Dedicated to because she was my first commenter and that's pretty damn (pardon the minor language) awesome (: Now... Story time :D
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I could've walked away and saved myself the extra drama for today by calling it quits and heading back to my makeshift home. I had gone through a lot for just one day. Still, my mind was too full of the unanswered questions to get a good night's sleep. There was only one way I was going to be going home, and that was after I'd gotten the information I'd come for.
Sighing, I readied myself before launching forward. With the speed I was going it was easy to break through the thin chainlink fence and burst into the compound. My feet pounded against the ground as I continued to whip across the asphalt. I only broke stride for a fraction of a second in hesitation once I reached the entrance to the laboratory.
I didn't know what awaited me once I made it into the building. For all I knew there could be an entire army just waiting for someone to try what I was about to do. This was Dr. Wells, after all, one of the smartest men in the world. Surely he knew someone would be after him sooner or later.
My body tensed as I slammed through the glass doors, the small pieces glittering as the light caught them during their descent. Not sure where Dr. Wells would be, I decided to zip through every room I could find, checking every nook and cranny for some indication of where he could be. The building seemed to be in layers, and I searched them as if I were peeling them apart one by one. I'd searched the outermost layer with no luck before moving into the middle layer. After finding nothing there as well there was only one place left to go -- the core.
Searching the center of the complex first would have seemed like the most logical place to look, and I mentally kicked myself for not having thought of that from the start. Of course Wells would be sheltered in the center of his operation with walls upon walls protecting him from the dangers that lurked outside. If I hadn't had my speed I certainly would have been exhausted after walking around the outer layer.
Without preparing myself mentally, I barged into the room, coming face-to-face with three very stunned looking individuals. Unfortunately, none of them were the person I was looking for. Where the heck was he?
Before I could get a word out I was rushed at by one of the three people in the room, his quick movement catching me by surprise and leaving me with no time to react. He had me pinned against the wall with both of his massive hands holding my shoulders down, the hard concrete cool against my back. The force with which he'd pushed me backward had left my body aching a bit, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I was sure that, if I had been normal, I definitely would've broken something.
Soon, the other two people who had been standing in the room joined the feud and stood on either side of the boy pinning me down. One was a girl with hair in between a red and brown color, and the other was a boy with jet black hair just shorter than shoulder length. The girl looked at me with concern while the man regarded me with curious excitement.
"Cisco. Caitlin. Help me get her down to the particle accelerator," the main boy commanded without shifting his focus from me.
"But Barry, we don't know--" the woman started before she was interrupted.
"Let her go, Barry," a voice called from the entrance of the room, and all of our heads turned to look at the newcomer.
It was none other than Dr. Harrison Wells. Why couldn't I find him earlier? I was certain I had searched every room in this place, but I guess I must have missed something. Anyway, it didn't matter now that he was here. I could finally get what I wanted.
Reluctantly, the boy - Barry, I supposed, was his name - released his grip on me though his eyes continued to watch me sharply, their gaze monitoring my every move. I had to admit I was a little afraid to try anything that would come off as threatening when there was someone else who could move as fast as I could. For all I knew he could be ten times faster than me.
I circled my shoulders backwards, stretching the sore bones and muscles that had been confined and bruised against the wall. I moved my focus back to Dr. Wells who was now maneuvering his way closer to the four of us. The wheelchair gave me mild surprise, but I figured it had something to do with the explosion. It looked like everyone was affected by the accident in some way.
"Hello, Miss Knight," the scientist greeted me once he'd stopped a few feet from me.
"How do you know my name?" I questioned as I gave him a cautious glare.
"Well, I'm sure you're aware of the conversation Dr. Carson and I shared a few days ago," he stated. "I got your name from her, of course. With all of the meta-humans running around Central City now I decided to look up your profile. You are Haven Knight, are you not?"
"Uh... Yes, I am," I muttered, embarrassed I hadn't figured that out on my own. How else would he know my name? It seemed like such a stupid question now, and I felt guilty for basically accusing him of being some stalker in a roundabout way.
"Good," he smiled, his tone making it clear it was the end of that topic. He paused momentarily before moving on. "Now, I believe the reason you're here is for some answers which, I can assure you, Miss Knight, you will get if you answer some questions of mine as well."
I hesitated a moment, trying to understand what he was getting at, but the trade seemed valid enough. I nodded my head. He smiled in appreciation before continuing.
"What symptoms have you been experiencing, Haven?" Dr. Wells asked nonchalantly. I peered out of the corners of my eyes at the people who joined us together in the room. I wasn't sure I could trust Dr. Wells with my secret, but I had no other option when I needed answers. Them, on the other hand, had no benefit to me. Telling them would just be giving something up without anything in return, and I didn't know if they'd keep my secret safe.
"I assure you, they know how to keep a secret," Dr. Wells offered as he noticed my hesitation to respond. With no other choice I sighed and forked over the information.
"I know it's going to sound crazy but... I can run really, really fast. Like a lightning bolt or something," I spilled. "And, if I think about it, this light comes out of my hands. Like a flashlight in a way, I guess."
Saying it out loud, I realized how ridiculous it sounded. Flashlight palms? Lightning speed? I sounded like a lunatic, but, once again, Dr. Wells didn't seem to find my words at all unusual. In fact, no one in the room seemed that surprised by the news.
"What were you doing the night of the explosion?" he continued even though I could see in his eyes he already knew the answer.
I explained the scenario to him like I'd done with Dr. Carson, the story now seeming rehearsed as I continued to run it over and over in my head. Dr. Wells nodded along with the new information like it was just as he had assumed. After I'd finished, Dr. Wells exchanged a look with the other three.
"Miss Knight... Have you heard about the Red Streak?" the scientist asked as he made his way towards the set of computers near the entrance.
"I've heard he's a hero. That he's been going around stopping crimes and helping citizens," I marveled. "It's incredible what he's done for this city."
I almost missed the small glance Dr. Wells and Barry shared quickly. Cisco, however, made the whole thing more noticeable as he gave a knowing smirk at Barry. Barry rolled his eyes at the boy but couldn't help the smile that came to his face. Dr. Wells gave the two of them a small glare, and I stood helplessly confused watching the entire thing unfold.
"Uh... Did I miss something?" I piped up.
Dr. Wells sighed, gave a pointed look at Cisco and Barry once more, before looking back to me. "What if I told you that you could do the same thing with your powers?"
"But Central city already has its hero," I objected.
"You could help him," he suggested, yet I shook my head.
"I don't even know who he is or where to find him. It would be impossible to get a hold of him."
Barry and Wells exchanged a look once again, and I noted the hesitation in Barry's expression. However, Dr. Wells seemed set on whatever it was that he wanted Barry to do, so the boy complied without arguing. In a split second the boy who had formerly been in front of me in a crewneck and jeans was now wearing a tight red suit. The red suit of the masked hero of Central City.
Barry was the Red Streak.
Unintentionally, my jaw dropped, and I had to work hard to compose myself. How had I not seen that coming? He'd rushed me the second I'd entered the room with speed comparable to my own and the Red Streak's. That should've been a clear sign of his identity. I was at a loss for words.
"But... How... When--" I fumbled to find the words, but, thankfully, Barry came to the rescue.
"Same way you got your abilities," the boy explained. "Well, sort of. I was actually struck by lightning."
"Usually when people get struck by lightning they get injured, not enhanced with super speed," I reasoned. Cisco tried to choke back a laugh which resulted in a snort, and Barry cracked a smile while letting out a little chuckle.
"Not many people get struck by lightning from a particle accelerator malfunction," Barry countered while continuing to smile.
I let out a small oh. I was not having a good day when it came to logical thinking, and it didn't help that I was surrounded by overly-smart people. I was feeling like the group idiot. There was a momentary silence that settled over the room when no one had anything else to add. I shuffled awkwardly on my feet, wondering if I should ask Wells the other questions that were on my mind. Before I could could get a sentence out, though, the scientist's voice broke the silence.
"So what do you say, Haven?" Dr. Wells asked, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Do you want to be a hero?"
It wasn't even a question in my mind anymore. If I could do something with my powers that would help people and potentially save their lives, then why wouldn't I? I had nothing else to do and nothing left to lose.
There was only one word that was screaming in my head that I eventually uttered aloud: "Yes."
Caitlin had been watching me warily since I'd stepped foot in the room, and her unease only intensified as I accepted the offer. The boys, however, were more than happy to welcome me into their crew. I made a mental note to try and get to know the redhead better when I had the time. For now, I was listening as Cisco began rattling off more information than I could understand. His enthusiasm about fighting these so-called 'meta-humans' was contagious, and, soon enough, I was enthralled to learn more. Apparently, Barry had already defeated one meta-human a week or two ago and was in the process of tracking another. I wondered if I'd be allowed in on the action or if I'd have to wait until the next one came around.
Before we could get too caught up in discussing the details of everything, Dr. Wells forced our attention back on him.
"I know this is a very exciting moment," Wells began, "but I think it would be wise to discuss this at a more reasonable hour. Everyone needs to rest up. We'll begin your training tomorrow morning, Haven, bright and early. Although I have helped Barry learn to use his abilities, I am interested to see what he could teach you. That being the case, I'd like Mr. Allen here with you in the morning as well so you two both have the chance to get acquainted. You'll be around each other quite a lot. I suggest not getting on each other's bad side."
Barry and I looked at each other with confused looks, wondering how awful this 'bad side' could really be. Barry had pinned me against a wall when I'd first come into the room, but at that time he hadn't known who I was. In his eyes I was an intruder and he needed to protect his group from me. It was logical, and I didn't hold it against him. But it did leave me to wonder if he would be capable of aggression like that, even if I was part of his team, if I angered him. I hoped not.
I pushed the thought to the back of my head and nodded at Dr. Wells. I had enough energy that I could start the day now, but I knew he was right. I'd need all the rest I could get if I was going through training.
With that, everyone left the lab together before we eventually parted ways. Tomorrow was the official first day of my new life, one full of possibilities I couldn't imagine. So why, then, did I feel like something was wrong?
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What up!! Sooooo Barry was sorta kinda introduced (yay!!), but I know it wasn't a lot of interaction. Like I keep saying, we're getting there, pinky promise! I was having a hard time writing this chapter so I'm sorry if it's a bit choppy, it's kinda hard to write well when I have three classes full of information in my head and so little time to revise things. Oh well!! It's up and I hope you enjoy. Comments are always appreciated, I like to know people are reading haha. Next chapter should be exciting... Can't wait for y'all to read (:
Stay awesome you awesomesauces,
~ LeeAnne