Dɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ғᴀᴛᴇ - Tʜᴇ Fʟᴀsʜ✔︎

Chapter Nine

"I don't know, Cora. But we need to get to Stagg industries immediately." Detective West said as Barry nodded at me. I groaned, rolling my head back as I followed them.

"We just got here and now we are leaving. How often do we have to do this?" I asked with a hint of annoyance as Joe snickered.

"Too often, kid." Joe answered as I frowned, biting into the licorice.

۞

"You honestly think someone is trying to kill me?" Simon Stagg asked as I sighed.

"No. They are trying to kill the plant that is sitting on your desk. It's been a bad plant." I said sarcastically as Barry elbowed me in the side. "Ow!" I muttered as he shot me a quick glare. I sighed once more.

"What Cora is trying to say is that we aren't sure, Mr. Stagg." Barry said as I pressed my lips together in a tight smile, nodding. "But your event you were being honored at was robbed."

"Not to mention your head of security was murdered." I added in. "So just connect the dots."

"I am a scientist and a philanthropist. We're not often the targets of assassins." Stagg said as I huffed quietly, sniffling silently.

"What about lawsuits? You've got about 20 of those pending." Joe said as Stagg sighed.

"Yeah, it is a sad fact of life, detective, that when you earn a lot of money people who haven't think they can take yours." Stagg answered as I shrugged, leaning on the leg that was next to Barry.

And I had to have been an idiot if I didn't notice the way he suddenly tensed up. But you know.

I am an idiot.

"You mean like this guy? Danton Black?" I said, grabbing the picture that Joe was holding.

"Danton Black." Stagg repeated as I nodded.

"You fired him and he sued." I said with a quirk of my brow.

"Unfortunately, our working relationship wasn't successful." Stagg said with a nervous smile.

"Obviously." I said under my breath, rolling my eyes.

"But I can assure you three that Danton Black is no killer. He's a clinical researcher, not a criminal mastermind." Stagg reassured as I looked up at Barry, shrugging.

"I want these people caught as much as you, Detective." Stagg said as I heard footsteps behind us.

"Then here we are."  The three of us turned around to see a masked man holding a gun at us.

My eyes widened as he started to fire at us, Barry quickly grabbing my shoulders and running to cover. I found my face buried in his chest, listening to his heart beat rapidly as he held me in a protective hug while Joe fired at the man.

I pulled myself away from Barry as he looked me up and down, searching for any wounds. "Barry I'm fine! You need to hand that guy his ass!" I said as Barry nodded, quickly disappearing.

In an instant, The Flash stood in front of the masked man. "Whoever you are, give yourself up." He ordered as the man laughed.

"Sorry. Can't do that until Simon Stagg is dead." Suddenly, the man moved around awkwardly, two clones of him forming out of his body.

I hid behind the large crate, listening as either the men were beat up, or Barry. I turned to Joe, who grabbed my arm.

"Get out of here, Cora!" He yelled as I shook my head.

"I need to help!"

"You don't have a gun! Get out of here before you get yourself hurt!" He yelled as I sighed angrily, shooting up and out of the building.

۞

Caitlin worked on getting the blood off Barry's cheek as I worked on his upper brow, which had already brown the healing process.

Barry winced, hissing in pain. "Sorry. The abrasions
are already rapidly healing." Caitlin said as Barry rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. I got my ass handed to me." Barry said.

"I told you to hand the mans ass to him. Not let him hand you your ass." I said as Barry chuckled.

Cisco turned to us from standing in front of the suit, a frown on his face. "You got blood on my suit."

"Our suit, Cisco." I corrected.

"Who designed it?"

"Who spent nearly a whole day actually putting all of it together?" I said, tilting my head as raising a brow as Cisco huffed.

"Fine.. our suit." He said as Barry sighed.

"I think some of it belongs to him... Another not-so-friendly meta human." Barry said as I nodded, even though I had no reason to.

"Danton Black."