quiver - barry allen

13.

"Barry Allen, you of all people should know that nothing is impossible."

Quiver

Chapter 13; Eiling is the Worst

"What was that about?" Cisco asked Barry as he hung up his phone. I walked over to the two of them to see if everything was okay.

"Iris posted about The Streak again," Barry answered. "She signed her name to it."

"Oh, that is not good," I commented, taking my stance next to Cisco.

"No."

"If one of these bad meta-humans we're dealing with figures she knows something--"

"Then they may target her, I know," groaned Barry. Cisco walked away but I moved closer to Barry. I put my hands on his arms and looked into his green eyes.

"We'll protect her, Barry." After I gave him a light smile, I walked back over to Cisco who was smirking at me. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," he chuckled, earning an eye roll from me.

___

"Charlie, please stop doing that with your nails. It's driving me crazy," Cisco said, cutting Caitlin off from what she was going to tell Bette.

"Hmm?"

"Your nails. Stop tapping them on the desk." I didn't even realize that I had been tapping my nails against the desk until he pointed it out. I muttered an apology as Barry walked into the room.

Off of Bette's look, he asked, "Hey, what's wrong? Did Eiling find out you're here?"

"No. Caitlin was about to give me the not-so-good news."

"The shrapnel in your body has merged with you on a cellular level," she told her.

"And the technology required to unsplice your DNA it hasn't been invented yet," added Wells. Noticing the tears in her eyes, I took one step closer to her.

"Bette--"

"It's okay. Roger that. I just need a minute. Don't worry. Pretty sure I can cry without blowing stuff up." As she walked out of the room, I felt a pang of guilt. I was part of the reason that she was like that. Barry put his hands on the back of his neck and looked down.

"What now?" asked Cisco.

"She joins us," answered Barry with determination before Wells had the chance to speak. "Becomes a part of the team."

"Barry... You have an amazing ability to help people," Caitlin said. "She makes things explode."

"She's the first meta-human not hell-bent on destroying this city," Barry argued.

"It's too dangerous," Wells put in.

"Well, she's not going in the pipeline," I interjected.

Turning his attention to me, Wells responded, "I'm not suggesting she go in the pipeline, but were she to remain at S.T.A.R. Labs, it would put all of us at risk."

"From who? Eiling?" I asked, my temper starting to rise.

"Eiling is a dangerous man, Charlotte. We do not want him as an enemy."

"After the lightning bolt, what if you hadn't found me? It could've been me. Hunted, on the run, cut off from everyone I know and care about. You guys saved me."

"And I want to save her just as bad as you do, Barry and Charlie. We all do," Caitlin said, gesturing to Cisco, Wells, and herself.

"Then prove it," I snapped. I grabbed my things and stormed out of the Cortex. When I reached my house, I noticed that Evan's car was in the driveway. As I walked into the house, I could hear him on the phone so I stayed quiet so I wouldn't interrupt.