Chapter 3: Run

Iris sits at her desk, running over every possible lead, including the stone-cold ones. She heaves a sigh. She's nowhere. No idea what's causing the virus. No idea who's responsible, how to contain it. She can't even print an article on possible ways to avoid it. She grips her head in her hands, trying to hold out until she can run. She startles as Holly drops into the chair next to her desk.

Holly stares at her, far less chipper than usual. That just increases the fear. "Holly? You okay?"

Holly's face is almost haunted. "Are we going to die?" Her eyes are huge in her face.

Just the word makes Iris gulp. She looks at Holly's face and focuses on the feeling of running, how much calmer she feels when she does. She moves into Holly's view, giving her a determined look. "Not if I can help it. I'm going to crack this story, and you are too. We're going to be okay, Holly."

Holly nods. "Okay." But she still looks scared. She wraps her arms around her stomach. That's a move Iris recognizes. She's done it so many times before. She looks for something to distract her cub reporter.

"Holly, why did you become a reporter? Is it something you always wanted to do?"

Holly blinks. Mission accomplished. "I—I'm not sure. I just really wanted to. Like it meant something to me."

"Was anyone in your family one?"

"I—don't know. I don't remember my family."

Iris sits up straight. The next question seems to hold the weight of the world. "Were you adopted?"

"No. I'd remember an adoptive family too. I just…I don't remember any family at all, and I never realized it until you asked." Holly looks more and more concerned as the words come out. Iris realizes that panic is beginning to set in as Holly looks at her in return. She knows the question before Holly's lips form it.

"I don't either. Nothing." Iris practically gasps out the answer, trying to stay in her seat instead of running out the door. She's onto something. She can feel it. But it's terrifying.

Holly feels it too. "But how can that be? How do people just forget things like that? That doesn't happen. Do you—" her voice lowers to a hushed whisper as she leans closer "do you think we've been exposed?"

Iris stares at her. "I don't know. It's possible. Don't say anything until we know for sure. No point in causing a panic." Holly nods, still looking fearful.

Iris shoots to her feet. "Let's go find some answers." She guides her cub out the door and into their day.

She refuses to admit that her new friend has a slight glow about her. It's probably just sweat.

By evening the terror has become so pronounced that Iris spends less time helping people and more time just running flat out. She circles the city. She barrels up and down the freeway. She runs up and down the streets in a pattern, outlining the grid in blurred light.

When the terror becomes less acute, she finally slows down. She eventually comes to rest on a rooftop, looking out on the city. His voice issues from the shadows, but it's far less startling this time.

"I never realized how hard it is to keep tabs on someone so fast. Especially since you don't have a suit with a tracker."

She's still breathing quickly, but there is a slight smile on her face as she turns to face him. "We can't all be as fancy as you."

He just smiles in reply, carefully sizing up her emotional state. What he sees leaves him concerned. He looks away to mask it and tips his head toward the city below them. "I was tracking your progress."

"How did you know I'd end up here?" Her tone is suspicious, the next thing to scared. He can see her eyes narrowing in the low light. His heart starts to race a little faster as he speaks quickly, trying to put her at ease.

"I didn't. I was just watching from a good view, and then you stopped here. I got lucky, I guess." He holds his breath.

She's not sure she believes it, but she lets it slide for the moment. She's worried about more than him tonight.

He seems to know it. "Are you all right? You seem…really worried."

It is an incredible understatement. She crosses her arms to hide the slight tremble they have. "Everyone is worried nowadays."

He accepts this with a nod, looking serious. "That is true."

A sudden spurt of adrenaline makes her slightly abrupt. "What do you want?" She looking suspicious again, poised on her feet to run.

He holds up a hand while the other digs into a zippered pocket. "I brought you something." He approaches her slowly, as if she were a wild animal he didn't want to spook. Held out in one outstretched hand, cradled in his palm, is a mask.

It's red. The same color as his suit. It's small and slightly feminine with gold around the edges. She notes the small lightning marks formed on the outer edges of both sides. It looks like it will fit her perfectly.

Her eyes meet his, and for once there is little to no fear in them. His are another story. He watches nervously as she gazes at the mask, then gasps in surprise as she zips in, grabs it and zips back again. By the time she has returned to her original position she has it in place.

They stare at each other. Smiles twitch on both sets of lips. She raises her head to fearlessly meet his gaze. The mask obviously puts her more at ease. He is so pleased to see it that his grin widens, spreading across his entire face.

"You look really good in that." He can't hold back the fervent tone in his voice. She can feel the heat on her cheeks as she notes his appreciative gaze.

He finds a nearby chair and sits down, hands nervous in his lap. "So, what are you really worried about?" He does his best to look unthreatening, approachable. But his heart is pounding.

Iris debates a moment before taking a chair too. Thinking about Holly and the slight glow she's starting to emit to those who really look for it brings back coils and knots in her belly. "My friend…I think she might be…sick."

Even through his mask she can see the concern on his face. "Who's your friend?"

Her jaw snaps shut. She doesn't trust him that far. He quickly sidesteps his error with another question.

"The virus?" He says it quietly. She hesitates and then gives a jerky nod.

They both feel the pinch now, the fear in their gut. He nods but is unsure what to say.

Iris blurts the next question. "Do you remember your family?"

He stills. "Yes…" His answer is slow and cautious, as if he's unsure what the correct answer should be.

"I don't." She states it baldly. His mouth opens then closes again. He waits.

The silence seems to encourage her. "People don't just forget that. And what's worse, they don't forget that they forgot it. It has to be connected somehow." She hesitates, and then blurts it out as well. "I think I'm infected. With the virus. I think I'm going to die. And my friend is too."

"No." His reply is so swift it startles her. He makes a visible attempt to calm himself, readjusting in his chair and lacing his fingers together tightly. But his voice retains its intensity. "You can't."

She looks down at her own hands, clenched tightly in her lap, tangled like the fear in her stomach. She blinks back tears. "It's the only thing that makes sense. But I still don't understand how it spreads, how it works to infect people and kill them. I can't stop it."

"It's the fear." The words slip out. He realizes what he just said and looks at Iris, who is staring at him in surprise. He stares back, shocked and fearful now.

"You know something about this! How much do you know? How does it work? How do we stop it?" Her questions pepper his suddenly hunched form as he stares at his feet. He clamps his lips shut, refusing to say anymore.

Her voice rises along with her body as she stands up and tips over her chair. "Why won't you help us?" He shoots to his feet and tips over his chair as well. "Why won't you tell me?"

Finally he speaks, almost against his better judgment. "Knowing doesn't help it. Knowing makes it worse, it accelerates the fear."

"What do you mean?" At the mention of fear he can see her choking hers down. Trying to control it. His voice softens.

"Look, Iris. I can explain all this if you come with me, but I need you to trust me. Can you—"

"How do you know my name?" Though quieter, her voice cuts through his instantly. Mouth open, he stares at her and he knows he's blown it tonight. He knows anything he does will make it worse. She's staring at him, half panicked and half angry. He swallows. She shifts ever so slightly. He can see that she's about to bolt so he blurts his next words as fast as he can say them.

"That doesn't really matter now. What does matter is that this virus takes people quickly. You've lasted longer than most. Something you're doing is stalling it, slowing it down Iris PLEASE!" His voice rises to a fevered pitch as she moves to leave. She's full of fear now, and a million other emotions. The need to run is too strong. But his voice is desperate, pleading. She hesitates.

"What—" he licks his lips. "What are you doing that's different? How are you slowing it down? Please, just think."

The answer is obvious to her. She barely has to think about it.

"I run. When the fear gets too strong I run as fast as I can."

His hands come up to his head, like he wants to beat them on it. "Of course! Of course that's what it is! Wait!"

She's vibrating, the urge to run too overwhelming. Her breathing shallows, her heart is racing. She turns back and makes a frustrated growling sound at him.

"I know, okay I'm sorry that I'm not telling you more and I'm really sorry that I'm not helping you trust me. Just do one thing for me, until I get back again. Keep running, Iris. Run like your life depends on it. Because it does. Don't let the fear win. Run. I swear I'm here to help you. Just buy me some more time. Keep running."

He looks so desperate. His terror for her is so complete that it breaks through her own. Her body actually stills a moment as she accepts how much keeping her alive somehow means to him.

And though she would have kept running anyway, she chooses her next words carefully so he knows that she understands.

"Okay. Hurry back."

His face eases only slightly, the fear still clenching his gut tight.

"I will. I promise."

She nods. And then she's gone. Streaking off the rooftop and out of the city at hundreds of miles per hour. He watches her for a few moments, and then streaks off the rooftop of Jitters and in the other direction.

Neither of them notice the hard, piercing eyes watching them from the shadows of the far corner. No one sees the man's form ripple and disappear.


Barry can still feel the fear in his gut as he heads out into the city. Iris is right, running does help. He increases his speed and adds a few laps around the outskirts. It helps him get better control. He really needs that right now.

He's halfway to his destination when he notices the man standing on the sidewalk. He looks to be in his early forties, nondescript in almost every way except for how he's standing. He's braced against a building, hands clenching on the bricks. And he's starting to look shiny.

Barry immediately changes course. He comes to a stop in front of the stranger. Just looking at his face, Barry can tell he's probably too late. He's not even sure the guy can see him. His eyes are unfocused and staring, all energy directed inward. He's sweating, glistening, and the light from a nearby streetlamp is reflecting off him brighter than it should be. Barry reaches for his shoulders and he backs away fearfully. Dammit.

"It's okay! It's okay! I'm here to help you! Can you hear me? I want to help. Will you come with me? I promise I can help."

Barry knows he's coming on too strong. He knows this man doesn't know him, can't trust him. He knows it's probably a lost cause. But he can't ignore it. He has to try.

The man is starting to shine even more, stumbling and almost falling. Barry grabs the man's shoulders to keep him steady and waits. The man stares into Barry's masked face, takes a deep breath…and begins screaming.

Barry panics. Fear for Iris and all those affected takes over. He grabs the man and runs. Sure enough, that move just terrifies the man more. The screaming continues, growing louder even as Barry tries to talk over it and calm him down.

"It's okay, I'm going to help you!" He turns a corner and accelerates. "Stay with me! Stay with me!" Almost there…he zigzags up through several blocks.

The man's screaming is slackening and Barry's starting to think that he's getting through to him…until he looks down and sees the glow on his face. He's practically luminous.

He stops on the sidewalk, in front of Central City's tallest skyscraper. The screaming is gradually ebbing away, but not for the reason Barry wanted. The man's body goes limp in Barry's arms. Barry kneels, cradling him on his chest so he can free a hand and feel for a pulse. He can't find one. The glow is slowly fading away. Barry's shoulders slump. The fight goes out of him.

He stays on the sidewalk, holding the stranger in his arms long after he's gone. He feels him gradually go cold and the glow fades completely.

Barry stares at the night sky, at the top level of the skyscraper piercing the stars, and he tries hard not to let the fear engulf him. He tries not to think of his failures tonight, or of Iris. He tries to hold the hopeless feeling at bay.

He fails.