I'll Be There In a Flash ⚡ Barry Allen

Chapter 23 - The Gloves Come Off, the Lights Go Out

A/N: I tried a little bit of a different writing style with this one so let me know if you like it!!

Okay, I'm going to say it.

Maybe this wasn't the best idea I've ever had.

"Hey!" I say to the angry metahuman behind me, blocking another one of his bolts with my own. "For someone who's hell-bent on draining other people's energy, you're not doing it very well."

He almost growls at me, throwing a well-placed lightning bolt that sends me flying into the wall, creating a loud thud that I'm almost positive just echoed through the building.

I groan in pain as my view of the ceiling spins circles around me.

"Okay...I take that back."

Channeling whatever energy I have left, I pick myself up off the ground and stumble into the cortex to find Farooq scanning around the treadmill room for any signs of life.

"Did you know the human body generates electricity?" He remarks. "The average person gives off 342 watts, and I can smell it coming from you."

My heart quickens in fear as I realize he's closing in on them and throw a bolt that hits Farooq right on the chest. He stumbles forward from the impact but manages to stay on his feet. He turns around angrily, glowering at me.

I smirk. "Karma."

Angrily he throws a bolt at me and I catch it, the electricity pulsing against Farooq and I as he struggles to dispel it and I disperse of it.

I gain the upper hand and toss the energy aside successfully....at the cost of my gloves. Having reached their breaking point, the mangled pieces of metal and cloth clatter to the ground from the amount of charge held back, still occasionally sparking.

"Looks like the gloves are off asshole. Time to take this outside."

》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》

It took most Caitlin's strength to keep Barry from bursting through the door to me. Part of him couldn't help but think this was his fault. If he had kept his guard up around the meta back at the substation, then maybe we wouldn't be here and he'd have his speed to save the day. To save the girl who he needed by his side and the family and he'd always had there with him.

But Barry didn't and was forced to block out those thoughts from and follow Caitlin's lead, just clinging on to the hope that Joe and Iris were okay. Hope that Rani hadn't gotten herself knocked out again. Or worse.

Dr. Wells, however, believed in Rani more than he believed his treadmill theory would work. Rani was the unknown factor to him that he didn't see coming in this grand plan of things. He had desperately had tried to push her away from Team Flash because of her presence in the future with no avail. She was stubborn, the man would give her that. Now with her actions tonight, there would be no avoiding her. And he would have no choice but to help her become the heroine he had despised all those years from now. So he set Girder loose in STAR labs, in hope that he would come to her aid.

After all, two speedsters are more useful than one.

》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》

"Okay I'll fry and you punch," I clarify, looking over at the iron-fisted meta stood next to me, still panting from my sprint here. "I-uh never actually got your name."

"Tony," He responds, his voice rougher than I expected. Definitely rougher than Barry's softer and warmer voice.

RANI NO DAYDREAMING RIGHT NOW FOCUS!

"Nice to meet you, Tony. I'm Rani. Let's hope we don't die tonight." I respond as I nod at him. He grins and punches the wall as hard as he can, the sound echoing through the hallways. And soon enough, Farooq's footsteps come into earshot.

"Now!" I shout, throwing a bolt of electricity at the meta who catches it right before it hits his chest. We struggle against each other but I hold him long enough for Tony to move around from his hiding spot and punch him square in the chest.

"That felt good," Tony remarks, cracking his fist with pleasure. "I've been dying to punch somebody."

"I would give you a fist-bump right now for that, but I don't particularly like breaking my hand," I respond, dissipating the extra electricity Farooq threw at me.

He chuckles his hand returning to flesh and I fist-bump the man that kidnapped Iris and nearly wrecked havoc in Central City while I was gone.

What a difference one week can make.

However, while I'm focusing on keeping my energy internalized without the help from my gloves a large force wraps around my stomach and sends me flying down the hallway and my head hits the floor. Hard.

Okay, not fair at all. This guy has the same power as I do but a punch from Tony like that would have knocked me out, and this guy is still walking around like he only tripped.

What the actual heck.

"Run!" Tony groans from somewhere I can't see as I struggle to pull myself up, my vision swimming and head throbbing like there's no tomorrow. I crawl on the ground, excess energy sparking off of me left and right.

Then, out of nowhere (well probably not I just wasn't paying attention) a hand wraps around my neck and pins me to the ground.

"Finally," Farooq says and this dizzying sensation erupts where his hand meets my neck. I pry my eyes open to see him right above me, bright blue energy flowing away from me and into him.

It's a terrifying feeling that I can't put into words very well because I really don't know how to.

And in all honesty, the rest of the night is slightly fuzzy from here. I remember only bits and pieces of it, fragments of what really happened.

There was definitely some punching, I think I kicked Farooq in the chest. And also blasted him in anger with whatever energy was left in me.

Then there was this feeling, not like the one I felt when I was being drained. Once that felt like freedom and I remember the need for controlling my energy slowly melt away.

And I could be wrong...but I swear I ran from the opposite side of STAR labs to the garage in less than a second.

And then...there was nothing.

I really need to stop getting knocked out.

》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》

So some foreshadowing here to something a couple of you have seen coming.

But other than that my lips are sealed. ;)

Luv ya❤️