I'll Be There In a Flash ⚡ Barry Allen

Chapter 13 - Life as it was in Starling City

"We tried to save him." Barry sighs, turning off the news that reported on the death of Danton Black.

"Doesn't sound like he wanted to be saved," Dr. Wells says.

"I know the feeling," I mumble quietly. Barry's gaze snaps to mine and I avoid his glance, playing with the edges of my gloves.

"Some people, when they break...they can't be put together again."

"Some people heal even stronger." 

I hope so. 

"Well, at least Multiplex won't be able to hurt anyone else," Cisco adds, with a little smile. "Told you I'd come up with a cool name." 

"Yeah, I may be the one in the suit doing all the running..." Barry says. "But when I'm out there helping people, making a difference...you're all out there with me in your own way. Finally realized something, we were all struck by that lightning."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Barry," Dr. Wells says, before looking over at me. "But right now, I want to know about your intentions Ms. Raymond."

"My what?" I say, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

He narrows his eyes. "You've proven that there's more to you then your cousin told us; more to what we've all seen on the surface. So if you want to continue to come to STAR Labs then let me ask who are you? Really?"

I sigh, pulling my hair out of its ponytail and playing with the band. "Originally, I was just an  IT girl working at Queen Consolidated along with my best friend from college. It was simple, good pay and we were both content with life. Then one day, the Arrow showed up the backseat of our car and I guess life never was quite the same," I smile, reminiscing in the memory.

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"I am telling you, Rani, when the new version comes out, I am totally gonna convince our boss to put company money into upgrading the Queen Consolidated server system," Felicity says as we walk out to her blue mini-cooper. "It would make life so much easier for the two of us."

"Yeah, that's what you said when version 5.4 came out and you spent that entire time looking into that thing for Walter." I tease.

"Ha, nice try, I'm still not telling you about that." She laughs. "My lips are sealed."

"Uh huh, Felicity Smoak keeping her mouth shut? The day that happens is the day I'll  get superpowers," I joke, opening the passenger seat door and sliding into her car and it's all laughter until Felicity notices a figure in the backseat. "Oh my god!"

I flinch and spin around, only to spot the Arrow lying in the back of our car.

"Rani, Felicity I'm not going to hurt you."

"How do you know our names?" She asks.

The Arrow flips down his hood and my jaw drops. "Because you two know mine."

"Wow, everything became so unbelievably clear," Felicity says and I just stare back in shock.

"What? No snarky comment Raymond?" Oliver asks, groaning at what looks like a gunshot wound in his side.

I raise an eyebrow. "How did you even manage to fit back there?"

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"I'm not going to use any of their names because they made me promise not to," I add. "But we started working with him, doing the same that all of you do from here for Barry. Around the second year of doing all of this, I realized that I was just sitting there, not really contributing to anything. I felt like an outcast for the hundredth time in my life so I took my anger out on one of the punching bags we had. The Black Canary saw promise in me, and although the Arrow refused, she trained me. Once I was deemed ready, I took up the name Karma and followed them into the streets."