing that was deemed to be genuine. "I took a chance on him because Central City needed someone like him. Mr Allen is one of the good ones." This statement rang around the courtroom and lingered in the air for a moment. Cecile turned on her heel with a small nod and looked out into the audience.
"No further questions your honor", Cecile took her seat once again and the judge spoke.
"We are going to take a brief recess and return in 30 minutes," the judge said before wacking the gavel on his podium. He then stood up from his seat and returned to his "chamber".
I took this opportunity to check in on Barry and Cecile. They remained in the front of the room. The prosecution left, and the majority of the officers left as well. It was basically just us.
"Hey," I said as I approached them with the twins' stroller in hand. Barry and Cecile both turned their heads. Barry smiled as he noticed me and the twins. I placed my hand on his. He stroked mine with his thumb.
"Barry and I were just going to go in one of the conference rooms to discuss the next move," Cecile responded before standing up and gathering her papers. "Barry can't leave the premises, so he'll have to follow me," she responded before leading us to a room across the hall from the courtroom. I understood why she didn't want us conversing in there. There were cameras and people around. News reporters were up Barry's ass. She didn't want anything getting out. Mostly, she didn't want anything getting twisted.
I hugged Barry tightly after Cecile closed the door behind us. She put a piece of paper over the small glass window of the door and ensures the curtains were closed. We settled down in our seats and Cecile began to talk further about the case.
"As we predicted, Slater's line of questioning and Singh's testimony went against us." I nodded. Barry remained motionless. "But despite his words, we still have a few options...
I can ask Slater for a plea deal, and potentially get you a shorter sentence..." Barry shook his head. "Or we could go the insanity route and claim it was some sort of response to--".
"NO!" Barry yelled, standing up from his seat, angrily. I looked at him with soft eyes as his hands ruffled his hair. I knew this angered him and he felt as if he had nothing to do, but he didn't have a choice. "Both of those options admit that i'm guilty. I'm not! I can't do that!". I stood up and tried to get Barry to settle down. I placed a hand to his chest and he looked deeply into my eyes. When he was calm I lead him back over to the chairs, where he sat down once again. Hopefully this time he would remain seated.
"All the evidence points to you, it doesn't look like there is no other options. You can testify, but--"
"Cecile, i'm sorry...I can't."
"Barry, you're going to go to jail!".
"If I testify, I have to lie. I commit perjury, and become who everyone claims I am." Cecile paused and processed Barry's words.
"Maybe it's time you didn't," Cecile spoke replied through the silence. She looked up at Barry slowly. "Tell them the truth."
"What are you saying?" I asked, confused. "He told them the truth already...That he's innocent and didn't do it. What more truth is there to say?" I asked.
"Tell everyone you're 'The Flash'." The room grew silent. I let her words linger in my mind for a moment. It was completely out of the blue, but it would definetely work. As dangerous as it was, we all knew everyone would immediately understand.
"You could explain everything, and they'd believe you...You'd be free...".
"But then everyone would be in danger, and there'd be no more secret. People could come running after us...I can't," Barry shook his head.
"We have to get back soon. Prosecution needs your answer today..." Cecile responded before she stood up from her seat. "We should get back in there", she responded before walking out the door and holding it open for us. I let Barry go infront of me and stepped out into the hall, following them. The hallway was beginning to fill up with officers and personnel interested in the case. One face I could make out of the crowd was Cisco, who had Ralph trailing behind him.
"Good luck in there," I responded before planting a kiss to Barry's cheek. He followed Cecile and disappeared into the courtroom. Cisco and Ralph approached me.
"Chloe! I've been looking all over for you," Cisco joined me at the end of the hall where we were out of earsight. Ralph followed behind him, kneeling on the floor to play with the twins, who were in their stroller infront of me.
"First thing... We investigated the crime scene from earlier and didn't find anything. No breach in data, nothing stolen." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. If nothing was stolen at the bank, what did they want? "Although, we did find that everyone treated at the hospital who was involved suffered no detrimental injuries."
"Then what was the problem?".
"They all had symptoms of radiation poisoning...". This was starting to make a little sense, but not quite yet. "They were found at the scene passed out. Caitlin pointed this out as we looked over the hospital records". My eyebrows furrowed as I attempted to put the pieces together.
"Defineitly a meta...I'm just not sure what the connection is yet."
"Harry and Caitlin are back at S.T.A.R Labs piecing together the only footage we have. Weirdly enough, all the cameras were out."
"Try to find him quickly. If he can cause that much damage to civillians, imagine what he could do to the rest of the city. He sounds like he could a giant nuclear bomb if he's set off."
"We're working on finding him now. I have the satellite tracking his radiation signature".
"Keep me updated".
"I will..."
"Good. See you--".
"Hold on. I have something for you," Ralph said as he stood up off the floor. He pushed past Cisco, who nodded and walked towards the other end of the hallway. Ralph looked around the scene before handed me a manillaa envelope.
"What's this?" I asked, taking it in my hands. I peeled back the flap and placed my fingers on what was inside. I pulled it out of the envelope to reveal a photograph. It was of DeVoe's wife. She was kissing Dominic. My eyes widened at the photo. This was definitely a shock.
"Where did you get this?" I asked, looking up at Ralph quickly. I slipped the photo back into the envelope.
"I told you...Master Private Investigator", Ralph said, popping his collar. I gripped the envelope tightly.
"It's not enough to proove he's innocent, but rich enough to stir up some confusion in the case...Good work, Ralph!".
"As always, at your service...Now you might want to get back in there, looks like they're about to start," Ralph said as he pointed to the room where everyone continued gathering. I nodded.
"Thank you for this. I hope it helps".
"Me too," Ralph replied before he waved to the twins and turned to meet Cisco at the other end of the courthouse. Cisco held the door open for Ralph as they exited.
I proceeded walking into the courtroom. Upon walking in, I paced up to the front of the room quickly and handed Cecile the envelope.
"Chloe, what is--" she asked quickly. I knew they were about to start any moment and the place was filled up, but I had to give it to her now.
"Just use it," I replied before pushing it closer to her with more force. She took the envelope from my hands and I nodded to her before walking back to my seat and settling the twins down once again before the action started. At this point, Mrs DeVoe was at the witness stand beside the judge. Slater brought her in to testify.
"Mrs DeVoe, when did you first meet Mr. Allen?" the prosecution asked after the Judge began the trial once again.
"Uh..." she began to think. "He showed up at my house almost two months ago, claiming to be investigating a colleague of my husband's...
Dead husband's..." she said with a shaky voice. Wow, she was a good actress. "We told Mr Allen we didn't have any evidence, but he continued to persist...My husband had rapidly advancing ALS, and I got scared leaving him home alone because of Mr Allen". Mr Slater pointed at her, and then turned to the audience. He knew he was winning. I hated him for it. I wanted so badly to speed Barry out of here and go somewhere far away. But I knew it wouldn't last. There's too much responsibility here to leave behind. I didn't want to live in fear.
"Now could you please describe for us the last time you saw your husband?". Mrs DeVoe nodded, "recalling" the details. I knew the script was already written. She just had to figure out where her place was.
"Yesterday...It was Christmas...Clifford wanted to confront Mr Allen, so he decided to go to his residence. Even with his disability, he wanted to protect us! I begged him not to go..." she began, tears welling in her eyes. "But he insisted...I wish I stopped him, but I let him go..." she trailed off, burying her face in her hands. She was now sobbing hard. So many unanswered questions from this testimony that nobody picked up on...Did any of our neighbors see him show up? What time did he leave? How did Barry do it if we were gone for most of the night? If I was in this case, these are all questions I would've asked. But at this point, there was nothing I could've done. The police already took my statement the night before. They already knew everything I saw and heard. Slater pulled his hankerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to Mrs DeVoe, who took it and wiped her eyes.
"No further questions, your honor," Slater responded before stepping away from the stand. Cecile stood up once again.
"Your Honor, at this time if I may, id' like to enter 'Exhibit F' into evidence." Cecile picked up the manilla envelope from the table.
"Objection!" Slater yelled. The judge held up and hand to quiet him.
"Sustained...Ms Horton, why wasn't this entered prior?" the judge asked her. She responded quickly.
"These photographs were taken earlier today. Infact, they were taken prior to Mrs DeVoe's current testimony," she began to take the photographs out of the folder.
"I'll allow it...Proceed." Cecile stepped towards DeVoe's wife and placed the photograph on the witness stand infront of her. Mrs DeVoe looked down at the photograph and her face tightened for a moment. Cecile placed a photograph on the judges podium, as well as distributed one to the witnesses. Thank Ralph for all those copies.
"Mrs. Devoe, please tell me who you are kissing in this photograph...This is definetely not your husband...". The jury looked back and forth with eachother quickly, keeping record of this revelation as they examined the photo. Mrs DeVoe gulped.
"His name is Dominic Lanse," she responded, taking a short breath.
"How long have you known him?".
"A few months."
"So its safe to say your marriage was not as shiny as it seemed to be...Perhaps you were ready for Clifford's passing...". Mrs DeVoe teared up once again. I rolled my eyes at her acting.
"Clifford and I met Dominic months ago at an ALS gala. His father recently passed from the disease at the time. Dominic and I really connected, and he was there to help with the comforts and necessities that my husband could no longer provide". I could see the jury and judge soften at the recounting of this story. Everyone in the room was moved, but those who were on Barry's side. We were the only ones who knew she was a cold hearted bitch. "Clifford was okay with that...Oh Clifford!" she wailed. "He wanted me to be so happy! My heart will always belong to him!". She sobbed and rubbed her eyes furiously. Tears spilled from her eyes and Cecile stepped back.
"No further questions," Cecile said before bowing her head and sitting back down in her seat. At this time, Mrs DeVoe got up from the witness stand and left through one of the exit doors by the front of the room. I wasn't going to stand for this. I got up from my seat and took the twins along with me as I exited the room, catching Marlize just as she was about to reach the exit. If anyone asked, I could've just said there was something with my twins I had to take care of.
"Marlize!" I called down the hall. She turned on her heel and a small smile crept onto her face as I approached her. She crossed her arms.
"I don't think we should be seen talking, considering these...Horrific circumstances..." she snarled. I laughed skeptically.
"Don't worry, nobody's watching. You can drop the act now."
"Well...If you insist". She wiped her eyes and threw Slater's hankerchief away. Her heart was for sure made of stone. How could she agree to do something like this? She practically faked her husbands death. I would never be able to. The thought of losing Barry scares me to death.
"Why are you doing this to him? To our family." Marlize laughed and shook her head.
"Such passion and concern you have for Mr Allen...Clifford and I had that too when we first got married. But as you will come to learn, it later dies, leaving something deeper that no one can destroy...You'll be lucky if you get that". I looked at her, more confused as ever. It didn't make sense in terms of the case. There was no motive!
"So why are you destrying our lives?".
"I'm simply doing what I have to do for my husband's sake, Mrs Allen...Tell me...What are you willing to sacrifice for yours?" she asked with a smile. I gritted my teeth as I processed her words. I had no response. She leaned back and pushed open the courthouse door, leaving me alone in the empty room to think for myself.
At this point, I knew there was a tough choice I had to make. I knew it would change the outcome of the entire situation, and impact our future. Despite this, it would resolve everything. Marlize's words sunk deep into my head. There was something I could do for Barry that would fix everything. I gripped the stroller handle tight as I pushed through the doorway of the courtroom, causing everyone to look in my direction. Butterflies filled my stomach as everyone's eyes fixated on me. Barry's eyes widened at the sight of my entrance. The judge pounded his gavel on the desk to regain everyone's attention.
"Your Honor...I have new evidence I'd like to enter that will change your entire outlook on this case," I spoke as I stopped in the aisle of the courtroom. The judge furrowed his eyebrows.
"Mrs Allen, I know this is very hard for you to process, but you need to settle down, or i'll hold you in contempt. You have no authority speaking now in my courtroom, let alone, permission."
"Please," I persisted. "Barry Allen is--" I continued before time seemed to freeze. Everything around me turned a tint of grew. Barry suddenly was appeared infront of me, his hands gripping my forearms tightly in a tunnel of his yellow and red lightning. I looked around, puzzled and amazed, as everything around us remained frozen. Despite this, Barry and I could still move as if nothing was happening.
"Barry? What is this? How can you--"
"I'm moving so fast that everyone is motionless."
"How am I—".
"You have the speedforce too... Besides, that's not what's important.
"What are you doing?" I asked, looking back at him.
"Stopping you from making a big mistake," he replied. I shook my head.
"I don't understand...I'm doing what is best for you...This will get you free".
"And what you're about to do has bigger consequences than you can imagine. It's not worth my freedom."
"I do know...I know everything...I'm in this with you, and we're in it together..." my eyes began to well with tears. I couldn't let him go again.
"I made the choice since the beginning, and I plan to stick by my decision. The world isn't ready to know my true identity just yet."
"But it will clear your name! Everything will all make sense, and you'lll get to come home with us. Isn't that what you want?" I asked. Barry paused.
"More than anything," he replied, taking my hands in his. "But if this secret got out, everyone we've known for the past four years as The Flashes would be at risk. Criminals would find us too easily, and we'd all have targets on our backs. I'm not going to put you all at risk in order to save myself."
"I'd rather run with you beside me for the rest of my life than run alone...I'm trying to be strong here," my voice was shaky. I gripped onto Barry tightly and pulled him close to me. I knew we didn't have much time together.
"I know...And I'm so proud of you for that."
"How can you be so strong through all of this?" I asked. "I'm one more testimony closer to a breakdown".
"My father went through this, and I studied it for many years. I'm just at the point now where I need to accept it." I shook my head. I couldn't even begin to know how he was being so calm.
"No...No...No, I won't. I won't give up on you. Never...". Barry pulled away from the hug and cupped my cheeks, wiping the stray tears away from my face.
"You can't tell them, alright?" he asked with a small smile. He rested his forehead on mine, looking deeply into my eyes. "Be strong for me...For our family...I know you will...I love you...", I nodded at his request. He tilted my head up and leaned in slowly, closing the specs between us. I placed a hand to his chest as a small tear fell from my eye. In a matter of seconds, he was gone, and I was back in the courtroom. Time had resumed, and the color returned.
"Innocent!" I continued. "Just wanted to reiterate...Thank you for your time..." I cleared my throat. I then brushed my hair out of my face and wiped my eyes before walking back to my seat and sitting down in my chair. Barry looked back at me and mouthed: "I love you". I mouthed it back with a small smile.
"After that little misdirection, why don't we get back to the case?" the judge proposed. "Mrs Horton, Mr Slater....Do you have anything you'd like to add?" Cecile looked over at Barry, who shook his head. My heart dropped.
"No, the defense rests, Your Honor," she replied, taking her seat.
"The prosecution has no further comment as well, Your Honor," Slater replied.
A loud beeping filled the courtroom as the judge and jury were talking amongst themsevles. It was Barry's phone. He silenced his phone and looked back at me with no expression. He didn't seem the slightest bit nervous his phone went off at his potential conviction trial. With a small bow of his head, I knew something was up. The judge began discussing further action of the case, and I took this as the perfect time to slip out once again. I wheeled the twins out of the room quickly and into the hallway. I looked at my phone to see the alert Barry got was from Cisco's "Meta Alert" app. I called Cisco quickly.
"What's up, Cisco?" I asked. I could hear him typing on his computer.
"The satllite tracked 'Fallout' on Main Street. Major spike in radiation between Prentice and Rawlins." (Crime shows, anyone? "Prentiss" from "Criminal Minds" and "Rollins" from SVU???). "He's driving a nuclear waste truck. If the levels get too high he can explode. We need help stopping him."
"I'm on my way," I responded before speeding the twins quickly to S.T.A.R Labs. The last thing I wanted to do was leave Barry alone, but we had a job to do and a city to save. Worst case scenario, I had to get used to being the only speedster around. I sped quickly to S.T.A.R Labs and got the twins settled. I then suited up and sped to the location.
The truck was parked infront a blockade of police cars. Officers were already there.
"Hey!" I called. The meta turned to face me. His body closed a very ugly green color.
"I don't want to hurt anybody".
"Your radiation is too dangerous. If you get too high the whole city's gonna blow".
"Don't get too close...His radiation's high enough where you won't self heal properly," Cisco spoke into the comlink.
"Alright, will d--" I responded before being blasted by the meta into a nearby cop car. "I guess I asked for that one..." I said before getting up slowly off the ground. I studied the scene. "I'm not going to be able to stop him myself. I think we need to cool him down manually," I proposed. "He's too hot to handle. And you said if I get too close I'll get compromised.
"You mean---" Cisco spoke into the comink. I could feel his gaze burning on Caitlin through the comlink. She was the only way we were going to be able to stop him.
"Me?" Caitlin asked through the comlink. "I can't just--".
"TURN!" Cisco yelled into the comlink. I looked around at the meta who continued fighting off officers.
"That's not how it works. I can't just snap my fingers and i'm her. I have to be scared or angry". Cisco paused on the other end of the line.
"Think of all the innocent puppies and kittens..." Cisco replied. "All the puppies and kittens on this earth are going to blow because---"
"YOU DIDN'T WANT TO SHOW UP FOR WORK!" Harry and Cisco yelled in unison through the comlink. A small smile appeared on my lips. In a matter of seconds a breech opened up infront of me and Killer Frost and Cisco appeared. I couldn't believe that worked, but it somehow did.
At this point, the meta had his hands pointed at the sky, filling the air with green matter. I sped around the area, transporting officers to the hospital and getting everyone to safety as the rest of the team came up with a plan. Caitlin tried to shoot ice blasts at the meta, but he just melted them away. In anger, he shot one of his radiation waves at her, causing her to crash into a nearby bus stop booth. Glass shattered around her body as she fell to the floor.
"What do we do now?" I asked to Harry in the comlink as I continued speeding around the scene.
"You have to find a way to contain his energy."
"What if I breech him?" Cisco asked.
"He could explode, causing our world to fall out."
"What about a vacuum?" I asked. "Worked on Mardon before, maybe it will have the same effect."
"Worth a shot," Harry replied before I began to speed around the meta, a small vaccuum forming. Swirls of pink lightning and green matter flew around me as the vaccuum grew larger. I was growing tired very fast, but it seemed the meta was getting even stronger. He seemed to be feeding off of my energy.
"His energy is still getting stronger, and Chloe is being exposed to too much radiation. You have to get her out of there".
"I can take it," I replied, continuing to run around. "I have to try".
"I'm not letting you die" Harry replied.
"Neither am I" a familiar voice replied into the comlink. Infront of me was another streak of lighting. Red and yellow...BARRY!
"Barry, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice full of surprise. "You're supposed to be at sentencing!".
"I'm technically still out on bail, so they gave me a break. I have to be back in a few minutes. You need to get out of here. You've been too exposed."
"I'm not leaving you to do this yourself," I replied, continuing to speed around the meta. I felt myself growing weaker. I was slowing down.
"You need to try and let go...I can do this myself..." Barry replied. "I'm not going to sit here and watch you die".
"Chloe's vitals are dropping," I could hear Harry say faintly over the comlink. "Chloe, you have to stop, now!" Harry demanded. I shook my head slowly. I was beginning to see blurred.
I slowed down enough to where Barry caught up to me fairly quickly. Before I collapsed, I fell into his arms. He sped me to cover before returning to the vacuum.
"Ramon, you need to breech this energy out of here".
"He's getting stronger," Barry replied into the comlink. At this point, Caitlin was now by my side.
"I thought you said--"
"Earth-15 is a dead Earth. Send it there now," Harry demanded. Cisco approached the vacuum and pointed his fist at the sky, a breech opening up overhead. I could faintly see the green matter disappear from the sky. Eventually, the sky cleared and the green matter was gone. The meta fell to the ground in defeat, and Barry stopped to catch his breath.
"You did it!" Cisco exclaimed. He jogged over to Barry and gave him a hug. Barry and Cisco then joined my side and crouched down beside me. My vision was becoming blurred.
"She did most of the hard work," I could faintly hear Barry say. "She's strong and vigilant...Always was," Barry said stroking my hair. A small smile crept onto my face. I could feel my face burning from the radiation burns. Not to mention, I propably had bruises and scrapes all over my body.
"I have to get back...". Barry stood up from me after placing a kiss on my cheek.
"You should be healed up in no time. Didn't even make a scratch", Caitlin pointed out about Barry's injuries.
"Don't be late for sentencing," Cisco replied. "Good luck brother". He patted Barry's shoulder.
"Stay strong for me, all of you...". And with a small nod, Barry was off.
Joe now joined us and helped pick me up. I remember being placed in the back seat of his cop car with Caitlin beside me. My vision eventually became blurred and I was taken over by darkness.
I awoke as if I was in a fever dream. The bright, but familiar lights of S.T.R Labs medical bay greeted me as my eyes fluttered open. I looked down and could see minor scrapes covered my arms. I sat up slowly, taking in the constant beep of one of the machines next to me. I pulled the needle out from the small iv drip that rested on the back of my hand. I then threw my legs over the edge of the bed and shuffled slowly out to the cortex. I took a moment to adjust to the light.
"Chloe! Glad to see you're awake!" Cisco exlclaimed as I came into view.
"As much as we're happy to have you here, you really need to get back in bed," Caitlin replied, jogging over to my side and helping to stabilize me. "You had very bad radiation poisoning. Your self healing has been compromised, so you'll need to rest for a while."
"Where's Fallout?" I asked, confused. I passed out before we finished at the scene.
"Tracy took him to her lab to test his DNA to see how to stabilize him. She'll get back to us with the results when he can be neutralized. You need to focus now on getting home and getting some rest."
"Let me take you home," Joe offered as he came to my other side and grabbed hold of my arm. "It's too late for you to be walking around. Twins are already home waiting for you."
"Late? How long was I out?" I asked, scratching my head. I grew anxious. Had I missed that much? Caitlin turned to me.
"Meds had you out for a few hours. It's almost 8 o'clock," I looked around the room at the team sharply.
"PM?". The team nodded in unison. I became frantic. "The hearing was supposed to end around 5:30pm. Where's Barry?" I asked. "Please tell me he's home with the twins...
Please!" I pleaded, placing my hands together. Joe turned me towards him and placed a hand on my shoulder. I already knew where this was going.
"B--Barry..." Joe stuttered. My heart stopped. I already knew the words that were going to come out of his mouth, and I dreaded them: "He was convicted...Barry's in prison". My worst nightmare had come true. I lost Barry once again.My legs gave out, and I fell into Joe's arms, sobbing. He cradled me in the center of the cortex and rub his hands up and down my back. The team huddled around us, hearts full of concern. He just came back to me a short while ago, here I was losing him all over agin.
"Let's get you home," Joe said as I sobbed into his shoulder. He managed to pick himself up off the floor, taking me with him. He tilted my head so I was looking up at him.
"We're all here for you, alright?" Joe asked. I nodded slowly. "We're going to get through this." The team all nodded their heads.
"And if there's anything you need, we're always one call away."
I spent the rest of the night after I returned home analyzing court footage and watching news reports. My phone wouldn't stop ringing, and news outlets were constantly blowing up my phone. Everyone wanted to talk to me and get my opinion. Reporters were planted outside my house, waiting for the time I would come out and make a formal statement. Lucky for me, I knew a way to get out of the house without ever having to leave the front door.
"We're here outside Central City Superior Court where Barry Allen, a CSI with the CCPD for the last 5 years was found guilty". I clicked to the next channel. It was a similar news report about the case. This case apparently shocked the world, leaving people scared and fearful that someone else was going to do something like this. If only they knew he was innocent. "Prosecutor Anton Slater made a previous statement regarding the sentence, saying he hoped Mr Allen would receive a life sentence for his crimes...His wishes came true. Mr Allen was convicted of first-degree murder with no parole, and will not be serving the rest of his life sentence at Iron Heights Penintentiary". I hated everyone in this moment. Those pesky reporters...The paparazzi. Even Slater. He was making millions of dollars off of an innocent man. I clicked onto another channel. This one was very different from the previous channels.
"Yesterday we saw immense bravery from a hero once again," Captain Singh began. This was a press conference being held in front of CCPD's signature golden wall. "In times where it seems our own are turning on us, there's one who never fails to bring us hope and protection..." he went on. "It is because of your immense dedication and bravery that Central City would like to present yet another award, the CCPD Medal of Valor to: 'The Flash'. He saved the city once again, as well as 'Flashette', against the Metahuman known as 'Fallout', when she was struggling to contain him. He's remained one of the cities finest and vigilant protectors of those who reside in Central City. As long as he is around, I know we will all be safe and secure. He's been with us for years now, and has never backed down. Justice will always be served to those who deserve it as long as he is around...". The camera panned to a close up of Singh. "Flash, I know you're out there somewhere watching. Keep on fighting...Don't stop running." I began to sob at his words. Barry received yet another valor for bravery and courage, and couldn't be there to accept it. He was rotting away in a cell for a crime he didn't commit. Everyone praised 'The Flash' for his bravery and service, but little did they know the man under the mask was putting up with the real fight. If only they knew...If only I could tell them...
I changed the channel once again. This time, it played a taping of Barry's actual sentencing. I was surprised to see that they put this on tv. I could see Barry's expression. I could see the fear in his eyes as the judge spoke. "Mr Allen was in a position of authority, and he abused the power of his position. He used this position to exploit the vulnerability of one of our own and take a life. Never have I seen someone look so heartless and unmoved by his actions...So inhuman...This court orders Mr Bartholemew Henry Allen to incarceration for the rest of his life, without parole. Without any further input, I demand he be immedietely transported and incarcerated to Iron Heights Penententiary." I clicked the TV off and threw the remote at the television. It made a small dent in the screen, but fell to the floor with a soft thud. My head fell in my hands and I cried. I wished so badly I could've been there for him. I felt guilty for not being there. He looked so scared. The way he looked into the camera after the conviction. His eyes still burned in the back of my mind.
My whole world came crashing down. Barry would be in there for life...And in that moment I thought about the future. No more Flash...No more happy family...All that wasted potential, gone, at the hands of another villain destined to ruin our lives.
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Another update for you guys! I hope you enjoyed, and there's more to come!
-Flashette1❤️⚡️