CHAPTER 1: SCARLET
One of the perks of being a male is not having to undergo the change that pregnancy brings forth onto a woman's body—newly formed curves, inevitable weight gain, and the alike. For most women, they are unable to hide their pregnancies as the fetus develops. Men, however, can continue on with their lives without their friends and families knowing. In fact, there are select occurences in which men are completely oblivious to their pending paternal status. This was the case for Barry Allen—for he spent the entirety of the past nine months without the knowledge that he was in the midst of becoming a father. Instead, he was racing through Central City, fighting crime and evil meta-humans, in a scarlet suit that many have come to admire.
Scarlet Allen was born on the tenth of August, weighing only seven pounds and two ounces, to a woman who had decided to give up the child many months before she was brought into the world. Once the child arrived, her refusal was as physical as it was legal. The woman refused to hold her; she refused to look at her; nothing–she wanted nothing to do with the child, and she didn't want to put herself in a situation in which she might change her mind. She walked out of the hospital hours after, but only after bestowing a name upon the child: Scarlet Allen—the name that will forever connect the child with her father regardless of the circumstances the child might face in the future.
However, in the foster system, not many people wanted her. She was unusual; her heart beat was beyond the normal range, as were her temperature and the rest of her vitals. Many people thought there was something wrong with her; no one wanted a baby that could possibly live a lifetime with health problems and complications, but little did they know that it was the speed force within her causing her to be the way that she was.
At the age of three months, she landed in the arms of Caitlin Snow and Martin Stein, two scientists from S.T.A.R. Labs who have heard about the child's wonders. They were curious beyond belief as they've only heard such symptoms in their own scarlet speedster, Barry Allen. What was the likelihood that a child would hold the speed force within his or her little body? It would be an abnormality, but that's what they lived for—they lived to seek the impossible, fighting and imprisoning those who have become a nuisance to Central City. Although, in this very moment, Scarlet was the one to have found her way into their arms.
"Aren't you a tiny, adorable thing?" Caitlin cooed, cradling the child in her arms. In response, Scarlet's tiny feet and arms moved quickly as she squealed in excitement. She loved the attention that she was receiving, and Caitlin was more than happy to feed her all the regard that she desired.
Dr. Stein, on the other hand, was observing the child from a short distance, noting the way the child's limbs moved and the momentum in which they did. It was a speed beyond the capabilities of a child her age, and the lack of dominance in her movements was evident of her inability to control the speed force within her. "Scarlet, huh?" he said with a smirk, causing Scarlet's attention to flicker in his direction. Her bright blue eyes stared at him—a shade of blue that everyone in Team Flash has all become too familiar with.
It didn't take long for the two scientists to put the pieces together, and a blood sampling was all it took to ensure their theory was correct.
"Barry," Caitlin said over the phone as she stroked the child's brillant red cheeks, "there's someone at the lab that you need to meet."
—-and in a flash, he was there.
A/N: Hi, hi, hi! My name is Shannon, and if you're reading this, then you probably read the entirety of the first chapter! I'm not really sure what I should say, so I'm going going to keep this short and sweet: thank you for reading. It'd also mean a whole lot to me if you shared your thoughts and opinions on what I have so far by reviewing this story. :-)
