I don't own The Flash. All rights go to their respective owners.
Chapter Ten
Central City
'What does the fastest man alive do on his day off? Before the lightning if I wasn't still at the crime lab, I'd be at home, chilling or out with Julian but now my days off are different. Much different. The Lightning didn't just give me speed. It also gave me new friends and a woman I kinda want to date.' Barry thinks to himself whilst playing ping pong with Cisco.
"This isn't even remotely anatomically correct." Caitlin growls whilst glaring down at the board game operation in front of her.
"That's not the point, Dr. Snow." Barry grins at her, speeding to her side to make his move on the board game.
"Then what is the point?" She questions as he resumes playing ping pong with Cisco.
"To have fun!" Barry replies cheerfully.
"And to continue your ongoing training by testing the speed of your mind whilst pushing your ability to multitask." Wells reminds him as Barry speeds away from the ping pong table to make his move on the chess board in front of Wells, before speeding back to Cisco again once more before speeding to Wells again.
"I'm waiting on you Dr. Wells." Barry smirks before gleefully racing around his activities again.
Somewhere In Central City
Meanwhile, on a rather empty street in Central City a van moves steadily down a road, whilst passing a motorcycle, who's rider is listening to a command from his comms.
"One hundred and eighty two seconds, gentlemen." The voice speaks, the cyclist instantly setting off in the direction of the van, another cyclist joining him, traveling side by side.
"Heads up, I think we got something." One of the men inside the van calls to the driver, both of them looking out of the window toward the two cyclists, whilst behind the van itself is a rather large truck with a crane attached to it.
Another cyclist, grabs a hook from the truck, connecting it to something on the van so it is forcibly being pulled backwards.
"Two eleven. Two eleven. We're being robbed!" One of the van passengers shout as the van comes to a screeching halt.
Once the van is stationary, the two cyclists pull the van passengers out and throw them to the ground, one cyclist jamming his gun in one passengers face.
"Hey, cool it. We have one hundred and fifty eight seconds to go." The leader speaks as he approaches the back of the van before beginning to freeze the door…
STAR Labs
"Checkmate." Wells remarks as Barry returns to his ping pong match with Cisco.
"Wait checkmate?" Barry frowns as he speeds back to Wells.
"Checkmate." Wells affirms.
"I guess we still have a few things left to learn, don't we, Mr. Allen?" He smiles just as the computers begin to bleep.
"Armed robbery at Fourth and Kolins." Cisco calls to Barry, who begins to approach his suit.
"For the record, I crushed it in operation and ping pong." He notes before speeding into his suit and out of the room.
Caitlin still getting frustrated with that damn operation game as he leaves.
"It's not as easy as it looks."
Somewhere In Central City
Arriving at the scene of the crime, Barry uses his speed to knock down two of the cyclists who are standing by the passengers of the van they'd started to rob.
Meanwhile, the leader now inside the van, is forcibly knocked out of it by a speeding Barry.
Mask falling off, the leader looks in the direction of the force that had knocked him to the ground in bemusement, whilst his other men begin to shoot at the passengers of the van they'd robbed.
The leader watching as the force that had knocked him down, begins to run back toward him, yet passes him completely to reach the side of the man that had been shot.
"Where's the nearest hospital?" Barry calls through his comms.
"St. Andrews, seven blocks north, two east." Caitlin replies calmly.
"Call the ER. Tell them they have an incoming GSW." Barry cries, looking behind him when he hears the sound of motorcycles, only to see the criminals getting away.
Yet, knowing his main priority is getting this man to the hospital Barry speed away…
Later…
"I want all of this locked up, all the way to the end of the block." Eddie commands to the other CCPD officers on the scene of the crime before approaching the van, which Joe and Julian are in the back of.
"Tow truck was stolen. The driver of the armored car is in stable condition at ST Andrews, though no ones sure how he got there." Eddie informs them.
"Did you check the security cameras?" Joe questions.
"Camera storage drive was stolen. Guys are pros." Eddie shrugs.
"Well, they're definitely something. Everything they could have wanted to steal is still right here in the van." Julian points out.
"Including what I think they're after. The Kahndaq Dynasty Diamond. It was on its way to Central City Museum for exhibition along with a collection of antique swords." Joe notes.
"Right. Iris was trying to talk me into going, I'm not much of a museum guy but when she really wants to do something…"
"I'd say no more if I were you, mate." Julian rolls his eyes at Eddie as Joe glares at him.
"You'll never hear me say this again Albert but I think you're right and I'm just gonna walk away now." Eddie says quickly before soon moving away.
"If you do decide to kill him. Let me be there. I can help you conceal the evidence and clear the crime scene." Julian offers.
"Never know Julian. Might take you up on that offer." Joe mutters with a distasteful look in Eddie's direction.
Meanwhile, Barry rushes toward them, case in hand, all ready with his apology.
"Sorry, captain, I was at the hospital visiting a friend." He gives Captain Singh a white lie.
"There's nothing missing, surprisingly. They went to all that effort and the diamond and the other items are still here." Julian fills him up.
"Like someone interrupted the robbery." Joe gives Barry a knowing glance.
"Guard says there was three of them." Singh adds.
"Actually, it was four. I mean that's how many people I would bring if I were doing a robbery of this nature. That's definitely a four guy truck. A driver, two more to cover the guards and somebody used liquid nitrogen to open this door, so four bad guys." Barry babbles his explanation quickly.
"Makes sense. There must have been four if we think about it. They'd need a driver after all, the two to deal with the guards whilst the last one attempted the robbery itself, needed the guards taken out as a distraction so the man with the liquid nitrogen could break in. One of those canisters would have been heavy after all." Julian shrugs.
"Thank you two for your brilliant insight." Singh looks to them both, causing a surprised look to cross both Barry and Julian's faces at his non insulting words toward them both.
"I'll sweep for prints." Julian takes the case from Barry, who moves to follow him yet is grabbed by Joe.
"For somebody so fast, you're slow on the improvising." He mutters.
"Did you see anything that can help us catch these guys?" He adds.
"Yeah. One of them lost his mask." Barry smiles as a smile crosses Joe's face to.
"I saw his face."
CCPD
"So look through these mug shots of Central City's most wanted and see if you can find…"
"That's him." Barry cuts Joe off, whom had given Barry a file filled with the mug shots of the most wanted people in Central City.
Barry finds that mans face in the file in seconds.
"Damn." Joe says in response to Barry's skills before looking at the picture.
"Leonard Snart." He mutters with a shake of his head.
"Leonard? That's almost as bad as Bartholomew." Barry remarks.
"Snart ain't that sexy either. Snart's father was a cop, a bad cop. Took his anger out on his kids until he went to prison." Joe informs him.
"Snart's dad is in prison too? We should start a club." Barry notes.
"He shows up, like every six months. He cases a job for weeks before he makes his move. Then he does a job, gets away." Joe explains to him.
"That's before the Streak was around." Barry grins.
"Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?" Joe gives him a disbelieving look.
"No, I referred to the Streak, which I'm pretty sure I can get away with talking about. I've been thinking of a new name what do you think about The Flash?" Barry starts.
"I think this is something we should be discussing in a more private setting." Joe retorts.
"Point taken, anything more on Snart?" Barry queries.
"He's been acting off these past two years. I mean what I said before he does all that but during the past two years, we've tracked him going in one specific direction each time." Joe informs him.
"Where?" Barry folds his arms.
"Starling City. We'll trace him there, then he just drops of the radar and despite the Undertaking and last years Siege there are many places in Starling he could steal from but we get nothing." Joe shrugs as Barry tilts his head to the side.
"So you think there's something in Starling City Snart keeps going back for? Perhaps it's a really big heist he's planning." Barry suggests.
"It's been discussed. That's what Julian thinks. Detective Thawne." Joe says Eddie's name with an almost growl.
"Believes it could be a someone. Woman maybe." Joe shrugs.
"Well I know a few people in Starling City I could possibly ask around." Barry offers.
"If we don't catch him this time and we trace him to Starling. Yes, but as you say. The Streak wasn't around before." Joe smirks at him.
"Coffee break!" Iris calls suddenly from behind them.
"Thought I would bring Central City's finest java over to Central City's finest." She holds out the coffee, which Barry takes excitedly whilst Joe walks away.
"Thanks I'm off caffeine." He mumbles whilst Barry looks to Iris for an explanation.
"My dad's been mad ever since I told him about me and Eddie." She sighs as they move toward the staircase.
"No, you mean he's mad at you because you didn't tell him." Barry corrects her.
"Uh, that sounds like you're taking side and also you know his I'm not talking to you but I have a whole bag full of judgmental looks I'll try on you later?" Iris glances to him.
"Yeah, I've been on the receiving end of those a few times." Barry sighs.
"Ohh you're always getting them, mate." Julian calls as he catches up to them.
"Hey Julian." Iris smile at him, offering him the coffee intended for Joe.
"You are a life saver." Julian comments whilst accepting the coffee.
"Also, on the subject of communications, or lack thereof after all of these journalism classes, I got an idea. I started a blog." She grins at them.
"What is it about?" Julian questions.
"Your brownie obsession? Cause you know, you probably shouldn't broadcast that." Barry sniggers in response.
"No something important. Something Central City needs to know about. The Streak." She smiles at them both.
"Ohh not this again." Julian groans.
"He's out there guys. Rumor has it he stopped an armed car robbery earlier." She starts as Barry and Julian both roll their eyes at her.
"I was hoping I could take a look at the file…"
"Iris…" Barry starts.
"We are not at liberty to discuss any ongoing police investigations with you." Julian points out, cutting Barry off before he can even start, or cave to his adoptive sisters demands.
"You, I understand. But you, Mr. Blabbermouth can start talking." She turns on Barry as they move down the corridor toward their labs.
"No, Julian's right. We can't discuss ongoing investigations with you and also, take it for someone who's been studying the impossible since they were eleven. Blogging about this. It's just gonna bring the crazies to your front door." Barry warns her.
"My blog is anonymous." Iris retorts.
"Still not a good idea." Julian shrugs.
"Again, Julian's right. Anonymous or not, it's not safe. You never know what kind of weirdoes are out there, trolling on the Internet…"
"I can vouch for that. The Internet is full of weirdoes and nerd rage, lots and lots of nerd rage." Comes a familiar voice from inside Barry and Julian's lab causing Barry to stop abruptly in his footsteps at the sight of Felicity Smoak in his and Julian's lab.
"That's new." Julian notes.
"Hi. Felicity Smoak." Felicity turns to shake hands with Iris.
"Iris West." Iris smiles back.
"Barry Allen." Barry says without thinking.
"Ohh my god." Julian mutters, shaking his head in disbelief.
"But you guys already knew that." Barry adds quickly.
"Nice to see you under less godawful circumstances, Miss Smoak." Julian notes.
"You to." Felicity nods.
"Wait you guys met?" Barry looks between them both.
"Yes. Ran into her on one of my visits to you at STAR Labs. Not to mention, you did tell me about her before…"
"Yes. Yes that's right. Of course. Iris. Felicity is…"
"The girl that you met in Starling City. The computer-er, right?" Iris looks to her.
"One way of saying it. The other being that. Ow." Julian growls as Barry throws a stress ball from a shelf at his head.
"You two worked on one of Barry's unexplainable cases."
"Which, long story short, was definitely explainable. Painfully so." Felicity cuts her off before moving into the center of the room.
"So the lightning came through here?" She queries, pointing to the ceiling.
"Yes. Made a right bloody mess of this place." Julian mutters.
"And hit me but yeah." Barry adds looking around nervously.
"I was just about to take a walk. Like to join?" He offers after a moment.
"Sure." Felicity nods, looking to Julian and Iris.
"Ohh they can't come. They've got work to be doing." Barry says quickly.
"Well it was very nice to meet you Iris." Felicity turns to her.
"You too." Iris nods as Felicity follows Barry out of the room.
"So, now we're alone. Sort of." Barry comments as they walk toward the stairs.
"Well It's been nine months. I miss anything interesting from your end?" He queries.
"Yeah, long story short. Turns out the stuff we were researching was being manufactured by Slade's supposedly dead and insane ex girlfriend, who previously had that stuff when she and Slade were infected by it in the island. Well, she'd come back to get her revenge on Slade, Oliver and Sara. Made loads more of those superhuman soldiers and lead a Siege that laid waste to Starling City after killing Oliver's mother and Slade, who actually wasn't really dead, she just made it seem that way. There was a battle, which I can proudly say I fought it. I even had my own costume and mask…"
"Wait what. There was a battle and you had your own costume and mask? What like like Oliver, Sara and Slade?" Barry can't help but interrupt her at her admittance.
"Yes. Well I thought Slade was dead and I wasn't channelling my grief very well and then this. This amazing friend of Slade's and mine. He showed me how I could handle my grief in a more productive way to try and get justice for Slade but as I said. Turned out he was alive and together, the team, well the team the extended edition. We stopped her and she's now rotting away in a prison on the very island Oliver, Sara and Slade spent five years on." Felicity babbles as Barry looks on in shock.
"Wow. I had no idea all this had happened. I mean. Wow. I'd heard of the Siege and I figured you guys had something to do with it but not on that scale." Barry responds.
"Slade, Oliver and Sara still blame themselves for it but we are all slowly very slowly recovering from it." Felicity says before adding.
"Iris seems very nice. Cisco mentioned to me you had an adoptive sister when I saw him in Starling." She notes.
"Yes she's amazing and I see you've already met Julian." He responds.
"Yeah he can be a little bit…"
"Difficult, rude, obnoxious?" Barry lists.
"All of the above but he's apparently your best friend?" She folds her arms.
"Yes he is. We actually have a great friendship. He's a really great guy once you get to know him." Barry points out before deciding to ask the question that's been bothering him since he laid eyes on her.
"What are you really doing here? I mean it's good to see you but do you, Oliver, Sara and Wilson need something?" He queries.
"No, no. I came because I wanted to see you. I heard you came out of the coma and you didn't call, didn't write. Didn't race over…" She grins warmly at him as the realization dawns on Barry.
"Wait. Oliver, Sara and Wilson told you? It was Wilson wasn't it?" Barry folds his arms.
"Not exactly. Honestly, I heard the four of you talking on that rooftop in Starling City that night. I'm always listening into Slade's comms and that is not as creepy as it sounds." She groans burying her head in her hands as Barry laughs lightly.
"I wanna see it." Felicity says after a few moments as Barry raises an eyrie at her.
"And by 'it' I mean your speed, in case you thought I was talking about something else, which I'm not." Felicity babbles quickly, mortified by her choice of words.
"Uh, okay. You see that building?" Barry points toward a skyscraper as Felicity nods.
"Keep your eyes on it." Barry grins before racing away from Felicity with his speed, who continues to stare up at the building as he'd told her to until he is by her side again, phone in hand.
"You took a picture of me?" Felicity asks in shock at what she had just witnessed.
"From the top of that building?!" She continues.
"Yeah, don't Instagram that." Barry suggests.
"Unbelievable." Felicity whispers as Barry grins at her.
"Your shoes are smoking!" She cries suddenly upon seeing the slight flames on Barry's feet.
"Yeah. Yeah that's fine it happens sometimes." Barry notes, putting out the sparks.
"That's why I have a friction proof suit." Barry smiles at her.
"Where did you get that?" She questions excitedly.
"I'll show you." Barry smiles at her.
"Ah can you show me that like in an hour maybe?" Felicity queries.
"Have somewhere to be?" Barry smirks at her.
"Actually yes I do. As whilst the main purpose of my visit is to see you. There is someone else I'm here to see." Felicity informs him.
"And who might that be?" Barry continues to smile.
"You know how I mentioned that amazing friend of Slade's and mine earlier?" She reminds him, Barry nodding.
"Yeah I remember."
"Well coincidently he resides in Central to so I figured I'd stop by and surprise him. He's quite like you actually Barry. Comes to Starling yet doesn't say hello to anyone but Slade and Roy and I find this out like several days later." Felicity nudges him.
"Well, you have my number. Call me when you're done and I'll show you where the magic is made." Barry grins, wanting to die on the spot at his embarrassing choice of words.
Yet Felicity just laughs.
"It really is so great to see you again Barry."
Somewhere In Central City
"There's been some rumors the last few weeks. People seen a red blur tearing through the streets. What the hell is it man?" One of the robbers question.
"Maybe it was a drone. Some top secret army thing?" Another man shrugs.
"When I was a kid my grandfather used to take my sister and me to this diner, The Motor Car. Food was for crap, but the view was great. Right across from the Central City precinct. I still go there. I listen to their radios, I lean their response times." Leonard explains from where he is sat at his computer, getting to his feet to address his team.
"There are forty banks in Central City each of them within sixty seconds of police response. That's the advantage of hitting a moving target. Once the armored car called 911 we had one hundred and eighty two seconds before any cop could be on the scene. No one could've gotten there fast enough to stop us. But something did." Leonard murmurs.
"And you lost your cool." He looks up a the team member who had shot the guard.
"You know the rules. We don't shoot guards or cops unless it's the only option we don't need the heat." Leonard reminds him.
"The heat? What the hell do you think the blur is, Snart? You know. Perhaps we would have gotten our hands on that diamond if you weren't after those swords as well. I get it. Could get a good score off them but that diamond was worth a thousand times as much." The robber folds his arms.
"I explained this. I need those swords for a personal matter." Leonard hisses.
"You know what? Screw this, screw you. I'm out!" The robber snaps, moving toward the door only to be stopped by Leonard Snart himself shooting a bullet through the man.
"Well, if you're out, you're out." He shrugs.
"This blur is a man. We're gonna have to up our game, someone move him." He commands to the team mates in front of him.
"Got it." One says, dragging the now dead robber to one side of the room, out of sight before heading back toward Snart and the surviving team members.
"What the hell?!" One of the team mates suddenly yell, the two remaining instantly pulling out their own guns as someone enters the lair.
"We have an intruder?" Leonard questions from his computer, not looking up.
"Yeah boss we do. Want me to shoot her?" One shouts.
"Her?" Leonard frowns, looking up at the man's words.
"Hey. I'm guessing I probably should have called first. I was just in the area and I wanted to see you. Yeah I may have tracked your phone to actually come and see you but." Felicity Smoak shrugs from the door, nervously glancing to the two men with guns pointed at her.
"Put your guns down right now." Leonard commands in his usual drawl.
"Who is this bitch? What's your game here Snart? She one of us. She gonna blow this whole operation?" One growls at Felicity only for Leonard to pull out his own gun.
"Woah. Ok. I see your busy. I can come back." Felicity holds her hands up.
"No need. They were just leaving." Leonard mutters.
"But…" One man starts to protest, still holding the guns at Felicity.
"Leaving right now. I also think I gave you both a simple instruction." He hisses.
"I said. Put. Your. Guns. Down. Right. Now." Leonard snarls again.
After looking between one another and then at the gun in Leonard's hand, they put their guns down heading toward the door, giving Felicity suspicious glares as they go.
"Hold on." Leonard holds up his hand, causing them both to stop in their tracks.
"Apologize to my friend for calling her a bitch." He says sternly as they just stare at him.
"That wasn't a request." He cocks his gun.
"Sorry." The robber who had called Felicity a bitch mutters, not wanting to end up dead like the last guy who threatened to speak out of turn to Snart.
"Good. Now get out of my sight." Leonard mutters dismissively as they leave the lair.
"So. This is Leonard Snart the criminal." Felicity folds her arms.
"Didn't think he was real." She admits.
"Well, I can assure you, he is very real." He replies.
"Change anything?" He questions.
"Nope. Not a bit. You already told me who you are." She points out.
"There's a difference in me telling you who I am then you seeing me for who I am." Leonard retorts as Felicity shrugs.
"Well it's not like I haven't see Oliver, Sara or Slade do questionable things." She shrugs.
"It's great to see you Len." She beams, wrapping her arms around him.
"I don't hug." He grumbles.
"You do when I hug you." Felicity growls at him before pulling away.
"I apologize for the lack of manners you just witnessed from my accomplices. Even Mick is more polite then they were to you just." He muses.
"Where is he? I thought you two worked together." Felicity points out.
"Actually Mick might be in Starling City right now and Mick and I haven't really worked together since the Siege and that was only because I wanted to get revenge on that woman for one making out like she'd murdered Slade and abducting my sister." He reminds her.
"What got between you and Mick. You never really said." She queries.
"Well. You know Mick and his pyromania. He lost control and it was worse than usual, not to mention, despite the fact we ended up working with Selina. We were dealt with by her and her friend, which was entirely Mick's fault." He informs her.
"So what are you doing? Nothing legal I'm guessing." She folds her arms.
"Yes. If talking to Slade about this it would probably be under the don't ask don't tell category, yet then again. All goes to plan he might not mind me talking about my heist." He said with a slight smile.
"So I take it your coming to visit after your…" Felicity trails off making gestures with her hands, to which Leonard nods.
"I am. Well I plan to. If I manage to lose the CCPD trail." He notes.
"They follow you to Starling?" She questions.
"Yes. I'm concerned they'll see a pattern eventually. That I keep coming back to Starling City and investigate into why." He muses.
"You keep coming back for Slade." She shrugs.
"Exactly and I plan on keep coming back, for you to. After all we went through I consider you a friend." He reminds her.
"I consider you a friend to." She smiles back at him.
"Good. I mean you know me Felicity. All I've ever really had is Mick and Lisa and now I've got Slade and you and I don't intend to stop returning until Slade eventually sees my way and joins me." He smirks.
"Leonard. You know he will never leave Oliver and Sara." She reminds him.
"Hmm. Let's see what he says after he sees the gifts I've got in mind for him." He notes.
"Do I want to know?" She questions.
"Probably not." He notes.
"Thank you though, for coming to see me. Even if you did trace my phone." He folds his own arms as Felicity looks over at him, a smile on her face.
"It's as I said, Len. I consider you a friend."
Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading! Thanks for all your kind follows and favorites and for all the lovely reviews. Next chapter should hopefully be soon, I just got this chapter done and figured I'd post it before I go away as I was excited about this chapter due to the first appearance of Leonard Snart/Captain Cold! Thanks again for reading please review and tell me your thoughts on this chapter :)