Framed

As soon as the elderly woman had left the room to make tea, Barry and Eddie quickly stood up from the too-small couch, shaking off the awkwardness of having been sitting hip to hip with each other. Barry looked at a photograph that was sitting on the mantelpiece of the fireplace but was disappointed to see that it was quite dated and wouldn't be of much use to them.

"Ma'am," he called out, walking towards the kitchen where the woman had disappeared, "Would you happen to have a more recent photograph of Hannibal?"

When there was no answer, Barry stepped further into the kitchen.

"She's gone," he said to Eddie in alarm. Eddie's eyes widened.

"I'll get the front," Barry said quickly. Eddie nodded in understanding and headed for the back door.

Once outside, Barry looked around but didn't see anyone. Without hesitation, he called STAR Labs.

"Hey," he said as soon as they picked up, "I found Hannibal Bates. He was impersonating grandma."

"Barry, do not let him touch you," Wells said seriously.

"I think he may have already though," Barry said in a worried voice, "She—He patted my arm when we walked into the house."

"At least make sure you don't let him see you use your superspeed," Caitlin advised over the speaker.

"Well how am I supposed to catch him?!" Barry said in an irritated voice.

"The old-fashioned way," Wells said in a smug, slightly amused voice, "Run like a normal person."

"Okay, alright," Barry sighed, hanging up the phone.

"Oh, man," he groaned as he took off down the street. This sucks.

Barry ran as fast as he could while trying to appear like a normal-moving person. It was painful to him to "run" this slow. He paused in his tracks for a moment of dread when he heard the shots and then took off at superspeed, no longer caring if anyone saw.

He got there just in time to find Eddie stooped down next to one of the cops lying on the ground.

"Barry," Eddie said in a panicked voice, "Call 911."

The ambulances didn't take long to arrive. One of the officers was declared dead on scene, but the other was taken off to the nearest trauma center in critical condition. He didn't seem like he was going to make it though. Barry felt terrible. If he hadn't been so concerned about preserving his identity, he would have been there in time to save them.

Barry felt ten times more terrible, however, when they were back at the station and they reviewed the video footage taken by the squad car's front view camera. It showed no one other than himself pulling the trigger on the two cops. Barry stared at the footage in shock, staring at his own face on the screen in disbelief. The other cops in the room all looked at him in surprise. There was a moment before any of them said or did anything, but after a minute, Officer Liddell stepped forward, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

"Barry Allen," he said in a flat voice, grabbing Barry by the shoulder and turning him around, "You're under arrest for the murder of Detective Henderson and Officer Dillashaw."

Barry didn't resist as he felt the handcuffs close around his wrists behind his back. He was too stunned to move.

"Andy," one of the younger officers said to Officer Liddell, "You can't possibly believe Barry is capable of something like this."

"I don't know," Liddell said wildly, "But we can't just ignore the video evidence. We have no choice but to arrest him."

No one really had anything to say to argue against that. No one except Eddie of course.

"Barry didn't do this!" he said loudly, "I was there. I reached the two officers before Barry did. He couldn't have done it!"

Barry just stood in stunned silence with his hands cuffed behind his back and his mouth hanging open. This can't seriously be happening right now.

"I don't like this any more than you do," Officer Liddell said, "But like I said, we don't really have a choice."

And with that he led Barry from the room while reciting his Miranda rights. Barry hardly heard a word of it. He was too shocked by how quickly this all was happening. He knew all of it already anyways.

Barry kept his head down in shame as he walked through the station. All of the officers at the CCPD were staring at him, no doubt wondering why he was wearing handcuffs and being pushed forward by Officer Liddell towards the booking area.

Barry's mind was going frantic as he was have his mug shot photos taken. With a lump in his throat, he turned to the side when they told him to and let them take his picture. He didn't say a word as they swabbed his hands for gun residue and then took his fingerprints.

Where was Joe when he needed him? That's right. He was still in Starling City with Cisco investigating Wells and Tess Morgan. Their timing couldn't have been any worse.

It was a very long night for Barry. He was led to a private room where he was then handcuffed to a desk. They questioned him for hours, during which time Barry's story remained the same. He and Eddie had each taken a side of the house and chased after the guy, and he had arrived on scene to find Eddie stooped over the officers. It was as simple as that.

It didn't help that the detective who was questioning him, Detective Rousey, had been very close friends with both of the officers who had been killed. He didn't know Barry very well, so he had no doubt in his mind of Barry's guilt.

By midnight, Barry was led to a small jail cell where he would spend the night. He didn't sleep. He was too sick to. He just hoped that Eddie or someone would be able to get him out of this somehow, without the Flash's help.