Reality Check : : Barry Allen/The Flash

16

My eyelids are heavy, but eventually, I manage to open them. I'm in my room. I try to move my arm to rub my eyes, but I end up groaning in pain. My door opens.

"Cara." Barry? What's he doing here?

"Where's Ben?" I ask in confusion. He comes and crouches beside my bed.

"He's at work. He had to do a late-night shift and he probably won't be back until tomorrow night." What? My own brother can't be here? This is all too familiar.

"I--" I cut myself off, unsure of what I was even going to say. Tears threaten to fall as I realise that nobody in my family is here to care for me.

"I told Ben I'd spend the night and make sure you have everything you need. Cisco said you really just need to sleep." Barry tells me. Cisco? No, I bet it was Caitlin that told him that.

"You know Cisco?" I ask, pretending to be confused.

"Yeah. He was one of the ones taking care of me while I was in my coma. I sorta became friends with him and two others from STAR Labs after I woke up." Barry explains.

"Oh." This is really not what I had in mind when I always thought about spending time with my fantasy crush.

"So, uh, what happened tonight? Cisco said something about some guy with a gun." Barry says. I don't get why he wants to talk about this; it'll make me upset to think about it and he was there anyway.

"Some guy in a blue Eskimo jacket had this gun that shoots ice, and he, um... He hurt me. He threw me around like I was some doll, laughing in my face and telling me to scream." Images of Snart's smirking face flash through my mind and I shiver involuntarily.

"Wow. Sounds scary." Barry says.

"Yeah, can we, um... I don't want to..." I can't even form proper sentences with the memories of tonight going through my head over and over.

"Yeah, I get it. Uh, I'm just gonna be watching TV if you need me." Barry says hurriedly. He feels awkward and somewhat guilty. These are the things I know as a Flash fan.

When Barry's gone and my door is shut, I sigh and ready myself, then slowly push myself into a sitting position. I hold in any hisses and groans that try to get out.

You were lucky.

"And you were useless." I whisper angrily. Robin's meant to be my protector that can't let any harm come to me, and yet it just sat there and watched me suffer.

You must know.

"What now? Another memory?" I ask in frustration, still keeping my voice quiet.

You are different.

"Yeah, I know; I'm kinda from a whole other world."

You misunderstand. Cara was different too.

"What're you talking about?"

She didn't know, but you do. You can already do it.

"Do what?"

You have a gift.

"What?" I have no idea what it's talking abo-- wait, maybe I do. "You mean I'm a..." I take a deep breath. "I'm a meta?"