skinny love | barry allen

59

"It's been two weeks since he disappeared." Jesse was pacing back and forth in the middle of the cortex, her voice rushed and panicked after she had arrived with disturbing news. "I mean, no one's seen or heard from him since-"

"Slow down- just start from the beginning." Barry cut in. "Okay, why did your dad go to Gorilla City?"

"Wait, can we slow down even further?" Joe questioned. "What the hell is a Gorilla City?"

"Okay, so- there are sentient, highly intelligent evolved gorillas in Earth-2." Jesse began. "And they all live in a city deep in the heart of Africa."

Cisco stood behind the console. "We sent Grodd there when he went after Fay Wray here."

"Grodd's there?" Joe looked at Jesse. "Why on Earth, any Earth, would your father want to go there?"

"I mean, we received a mathematical cryptogram at our Star Labs- it was highly complex." Jesse answered. "It took a week to decode it, but my dad and I did."

"What did it say?" Iris questioned.

Jesse trails off slowly. "It was an invitation- from the gorillas to my dad."

"Harry accepted an invitation from a bunch of super apes." I stared at her in disbelief. "I thought he was smarter than that-"

Barry put a hand on my back. "Why Harry?"

"They wanted to meet him- so, he mounted an expedition with ten other people, and they went into the jungle." Jesse's voice was shaking. "But, they failed multiple check-ins, and a search party went in after them- but, all they found were the bodies— all of them beaten to death."

"But no one's seen my dad." Jesse's eyes filled with tears. "I mean, is he-"

"No." Barry shook his head. "No, he's alive, they went to a lot of trouble to get him there- they need him for something. We're gonna figure out what that is."

"Oh! There you guys are." HR walked into the cortex. "I've been looking all over for you. Are we going for coffee or what?"

"Dad!" Jesse couldn't help herself, rushing over to HR and throwing her arms around him.

"Ah, oh-" HR was caught off guard but hugged her back. "Yes, that's how you say good morning, people— with hugs."

"Jesse, that's not who you think it is." Caitlin quickly told her as she pulled away. "This is HR- you met him briefly before you left last time."

HR playfully bowed. "At your service, madame."

"He's Harry's replacement." Wally said.

HR's lips stretched into a wide, teasing grin. "Some would say improvement."

"Uh, HR!" I immediately blurted out, pointing at Jesse. "This is Harry's daughter."

HR slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"He's been kidnapped." Cisco from next to me.

"He- oh, I didn't know." HR stammered to find the words. "I'm so s- I thought- sorry about that."

"I'm sorry, too." Jesse's voice was quiet.

HR's expression was no longer bright and cheery. "I'm sorry I took the smile from your face."

"Hey-" I noticed Barry staring off, putting my hand on his arm. "What's on your mind?"

Barry sighed. "The future."

-

"This headline from the future: the city's still recovering from a gorilla attack." Barry had brought us all into the Speed Lab, pointing at the board with the many written headlines on it.