Running Out of Time {Barry Allen/The Flash}

Chapter 18

I chase Barry into the tunnel, past the car with the teleporting metahuman. Barry and I both abruptly stop, and as we do so does the car. Soon, the metahuman teleports out of the car and in front of me.

"Why the hell do you care what we do? Are you a cop or something?" The metahuman asks and I laugh. I look over at Barry to see his response and I can't help but to look at his body in the suit. He doesn't look bad at all, and the mask shapes-

"Something." Barry says, cutting me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah... I mean if you want to put it that way." I casually say as I look over at Barry. Then, she jumps at Barry. Right as he moves forward, she jumps behind him. She hits him in the back, and he lurches forward. I slow time and jump at her, and I watch as she goes to teleport. I grab her arm and then I am teleported in front of Barry. The metahuman hits Barry again, and then again. He groans in pain, and I just stand by watching. They hit each other back and forth. I jump in again, throwing a punch in her direction. She dodges it, and throws one my way. I jump out of the way, and slow time again before grabbing her shoulders and slaming my knee into her head. Then she teleports us to another spot, and knocks over a older man. I slow down time, and I wait a second before The Flash rushes over and catches the falling man.

She teleports away again. I stop time and just take a breath.

"God, this shit's hard." I say before The Flash runs up to her. She teleports again, and he slams her into a wall. They tumble down before they both continue fighting while on the ground. She kicks up her foot, and Barry blocks it. Then, I look behind me at the car that's starting. I look back at the metahuman who teleports back into the car.

"Katheryn, Barry, remember: she cannot teleport if she cannot see. Limit her field of vision." Wells says. Then it hits me.

"The lights!" I yell to him, and he listens. He starts running. Knocking out the lights, and I do the same to help. I grab a wrench to help.

The sound of glass shattering fills my ears. I just barely hear the sound of the car engine ahead of me. Then the lights go out.

"Cisco?" I ask through the com.

"Yes?"

"Night vision?" I ask.

"Maybe." He answers. "I'm grinning right now, FYI." I tap the side of my mask until I get to the night vision setting. I stand back as Barry hops into the car that she is in. I watch as a man gets out of the car and leaves.

***

All changed out of my suit, I look inside the 'glass container' at the teleporting metahuman, Shawna.

"Is there any way she can teleport out of this?" Barry asks and I nod my head in agreement.

"It's impossible. It's one-way glass. It's mirrored on the inside. No one dangerous is ever gonna get out of this thing again." Cisco replies.

"Shawna. Clay left you. He's out there, and you're in here." Barry says aloud, past the glass.

"You know what the crazy thing is? I still love him."

"Cisco." Barry says gesturing to Barry being finished with talking to Shawna.

"Crazy is right." Caitlin says.

"Some people are worth being crazy for." Barry says and I smile. Caitlin walks away and I nod.

"I'm sorry if I was, like, super drunk. I hope I didn't embarrass you too bad." I say, with a shy smile.

"Actually, it was pretty fun." Barry says and I smile.

"Yeah, I thought so too." I say. "We should do it again sometime..." I trail on taking a chance. "Just me and you."

"Yeah..." Barry nods in agreement. "We can be crazy together." He says. I laugh and so does he.

"All right, well. I'll see you tomorrow." Barry says.

"Yeah, bye."

"Bye." He walks away.

***

I walk into my house, past my garage where Barry had parked my car when we got back from karaoke. I throw my stuff onto the ground and walk straight up to my room. I flop onto my bed, and stare at the ceiling.

Where did that sudden courage come from to ask Barry to do karaoke again? I don't know where that came from, because I haven't made a move on someone for a long time. Why now is it just happening? I don't like him like that, do I? I mean, he's a good friend, he is nice...

Actually... He is a lot of things, including good looking, and I can't help but to notice it at the worst of times. I can't be getting distracted by him, or me being a hero won't end well.

Why is this now becoming a problem? I didn't feel this way when I first met Barry...

Did I?