neighbors | barry allen//the flash

seventeen | note

Barry,

The little girl with the cat you saved probably wishes she could thank you with some awesome cookies. Or at least she should think that. But her cookies probably aren't as good as mine, unless she is some secret junior master chef. Anyway, here you go, you deserve them. 

Your Noticing Neighbor, Clara

Barry saw the read the note attached to a box of cookies left outside his door the next morning and a grin tugged at his lips. He flipped open the box lid and inhaled the warm scent of the cookies. They smelled pretty fresh. He quickly set them inside on his kitchen counter before heading to work. He didn't exactly feel like sharing those. Just as he stepped into the elevator, he got a call from Cisco.

"I know its a little early in the day for crime fighting but there's a meta on the loose at the zoo." Cisco spoke so quickly, even Barry had a hard time keeping up.

"The zoo?" Barry asked, surprised. The zoo wasn't exactly a meta human hot spot. 

"Don't blame me! I don't decide where the metas attack!" Cisco protested.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there." 

"Yeah, please hurry. I think they can manipulate metal, so their breaking down the enclosures. They're going to be at the lions soon, and I'm not sure how well even you can handle that." 

Barry hung up and raced to STAR Labs for his suit, then bolted to the Central City Zoo. Sure enough, a menacing man was walking up a pathway, sending people scattering and screaming as he waved his hand and the door on the red panda exhibit flew off. Barry sped over to the door and shoved it back on. The red panda gave him a bored stare. The man didn't even seem to notice Barry and kept walking, ripping open other cages as he walked by them. Barry sped behind him, trying to pick up the mess he left behind. Unfortunately, Cisco was right, the guy was headed straight for the lions. 

"Look, I'm sorry humans don't like you, but I don't think you'll have much luck with exotic animals either," Barry said, stopping a few yards in front of the man, between him and the lion's cage. The man just roared, very much like a lion himself, and Barry saw shards of metal flying towards him. Of course, as soon as the speed force took over, the shards seemed to slow down and Barry easily dodged them all. However, most of the shards had come from the lion's cage, which was now wide open. 

"Any ideas to stop this one, guys?" Barry asked Cisco and Caitlin through his suit. 

"I think this is just one where you have to run really fast and throw a lot of punches," Cisco answered uncertainly. 

"Sounds fantastic," Barry replied grimly. Unfortunately, Barry also didn't have any better ideas, so he started running really fast and throwing punches, but this guy could take a hit, or like, a hundred. This wasn't working, and Barry's superpower clearly wasn't super strength. Barry ran back a few feet, and the man sent a metal pole flying at Barry, and suddenly Barry had a plan. 

"When are you actually going to hit me with something?" Barry yelled, running right in front of a metal directory sign. The man growled, and Barry could hear the screeching metal behind him. The sign started flying towards him, and he dodged it with ease. The sign kept flying, and the man realized his mistake too late. The sign flew right to him, bashing him on the head and knocking him out cold. 

"Well, I did it," Barry announced. Barry hauled the meta back to STAR Labs and safely put him away. He quickly changed back into his normal clothes, and ran to the police station, trying to think of an excuse for being late this time. 

"Barry, you should have been here a while ago," Joe warned as Barry walked in.

"Sorry, there was a little hold up at the zoo," Barry responded in a hushed whisper.