Almost - A Flash and Arrow crossover

Chapter 11

Barry lurched forward, his eyes snapping open and immediately scanning his surroundings. A small, blonde woman squealed in shock whilst a man next to him said something to another lady on his other side.What? Who were these people?

The brunette haired woman stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively he flinched away from her touch and tried to run from the crowd of people around the bed he was sitting on. He got as far as one leg hanging over the side when suddenly the world lurched sideways and he found himself back to lying down, a pair of hands placed firmly on his torso.

"Dude, slow down." Said the man ... or boy ... or whatever. "You took quite a hit to the head."

"Who are you? Tell me who you are?" Barry ordered, swiping Cisco's hands away from his chest and struggling to sit upright again.

Felicity, seeing his difficulty, attempted to help but it only seemed to make the situation worse.

"Get away from me!" Barry yelled, causing Felicity to jump back, looking hurt.

"Barry, calm, down!" Said Caitlin, sternly.

Barry looked her up and down. "Wha- How do you know my name?"

Cisco laughed nervously. "Trust me, it's a long story."

Barry shook his head and scrambled backwards on the bed. "Wait, just ... just tell me who you are."

"My name is Dr Caitlin Snow, this is Cisco Ramon-" She gestured to Cisco who waved a hand, "-and this is Felicity Smoak." Felicity smiled sheepishly at Barry.

"Where am I?" Barry asked.

"Barry ..." Caitlin hesitated. "What can you remember?"

Barry fell silent. Similar to Oliver, he scrunched his eyes closed and tried to search his mind for a memory. Any memory at all. But all he found was empty space. Not one recollection of the past.

"I-" His throat hitched. "I, um, I don't know." Fear replaced his confusion. "Where am I? Please. What's happened to me?"

The small voice tore at all their hearts.

"Barry. You are in S.T.A.R Labs in Central City." Felicity said slowly. Nodding, the speedster waited for her to continue.

"You came here to help us apprehend ... someone. But things didn't quite go to plan. You knocked yourself out and that's when you woke up here."

"So, I've lost my memory from banging my head?" Asked Barry.

Cisco started to wring his fingers again. "Not quite."

"Then how can I not remember anything?"

"Barry," Caitlin tried again to reach out a comforting touch, only to be refused a second time. She sighed. "An explosion, just over a year ago, changed the city. Changed people."

Cisco picked up where she left off. "The explosion wasn't a normal kind of explosion. It gave people certain powers or abilities, whatever you wanna call 'em."

Barry looked totally and utterly lost.

"These people," Continued Cisco. "Are what we call 'Meta-Humans'. Normally, they have powers linked to how they were effected by the explosion. For example, one dude was currently undergoing execution by poison gas. Now however-"

"He can turn himself into poison gas?" Finished Barry.

"Yeah. The one in the jewelers can take peoples memories. Hence, you."

Felicity patted Barry's leg. "Ring a bell?"

"No."

His answer was plain and emotionless. Shock, Caitlin thought.

"So, why was I at the jewelers?" Questioned Barry.

The three exchanged nervous looks.

"You, um, help stop they Meta's." Explained Felicity, cautiously. Oliver was so much easier to explain to for some reason. Perhaps the fact he was still half-dazed and took it all in his stride, the complete opposite of what Oliver-Oliver would have reacted like. Looks like the tables have turned for Barry as well.

"It's my job?"

"Not quite."

"Then what is?"

"You work as the CSI for the Central City Police Department." Rambled Cisco. "But, you work here, kinda, part-time."

"Do I have any family?"

Everyone's breath hitched. Barry waited patiently for an answer, still looking unsure and slightly disbelieving.

"Well, you live with a man called Joe. Joe West. He's a detective." Caitlin said finally, not meeting Barry's eyes as she spoke.

"What do you mean man?" Barry sounded very uncertain.

"Well, he's like your foster father, I guess." Replied Felicity.

"So where are my actual parents?"

They now all had faces like a deer caught in headlights.

"Your, um, Dad isn't around at the moment." Cisco spoke every word as though he was treading on glass.

"And my mum?" The annoyance in Barry's voice was evident to all of them now.

Cisco kept his gaze looked at a point under the bed. "She's ... not around."

"At the moment?" Asked Barry, his voice shaking slightly.

"At all." It sounded cold, but Felicity kept her gaze locked into Barry's. His chestnut eyes widened and fell to the floor. For a long time, none of them spoke.

"I can't remember her." He finally said.

The three other inhabitants in the room looked dismally at the boy in the bed. Oliver hadn't asked about his family, only where he was and who they were. He'd seemed content when they told him the answers he wanted and forgotten any thoughts of asking about his past, so they had avoided telling him. Barry, however, was turning out to be more inquisitive.

"So," Cisco said, clapping his hands together, trying to lighten the mood. "Who's hungry?"

"But Bar-"

"We'll talk later Caitlin." Cisco said warningly. He looked at her, trying to convey his thoughts through his stare.

"Fine." She sighed. "Barry, you hungry?"

A sudden gust of wind was the only reply she got. All three turned and looked at the bed, now empty.

"Barry?" Felicity called, worry in her voice.

Cisco face-palmed. "There goes the 'him not finding out about his speed just yet' plan."

"How did he figure out he had super-speed?" Caitlin asked, exasperated.

"I dunno," Felicity replied. "But we need for find him, and fast!"

"Pun intended or-"

"Just go Cisco!"