"When you lose someone you love, you gain an angel you know."
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On Barry's first day back at work, he was very excited. He had woken up earlier than normal to make he and Kara breakfast before he got dressed for the day. Before he left the loft, he even made Kara some lunch and coffee hoping she'd have a great day. Not knowing once he got to his place of work, he would not.
Walking off the elevator into the CCPD precinct, a big smile was on Barry's face, and a coffee in hand. He began to greet his co-workers when he noticed they were all giving him looks. Odd looks, non-friendly looks. He even heard one of them say: What is he doing here?
He walked through the doors where all the desks were and found a detective, who was just passing by. "Addie, hey, what's going on?" He asked.
"I think you should talk to Cap," Addie told him.
"About what?" He asked.
"Just go see him, Allen," Addie said before she walked off.
"Okay," Barry muttered before heading into Captain Singh's office, where he found him sitting on his desk watching the news.
On the tv, it was Central City's new mayor, Mayor Van Buren. She was also known as someone who tried to run for Mayor in Star City a couple years ago but backed out at the last minute because of family problems.
"...tolerate the behavior that the previous administration-"
"Addie said you wanted to see," Barry said and Singh looked his way.
"Yeah, shut the door," Singh said and Barry did as he was told.
He was walked fully into the office and closed the door behind him before he looked back at the TV, watching the mayor talk with Singh.
"...I promise you we will root out all corruption at all levels and restore your faith in public servants. The name Van Buren is a name that has always stood for integrity. I may be the Mayor-"
Singh muted the TV before turning to Barry. "We've got a problem that I'm not sure how to fix."
"Alright," Barry said questionably.
"Some people don't think you should be back on the force," Singh said.
"Because of DeVoe?" Barry questioned.
"Mm-hmm."
"I was cleared of all charges. I didn't do anything. He's alive."
"I know, and he's been cooperating, coming in, answering questions," Singh said.
"So what's the problem?" Barry asked.
"Look," Singh began as he walked around his desk, "People nowadays will believe anything. Fake news, social media. Allegations are treated as facts. But DeVoe being alive? Showing up in the courtroom at your appeal hearing? Some people in Central City don't buy it's actually him."
"Well, who do they think it was?" Barry asked.
"Who the hell knows. But we live in a city full of meta-humans with its occasion aliens. It's a conspiracy theorist's dream," Singh explained.
"So, what does this mean? Are you — Are you firing me?" Barry asked.
"Not firing. But I have been asked to request that you take a leave of absence," Singh said and Barry scoffed.
"By whom?" He asked and Singh gestured to the tv, where Mayor Van Buren was still taking a statement, all of it muted. Barry practically rolled his eyes before looking back at his boss.
"Thinks it'll be easier for everyone. Restoring the faith and all that," Singh told him.
"For how long?" Barry asked.
"Indefinitely," Singh said and Barry shook his head in annoyance, "Look, Barry, if you want me to fight this thing, I'll do what I can. But this new Mayor, she's got a lot to prove since the Bellows debacle."
"When do you think I can come back?" Barry asked.
"When everyone believes DeVoe is really alive and well," Singh told him.
STAR Labs
"WHAT?!"
Barry stood before Kara, Caitlin and Iris, fiddling with his badge in his hand while the bus meta board stood behind him. He had just told the girls what happened at his work, and as expected — Kara was furious.
"It's not permanent, is it?" Caitlin asked.
"I mean, he said it was indefinite," Barry said.
"They wouldn't have given you your ID back if it was for good," Caitlin said.
"Maybe this is for the best," Iris spoke up, causing Kara to snap her a look, "I mean, we need to prove that DeVoe is still alive. And you can do that now as The Flash."
"Yeah, maybe," Barry muttered, but he still had a saddened look on him.
"No," Kara suddenly said.
"No?" Barry questioned.
"No, no, no!" She snapped, "This can't be happening. You love your job. You didn't even do anything wrong! You may be The Flash but being a CSI makes you Barry Allen. I mean, we should-"
"We're not going to fight the Mayor on this, Kara," Barry said, knowing exactly what she was going to say.
"But — This is your job," she said.
"Which I will still have once this thing blows over," Barry told her, and despite the ridiculously adorable pout on her face, she sighed in defeat.
"Fine," she muttered, "How are we doing with DeVoe anyway?"
"We know that we still have four bus metas left to find," Caitlin said. "And that DeVoe has absorbed the powers of Killgore, Hazard, Black Bison, Brainstorm, and Dwarfstar," Iris listed off, "Oh, and Fallout is safe with Tracy."
"But the Weeper is MIA," Caitlin added.
"Then DeVoe must have him," Barry said, glancing back at the board.
"Well, that leaves Ralph," Kara said and Barry looked back at her.
"Ralph is safe with us. But the other four metas aren't. DeVoe will absolutely kill them and take their powers," Barry told them.
"But why does he need their powers? I can't figure out his end game," Kara said.
"I don't know. I just know these last four metas are the key. That's why we need to find them," Barry said.
"And find them we will." They all turned around to find Cisco and Mon-El walking in with Ralph, who was holding a box of things.
"Where have you guys been?" Iris asked.
"A little home away from home, otherwise known as the bus depot," Ralph said as he set a box on the computer counter while Cisco walked over to Barry, and Mon stood behind Iris, "But I showed Cisco here an old PI trick I learned from my mentor, Columbo. Lost and found box from meta bus 405."
"Question for the room," Cisco said as the three girls looked over at him, "How did I get stuck doing the buddy system thing with Ralph?"
"It's the best way to keep Ralph safe, Cisco," Kara told him.
"Yeah, it's the best way to keep Ralph safe, Cisco," Ralph said with a fake pout and Kara gave him an annoyed look.
"Well, clearly you've never had to stay over at an apartment that uses neon bear signs for lamps and the kitchen sink for a shower," Cisco said as he stepped over the girls, then looked at Ralph, "Ralph, I love you, but you sleep on a futon."
"Futon's not that bad," Caitlin said.
"It is when it's damp," Cisco said, his voice almost cracking.
The girls then looked towards Ralph, disgusted expressions on them. "Why is it damp?" Iris asked, even though a part of her didn't want to know.
"I sweat a lot when I sleep," he said.
"Ya nasty," Iris said before Ralph looked back into the box.
"Oh, hey, my retainer," Ralph said before he grabbed it, "Been looking for this." He placed it in his mouth while the girls continued to stare at him disgusted while Cisco awkwardly and painfully laughed.
"Retainer," he muttered.
"Okay, you made your point. Not that the point needed to be made. I'll take the next shift," Barry said.
"You're a good man, Barry Allen," Cisco said, patting his back.
"Really?" Ralph asked annoyed and they all looked back to see he was holding a CD, "Who uses CDs anymore?" But Kara snatched it from him, looking down at it.
"A musician trying to catch their break," she said before she began taking the CD out, inserting it into the computer, "Izzy Bowen."
She pressed play and country rock music blasted, which Ralph immediately turned off. "Ugh, country. Music's tone deaf stepchild," he whined.
"All right, remember anyone on the bus with a fiddle?" Caitlin asked as Kara placed the CD back in its package.
"There was a guy," Ralph started as he took his retainer out, causing Iris to rub her temples annoyed, "...with a cowboy hat on sitting behind me. Maybe it was him."
"Boy, I sure wish we had a way of finding out," Cisco sarcastically said before Caitlin shot him a smile, handing over the CD.
He reluctantly took it from her before he walked off to the side, fiddling with the CD. "Izzy Bowen." He stared down at the CD and suddenly dark flashes surrounded him.
In his vibe, he seemed to be at some kind of bar. There was a stage where a woman with brown hair stood, and a band behind her.
"Izzy, you wanna give us one more mic check?"
"Check one, check, check, one, two."
The vibe ended and Cisco handed the CD back to Caitlin, "Well, it's a her, not a him. And she's playing a gig at the Busted Saddle."
"All right," Barry said before he glanced over at Ralph, "Let's go."
"No, no way. I hate country music," Ralph said as Barry began to head out of the cortex.
"Well, buddy system. It's my turn. Come on," Barry said and Ralph sighed annoyed before he reluctantly followed him.
Iris then turned around towards Mon and eyed him. "Go with them. Incase they need backup," she said.
"But-" he almost whined but he saw Iris's look in her eyes basically saying if you don't I will force you. "Fine." He then walked after Barry and Ralph.
The Busted Saddle
"♫ Stand on the box, stomp your feet, start clapping, got a real good feeling something bad about to happen...♫"
That night, surrounding the stage were many people there for the gig, mostly men. On stage was a woman with soft brown hair, in a cowboy hat, a cowgirl outfit, and violin in hand.
"♫ Pulled up to the church but I got so nervous, had to back it on up, couldn't make it to the service, I grabbed all the cash underneath my mattress, got a real good feeling something bad about to happen...♫"
Standing in the back of the crowd, was Barry, Ralph, and Mon-El, them smiling along as the concert continued. But it was mostly Barry and Mon-El seeing as how Ralph stood between them annoyed to be there.
After the concert, there was barely anyone left in the bar. Izzy was standing by the stage, getting her things together when suddenly she was approached, by three men. "Izzy Bowen?"
"That's me," Izzy said before she looked back to see Barry, Ralph and Mon-El.
"My name is Barry Allen. I'm with CCP-" he started, but stopped himself. He almost frowned while Izzy stared at him oddly.
"Hi, Izzy," Mon suddenly stepped in, "I'm Mike Matthews, this is Barry Allen, we're a part of the CCPD. And this is Ralph Dibny, a PI."
Izzy nodded before she noticed the CD in Barry's hand that he was nervously fiddling with. "Is that a label?" She asked before she reached over and too it.
"Um-"
"Maybe on another Earth," Ralph muttered.
"Okay, well, you want an autograph or a phone number, something?" Izzy asked, sending them all winks.
"I'm married," Barry quickly told her.
"And I'm..." Mon started, but didn't feel like he could say he was too, "Not interested."
"No, nothing like that," Ralph told her.
"Okay. Well, if it ain't business and it ain't pleasure, then we got nothing left to talk about, now do we?" Izzy said before someone who worked at the bar walked up to her, "Oh. Do it again next week," and she handed him some cash, "Great work."
"Okay, I'm sorry," Barry said and Izzy looked at her, "Let me explain. Um, uh, someone very smart and very dangerous is coming after you."
"Me?" Izzy questioned.
"Yep," Barry said as the boys nodded.
But Izzy laughed as if it was some joke, "Okay, now, why in the name of God would anybody dangerous be coming after me?" She asked.
"Because you have powers," Barry said.
"Three months ago, you were on Central City bus 405. That busy got showered with dark matter and made everyone on it a meta-human," Ralph explained.
"Not the person responsible for doing that wants those powers for themselves," Barry added on.
"Okay, and let me guess," Izzy said with a smirk, "You boys are here to protect me."
"Something like that," Ralph said.
"Look, we can explain more later, but now we just need you to come with us," Barry said.
"Oh, no, that's not necessary," Izzy said before she turned back around and locked up her violin case, "My daddy bailed. Mama bailed not long after," she then looked back at the three, "And I have been looking out for myself my entire life."
"This time it's different. You can't. Please. We need to go," Ralph told her.
"I ain't going anywhere with any of you," Izzy said.
"I think you should reconsider that," Ralph said but Izzy glared him down.
"I don't give a damn what you think," Izzy said before she opened out her fist.
The boys covered their ears when a screeching noise blasted out of her, and they were also thrown across the room when a large vibration shot out from her chest.
When they sat up, she was gone. "I guess now we know what her power is," Ralph said to Mon and Barry.
Mon was able to hear him perfectly well, but Barry? "What?!" Barry yelled.
"What?!" Ralph yelled back, "Yeah!"
"Yeah," Barry muttered, the both of them holding their ears.
STAR Labs
When the three got back, they stood in the cortex while Caitlin looked over some screens and Cisco stood by Kara and Iris, who sat by the computers. "You three are lucky. Barry, your ear is almost healed, Mon, it didn't really effect you, and Dibney, yours just stretched," Caitlin told them.
"Well, I still can't hear all that great," Barry winced, turning back to everyone.
"Consider that a blessing in disguise. Less twang in your future," Ralph said.
"Give it an hour. You'll be fine," Caitlin said before they all turned back to Kara and Iris.
"So Izzy Bowen can control music," Iris stated.
"More like sound waves," Cisco said.
"Soundwave," Ralph said with a smile, "That's a great name."
"It would be, if it wasn't already taken by a Transformer," Cisco said and Ralph frowned.
"Okay, well," Kara started as she looked at some screens of her own, "It looks like billions of tiny shrapnel ripped through this."
"Exactly. Sound is just the force of billions of tiny gas molecules colliding into one another," Cisco said.
"So if you can harness and amplify kinetic energy, you get-"
"Molecular shrapnel," Cisco said.
"Okay, well, we gotta keep searching. If we can't track her down soon, she's gonna fall right into DeVoe's hands," Barry said.
"Speaking of tracking people down, when's Harry getting back from Earth Two?" Ralph asked.
CC Jitters
The next morning, Harry stood in the coffee shop, and grabbed his hot cup when it was handed to him. He smiled at the barista before he turned to walk out when he saw Cecile walk in as well. "DA Cecile Horton," he greeted. "Harry, hey," Cecile said, "When did you get back from your Earth?"
"Just got back. Getting myself a little pick me up," Harry said.
"You and me both, kid," Cecile said and Harry awkwardly nodded.
"Okay, good talk," he said before he walked off past her. But then stopped and faced her again. "Actually, you know," and she looked back at him, "I don't think that, uh, pregnant people are supposed to consume caffeine."
"Uh, yeah, Doctor says one cup a day is fine," Cecile said before she began to yawn heavily, "And lord knows I need it. I need to more than you could possibly imagine."
"Apparently. Must be exhausting," Harry said.
"It is. He's keep me up...all...night," Cecile said.
"He?" Harry questioned, "I thought Allen said you were having a girl."
"Yeah, and I'm not talking about the baby. I'm talking about Joe. Joe is keeping me up," Cecile said and Harry couldn't help but stammer a smile smile, which she glared at him for, "No, Harry, come here," and she dragged him off to the side so no one could hear them, "My newfound ability to hear people's thoughts-"
"Oh, see, I thought-"
"Yeah, I can hear Joe, his thoughts, I can hear them while he's asleep. All night long," Cecile said.
"You hear his dreams," Harry stated.
"Yep. And they are crazy and fast. And, oh so very loud. It is like living in the middle of an action movie, Harry," Cecile complained, "I love Joe West with all my heart, but I am telling you. I just, I can't-" she started yawning again, "I'm so tired. I can't take it anymore."
"Yeah, well, that sucks, DA Cecile Horton," Harry said.
"Yes, it does," Cecile said, her eye bags so large it looked like it covered half her face.
"Okay," Harry muttered before he started to walk off but then faced her again, "Actually, I might be able to build something that can help you with that."
"Oh, Harry," Cecile said, smiling thankfully, almost on the verge of crying, "Thank you."
STAR Labs
That night, Iris was standing by the computers with Cisco, Caitlin, Mon-El and Ralph also in the cortex with her, all of them irritated that she still couldn't find Izzy. "Satellite's been running all day, but it's still not picking up any irregular sound variances," she said before The Flash and Supergirl zoomed in.
"We checked the city. Can't find her," Flash said and Iris looked at them.
"You checked the whole city?" She asked.
"Yes, twice," Supergirl said before she walked over next to her, "We have to find her before DeVoe does."
"She had another gig this week. I doubt she'd skip town," Ralph said.
"How would Dibny PI suggest we find her?" Cisco asked.
"Well, since you asked, has anyone checked her website?" Ralph asked.
"Has anyone checked her website?" Cisco asked while chuckling, "Dibs, of course we've checked her website," but when he looked around at Caitlin, Iris, Mon-El and Supergirl, they all had guilty looks written all over them, "No one has checked her website? Kara!" His voice cracked, causing the hero to quickly press buttons on the screen.
"I'm on it, I'm looking now," she said before she looked over Izzy's website, "She's still in town. I just picked up the first run of my next single and love the geniuses at Saloon Sounds."
"All right, Ralph, Mon. Take two," Flash said before looking at Cisco as well, "Cisco, we might need Vibe's help."
"Giddy up," Cisco said before Supergirl began to walk out of the cortex, Flash, Ralph and Cisco following her.