𝐈𝐧 𝐀 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡... (𝘗. 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳)

Part 12

In Bailey's lab the Avengers were gathered. Bailey was explaining what had happened, and Tony was pissed. "He was acting like he knew me, like we'd done this before." Natasha shakes her head. "He was doing it to piss you off." Bailey's eyes well up. "I would get close and he'd just pull away. I mean, this was just some sick game to him." Tony hugs his daughter. He was keeping his mouth shut, cause Steve forbid, the words that would come from his mouth would NOT be pretty. "You'll catch him. We'll help." Bailey shakes her head. "No you don't get it. His speed, it is- it's beyond me. I'm not the fastest person alive. He is." Bailey drags a hand through her hair. "So how do we catch somebody that even I can't keep up with?" Tony smirks. "The beautiful thing about force fields, Bailey, is they're impervious to speed." Bailey sighs knowing he's right. "Look me and Brucey here are almost finished with the trap." Bailey sighs. "Bailey why don't you head to school." Bailey shakes her head. "No way. There is no way I'm going to school. Not today." Tony sighs. "Look kid, you need to. Things need to stay as normal as possible alright? We've got things handled here." Bailey stares at him, not budging. Tony sighs. "If it makes you feel better, I will pick you up the minute the trap is finished alright?" Bailey sighs in defeat and leaves to get ready for school.

Peter was nervous as hell. He was planning on asking Bailey to the winter formal today, but when she didn't show for first or second or third period he got terrified. "What if she doesn't show, Ned?" Peter was rambling at lunch. "What if she says no? What of she says yes?" Ned spots Bailey enter the lunch room and hits Peter. "Peter." He ignores him. "What if her dad is evil and tries to kill me like what happened with Liz?" Ned tries again. "Peter." He ignores him again. "What if she hates me for it and makes fun of me? What if--" Ned grabs Peter's shoulder and cuts his ramble off. "Peter stop with the 'what ifs' and look!" Ned points to Bailey approaching them. Peter's jaw drops as Bailey takes her seat across from them. "Hey Bailey." Ned says casually, but Bailey only mumbles in reply. Peter and Ned share a look and notice the subtle look of pure anger and rage lacing Bailey's face. "Are you ok?" Bailey doesn't hear them. "Bailey?" She snaps up at them. "Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind." They stare at her and wait for her to elaborate. Bailey sighs and traces her finger in circles. "My mother was murdered when I was six." Peter and Ned's faces pale. "Christmas is just a hard time of the year for me." Ned opens his mouth to apologize but Bailey puts up a hand. "Don't. I hate it when people apologize. It makes me feel worse." Ned's mouth snaps shut. Bailey sighs. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I shouldn't have done that." Bailey rests her head on her hands. "Just talk please. Distract me." Peter and Ned start having an awkward conversation.

In fourth period the intercom went off. "Bailey Allen to the front office. Bailey Allen to the front office." Bailey sighs and stands. "Finally." She doesn't bother to say goodbye. As she passes by Eugene he decides to make a comment. "Oooh someones in trouble." Bailey pushes his head into the table with a whack, and was out of the classroom before the teacher could scold her.

In the tower Tony and the other glance at each other and then Bailey. She notices. "What?" Natasha pats Tony on the back. "All you bud." Bailey looks at her father, who sighs. "Look, kiddo, we don't think you should be there, when this goes down." Bailey laughs for a second then sees her father's very serious face. "What- You're serious?" Tony tries to speak but Bailey cuts him off. "No! I'm going to be there!" Bailey stands and her face becomes full of fury. "I watched as this man stabbed my mother through the heart! This is my fight!" Tony shakes his head. "Not today kid." Bailey scoffs and looks to the others. They all dodge her eyes. She sighs, pissed and takes off. Tony sighs.

Bailey finds herself in Central City at the grave yard. She stops in front of her mother's grave. "Hey mom. Merry Christmas." Bailey takes a shaky breathe and starts to cry. "I screwed up mom. After years of searching... I finally found him. I found the man who killed you." Bailey crouches down. "He's out there, and I had him. He got away." Bailey shakes her head and looks at her mother's grave. "I-I was so close. I promised you that I would avenge you. Everyday you could have lived, gone, because of him." Bailey grabs her hair. "I'm so sorry mama. I'm so sorry. I miss you so much..." Bailey sobs as she falls to her knees. "I just wish I could hear your voice just one more time... Mommy... I miss you." Bailey cries more until a voice makes her head jerk up. "Who's there?" In the distance she she's a man with a flashlight approach. She stands and sniffles before running off, back to New York.

Bailey, in her suit, sits on a building top. Behind her she hears footsteps. "Hey Flash." Bailey sighs hearing her partner's voice. "Spiderman." He takes a seat next to her. "What? No Spidey?" Bailey glances at him and sees her red puffy eyes. "Woah, are you ok?" Bailey shakes her head. "Personal stuff." They sit in silence for a moment, then Bailey's phone beeps. She pulls it out and her eyes go wide. "Oh my god..." Spiderman briefly reads the text and sees the word tower, then Bailey takes off. Spiderman watches her go and realizes she was heading to Avengers Tower. He swings off the building in hot pursuit.

Bailey arrives and sees the man holding her beaten father against a wall. She runs at him and they begin to fight. It leads them to the roof and with all the speed and momentum they go flying into the air, before crashing back down. Spiderman watches at a man throws Bailey into a concrete wall making it crack. "Flash!" The man spots Spiderman and before his Spidey sense can warn his, he receives a punch to the head and his vision double. "Stay out of this, boy." He goes to hit Spiderman again but Bailey intercept him. The man punches her in the stomach, making her fall. Tony runs onto the roof and watches as the man punches Bailey, several times in the stomach. "Stop!" The man throws her and when Bailey reaches up, he grabs her hand and a loud crack is heard. Tony and Peter try to enter the fight, but the man stops them by shoving them back into the building and slamming the metal door shut. He breaks the handle and goes back to beating on Bailey. He rips her mask off and stares at her face, before punching her again. The man stands over her, and before he can hit her again he is hit with a blast of fire. Bailey looks over and it was the man on fire from before. Bailey looks at the man as he stands. "Our race is not yet done. See you soon, Flash." The man speeds off and the burning man behind her flies away. Bailey quickly applies her mask, as Spiderman and Tony run to her. "Bail- Flash!" Tony stops himself from saying her name. Bailey stands.

Bailey had told Spiderman to leave, with promise of an explanation at a later time. What was she going to say? She had no idea. Bruce takes a mass X-ray of Bailey and everyone's eyes widen at the sight of her broken bones. "Several broken ribs, broken ulna, cracked fibula and tibia. Several cuts and bruises." Bailey hums as she places an ice pack on her face. "I'd expect nothing less, seeing as I got beat up at super speed." Tony shakes his head. "I'm going to kill him." Natasha raises her hand. "I second that." Bailey puts the ice pack down. "All these years... I find him. But I couldn't get him, because I was terrified.  can't do it." Bailey stares out the window. "No." Bailey looks at her father. "Bailey when you first came to me, you were this little kid who had just lost their mother." Bailey looks at the ground. "But you didn't let that stop you. I was stupid and ass back then- but you came to be and brought this light with you." Bailey glances at him. "You've seen more dark than any kid your age should see and you never let it dim your soul." Tony hugs Bailey. "The world might need the Flash, but I need my Bailey Allen Stark." Bailey hugs her father back tightly.

Bailey skids to a stop on her and Spiderman's rooftop. Behind her she hears him drop on the ground. "Hey Spidey." Bailey smiles. "I'm guessing things are good now?" Bailey chuckles with a nod. "Better than they were." The two of them sit on the edge. "So... who was that guy from before?" Bailey sighed. "I'm not entirely sure." Spiderman looks at Bailey, who sighs. Here goes nothing. "10 years ago Nora Allen was murdered by him in Central City." Spiderman's eyes widen. Allen? Were they related to Bailey? "I'm not sure how or why, but he has the same powers as me and has a vendetta against me." Spiderman perks. "How did you get your powers?" Bailey shrugs. "In Central City the Star Labs particle accelerator blew up and released dark matter throughout the city. All circumstances were different but several people got powers. Me included." Bailey stands with a smile. "I can't say much else or my identity will be toast." Spiderman nods and stands too. Bailey pulls a bag off her back and pulls out a box. She hands it to Spiderman. "You might've guessed I have a connection to Tony Stark." Spiderman stares at the box. "We were working on this and finally finished just recently. Merry Christmas Spidey." Bailey runs off. Spiderman rips the box open and gapes at what he saw. A new suit.

The Avengers were gathered in the common room, sipping on spiked eggnog, while Bailey had her own non alcoholic drink. They were all watching Christmas movies, and were currently laughing at 'Home Alone'. One of Bailey's favorites. Maybe the holidays wouldn't turn out so bad after all. 

THERE IT IS! IF YOU TAKE NOTICE TO WHAT EPISODE IS NEXT THEN YOU'LL SEE WHO WE ARE SEEING NEXT! IT MIGHT BE IN A COUPLE PART THOUGH... I HAVE TO GET THROUGH CHRISTMAS AND WINTER FORMAL. STILL TRYING TO FIND THE PERFECT DRESS.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED!

BYEEE