Flashes of Life (Barry Allen/The Flash Fanfic)

Severing & Severe Pain

This shouldn't have taken as long as it did. I'm so sorry. It's the holidays now, so I will get a little bit more time to write. I whipped this one up today, so I apologize if the quality since the last chapter has significantly dropped. Do comment if it has though. Any constructive criticism is certainly appreciated.

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"EXPLAIN YOURSELF." I stepped into the warehouse, hearing the voice of my not-so-friendly-anymore boss cut through the scene. He was standing by the computer, several burly men flanking his sides.

"I-"

"No. I don't want to hear it." I frowned. So much for the explanation.

Snart exploded. "Why on earth did you turn off the earpiece?"

Wiping the spit off my face, I replied, "I didn't feel like it was right to leave it on."

"And why," he glared, "the hell not?"

"Snart, I-"

"It's 'Sir' to you."

I rolled my eyes. "Sir, I needed to judge the situation by myself, without your voice crackling in my ear."

"If I do recall correctly, he was giving us vital information."

"Well, we can't do anything about it now. It's all over."

"Good. At least you finished the mission. At least something went according to plan."

"Who said I killed him?" I blurted before realising that I had just failed my boss.

"You. What." He clenched his jaw and felt around for his cold gun.

"N-nothing, sir," I backed away, taking steps closer to the door.

"You were set a mission. You were to complete it."

"Why did you even want me to get Barry anyway?"

Snart froze. "On first name basis now, are we?"

I paused, racking my brain. He was right: I'd always referred to my targets by their surnames or simply, targets. Suddenly, the conversation I had with Danton came back in fragments. Gaining my confidence, I confronted Snart.


"What do you even do anyway? You set me all these people to track down and finish, yet you just stay in the warehouse all the time. Why?"

His nostrils flared. "I am in the midst of something very important. Do not question me."

"Why not?"

"Shea," he said my name, stroking the barrel of his gun. "If you deliberately disobey again, I will not be so friendly."

"You know what?" I reached into my ear and pulled out the earpiece. "I'm done. I'm done agreeing to do your dirty work for you. If you're doing something that's oh-so-important, do it yourself. Don't get one of your 'pawns' to do it for you. You know what? I thought you were different. I thought you understood what justice really was. I guess I was wrong. You know nothing of the world." I brought my foot down harshly, cracking the delicate circuits within the earpiece. "I'm out."

I turned around to walk out the door. The sound of heavy thumping drew closer to me.

"See to it that she learns her lesson." I heard my ex-boss say.

I started to pick up the pace, leaving the warehouse for what I'd hoped was the last time, and that I'd never return. I turned a corner, hiding by a receding wall. As the men passed me by, I quickly drained them, feeling the sudden burst of energy enter my body. They all fell ungracefully to the floor. I sniffed in disgust; Snart sent others to do his work for him, and he used them carelessly. I rolled my eyes. He would not have the same hold on me anymore. I was free of his grasp, and I would make sure it stayed that way.

LEONARD SNART

I stared at the computer screen. All their vitals had dropped to zero, heartbeats flatlining. I could hear footsteps retreating through the receiver. I sighed, powering up my cold gun.

"Don't I have a load of work to do."

--

SHEA BRAMSON

Mm. This burger was amazing. I bit down into the cheese layered patty, savouring the unhealthiness. It took away from the question I had so desperately tried to suppress. Why did I just follow him blindly without thinking? I had never once stopped to consider the targets or how they had felt; I had just assumed they were all bad. Until I was assigned Barry. He turned my world upside down.

I grimaced. That sounded the tiniest bit romantic. Nope.

I pouted, staring at my burger. How I wish I was a burger. No troubles, no worries. Hakuna matata. As I was contemplating life as a food item, I felt a sharp gust of wind sweep my long hair into the burger, lacing it with mustard sauce. I turned around, ready to give them a piece of my mind, but no one was behind me. I huffed, wiping the sauce off my hair. I stood up to throw the tissue into the rubbish bin, and saw a hint of crimson shoot past by the elevator. My curiosity got the better of me and I quickly followed suit.

I peered my head around the corner of the abandoned corridor. I wasn't expecting to see what I saw. Barry - in the red suit - was panting on the ground, while a bald guy stared him down. The weird thing was, the bad man had a green aura to him; a mist layer seemed to shroud him.

"Sh-Shea," Barry weakly moaned, while rolling around on the floor. I looked to him, guilty that I was preoccupied with the mist. The man looked at me and began to...turn into a gas? My eyes widened, and I acted quickly in what I thought was the best thing to do. I raised my right hand and pointed it at the man, draining him. He gasped, turning back into human form. I quickly kneeled down to Barry's level, and took a deep breath. I drained him of the toxic green mist.

My muscles felt as if they were on fire. They were screaming for oxygen, not green gas. My eyes shut, and I felt the cold concrete floor beneath my hands. Funny, the concrete seemed further than I expected. I thought it was 1.70 metres away. Apparently not.

I felt arms go under my knees and back. I opened my eyes slightly, but shut them quickly again, when I felt wind pummel my face. Feeling surprisingly light, I reflected - to the best of my ability - on the course of events the day had taken. In hindsight, maybe draining the poison from Barry was a bad idea. It hurt like hell. But if that meant Barry was fine, it was okay. I wouldn't mind putting Barry first. Wait, wha-