MacKenzie's POV
"This is exactly what Devoe wanted." Barry says after we've all gathered in the cortex. "I mean, we all played right into his plan, especially me."
"Why would Devoe want to orchestrate all of this?" Iris asks
"I don't know, but we know that this started when I was still in the Speed Force." Barry sasy
"But why target Dominic?" Joe asks
"Dominic's power must have allowed Devoe to inhabit his body." Harry says. "We should've been on top of this earlier."
"What about the other metas on the bus?" Caitlin asks. "Why create them?"
"Part of a larger plan?" Harry suggests.
"How are you even here right now, Allen?" Ralph asks. "Aren't you on house arrest?"
"Yeah, well--" Barry starts
"He's at Joe's, actually." Cisco says. "Either that or the courthouse. Mack and I managed to hack into the ankle monitor GPS."
"That's not the only thing they hacked." Iris says. "When you came out of the Speed Force, you were talking gibberish at CCPD. You said something about not wanting to kill anyone."
"I digitally scrubbed a video." Cisco says. "Last thing we want is somebody hearing something we don't want them to hear."
Cisco puts the video up on the screen
"Your Honor, I'm innocent." Barry in the video says. "I didn't do this. I didn't kill anyone."
"Yeah, I mean, I don't remember saying any of that." Barry says
"You don't?" Harry asks
"No." Barry says
"We should look at everything else he said when he first came out of the Speed Force." Harry says. "Might give us a clue."
"That's a good idea." Joe agrees
"Okay, guys, but remember, I mean, considering all the evidence they have against me, this trial is not even gonna last very long." Barry says
"Okay, but with Cecile taking a leave of absence to represent you, you got the best lawyer in town." Caitlin says
"Yeah," Barry says
"I mean, even if they did find you guilty, it's not like any prison can hold you." Cisco says
"Well, I'm not gonna run." Barry says. "I won't be a fugitive. If I'm convicted, I have to go to prison."
"We're not gonna let that happen." Joe tells Barry, nodding his head slightly towards me
"Right." Harry says. "Let's get to work."
Cisco, Caitlin, Ralph, and Harry leave
Joe starts making his way out but stops in front of Barry
"Be careful what you say in front of her." Joe tells him, looking to me and trying to be quiet -- even though I heard it
Joe leaves
"We should get to the courthouse." Barry tells Iris.
"Yeah." Iris agrees,
"How you doing?" Barry asks, going over to her
"They say the first year of marriage is always the hardest, but I never thought my husband being on trial for murder would be one of the challenges." Iris says
"We have been through so much." Barry says. "We'll get through this too."
"Will we, Barry?" Iris asks. "I know the Speed Force gave you a new outlook on life, but I don't know if being positive is enough right now."
"We have to be careful what we say." Barry whispers, looking to me. Man, everyone here is just SUPER bad at whispering today. "I'm just trying to be strong for the team and for you." Barry says. "Remember, we're The Flash."
"We're The Flash." Iris says
"I'll meet you out there." Barry tells Iris
Iris walks out
"Mack." Barry says, walking over to me
"You guys are real bad at whispering." I tell him
"Sorry." Barry says. "Listening to me, it's gonna be okay."
"How?" I ask. "You said it yourself, there's no way you're getting out of this."
"I didn't mean to say that." Barry says
"You mean you didn't mean to say that in front of me." I say
"Hey, look at me." Barry says, kneeling in front of me and raising my chin so I'm looking at him. Tears brim my eyes. "What's wrong?"
I'm silent
"Mack, talk to me." Barry says
"What happens to me if you go to jail?" I ask him
Barry is taken aback for a second
"Norhing." Barry says. "Because I'm not going to jail. Promise."
***
"Your Honor, ladies and gentleman of the jury, If you don't understand what it is I'm about to tell you today, you need to do something." Mr Lawyer man's name which I don't know says. I sit between Caitlin and Cisco, listening. "I need you to believe in the impossible. As children, we're taught that the police are there to protect us, to serve. We're told that our tax dollars go toward training them to be the champions of the city. But for some of us, it still seems impossible that a police investigator, one of Central City's finest, could betray that trust. And even worse, under the guise of upholding the law to commit the most heinous act that one person can carry out against another. But that is exactly what Barry Allen did. Now, the prosecution will prove beyond any doubt that he stood among us a wolf in sheep's clothing. But here's the thing. Barry Allen wears a mask, used his connection to the law, his experience as a police investigator, especially as a crime scene technician, to stalk a beloved professor and husband and murder Clifford Devoe in cold blood. Ladies and gentleman, the document in my hand, it's a court-issued restraining order. It's issued to Marlize Devoe, the wife of the victim, on behalf of her husband against a Mr. Bartholomew Henry Allen. Now if you'd like a better look, I have a bigger copy. And if you'll allow me to call out what's written underneath "reason for order issue," harassment. The defendant was seen just days earlier, illegally breaking and entering into the victim's house, searching through the victim's effects. A man obsessed. Barry Allen's skin cells were found under the nails of the victim. Now imagine that, if you can, Mr. Devoe, a man in a wheelchair, desperately trying to defend himself as Mr. Allen sought to overpower him. And finally, this is the knife that was used to kill Clifford Devoe. If it looks new, that's because it is. It was a wedding gift to Mr. Allen. Now let's just let that sink in for a moment. This was supposed to commemorate the most joyous moment in a couple's lives." I see Iris grip Caitlin's hand. "But instead Mr. Allen used it to forever separate a couple from one another. He used a wedding gift as a murder weapon. That is a special kind of evil." Joe's phone goes off. "Defendant showed an absolute disregard--"
"Cisco, there's a meta attack downtown." Joe whispers. "We got to go."
Cisco gets up and leaves, Joe right after,
"I'll stay here with Barry." Iris says
Caitlin nods and leaves
I take Caitlin's seat and sit next to Iris as she puts an arm around me.
***
"Do I need to repeat the question?" Mr Lawyer asks Singh
"No, I heard it." Singh says. "The person standing over Clifford Devoe's body was Barry Allen."
"No further questions, Your Honor." Mr Lawyer says
Cecile walks forwards
"Captain Singh, you stated that you interviewed Barry Allen five years ago for the job of CSI." Cecile says. "I wonder, what was your first impression of him?"
"He was young." Singh says. "Had half the experience of everyone else I interviewed."
"Hmm. Why'd you hire him?" Cecile asks
"It was really something he said in the interview." Singh says. "Everyone always talks about going after the criminal, the guilty. But Allen said he wanted to help the victims. The innocents. I thought Central City deserved someone like that. Allen is one of the good ones."
"One of the good ones." Cecile tells the jury. "No further questions, Your Honor."
"I'd like to redirect, Your Honor." Mr Lawyer says
"Proceed." Judge says
"Would you cover for Mr.Allen if you had to?" Mr Lawyer asks
"No, of course not." Singh says
"No." Mr Lawyer says. "It says here in his personnel file that he took a six-month sabbatical to the Czech Republic. Did he get approval from you first?"
"Not exactly." Singh says. "He said it was for something personal, I'm sure he had a good reason to go."
"Is saving the world a good reason?" Iris mutters
"It also says in here that he was late 72 times in the past two years." Mr Lawyer says. "Did you ever ask him why?"
"No, because regardless of what time he got in, he always did his job." Singh says
"I was just curious to imagine what he does with his time instead of being at work." Mr Lawyer says. "It's almost like he has this secret life."
"Uh oh." I whisper
"So in spite of all these infractions, you never thought to discipline him?" Mr Lawyer asks
"What are you suggesting?" Singh asks
"That whether you realized it or not, you've been covering the ugly truth about Mr. Allen for years now." Mr Lawyer says
"That is not true." Singh defends
"Is it true that he was targeting and harassing Mr. Devoe?" Mr Lawyer asks foribly. "Yes or no?"
"Yes, which is why I granted Devoe the restraining order and told Allen to stay away." Singh says
"But that didn't stop him, did it? He kept going after him right up until the night that Mr. Devoe was killed." Mr Lawyer says
"Objection! Conjecture." Cecile argues, standing up
"Withdrawn." Mr Lawyer says
"Captain, now, you said that Mr. Allen wants to help the victims, or the innocents." Mr Lawyer says. "But disappearing for months at a time and being late 72 times doesn't sound like he wants to help or care for anybody but himself. Now, do you still think that he's one of the good ones?"
It's silent
***
Cecile, Barry, and Iris went into a room to talk about important stuff
I didn't go in cause I didn't want them to use "kid gloves" the whole time
They got something to figure out in there, and hopefully, they do
I'm sitting on a bench outside of the room
Then, an idea pops into my head
They walk out and I shoot up
"What if I take the stand?" I ask
"What?" Barry and Iris ask
"What if I take the stand?" I repeat. "I'll talk about my adoption and how you're trying to become my father, no one would think you killed him knowing that."
"Would that work?" Iris asks, looking to Cecile.
"Can she go on the stand? I mean she's only 14." Barry points
The gears turn in Cecile's brain
"There would be precautions since she's a minor. I'd have to tell the judge right away and call for a recess..." Cecile says. "It's worth a try. I think we can use her adoption to our advantage. Mack is right, we can appeal to the humanity of the jury." She grabs my hand. "Come with me, I'll prep you."
Cecile rushes down the hall with me in tow
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Hope you all enjoyed that chapter!!
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Next chapter up NEXT WEDNESDAY
-MC