It's the final chapter!
~x~x~x~
Barry startled awake when cold water was thrown in his face. He tried to jump up, but found that his hands and feet were tied to a chair. Panicking, Barry jerked at the ropes around his wrists, but was unable to get free. He looked up when someone came into the room. He was an older man, probably in his sixties, and was of short stature. The evil grin on the man's face made Barry recoil. The older man motioned for the man that was standing beside Barry, that the speedster hadn't even noticed, to leave the room. The younger man obeyed and the older strolled forward to Barry, who scowled.
"Where am I?" he demanded. The man chuckled and suddenly backhanded Barry across the face. Barry's head snapped to the side and he felt his lip split open, tasting the iron tang of blood in his mouth.
"You'll speak when spoken to." the man said roughly. Barry glared at him, but remained quiet. "Now, you may be wondering what you're doing here. You have no one to blame but Leo for this." Barry quirked a brow, wondering who Leo was. Seeing this, the man smirked. "Ah, you know him as Alex. But, he's my no-good son, Leonard Snart." Barry's eyes widened. This man was Ale- Leonard's father? He wondered if this was the man that Mariah was afraid of. It would make sense. This man seemed vile. He had kidnapped Barry after all. Despite his questions, Barry kept his mouth shut. He knew well enough to not agitate the man before him. It seemed luck was on Barry's side, however, because the man kept talking. "You see, I was arrested and put on trial for some jobs I pulled. Instead of sticking by his old man, that spineless brat, along with his sister and best friend, testified against me and got me locked up. I taught that little bitch everything he knows and he turns on me the first chance he gets. Now, it's time for another lesson. I'm going to take everything he loves away from him and show him who's in charge!"
To say Barry despised this man already was an understatement. He subtly wiggled his wrists trying to loosen the ropes. When they didn't budge, Barry began to panic. He was the Flash! He couldn't be taken out like this! The man left the room for a moment and Barry rubbed his wrists raw trying to get free. When both men came back into the room, one carrying a camera and a strip of cloth, Barry ceased his movements.
"Lewis, you want me to gag 'im?" the taller man asked. Lewis grinned.
"Yeah Max. Then I'll take the picture." Lewis walked to a wall and turned an overhead light on. Max walked up to Barry and roughly tied the gag around his head. He handed the camera to Lewis and stepped back. Lewis took a picture that Barry knew was going to end up going to Alex. No, Leonard. Barry hated this. He was worried he would die and the last conversation he would have had with Leonard would be an argument. He wished he could go back and apologize to him. After taking the picture, Lewis walked up to Barry. He took the gag off and stared for a moment. Barry flinched when Lewis brought up his thumb and swiped at his lip. His eyes narrowed.
"Where'd the cut go?" he asked suspiciously. Barry was confused for a moment until he remembered that his lip split earlier when he was hit. It must have had time to heal by now. Barry's heart started racing, eyes wide.
"Maybe he's one of those meta-humans?" Max asked.
"Is that true?" Lewis growled. Barry winced. He was caught. Maybe he could spin this though.
"Yes." he said simply.
"What can you do?" Lewis asked.
"Just heal." Barry said. Lewis scowled.
"Go get the cuffs Max." he said with a sly smirk. Max left and returned not long after with two pairs of meta cuffs. "I'm always prepared." Lewis and Max wrestled Barry into the cuffs, one on each wrist and hooked to the arms of the chair. Barry sagged immediately as he felt the power that was always thrumming through him drain out. Lewis laughed. "Not so feisty now, are you?" he asked. Out of nowhere, Lewis punched Barry in the face. "Maybe that'll stay now." he said, grinning.
~x~x~x~
After explaining who he was and the situation to Joe, Len and the detective rushed into Len's apartment. Lisa jumped, startled when the door was wrenched open. Both she and Mick stood and turned toward Len.
"What's going on?!" Lisa demanded. Len just handed her the picture of Barry tied up and the note that came with it. Mick swore under his breath as he read over her shoulder. Lisa looked up at her big brother with wide eyes.
"Who's he?" she asked in a small voice, nodding to Joe.
"He's Barry's foster father. Detective Joe West." Lisa turned her scared gaze onto Joe.
"Detective. You can help us?" she asked. Joe nodded. His heart was breaking at how scared this girl was.
"Yeah. I'm going to do everything in my power to help. And, we're not going in there alone. I've got some friends who can help. Come with me." They all headed out and piled into Joe's car. Nobody spoke the entire way to S.T.A.R. Labs.
Once they arrived, Lisa, Mick, and Len looked up at the building in awe. Joe lead them inside and onto the elevator. When they reached the correct floor, they got off and walked down the corridor. When Joe entered the Cortex, Caitlin, Cisco, and Wells looked up. When his three visitors came in behind him, Cisco's mouth dropped open.
"Umm, Joe?" he asked. Lisa, eyes drawn to the Flash suit on the mannequin in the wall, walked over to it then looked back at the others.
"Is the Flash going to help us? Do you know him?" she asked. Wells sighed in frustration.
"What's the meaning of this Detective West?" he demanded. Joe turned to the scientist.
"Barry went and got himself kidnapped." he told them. Cisco sighed loudly.
"Aw, man! Again?" he asked. Len perked up at that.
"Wait, this has happened before?" he asked. Joe blew out a breath of air.
"Barry's...unlucky." he explained. "Anyway, these are Len and Lisa Snart and their friend Mick Rory. They were in Witness Protection."
"Who were they hiding from?" Caitlin asked curiously.
"Our father." Len answered. "I helped put him in jail this last time." Cisco whistled.
"So, your dad has Barry?" he asked. Len nodded. He handed the young engineer the picture and note he received earlier. Cisco looked at Joe. "Well, I guess I should tell you Oli- Arrow is headed here from Starling. He'll be here in a couple of hours." Joe nodded.
"I never thought I'd be glad to see that guy." he said. Cogs were turning in Len's head and he looked back at the Flash suit. He remembered Barry talking about the Arrow much like someone talking about a personal friend. Now the man was on the way to Central to see Barry? And these friends knew he would help find and rescue Barry? Len's eyes widened and the looked at the four people who were so involved with S.T.A.R. Labs.
"Is Barry the Flash?" he asked suddenly. Caitlin's eyes widened and Cisco floundered for something to say.
"Ummm..." he started.
"What?!" Lisa exclaimed, coming to her brother's side. "Well, is he?" she asked the others, hand on her hip. Wells glared at Joe.
"You shouldn't have brought them here." he said sternly, wheeling out of the Cortex. Everyone looked after him in silence for a moment before Cisco slammed his hand down on the desk.
"Well, we have to get Barry back!" he announced.
~x~x~x~
After Oliver arrived and introductions were made, Oliver wasn't happy about more people knowing his secret, the group put their heads together and came up with a plan. When the time came, Len, Mick, and Lisa headed to the location specified on the back of the note from Lewis.
Len walked into the warehouse with Lisa and Mick at his side. The warehouse was dimly lit, the only light illuminating the three figures in the middle of the room. Barry was tied to a chair, weird handcuffs securing his hands and rope securing his legs. He looked bad, cuts and bruises littering his face. Lewis must have beaten him. Len ground his teeth together in anger. Speaking of Lewis, the man was standing there behind Barry with a smug-looking grin on his face. The other man standing behind Barry was someone unfamiliar to Len. Len looked to Barry again. He had a gag in his mouth and was desperately shaking his head, eyes wide, as if he were trying to tell him something. So, this was a trap then. Just as Len figured it out, two men came from two dark corners of the room and grabbed Lisa and Mick. The four men wrestled the two over to Lewis' side of the room. Len clenched a fist and took a step forward.
"Uh, uh uh." Lewis tutted, brandishing a gun and pressing it against Barry's head. Len froze in fear and watched his father cautiously. "This is how this is going to work. You're going to take this gun and kill your little boy toy here." he explained. Len glared.
"And, why would I do that?" he drawled. Lewis laughed.
"Because, if you don't, I'm going to kill all three of them. So, you make the choice. Barry here dies, or your sister, your best friend, and your slut die. It's up to you." Lewis walked over to Len and handed him the gun. Len refused it at first, but eventually took the proffered weapon. Though, his stomach dropped in dread when he did. Lewis smirked a nasty smile and stepped back a bit. "You thought you could turn on me? You're such an idiot. I always come out ahead. Oh, and don't try anything funny, either. There's one bullet in that gun and you do anything stupid and they're all dead anyway." Len silently prayed to anyone that was listening that his backup get here soon. It was an impossible choice and he didn't want to have to make it. He would do anything to protect his sister, but this newfound thing with Barry made him doubt the choice he would make. "Well, what are you waiting for? Do it!" Lewis ordered gruffly. Len looked into Barry's scared eyes and raised the gun. Barry's eyes widened as Len aimed the gun at him. Suddenly, all hell broke loose as an arrow whizzed past Len's head and impaled Lewis in the shoulder. The hired thugs reached for their guns and began shooting as Oliver dropped down into the warehouse. Lisa and Mick worked on taking out the guys that had been holding them and the unfamiliar man that had been there when Len got here pulled a gun and moved towards Barry. Len used the single bullet he had in his chamber and shot the man in the arm. Meanwhile, Oliver made his way to Barry and began unlocking the meta cuffs. He yelled at Len over his shoulder.
"Here's a knife. Get his legs." he said, handing a knife to Len, who pulled the gag off Barry's face and set to work on the ropes around his legs.
"I thought you were going to shoot me!" Barry exclaimed as soon as the gag was off.
"Never." Len responded immediately. "I was just making it look that way while I waited for the others." Barry rubbed his wrists after Oliver released him.
"How did you two meet?" he asked Len, eyes narrowed in suspicion. When Len was finished with Barry's legs, he stood, helping Barry up as well.
"Detective West." he answered simply. Oliver leaned over to Barry.
"Your suit's in the van out front. Also, he knows." Barry locked eyes with Len for a moment before lightning flashed in his eyes and he was gone.
Suit on, Barry helped round up the thugs and Lewis for the police, who were on their way. By the time the group made it back to S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry's wounds had mostly healed, he just had a faint black eye left. He stopped in the Cortex and took his mask off, looking around at his friends. Oliver was scowling at Leonard and everyone else was chatting amongst themselves. Barry walked over to Leonard and got his attention.
"I think we need to talk." he said. Leonard nodded and motioned for Barry to lead the way. Barry lead them into a small room that housed a couple of small beds. Barry sat down on one of the beds and sighed. Leonard sat next to him and glanced at him before speaking.
"So, I guess for starters, you can call me Len. My name is Leonard Snart, I'm from New York, and my father kidnapped you." He looked up at Barry, blue eyes looking sad.
"Your father told me some of that." Barry said. Len looked like he was struggling with something, but continued anyway.
"My father was never a great man. He went to prison for a while when I was young and, when he got out, he was different. It started when he got angry at my mother. He would hit her, call her names. When she left, not long after Lisa, Mariah, was born, his anger turned toward me. He said he was trying to teach me lessons. He also started training me to help him with his heists. My hands were small and fingers able to get into places his couldn't. I went to juvie for the first time when I was fourteen. That's where I met Mick, Jason. When I got out, I discovered that Lewis had turned his anger toward Lisa while I had been locked up. I swore to myself then and there that I would try my best to always take the brunt of his beatings so I could keep Lisa safe. Anyway, I grew up to be a criminal, just like him. When he got arrested this latest time, I had the opportunity to testify against him in return for immunity from any crimes I mentioned taking part in. Honestly, getting him out of our lives was enough for me. He threatened us, though, and we were put into the Witness Protection Program and sent here." Len had been looking at his lap throughout his entire story and, when he looked up, he was shocked to see tears running down Barry's face. Barry sniffed and wiped his eyes, leaning over to hug Len.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that. And, I'm sorry I had Cisco look into you." Barry apologized.
"It's okay. I was just afraid it would put you, and us, in danger." Len hesitated a moment. "So, the Flash, huh?" he asked with a grin. Barry laughed and bumped their shoulders together.
"Yeah. I was struck by lightning the night the Particle Accelerator exploded and spent nine months in a coma. When I woke up I was really fast." Len whistled in awe before sobering once more.
"About us." Len started, looking down at his hands again. "If you don't hate me and are still willing, I'd like to give it another try. No secrets this time." Barry's eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting this. Just yesterday, he'd had his heart broken by this man and now, he might have a second chance.
"I could never hate you." Barry whispered. Len looked up. He brought up a hand and caressed the bruise under Barry's eye with a thumb.
"Do you want to try again?" Len asked cautiously. Barry nodded.
"Of course." With that, Len leaned in and gently kissed Barry. The younger of the two reacted immediately and kissed back with just as much feeling. He felt like everything was going to be okay now. Together, they could take on the world.
~x~x~x~
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