Disclaimer 1: I haven't watched most of the Arrow Seasons, and only Season One of Flash, so I'm obviously behind on stuff. Please bear with me!
Disclaimer 2: I'm looking for a beta for this story; if interested please let me know!
Disclaimer 3: I'd really appreciate it if you readers let me know about any mistakes or issues with the story!
Disclaimer 4: Clay Buckley is the only person in this story who belongs to me. Sad but true.
Final Disclaimer: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!
CHAPTER ONE
I couldn't open my eyes. Shifting in and out of consciousness, lost to the world, I struggled with my own name. The smell of puppy food, dogs barking. Memories flooded back.
*flashback*
I pull on my coat and make sure my dogs, Oliver and Jade, are fed. I look around for Lulu. At that same moment, a little ball of fur launches itself off the counter and into my arms. Growling playfully, I drop to the floor to play-wrestle with the adorable Australian Shepherd puppy.
*flashback*
I blacked out fully and came to again not long after. I tried to gather strength for movement but couldn't. Again I slipped into the dreamy state of remembering.
*flashback*
A woman comes into the pet store with a little toy poodle at her side. I work up the courage and approach her to offer my help.
I help her search for the dog food she wants, pretending to listen to her ongoing babbling about her dog.
"...You'll be able to see yourself what a champion she is at the big show coming up. Did you hear? The judge is going to be William Jacobs. The William Jacobs..."
She continues on and on about the good looks of the rich judge and I zone out to look at her dog. The poor pup looks miserable in her little pink bow and matching shirt which reads "Momma's Little Princess". "...So obviously, wittle Bianca here has to look her best. I have her on a strict diet, she's a little overweight..."
I'm doing my best to keep expression off my face while pushing down the waves of disgust. What kind of a person would make the life of a dog named 'Bianca' even worse by making her wear shirts like that? The poor little dog looked miserable and definitely not overweight!
"You aren't even listening!"
I try to disarm her of that idea, but she's to wrought up.
"Here, hold my baby." Her voice goes from angry to crooning again as she hands me the leash. "I'm going to find someone who can help me. And don't even think about giving my dog a treat!" She strides off, and I crouch down to run my hand over the little dog's head. The dog whines and leans into my hand for comfort.
"Tough life, huh?" I stroke the side of her head gently, a bit like the way dogs groom each other. "Hmm, your overbearing owner isn't around, so how about..." I reach into my pocket and pull out a treat.
Bianca gobbles it up licks my hand.
"You know, your name is kinda nice. No need to feel self-conscious about it." I point out.
The pompous lady comes back with the food and grabs Bianca's leash.
"Good day." She says and leaves.
With a sigh I return to work, my only consolation being that I was going to a "Canine Enhancement Expo" after work. I hadn't had a lot of time to read about it, but it seemed they were doing some experiments on canines and had gotten some interesting results.
*flashback*
I tried to remember more but I didn't even know if I'd gone to the expo or not. I started to panic and forced my eyes open. They stayed open only long enough to recognize that I was in a hospital room.
I drifted back into unconsciousness, coming to when I heard footsteps. I wondered briefly at how I could not only smell the people but also know how many were approaching. When the door opened, I sensed two people enter. The third one closed the door behind them and left again.
When the people – who I noted to be a man and a lady – spoke in hushed tones, I understood every word clearly.
The woman spoke first. "He looks so young."
"Yes, but from what I've heard about him he has some curious attributes." The man spoke in a deep voice.
I managed to open my eyes a slit. My heart started pounding when I recognized the guy... It was Oliver Queen! The Oliver Queen!
Wait, how is that even possible? It's not, I'm hallucinating. This is literally impossible. I have some serious mental issues if I really think that Oliver Queen – AKA THE ARROW – and The Felicity Smoak are actually, like, real, legit, non-fictional people... YO. Wait. Maybe, someone told Stephen and Emily that I was the biggest fan who ever lived and that I was in the hospital and they came to visit. Actually, who would even know I'm here?
My senses were so acutely noting every detail about these two people who couldn't actually be real but everything about them seemed as real as me, and... I was beginning to freak out.
"Oliver," Felicity said, staring at me. "He's awake."
OH MY GOD. She called him Oliver!
I quickly closed my eyes, but Oliver had noticed and I could sense him sitting down beside me.
"Clay's your name, right?" He said, trying to get me to say something but I stayed in silent wonderment at how real these people seemed.
I wasn't sure if I ought to pretend to be asleep, but I couldn't have said anything if I wanted to. But anyway, why the heck would I say something anyway?
They're not real, Clay Wesley Oliver Buckley.
Felicity joined Oliver at my side and my senses spiralled. I couldn't understand why my senses were so heightened. It freaked me out but I forced myself to stay still.
"We're friends, Clay. We want to help you." Felicity said.
I stayed quiet, trying to figure out why I'd need help.
"Fine," Oliver said. "We just wanted to see how you were doing. We're having you transferred to S.T.A.R. Labs for some testing."
I couldn't keep the surprise off my face then, as much as I tried to. I tried hard to wrap my head around what I'd just heard. S.T.A.R Labs was as fictional as-as they were!
I felt Oliver's hand on my shoulder and twitched in surprise.
HOW AM I FEELING THIS IF THEY'RE NOT REAL? AND THEY ARE NOT REAL! Of course... right?
His chuckle told me just how aware he was that I was awake. "We'll be back soon, Clay."
I felt Oliver's heavy stride and Felicity's lighter steps all the way to the door.
"Bye." Felicity's voice came to my ears and I marvelled again at this miracle.
They left and I could hear their footsteps fading as they walked out of the building and drove off.
Drained of energy, I slipped back into dreamland.
CanineConqueror
I caught only part of what was happening around me the next day, as I was still unable to stay conscious for long. I couldn't understand what was happening to me. I'd been in accidents before and had experience with the long recovering process, but this didn't feel the same. It felt like I was... changing, instead of recovering. I didn't have much time to think about it, though, as a lot was happening around me. I was moved via ambulance from the hospital in Buffalo, West Virginia, to S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City. Which, you know, is a fictional place so I guess I wasn't there but this other me who had somehow been transported into a fictional world was there...
Or something.
We arrived at the Lab in no time and I was wheeled in on a stretcher. I passed out again from exhaustion and by the time I woke up I was all settled in the same room that Barry Allen had occupied when he had first become the Flash. At that point, I would have been utterly and totally freaking out to the point of... death, if I'd only had the energy.
I was hooked up to some machines, and from the drowsy way I felt I bet that one of them was mildly sedating me. Strangely, it kept my senses lowered which, for some reason, felt even weirder than having them at the "new normal" level. I was constantly looking around and making sure no one was creeping up on me as they could have easily surprised me. I knew instinctively that that could potentially be very dangerous. I saw cameras everywhere as if whoever was keeping me here was worried about what I could/would do.
Cisco Ramon entered, taking me totally by surprise as I could neither smell or hear him approaching. He was strangely careful around me as if he didn't quite trust me, but I could only stare at him, not believing that he - including long hair and everything - was real. He said that he was going to run some tests on me. Next thing I knew I was drifting off to sleep again. My last thought was that he must have drugged me.
Thank you so much for reading this far! If you could take a second to review and tell me your thoughts I'd be eternally grateful! x
TBC