OUT OF TIME , barry allen✔️

24. Cry, weak little girl

"Are you two okay?" Iris asked right after Barry left the West house without a word to me. "No. We had a big fight." I said and ran my hand through my blonde hair. "About what?" Iris asked. "Nora staying here. I know that she's my daughter, but the way she acts towards me... whenever she and I spend time together, she wants to get away as soon as possible." I said and sighed. "Have you ever asked her why she's that way?" Iris asked and I shook my head. "No, I didn't have to. She told Barry why. I just happened to see that." I said bitter and sighed. "She had a chip inside of her. A chip that would take away her speed and her alter-ego. I never thought I could do something like that... But apparantly all it takes is being stripped away from one more person you love." I whispered the end and ran my hands through my hair. "Hey! Nora and you just need to talk. Really talk. Make her see that you are not the person that she experiences in the future." Iris said and I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah..." I said.

☇

"Nora?" I asked when I found her sitting in the lounge of Star Labs. "Yes?" She asked and put her phone down, looking up to me. I sat down next to her and sighed deeply. "Why haven't you told me about the power-dampening chip?" I slowly asked and she looked down. "How do you know about that?" She asked. "The moment you told your father I saw it through your eyes." I whispered. "Unwillingly." I added. "What is there to say? You took away my speed, my alter-ego and for what? You've lied to me before... so many times actually." She said hurt and I looked away. "Nora. You have to understand that I would never do that. The way you see me is the person that did this to you. But the me, right here, is different. Please... give me a chance to prove myself to you. That I am different than the person who raised you." I spoke and she looked up to me. "Okay..." she whispered and nodded. "I'm giving you the chance."

☇

"Okay, Cisco. Give me the details." I said into the comms as I looked at the meta infront of me. "Seems like he is taking the abilities of metas and passing them onto someone else. Don't let him touch Barry or you." He said and I slowed down time and ran towards Barry and the male meta. I took a deep breath and stopped slowing down time. Barry quickly reacted and rushed us on the other side of the street. "Okay, we're-" I said before I screamed out in anguish. "Z-Z-Zoe.." Storm whispered inside my head.

Barry tried to sped us away, but his powers failed. My hair color returned it's original blonde color and suddenly, I felt a weird feeling inside of me. Barry and I turned around to the meta. "What the-" I said as suddenly, my hand began to vibrate the same way only speedsters could.

☇

Back in Star Labs I began to speed up and down, thinking how I could get Storm back. I was stopped when suddenly Barry put his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were as silver as mine used to be. "You're gonna be okay." He spoke, his voice sounding like Storm. "We need to find this meta!" I exclaimed. "Hey, we're working on it." Cisco said behind monitors. "Hey, why don't we-" Barry started but I quickly turned to him. "No, no. There is no we, remember?" I spat and then looked at Caitlin. "Cait, I need Frost. Please." I said and she nodded.

I walked out of the cortex and into the speed lab. I went up to the track and started running. When I stopped and went down I saw Killer Frost, raising a brow at me. "Things have taken quite the turn, huh?" She asked and I sighed. "Sadly, yes. Barry now has Storm inside his head. It's- this meta has the ability to take powers away and give it to someone else." I said and when I had things clank on the ground, I sped Frost in her apartment and then I sped back into Star Labs.

In the cortex was a familiar looking figure. "Zoe! Run!" Barry yelled as he and Cisco were telepathically held against the wall. "Another broken person that you love. Another damaged legacy." I recognized the voice of the woman that was responsible for this. It was the distorded voice that had followed me through the city. "All because of you!" She yelled and turned around to me. "Who are you?" I spat and walked forward.

Suddenly, Barry began to choke on and I stepped back. "Don't hurt him! Please!" I said, tears forming in my eyes. "Yes. Go ahead and cry, weak little girl." I looked over to Barry and he was gasping for air as she released the pressure on his neck. Cisco tried to use his powers, but kept failing.

Then, I raced over to Mania and suddenly, I was hit with a force that pushed me back into the wall. A metal suit of armor stood now infront of me, choking me and pressing me against the wall. "Don't touch her." The distorded voice said in a threatening voice. I was barely getting any air and I struggled to breath normally. If that thing would've continued, it would've crushed my neck. But luckily it let go and returned to Mania's side. "What do you want?" Cisco asked. "Just to see you fall apart... to feel pain like you have never felt before." Mania said and then chuckled. "Well to be fair, I only want to see Zoe squirm and fall apart." Mania added.

"How- how do you know us?" Mania began to laugh. "We've always known you. We were always there to see you win and beat the bad guys. Always present." The suit in metal armour suddenly spoke and I felt a cold shiver running down my spine. Then the metal suit grabbed Mania and sped away. As soon as they were away, Mania's influence on Barry and Cisco stopped and they fell groaning to the ground. I ran over to Barry and immediately hugged him. "Oh my god..." I whispered with a trembling voice and felt his arms snake around me. "I'm fine, Zoe. I'm fine." He said quietly and then I sat back, looking over to Cisco. "I'm fine, too. Thanks for asking." He said and I chuckled softly before hugging him too. "Good." I whispered.