Bartholomew Henry Sebastian Smythe Allen, superhero and heir to the Smythe fortune, was not having a good day.
He had, again, traveled back in time accidently. This time though it wasn't his doing.
He groaned as his hand came away from his head covered in a sticky red liquid. Yeah, he wasn't going to get back to the future any time soon, especially considering the kids that... Oh shit. Barry disregarded the teens staring at him for a moment to focus on how fuck he was, as he finally recognized the familiar corridors of Dalton.
And then considered banging his head against a wall when he noticed Captain Cold sitting next to him, dazedly rubbing his arm when he processed their surroundings.
Slowly, he turned his head to the familiar looking teens, hoping at least something good could happen...
Barry sighed in exasperation, and let himself fall onto his back again hopelessly.
Of course the whole of New Directions had to be standing there staring slack-jawed. "I'm not nearly drunk enough for this shit."
Luckily enough it wasn't that bad,he was still wearing his cowl, so at least they weren't staring at him because he looked like he was this Sebastian's clone. They were just staring at the two weirdly dressed guys that had come tumbling out of the random portal that had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared... Okay, nevermind, this was pretty bad.
"Ummm..." Barry looked around frantically, catching Snart's eyes. There was a lazy 'we should probably get out of here' look mixed with the familiar exasperated 'what did you do this time Scarlet' look.
Barry panicked. "Gottagoseeyoulaterbye!" He quickly rushed off, grabbing Cold, only stopping in the hedges beside the school. Then realized how two older men, one of which wearing a long-lost coat and the other a seemingly leather suit creeping in the bushes beside a high school would look to a bystander and speeded Snart off to a nearby alley.
Barry scanned the area and relaxed slightly when he determined they were alone. Then he turned to face Snart, who was looking at him. Cold wasn't going to attack Barry, not while Barry was his only way home.
"What was that all about, Scarlet?" Snart said in his usual lazy drawl, although his narrowed eyes betrayed his... Suspicion? Thoughtfulness? Whatever it was, Snart was looking at Barry intently, making him uncomfortable. He shifted slightly and blushed.
"I panicked." He admitted. Seeing the deadpan look Snart was sending him, Barry's figurative shields, already in place from getting send into the past for no apparent reason, immediately went on the defensive. "I'm sorry, I'm not really used to time traveling yet." He said, sarcasm coloring his tone.
"Well you brought us here, wherever 'here' is, so get me back."
Barry grinned a little at the familiar cold attitude. Some things will always stay the same. He forced his guard to lower a bit.
"'Here' is just outside Dalton Academy, 2006. My old high school." Barry had recognized the small but rapidly growing tree in the courtyard that was only planted there at the end of 2005. He frowned. He didn't really care if Le- Snart found out his high school alias, it wasn't that big a secret. "As for going back, we'll need either my or your past self's help. The portal that brought us here is in flux and needs to be stabilized by someone compatible with one of us-"
"Cut the nerd talk, Scarlet, I know how it works." Cold drawled, interrupting Barry. "However much I hate that I have to work with another goody-two-shoes, I guess I'll bear with it to get back 'home'."
Barry smirked. "People change, Snart. I'm a completely different person than I was in high school." He paused, then continued. "Talking about people who change..."
"For the last time, _Speedy, I'm not joining your little crime fighting club."
"We have cookies?" Barry offered.
Pause.
"What kind?"
Barry and Snart were still bickering over which cookie sort was best as they walked through an empty hallway. Barry was so glad he had a near perfect long-term memory, even if his short term was almost non-existent. He had remembered this year's roster, and which hallway was most unlikely to have skipping students hanging around in. He even remembered every song he had performed here to the letter!
"Everyone knows Chocolate Chip is the best, Scarlet."
"And most people know your definition of 'everyone' isn't the best, Snart. Blueberry is clearly the right choice here." Barry smugly held up his hands, having speedwritten 'blueberry' on his right hand and 'chocolate chip' on the other.
Len's smirk was amused. "For you maybe. Your right hand is not the right choice for me." They were now facing each other, so 'blueberry' was on Len's left.
"Well maybe you just need to... See things from my perspective." As soon as he said that Barry turned away and walked on, realizing with horror that he had just been flirting with Captain Cold. With the familiarity of his surroundings and the banter he had been slipping into his old habits. Bad, bad Barry! No flirting with Len!
It didn't happen often, but sometimes when he was lost in memories, defensive, frustrated, hurt or annoyed or meeting with aristocrats he slipped back into his Sebastian persona. It was instinctuental by now, meant to protect him with snark and intellect instead of brutal strength. Or speed, in this case.
Barry didn't realize he had been silent for a while before Len called him out on it.
"Hey Scarlet Speedster, what's with the serious face, scared your past self might embarrass you?"
Barry chuckled, thinking about what his past self's face would look like if he heard Len say that. "Actually, I'm probably going to embarrass him. What I'm more worried about is if he will actually help us."
Len raised an eyebrow, silently marveling at the fact that they had been strolling about a school for around ten minutes without encountering a single person. "Right, like you could do anything other than help people, Hero Complex."
Barry just smiled mysteriously, annoying Len to no end. He narrowed his eyes. "What?" He drawled.
Barry's smile widened.