Collateral Damage (snowbarry)

Time to Run

"Squat down!" Caitlin yelled from across the cortex holding a timer in her hand.

Cisco was standing on the office chair in her lab, waiting to ride it down the ramp into the cortex.

"If you stand up you're going to fall. Squat down you idiot." Caitlin warned.

"I'll get more speed if I can push off the doorway." Cisco argues.

"Yeah, more speed falling into the ground." Caitlin scoffs. Fixing Cisco was a whole other story from fixing Barry. Cisco didn't heal as fast and whined twice as much.

Cisco ignored Caitlin and took off on his chair, standing tall (as tall as Cisco could), reaching for the door frame to push himself off. He pushed too hard, catching the chair off balance, and wobbled to try to catch his balance. Failing to do so, he starting falling backwards off the chair. Caitlin squealed running forward, only to be greeting by an upright Cisco being supported by a grinning Barry.

"I win." Caitlin said, tossing the timer to Cisco. "You never made it to the finish line.

Cisco started to argue until he heard Dr. Wells clear his throat.

"Nice of you to join us Mr. Allen. Caitlin, Cisco, could I have a word alone with Barry?"

Cisco and Caitlin exchange looks and scurry out of the cortex laughing.

"What do you think that's about?" Cisco asked.

"He said he wanted to talk to Barry about his focus. Wants him to get faster. He's got something in mind, but I can't figure out what it is." Caitlin explains.

""What does getting faster do for anything? Other than, you know, just being awesome." Cisco asks.

"No idea. He thinks if he gets faster we can learn more from him. Maybe develop something from his powers." Caitlin answers. "I mean he's dropping words like cancer cure and Alzheimer's."

Cisco's eyebrows raise and they both let out a sigh.

********************************************

"His DNA looks the same. It's just...not regenerating anymore. There is no sign of him having any abnormal capabilities, Wells. It's just normal human DNA. With a little...spark." Caitlin chuckles, looking over at Wells who is staring at her screen intensely. She immediately regrets making a joke.

"Are you sure it looks the same? There has to be some difference." Wells snaps.

"I have looked at this DNA every day for over a year. Yes, I'm positive it's the same." Caitlin defends. 

Wells sighs, regretting snapping at Caitlin and feeling very confused. He rubs his eyes with one hand and looks back at the screen.

"This doesn't make any sense." He says to himself and wheels away. She sighs, looking back at her screen.

Barry had lost his speed. A new meta, Farooq Gibran, who could siphon energy from people, had somehow taken Barry's speed when he attacked him earlier that day. None of them could explain it, but Barry was extremely upset about it.

He came back to the lab later that evening to help the team work on ways to get his speed back.

It's been an hour and all Barry has done is sit and stare at a screen, willing the world to give him a break. Caitlin is sitting across the room, quietly doing the same. 

Caitlin walks over and sits on the desk in front of him, blocking his view of the screen.

"Say we can't get your powers back. Then what?" She asks.