Chapter 7: Goodbye
Five days ago
The warehouse was old and deserted. Barry came to a stop outside it and gave a resigned sigh. He spoke out loud as he approached the door more slowly.
"Why is it always some abandoned depressing place the bad guys hide out in? They'd blend in a lot better if they mingled with society."
Cisco's laugh came over the comm. "I think it's in the basic bad guy handbook. 'Find a properly creepy hideout. Abandoned is preferred so as to hide your general creepiness.' Pretty sure that's how it reads."
Barry's smile was still on his face as he slowly crept in the half-open door and glanced around, all senses on the alert. "Are we sure he's here?" The warehouse had obviously been neglected for years. The inside was dusty, dilapidated, and empty. The late evening sun, or what was left of it, was just slipping in through the lowest windows. It gave some light but created a lot of shadows.
"Well, no. But the facial recognition program pinged. He was caught on the security camera on the warehouse next door approaching the doorway you just went in. It's a pretty logical jump from there." Barry could hear the sound of Cisco slurping his drink.
"Okay." Barry automatically lowered his voice to a whisper. "Let me know if you find anything el—" Barry whirled at the soft sound behind him, ready for anything.
Iris stepped out from behind a column several feet away. "Nice to know I can still keep up with the fastest man alive."
Barry's stance immediately relaxed. "Iris, what are you doing here?" He swept the large area of the warehouse once more at super speed to check for possible threats, and then stopped next to her. She smiled up at him as he stood close, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Wait, Iris is there? How did—"
"Sorry Cisco, marital privilege. Turning my comm. off." Barry could hear Cisco starting to reply but shut it off anyway. His wife was pulling him in for a kiss and he didn't want anyone else in on that experience.
It had been a little over a year since they were married, but they were still acting like newlyweds. Barry was smiling too as they parted. It took him a minute to remember what he was concerned about. He cleared his throat.
"Oh, right, so what are you doing here?"
"You're not the only one chasing this guy. There's a connection between him and the last victim. She was one of his patients."
"Really? Why didn't you call me?"
"I wasn't sure if he'd actually be here. If I'm right, he likes to camp out by himself after an attack, and this warehouse is part of some properties his family owned. I wondered if he might be using them to be alone, but there are five on the list. I was going to check them one by one, just run reconnaissance, and let you know if I found a winner."
Barry looked around again, arms still holding her close. "Well, as usual, I think you're right. And I think you picked the winner with this one."
"You think he's here?" She looked around too.
"Facial recognition caught him on camera here. I came right over." His face was getting more worried by the second. "Iris, I think you need to go. I don't want you running into this guy. He's dangerous."
She gave him a look of understanding but made no move to leave. "They're all dangerous, Barry. We've made it this far."
"I know but—"
"He put a sweet girl in a coma, and several others that we know about. They all die in a few days. Holly's not gone yet. If we can catch this guy maybe we can find a way to help her. If we can't, well, then I want a piece of this guy." She had a dangerous glint in her eye.
The mental image of Iris kicking Dr. Hebbian's butt made Barry smile, but it faded quickly. "At the risk of getting my own butt kicked, I still don't want you anywhere near him. We barely understand his powers, and I—I don't want to lose you." His arms tightened around her waist.
She smiled up at him, running a finger down his cheek. "I said goodbye to you once. I won't do it again."
But he couldn't smile back. "Iris…please."
She relented with a heaving sigh. "Fine. But only because I love you. Besides, I'm not sure what I'd do if I did catch him. I'm not the one with super speed."
He kissed her quickly. "Thank you."
She rolled her eyes and grumbled, "The things I do for you Barry Allen," under her breath. But she kissed him back. "I'll wait by my car out back. When you get this guy I want to be here."
In a blink they were out next to her car. Her hair floated back down to her shoulders as he grinned at her. "What makes you think I'll get him?"
"Please. You always get the bad guy. You're The Flash. Besides, my husband is no loser. Except when we bowl together."
He laughed out loud, but then remembered he was supposed to be looking for said bad guy. "In that case, I'll be back in a few minutes, tops."
He gave her one last kiss and headed back inside. He switched his comm. back on, and was greeted with what was obviously the tail end of a tirade Cisco thought he couldn't hear.
"—but whatever, just cut me off mid-sentence! It's not like I'm supposed to be watching your back or anything! Not like I'm one of your best friends and part of your team! Not like I'm a human being—"
"Cisco the comm. is back on now." There was a moment of silence.
"Oh. Good to know. Did you find him yet, in between your second honeymoon trip and some cuddling?"
"No. Iris is out back by her car." Barry sped up the stairs near the back and looked around. A door stood open, and a rumpled sleeping bag was just visible inside. Barry rushed in, hoping to take the doctor by surprise. The room was empty.
"He's not here, but he's been here." Barry nudged a box of takeout Chinese with his foot. It was still warm. A plastic fork was still wrapped in cellophane next to it, the iced drink still shedding water droplets. "Very recently. Where did he go?"
"Nothing on the cameras nearby. I don't think he left."
He surveyed the room. The window at the back had a shabby sheet draped over it to keep out the sun. Barry approached it and flicked it open slightly, leaving himself a sliver of window to peek out. He looked down, checking for any sign of Dr. Hebbian.
Iris's car was parked below. Barry shifted slightly to change his angle of view, looking for Iris now. And then he stopped breathing.
They were both down below. Dr. Hebbian's hands were on both sides of his wife's head as she dangled limply between them.
"No! Nooooo! Iris run! Run!" He pounded on the window, and even though it got the doctor's attention he didn't let go of Iris. Iris didn't respond at all.
In seconds Barry was back downstairs, racing outside. Dr. Hebbian barely saw him coming and couldn't react fast enough to let go or get away. Barry's fist clocked him at super speed, throwing him several feet from Iris as Barry caught her in his arms, lowering her to the ground. Dr. Hebbian was knocked out cold.
"What happened? Is Iris okay?" Cisco's voice was high and tense.
"He got to her! She's going into a coma! Iris—"
Her eyes were slits, half-opened. She wasn't responding. Barry frantically pulled off his mask and hood so she could see his face. His gloved hand cupped her cheek as her head lolled.
"Iris? Look at me. Iris? Don't—don't go Iris! No!"
Her eyes slid closed. Barry paused just long enough to throw Dr. Hebbian in the trunk of her car. Then he rose with Iris in his arms and raced to S.T.A.R. Labs.
Iris had no time to react at all. One moment she was smiling as Barry zipped away, thinking how far they'd come since that day in the coma, the next two hands were fastened on her head from behind. She barely got a whimper out, suddenly unable to fight, struggle or move. She could feel some kind of energy pouring into her head, overwhelming her, short-circuiting her brain. Pain and fear blossomed, instantly out of control. Thoughts and memories tangled and whirled through her head as she felt herself weakening, her mind floating away...
She'd said goodbye to Barry once…run…she needed to run…she wouldn't do it again…no… belonged together…she wished she had super speed…get away…she wanted to run as fast as Barry…she'd refused to say goodbye…she needed to run away…run so fast…
She wasn't even aware when the hands had let go of her, that she was being held in Barry's arms. What she did register was that his face was in front of her, fearful and panicked, and that her own fear and panic were melding together with that face. She was terrified. She was slipping away… this was goodbye…she'd refused to say it and she couldn't say it now, but this was it. Goodbye Barry...
Goodbye…
"I got her." The voice, quiet with exhaustion but still triumphant, pulled her into consciousness.
Iris opened her eyes. She stared at the unfamiliar ceiling a moment, before two faces appeared above her.
Henry and Joe.
"Oh my God, baby…" Joe didn't even try to hide the tears flowing down his face. He leaned over her, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her cheeks, her hair. She allowed it mostly because she was still trying to figure out what was going on. Her eyes fell on Henry, who had stepped back once Joe moved in but now had a hand over his mouth, staring at her with unshed tears in his eyes. Her eyes begged an explanation, and he obliged.
"You—" he cleared his throat. "You gave us quite a scare, Iris. We've been really worried about you." Joe nodded his head where it was resting against her temple as he hugged her. She could feel his tears wetting her hair.
Iris searched her memory, trying to sift through memories that didn't make sense together. The virus and super speed, and her suit and getting attacked and toppling off a building and her wedding day…
"Barry." Her voice was a raspy unused instrument. "Where's Barry?"
"I'm over here." His voice drifted her way from the bed next to her. Joe pulled back, finally letting go of her so she could turn her head.
Barry's tired smile was shining back at her. "Hi."
"Hi." The tightness in her chest she hadn't even realized was there loosened and faded away.
She realized that Cisco and Caitlin were next to his bed. Everyone looked incredibly relieved.
"Why do I get the feeling that there's an amazing story behind all this?"
"Because you're an amazing reporter?" Barry grinned.
"Because you're very intelligent and these guys aren't that subtle?" Caitlin gave her a wink.
"Oh it's a good story," Cisco chimed in. "Well, now it is. Lay back and relax, and we'll fill you in."
