Barry Allen was nervous and sort of terrified if he was being completely honest as they pulled up to what looked like a back gate at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The warning signs were more than enough to make anyone a little nervous. Did they ever really actually have to shoot someone, like right here? Were they really going to search him? If they did, did he have anything he shouldn't? Barry wasn't wholly sure he didn't, because he had no idea what he was and wasn't allowed to have. Would they arrest him on the spot even if it was an accident and throw him in the "Brig" or whatever they called it here. Barry's panic rose to new heights because he was not made for prison, any kind of prison, but a military prison somehow seemed worse.
"Relax Barry," Eddie, just Eddie because the guy apparently had no last name and or tittle, well not that he told Barry anyway, said chuckling a bit at seeing the younger man's sudden panic. "They're not gonna shoot you, promise."
Barry felt a little better because Eddie's words reminded him of "due process" and all that, but still could he trust a guy in a black suit wearing aviators who inexplicably had no last name? Seriously was his name really even Eddie, Barry didn't think so, and that thought erased his faith in the whole "due process" thing, because no, no one ever named their kid just Eddie.
"Is Eddie even your real name?" Barry blurted out suddenly, because now that he was thinking about it, did Eddie no-last-name have anything that could get him shot?
Was he a government agent for real? I mean did DARPA actually even make badges? A secret government organization handing out badges seemed a little silly now that Barry was sure it was going to be the reason he was about to get shot. Iris always told him he was too trusting, and he never believed her, because there was always good in everyone, but now he was kicking himself that Eddie no-last-name was about to get him shot.
"No," Eddie replied, which sort of caused Barry to pull up short, because some government spy he was! Freely admitting it was an alias! "Eddie" was so going to get him killed before he even got onto the installation. Seriously, all Barry did was ask him a question! It wasn't even an interrogation with bright lights and water boarding and other forms of torture Barry didn't want to think about. "It's Eobard, after my great-grandfather on my dad's side, but my mom hated it so she called me Eddie. What about you Bartholomew, which relative is responsible for that little gem?"
Barry was saved from having to respond, which was a good thing because the other man's openness sort of threw him off, as Eddie rolled down his window and the gate guard, who to Barry's surprise was a girl, spoke, "Welcome to Fort Polk home of heroes."
"How you doing Private," Eddie smiled amicably handing over their I.D.s.
"Living the dream sir," she replied as she scanned them with something that looked akin to the things grocery store clerks use, but bigger. A sudden beep made Barry's palms sweat wondering if that was a good thing or a bad thing?
"Aren't we all?" Eddie replied knowingly receiving a warm smile from the girl completely ignoring the strange beep. Barry was a little baffled he'd just spent the last few minute worrying about what was in his pockets and what Eddie no-last-name might have in his car that would get him shot and they seemed to be just chatting. Another different beep emanated from the thing in the girl's hand and she frowned down at it as her partner stepped out from the guard shack. "How you doing man?"
"Eh," was all the guy said shrugging though with a smile as the girl took out a stylist and started poking at the screen.
Barry fidgeting in his seat nervously when he saw it was his I.D. that had made the little machine make that odd noise. Not that there was anything he should be worried about, still, Barry scanned his surroundings for an escape route, because he really wasn't made for prison, but there was nowhere to go. It was all seemingly just woods. He looked back to see the girl hand the thingy over to her partner, and while no one seemed alarmed and Eddie was still smiling Barry was not okay.
"There you go," the boy smiled handing it back over pointing at the screen. "This button here for details."
"What was that?" Barry couldn't help himself, because he knew beeps and that was not a good beep, but no one seemed alarmed what so ever.
"Out of state warrant," the girl replied simply as Barry stomach sank. He had a warrant? Why didn't they shoot him? Was this a test? Should he run? Escape and evade was it? Oh god, he was failing his first test…
"Not you," the girl's partner laughed at seeing Barry's panic. "It happens sometimes, better safe than sorry I guess, but unless you're really a 250 LB Mexican American named Jose in your late forties in disguise we have no reason to shoot or arrest you."
"Oh," was all Barry said as the other three laughed.
This whole experience was not at all what he expected so far. The guy, Agent Wells, who'd shown up at his door step with a paper he'd published and forgotten about years ago had been terrifying. He didn't look terrifying really, except maybe for his eyes. He looked, well, he looked a lot like Barry in a certain respect, like the scientist he claimed to be, but as their little pow-wow continued Barry had become more and more… unsettled.
Wells explained briefly that he, Barry Allen, had been chosen for a special mission, which involved the paper he had written right after Grad School about an easier way to test uranium quality as far as enrichment went while still in the field instead of having to ship it back to a lab. Barry, though very supportive of and grateful to those who served their country wanted nothing to do with this special mission. Barry was not made for roughing it as much as he was not made for prison. He could if he had to but there were easily a hundred other scientist that could do this without their awkward clumsiness and flailing limbs possibly getting someone else killed. As scary as the whole thing seemed that was really why he didn't want to do it.
He'd learn a while ago he was not made for field work when he'd briefly attended the police academy hoping to follow in his foster father's footsteps and join the police force. That didn't last long as only a few weeks in Barry was pulled aside and offered a position in the CCPD's forensic lab "where he could do some good without putting any innocent people at risk". Barry was sure Joe, his foster father's connections in the CCPD were the only reason Barry wasn't flunked outright, but he learned his lesson. He told Dr. Wells as much, but the man wouldn't take no for an answer. That's when the subtle threats began… His job, Joe's job, a sudden prison transfer for his real father somewhere "off the map", so in the end Barry had no choice.
"Have a good day, gentlemen," the girl said handing the I.D.s back Eddie replied with a similar sentiment and a nod to the young man who Barry heard ask his partner what she wanted for lunch, which was apparently what he'd come out for in the first place as they pulled away.
"I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and guess you were more "volun-told" than a volunteer," Eddie said sympathetically after a long moment of silence with Barry trying to puzzle together what exactly he was getting himself into.
"Volun-told?" Barry questioned, because he thought he knew what the other man meant, but if he was with DARPA and Wells surely he knew about the threats Barry could never prove against his family.
"It's okay," Eddie's voice was still sympathetic as they made a right hand turn. "You don't have to say anything and depending on who you're talking to that's probably not a bad decision, honestly. I can tell by the way your palms have been sweating since I picked you up at the airport, though." Barry swallowed hard unsure of what to say, so he said nothing. "I don't know what you're doing or why you're here, but I'm gonna give you some advice kid, because were not all bad..." Eddie trailed off a bit seemingly trying to decide how he was going to say what he wanted to say. "They're people too… The things they've seen and done… well it hardens them… but they're still people, ya know?"
Barry looked at Eddie no-last-name for real for the first time since the guy had picked him up from the airport as they pulled up to what looked like an old WW2 building. He sounded and looked sincere, but also a little nervous as though he wasn't sure whether he was saying too much or maybe not saying what he wanted in the right way. When Eddie finally looked over at him Barry saw a sadness he hadn't noticed before that had him wondering what had happened to Eddie. He'd never thought of the other man as hardened… he was friendly, polite, and quick to smile, but as he looked at him now he knew there was so much more to his story.
"I'm not saying trust everyone, because that's definitely not a good idea, but just don't write them off okay? They're still people, just with different life experiences, everyone deals with it differently, and some… just don't know how to communicate well, so hang in there, kid. It's not going to be easy, but I think you'll be fine. Trust your gut."
With that last bit of sage advice, Eddie popped the trunk and pushed open his door without another word. Barry sat there for another moment just blinking into the space that the other man just vacated. He thought he knew what Eddie meant. The girl and the boy, the armed guards at the gate… he didn't see them as people really, not at first, just soldiers, but had they not smiled and joked? Even as he thought about them and wondering where they came from and how they got here he remembered Wells too. Joe always told him to use his gut and trust his instincts, especially when he was gearing up for the academy, was Eddie telling him the same thing?
"Come on Bartholomew," Eddie opened his door sort of startling him. "You're already late."
"I'm always late," Barry informed him climbing out of the car as the other man handed him his slightly over-sized back-back before heaving his duffle bag into his chest.
"You should work on that," Eddie told him seriously stepping aside for Barry to precede him. "It's not a good habit to have in a place like this."
"Great, one more thing to worry about," Barry grumbled stepping out of the way so the door could be shut.
"You'll be fine, trust your gut," Eddie gave him a rough pat. "Good luck kid."
"You're not coming," Barry stopped dead when he realized Eddie wasn't following him as a whole new wave of nerves struck him.
"I know I said they were people Barry, but I also said they were hardened," Eddie looked at him shaking his head a little, though he could see sympathy shinning in the other man's eyes. "It won't look too good if you show up with a baby sitter, understand?"
Barry swallowed hard, because he wasn't so sure he cared what it looked like, he really didn't want to go in there alone, but nodded anyway knowing Eddie probably knew better than he did.
"That's a good little soldier," Eddie teased with a reassuring squeeze. "Stand your ground when you have to kid, but don't be stupid okay?"
Barry nodded one last time giving Eddie no-last-name a weak smile and forcing himself to start towards the door of the run down building he would be calling home for the next few weeks before he did something stupid like beg the other man to come with him. For better or for worse he was on his own in a world he didn't understand and more nervous than he'd been yet.
As he approached what was a rather beat up old screen door he heard his ride pull out of the parking lot and his heart sank a little, not that he could change his mind, but he really wished he'd spend the 45 or so minute ride from Alexandria better, because right now he had a million questions that suddenly felt urgent. If he thought his palms were sweating in the car that was nothing compared to how they felt now, still he was left with no choice, so he took one final deep breath and awkwardly pulled the screen door open after fumbling for the handle for a minute unable to see around his standard issue duffle bag.
He'd been so lost in thought as he approached the building he hadn't noticed the undercurrent of voices on his approach, but now that they'd stopped with the squeak of the spring he missed them. Though, he couldn't see very well around his bag he knew all eyes were on him, he could feel them, as he skirted around the screen door hoping not to get hung up on anything. He was sort of patting himself on the back as he shifted his duffle lower so he could see. His foot was poised for another step, but he froze…
The room wasn't full by any means, there were only eight other people there, which he thought was decidedly worse than if it had been packed, especially since they were all pretty much shooting daggers at him. He settled on pretty much, because he didn't bother to hold anyone's eyes long enough to discern much, instead he started on his fumbled apologies, which were immediately over shadowed by some of the others, who didn't bother to lower their voices as they insulted him.
"Cap, I know you said we'd be babysitting, but I thought it was a figure of speech," an irritated gruff male voice spoke first.
"God, what is he 12," a female voice asked next. "Did you get a permission slip from his parents?"
"This is a joke right?" Another rather haughty male voice asked causing Barry to turn a deeper shade a red. "There's no way we're bringing him with us!"
"Cap, there's got to be a mistake," a different female voice insisted. "This can't be right."
"I'll take him," a rather good-natured and somewhat jovial male voice added with a chuckle. "Come over here, kid, you can sit with me!"
The insults were one thing, and while they made him flush with anger just as much as with embarrassment the insinuations from the last comment sort of surprised and embarrassed him more than all the rest, and flailing clumsy Barry Allen made an appearance. Somehow, Barry never knew how it happened, but it happened to him all the time, he tripped over his own feet and his duffle went flying as he landing sprawled out face first in the middle of the aisle.
Barry debated on whether or not he should just stay here and pretend like he hurt himself, because there was no way in hell he was every going to live this down, and if he was injured maybe they would let him go home, but a part of him knew Wells would never let that happen. He was positive his whole body was bright red due to the embarrassment currently consuming him, but he remembered Eddie's words about the babysitter thing, and started to push to his feet.
"Knock it off!" A commanding voice that sent chills down Barry's spine snapped and all laughter ceased immediately, before he was roughly yanked to his feet by his over-sized back-pack.
He was sort of wobbly as he was roughly set down and grabbed onto the rather impressive biceps of whoever picked him up. He opened his mouth to apologize to or thank whoever it was, but when he looked up his voice died in his throat. Barry was face to face with the most gorgeous man he'd ever seen, and that man was glaring at him, but in such a way he had no idea what he was thinking. It was more unnerving than anything he'd ever encountered in his life. Ice blue eyes bore into hazel for a long moment and Barry could do nothing but stare with his mouth slightly agape.
"You're late," the man finally said after something that made Barry blush all the more, if that was possible, glinted in the cold icy eyes sort of shoving Barry away from him before picking up his duffle and slamming it into his chest. "Find a seat."
A/N: So this is from a post on tumblr by Scarlet-ice... It's going to be a sort of slow burn, and while it won't gloss over all the bad stuff that comes with things of this nature there'll be some fun and laughs along the way... and obviously love... because ColdFlash. I hope I do the idea justice and I hope you guys enjoy it!
Oh and I was wondering if any of you can guess who the Rogues are by their insults/statements... hint We've got Mick, Mark, Hartley, Lisa, Shawna, and of Course Len!