"Alcohol- is truly a piece of work." Cisco downed his shot, as we were all at the bar, courtesy of Iris, "If I can't find a girlfriend, alcohol is my best friend."
Caitlin blinks, "So- I don't exist anymore?"
"Wait-" I held my palm out, "You do realize- you just implied that if you can't find yourself a girlfriend, you're going to be an alcoholic."
Cisco stares into the distance for a moment then looks at me, "I take it back-"
"I think the alcohol's getting to your head." This earns a laugh from the three of us, as from the corner of my eye, I notice Iris and Eddie throwing darts.
I looked around, noticing that Barry was suddenly not with us, my head turning, noticing Barry seated at the bar, his eyes on Caitlin, Cisco and I, a smile on his lips.
"I'll get more shots." I smiled at them, before walking over by Barry, ordering the shots, then looking at him.
Barry catches my eye, "What?"
"Why are you sitting here all alone?" I asked, leaning against my elbows for support.
Barry barely shrugs, "I was just thinking- that's all. It's nothing- anyway, how do you like Caitlin and Cisco?"
"I'm glad you invited them." I burst into a bubbly smile, "Cisco's hilarious- and as much as I love Iris, it feels so refreshing to have a female friend besides her at the moment. Considering she's always occupied with Eddie now."
Barry smiles, "They're cool, right?"
"Of course- I liked them even before I got to know them." I softly smiled at him, "They saved your life, Barry, that makes them the coolest people I've ever met. It's nice that you guys became friends."
"It's nice that you became friends with them." Barry shot back at me, his smile permanent on his lips.
When the bartender slides the tray of shots toward me, I slide one to Barry, grabbing one for me, "To friends, old and new."
Barry smiles, tipping the glass as we both took the shot, my eyes screwing shut to the burning but it seemed that Barry didn't react much to it.
I shot him a smile, before grabbing the tray, walking toward Cisco and Caitlin.
"Come on, Zee!" Iris calls out, "You're up."
"I'm occupied-" I set the tray down, but she walks over to me and grabs my wrist, pulling me toward her and Eddie despite my protests.
I sigh, Eddie handing me a dart, "Fine- I will entertain you guys, but throwing one."
I aim, carefully making sure that my hand went where I stared, my hand throwing the dart, as it landed on the bullseye.
Iris cheered and jumped onto my back, her arms around my neck.
I struggled, but caught her, "How drunk are you?-"
"Come on, Allen." Eddie calls out when I put Iris down, "You're up."
Then Eddie's phone buzzes when we move over to the table, "There was a bombing on 8th and Pass."
"I got to go, babe." Eddie plants a kiss on Iris' lips, then moves past us all, "Sorry, guys."
And this was where we were all make excuses.
I was already grabbing my bag, "I have to go anyway, it's late and- yeah, this was fun guys- okay- Barry, I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
I pat Barry's shoulder, before making my way out, almost running out of the bar, rushing over to my car.
I swung the door open and tossing my bag into the passenger seat delicately due to the camera that sat inside it, hopping in, not even bothering to put my seatbelt on, shutting the door and driving off and towards the bombing.
It was stupid of me to do this, but I wanted to see the Streak.
Which is why, I made sure not to drink too much.
The second I made it, I pulled over to the side, parking sloppily, grabbing my camera and hopping out of the car.
I ran across the closed road, staring up at the building, noticing the floor that was up in flames.
I pulled my camera up, staring through the hole, snapping a detailed picture of it.
I looked around through with my camera, doing a complete double take when I see him.
It was The Streak.
It had to be him.
Due to the red suit, being in the alley by himself, ready to take on this challenge.
His back was turned toward me as he stood a few feet away from me, in the alley, as he was preparing himself for something, staring at the window washer that was almost to plummet to his death.
I took this opportunity also immediately, crouching down, taking an angled photo of him staring up at the building.
Then, he ran.
Not only did he run, but he ran up the building.
I jumped up almost instantly, snapping photos of the light making it's way toward the man.
I brought my camera down, staring at it with my own eyes, my eyes wide with astonishment.
The Streak grabbed the man and ran back down to where he stood, the man on the ground and okay.
He stood up to his full height, ready to run off, but he stopped almost instantly when he saw me, standing on the sidewalk.
He almost instantly hid his face with his speed, shooting me a smile through the vibration, before running off, leaving me only with a gust of wind by my side.
-
It was the next day, as I was at the West Household on my break.
I was dressed in a normal white sweater, with black ripped jeans, my hair straight as per usual.
My hands typed quickly on my laptop, taking notice of the time, noticing that I only had a few minutes left of my break and I would need to get back to CCPN very soon.
I saved what I had written, turning off my laptop, packing up my things, hearing the door open, noticing Joe walk in, "Oh, hey Joe-"
"Zee," Joe closes the door as I got up, "What were you doing at the bomb site last night?"
I froze, staring at him.
"Don't deny you were there." Joe set down his things, "Officer Vukuvich saw you."
I inhale sharply, "It's- I don't know, complicated."
"You can't be coming to every crime scene because you want witness details on your articles, Zee." Joe was fathering me, sitting on the arm of the couch, "I know, you're serious about your job, but-"
"Joe-" I stopped him, "I didn't go there to get details, I went there to see The Streak."
"The Streak." It was like Joe's heart dropped, "Hmm, why is that?"
"My blog- that I started recently." I set my bag down, putting my hands in my back pockets, "At work- I have to write about boring stuff- but on my blog, I publish about something I'm actually interested in. I've been collecting internet posts about The Streak sightings, and writing about them for my blog."
Joe sighs, shaking his head lightly, "Baby, there's no Streak."
"Joe- yes, there is, I promise you." I stepped close to him in passion, "I saw him last night, okay? I watched him run up and save the window washer's life- I looked right at him when he got down. I even took a few pictures, once I get those printed, you'll see that The Streak is actually out there."
"Something incredible is happening in Central City- and I am gonna write about it." I threw my bag over my shoulders, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work."
I hugged him, before heading for the door, "Blogging about supernatural events doesn't really pay well."
-
"You've got to stop writing about this guy." Barry told me, stood in front of my desk at CCPN, "He doesn't even exist."
"I saw him, Barry." I sat up in my seat, "He wears a red suit, with a lighting bolt on his chest- I swear."
"I mean, Zee, come on." Barry scoffs lightly in disbelief, "You were drinking last night at the bar."
"I barely had any shots. I wasn't even tipsy-" I stared at him, "He wears a mask, and he does this thing with his face- where he moves it really fast so no one can make out his features."
"Okay, first of all, if he is wearing a mask, that probably means he doesn't want people to know who he is." Barry listed, "Second of all, moving his face really fast so no one can make out who he is?"
"It doesn't matter who he is-" I huff, "I'm not trying to expose who's under the mask- what matters is that people know that he's out there and that there's something outstanding keeping them safe from all these new- unexplainable threats."
Barry goes silent, looking down.
"What is up with you?" I stare at him, "This is important to me- why can't you be more supportive? I mean- Iris was all in for me writing this blog."
"I'm just- you haven't even put your name on it." Barry came up with something else, stammering, "How serious can you be about an anonymous blog?"
"Did you really just-" I stop myself, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, slouching in my seat, pressing my palms flat on my desk, "Barry, ever since I've known you, you couldn't scream loud enough that the impossible existed."
Barry stares at me as I spoke, "And now it's actually happening in Central City- and you won't believe me?"
Barry's lips purse, "Maybe- I've just finally come to terms with the fact that the impossible doesn't exist."
"Is that so?" I sat up, pulling the two high quality photos from under the printer on my desk, placing them in front of him, "Then, can you explain this?"
Barry stares at the photos, his eyes almost popping right out of his sockets, "You took these last night."
"I did." I took the photos, putting them back where I pulled them from, standing up, "I have proof that the impossible exists, and you continue to tell me that The Streak doesn't exist?"
I sigh, before walking away from him, "That doesn't make sense, Barry."
-
I got out my car after parking in the parking lot outside of my apartment building.
I held my laptop in my hands, my backpack swung on my shoulder, as I ran a hand through my messy hair, letting out a sigh of exhaustion.
As I made my way onto the sidewalk and towards the doors that lead into the lobby, I felt a gust of wind next to me, hearing electricity crackling.
I spun around, my eyes landing on The Streak, who stood on the roof of my car, the moonlight hitting his back, the darkness hiding his face from me.
"Oh my god-" I almost dropped my laptop, staring at him in shock, then my eyebrows furrow in confusion, "What're you doing on my car?"
There was a familiar chuckle, making my confusion rise, as he spoke in his vibrated voice, "Zee Young, I hear you've been writing about me."
"I- have." I stammer, "Are you flattered?"
"Meet me on the roof." Even through the dark, I could see him wink at me, "I'll give you a head start."
I began backing up, before spinning around and darting into my lobby.
I took the elevator to my floor, practically tossing my bag and laptop to the couch, locking my door before taking the elevator up to the top floor.
I rushed up the final steps, pushing the door open, walking onto the roof of my apartment building.
"I need you to stop writing about me." His vibrated voice startled me, making me jump lightly, and spin around, seeing him sitting on the ledge over me, swinging his feet.
"You're proof that the impossible exists!" The smile on my face was wide as I was completely astonished, "There are a lot of people who need to know that you're out there- keeping them safe from whatever's going on in Central City."
"I have so many questions-" I ran a hand through my hair, "Where are you from?"
He got up and ran to another part of the roof, making me spin to look at him, "I can't say."
"Who are you?" I questioned, spinning again when he runs to the ledge once more, practically zig zagging on the roof.
When he stops on the other part, I could almost hear the laugh he was holding back, "I can't tell you that, either."
He sounded so familiar even with his vibrated voice but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"This conversation hasn't went on for more than five minutes and you're already showing off!" I joke lightly, softly laughing due to him running around me over and over, "How can you do what you do?"
He walks on the ledge, as I exhale in defeat, "You're a terrible interview."
He then runs behind me, making me turn to face him, "There's more to this than you can understand."
"Just trust me, please." His tone was almost pleading, "I need you to stop."
"Can you?" I questioned, "Running into buildings and rescuing people without them even knowing that you're there?"
He stood tall, "I don't do this for the glory."
"I know- I can tell." I stared at him.
He then runs behind me, standing almost a few feet away from me, and then this time I don't turn to face him when I notice he wasn't hiding his face anymore.
I stared down at my feet, "I'm not going to stop writing about you."
He inhales, "Why?"
"I have this friend, and he had something terrible happen to him when he was a kid." I fiddle with my fingers, "Him and I became friends a little while after it happened- and when I found out about it- I never thought someone who was so filled with light had gone through something so tragic."
"His whole life, he's been telling stories about this impossible thing." I continued, and the only thing I could think about now was Barry, "About what happened at his house that night. And- everyone thought it was just a scared little boy trying to protect his father."
"He wouldn't shut up about the impossible-" I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling myself get slightly sad about this topic, "And people laughed at him, and even shrinks analyzed him."
"He's been searching for an explanation ever since that night." I inhale sharply, "He doesn't know this but I saw the board under the map in his Lab. And now, suddenly, it's like- he's lost his faith."
"He keeps telling me that you don't exist, and there's no way that the impossible alone exists." I close my eyes for a moment, as I could feel him directly behind me now, "You're proof he wasn't crazy- you're proof that something did happen in his house that night."
"So- no, I'm not going to stop writing about you." I turned to face him, as he tilted his head down almost instantly, "I'm doing this for him- not for me."
He moves his face so quickly that I couldn't make out his features, then looks at me again, before running off, "He's a lucky guy."
-
A yawn left my lips when there was a knock on my door.
I force myself up off my couch, setting my laptop down onto the coffee table, walking over to the door, swinging it open without even seeing who it was.
There stood Barry Allen.
I stare at him for a moment, "Hello?-"
"Hey-" Barry exhales deeply, "I-I came to talk."
I stepped to the side and open the door wider for him to walk in.
Once he does, I shut the door and sat back down on the couch, as he sat down with me.
"So-" I sat criss cross, looking at him, "What's up?"
"I was working a case." Barry trails off, "Someone I really thought I could help befriend. But- they died."
This caught me off guard, "Oh- Barry, I'm really sorry."
"I didn't know her that well." Barry played with his hands, "But- it still hurts."
"And as bad as I feel right now, I know how much worse it is to lose someone who's family." Barry began, his eyes connecting with mine, "Zee, writing about this stuff, putting your name out there, it's dangerous."
I sigh deeply, as he came to a finish, "So- I'm asking you one last time, please, stop."
"Why am I the only one of us who's interested in this?" My voice came out weaker then I intended it to, "I don't understand- why doesn't anyone believe me? Barry, what happened in your house that night was real. I want to show everything- to show Joe that you weren't just a scared little boy trying to protect your father. That something was really there- that someone killed your mother and it wasn't your father."
"I guess, just, all this stuff with my family, I finally just put it behind me." Barry barley shook his head, but I could see in his eyes that it was hitting him hard, "I'm asking you to also."
"I understand that, but-" I huff in defeat, "Your dad's in prison for a crime he didn't commit and now that someone is out there- someone to prove that the impossible is true- you just want to- stop?"
"I'm sorry, Barry, but- I'm not going to stop writing about him." I shake my head, "Whoever this Streak is, wherever he comes from, I am not stopping until the rest of the world believes in him."
Barry stares at me for a minute then looks away, "Maybe we shouldn't see each other for a while."
I looked at my hands, my voice coming out quiet, "Yeah."
authors note:
oml oml oml
she's smart js, she's gonna figure it out
vote and comment looooads