New Limits || Barry Allen [1]

04| A New Change

***

"Guys, we got something here." Felicity stated now turning everyone's attention towards her. "I scanned the key Lance gave you, and traced its serial code back to the manufacturer."

"This particular key fits a locked gate somewhere on Crescent Circle in the Glades." Barry continued to thoroughly explain to the team. Oliver having already heard enough began to get ready.

"Where are you going?" Felicity asked looking at Oliver like he had gone mad, though at this point it was not a new look to her. "You can't go out there in your condition."

Determination and stubbornness shone brightly in his eyes. "I have to stop this."

"Oliver, Gold left you half dead, which is 50 percent better than how he left Detective Hilton." She argued trying to convince him not to go. "And he totally beat up...Artemis, and we both know she doesn't go down easy."

"Felicity I don't have a choice." 

When Oliver first recruited me in his team it was as his partner. Lately that had changed even if I knew it was because of Tommy and Daniel, I felt an underlying frustration at his desire to keep me sidelined. "Well, good thing I'm coming with you this time." 

"Artemis this is dangerous."

"I don't think you remember the last time you left without me." I told Oliver and he rolled his eyes at my bringing it up again. "And we both know I've had to face much worse."

Oliver seemed to be fighting an internal struggle, but I knew him well enough to know when he was about to give into an idea that wasn't his own. "Your right. We do this together."

***

Oliver decided to make our grand entrance by blowing a hole threw the floor that was under the room Gold was in. He used a rope to go through the hole as I followed, as two guys came charging toward us, and we immediately shot arrows right through them. Oliver and I kept our bows up aiming at the man, waiting for his next move.

"Brother Cyrus told me he killed you." A guy with a creepy melted skull mask said when we shot down his men. As he stepped closer I saw Roy strapped to a chair groaning in pain and I had I fight the urge to run to his side.

"Guess he's not as strong as you'd hoped." I said never taking my eyes off of Roy, if something ever happened to him I would never forgive myself, he was everything to me. Has always been since I met him on the streets of the Glades twelve years ago, seeing him like this now was a nightmare. 

"Where'd you get the Mirakiru?" Oliver demanded. "Who gave you the formula?!"

"It was a gift." The masked man said showing us the empty syringe that he injected Roy with, he held it in his as if it were the most precious thing in the world. I moved slightly closer, still aiming an arrow right at his heart, regardless of my rules on killing. "A gift I would use to save this city from itself."

Suddenly Gold came running through the door and Oliver and I began shooting arrows at him, but they had absolutely no effect on him. Oliver ran as he tried to side kick him but Gold threw him across the room. I punched him then grabbed his right arm and twisted it as I flipped over on top of him as an attempt to knock him down, but my plan only wasn't fully executed before I was thrown back into a metal shelf. As I was getting up Oliver made another move only to have himself thrown across the room again. Two more guys came into the room, but they were clearly not injected with Mirakiru, so I was able to easily shoot both of them down.

"Another failure." The masked man said as he felt for Roy's pulse, I felt my heart drop to my stomach, but I knew I had to keep fight because there could still be a chance that we could bring him back, but apparently Oliver didn't think the same way. I looked over to him to find him laying on the floor with no fight left in him.

I was running towards the masked man before I was blocked my Gold again, I kneed him in the stomach as I kicked him in the side. He was only thrown of for a second before be aimed for a punch which I ducked. "Get up!" I yelled at Oliver who was talking to himself on the floor. "Fight!" I said as I punched Gold using my bow as a weapon, I quickly half circled him and kicked him in the back causing him to stumble a bit.

"Kill him." The masked man ordered Gold, then Oliver came back and began to attack Gold by throwing a series of punches and I joined in as I kicked him across the face. Gold stumbled back against the stolen centrifuge, Oliver and I got each other a look confirming that we had the same idea, I pulled an explosive arrow out of my quiver and Oliver did the same as we aimed it at the centrifuge.

The explosion caused the ceiling to crumble on top of Gold as the Mirakiru acted as an acid as it spilled all over Gold. I immediately ran over to Roy and cut the straps that had him tied to the chair. 

"Hey, Roy I'm here." I said as I pulled my mask off and cleaned the blood that was streaming from his eyes. An unbelievable desperation that I had never felt took hold at the sight of Roy like this, the one person that I knew I could not live without. "Come one Roy we still have a whole life we have to live together."

Oliver pulled Roy over to him and began to do chest compressions. "I am not leaving anyone else to die! You're strong, kid." Oliver exclaimed in despiration as he continued to do the chest compressions more rapidly. "Come on! Come on!"

"Come on, Roy. Fight!" I yelled as I was kneeled down next to him as Oliver shook him "I know your stronger than this!" Roy suddenly took in a deep breath as few slightly opened his eyes before he fell unconscious again. Relief came over me that I wasn't going to loose Roy. "I don't know who i would be if I lost you."

***

"Still have a ghost problem?" Dig, asked Oliver when we came into the room. Felicity ran up to Oliver and embraced him. I opened my arms towards Diggle and with a laugh he accepted my hug.

"No." Oliver said in a serious tone, but the look in his eyes showed refief, what ever happened during the fight must have cleared him of the hallucinations. "I got the message. But we have other problems."

"Wouldn't be us if we didn't." Felicity muttered voicing all of our thoughts.

"Roy was injected with the serum." I said thoughtfully, wondering what effects it would have on him. Whatever this effects would be I would be there for him.

"Oh, my God, is he ok?"

"He's alive." Oliver answered. "But we are going to have to keep an eye on him."

"And Cyrus Gold?" Diggle asked wondering what the fate of our villain of the week was.

"Died on Saturday, buried on Sunday." Oliver recited the rest of the poem. "But he was working with someone."

"He wore a mask with the symbol of a skull." I stated remembering the guy that injected Roy with the serum, anger at the simple thought of the man rushing through me as well as the determination to be the one to take him down myself for even toughing Roy.

"He's trying to mass produce the serum to build an army." Oliver informed the team.

"For what?" Diggle asked.

"You're a soldier." Oliver said turning towards Diggle. "What's the primary purpose of an army?"

"War." Dig replied in a way that sent chills down my spin, clearly what's coming is going to be a blood bath.

"Where's Barry?" I questioned suddenly noticing his absence.

"He went back to Central City." Felicity replied not attempting to hide her disappointment at the scientist's absence. "Wanted to get home in time to see them turn on the particle accelerator. Gifts from Barry."

Opening the box I looked down at the green mask with a small sense of shock at the gesture.  Though I did wonder when he had the time to even get these made, but from the excitement radiating off of Felicity it was clear that she had something to do with this too. 

***