Shift

CHAPTER ELEVEN

During the month, Barry solely focused on training. He was so determined to become as fast as the man in the yellow suit. And he was making progress, day by day he was gaining speed. Training got more intense and Alex could see the bags under his eyes getting worse. They often trained together, and more times than one she was the one who went home with bruises and sore ribs.

She held back using her fighting skills – or more so Dick's fighting skills. She could read his every move, and instead of going on offense she kept on defense. Not to mention most of the time they did spar, Alex shifted into Barry. The others gave up trying to watch on the third day. The two moved so quickly that it was all just a blur – as well as some large crashes.

Barry wasn't the only one that was learning things. Alex figured out that if she concentrated enough that she could stop the transfer of pain when she was someone else. The more she did it the easier it got. So, Alex could use all of her strength and not feel the after effects. The new trick would come in handy more often than not.

They also raced. Since Alex was naturally faster than Barry was when he didn't have his super speed, it challenged him. The two pushed their legs harder and harder when they raced down the empty streets. She didn't go easy on him, so when Alex beat him, he took it really hard. Alexandra would offer to take a break and to recharge, but he would refuse and they would go again.

Most days she would force him to stop after the third race. Sometimes they would go to big belly burger and eat dozens upon dozens of burgers. Other times Alex would bring him to her apartment and she would cook him something. He seemed to enjoy her home cooked meals a lot more. She didn't mind cooking for him, it was nice to eat with someone.

Alex got another migraine a week and a half after her last. She stayed in bed all day, so when she didn't show up for training or answered her phone, Barry ran over to check up on her. Once again she was curled up in bed, blinds closed and her eyes barely opening up when he entered. He brought tea and her favourite snack from Jitters.

With a couple groans of pain, she managed to sit up in her bed. Barry sat on the edge with his hand resting on her knee. She was surprised he remembered her favourite food, a mumble of thanks escaped her lips. The rest of the afternoon Barry tended to whatever she wanted and stayed silent for most of the time in fear that he would hurt her more.

The training for that day was cancelled, and Cisco instead finished what he was working on to help her.

He had to make sure that it wouldn't back fire in their face. What he was making had the potential to make her brain dead, so he wanted to make sure that it was perfected. Two days after that he had it finished. Only Cisco and Barry knew about what was going on. Alex requested to leave Wells out of it, and the two men were sure that if Caitlin would know she would stop them.

However, nearing the end of the project, they had to call her in. With Caitlin's degree, they needed her to look it off so that they didn't fry her brain. She was appalled but the idea, but eventually caved in and helped, she did promise Alex that she would help her she just didn't expect it to be like that. Cisco had done a good job, and she only had to make a few minor changes and offered an idea or two.

Alex was called into S.T.A.R. Labs. The first time she was back, she was called out on for taking her suit, and then questioned as to why it was obviously used for some sort of crime fighting. Barry gave them some sort of lie when she hesitated to answer. Apparently, during her leave of absence Alex was simply trying out the suit and caught a mugger red handed. It passed by Cisco and Caitlin, but Wells was weary. It was returned to the empty mannequin all cleaned up.

But that's not what she was called for. The machine that was supposedly going to help her, was ready.

Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin stood around some sort of machine when she walked in. It looked like some sort of amped up dentist chair. Where her head would rest, there was a large machine hanging around it. She didn't look too confident in the set up, but there wasn't much of a choice.