Sorry for the huge delay in posting this chapter. I had a lot of personal stuff go on which made my writing suffer. I finally finished editing this chapter to the point where I'm mostly happy with it.
I know I said this was going to be the Girder chapter but I struggled to write anything for it. I decided to start introducing my OC metas early since they gave me more motivation. I hope you enjoy it.
The next day passed by at a snail's pace. With Bette's death still fresh in our minds the atmosphere at the lab had an obvious overcast. The more I thought about her the stronger my guilt became. I essentially coaxed Bette to her death for selfish reasons.
The moral side of me wished I had encouraged her to run from Eiling instead of face him. The logical side of me was glad I managed to keep the timeline intact despite my disruptive presence. I had no desire see the infinite number of shit storms that could have happened if Bette hadn't faced Eiling. Still, I felt extremely guilty for what I did even if it meant getting one step closer to home.
"Evelyn."
I snapped out of a daydream I didn't realize I was having. As my vision came back into focus I watched my shield flicker away. Eobard approached me in slow strides.
"Your shield manifested when you stopped paying attention," he explained. "What were you thinking about?"
I frowned and looked down at the matted floor.
"…Bette," I mumbled.
"You feel guilt for what happened," he concluded.
"Yeah," I admitted.
"In the end Miss Sans Souci made her choice," Eobard reminded me. "Don't let her death distract you."
My frown deepened. I couldn't think of what to say to argue back so I just kept my mouth shut and concentrated on my shield exercises. Even without Bette's death clouding my thoughts I still couldn't consciously get my shield to grow past my hips. Apparently I grew visibly frustrated because Eobard felt the need to speak up.
"You can't be perfect at something the first time you attempt it," Eobard chided. "You need to calm down and focus your energy."
I involuntarily let out a short laugh. "You sound like—"
Don't! my inner voice warned. He could use anything you say against you.
One of Eobard's eyebrows raised slightly when I cut my sentence short.
"Sound like who?" he asked curiously.
"Nevermind," I said quickly.
Eobard sighed. "Evelyn, I know our…arrangement may have you on edge but keeping your thoughts and emotions bottled up inside is not a healthy habit. That may be causing this mental block you have."
There he goes again twisting my arm to get what he wants…sneaky fucking bastard.
"What you said reminded me of something my husband says to me all the time," I admitted.
"You must miss him…and your daughter," Eobard stated sympathetically.
Eobard actually sounded sincere when he said that. I knew better than to believe him. He was just trying to get an emotional response out of me again. It worked.
My heart ached as their faces invaded my mind. His goofy smile and her infectious laughter brought tears to my eyes. I quickly wiped the tears away with the back of my hand.
"Try again," Eobard commanded.
I closed my eyes and held my breath. I felt the connection to my power almost instantly. The energy swirling inside me filled my whole body with warmth.
"Can you feel the connection?" Eobard asked me.
"Yes," I responded with a small nod.
"Good. Now open your eyes." I obeyed him. "Spread your focus from the connection to the source of your power. Give it form."
Just like he said I imagined the energy flowing from the pit of my stomach upwards. I felt the energy solidify above my head and steadily grow down towards the floor. As the shield entered my peripheral vision my concentration wavered. Before I had the chance to react the shield vanished and I couldn't feel the source of my power anymore. I sighed with disappointment and Eobard shook his head.
"If you continue to suppress your emotions you'll suppress your full potential," he lectured.
I opened my mouth to speak but Cisco's voice over the loudspeaker cut me off.
"Dr. Wells, Barry has some case files he wants you to see," Cisco said. "Also, he got us all pizza from Keystone."
Eobard sighed. "Freshen up and then come upstairs," he said as he walked back to the wheelchair. "Don't take too long or the pizza will get cold."
"Is Keystone pizza good?" I asked him.
"Very," Eobard replied without hesitation. "It's just as good where I come from. I'll meet you upstairs."
"Okay."
I left the training room with a small smile on my face. It felt nice to hear something about the future that hadn't been said on the show. In a way it kind of made me feel special.
During my quick shower and the trip upstairs I constantly reminded myself to act like I'd never had pizza before. The last thing I wanted was a slip up over something stupid like pizza.
I entered the cortex as Eobard—now under the guise of Dr. Wells—reviewed the case files Barry brought back from CCPD. Before today's training I remembered Barry briefly mentioned how during a house fire downtown the fire hydrant just outside couldn't produce a single drop of water until after he put the fire out himself. CCPD had the city check their water system and apparently it was still operational so they had no idea why the fire hydrant didn't work only during the fire.
"Glad you could finally join us," Dr. Wells said without looking up from the case file.
"Me too, this pizza smells really good," I said as I grabbed a slice covered in pepperoni. I barely fought back a moan as the crust crunched in my mouth. "Oh my God…"
"Having super speed has its perks," Barry said before he took another bite of his half eaten slice.
"So, are there any updates on the case?" I asked as I stood beside the speedster.
"The homeowner claims a former classmate named Lucy Arrington was involved somehow," Barry informed me. "He says she's been stalking him for the last few days."
Cisco shoved the last of his slice into his mouth so he could search for information about Lucy. A few seconds later a profile with a picture popped up on the screen. In the mugshot Lucy had a blonde pixie haircut and striking green eyes. She also had a minor cut on her left eyebrow and fresh bruises all over her face.
"Looks like she was arrested for disorderly conduct about ten months ago but the charges were dropped," Cisco read aloud. "She's been missing ever since. Her last known address isn't far from here."
Barry read the address on the screen and then excused himself to call Joe.
"So, I've given this a lot of thought and I think I finally came up with a name for you," Cisco announced with a big smile.
My grin grew just as wide as his. "Really?" I asked with excitement.
Cisco nodded. "The Shield."
I chewed on my pizza thoughtfully as I repeated the nickname in my head.
"I like it but I feel like it's a tad too literal," I said truthfully.
Cisco made a jokingly sour face. "I wasn't sold on that one yet anyway. I'll come up with something better."
"Maybe we should hold off on the name until I can actually make a full shield," I joked at my own expense.
Cisco smiled and took another huge bite of pizza. I felt better now that Cisco wasn't so suspicious of me. I briefly wondered what was up with that since it seemed so out of character for him.
"How has training been going for you?" Caitlin asked me. She then blotted pizza grease off her bright red lips.
I frowned slightly. "It's been going okay."
"Well, you know what they say," Caitlin said encouragingly. "Practice makes perfect. Um…you do know that phrase, right?"
"I do now," I said with a laugh.
In the middle of the laugh I involuntarily let out a loud yawn. A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over me.
"Sorry, I just feel really tired all of a sudden," I said as I stretched my arms.
"You shouldn't feel so tired this late in the morning," Dr. Wells stated with concern. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"
"I got about eight hours worth last night," I responded.
My stomach quietly grumbled so I grabbed another slice of pizza. As I opened my mouth to take a bite Barry sped into the room, grabbed his suit, and left. The force of the wind knocked the slice out of my hand. I frowned at the floor expecting to see pizza splattered all over my shoes. The slice was nowhere to be found.
That jerk just took my slice on the way out! I thought as I looked at the doorway.
"The police found Lucy already!" Barry explained through the intercom. His voice sounded extremely panicked. "Both officers are injured and they just called for back up!"
Caitlin quickly moved the pizza boxes so Cisco and Dr. Wells could have more room to work. I stood by the desk with the pizza to watch them from a distance. Cisco had a map pulled up in seconds. Barry's locator icon zipped through the streets until it stopped at Central City University. Dr. Wells brought up live footage from the campus security cameras.
Two police officers lay on the ground in front of Lucy and the Flash stood a few yards away.
"Stay away from me or you'll end up like them!" Lucy threatened as she took on a fighting stance.
"I'm not trying to hurt you," the Flash assured her. "But I can't let you hurt anymore people."
Lucy glared at him. "Only one person deserves to be hurt and if you get in my way you will be too."
Lucy charged at the Flash and he just shook his head. He sped behind her and easily bound her wrists.
"Seriously, what did she think was going to happen?" Cisco asked, shaking his head.
Without warning Lucy's entire body turned into a puddle of water. The Flash lifted one foot and stomped down on the puddle as hard as he could. The water absorbed into the ground just before his foot made contact.
"Uh…guys…she's a metahuman that turns into water," the Flash announced, staring at the ground.
"We saw what happened," Dr. Wells said. "Come back for now."
Onscreen the Flash nodded and zoomed away. Seconds later he reappeared in S.T.A.R. Labs and casually pulled the mask back.
"So what now?" Barry asked with worry.
"Now we track down Miss Arrington," Dr. Wells stated as if it was obvious.
"Even if we can track her down how can I catch her?" Barry asked him. "She literally slipped through my fingers and got away."
"Don't worry, man, we'll get her," Cisco told his friend confidently. "I've already got a few ideas on how to stop her in her water form."
The glint in Dr. Wells's eyes when he smiled at Cisco with pride made my heart twinge. I recalled the episode where he finally revealed his identity to Cisco and plunged his hand through the young genius's chest. The emotions I felt in that moment were nothing compared to how I felt now that I knew that timeline could become a reality. If Cisco could get injured because of a skewed timeline his death was also a possibility.
"Evelyn, are you all right?"
I snapped out of my daydream when I heard Barry's concerned voice.
"Yeah, why?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Your eyes were glowing," Barry replied.
"Oh, sorry," I apologized. "I guess I need to focus better."
"Evelyn, may I have a word with you please?" Dr. Wells asked politely.
Damn it.
"Of course, Dr. Wells," I said with a smile.
Dr. Wells led me into a side office and I shut the door behind me. When he faced me with a very serious look I knew he was about to speak to me as himself not his persona.
"In the future be more mindful about your thoughts," Eobard lectured sternly. "If this becomes a recurring problem they could begin to suspect that you've recovered your memories."
"Yes, sir," I said in a poor attempt to not sound bitter.
"In any case, what do you know about Lucy Arrington?" he asked me. He crossed his arms as he waited for my reply.
"I just know what you guys told me."
Eobard didn't like that answer at all.
"You don't remember anything about her?" he asked with a sharp glare.
I shook my head. "No. The show didn't cover every metahuman you came up against."
Eobard rubbed the side of his head with frustration. "This metahuman is going to be problematic..."
"How so?"
"The records in my time have little to no information on her. All I know is that the Flash from my time could never catch her even with advanced tracking technology. If she was ever contained she somehow slipped through the most miniscule crack."
"...Well that sucks."
Eobard sighed most likely due to my choice of words.
"If she is not captured she could become a future distraction to Barry," he went on. "I have a plan that has potential if you can gain proper control over your ability. Because your shield is made from pure energy theoretically there would be no cracks for her to escape through."
"Huh…that makes sense." Then I realized that meant I would have to face a metahuman in combat. "Wait, are you being serious?"
"Very."
"I can barely use my powers! If I don't concentrate enough they do whatever they want!"
"That simply means you need to train harder. Maybe one day your attention span will be longer than that of a goldfish's."
I suddenly felt a nearly overwhelming urge to smack that smirk off his face. I loved Eobard as a fictional character but as a real person he really got under my skin. This situation brought conflicted feelings to a whole new level for me.
"I'll meet you in the training room downstairs," Eobard said. "I need to take care of a few things here regarding Miss Arrington."
I nodded and left the office. On my way out I grabbed another Hawaiian slice to replace the one Barry took from me. I leaned on the back wall of the elevator as I ate. I let out another huge yawn when the elevator door opened.
It felt strange to enter the training room without Eobard. Even though I was alone I still felt like he was watching me. Knowing him he was probably sitting in his time vault watching me through his candid camera setup.
While I waited I decided to play some music on my phone since Eobard wasn't around. He felt that music during training would just distract me. I, on the other hand, found that the right genre helped me concentrate. I was in the mood for some classical music so I picked a random Mozart playlist from YouTube and set my phone on the floor a few feet away. Hearing the soothing music helped me gain quicker access to my ability but I still couldn't make the shield bigger than normal.
"I have to be doing something wrong…" I grumbled.
I yawned again and rubbed my eyes. I roughly shook my head to wake myself up but I still felt really tired. Still, I pushed on with my training.
What the hell is taking Eobard so long? I thought.
After my fourth attempt I decided to take a break. I felt extra lazy so I decided to lay on the floor. Moonlight Sonata gently played from my phone as I stared up at the ceiling.
My mind wandered off to thoughts about my family but I forced them away. I knew Eobard was right when he said suppressing my emotions wasn't healthy but I had too much on my plate. I didn't need a distraction.
Before I could get too comfortable I got back onto my feet. When I tried to make the connection something instinctively told me to stop. For a few seconds I hesitated before I ignored that feeling and solidified the connection again. This time my shield barely appeared before I collapsed to my hands and knees. My limbs became so weak I could barely hold myself up.
What's happening to me…? I feel so weak… I'll just shut my eyes for a second…
I attempted to lay on my side but someone caught me and sat me upright.
"Evelyn, stay awake!" Barry said loudly.
I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't so I simply shut it again. Barry said something else just before I felt extremely dizzy. Something tightly squeezed my arm and indistinguishable sounds blurred together in the background. After another wave of dizziness everything became utterly silent.
Then I felt it.
Warmth spread through every vein in my body. The warmer I felt the more aware of my surroundings I became. A cool breeze blew by and the distant sound of cars honking became steadily clearer. Soon I realized someone was holding me in their arms. I found that I had enough energy to open my eyes.
"Looks like you feel better," Barry said, smiling down at me.
"Uh…yeah…" I mumbled as my cheeks flared red.
"Do you think you can stand?" he asked, concerned.
I felt my face flush even more.
"I-if you put me down slowly I should be fine," I stuttered.
Barry slowly lowered me to my feet. I instantly lost my footing and Barry had to catch me. He gently eased me down to the floor and leaned my back against some kind of railing. I took a quick look around and saw a huge metal walkway several yards above me. The walkway connected three tall structures one of which was covered in scorch marks and had a large chunk missing.
Wait a second…
"Are we on the roof?" I asked as I continued to look around.
"Yeah we are," Barry replied.
"Um…why?"
"Well..."
###
Barry watched the computer screens over Cisco's shoulder as the super genius doxed more information about Lucy and the house fire victim. The victim, a man named Wilson Wright, also had a criminal record. When Barry read the report his eyes widened.
"Whoa..." he uttered.
"Damn..." Cisco mumbled as he finished reading the report.
Dr. Wells wheeled himself over with a curious look on his face.
"What did you find?" he asked them.
"Well, I think I figured out why Wilson claimed Aquarius was responsible," Cisco announced.
Dr. Wells ignored the improvised nickname for the metahuman and waited for Cisco to continue.
"The day the particle accelerator exploded Wilson was the driver behind a hit and run," Cisco revealed with a depressing frown. "He knocked Lucy down a slope into a lake and ran over her younger sister Nina. Lucy was just a little banged up but her sister died of internal bleeding and other injuries not long after she got to the hospital.
"The next day Lucy confronted Wilson and they got into a heated argument. When the police got called Lucy was arrested for disorderly conduct but the charges were dropped when she showed them a video of him hitting Nina."
"How did she obtain the footage?" Dr. Wells asked.
"The file says they were filming for a class project at Central City University," Cisco responded.
"Was Miss Arrington a student there?"
"Yeah, and the jerk that ran over her sister was their teacher. That's how she knew where to find him and what his car looked like."
Just as Cisco opened his mouth to continue a loud ringing noise came from the tablet attached to Dr. Wells's wheelchair. The man's eyes widened when he read the alert on his screen.
"Barry, get Evelyn and bring her up here now!" Dr. Wells ordered.
Without hesitation Barry ran out of the cortex and arrived in Evelyn's training room a few seconds later. She was on her hands and knees on the floor slowly swaying from side to side. Her eyes slid shut as her arms buckled beneath her. Barry grabbed her before her arms totally gave out.
"Evelyn, stay awake!" he practically shouted.
Barry rushed Evelyn upstairs when she didn't respond. On the way up he took a quick look at her. Her complexion grew more pale by the second. He arrived back in the cortex and showed her barely conscious body to Dr. Wells. Caitlin wrapped a blood pressure monitor around Evelyn's arm the moment Barry set her down.
"What's happening to her?" Barry asked in panicked voice.
Dr. Wells frowned as he shook his head. "I don't know. Her heart rate suddenly plummeted to a rate too low for the watch to read."
"It's lower than sixty beats per minute!" Caitlin exclaimed.
Evelyn attempted to open her eyes but they couldn't even open halfway. Her eyes glowed brightly for a few seconds and then the light flickered away. Her eyes continued to flicker with light as she struggled to remain conscious.
"What's going on with her eyes?" Cisco asked.
Dr. Wells's eyes widened in realization.
"Her body doesn't just absorb UV energy to create her shield she needs it to survive," Dr. Wells deduced quickly. "Because she has been inside her body has had limited UV rays to absorb."
"So she just needs UV exposure?" Caitlin asked uncertainly as she removed the monitor.
"I'm taking her to the roof!" Barry announced.
Barry raced out of the cortex with Evelyn in his arms. He pushed himself to speed up the flights of stairs that led to the roof. He looked down at Evelyn who began to mumble incoherently. The only thing he heard was her own name over and over again. He screeched to a halt in the middle of the roof.
When nothing immediately happened Barry's concern skyrocketed.
"Come on, come on..." Barry uttered. "Please work...please!"
The glow in Evelyn's eyes changed to a steady light before it slowly faded away. Her skin didn't gain any color back but it stopped growing paler. A few seconds later she finally began to stir. Barry smiled down at her with relief.
###
"…Wow."
That was all I could say after Barry's long winded explanation. About halfway through his story he decided to sit on the floor next to me. Something about his presence made me feel so happy and safe.
Then guilt reared its ugly head again.
I was consciously betraying and lying to the person that just saved my life without hesitation. Barry hardly knew me but he still reacted as if Cisco or Caitlin had been in danger. It made me feel like a piece of shit.
"So, how long do you think I should be up here?" I asked weakly. "The sun is definitely helping but it doesn't really feel like it's enough..."
"I'll call Dr. Wells and see what he thinks," Barry said as he reached into his pocket. He dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. "Dr. Wells? …Yeah, she's fine but she feels like she's not getting enough energy from the sun."
There was a long pause from Barry but I couldn't hear anything on the other line.
"If you think it'll work it's worth a try," Barry finally said. "How long do you think it'll take Cisco to rig it up?" Barry made a distasteful face. "So what should she do in the meantime? She can't exactly stay out of the sun. ...Okay, I'll figure something out. Bye."
Barry ended the call and then shoved the phone back into his pocket.
"The good news is Dr. Wells and Cisco came up with a way to...charge you back up," Barry informed me. I smiled at his awkwardly chosen choice of words. "Dr. Wells is going to buy a tanning bed and Cisco is going to modify it so that it emits stronger UV rays. See, the UV rays in a tanning bed are stronger than natural sunlight so using a modified one will give you energy faster than staying up here."
"Oh...that makes sense," I said.
"Cisco thinks he can modify it so you only have to use it for an hour give or take," Barry continued. Then he frowned. "Unfortunately it'll take a few hours for Dr. Wells to buy the tanning bed, get it here, and then for Cisco to fix it."
I frowned as well. "...Well that sucks."
"If it makes you feel any better I can—"
The ringer on Barry's phone cut him off mid sentence. He sighed heavily and answered the call.
"Sup, Joe?" he asked casually. Barry bit his lower lip as he held back a curse. "I'll be right there." He put his phone away again and looked at me sadly. "Well, I was going to keep you company but the police need CSI at the university where Aquarius just was. Dr. Wells said you have to stay up here in the sun or your heart rate could drop again."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course he did..."
Barry put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you'll be fine. Cisco and Dr. Wells will be able to help you."
Like with Bette, right? I thought sarcastically.
"I know," I said with a small smile. "Thanks, Barry."
Before Barry left he grabbed my laptop from my room. With a sigh I flipped the screen open and turned it on to watch random shows.
About an hour or so after Barry left Caitlin came up to check on me. She felt bad that I had to stay on the roof by myself so she kept me company for a while. We actually watched an episode of House M.D. together before she had to get back to work. Apparently she was helping Cisco and Dr. Wells determine how strong the UV rays needed to be in order to give me energy without potentially killing me in the process. She seemed pretty confident with their progress so far which made me feel a bit better.
Around dinnertime Caitlin came back to the roof this time with food from Big Belly Burger. She sat beside me as I ate to tell me that the tanning bed was finally finished. They managed to give my "super bed", as Cisco liked to call it, a manual control panel that allowed different intensity settings. After she explained how the super bed worked she frowned slightly.
"...Why don't I like that expression on your face?" I asked worriedly.
"There is one small catch about using the super bed," Caitlin admitted. "In order for the UV rays to give your body energy they need to be at a high enough level where the heat and radiation could...potentially cause any clothing you wear to combust."
"…Okay?" I said unsurely. Then it clicked. "Oh…"
"Cisco has a few ideas on how to make fabric durable enough that the UV rays won't damage it but until then…"
"I have to be naked…" I sighed heavily. "I guess it can't be helped."
I finished off the last of my food and Caitlin helped me to my feet. As soon as I stepped out of the sun I felt my body get weaker but with Caitlin's help I managed to get to my room without collapsing.
Other than a touchscreen control panel attached to one end the super bed looked like any other tanning bed to me. Most of the work had been internal so I'm not sure why I expected it to look any different on the outside.
Caitlin shut the door behind us and turned her back so I could get undressed. As I pulled off my clothes I felt extremely self conscious. I knew basic security cameras weren't installed in every room but I strongly suspected that Eobard had hidden cameras in here somewhere. The thought of him watching me made me feel sick to my stomach instead of excited like I thought I would.
Once I was in the super bed Caitlin handed me a set of goggles to wear over my eyes. She advised me to keep my eyes shut even with them on since the goggles were meant for a normal tanning bed. As she started to close the lid I asked if I had to remove my vitals watch. Caitlin told me that Dr. Wells believed it could withstand the UV rays and then shut me inside. Her high heels clacked along the floor as she approached the control panel.
"I'm going to put it on the lowest setting and turn it up if I need to, okay?" Caitlin asked me.
I nodded then realized she couldn't even see me.
"Yeah," I responded.
A few seconds later I felt a warm, tingling sensation all over my body. I felt like I was back on the rooftop. This time I felt very relaxed.
"How do you feel, Evelyn?" Caitlin suddenly asked.
"Really relaxed now but getting about the same amount of energy as on the roof," I told her.
"Good, that's what we were aiming for. I'm going to slowly turn it up so tell me if I need to stop. Okay?"
"Got it."
As the light intensified my body relaxed even more. My warm limbs felt increasingly heavy as the seconds passed. I barely managed to hold back a moan of pleasure.
"Evelyn, how do you feel?" I heard Caitlin ask.
I was so engrossed in the amazing sensation it took a few seconds for me to realize that I needed to respond.
"I feel really good…" I informed her with a smile.
"Can you stick your arm out so I can get a blood sample?"
"Of course, Dr. Snow…"
My arm felt so heavy I struggled to stick it out of the gap to my left. Caitlin instructed me to hold my arm straight out and make a fist after she applied a tourniquet to my arm. I found myself struggling to follow her instructions but she managed to get her sample. Caitlin tucked my arm back in the super bed for me, turned it off, and went to a small machine she put on the filing cabinet that held my S.T.A.R. Labs themed wardrobe.
The warm feeling quickly faded away as did the heaviness in my body. I felt so alert I swore I had a large coffee with two shots of espresso. I desperately wanted to get out and stretch my legs but I forced myself to wait for Caitlin to say something.
"This is incredible!" Caitlin finally said after a long silence. "When your body absorbs the UV rays your brain releases a very intense dosage of endorphins. This generally happens with most people when they go tanning but your endorphin levels are much higher."
"So…getting a tan makes me high now?" I asked.
"Well, yes and no. You don't appear to be getting a tan which is probably because of the way your body filters the radiation. Also, the types of endorphins your brain released during the process versus the ones released during a state of intoxication, for example, are different."
"Oh, okay. So how much longer do I need to be in here?"
"How do you feel?"
"Like I could keep up with Barry in a marathon. Okay maybe not that fast but I feel pretty good."
Caitlin opened the lid to let me out so I could get dressed. I handed off the goggles to her and once my eyes adjusted to the light I quickly got dressed.
Caitlin opened the door to allow Dr. Wells and Cisco to come in. Caitlin filled them in on what happened and told them the super bed worked perfectly. During their conversation I overheard that I had been laying in there for about half an hour. It definitely felt a lot shorter than that to me.
When their chat was finally over Dr. Wells turned his attention to me.
"You don't feel any side effects from the procedure?" he asked me.
I shook my head. "Nope. I feel great, actually."
Dr. Wells smiled approvingly then faced Cisco and Caitlin.
"Why don't we all go downstairs for a quick training session?" he asked us all. "You two can observe Evelyn as she carefully—" He briefly glanced at me in the corner of his eye. "—tests out the scope of her abilities once they have been regenerated."
On the way downstairs Cisco and Caitlin expressed their eagerness to watch me train. They were used to only studying Barry so to a point I understood their excitement.
While I stood in the center of the room Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco stood near the door. I took in a deep breath and exhaled nervously. I still wasn't used to training with one person watching let alone two extra sets of eyes. Still, I felt confident that my recharge would help get my ability on track.
Unsurprisingly, I was wrong.
My shield still refused to go past my hips without breaking my concentration. I felt increasingly more embarrassed as I failed in front of them two more times. During those attempts I just barely heard the trio whispering to each other on why I couldn't make a complete shield like the time I was unconscious. They theorized that an adrenaline spike combined with survival instincts during a fight could be the only thing that would trigger a full shield.
A fight...
The memory flashed through my mind without warning. I recalled Starfire from Teen Titans deflecting an attack with her powers by creating a flat shield with her hands. I couldn't remember who she had been fighting but it easily deflected the attacks thrown at her.
Maybe if I try something like that I can force the shield to keep going, I theorized.
I stared at my hand and concentrated. Nothing happened. I waited for it to glow like my eyes or shield. Still nothing.
I guess I have to start it the usual way then try it.
Instead of keeping my hands down at my sides I raised them above my head. When the shield began to form I felt streams of energy extend into the tips of my fingers until the energy encompassed both hands. I dared to look up and saw my hands were now glowing the same blue hue as my shield. I slowly spread my hands apart and the shield's border extended to be parallel with my fingertips. I brought them closer together and the shield still followed my commands.
Holy shit! It's working!
Once again I spread my hands apart. This time I didn't stop. The energy easily followed my hands which made me brave enough to pick up the pace a little. Before I knew it my shield spread past my hips and I was forced to crouch down to keep it going. When my shield finally touched the ground I inhaled deeply before I slowly drew my hands back. The energy receded back into my fingertips before it returned to the shield.
I waited a few seconds to see if the shield would collapse. Nothing happened. I stood up straight and looked around in awe. I could barely comprehend that I was finally standing in a completed shield.
"That's pretty dope," Cisco said, genuinely impressed.
I faced the trio with a bashful smile. Caitlin and Cisco had looks of joy on their faces. Dr. Wells had a proud glimmer in his eyes.
"Excellent work, Evelyn," Dr. Wells praised with a smile.
For a split second my smile faltered but I forced it back on. Hearing that name still twisted my heart.
"What gave you the idea to use your hands?" Caitlin asked.
"I dunno," I lied easily. "It just kind of clicked since I hadn't tried it yet."
"I'm glad that you are finally showing progress in harnessing your ability," Dr. Wells said. "It appears maintaining an established shield hardly takes any effort."
"I guess not. I barely need to concentrate."
"If that's the case then we should see how durable your shield is."
I really didn't like the way Dr. Wells smiled at me when he said that. He asked Cisco to bring in the box from the room next door. When Cisco returned with the cardboard box Dr. Wells asked him to open the box and then throw the contents at me one at a time. Cisco reached into the box and pulled out a bright yellow tennis ball. I felt relieved that I wasn't about to have something drastic thrown at me. Part of me honestly expected a bomb. A small one, but still.
Cisco took a few steps to the side so he was a safe distance away from Dr. Wells and Caitlin. He threw the tennis ball at me as hard as he could. The ball bounced backwards so fast Cisco barely managed to duck in time. I looked at the point of impact with a frown. A crack no bigger than my thumb had appeared in the curved wall.
And Eobard wants me to trap a metahuman that can turn into water when I can't even deflect a fucking tennis ball properly… This is going to suck.
From there Dr. Wells had me focus on repairing the crack which took quite a bit of effort on my part. After that I worked on strengthening my shield. Over the next hour or so the tennis ball cracks got noticeably smaller until they stopped completely. For the first time in days I felt happy about the progress I made.
Eobard didn't seem as happy as me though. Unlike Cisco and Caitlin I easily caught the hidden meanings being his seemingly innocent comments as Dr. Wells. He dropped several hints that I was nowhere close to executing his plan to use me to catch Lucy. I knew he was right but it still hurt my newly developed ego.
Later that night CCPD got an anonymous tip that Lucy had been spotted downtown. When Barry showed up to stop her he noted that she seemed a little sickly and her clothes were dirty. Their encounter quickly escalated into an all out brawl.
Lucy used a combination of her powers and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to get away. Barry tried to use his speed as well as his own combat training to his advantage. Lucy just kept turning into water whenever he got a hold of her and then became solid enough to throw in a punch or two. Eventually she disappeared into the ground again but not before she swore he wouldn't deter her next time.
The following morning Cisco greeted me with a few surprises. He brought me breakfast from Jitters, a remote control, and a new set of clothes. He explained that the remote was made for the super bed so that I could just use it at the preset energy settings for my "morning charge". The clothes were made out of a thick silver colored material he synthesized to withstand the super bed's UV rays. Cisco claimed the only downside to the fabric was that it wasn't as breathable as he wanted it to be.
Cisco showed me how the remote worked and left me to charge up. After scarfing down breakfast I got dressed into my new clothes and climbed in the super bed. Feeling the UV rays give me energy felt just as good as last time if not better. This time I stayed in it for an hour to give myself an extra boost. Just as the super bed shut itself off I heard a knock at my door.
"Come in," I called as I sat up.
The door opened and Dr. Wells rolled in.
"Good morning, Evelyn," he greeted with a smile.
"Good morning, Dr. Wells," I said in return as I approached him. "Training time?"
Dr. Wells's gaze briefly went down before he nodded. I found it a little odd but I didn't think much of it.
"This morning we're going to do something a little different," he told me.
"How so?" I asked curiously.
"Get changed and I'll tell you about it on the way to the training room," Dr. Wells said, continuing to smile.
I couldn't help noticing that once again he looked downwards before he left me alone. I looked down at myself to figure out what he had been looking at.
...Oh.
I rushed to my bathroom mirror and studied my reflection. At first glance the thickness of my charge clothes hid the fact that I wasn't wearing any underwear. Unfortunately after taking a few steps back and forth in front of the mirror I realized my undersized chest very obviously bounced as I walked. When Dr. Wells first entered the room I took several steps towards him.
That's why that motherfucker had that smile on his face! I realized. I guess I can't really blame him for looking though. It's my own fault for not putting any underwear on before I answered the door. Plus it's not like he's had any since he got here and I'm a sexy bitch. ...Not so much that last part.
My mental rambling continued as I quickly changed into some grey and black workout clothes. I made sure to pick out the sports bra with the most padding.
When I got to the training room Dr. Wells instructed me to shut the door. As I did he stood out of his wheelchair and resumed his true persona.
"I see you're wearing the proper undergarments now," Eobard said as he examined my shirt and pants.
I glared at him and he cracked a small smile.
"So what's the plan, Eobard?" I asked him. I crossed my arms and impatiently waited for his response.
"Tell me, do you have any martial arts training?" Eobard asked, putting his hands behind his back.
"Nope," I replied. "Not even a little."
Eobard closed his eyes and shook his head.
"I'm going to teach you the basics of what I know," he told me. "Based on Barry's account of his second interaction with Lucy Arrington you will need to know at least some martial arts for when you face her."
Eobard started me out with perfecting my stance before he drilled me on punches, kicks, and blocks. Any time I messed up he made sure I knew it before making me do it again. Sweat beaded my forehead when he finally allowed me to have a short break.
"At least you're progressing fairly well," Eobard stated in a bored tone. He slowly paced in front of me as I sat on the floor. "Whether or not you can successfully put these exercises to use is still to be determined."
"I guess that's as close to a compliment I'll get with you so I'll take it," I said, stretching my tired arms above my head. I lay down on my back and folded my hands on my stomach. "So, are there any new leads on Aquarius or whatever Cisco's calling her?"
"Unfortunately no," Eobard admitted with a sour expression. "Anything we have tried has come up with nothing. She hasn't even been seen on traffic cameras."
"What if she needs to replenish her powers like I do?" I asked, staring at the ceiling. "Wouldn't she be hiding near a big source of water?"
"Barry has already searched every lake, pond, and water bottle factory in the city."
"What about the sewers?"
"…No, he hasn't. What makes you think she would be in the sewers?"
"Didn't Barry say she looked kind of sick and dirty when he saw her again? She could be staying in the sewers to hide from him after he found her again. All the bacteria and shit that's down there could be making her sick—"
"And therefore weaker. While that may be true you and Barry must keep her away from any large source of water no matter how contaminated it may be. She could easily overpower both of you if she tried."
I stared up at the ceiling in silence for a while. Something about the sewers was bothering me and I couldn't figure out what it was. The more I thought about it the more it bothered me.
Grodd! I thought suddenly. He's in the sewers! What if Barry finds him before he's supposed to?
I sat up to look Eobard in the eye. He was still pacing in front of me deep in thought.
"So, um…let's say theoretically Barry and I somehow end up in the sewers chasing down Aquarius," I began awkwardly. "What would happen if we ran into Grodd?"
Eobard immediately stopped pacing and faced me.
"Did you just say that Grodd is in the sewers?" he asked in a serious voice.
"Um…yeah," I hesitated to reply. "Aren't you hiding him down there?"
"I haven't been able to find him since the particle accelerator explosion," Eobard admitted. A look of realization spread over his face. "The first memory you told me of was about Grodd and Eiling in a dark tunnel with writing on the walls. They were in the sewers, weren't they?"
"Yeah. From what I understood you were hiding him in the sewers since you couldn't exactly take him back to S.T.A.R. Labs. I didn't see where he slept or anything but based on how much was written on the walls he spent a lot of time down there."
"I have to go," Eobard said suddenly. He briskly walked for his wheelchair.
"Wait you're not going to go find him now, are you?" I asked him as I practically jumped to my feet. "What about my training?"
Eobard ignored me and put his disguise glasses on. As he left the room he got on his cell phone to call Barry. He told Barry to come to S.T.A.R. Labs as soon as he could. I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation when he disappeared from view.
###
"You want me to spar with her?" Barry repeated.
Eobard, still disguised as Dr. Wells, nodded even though Barry couldn't see the gesture.
"Yes, I do," he replied.
"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" Barry asked. There was a hint of worry in the way he spoke. "She's just starting to get a handle on her powers and…I don't want him to find her."
"Believe me, Barry, I understand your concern," Eobard said truthfully. "However, we are running out of options because Miss Arrington has been so difficult to apprehend. I am currently working on a fallback solution should something go wrong."
"What is it?"
"Nothing worth mentioning until Cisco and I have a working prototype. Will you be all right sparing with Evelyn?"
"…Yeah."
The hesitant tone in Barry's voice didn't give Eobard much confidence. He hung up the phone and sighed as he shook his head.
Once Eobard reached the time vault he got out of the wheelchair. He put his hand on Gideon's podium and smiled when her projection appeared.
"Good morning, Dr. Wells," the A.I. greeted.
"Good morning, Gideon," Eobard greeted in return. "Have there been any reports of unusual activity in the sewers?"
"A report was released this morning," Gideon stated as a short article appeared on the wall. "Four construction workers claim to have been attacked by a large animal while doing maintenance work in the sewers."
Eobard quickly scanned the article to make a mental note of which section of the sewers to visit first. He scowled when he saw the name on the by-line.
The Beast Below
By Mason Bridge
Ever since the incident last year Mason Bridge decided to make it his personal mission to tarnish the reputation he built as Dr. Wells. The troublesome man was proving to be quite a thorn in his side. Fortunately Mason Bridge could be left alone for the time being; Grodd could not.
The time traveler changed into his yellow suit and sped out of S.T.A.R. Labs. His speed was so great he reached the sewers within seconds. At first glance nothing seemed amiss.
Then he heard a low growl.
Eobard slowly faced the tunnel at his back. A massive shadow appeared on the murky water's rippling surface. He smiled as he watched the shadow steadily get closer. Eobard reached up to his mask and pulled it back from his face.
"It's okay, boy," Eobard said in a gentle voice. "It's me."
The growl ceased and the shadow stopped moving. A deep, rough voice echoed a single word in Eobard's mind.
Father…? the voice said uncertainly.
At first the voice startled Eobard. He had no idea the particle accelerator combined with Eiling's atrocious experiments had actually given Grodd psychic abilities.
"Yes, it's me," Eobard said with a smile. "I finally found you."
You…looked for me? Grodd asked in astonishment.
"Of course I did. When Caitlin told me your cage was empty I was angry at myself for not taking better care of you."
The shadow moved again and this time Grodd came around the corner. The gorilla's muscles had grown massively since Eobard last saw him. He also noted how much larger his cranium had gotten.
Father always took care of me, Grodd said as he slowly approached Eobard. That is why he is father and I am Grodd.
Eobard genuinely smiled at Grodd as he pat the animal on the shoulder. Grodd closed his eyes as he savored his surrogate father's touch.
"You must have been lonely down here," Eobard stated.
Yes… Grodd admitted. Very lonely. But now that father is here to take Grodd home he is not lonely anymore.
"You can't come home yet," Eobard told the gorilla. "Before I get you out of here a few things need to be done and you're going to help me."
Eobard reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of Lucy Arrington.
"Have you seen this girl hiding down here?" he asked.
Grodd carefully studied the picture before he responded.
Yes, he said. She becomes one with the water.
"Where?"
Northwest several miles. What does father need with her?
"Don't worry about that," Eobard said in a firm voice. "Tonight a speedster in red will attempt to capture this metahuman. The speedster will have a companion dressed in silver that can create a shield made of blue energy. She is an ally to us and she may need your help due to her…inexperience. If you sense that she or the red speedster are in lethal danger you will save them no matter the cost. Understood?"
Yes, father.
Eobard smiled approvingly. "Good boy. I'll get your favorite if it all goes well."
Grodd snorted and puffed out his muscular chest.
Grodd do anything for father even without bamboo.
Eobard smiled. "I know you will."
###
Training with Barry went as well as I expected it to. I got my ass kicked. Every time. I never landed a single punch on him. He hadn't even used his speed. Well, until he decided to get us Chinese food from downtown.
"Wow, this is seriously hitting the spot, Barry," I said after a few bites. "You weren't kidding about this being the best Chinese in the city. Not that I really have anything to compare it to but still I can't imagine any other place beating this General Tso's or whatever it's called."
Barry laughed. "Well, I'm glad you like it. I just felt kind of bad that you haven't been able to leave the lab so I figured you should have more to eat than Big Belly Burger and Jitters."
"If tonight goes well maybe Dr. Wells will actually let me see the city."
"He's just doing what he thinks is best. We all are. None of us want the man in yellow to capture you again."
I frowned and set my fork down. "Yeah, I know. You guys have done so much for me so I'm just trying to work hard to make sure all your effort wasn't for nothing."
"Well, you've been doing good so far. When I first started using my powers I actually broke my arm."
"Ouch. That had to hurt."
"Yeah, it did. A lot."
Once we ate the rest of our food we went back to sparring. I had my legs swept out from under me almost immediately after we started. I quickly got myself back on my feet and ran for him again. Barry caught my punch just as Dr. Wells entered the room.
"How has training been going?" he asked us.
"It's been…fine," Barry lied.
I sighed. "You don't need to lie, Barry. I'm terrible at fighting."
Dr. Wells pursed his lips. "Barry, could you please give us a moment?"
"Uh…sure," Barry replied.
The scarlet speedster gave me one last look before he left. When Barry shut the door behind him Eobard stood and crossed his arms.
"Barry went easy on you, didn't he?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.
"Of course he did," I said with frustration. "And even then he still kicked my ass. Repeatedly. I can't go out there! Lucy will beat the piss out of me!"
"Like it or not you will have to," Eobard said with a glare. "Since your fighting skills leave much to be desired we are going to continue to focus on your shield. That may be the only thing to prevent you from getting yourself killed."
"Fine," I said, calming down a little. "I'll get the tennis balls."
"Don't bother, you're doing something different for this exercise," Eobard said as he walked to the back of his wheelchair. He grabbed something from the compartment behind the seat and walked back over to me. "Cisco and I made these for you. They're made of the same fabric as the clothes for the tanning bed in your room except these are lined with flexible metal wires similar to what are used inside ultraviolet lightbulbs. The metal had to be reinforced using special chemicals and a complicated refining process in order for them to withstand the energy you create. There is also a layer of insulation fabric to protect your hands from the immense heat the metal will conduct."
I grabbed the gloves from Eobard and examined them as I slid each one on. When I flexed my fingers they felt a little stiff due to the thick fabrics. Still, I couldn't feel any metal in the lining so that was a plus.
"First you're going to create a shield around yourself," Eobard instructed. "You are to only use your hands. The gloves need to be thoroughly tested."
Using the gloves felt weird at first. The metal in the gloves did cause the UV energy to manifest in my hands but they also made my hands borderline hot despite the insulation fabric. They definitely made creating a shield a lot easier though. The only downside was I had to try a million and one different ways to form the shield before I risked burning myself.
Quickly spinning in place with my arms extended worked the best but it made me too disoriented afterwards. The next best method was to create a small wall in front of me and then throw my arms back behind me in an arc to force the opposite ends of the wall to meet. If I didn't do it in exactly the right way the energy walls would essentially crash into each other and disappear.
When Eobard was finally satisfied with my speed and form I said I wanted to try something without the gloves. After a moment he stood back and watched silently. I took off the gloves and tossed them aside. I looked down at my hands and saw they were flushed bright pink from all the heat the gloves gave off. I put my sore hands above my head and concentrated.
As usual the shield began to form. Before I spread my hands apart I put my fingertips together to make a triangle shape with my hands. The energy obeyed my command and formed a small six-sided pyramid.
As I brought my hands apart in a downward slant a whoosh temporarily distracted me. I looked to Eobard to see him back in the wheelchair with his back to the opening door. Cisco poked his head into the room.
"Hey," he greeted us. "I just wanted to see how the gloves were…what are you doing?"
"I wanted to try something," I replied.
I turned my hands so that my fingertips faced in forwards instead of up and then slowly brought them down. The energy went straight down past my knees instead of continuing on the slant. I smirked and bent my legs slightly. With all the strength I could muster I leapt into the air. In one short motion I flicked my wrists down towards the space under my feet. The walls flew down to the floor in a point and the energy retreated from my hands. I almost lost my balance when I landed but with minimal arm flailing I somehow managed to not fall over. I waited for a few seconds to see if the shield would collapse or topple over but it didn't.
"Oh my God I can't believe it worked!" I exclaimed with excitement.
I can't believe I actually made the same crystal that Zelda got trapped in! I thought with excitement. This is so cool!
"Whoa, that's pretty sick," Cisco said as he fully entered the room. He stared at the shield with wide eyes.
"That is quite the crystalline prism," Dr. Wells complimented.
Out of the corner of his eyes he glanced at Cisco. A split second later Cisco clapped his hands together then pointed at me.
"Prism!" he practically shouted. "That's your hero name!"
In my peripherals I saw Dr. Wells give me a subtle nod. I smiled at Cisco as I dismissed the shield.
"I like it," I said honestly. "It has a nice ring to it."
"Told you I'd come up with something better," Cisco said with pride.
Yeah, with a little help from Eobard, said a voice in the back of my head.
Cisco then said he had to get back to work on his Aquarius solution and shut the door behind him as he left. Once he was gone I faced Eobard again.
"You totally guided him into naming me that," I accused.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Evelyn," Eobard said innocently as he stood up. "Now, if you're done fooling around we have to—"
Eobard cut himself off midsentence. He pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket and put it to his ear.
"Everything okay, Caitlin?" he asked. His eyes narrowed. "Does Barry know? …Good. We'll be right up."
Eobard hung up the phone and quickly shoved it into his pocket.
"Put your gloves back on," Eobard instructed as he sat down again. "Lucy has been spotted again. She's heading towards the hotel Wilson is staying at."
My heart pounded as I scooped my gloves from off the ground. I put them on as I followed Dr. Wells to the elevator. I cracked my knuckles nervously as the machine ascended.
"You will be fine as long as you keep calm and do exactly as I say," Dr. Wells whispered to me.
"I can't promise I'll stay calm but I'll listen to whatever you tell me," I said bluntly.
Dr. Wells sighed just before the elevator door opened. We rounded the bend and joined Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin in the cortex.
"Are they ready, Cisco?" Dr. Wells asked.
"They're all set but I could only make three," Cisco said, fetching a small case on the main desk. He opened it to reveal three small orbs. "I call them taser bombs. These puppies will release about twelve-hundred volts of electricity upon impact so once Aquarius is hit she'll be out cold. That should give Barry and Prism enough time to get her into her cell back here at S.T.A.R. Labs."
"Wait, if you have those why am I still going?" I asked with confusion.
"If Miss Arrington manages to not get hit by any of the bombs you will be Barry's last chance to catch her," Dr. Wells answered shortly. "If she manages to get away this time we may not be able to stop get from harming Wilson."
"Right…" was all I said.
Cisco closed the taser bomb case and set it back on the table. "And I have something else for you," he said as he faced me.
"You do?" I asked with surprise. "What is it?"
Cisco smiled as he produced a large white box from behind one of the monitors. He held the box out to me and I took it in my hands. My mouth fell open when I opened the box.
"Your suit is made out of kevlar fabric I made to match your gloves," Cisco quickly explained. "Basically it'll protect you from smaller caliber bullets, bits of shrapnel…stuff like that. You still have to watch out for knives and big guns though."
I pulled the suit out to take a better look at it. The left and right sides of the silver jumpsuit bore a large blue fabric diamond that stretched from the torso's middle to halfway down the thighs. The diamonds had numerous closely spaced lines of horizontal stitching. The thin blue belt had a silver square buckle with a small blue diamond shape carved into the center. I also noticed that the elbows, knees, and shoulders had some kind of scrunched up blue material as padding.
I then flipped the suit around to take a look at the back. A silver hood lined at the edge with blue hung down from the back of the neck. Inside the box sat a silver eye mask with a thick elastic strap and a pair of silver ankle boots with three buckles along each side.
The suit's overall style screamed Central City to me. The hood, eye mask, and boots gave the outfit a perfect Starling City flair. I barely believed the outfit in my hands was made by the Cisco Ramon and it was made specifically for me.
"I'll get changed so we can go get Aquarius," I said as I scurried to the bathroom. "Thank you!"
When I entered the stall I tossed my outer clothes on the floor. As I dressed myself in the jumpsuit I noticed it fit me perfectly.
How'd he get my measurements? I pondered. Eh, whatever. He probably guessed based on what I wear around the lab.
Once I was changed I rejoined everyone in the cortex. Barry was already dressed and waiting. Caitlin gave me a communicator to put in my ear and bid us good luck. Just as I put the communicator on Barry scooped me up in his arms and ran us out of the lab.
For a few seconds I felt woozy but Barry kept me steady until I regained my balance. My vision cleared to find Lucy Arrington standing on the sidewalk giving me an unimpressed look.
"You have a sidekick now?" she asked in disbelief. "Did you have to pick some bitch that gets motion sickness?"
Well fuck you too, bitch!
"I know what happened to your sister Nina," the Flash said in his modified voice.
A look of pain briefly showed on Lucy's face at the mention of her sister's name.
"It doesn't have to be this way," the Flash continued.
"The justice system failed my sister by letting her killer walk free with nothing but a slap on the wrist just because he had the right connections!" Lucy shouted. She coughed loudly but refused to back down. "Only I can get justice for her now!"
"Stay back until I signal you," the Flash whispered to me.
With that he ran forward and thrust the bomb at Lucy in an attempt to take her by surprise. Her body morphed into clouded water that narrowly dodged the weapon. The device caused the glass in the overhead street lamp behind Lucy to explode.
When she returned to her human form she formed a fist and swung it at the Flash. He easily used his speed to run behind her and give her a punch of his own. He landed the hit but his next attempt was unsuccessful. Just like last time she turned into water just long enough to avoid a hit before she hit him back.
The Flash aimed another punch for her face but instead of turning into water she ducked down and went for an all-out tackle. He easily dodged her main attack but one hand was close enough to his belt to snag one of the taser bombs. Before the Flash had a chance to react she threw the bomb back at him.
When that bomb hit it caused the one still attached to his belt to go off as well. The Flash's body contorted before he crumpled onto the ground writhing in pain. His eyes slid shut as he instantly fell unconscious.
God damn it, Barry! I screamed in my head.
Lucy smiled as she faced me. A sense of dread and fear overwhelmed my body.
"Nice try," she gloated, "but no one can stop me."
"Get closer before you try to trap her," Dr. Wells instructed through my earpiece. "Remember, give the shield a complete form or she could escape through the ground again."
"This is your first day, isn't it?" Lucy asked even though she already knew the answer. "Look, I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to. If you back off now and let me get to the son of a bitch hiding in that hotel you won't end up like your partner over there."
"While I admit that asshole totally deserves it for what he did I can't let you break the law," I said as I took an uneasy step forward. "Especially not after what you just did to him."
"Wrong choice."
Lucy ran at me with her fists at the ready. I knew I'd only get one chance to catch her by surprise since she didn't know what my power was. This was that chance.
I bent my knees and brought energy into my hands. I waited until Lucy was only about two feet away to jump. As I left the ground my arms swung upwards. The beginnings of a giant sphere formed beneath my feet just above the ground. As the energy expanded Lucy tripped on the edge of the shield and stumbled into me. The orb completely formed just as we hit the bottom of my shield. My head violently slammed on the ground causing dark spots in the corners of my eyes.
Lucy gained her bearings much faster than I could. She pulled her fist back to prepare herself for the next punch. I reflexively covered my face with my forearms. Her fist bounced off a wide circle of energy that formed just above my arms. The heat in my hands intensified as Lucy kept at it. When fists didn't help she resorted to powerful kicks. I tried to block her with the mini shield I created but the heat and concentration began to overwhelm me.
"Evelyn, the shield is cracking!" Dr. Wells exclaimed.
I peeked over Lucy's shoulder and saw that he was right. Thin cracks were growing behind her. Thankfully she hadn't noticed yet. Without another option I let my personal shield go to focus on the one that kept us trapped. I repaired the cracks just before Lucy kicked the wind from my lungs.
The team struggled to figure out what to do as I failed to block any of her attacks.
"Is Barry okay?" Cisco asked the others with worry.
"His vitals are still erratic from the shock and they're normalizing slower than usual," Caitlin replied in a panicked voice.
"Evelyn, you need to hold her off until Barry can heal," Dr. Wells instructed me.
I wasn't given the opportunity to respond. Instead I screamed in pain as Lucy kicked me in the face. She pulled her foot back for another hit but suddenly she clutched the sides of her head. I took the opportunity to kick her legs out from under her. When she landed I got on top of her, formed energy around my right hand, and gave her a solid punch to the nose.
The cartilage in her nose cracked beneath my knuckles and her head bounced off the main barrier. I gave her one more power punch before she could recover. With her nose bent at a funny angle and blood dripping from her nostrils Lucy finally passed out. Panting heavily I stared down at her.
"Evelyn, is everything okay?" Dr. Wells asked urgently.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said between breaths. "Lucy's face is pretty fucked up though."
"Is she unconscious?" he asked.
"Uh…she looks like it," I replied uncertainly.
"Shine a light in her eyes," Caitlin instructed me. "If her pupils are unresponsive she's unconscious."
I knelt down and formed a light around one hand. That hand hovered a few inches from her face as the other hand forced one of her eyes open. That pupil didn't change size so I checked the other one. I got the same result.
"She's out cold," I informed the group.
As I dismissed my shield I heard a loud groan a few feet away. I turned in that direction and saw Barry had finally woken up. I rushed to his side and helped him sit up.
"How you feeling?" I asked him.
"I've been better," Barry admitted as he stood. "Where's Aquarius?"
"Knocked out after she tossed me around for a while," I replied, looking over my shoulder at her.
Barry saw her as well and smiled.
"Nice job, Prism," he congratulated me.
I smiled back at Barry just before he sped away with Aquarius. My smile faded once I was alone. Aquarius clearly had the upper hand for most of the fight. Then out of nowhere she clutched her head in pain. I looked around to see if anything could have caused it.
I almost glanced over it but my eyes were subconsciously drawn back to it. There was a sewer cap in the street a few feet away.
Eobard must have told Grodd to mentally attack Lucy in case something happened, I concluded.
Before I could blink I was back in S.T.A.R. Labs. The disorientation wasn't as bad this time so I didn't waver when Barry set me down. He removed his cowl as I took off my own mask.
Caitlin rushed over to me with an extremely worried look. She practically dragged me to an exam table and then assessed the injuries to my face. She claimed I would have several nasty bruises on top of needing stitches just under my hairline. After she cleaned up my face and stitched up my forehead she pulled the privacy curtain shut and told me to remove my suit so she could assess the rest of my injuries.
As I stripped down I felt the adrenaline from the fight leaving my system. My whole body suddenly felt stiff and increasingly painful. On top of my other injuries I had bruised ribs and first degree burns on my hands. Caitlin put some ointment on my hands and said that with a few days off, an ice pack, and some painkillers I would be fine.
I got dressed into my clothes from earlier and came out from behind the curtain. It was Barry's turn to be examined which left me alone with Cisco and Dr. Wells. Cisco congratulated me with a fistbump and then excused himself to check on Barry.
"Trapping yourself with Lucy was extremely reckless," Dr. Wells said in a quiet, frustrated voice. "You're lucky I had a backup plan."
"What else could I have done exactly?" I asked bitterly. "I've never made a shield around anything other than myself so I didn't really think it was a good time to experiment. Plus Barry went and got himself knocked out so I had to come up with something."
"Do you even realize the severity of what would have happened to you if Grodd hadn't interfered?" Dr. Wells asked. His grip on his armrests tightened so much his knuckles turned white.
"Yeah well maybe I shouldn't have been out there after only being conscious for a few days after being in a coma because God knows what happened to me!"
I barely managed to keep my voice down I felt so angry. Dr. Wells sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with frustration.
"As reckless as you were in the end you did manage to subdue a metahuman even the Flash from my time couldn't capture," Dr. Wells said, lowering his voice even further. "Please be more careful next time."
I sighed heavily. "I will. Thank you for your help, by the way. If you hadn't said the shield was cracking I wouldn't have noticed."
Eobard smiled at me. "You're welcome."
For the rest of the day I remained isolated in my room. In my isolation a part of me wondered if working with Eobard would truly be worth it in the end. Did I have what it took to betray these people and side with a time traveling murderer?
Well, there you have it. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.