"Soon you won't even remember that you are the Flash."
Eobard sneered at him, so satisfied, so sure that he had won the day. Barry would wipe the grin off his face, forever.
Memories of a life that no longer existed were meaningless, like Eobard Thawne became in that moment.
Citizen Cold began working with the CCPD in May of 2014, when it had become clear Harrison Wells' particle accelerator had created a new kind of criminal threat. Male, looked to be in his mid thirties, thin, and moved with long, exaggerated movements. An incredibly expressive mouth, which helped considering his face was always covered by blue goggles and the hood of an oversized navy blue parka. A handgun was holstered to his right thigh, clearly visible. He always wore leather gloves, he insisted it was to prevent himself from accidentally freezing anyone, but Barry swore it was more to protect his fingerprints.
People generally assumed Barry Allen hated Cold because he was frightened of metahumans, didn't like the chill in the room every time he came to pick up evidence. Didn't like the fact Cold got a museum for being a "super" hero, that people respected and trusted someone who could kill so easily. Cold himself actually had nothing to do with Barry's distaste.
Barry Allen was a metahuman, with the same power as Kid Flash.
Speedsters did not have a good rep around Central City, mostly thanks to Kid Flash and The Rival's treatment of it as their personal boxing ring. The Rival wasn't a serious criminal, in the same way Kid Flash wasn't a dedicated superhero. The Rival committed petty crimes to lure Kid Flash into a race, and Kid Flash was consequently, not so much interested in the crimes as catching The Rival.
They were generally harmless, but awful nuisances. Central City did not need another speedster, so Barry kept this fact hidden. It was easier to let people believe he was just one of the bigoted masses who hated metahumans with a passion.
Cold was always trying to warm Barry up.
"Mr. Allen," a sharp drawl interrupted his thoughts, "You have those reports for me?"
"Cold -," Barry turned his head sharply, to see the hero, no, vigilante spreading ice crystals all over his lab's floor, "-stop doing that."
"How cold of you, Allen," Barry could swear the man smirked under his hood.
Barry ignored it, sliding a folder across his desk, "No new metas, traces of another Kid Flash and Rival skirmish."
Cold looked over the papers carefully, "You know, Allen," Here it goes again, "-they say you've worked with Kid Flash before."
Barry's throat tightened a little, because he had, sort of, but damned if he'd let Cold in on the loop, "You ask this nearly weekly, told you, I don't know shit, my last girlfriend was just obsessed with him."
It wasn't exactly a lie. Iris West was the lead metahuman journalist at Central City Picture News. Barry just happened to know why she had that interest.
He didn't remember why he was so drawn to her,but he'd asked her on a date that somehow ended in Star Labs, with Team Flash, who looked at him rather expectantly. They knew. He'd nearly vomited on the spot, then Wally West revealed himself to be Kid Flash, expected Barry of all people to train him up and - it was all too much. Barry was ready to tell the whole precinct Kid Flash's secret, til Wally dragged him halfway across the city, and slammed him into the wall of an abandoned warehouse.
Wally vibrated his voice dangerously, fingers firm on Barry's collar, "I don't know what's gotten into you Barry, but let me tell you something I do know."
"There's the body of a man inside that building. Eobard Thawne. You don't remember it, maybe, or maybe this is all part of your sick plan to toy with us. But whatever happened to him, something says you were responsible. You used us, used my battle with the Rival to cover this, didn't you?"
Barry's breath caught in his throat. He'd been off the past few months, had a hard time remembering why he'd done certain things.
Wally continued, not waiting for his response,"What would happen to Barry Allen if the folks over at Star Labs found out, huh? What if Iris knew? Your cop pals?"
He thought the nightmares were a part of whatever illness had gripped him. In his dreams, he saw himself, in the red suit Star Labs had offered him, vibrating his hand deliberately slow through the man in yellow's chest, taking his time to pluck the heart from the ribcage. You did this to me, you, you did this to yourself, he screamed. It was just a dream until he'd seen that suit, tailor fit for him, until Wally slammed open the door to the warehouse and shoved him inside.
It was the same as his dreams. The corpse of the man in yellow inside a dusty glass box at the far end.
"You have two options, Barry," Wally growled, keeping a firm grip on Barry's bicep, "You keep on playing your little game, and I tell everyone. Iris gets the press down here, and there's a brilliant headline, local cop is a meta,found guilty of the murder of unidentified man. Or, I let you clean this up, you get the fuck out of our lives, and never mention any of this to anyone."
Barry chose to get lost.
"-Allen?" Cold's voice dragged him back into his body, usual drawl all but lost in concern, "Are you alright?"
Barry licked his lips, "Fine. Don't much like speedsters,"
Cold snorted, and the drawl was back, "Like you enjoy the presence of any metahuman."
He turned on his heel, a devilish glint in his goggles, if such a thing was possible, "Oh, and Barry," he tossed a look back when he'd reached the door, "You should learn to chill."
Barry almost laughed. Brushing the frost from his desk, he hoped Cold knew there was only one metahuman Barry Allen truly hated.