[Artemis' POV]
I made my way over to Jitters, walking through the construction zone that was fixing the road from the attack the other day. Jitters greeted me with its omnipresent strong, coffee-bean aroma, and I smiled at the calming sensation.
Eddie, Cisco, Barry and Caitlin were all sitting and laughing together at a table with food and drinks in front of them, and Caitlin smiled at me. I dejectedly smiled back at her. I had nothing against her, but I wasn't exactly willing to deal with Eddie, after last night. After earlier today, I had no heart to confront Barry and Cisco, either. I turned to order, but was nearly knocked off of my legs as a small body ran into me and wrapped snaky arms around my knees.
"Oh - hey Theodore!" I exclaimed, bending down to take the child's smiling face into my hands. I dropped a kiss on his nose, and picked him up.
"Where's your mama?" I asked.
"Dere," the dark-haired child said, pointing to a woman throwing empty coffee cups away. She walked over to me and smiled.
"Hello again. We didn't get a chance to properly introduce ourselves the other day," she said, holding out her hand, "I'm Elaine."
"Artemis," I announced, accepting her handshake with a smile. Theodore kicked himself out of my arms, and I let him down. He walked over and dutifully took his mother's hand.
"I've got to drop him off at daycare, and go to work, so I'm sorry for the short meeting, but I hope to see you again soon," Elaine promised, still smiling at me, "Thank you again, though. He thinks of you as his hero."
I smiled and shook my head in denial.
"Well, thank you. I only did what I had to."
Elaine left with her son, and I ordered, before turning around and taking the empty seat at the table where my friends were.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Barry's future girlfriend," Eddie greeted. Caitlin nearly spewed her coffee and looked at me in disbelief, before turning to Barry.
"Explain. Now."
"I have nothing to say," Barry said, holding his hands up in surrender, "This is all on her."
"What?" Caitlin asked, facing me with surprise.
"Future girlfriend?" Cisco inquired with a devilish smile, "Oh, do tell."
I focused on unwrapping my food, completely ignoring them. The two were still waiting, and Eddie was smiling proudly as he watched my reaction.
"I'm not anyone's girlfriend," I finally said, with a mouth full of bagels, "And I don't plan on it."
"Keep denying it. The bet's still on, and I hope you live up to your word," Eddie said.
"Likewise, Thawne."
"So, Eddie, tell me about this bet," Cisco crooned.
"Well, last night, Barry and Artemis tagged along with Iris and myself on one of our dates, and then they ditched us and went on a little date of their own," Eddie explained.
"Not a date," Barry coughed.
"Wow," Cisco murmured, nudging Barry with his elbow, "You didn't tell me about that."
Even Caitlin was shooting an expectant look between me and Barry.
"And Iris and I couldn't help but notice that these two would make a cute couple, and that they've got some great chemistry -"
"What chemistry?" I interjected, wanting to leave. Barry's eyes met my own across the table, but we both looked away.
"- and so we agreed that if these two do indeed become a couple within the next two weeks, they owe us a dinner, and if not, then we owe them a dinner."
I shrugged, and continued eating, while everyone watched me, awaiting a response. Eddie's eyes glinted in amusement.
"With love, from Central City, eh, Artemis?" Cisco teased. Barry rolled his eyes.
"Oh, come on! What's so bad about you two dating? You're both single, in your twenties, and total science geeks. And you love each other," Cisco said.
"No we don't," I replied uselessly.
"Why? What is it that's so bad its keeping you away from each other?"
"She's a Patriots fan," Barry answered quickly.
"Yeah, a Patriots fan who just moved to Central City. It'll die out pretty quickly," Caitlin added, "You don't have much to worry about."
"Thanks for the help, Caitlin," I intoned sarcastically.
"Well?" Eddie asked.
"Well what?" I asked, annoyed.
"What don't you like about each other?" Eddie continued. Cisco, Caitlin and Barry suddenly turned to me, awaiting an answer.
"Not my type?"
"That's out of the question," Eddie scoffed.
"Well, he's, ummm," I attempted, studying Barry, who had now raised a nervous eyebrow up at me. Aside from our little dispute this morning, and the fact that he liked Iris over me, I couldn't think of anything else that was particularly dis-likable. Barry was sweet, Barry was handsome, Barry was kind, and we got along pretty well.
"He's flawless," I mumbled in disbelief, "That's - that's not possible."
Barry gave me a surprised look, and Cisco raised his hands in a silent round of applause. Caitlin let out a small laugh, then immediately covered it up with a hand.
"Not bad," Eddie murmured.
"Well, that's one down," Cisco announced happily, turning to Barry.
"That doesn't mean I like him. Stop making a big deal over it." I scolded.
"She's right," Barry said, "Just drop it, guys."
"How can you not like a flawless man?" Eddie questioned incredulously.
"So, what should their couple name be?" Cisco asked Caitlin enthusiastically, brushing him off completely.
"Barrymis?" She offered.
"Artery?" Cisco shot back.
"Those all sound horrible," Barry said, "- not that I'm saying we need a shipping name."
"Or that we need to be shipped at all," I added. He nodded at me, and Eddie leaned his head on his hand, smiling at us.
"No. Not Artery," Caitlin mumbled, "What about Bartemis?"
"Artemarry!" Cisco announced with confidence, glee shining in his eyes.
"Artemarry?" Caitlin asked incredulously.
"'Artemarry' sounds like 'Ought to marry'," Eddie commented.
"See? It's perfect!" Cisco replied. Caitlin high-fived him. Barry shook his head and looked over to me.
"How did Operation Fourth Wheel turn into us being pushed into a relationship?" He asked.
"If I studied this for a hundred years, I still would have no answer for you," I responded hopelessly.
"Awwww, you two already have your own little secret operations!" Cisco gushed.
"What's Operation Fourth Wheel?" Caitlin questioned, facing me with a sweet smile. Eddie too turned to me for an explanation.
"I offered to help Barry get out of third-wheeling you and Iris," I described, picking at my breakfast.
"Oh," Eddie mused, turning to Barry, "No wonder you jumped at the chance to bring her with us yesterday."
Barry was about to defend himself, but I interrupted him by addressing Eddie.
"Hey, Thawne," I called, though Eddie was right next to me, "I needed to talk to you, actually."
"Oh? What's up?"
"I actually wanted to discuss it alone," I explained meekly, as four pairs of eyes fell onto me.
"What did you want to discuss with my boyfriend alone?" Iris the Waitress asked playfully, appearing around the table and draping her hands over Barry's and Eddie's shoulders.
"Mild safety concern I had," I lied with a smile.
"I'm kidding. I know you both better than to insinuate something like that," Iris said, smiling back at me.
"How's life, Iris?" Caitlin asked.
"It's going well," Iris responded pleasantly, squeezing Eddie's shoulder, "Just got a quick shift here, then I'm back over to the Picture News."
"How's your internship going, by the way?" I asked, glad for a chance to change the topic.
"Ugh. Horrible," Iris complained, though she still smiled, "Mason Bridges won't publish any of my work. He's under the pretense that I'm nothing more than an amateur blogger."
"Hey - your blog is pretty impressive, though," I replied, "What's his deal?"
"He's sick of me going on and on about the Flash, and actually believes there's a conspiracy behind STAR Labs. He'd much rather have me investigate that."
"What?" Cisco cried out.
"A conspiracy behind STAR Labs?!" I exclaimed sarcastically, "That's positively preposterous! Why would anyone accuse STAR Labs of something as horrific as that?!"
Cisco, Caitlin and Barry all looked away from Iris and narrowed their eyes at me.
"I'm kidding," I conceded, "But, hey, if its STAR Labs he wants, its STAR Labs he gets. You're a creative writer. You'll come up with something so spectacular - he'll never question your writing again. I'm sure of it."
Iris's eyes twinkled as she thought over what I said.
"Yeah..." she mulled, "Yeah, maybe I will. I just needed a push in the right direction. Thanks for the pep talk, Artemis."
I shrugged at her. I wasn't really aiming to guide her, but it appeared that my words had an encouraging effect on her. She dropped a kiss on Eddie's temple and gave me a quick hug around my shoulders from behind.
"You are going to help me make a name for myself," she assured, though I had no idea what that meant, and she surprised me with a quick kiss on top of my head before she walked away.
We all watched as she went back over to the counter. Even I was surprised by the quick, sisterly peck about my head.
I turned and faced Eddie with an evil grin.
"Did you see that?" I asked, smirking at him, "She kissed me. I am so going to steal your girl."
Eddie shot me a look of astonishment, before giving me a short, dry laugh.
"Not a chance. Iris and I are happy together. And - she doesn't swing that way."
"Neither do I, but wouldn't it be ironic if I'm the one who got the girl in the end," I joked, enjoying the disbelief on Eddie's and Barry's faces.
"You're insane. I've already got the girl," Eddie muttered, shaking his head with a weak smile, "I've got to leave. It was nice seeing you all for breakfast," he conceded, getting up to depart.
"Mind if I walk you out?" I asked, getting up as well. Eddie understood, and held an arm out towards the door.
###
"So, why are you doing this?" I asked, once we were safely outside.
"Doing what?" Eddie asked, as we walked towards his car.
"You're trying to push Barry towards me, when we clearly don't need any of that. This is all on you."
"I never told you both to run off on your own last night. And would you honestly deny that you didn't have a good time with him?" Eddie remarked, "You both had a lot more fun than Iris and I did, and we're the couple here."
"We're just friends," I answered, slightly annoyed by his words, "You've got ulterior intentions with this. Spit it out."
Eddie sighed and stopped, and looked away.
"Look - Barry kind of intimidates me," he explained after a moment of silence, looking back at me, "And I know him and Iris are just friends, and that there probably isn't anything there -"
"There isn't," I declared, defensiveness settling through me, though I wasn't sure why, "Barry would never try to hurt your relationship. And he doesn't have any feelings for Iris whatsoever."
"I - I know that," Eddie allowed nervously, putting a hand to my shoulder, "But it would really put my mind at ease if - if"
"If what?"
"If I had some surety on that matter," Eddie confessed, looking at me with uncertainty, "And I'm not trying to push you into a relationship - I'm sorry if it came off that way - but I think it would just take a lot of stress off of our own relationship if I knew for sure that Barry was invested in someone else."
"And what makes you think I'm that 'someone else'? There's thousands of people in this city," I argued, "What makes you think I'm even willing to be in a relationship with him? Barry doesn't need to be in a relationship for you to have peace of mind. It's all in your head. Don't try to set us up."
"Nobody's setting anyone up," Eddie explained, opening the door to his car, "But there is potential between you and Barry. And it wouldn't hurt anyone if you both acted on it. I'll see you around."
Eddie drove off, and left me in a state of confusion.
He was right. Barry and I did have a good time last night, even if it was just as friends. We always got along well together. And, to be fair, I did see where Eddie's logic was coming from. Iris turned fluttery as a happy butterfly around Barry. If someone got my significant other to act like that, even I would want them out of the picture.
Still, I didn't like the way Eddie was being forceful about it.
He had no right to use me to get his competition out of the way.
"Maybe he's just saying that to win your bet?" a female voice offered behind me. I turned and saw Caitlin waiting by the Jitters entrance, smiling nervously at me. I smiled back at her.
"How much of that did you hear?" I asked.
"Pretty much all of it," she responded with a poised nod, before smiling and pulling me back inside Jitters, leading me back to our table, seating me next to Barry.
"The last thing any of us needs is drama in our lives," she described, nodding at me and Barry, "And the two of you do seem to be good friends. So - just don't let any of this get to you. Let things slide, and if something was meant to happen, it'll happen on its own. Don't worry about the rest."
Barry nodded solemnly.
"Thanks, Caitlin."
Caitlin smiled appreciatively at us. I couldn't help breaking into a smile too. She always seemed to know what to say.
"Just go make babies already," Cisco groaned, dismissing us with a sip of his drink. I glared at him, and he smiled innocently back at us.
"There are two kinds of people in this world," Barry muttered. I chuckled at his remark.
Caitlin was about to say something, but was interrupted by a ringtone off of Cisco's phone. Answering it, he turned to Caitlin.
"Sorry, Jack and Rose, but we gotta jet. Dr. Wells is waiting for us," he said, getting up to push his chair in. Caitlin followed in his example.
"Alright - tell Dr. Wells that I miss him. Dearly," I joked. Caitlin smiled and rolled her eyes at me. The two waved us goodbye, and turned to walk out, but Caitlin spun around and walked back over to me.
"Wait - when do you want us to come over?" She asked.
"Whenever is fine for you. I've got nothing to do this entire week."
"Gee, I wonder why," Barry mumbled beside me. I gently slapped his arm.
"Will tomorrow after work be okay?" Caitlin asked.
"Tomorrow's fine."
"Okay. See you then," Caitlin answered, squeezing my hand warmly before turning away. Cisco saluted at us, and the two left, leaving me alone with Barry.
"Some morning," I muttered. Barry chuckled beside me.
"Yeah... Interesting morning indeed," he said, smiling at me. I finished my food in silence, and turned to him, enjoying our silence together, before realizing something.
"Don't you have to go to work?"
"What?"
"Work. You know - forensics lab? CCPD? Angry receptionist lady?" I observed, "The little hall on the third floor of the building located at the intersection of -"
"Artemis, I know where I work," Barry assured, "And - yeah, I probably should get going."
"Are you driving yourself?"
"Nah. It's not far. And walking is great exercise, anyway," Barry said.
"Though, you might have to run, now, if you know what I mean..." I joked, "You're a bit late."
"Yeah, maybe," Barry responded, smiling in agreement.
"Don't go too fast, though, or all of that friction might burn the city to the ground."
"You're hilarious. See you later?" Barry asked, holding his fist out for a fist-bump.
"See you later," I agreed, lightly hitting my fist to his. Barry faced away to leave, but soon turned back to me.
"Wait - if it's okay, could I come over on Thursday?"
"Sure? Why?"
"So we could just, like, compare evidence about, you know, the murders?"
Cold settled through me, and I nodded my head as I recalled the pictures of Nora Allen stabbed on the ground - almost identical to the ones I had of my own mother stabbed in bed.
"Alright. Thanks," Barry stated.
"Bye, Barry."
Barry smiled one last time and I wistfully watched him leave Jitters and walk down the sidewalk.
Barry was right. There was no way he could be the Flash. He was too gentle and poised for that kind of action, that kind of exhilaration.
And - again - if he knew anything about the speedsters who had killed his mother, he wouldn't hide that kind of information, especially from me.
###
I spent the next two days in idleness, fixing up my apartment and making dinner for my incoming guests.
A visit to the gym that morning allowed for another impromptu meeting with Cisco and Barry, the former who promised he would be at my place by seven that evening with Caitlin after work, the latter who asked me to teach him how to run better and ended up humiliating himself at the expense of myself and Cisco.
I smiled at the memory and finished cooking dinner, when the front door opened and Cisco entered without warning.
"You could at least knock!" Caitlin reprimanded, following in after him.
"Artemis loves me, though!" Cisco protested, turning to me for support. I laughed.
"It's fine - my house is your house, right?" I offered, wiping my hands and walking over to them.
"I don't really need your house, just your kitchen," Cisco explained, winking at me as he walked past to my pantry.
"You shouldn't be so casual with him about that stuff," Caitlin advised, "He'll rack up a fortune in grocery costs."
"He already has," I muttered, though I couldn't help smiling at Cisco.
"Cisco, I already cooked dinner!" I protested, as I watched him fix a sandwich.
"What - Artemis, you didn't need to make anything for us!" Caitlin mentioned, "We just came to see you!"
"Nonsense," I replied, dismissing her. I addressed Barry.
"Didn't know you'd be coming over too," I commented. He smiled sheepishly and held up a serving dish covered in aluminum.
"Joe and I made pasta. He insisted I give some to you for eating up all of your cookies yesterday."
"You made cookies yesterday!?" Cisco called out in mistrust, "And you didn't save any for me?!"
"Barry, you know this wasn't necessary," I said, ignoring Cisco.
"There's no way anyone can say no to Joe, though," Barry conceded, scratching the back of his head. I told Barry to give my thanks to Joe and give him my best regards, and set the warm dish on my dining table. Behind us, Cisco opened up the oven, letting warm waves of food-scented air spread throughout my living room.
"Is that a casserole?" Cisco inquired with a mouth full of sandwich.
"It's dinner," I answered, "And it'll be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you come join us and socialize in the meantime? Did you come here to see me or my food?"
Barry laughed as Cisco looked embarrassed, finished off his sandwich, and joined the three of us in my dining room.
"So - what brings you all to my lovely residence?" I asked, once we were all settled in.
"We just wanted to make sure you were okay," Caitlin explained.
"And talk to you about STAR Labs," Cisco added hurriedly.
"Wait - now?!" Barry exclaimed in astonishment.
""Well, yeah. Now," Cisco replied, although both he and Barry seemed confused.
"So, how have things been?" Caitlin continued, ignoring the men.
"Things have been okay, so far," I answered with a shrug, "Not much to do when you're not working."
"How're your arms?" Cisco asked, signalling towards my rolled up sleeves.
"Oh - they're perfectly fine. Although it sucks to wear full-sleeves in this weather," I joked, "Maybe if Barry lent me some of his concealer, then it wouldn't be much of an issue?"
"Concealer?" Barry asked, perplexed by my words.
"Yeah, you - wait, was I not supposed to bring this up?" I asked.
"What?" Barry inquired.
"Yesterday. You told me you used concealer to cover up your scratches and bruises. From the metahuman attack?"
"Oh?" Barry asked, "I mean - oh! Right! Yeah, the, uhh, makeup shop..."
Cisco threw his friend a worried glance, and Caitlin tapped her fingers in rhythm on the table, clearly unsure of what to make of the situation.
"You both are weird," Cisco finally concluded.
"Agreed," Barry and I remarked in unison, before smiling at each other from across the table.
Behind us, the timer for my oven went off.
"Well, sorry guys, you can't call me weird and expect me to feed you," I remarked in jest, getting up. Caitlin laughed at the men's reaction and followed me into my kitchen. I shooed her out and returned with the food and plates, utensils, drinks, whatnot, and everyone helped themselves.
"So you're an engineer, physicist and a cook?" Cisco asked, helping himself to a hearty serving.
"I'm not really a cook - I'm just a 21 year old bored out of her mind."
"Who always keeps good food on standby?" Cisco added.
"I mean, I can always change that if it's bothering you -"
"No, no!" Cisco said, "No need for any that!"
"So, how's work treating you both?" I asked Caitlin.
"See, that's the unanswerable question," she confessed, "But we'd like to change that."
"Do go on."
"As you know, Dr. Wells has been asking us to not tell you certain things about STAR Labs," Cisco explained, "And - the way he wants things to work - is probably going to get you kicked out for good, since there's so much we're not allowed to tell you."
"And we were thinking," Caitlin continued, wiping her mouth with a napkin, "That we don't want to get you kicked out."
"Oh, I like the sound of that," I answered, "so... what are we going to do?"
I felt glad my friends were on my side and finally understood how nerve-wracking it was for me to not be in on the know.
"We're going to try and convince Dr. Wells on our part to change his mind about you," Cisco explained.
"Why? What did he say about me?"
The trio awkwardly looked at each other.
"Well - he said it might be a bit... dangerous... for you to be working with us," Caitlin explained with hesitation.
"How?" I asked, confused by Caitlin's comment, "What are you doing that's safe for you but not me?"
"The way Dr. Wells put it... It'd be safer for us if you weren't involved..." Barry conceded.
"What do you mean?" I asked, offended.
"To put it gently, Dr. Wells thinks we're in danger... from you," Caitlin answered.
"What? From me?!" I declared, "That makes no sense - I'm not going to hurt you! I'm not a metahuman!"
"Well, he's worried you're a bit... reckless..." Cisco offered.
"And impulsive," Barry continued nervously, "Among several...other...things."
The three of them put down their forks and gauged my reaction.
"I am reckless and impulsive," I answered, after thinking it over for a moment, "I've always been that way. That's how things just work for me - I see opportunities to make things work, and I take them and deal with the consequences later."
Cisco sighed.
"And that's a very strong quality to have, Katniss," he described solemnly, "But, even I can admit I agree with him on that part, because the work we're doing is pretty dangerous. And you're mad smart - nobody can deny that - but... we can't have anyone hurt because of your brashness."
"Then again, you're a very quick problem solver. I've read about you, you know, and we do think we need someone like you on the team," Caitlin responded with a gentle smile, "And trust me - Dr. Wells does appreciate your intelligence. He can't turn you down once he sees how much good you're doing."
Someone like you on the team...
"So, describe this team," I began.
"Well, you saw what we were doing the other night, right?" Cisco asked.
"Yeah - you were talking to Barry through some kind of radio system. You were guiding him through the metahuman strike. What was that about?"
Caitlin, Cisco and I looked to Barry. He bit the side of his lip, and faced away, and shook his head no.
"Oh.." Caitlin murmured, "Well, that's for him to tell you. But anyways, we're sort of.. helping the Flash fight metahumans."
"Well, I knew that already."
"You did?"
"Caitlin, I'm not that stupid," I answered, giving her a pitiful smile. She smiled back at me.
"We couldn't keep this from you, could we?"
"So, who is he? The Flash, I mean."
"You'll find out soon enough," Barry assured, getting up, "May I, um, have some more?"
"Of course," I assured, handing the casserole over to him, "Would you guys like some of this pasta? I can't eat it by myself."
Cisco nodded his head, and Caitlin rolled her eyes at him. I smiled at them and reheated the pasta, and brought it back to them.
"So, do I know him?"
"Know who?" Cisco asked, drinking some water.
"The Flash. Do I know who he is in real life?"
"Do you?" Caitlin asked, eyeing my skeptically.
"I don't know," I asserted, "Is he cute?"
"What?" Cisco pressed.
"Is he cute? Come on guys - I'm wasting away in here. I'm in my twenties. I've spent my entire life behind textbooks and lab counters. It can't hurt to go out, can it?"
"With a metahuman?" Barry asked, "Why don't you try dating an actual human being first, before you move onto a superpowered subspecies affected by dark matter fallout?"
"And I do believe you have your first volunteer," Cisco added smoothly, pointing his spoon at Barry, who rolled his eyes at his friends.
"What can I say?" I joked, "I'm an overachiever."
Barry studied me, and shook his head again with a helpless smile.
"Dr. Wells was right about her. She'll ruin us."
"She'll ruin you, maybe, but she's harmless to the rest of us."
"I'm going to ruin you? Why? What's wrong with Barry?"
"See, getting hit by lightning made him extremely susceptible," Caitlin explained, though I could tell she was making fun of him.
"Susceptible to what?"
"Cute, smart, badass girls," Cisco explained, poking Barry with his fork. Barry glared at him.
"My bad, Barry," I confessed, "Should I call an ambulance? Or should Caitlin and I leave?"
Caitlin and Cisco turned and laughed at me in amazement, and Barry facepalmed himself.
Before I could react, Cisco dashed out of my dining room, and came back with a small box that contained the cake I had bought earlier that day.
"Dessert? For my beloved guests?"
"Such a kind host!" I teased, getting up to help him.
"Why is it that whenever someone comes to check up on you, you end up feeding them?" Barry asked.
"Van Kleiss hospitality. Nobody ever came to our house and left with an empty stomach back when my parents were alive. That included Dr. Wells."
"That included who?" Caitlin questioned in disbelief.
"Dr. Wells. He was a friend of my parents - didn't he tell you that?"
"No?" Cisco answered, "I mean, we knew he's worked with the Van Kleiss', but we assumed that's as far as the relationship went?"
"It's not a night without a plot twist, now, is it?" I said with a smile, "Obviously this was more than a couple years ago, but Dr. Wells was on good terms with both of my parents. He'd be over for dinner for a few nights."
"That's interesting..." Cisco mused, "More than interesting. Caitlin - we need to use this somehow."
Caitlin nodded at him, before facing me.
"We forgot to tell you your half of the plan."
"Oooh. What do I get to do? Do I, like, get to stakeout undercover at STAR Labs? Hide and eavesdrop on you guys while you're with Wells?"
"Umm-"
"Or - no, you'll give me some super advanced high-tech device that will let me see and hear everything you do from afar. Like a portable security system, or goggles that can see through walls, or something."
"Well, not exactl-"
"Dramatically guilt-trip Dr. Wells into accepting me by tearfully reminding him of his friendship with my parents, and how they'd disapprove of how he's treating me!"
"Artem -"
"Or wait! I can totally, like, fake being in trouble and Dr. Wells can direct the Flash on how to come get me, and when we both come back to the Lab, we can totally fess up and tell him we staged it, and he'll just feel soooo ashamed. Like, hell yeah, we caught you red-handed, you little sneak! How does that sound?"
Barry and Cisco both gave me pitiful smiles, and Caitlin seemed taken aback.
"We actually just need you to stay out Dr. Wells' hair," Cisco explained, "Be nice to him. Obey what he says. Leave if you're asked."
"Because we just need you to be on good terms with him, until we work everything out. Don't even risk him throwing you out before that." Barry added.
"And he can't really take you off the team once you're on it, so after that, we'll all be set." Caitlin finalized, "He'll no longer see you as a threat to the team, and we'll all be happy!"
"Me?" I scoffed, "A threat? I'm sorry - I still can't believe that."
Cisco smiled at Caitlin and Barry before pulling out his phone.
"Oh - hold up. I got this," he began, as he started to read something off of the screen, "Blake Nelson, Newark, New Jersey. A broken leg, seventeen stitches across the torso. Dalton Tate, also from New Jersey. Poor Dalton need six new tooth transplants. Elma Chung, Jersey as well. You managed to crack her sternum. These are only three of the fifteen children you have been reported for physical assault, all of which you did before your tenth birthday."
"Tenth birthday?" Barry asked in shock, looking at me in a new light.
"But wait - there's more!" Cisco announced. Caitlin cleared her throat beside him and read off of her phone.
"Your stepsiblings at the time - Kristin and Leslie Lee - feared you, like you were a monster. You'd bully and harass them as well, tell them lightning phantoms would kill them in their sleep, and were cited on several occasions as being a disruptive, violent, unrestrained and altogether a very uncontrollable child."
"Hey, guys! Come on!" I protested, "I was, like, ten at the time! Won't the 'I was heavily traumatized by the loss of both parents' excuse cut it for me?"
"And that doesn't even touch the tip of the iceberg," Cisco added, "You have destroyed public and private property, and racked up several thousands of dollars worth in repair charges by the time you were-"
"Stop," I ordered, though I found it in myself to smile at them, "I get where this is going. Jersey, Virginia, Colorado. Dr. Wells doesn't want me on the team because he thinks I'm a freak because of my past."
"No." Cisco countered, "Dr. Wells doesn't want you on the team because you're too tough for him. And not only that - you're smart. Too smart."
"Oh please. He's a world-reknown physicist. I'm just a college graduate. I haven't a dollar to my name."
Barry spewed his water across the table, and Cisco and Caitlin fell silent with shock at my words. Barry mumbled an apology and wiped away at his mess with a napkin.
"Not a dollar to your name, Artemis?" Caitlin pleaded.
"Your name is Van Kleiss. That automatically dubs you a supergenius," Cisco remarked.
"Both of your parents won Nobel Prizes. And you - despite your disturbing past - managed to knock out as one of the best students in the entire nation. You've won several awards in -"
"Oh, please remind me!" I begged sarcastically, "I'm feeding off of your praise right now."
"No, seriously, though," Barry added, "He hasn't said it up front, but we think he's afraid you'll... take over his work, or something like that."
"How very mature of him," I replied snarkily.
"Barry might be right," Caitlin persisted, "We can't seem to figure out any other reason why Dr. Wells would be so hesitant to add you to the team."
"Well, Dr. Wells has nothing to worry about," I announced, leaning back in my chair, "My parents' lab in Cambridge is left entirely to me. If I wanted to take over someone's work and command a lab, I've got one of my own back home."
"So why did you come here, then?" Cisco asked.
"Because," I said with a sigh, "I made a promise to my mother. During one of her last moments alive. We had agreed we wouldn't reopen the lab until we found who killed my father, and brought the murderer to justice. I thought that by coming to Central City, I could find some answers here. Plus - I had some serious respect for Dr. Wells at the time, you know, him being a friend of my parents and inventing the particle accelerator and whatnot."
Cisco and Caitlin both looked down, then turned to Barry.
"Then you did the right thing," Caitlin asserted, squeezing my hand.
"Dr. Wells may be a jerk to you, but you're going to get your job back. We'll help you with that," Cisco promised, "And - we promise - together, we will find whoever killed your parents. And your mother, Barry. We're a team."
I smiled at him.
"You may have lost your family, Artemis," Caitlin continued, "But it would mean the world to us if you accepted us as your own."
"Did I ever tell you guys you're the best things in existence?" I questioned softly, amazed at how supportive they all were.
"No, but it wouldn't hurt if you said it more often," Cisco responded, smiling casually.
"A team, huh?" I asked, "So, does this team have a name, or something?"
"Well, we're currently going with Team Flash, but we're totally open to suggestions," Cisco affirmed.
"No, no. Team Flash is fine," I assured, before breaking into a grin, "Now, if the Flash could, like, dash into the room and join us for this heartfelt occasion, I'd totally feed him."
"Sorry, but he can't really be here right now," Barry answered, shaking his head.
"No?"
"No," Barry said apologetically, "But, I mean, I could totally take some of this food to give to him if you'd li-"
I ruffled his hair.
"Nice try, Allen. You know you're welcome to eat as much as you want, anyway," I guarunteed, looking at how the servings trays for both the two main courses and the dessert are almost clean, "Not that there's much left. Barry, how much did you eat?!"
Cisco and Caitlin laughed as Barry tried to make a feeble excuse.
I stepped up from my chair and hugged all three of them in a makeshift hug around their shoulders, and Caitlin persisted on helping me clean up. The four of us spent the rest of the evening just conversing and laughing, and before I knew it, it was time to go.
"Alright, see you around, Team Flash," I said, holding the door open for my friends. Caitlin grabbed me and pulled me into a tight, warm hug, and I hugged her back. She pulled away and Cisco did the same.
Barry stood away from me and awkwardly scratched his head, before holding a fist out for a fistbump.
"What's the matter with you?" I jeered, stubbornly holding my arms open for him.
"I - a fistbump is fine. We don't have to hug."
"Barry," Caitlin ordered in an easy voice, "Hug her. She fed you. And you weren't even invited."
Barry dropped his fist and sighed with a small smile before walking into my embrace, and held me tightly against his shoulders.
"Artemarry," Cisco sang in a small voice, "Caitlin, I totally get where Eddie is coming from with thi-"
"See? This is why we can't have nice things!" Barry protested.
I pulled away from Barry and gently punched Cisco in the arm.
"Ow!" he exclaimed, "Watch it! I'm a delicate human being!"
"Group hug!" Caitlin offered, as she stepped forward and pulled all of us in. I yelped as I somehow found myself squished in between her and Barry, and Cisco managed to free one arm.
"If we don't take a selfie, did it actually happen?" he asked, and Caitlin and Barry hugged me from both sides as all four of us smiled at Cisco's phone. Another round of awkward hugs and goodbyes later, and I found myself alone in my apartment, smiling to myself.
Team Flash was going to be amazing.
I couldn't help but wonder who the Flash was, though.
###
I decided to dedicate the next day to formulate my part of Caitlin's and Cisco's plan - winning Dr. Wells back.
My stepmother, Miranda Walker, who was responsible for me knowing how to cook, always advised that the fastest way to a man's heart was through his stomach.
Lin, her husband, told me it was with a knife through his chest.
As much as I would have liked to follow Lin's advice in dealing with Dr. Wells, Miranda was clearly the more feasible option at the time. Caitlin said Dr. Wells loved beef, for some strange reason, and also almond cake. I got cooking, and while waiting for the dishes to finish up, I continued to plan out my days at STAR Labs.
Dr. Wells would probably keep me away from any metahuman or Flash-related activities, seeing how 'reckless and impulsive' I was, so I'd need other work to do to pass the time.
I sighed and went to my room - the second bedroom which I had slowly but surely been designing, and walked over to my bookshelf, which held some of my favorite books. I plopped down on my bed with an old classic, but my mind wasn't interested in the words.
My parents would have known what to do in a situation like this.
My parents!
How could I have been so stupid?
They had left the entire field of artificial chemistry unfinished when they were killed, and there were so many undiscovered secrets left when it came to vankleissium - the element that they had discovered!
I got up and went back to my shelf, pulling out all of the books my parents had published, and looked through them.
I had no idea if Dr. Wells would let me use his lab to conduct my own independent experiments and tests, but what was the harm in asking?
If he said no, it's not like it would make a difference in our relationship - he detested me anyway. Staying out of his unkempt black hair might give him some breathing room and let him see me in a new light.
And if he said yes to my request, which I prayed he would, then I would not only be taking a step towards finishing my parents' work, but maybe I could approach the metahuman issue - how to stop them for good, strip them of their powers, put an end to their reign of terror in this poor city.
Alright - I'd definitely need a metahuman to experiment on, and I doubted the Flash would stop by, but that was an issue for another day.
I took out the dishes I had made for Dr. Wells - Mediterranean-style beef stew and a double-layered almond cake, along with smaller, separate proportions for a certain thief of mine, and made my way over to Cisco's place for the first time.
After locating his townhome in a separate part of the complex, I knocked on his door. No answer. He was at the Lab today, I remembered, and welcomed myself with my keys into his home - which was both impeccably neat and impossibly messy. Neat as in everything was stored away - his kitchen, floor, and living room area were immaculate and spotless. Messy, as in there were papers and notes littered all across the dining room table, the coffee table, and around his shelves. This house clearly belonged to a dedicated scientist.
I located his car keys hanging from a hook, and left a note telling him I was stealing his car, and left the smaller ration of food for him on his counter as a thank-you.
Dr. Wells would be at home today, my friends had told me yesterday. And I planned to have a talk with him.
Rolling Cisco's car into an affluent neighborhood, with huge houses and expensive cars, I located the address Caitlin had given me, and parked in the huge driveway overlooked by a modern-style stone house.
I felt awash with nervousness all of a sudden - this would be the first time I'd be seeing Dr. Wells since he had furiously kicked me out of the Lab.
Would he be mad at me for coming over to his home without an invitation? Would he take it the wrong way, as me being snobby or pushy, or trying to be manipulative? Would it only aggravate him further, as he did seem to be incredibly moody around me?
Relax, I ordered myself. You have pure intentions, and whatever happens - will happen. And nobody ever turned away someone with an apology and food.
I walked up the path to the door of the elaborate home, and knocked. The door opened almost immediately, revealing Dr. Wells in his wheelchair.
Funny, I mused. How could he have answered the door so quickly in a wheelchair, unless he had been there the entire time?
Dr. Wells gave me a shocked and confused look.
"Oh - hello, sir," I offered awkwardly, "I'd just wanted to stop by and apologize to you. For my behavior last week?"
"You did?" Dr. Wells asked, seeming surprised by my statement, "By all means, come inside."
Dr. Wells drove his wheelchair further into his modern, elegant home, and I followed, closing the door behind me. He had such a nice house - dark, marble floor, black walls lined with huge paintings, neat shelves with books and conventional sculptures.
"I made you something," I stated, trying to keep my voice calm and kind as I held up the serving dishes. Dr. Wells turned and eyed me cautiously, before breaking into a gratified smile.
"Well, now. That's really quite kind of you. If you could, could you leave it in the dining room?" He asked. I complied and left towards the room he gestured to, and returned. I sat in a leather armchair facing opposite his wheelchair.
"How have you been, since I last saw you, Ms. Van Kleiss?" He asked flatly, giving me a reluctant smile.
"I've been well," I started, maintaining my composure, "I, uhh, I really did feel bad about being so suspicious and rude to you the other day. It really was unlike me."
Dr. Wells arched an eyebrow up at me. I took it as a cue to continue.
"The metahuman attack must have just stressed me out. I promise I won't disobey you, or question your orders, again. I understand that everything that happens at STAR Labs is the way you want it, and as my employer and a respected physicist, I should know better than to challenge your ways."
Dr. Wells broke into a silent laugh.
"Oh dear. You sound exactly like your father."
"I do?"
"You think I don't know where you got your rebellious streak from?" he inquired fondly, giving me what I hoped was a genuine grin, "The kind of things Laurus would say to get out of trouble, only to wile his way back into it."
I smiled, before I realized what Dr. Wells was implying.
"Oh - no. I meant what I said. I've given it a lot of time to think over, and I'm okay with you excluding me from certain tasks. From here on out, I'm only going to comply with what you expect of me."
"Is that so?"
"Dr. Wells, if you truly knew my father, you'd know he couldn't lie to save his life," I answered with an easy smile. It was true - I was never able to lie without getting caught, and my father had been the same.
Dr. Wells' eyes twinkled, and he nodded.
"Yes, I guess you're right," he conceded, folding his hands in his lap, "But, see, this is where a problem begins. I might have to expel you from the lab on several occasions, without warning. You may be without work for several days at a time. And - I'm really not sure how to tell you - but I do believe I may have to relieve you of your duties, if I'm not able to keep you at the lab at all. And I don't want to do that."
"Wait, so you never intended to have me in on T-" I almost said Team Flash. Cisco and Caitlin had warned me not to let Dr. Wells know they had spilled their secrets to me, "on your other operations?"
"I am afraid not, Ms. Van Kleiss."
My heart sank once again, as I tried to choose my words carefully.
"Well, that's fine. But - could you atleast tell me what it is that I'm at risk of, that Caitlin, Cisco and Barry aren't?"
As in, what sets them apart from me? Other than my 'reckless and impulsive' behavior? What gives them the chance to help you out like that?
Dr. Wells' looked away and sighed, taking off his glasses. He pondered for a moment before answering, and placing them back on.
"It's actually more of a selfish reason, really," he explained, "Both of your parents were good friends of mine. I had initially wanted you at my lab, because you have proven to take on after them in several ways, but some of the work we do just might be too dangerous. Lives have been lost, Ms. Van Kleiss. And you are young. You have your entire life ahead of you. I don't know how I could live with myself if something happened to you, when I have been entrusted with caring for you."
His voice sounded kind, but I didn't believe him. He barely knew me - how could he claim to have become so attached to me already?
My parents had been dead for several years now. If he said he was looking out for me for their sake, he should have done it earlier, when I had trouble finding a home.
He's lying to me again, I realized fearfully, though I wasn't sure why I felt so afraid of a helpless physicist all of a sudden.
Work your way around this carefully, Artemis.
"Dr. Wells, I'm well aware of the danger of metahumans, and I honestly do not mind the risk of the situation," I construed hopefully, "I plan on using my life to help others, and I believe STAR Labs is the perfect place for me to execute that."
Dr. Wells studied me carefully. Did he sense that I caught his bluff?
"You don't believe me," he stated surly with a grudging smile, as if he was in pain, "And I can't blame you. I've been secretive around you during your time here. You and I have a strained relationship, which I did not intend, but I still had a close bond with your parents. I'm keeping you safe for them, Artemis. And I refuse to involve you in our private operations. End of discussion."
The cold light in Dr. Wells' eyes was unforgiving and stern - I know I won't be able to get out of this, even though I'm certain he's feeding me bull.
Time to implement Plan B.
"Fine," I gave in, "I promised I wouldn't challenge your decisions, so I won't. But I think I still have a lot to offer STAR Labs."
"How so?" Dr. Wells challenged.
"You're catching the metahumans, and developing methods to take them down, from what I know. But you're not doing anything to take their abilities away for good, so they're still a threat regardless of whether or not they're in the Pipeline. And - you agree that what I'm saying is true, right?"
"I concur," Dr. Wells agreed, "What do you have in mind?"
I pulled out Vankleissium and the Basis of Artificial Chemistry, a book my parents had written together, and handed it to Dr. Wells, and leaned forward.
"I was hoping you would let me conduct my own independent experiments at STAR Labs. I want to figure out how to use vankleissium - and the ecfranite particle - to strip metahumans of their abilities."
Dr. Wells' eyes lit up and he paused flipping through the book.
"Ms. Van Kleiss, that's... a spectacular idea," he mused, surprised. I broke into a disbelieving smile. For once, Dr. Wells was on the same page as me.
"Really?"
"Yes, yes, I -" he muttered, shaking his head in awe, "Why didn't I think of that? I should have thought of that,"
"So you'll let me stay?" I questioned cautiously, "At STAR Labs?"
"Absolutely," he assured, and I followed him as he wheeled himself into his kitchen.
"There is so much that element has to offer," Dr. Wells pondered, as he poured two glasses of red wine, "It could change the face of how we deal with metahumans altogether. Once again, a member of the Van Kleiss family has astounded me with their intellect."
He handed me one of the glasses, and I reluctantly took it. I never had alcohol before in my life, and I definitely did not know what to make of myself drinking with Dr. Wells, but I couldn't ruin the progress I had made with him.
"Once again, I was wrong about you," Dr. Wells stated in his raspy voice, as he held his glass up, a silent offer for me to touch mine to his. I did so, and hesitantly brought the glass to my lips, before my conscience forced me to pull my hand away.
"I - I'm sorry, Dr. Wells. I don't mean to be rude," I apologized, putting the glass on the counter, "But I don't drink."
After taking a sip of his own glass, Dr. Wells put his own glass down.
"Oh..." he muttered apologetically, "My bad. I should have asked before inferring -"
"No, no. It's fine. You're not to blame here," I assured quickly, not wanting to ruin the friendship I had just rebuilt with him.
"Would you like to eat?" I asked instead, pointing towards the dishes I had placed on his table.
Dr. Wells smiled at me.
"What did you bring me?" he asked, turning his wheelchair towards a low cabinet, from which he retrieved plates and utensils.
I walked over to the table and uncovered the dishes. The warm, comforting aroma of cooked meat loafed from the dish, and caught Dr. Wells' attention.
"Just some beef stew. And a bit of almond cake," I explained, "I heard you enjoyed them, so I figured I might as well bring you something if I was going to drop by."
"You are something else altogether, Ms. Van Kleiss," Dr. Wells stated, though he smiled, "You didn't need to do this."
I gave him a small smile back.
"Does everyone in Central City hate being fed?!" I joked.
"Certainly not Cisco," Dr. Wells scoffed, and I laughed at his words.
"Won't you be joining me?" He asked, gesturing towards the second empty plate he had brought.
"Ahh - no, I'm good," I answered with a shake of my head.
Dr. Wells smiled at me, and helped himself to the beef stew, washing it down with the wine. After a few bites, he spoke up.
"This tastes exactly like how your mother used to make it!" He complimented ecstatically, "I haven't had stew like this since she was alive."
I laughed at his words.
"Yeah, wouldn't it do her a good one to hear you say that," I responded. Dr. Wells nodded at me.
"It certainly would. You're growing up to become just like your parents."
"Dr. Wells - that actually means a lot to me. That you'd say that."
"And it certainly means a lot to me that I'm on good terms with you again. I have no idea how your parents would react if they were still alive and saw the way I have to treat you."
"Yeah, I'm more than certain they'd skewer you alive," I said with a gentle chuckle. Dr. Wells' eyes twinkled at me.
"So, just to be clear, you'll let me stay at STAR Labs full-time, right?" I asked. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and shook his head no. My morale dropped with disappointment.
"No. I'm sorry about that. Unfortunately, there will still be instances when I will have to ask you to leave unexpectedly."
I slowly nodded my head.
"But you will have full access to anything you need, for your experiments and whatnot. You'll have my full support," Dr. Wells assured.
"Thank you, sir."
"Actually, you are welcome to come back to the lab tomorrow. I think it's best if you maximize your time there, seeing as how you can't stay there as often as my other scientists."
"Really?" I asked enthusiastically. This had to mean something, right? Full access to the lab, aside from when Team Flash was in action? With his full support?
This was progress!
Dr. Wells chuckled.
"Yes. Really," he replied, "Although you understand you will have to leave when asked."
"Understood. It's a small price to pay on the path of winning my own Nobel," I retorted jokingly. Dr. Wells concurred, and we spent the rest of the afternoon talking, and bonding over the one thing we had in common - our passion for science, and our memories with my parents. He recalled his most memorable instances with them, and told me funny stories about them that I hadn't heard before. I also shared memories of quirky things the two of them used to do, and how the duo was an unlikely match - with my easygoing, gentle father and my sharp, witty mother - but still managed to be the greatest team ever.
We also discussed some of the more ridiculous achievements in the scientific world, and shared our own opinions on them.
I couldn't believe what was happening - I had seemingly won Dr. Wells back over, although he still hid secrets from me.
But it was a start. It was better than nothing, and I would work with it until Dr. Wells trusted me enough to let me work with the Flash as well.
"Well, thank you for allowing me to come over, sir," I said, getting up, "I really should be going."
"Why? Did you have somewhere to be?" Dr. Wells questioned incredulously, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, uhh, I offered to babysit my neighbor's kid for her," I lied. While I appreciated his hospitality, I'd feel uncomfortable if I stayed past my warranted amount of time.
"How thoughtful of you," Dr. Wells commented with a small smile, and we made our way out of his kitchen together.
"I can't help but notice you're becoming increasingly close with Mr. Allen," he stated.
Oh, god. Not him too.
"Yes, he's a rather interesting person," I answered flatly.
"I'm sure by now, you must have heard of how he lost his mother?"
I paused in place, and nodded my head.
"He lost her the same way I lost both of my parents," I replied, before realizing something absurd, "I can't help but notice how funny it all is."
"Funny?" Dr. Wells questioned.
"Not funny as in hilarious. Funny as in strange," I explained, "We both lost our mothers to speedsters on the same exact night, and now, here we both are. In Central City. Where there is a speedster. And we're both scientists, dedicated to stopping metahumans. I would be lying to you if I didn't admit I find it a bit terrifying. I mean, this can't be a series of coincidences that everything is working out this way."
Dr. Wells nodded his head.
"Dr. Wells, would you happen to know how many speedsters there are here?"
He pursed his lips and thought it over before answering.
"Only the Flash, as far I'm concerned."
I nodded my head at him, letting his words sink in.
Finally - one of us brought up the Flash.
"Is there... is there a reason why you're keeping me away from the Flash?"
"Ms. Van Kleiss, I'm not sure what else to say, other than the fact that I have lost your father and your mother to a speedster. The Flash is... an interesting being, and I am unsure of what would happen if the two of you met."
"Oh," I replied, though I found his answer rather vague. Dr. Wells took his glasses off and looked at me with sharp blue eyes.
"What I'm saying is - I wouldn't want for you to engage in anything that could result in your death. I can't make it any simpler than that."
"So the Flash wants to kill me?!"
What was Dr. Wells saying? That by coming to Central City, I made myself vulnerable to the Flash? That he'd kill me, just like he had killed my father and my mother, alongside the yellow speedster?
But - but Caitlin, Cisco, Barry and Iris all said he was on the good guys' side!
For Pete's sake, they worked with him at STAR Labs! They knew him!
Would they know of his intentions with me? Was he truly a malevolent being? I had to figure out who he was, then! What did my family ever do to him and the yellow speedster?
Was this why Dr. Wells kept us away from each other? Because the Flash could be a murderer? But - but how did they know he was the same speedster from the night my mother died?
Artemis, are you flipping stupid? How often would you come across a demon like him? He has to be the same speedster from that dreadful night, regardless of whether or not he's renowned for saving people from metahumans now. And the other speedster - the yellow one - is probably here too, then.
They're working together, I realized with a shudder. This city was worshipping a murderer...
My own friends were fooled into believing that the Flash was a hero...
"I wouldn't know of that, Ms. Van Kleiss," Dr. Wells answered calmly, "But I'm trying to keep you out of that kind of danger before I find your blood on my hands."
[Dr. Wells's POV]
A hand through the heart.
That's all it would take to end her life.
A simple, quick, painless shot of my fingers into and back out of her chest, and she'd be dead.
"Oh, well, thank you again, Dr. Wells," Artemis greeted, worry shining through her eyes behind her glasses.
"Not at all. It was my pleasure to have you here," I replied with a smile, "Thank you again for the food. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow indeed."
The girl smiled at me, and I watched as she opened my front door, and left, closing the door behind her. I paused and waited to hear her drive off, before getting out of my wheelchair and standing up, stretching my legs.
God, how I hated siting in that thing. Even if it was making me more powerful by the hour, recharging my speed to make up for my time sitting, I passionately resented being handicapped.
I walked back over to my dining table, and finished up the rest of the Mediterranean beef stew.
"This tastes exactly how your mother used to make it!" I had told her, easing my way back into her respect.
It was pitiful - how easily she believed my lies and how quickly I had won my way back into her heart - by lying to her about my relationship with her parents.
Truthfully, I had never met or seen either of them - aside from the nights I had killed them, that is.
I was sick of the ruse, sick of having to wait for everything to happen on its own rather than forcing her and Barry into complying with what I had wanted, but I had to bide my time, or they both would upset the timeline and the future I knew might be erased.
Cisco and Caitlin were obedient and trusted me more than they trusted themselves.
Barry Allen looked up to me like a father.
I had all three of them in the palm of my hand, but Artemis?
Artemis would take time to work with. And I was afraid of what she would discover or learn in that time.
She was nothing more than a silly engineer, but she was poised, and she was intelligent. And even though she had a horrible temper and was the worst liar I had ever seen - babysitting your neighbor's son? Please - there was no way of knowing when she would flare up.
And she was onto me. She suspected me of something, though she didn't know what. And I had to be cautious of that.
Of course, there was no way she knew my real secret, but if she continued, soon she would find out, and seek to destroy me.
Cisco, Caitlin and Barry had taken a strong liking to her - despite my warnings. She had come into their lives and quickly befriended them, winning their trust faster than Barry ever did.
I should have known better than to foolishly warn them of something so absurd - she's conniving, manipulative, deceitful.
She showed up at STAR Labs sweet, well-mannered, and kind, eager to begin working.
The three of them could never have believed what I had told them about her, what with how easygoing and friendly Artemis was with them, how compatible she was proving herself to be at STAR Labs.
But one day, this girl would become so much more than a scientist, and she would pose a threat to us that not even the Flash, or myself, could overcome.
See, there is so little information about her, in the time period where I came from. She was a mystery - a very powerful one, nonetheless.
I had tried to kill her parents, after years of sending them useless threats, so they wouldn't discover how vankleissium worked. When Barry stopped me, I tried to ruin her life the same way I had ruined his - by killing her beloved mother, hoping it would keep her from science. Somehow, her father's foolish lawyer found her and set her back on track, and I knew now I had to stop her.
The best I could do was bring her here, where I could easily keep an eye on her. And it was true - for now, she was as harmless as the child she had saved from SilverShock the other day.
But I was more afraid of her quick-thinking. Within a week of working at my lab, she had figured out we were allied with the Flash. What's worse - she had already figured out Barry was the Flash, and it was thanks to his smooth denial that she finally believed he wasn't.
How long would it take her to figure out I was the man who had killed her parents? She already seemed to suspect that there was more than one speedster in this city.
Of course - I could always kill her myself if it came to that. How I wish she had taken a sip of the poisoned wine I offered her, or eaten some of the food she had brought, so I could put an end to this stress right then and there, having laced the wine with X7, a deadly poison that dissolved in the system after killing the victim, not leaving a trace.
I should have known that the girl didn't drink...
I should have killed her now, when she came to me with an apology, and easily destroyed her body, ending my misery in mere moments.
There was so much about her I didn't know, and she was proving herself to be rather dangerous. By now, I was certain she'd foil my plans. From the research I had done on her back in my time, I had known she would indeed figure out how to disarm metahumans permanently, but there was no evidence suggesting her methods would work on speedsters, including myself and Barry Allen.
But I wanted her dead. And I wanted to be the one to assure her demise, before things could continue spiraling out of control with her.
If she had been anything like Barry, I could tolerate her. Even though Barry too was destined to stop me, Barry was trusting, Barry was obedient, Barry was predictable.
Artemis shared a few of those qualities - she too was kind, easygoing and composed, but I had pushed her into hating me. Now, because of my own foolishness, she trusted only a few - Cisco, Caitlin, Barry, and Iris.
She despised me, spoke out against me, and mistrusted me and until that changed, she would always be a risk to my ulterior motives.
Now, however, she was trying to win me back, and vice versa, I thought with a chuckle.
The hidden security cameras I had installed at her home showed me every last detail of her dinner last night, with Caitlin, Cisco and Barry. The trio urged her to calm down, and listen to me, be kind and obedient so as to win my trust, and they themselves promised to try and convince me to let her join Team Flash.
How strangely the tables have turned. We went from being on good terms with each other when we first met - to almost immediately ruining that when I had kicked her out of the lab.
And now, we were both trying to fix things again.
And in the future, she would hate me almost, if not more, than the Flash would - she would be more powerful than the both of us combined - and I would continue to hate her as well.
I feared her now more than I would ever fear Barry Allen. If you were to compare the two - when Barry wasn't the Flash, to be clear - she was his better in every way, and would have made a much better Flash. She was smarter than him, stronger than him, more agile and fit as she was. She would have been the perfect Flash.
It took Barry several months of training and exploring his new abilities to become comfortable in his new role. Artemis Van Kleiss would have reveled in her new powers, and it was that that made me glad I had chosen him over her. Barry was gentle, cautious, and careful whereas she was quick, rebellious and uncontrollable. Barry still feared his own abilities, relied on me to teach him. Artemis, on the other hand, would have been unstoppable.
I would let her live, for now, I concluded, and let her play her little experiments on the vankleissium and the ecfranite particle. For some reason, the element didn't exist in the future, so I had no way of figuring out how to use it myself.
When she would figure out how to strip metahumans of their metahuman gene, then I'd get rid of her.
Permanently.