With his speed in mind, Barry had suggested he run through the entire city.
Cisco disagreed, saying a very scientific sentence that basically meant it would take a long time, and it would be faster to set the S.T.A.R. Labs computers on the task.
Barry ran into the Cortex, changed, and came to a stop in front of the computer desks.
His mouth didn't open, but by his grief struck eyes, Parker got the message. He needed her.
"Mute the jail microphones," Parker whispered, low-key to Cisco as she stood.
Barry grabbed her hand and she tugged him along to their meta-human jail.
Parker plopped down onto the platform, facing the wall. Barry sat opposite from her. He grabbed her hips and nuzzled his head into her neck, tightly engulfing her.
Parker's arms wrapped around his shoulders, stroking the nape of his neck soothingly. Her eyes were closed, clearly not the only one enjoying the comfort.
"Are you crying because of Wells or because of your dad?" she mumbled.
It was a silent surrounding, and she tried not to raise her voice too loud. Barry did the same.
"Both."
Parker breathed a deep sigh into his shoulders, eyes slowly shutting. She felt his pain, on a different, less personal level than he did, but it was there.
Parker was just as frustrated with the entire Dr.Wells/Reverse-Flash mystery. The whole thing had a big WTF stamped on it.
Unlike she normally would, she didn't give up easily on the challenge. It was a mystery that needed to be figured out, in order to save lives. That couldn't be given up on.
Shoes clicked against the floor. The door to the Accelerator slid open, allowing Joe West to join the couple. By the look on his face, he knew the news already.
Barry held his head up to see who arrived. He broke from Parker's embrace, sliding his knees back to rest his elbows on them.
He looked to Joe, hopeful. "Do you think my dad is still alive?"
"Of course," Joe instantly answered. "The Trickster took your Pops as leverage. He might be crazy, but he's not stupid. Everyone upstairs is looking to find him."
"So, I'm just supposed to leave my father's fate in the hands of a man who may have had something to do with my mother's murder."
Parker tilted her head, ensuring him the answer he didn't want. She understood his hesitation, she couldn't fix it. Nobody could, or not yet, at least.
"It just doesn't make any sense," Barry snapped. "Wells is a murderer, but he's helping me. Why has he helped me catch so many criminals? Or saved Ronnie? Why didn't I see this?"
Joe shrugged. "I spent a tenth of as much time with him, and he almost had me believing him."
"Almost," Barry repeated, dropping his head in shame.
"Whatever he is.. Whatever he wants.. he's still Harrison Wells. You love science, he is science-- it's like you made best friends with Einstein."
"You're saying I wanted to be tricked."
"I like to think you were blinded by your admiration for him," Parker explained.
"You have always been the person who scouted for the best in people. I've been a cop for twenty five years, all I can see are the lies, the thoughts that people think I don't see.. I wish I could be you. As fast as you are, that's your real power. Don't let Wells take that from you.
Look, I don't know why he's helping us. All that matters is that he is."
Parker thought Joe's pep talk would ease Barry out of his sadness. It did the opposite, but luckily, for only a minute.
"I can't lose my dad," Barry wept, actual tears sliding down his cheeks. His head fell onto his arms, shoulders shaking.
Parker pouted, her heart aching. She placed her hand on his knee. "Come on, Barry," she whispered.
Barry raised his head and she wiped his tears with her thumbs. She placed a kiss on his tinted cheeks, before sliding off the platform and helping Barry to his feet. Parker clapped her hands together.
"Well, glad the sadness is over for now. Barry, keep your emotions in check around Wells, and this will go by a lot safer. Be patient. And about this entire conversation, I muted the microphone. So if anyone wanted to hear, they'd have to be standing outside. You're welcome."
>>>>>
Almost the moment the three stepped back inside the Cortex, Joe's cell phone went off. He answered, paused, and flipped it to speaker phone, drawing everyone's attention.
James Jesse was speaking, not directly to Iris, but close enough for her phone to pick it up. His monologue included something about a poison being added to the wine.
Parker only needed to hear that to switch into action. She leaned around Cisco, fingers flying across his keyboard to ping Iris' phone. Cisco scooted his chair past her to flip on another computer.
"Trimethelmercury thirty-two is a relatively fast acting poison," Caitlin informed.
"Is there a cure?" Barry asked.
Dr.Wells was already driving his chair backwards to get around the desks. "Yes, and we can start synthesizing the antidote now."
"Parker, where is she?"
Parker slammed her finger onto the Enter button. The 3D model of Central City highlighted a specific area, zoomed in, and gave the address.
"City Hall."
"The mayor's having a fundraiser there tonight."
Instead of asking why Iris, of all people, was invited, Parker grabbed Barry's face and pressed her lips to his. It was one of the first times they kissed in front of their friends. Both felt awkward kissing in front of people they knew, but Parker strongly felt a form of affection was needed to jump-start Barry's determination.
"Be safe. Don't underestimate him."
"I love you," Then, Barry was gone and so was the suit.
"I will never get tired of hearing that."
"Cisco, I think I'm the one who's supposed to say that," Parker corrected with a giggle.
She exited out of the search for Iris' phone and opened the map of Central City, watching Barry's red dot move across town and into City Hall.
"Where's Henry Allen?"
The suit's monitor beeped a warning on its respective computer. Some type of device was locked onto Barry's wrist. Parker's eyes moved left to right, quickly reading the report the suit was sending back as it scanned the device.
"Are you familiar with the movie 'Speed?'" The Trickster asked.
Parker narrowed her eyes at the screen, waiting for the crazy old man to explain the connection.
"Well, see, you're the bus, and that's the bomb- kinetic bomb, actually, and if you go below six hundred miles per hour, it'll explode! Same thing happens if you try to remove it. Ooh, it's active. Run, run, run, run, run!"
Barry's red dot did as told. "Parker!" he screamed.
"Dude, he wasn't lying!" she said. "That thing is linked to a speedometer. It will blow if you stop."
"I can't run forever!"
Dr.Wells returned. Having heard the previous conversation, he asked, in an odd tone. "Barry, do you see any walls nearby?"
"Why?" Barry, Parker, Cisco and Caitlin asked at the same time.
"Because I need him to run into one. Or, through one."
"What?" That time, only Barry and Cisco chorused.
"If you vibrate, at the natural frequency of air, your body, your cells, will be in a state of excitement that should allow you to phase through that wall, leaving the bomb on the other side."
"Should?" Parker squeaked. She was both curious and afraid of Dr.Wells' prediction. "Should we be trying something new in such a risky situation?"
He ignored her and grabbed the microphone, bringing it closer to his mouth.
"Listen to me, Barry. Breathe. Breathe. Feel the wind on your face, the air.. Feel the ground, your feet, the ground pushing you up and the lightning- Barry, feel the lightning. Feel it's power. It's electricity, pumping through your veins, crackling, traveling through every nerve in your body, like a shock.
You're no longer you, now. You're part of something greater. A speed force. It's yours. Now do it."
Parker stared at the Doctor with a look that clearly read 'What the fuck.' There are probably better ways to describe exactly how she was feeling, especially towards the end of the Harrison Wells mystery, but those three words sum it up pretty well.
"O-oh! Oh, that felt weird!"
But he was alive, so that was the main point. Barry ran back to City Hall to finish the job. The antidote was given to every person who drank the wine.
The two Tricksters were forced to give up Henry Allen's coordinates. After they cooperated, the two were dropped off at Iron Heights, then Barry ran to his father. He brought him back to the Cortex.
Parker and Barry lingered by the suit together while Henry wandered the Cortex in complete awe. Their thoughts differed greatly.
Barry was thinking of Wells and how close he was to getting his father out of jail.
Parker was thinking about changing their beloved suit, feeling that the emblem could use a different color.
"Half this stuff didn't exist when I was practicing," Henry explained, his final collection of thoughts on the tour.
"Yeah, I'd be happy to give you a crash course on all of if, if you get out," Cisco offered. He realized what he said and snapped his fingers. "I'm gonna shut up now."
"Dr.Allen?" Caitlin said, carefully approaching him. Henry nodded, allowing her to continue. "I'm feeling the need to give you a hug."
"Yes! Absolutely. I will always accept a hug."
When Caitlin broke away from Henry, Parker shuffled across the floor and jumped into him, arms around his neck.
"But your favorite are from me!" She playfully claimed.
Henry groaned, complaining about his old back. Because of her short frame, he was forced to bend over to hug her back. He kept an arm around her shoulders and walked her back to his son.
"You gotta tell me, what does it feel like when you're running down the street like a bat out of hell?" Henry inquired.
Barry smiled. "No feeling like it."
"I bet. Actually," Henry stopped, his next words directed to everyone at first. "You're all heroes in my book. Especially you, Dr.Wells. thank you, for everything you've done for my son."
Parker couldn't help her sour face. She got rid of it as soon as she noticed it, switching to a fake smile.
Who Henry should be thanking is me, she thought, I've kept his son alive, and I'm not planning to kill him, and I keep him from making dumb moves most of the time.
"Well, your son is an extraordinary man, Dr.Allen. I will do everything in my power to ensure Barry's future."
In her mind, Parker narrowed her eyes. The Suspicion Alert alarm was ringing in her head.
Henry embraced Barry. It was a man-hug, but a tight one. That made Parker's smile change from fake into real. Henry could cheer her favorite Allen up better than she ever could. Hell, Henry could make anyone smile instantly.
Sadly, Henry needed to be escorted back to the prison. Joe left, designating himself to drive him back.
"Your father is an extraordinary man. You're lucky to have him," Dr.Wells complimented.
"I'm lucky to have you too," Barry admitted. He shook Dr.Wells hand, turned, the smile slipping off his face instantly.
Parker grinned like a proud mother. Barry's act was improving so frequently, impressively.
"Come on," Barry said, tugging her out of the Cortex. "We're going to the Station."
"For what?"
"Something you're probably not going to like."
>>>>>
Barry ran Parker to the Station, told her to find Thawne and bring him up to Barry's Lab. She was hesitant, but obeyed. He zoomed away again.
Parker spun around. She found Thawne instantly and caught his arm, redirecting his course with hers.
"Follow me. No questions."
Parker pushed through the doors of the Lab. Joe turned to face them when they arrived.
"Heard you needed us," Parker said.
"This is about Iris. She's looking into Mason Bridge's disappearance. We can't let that happen."
Parker opened her mouth to inquire more, but stopped, the minute she felt a whoosh flip her hair. Her nose scrunched in anger.
"I know you are not about to tell-"
Barry pulled his mask off his face. Parker widened her eyes, body freezing. Her mind tried to catch up with the situation.
"We need your help, Eddie," Barry said.
>>>>
Twenty minutes later, Eddie was filled in on Harrison Wells and what really happens at S.T.A.R. Labs.
Although Parker was insanely pissed, she admitted Eddie took the news rather well.
Joe told him to head to the West house, convinced that he was the best candidate to explain Mason Bridges' disappearance to Iris.
Parker, Barry and Joe left thirty minutes later, when his shift ended. Unluckily for Joe, he was stuck hearing an argument in his backseat.
"I can't believe we told Eddie! We might as well just admit it to Iris," Parker yelled.
"No, it'll put her in danger," Barry protested, honoring Joe's request.
"She's already in danger! We all are. There's no point in keeping it from her. I don't even know why we told Eddie. Or why you let Martin Stein's wife in on it!"
"Sometimes I question why I told you!"
Parker fell silent. She blinked hard, her face blank.
Barry was the opposite. His eyes were automatically filled with regret, hands outstretching towards her in an apology.
"Honey, I told you because you worked at S.T.A.R. Labs. You were destined to be apart of my team, and hey, you were the first one I told!"
Parker shrugged. "While that is an honor, I still think you shouldn't tell anyone else. I warned you at the start of this that it was dangerous, and now, too many people know."
"I promise I won't tell anyone."
"Actually, I take that back. The only person you're allowed to tell now is Iris."
The car rolled to a stop. Joe practically praised the Lord and dove out of the car, running into his house, as far away from the arguing couple as he could get. Parker and Barry followed.
"Please tell me you two aren't arguing," Joe begged the other couple.
"No.." Iris said. She got up and started towards the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in a jiff."
Joe leaned around the corner to check that Iris was busy. He turned to Eddie, asking how everything went. Eddie shrugged, saying it was convincing.
"Keeping her in the dark is for her safety," Joe insisted.
"That is debatable, and we will have that debate later. But for right now, what's our next move? How do we figure out what Wells is up to?"
Parker smirked. Eddie Thawne was smarter than she pegged him for.
"When he was talking me through phasing, so I could get the Trickster's bomb off my wrist, the way he described my being the Flash, running.. Feeling the wind, and the power.. It's like he was talking from experience."
"So?" Joe asked Barry.
Parker threw her hands up in the air, running in tiny, excited circles. She stopped, ecstatic with her quick ability to figure out Barry's assumption.
"That's it! Dudes, he's the Reverse-Flash!" Parker whisper-yelled. "I knew that creepy ass monologue was a key to something! Yes! Go team," Parker held her hand up to Barry for a high-five, second guessed it and retreated her hand. "No, just kidding. I'm mad at you for keeping you-know-who out of the circle. I'm out. Bye."