"I wasn't the only one affected by the Particle Accelerator Explosion, was I?" snapped Barry, the very second the doors to the Cortex slid open.
Dr. Wells spared a glance to Cisco and Caitlin. The two stared expectantly at him. He settled for a sigh. "We don't know," he decided to say.
"You said the city was safe, that there was no residual danger. But that's not true. So what really happened that night?" demanded Barry.
"Well, the Accelerator went active. We all felt like heroes, and then... It all went wrong. A dimensional barrier ruptured, unleashing unknown energies into our world: anti-matter, dark energy, X-elements," he began to explain.
"Those are all theoretical," interrupted Barry.
"And how theoretical are you?" asked Dr. Wells. "We mapped the explosion around and throughout Central City, but we have no way of knowing what, or who was exposed. We've been searching for other meta-humans like yourself."
"Meta-humans?" repeated Barry, tone almost mocking.
"That's what we're calling them," explained Caitlin.
"We saw one today. He's a bank robber and he can control the weather," said Barry.
A goofy grin on his lips, Cisco said, "This just keeps getting cooler!"
"It's really not," shot Parker.
"A man died today," said Barry brokenly. "Mardon must have gotten his powers the same way I did, from the storm cloud. He's still out there! We have to stop him before he hurts anyone else."
"Barry, that's a job for the police," said Dr. Wells.
"We work for the police!" yelled Barry.
"As a Forensic Assistant and a sketch artist," reminded Parker, cringing.
Dr. Wells nodded her way in agreement.
Parker menacingly pointed her finger at him. "At least we're trying to do something about your mess."
"You're responsible for this, for him," said Barry.
"What's important is you! Not me. I lost everything. I lost my company. I lost my reputation. I lost my freedom. And then you broke your arm, and it healed in three hours. Inside your body could be a map to a whole new world: genetic therapies, vaccines, medicines, treasures buried deep within your cells," Dr. Wells took a breath, almost chuckling. "And we cannot risk losing everything because you want to go out and play hero! You're not a hero. You're just a young man who got struck by lightning."
Barry snatched Parker's arm as she took a menacing step forward. He kept her from hitting anyone. He couldn't stop her running mouth, until his hand slid down her arm. She stopped when he squeezed her hand, then turned, leaving the argument behind.
××××
Hidden in a room down the hall from the Cortex, Parker sat curled up in a computer chair, blankets encasing her. She was left alone for a while.
"Parker! Parker, Parker, Parker!" called Cisco. "I have a task for you!"
He found her. Squeezing through the tiny door, Cisco retracted his arms once he reached her desk, allowing the items to fall. Three bundles of crimson colored fabric and a sewing machine were spread across the desk. He pried a folded piece of paper from his pocket, handing it over to her.
"Here is the sketch I made. I'm actually not that bad at drawing a body," praised Cisco.
Parker snorted. "Dude, this looks like Fat Albert."
"Whatever. Do you get the idea? Can you do it?"
Parker stared at the sketch, whispering under her breath. By judging Barry's size, it was entirely possible that she could create clothes from scratch. Creating clothing wasn't foreign to her.
"Is that a yes?" wondered Cisco.
"Yeah, I can," agreed Parker.
"Great, let me know when you're finished!"
Parker chucked a pin cushion at his head. "Not all women know how to sew, Ramon!"
"But you do," said Cisco, failing to hide his triumphant smile. "Listen, I'd totally help, but you're the best at this. Plus, I have to work on the technical parts of the suit. I'll be back to check on you, probably."
"'Probably?'" laughed Parker.
"Probably," he agreed, throwing a wink, then stepping out of the room.
Parker measured an approximate height for Barry. She used the sewing machine to band strips of the crimson fabric into a one piece suit. She worked for hours, unknowingly, to piece the suit together in what she thought was perfect.
"Progress report?" wondered Cisco, raising his eyes from the tech in his hands. His jaw dropped. "This is... phenomenal!"
"Thank you, thank you," said Parker happily. "What's with the lightning bolts in this drawing?"
"Just so it's not all red--"
"Crimson," corrected Parker.
"--it would be boring if it was all crimson," said Cisco. "You'll have to work on it later, though, Barry's here."
Together, Parker and Cisco returned to the Cortex, where Barry showcased two boxes from the CCPD. Caitlin entered soon after.
"I've been going over unsolved cases from the past nine months, and there's been a sharp increase in unexplained deaths and missing people. Your meta-human's have been busy. I'm not blaming you. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. I know you all lost something," said Barry, his voice softening near the end.
Caitlin avoided his eye.
"But I need your help to catch Mardon and anyone else out there like him. I can't do it without you," he pleaded.
"If we're gonna do this," started Cisco. "I have something that might help."
Parker and Cisco ran to the previous room. They took to opposite sides of the suit. He nodded to Parker, telling her to start their presentation.
"It's designed it to replace the turnouts firefighters traditionally wear," she explained.
"I, um, thought if S.T.A.R. Labs could do something nice for the community, maybe people wouldn't be so angry at Dr. Wells anymore," said Cisco.
"How is it going to help me?" asked Barry.
"We made it out of a reinforced tri-polymer, which is heat and abrasive resistant, so it should withstand your speedy movement," said Parker.
Cisco continued, "The aerodynamic design should help you maintain control. Plus, it's got built in sensors so we can track your vitals and stay in contact with you from here."
Parker tugged the fabric ruler from around her neck, accidentally locking eyes with Barry.
"Thank you," he mouthed, grinning.
Parker gave a thumbs up.
A beeping from inside the Cortex, presumably a computer, caused both Cisco and Caitlin to exit.
Parker watched Barry over her glasses, smiling as he sauntered to her. Barry's green eyes were pleading; Parker's brown eyes were curious.
"You didn't give me an answer in there," he said. "And if I'm really going to do this, I need you."
Those words, said so delicately, echoed in her head for moments after they came from his lips. Words laced with such intensity had never reached her ears before.
Caught in a panic, Parker answered with an incredibly lame, "Aye Aye, Captain."
Barry stared at her. He blinked. "Did--"
"--I just say that?" asked Parker, eyes wide in shock. "Oh, my God."
Barry held his hand over his mouth, hiding his broad smile to keep her from feeling embarrassed. "I feel like I should give you another chance to answer that."
"Yup, rewind," said Parker instantly, inhaling a deep breath. "Barry Allen, it would be my absolute honor, and pleasure, to be able to aid you on your road to becoming a hero."
Barry ran his thumbs over the backs of her small hands. With a thin smile, he met her waiting eyes. "Thank you."