Chapter Four
Iris drummed her fingers on the table, looking out at nothing in particular as she waited for Caitlin to return with her test results. When another five minutes passed and she was still left hanging, Iris dismounted from the bed and made her way to the Cortex. She figured that's where she'd find her doctor. What Iris did find was Barry Allen. He was standing with his back turned to her, reading something in a folder and hadn't seen when she approached. She turned sharply to leave the room and her high heels scraped against the floor. She knew he had spotted her without looking in his direction. Her heart rate was already speeding at a disconcerting speed and she almost ran.
"I can leave." He said, she heard how the words squeezed through his clenched teeth. She clasped and unclasped her hands, trying to command her quaking to stop. This panic wasn't rational. Hadn't everyone on the team told her this fear was the work of the Nano Implant attached to her brain? Even the Flash, on his visit last night, had told her that Barry Allen was safe and as far as he knew, they were very good friends. Iris turned around to face the man who was still standing only a few steps away from her. She was surprised to find that he looked more terrified than she did. She closed her eyes for a moment and willed herself to see him as an unassuming stranger and not the monster who had kidnapped her.
"It's OK." She said, but even so, she backed away from him a little.
"Iris…I," he began to speak but thought better of it. "How are you?"
"I'm OK," she replied. "Tired actually." It was the truth, she really wasn't sleeping well. The dreams were getting worse, more vivid. Last night she'd woken up in a cold sweat and had needed to physically walk around the house to try and shake the feeling of loss that had overcome her. The Flash had already visited and left and the rest of the house had been sleeping so she'd been left alone with all the emotions she'd been avoiding. Her walk downstairs took her to a picture of her and Barry. It was a picture of them as children. With the streetlights that slipped between the loose curtains, she could make out their smiling faces. They'd clearly been comfortable with each other, happy even. Everything she knew told her Barry was friend not foe but none of it helped. It was like living with another person's brain in control of your body. Her heart and her mind were in constant disagreement. The feeling of loss she'd experienced after every dream had seeped into her days and she was walking around with it as a handbag. Standing in front of Barry Allen - the loss was so pronounced now it was like someone was squeezing her heart between their fingers. She breathed deeply and spoke. "So you work here too?"
"We help the Flash." Barry explained, shuffling his weight on his feet. "I'm kind of his CCPD contact so…" He didn't meet her gaze she observed.
"That's cool." She replied. Barry only nodded. A moment of heaviness hung between them like an anvil suspended in mid-air, threatening to fall at any moment. Barry cleared his throat and delivered them both, "The Flash mentioned that he's been seeing you." Iris cocked her head to the side and looked at him, her cherry red lips a little pursed, and Barry worried he'd gone too far. "He just mentioned it because he works with Joe too and, you know, you're Joe's daughter."
"Right of course. Yes. He visits me after his patrol at night and we…we talk." Iris replied. She smiled at the memory of their last conversation. She was more convinced than ever that the Flash did in fact have feelings for her. Now that she knew he was also talking about her with others, she couldn't help but feel flattered. Barry recognized the look on her face and he was conflicted. On the one hand, he was thrilled that she felt something for his alter-ego but on the other hand, he knew it would not be enough. It was Barry Allen that Iris loved, the Flash was just a part of what she loved about him. He couldn't make their relationship work if she couldn't trust him as himself. When the silence returned Iris turned to leave and Barry reacted. He moved towards her.
"Iris..." He called softly. She stopped and faced him a couple of steps away. Her heart was racing again although, she couldn't quite confirm if it was anxiety she was feeling. "I miss you." He sounded pained. "I know you feel something for me." He continued. "I can see it in your eyes…even now when that damn thing is telling you to run." She was still frozen when he covered the remaining steps and put a hand on hers, holding her wrist in his gently. Making sure to feel for any resistance from her. It didn't come and he took a chance and kissed her. He felt her whole body shudder and wasn't sure whether it was from fear or need. He nipped at her bottom lip just slightly but when she tilted her head up to him and gave him better access to her, he lost his control for a moment and pulled her in, deepening the kiss. Barry felt the distinct resistance then. Iris planted both her palms against his chest and pushed him, with force, away from her. Barry didn't have time to wallow in rejection. Iris clutched at her chest and her face contorted in pain. Instinctively he reached out for her but she cried out and grabbed the side of her head. "Caitlin!" Barry turned and made to flash away then, remembering he couldn't, sprinted out the Cortex instead. The moment he was in the hallway, he flashed the rest of the way to Caitlin. She was in the lab with Cisco. "It's Iris!" is all he said.
"What happened?" Caitlin asked.
"I kissed her."
When Iris walked into the newsroom a few hours later she was swallowed up by the noise and the urgency. After talking to a handful of colleagues who wanted to know all about her ordeal, she was finally able to retreat to her office but only after promising to have a meeting with her editor later in the week.
The moment she opened the door to her office, a powerful scent of sweet and spice and berries, arrested her. Her office was a nursery of Damask roses! Twelve dozen to be exact. Her coworker, Margarete was all too obvious about having counted them before she arrived and she stuck her head in the door way to tell her. Once Iris was alone again, she'd read the card. It said, 'Thank you for the talk.' Iris knew immediately that the roses were from the Flash. She'd half expected it to be from Barry. How did the Flash know she loved pink roses?
Iris spent the morning getting caught up with work. She found a paper she'd been working on - an expose on a young billionaire who had recently opened a children's home in Central City - and spent three hours completing it. She hadn't pitched the article to her editor yet but she was hoping with the interview Billy Shubert had given her, it would be enough to at least pique his interest. It wasn't a front page story, she knew, but it was a story worth telling. As she hit send on the email, with the article appended and her reasons clearly laid out, she allowed her thoughts to drift to the one person she was keeping at bay all morning. As she gave herself permission to wander, Central City's scarlet savior rushed front and center to her mind. She fingered a single rose, lifting it to her nose and inhaling deeply. When had she fallen so hard for the masked hero? She didn't even know who he was. How could she possibly have such strong feelings for him? Was this a trick courtesy of the implant as well? Ever since learning about what had happened to her, and since her dad had walked her through her history with Barry Allen, including the fact they were in love and had been living together, Iris was struggling to make sense of her world. She was doubting everything she was feeling. How could she fear Barry Allen and love him deeply at the same time? He'd been her best friend for twenty years! Everyone said they loved each other more than anything else in the world. Of course she believed them. She had the silver knob in her head as proof that they were not lying, but it still didn't make it easy to come to terms with it all. She was grateful that Barry was trying to keep his distance – the kiss today notwithstanding. She was grateful too to have the Flash as a distraction. No one seemed bothered that he'd been visiting her, even though they all worked with him – including Barry. She wandered how Barry really felt about him, he couldn't be completely okay with him.
"Wow." A voice interrupted her thoughts. Iris looked up to see Caleb standing in the entrance of her office. "Someone isn't subtle." He said and laughed. Iris looked around her, smiling.
"Can I help you Caleb?" She asked, already turning towards her computer to get back to work.
"Yes, you can actually." Iris turned back toward him, confused and slightly annoyed if she was honest. He entered her office completely and walked right over. Iris began to form a thought but…she lost it. "Have lunch with me today." She blinked and a searing pain struck her on the side of her head. Iris folded over her desk, her breath knocked out of her for a moment. Then, almost as quickly, she sat up and made eye contact with Caleb.
"Ok…" she replied feeling like she was on uneven ground. Caleb smiled, his blue eyes intense, glowing, behind the blue rims of his glasses. Iris had the weirdest sensation, like she might be drowning. She gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I'm suddenly not feeling so well." She admitted. Caleb brushed a hand against her cheek.
"Low blood sugar probably. Let's get out of here." He reached out his hand and she stood and placed hers in it. He ushered her out of the office.
Barry logged off his computer and turned to head down to Captain Singh's office with his report on the homicide he'd been working on for the past two days. Joe was making it up the stairs to him and Barry readied a smile for the older man but it dried up on his face when he saw Joe's expression.
"We were supposed to meet for lunch. "He said, before he'd finished his ascension. "I've tried calling her." Wally grabbed his phone and had Wally on the other line in quick succession.
"Do you have eyes on Iris?"
"Yes." Wally answered but his voice sounded strange.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know if anything is wrong it's just…she left CCPN with some guy that works with her."
"What do you mean?"
"They're at a restaurant down town right now, having sushi."
"What? Why didn't you call me!?" Barry snapped.
"Because of how you're reacting right now." Wally retorted. "I told Cisco. He's keeping an eye on the situation and I'm right outside. If anything happens, I'll have my hand around his neck before he can cough." Barry's jaw twitched. He knew Wally was right, this could be a work related meeting for all he knew but wouldn't she have called Joe to let him know. This didn't feel right to him.
Barry turned to Joe to speak but he put his hand up.
"Barry trust your gu-." Barry was gone before Joe could enunciate -'t'.
"Cisco I need the address of the restaurant where Iris is right now." Barry said into his intercom.
"Dude what are you doing? She's fine."
"Cisco the address!"
"39 Broadway Street."
"Thanks."
When Barry arrived across the street from the restaurant, suited up as the Flash, Wally was there to meet him. They invited some attention as they both stood before each other.
"What are you doing?" Wally asked.
"Making sure she's ok."
"That's what I'm doing." Wally retorted, clearly offended. "I've got this. She's my sister, I'm not about to let anything else happen to her." Barry walked passed him.
"You can tell me I'm overreacting after I'm sure she's safe." He was about to cover the last bit of distance, across the street, to the establishment, when Iris and her companion emerged from the exit. Barry recognized the man she was with right away. It was the coworker with the silver blond hair that had creeped him out. Barry didn't head over to them right away but he did watch Iris intently, searching for any sign of distress.
"See, she's fine…"Wally was just saying when both of them stilled. The man took Iris by the waist and moved close to her. Wally opened his mouth to speak but Barry was already gone. A blink later, so was Iris and the co-worker was standing Iris-less on the street. Wally made a crazy decision in the moment. He snatched up the man as well and headed in the direction he figured Barry was heading - Star Labs.
"You brought him here!?" Cisco exclaimed. "What were you thinking? We can't just go snatching up anyone who talks to Iris. That's kidnapping." Wally rolled his eyes.
"He's fine. Maybe a little shaken up." Barry walked into the Cortex, Caitlin behind him.
"She is still not waking up." Caitlin announced. When Barry arrived at Star Labs, Iris was out cold. That was over thirty minutes ago.
"I think he knows something." Barry said, referring to their prisoner. Wally gave Cisco a look, feeling a little vindicated but Cisco just shook his head at the younger speeder. "I'm going to go and talk to him as the Flash."
"I'm getting dad." Wally said and left. Neither Cisco nor Caitlin objected with Barry's plan so Barry walked out of the room, choosing not to blur to steady his nerves. If this man was really involved, he needed to remain calm and in control if he was going to get him to help them. Iris' life might be at stake. He didn't expect it to be an easy interrogation, but it took less than 5 seconds for him to walk into the man's presence before the man was talking.
"Hello Flash?" He greeted, "Or should I say Barry Allen."
Cisco walked into the med bay where Iris was lying unconscious and Joe was sitting with her. Caitlin, Wally and HR were talking in the Cortex. After observing Iris for a moment, Cisco walked out to the Cortex to join Caitlin and Wally. Wally was in the middle of saying something so Cisco approached silently so he could catch the tail end of the conversation. "When I was in the Speed Force prison, reliving the hell of seeing my mom die was the worse experience in the world…somewhere inside me, I knew I was trapped but there was nothing I could do. I was powerless. I just hate to think that, that is what Iris is experiencing right now."
HR patted Wally on the shoulder. "What young Wallace is saying team is, we can't keep sitting by and just letting this happen. It's time to take action."
"Yeah. I think we get that HR." Cisco scolded.
Caitlin sighed. "I just don't know if there is anything we can do."
"Well it seems to me that if she's asleep now…it's the perfect opportunity." HR continued, then he backed tracked, "Not that her lying unconscious is perfect in any way, but..."
"But now is the time to try and use the high frequency nullifier to stall the connection of the Nano Implant and vibe Barry into her subconscious."
"Are you sure you can actually do that?" Caitlin asked. Before Cisco could answer Barry flashed in.
"His name is Caleb Blue and he is one of Savitar's followers."
"Wow." Wally huffed.
"He confessed to everything." Barry continued. "He started working at CCPN this year – so pretty much when I returned from Flashpoint." He visibly flinched from that, "He says his job was to watch Iris and wait for directions but then…he fell in love with her."
"Of course." Cisco exclaimed exasperated. "Let me guess. He's saving her from you."
"You guessed it."
"How does he figure hypnotizing her with a future tech attached to her brain protects her from you?"
Barry sighed. "He thinks if she is far away from me, Savitar might change his mind about killing her." Even as he said it and he saw the look on his friends face, he knew they were trying to avoid the same thought that came into his mind when Caleb had said it: maybe he was right.
"Don't even think it!" Joe's voice boomed in the room. He walked over with strong strides. "My daughter is not some damsel in distress with no free will of her own. She may have lost control right now but don't forget who she's always been. Iris' choice is you Barry. It doesn't matter what some psychopath's misguided intentions are, she has a choice and she made it! She knew the risk, she knew the danger and she has known for months that her life was in jeopardy but she still wanted to be with you."
"Joe is right. If you hadn't called it quits –"
"Cisco!" Caitlin chided.
"Fine. Asked for some space. She would still have been with you right now."
"Okay. Well. So what do we do?" Wally asked. "Right now my fearless sister needs us."
"No. She needs me." Barry rested a gloved hand on Cisco's shoulder. "I want you to vibe me into her subconscious."
Cisco hooked up the nullifier to Iris. It was a small, unassuming piece that looked like a simple earpiece but was in fact blasting a high frequency that they could not hear. The moment he turned it on, someone did though. Barry heard the screaming and yelling all the way from the med bay and he and Wally blurred towards the pipeline. Joe rushed out too.
When the Flashes arrived, Caleb was holding his head, buckled in a corner. He stood up when he realized he had company, still gripping his head. His veins popping, red and angry.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting you out of her head!" Wally exclaimed.
"You can't break our connection." He screamed it. "I won't let you!"
"You won't let me?!" Barry's rage shook the narrow corridor. He flashed right up to the door of the cell Caleb was in. "I should end you right now"
"You can't touch me Flash. I told you. You hurt me, you hurt her. If anything happens to me…well…no more Iris West."
"But you can't kill her." Wally suddenly said, realizing it even as he said it. Barry turned to him, confused. "If you could, you would have already. You know she'll never love you and if you're in her head, you know she's fighting to get back to Barry. You can't kill Iris because Savitar is still the one in charge and you're afraid of him." Caleb looked crestfallen for a moment before he got his wind back in his sails. He moved to the door of his cell so that he was right up to Barry
"You're right. I can't kill her. I don't need to, Savitar will. What I will do is make sure she loses her mind. I will turn her mind to complete mush unless you free me…" Barry opened his mouth to speak but the clock of a gun behind them stopped him. Joe was standing with his gun pointed to the cell.
"Barry, Iris is ready for you." He said. Barry looked at him, saw the message in his face and moved away. Joe walked up to the cell and turned to Wally. "Let me in." He ordered.
Caleb backed away with dread. "You can't come in here."
Wally pressed the release button and watched as the door slid open and Joe stepped inside. He closed the door behind him.
Joe clocked his gun again. "What were you saying about hurting my daughter?"
"BA say high to the little lady for me will you." HR smiled. Barry sat down in the chair next to Iris' bed and Cisco came to stand behind the bed so that he was able to grip both Barry's shoulder and Iris'.
"Ready or not," he breathed, goggles in place. "Here we …"
