The Flash: Lost...

Chapter I

The day of the particle accelerator explosion, somewhere in Central City.

When she woke up, everything was dark. She tried to move but was unable to do so. It was like she was... stuck. The only thing she felt was pain, so much pain. But also this weird, tingling sensation in her body.
"What is happening??!"
Then everything went black again.


CCPD present time.

Barry came in to work, coffee in hand, but not with his usual bright smile.
Things had changed. The city had changed, HE had changed.
He kept playing the events of the past couple of months in his head at night, over and over again. Starting with not saving his mom (why the hell did future me say no?! I shouldn't have listened! But... I'm sure I had a good reason), Eddie's death (god Eddie, I should have been faster, I should have been STRONGER!) and of course the singularity.

Yeah, he stopped the damn thing from swallowing the city whole, but did he, no, did the Flash really earn the praise the city keeps giving him?! No, Eddie was the hero. Not him. Eddie stopped the man that could wreck havoc up and down time, not him. He wasn't strong enough...
All this left him unable to sleep well, which in turn affected his mood. 

He went through the daily motions, do his job as best he can and when needed, he would Flash around town saving the day.
Alone.
No Cisco, no Caitlin, he kept Iris and Joe far away as well.
"It's better that way" he had told them and he moved out of the house again, back to his crummy apartment, leaving a heartbroken Iris and Joe.

 He sighs as he climbs the stairs up to his lab.
As he opens the door he sees someone sitting at HIS desk, tapping away at HIS computer.
"Excuse me?! What do you think you are doing?!" He asks
The girl at his desk startles, jumps up and starts rattling "Oh, uhm, I...I'm sorry! Uh, you must be Barry Allen! So sorry, but I started today and the Captain needed some evidence analized like yesterday and I waited for you, but you didn't come and then the Captain came back and yelled at me, I don't like to get yelled at, so I started and yeah, well, uhm, I'm sorry I touched your stuff without permission..."
"Wow wow wow wait, what do you mean you started today? Started where?" Barry asks, annoyed.
"Here! I'm your new assistant!" The girl replies
"You're my what now?!" Barry's voices rises a pitch
"Your...assistant?" The girl replies more cautiously
The tension in the room is clearly rising.
"My assistant" Barry grits through his teeth
"Oh god... You didn't know!, I..." But before she can finish Barry storms out of the lab.

"Oh dear... That didn't go very well..." She sighs