neighbors | barry allen//the flash

twenty five | left

As soon as the light disappeared and darkness enveloped him, Barry knew exactly what was happening. That meta human was back again. Why on earth that meta was attacking a science museum, Barry had no clue. What he did know, however, was that he needed to do something. His mind was racing a thousand miles an hour, trying to think of his next move, where the meta could be, how to take him out, finally. 

"Barry!" Clara's panicked gasp snapped Barry back to the present moment, the moment in which he was still stranded in the dark with her. Moments before, when they were blissfully wandering through the exhibit, they were hand in hand. Now, both of Clara's hands were clutching his forearm, and Barry doubted her fear allowed her to realize just exactly how tight her death grip on him was. "What is going on?" Her voice was high and wavering. 

"I don't know," Barry admitted. Her breathing quickened, and he was sure that if her hands weren't latched onto him, they would be shaking uncontrollably. He sighed quietly, already regretting the words he was about to say. "Stay right here, okay?" Her hands released him in shock of his words, and he heard a sharp intake of air. His hands gently found her shoulders, trying to steady her, give her some sense of comfort for her to hold on to. 

"What?" Her voice shot up another two octaves. Barry hated the sound, the sheer terror. Experiences like this were not the norm for her. She didn't run straight into danger as soon as it called on a daily basis. She hadn't mastered the art of biting down any fears and doubts to fight for the chance of helping the people of this city. Her battles, her days spent inside a lab desperately striving to make a difference, though just as honorable, were fought very differently than the Flash's. Barry did not blame her for her panic or even expect her to be calm, but that did not stop him from wishing that she didn't have to experience panic like this. "Barry, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to figure out what's going on," He explained, already dreading the moment he was going to have to leave her here alone. She wouldn't really be alone, he convinced himself. She would be safer once he got the meta under control. He tried to focus on that instead of Clara's near-hysteria. He pulled her ever-so-slightly closer, placing an almost nonexistent kiss on the top of her head. He doubted she even noticed the weight of his lips pressed gently on her hair.  "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" He didn't wait for her response before he slipped away. 

As much as he hated to admit it, Barry couldn't speed his way out of this one. He stumbled through the exhibit back the way they had came, mumbling apologies and trying to offer empty words of comfort to those he bumped into. He wanted to run, the adrenaline pumping in his veins sung to him, begging to be put to good use, but he was afraid he would launch himself straight into a wall and knock himself out. 

He bumped into the cold metal railing that surrounded the open atrium that was in the middle of the building. He held onto this, making his way slowly, finding the stairs and carefully guiding himself down. With his sight lost, his hearing became acute, and he jumped at every sound, every shuffle of feet, every whisper for help. He set his jaw and focused on getting out. When he got outside into the light, he could run, and when he could run, things would get better. 

Barry finally made his way down the stairs to the main floor. This meant there was no rail to guide him anymore. He flung his hands out in front of him, feeling for anything he might run into as he walked across the open floor. He muttered a few curses as his shin banged up against something very solid, but he keep pressing towards the direction that he really hoped the entrance was located. Finally, his hand hit the cool metal handle on the door, and he pushed it open. He stepped out of the building, and was immediately surrounded by the light once again. He blinked at the sudden brightness, squinting until his eyes adjusted. 

A crowd of people stood outside in awe, and Barry spun around to inspect the building. It looked the same as the hotel he had seen before. He could make out the outline of the building, and everything else was cloaked in darkness. He pushed his way through the crowd, walking down an empty alley before speeding to Star Labs for his suit. In just second, he was back at the building, fully prepared. He ran around the perimeter multiple times, trying to find anyone that seemed out of the ordinary, but there was nothing. He couldn't go back in, he couldn't see anything in there. How was he supposed to fight this when he was basically blind?