The Man in Yellow
Maybe Barry was crazy.
He couldn't be standing there. The man who had haunted him for half his life could not really be standing there, right across the street from him. Barry had only a moment to process the figure standing across the empty street before the man suddenly moved, red lightning streaking behind him as he moved down to the street below.
Barry moved, too.
Without thinking twice about it, he ran down the precinct stairs and flashed out into the dark street. His heart nearly stopped when he made it out the precinct doors. The man had flashed towards a car, Sebastian's car, and removed the driver.
Sebastian had just put the car into drive, and the vehicle was just starting to crawl forward when everything suddenly seemed to blur. He felt his body get roughly thrown from the vehicle, and all that was running through his mind was that he must have been too distracted by his conversation with Barry. He must have pulled out in front of another car and had now been hit and ejected from the vehicle.
When the blurring didn't stop immediately, Sebastian wondered if maybe he was dead, and all he could think about was the last thing he had said to his brother. He couldn't remember what it was—but it hadn't been "I love you."
Everything eventually came to a stop, and Sebastian hit the ground with a thud. The smell of freshly cut grass filled his nostrils, and he soon registered that he was lying on a field of some sort. Before Sebastian could even fully process where he was and what had happened, he suddenly heard his brother's voice speaking from somewhere close to him.
"It was you," Barry said in shock, "You were the one in our house that night."
Sebastian blinked repeatedly, and his brother's back swam into view. Through his blurry vision, Sebastian could make out another figure standing some distance away, and it was him whom Barry was taking to as he stood between them.
"You killed our mother!" Barry screamed in a fury, "WHY!?"
"If you want to know that," a chilling voice replied, "You're going to have to fight me."
"Barry!" Sebastian called out to his brother as he started to regain his senses, "What's happening?!"
"Run, Bash," Barry ordered seriously, turning to glance at him, "Run!"
Sebastian's eyes widened in shock when he realized what Barry was planning to do. He was going to fight the man.
"Barry!" Sebastian shouted, "Don't!"
The words had barely escaped Sebastian's mouth before Barry suddenly disappeared. In horror, Sebastian thought the other man had grabbed his brother, the same way he had grabbed him, but after blinking, Sebastian realized.
Barry was moving just as fast as the man.
All the lights in the stadium burst to life from the electricity the two men were producing as they charged at each other, from opposite ends of the football field. Sebastian watched in shock from the ground as the two men collided, red and yellow lightning crashing violently together.
It was hard to keep his eyes on them, but Sebastian saw the moment when Barry was suddenly sent flying through the air, hitting the ground with a thud before rolling to a stop.
"Not fast enough," the other man taunted, "Flash."
Sebastian sucked in a breath. Barry was the Central City vigilante. He was the Flash. Sebastian had only a moment to process this information before the two speedsters disappeared into lightning again. He watched in shock as yellow and red lightning surrounded him, both men running through the stadium seats, turning the entire space red and yellow. It was unlike anything Sebastian had ever seen before. The raw power of it was palpable in the air, and it made the hairs on the back of Sebastian's neck stand on end, both in fear and amazement.
The lightning came to a stop when suddenly the two speedsters were back in the middle of the field again, Barry being thrown through the air and hitting the ground much harder than the first time. Before he could even remotely get back to his feet again, his opponent flashed to the other side of him and gave him a harsh kick in the ribs, sending him sprawling back the other way before coming to a stop to stand over him.
Barry sucked in a ragged breath and looked up at the other man.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" he screamed, blood spewing from his mouth.
"You know who I am, Barry," the man replied calmly.
Sebastian was shocked when Barry got back to his feet after that. He kept fighting!
It didn't do him much good, though. The other speedster struck him in the stomach and flashed around him to strike him again from behind. He landed several more blows before flipping Barry onto his back again, like a ragdoll. Barry scrambled to recover himself, glaring up at his attacker from his place on the ground.
"I don't know who you are!" Barry said furiously, gasping for breath.
"But you do, Barry," his opponent taunted, "We've been at this a long time, you and I, but I'm always one step ahead."
In a rage, Barry flashed to his feet and attempted to strike the other man in the face. His opponent was much faster than him, though. He avoided the punch easily and then threw Barry to the ground again. He placed a hand on Barry's back, pinning him face first into the ground with only one hand as he spoke.
"It is your destiny to lose to me, Flash," he said in a chilling voice, and Sebastian was worried when Barry didn't attempt to get up again, "Just as it was your mother's destiny to die that night."
Sebastian felt as if he had been punched in the gut as he then watched the mysterious man disappear in a flash of red lightning, leaving his brother sprawled out on the ground, still laying on his stomach.
"Barry!" he screamed as he ran towards his twin.
Barry wasn't moving as he laid on the ground. When Sebastian finally reached him and dropped to his knees next to him, it was to find Barry awake and conscious. He was laying there in shock.
"Are you okay?!" Sebastian asked frantically.
That, at least, caused Barry to move. He planted a hand on the ground and turned himself over, so he was laying on his back. Barry groaned in pain and clutched his ribs.
"Don't move," Sebastian said worriedly, "I'm going to call an ambulance."
"Don't," Barry choked out, "I can't go in an ambulance."
Sebastian stared at him, giving him a pained look.
"Because you're the Flash?" he whispered.
Barry looked back at Sebastian with watery eyes.
"Sebastian," he said quietly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
Sebastian wiped his face, only just now realizing that he had tears running down the sides of it.
"Were you ever going to?" he asked quietly.
"I was," Barry said seriously, still clutching his ribs, "I swear, I was. You just…weren't ready."
Sebastian sniffed and wiped his face again.
"We can talk about it later," he said numbly, his mind still in shock, "You're hurt."
Barry nodded, and Sebastian didn't say another word as he helped pull his brother to his feet.
"Three broken ribs," Caitlin said seriously, "You're lucky you didn't puncture a lung."
"I'm fine," Barry sighed, looking through the glass window of the med bay.
Sebastian was sitting in a chair in the cortex, a faraway look in his eyes.
"He's in shock," Barry said sadly, looking at his brother.
"I already checked him," Caitlin assured him, "He's in shock, yes, but Sebastian will be fine."
Barry sighed and shook his head.
"I've never seen him like this, Caitlin," he said seriously, "He hasn't said a word since we got here."
He had never seen Sebastian this quiet before.
"It's just the shock," Caitlin assured him.
"What do I say to him?" Barry asked in anguish, "He wasn't supposed to find out like this. About me being the Flash or the…man in yellow."
"At least he knows the truth now," Caitlin said gently, "How he found out was horrible, but at least he knows the truth."
Barry sighed and nodded.
"I should talk to him now," he said quietly.
He was practically vibrating with nerves as he stood up and walked into the cortex. What the hell was he supposed to say?!
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly as he sat down in a chair next to Sebastian.
His twin looked pale. He wasn't crying, but he had a blank look on his face as he turned to look at him.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Sebastian whispered shakily, "You're the one who just got beat up by…"
"By the man in yellow," Barry said softly.
Sebastian's eyes filled with tears then. He buried his face in his hands and sucked in a ragged breath.
"Oh, my God," he whispered.
Barry could see from where he was sitting just how badly his brother was trembling. He had never seen him like this before.
"I'm so sorry, Sebastian," Barry choked.
Sebastian looked up at him with watery eyes.
"Why are you sorry?" he asked, his voice cracking, "I'm the one who didn't believe you. You were right. All this time…you were right. I called you crazy for years. If I were you, I'd be saying 'I told you so' right about now."
"I would never say that," Barry said sadly, "This isn't some bet about who can drink the most, Bash. This is about our family. I would never say 'I told you so.'"
Sebastian shook his head and buried his face in his hands.
"You should hate me," he choked, his voice muffled by his hands, "After everything I said to you…everything I said to dad…"
"He'll understand," Barry said sadly.
Sebastian let out a pitiful sob, keeping his face in his hands as he then broke down. Barry had never seen Sebastian cry like this before.
"I hated him," he sobbed, "For fourteen years, I hated him and wished he was dead."
"Dad understands," Barry assured him, "He does, Bash. He knows why you felt that way. You thought he was guilty."
"This is too much," Sebastian sobbed into his hands, "I can't do this. This is too much."
"You've been through a lot tonight," Barry said sadly, "Finding out about this, and about me being the Flash. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. Please, just take whatever time you need to process it."
Barry had thought he would feel happy when this day came. For fourteen years, Barry had been waiting for the day when Sebastian would believe him, and now that it was finally here, Barry didn't feel happy. He felt sick.
"I can't even process that you're the Flash right now," Sebastian said, shaking his head, "I can't process the fact that my weak, dorky brother is a vigilante with superpowers."
Barry let out a heavy sigh. He knew Sebastian wasn't trying to take one of his usual digs at him by call him weak and dorky. He was just in shock. What bothered Barry more, though, was the way Sebastian said 'vigilante.' Sebastian had only spoken briefly of the Flash before, and he hadn't exactly been clear about how he felt about him—if he was for or against him. He had seemed on the fence about it.
"I'm still the same person," Barry said softly, "I'm still your brother."
"Yeah, my brother with superpowers," Sebastian choked.
Barry couldn't help but flinch.
"Do you…do you think I'm a freak now?" he whispered.
Sebastian's eyes widened.
"No," he said firmly, "I mean…I'm freaked out, but I don't think you're a freak, Bar. I just…I just need a little time to adjust. This is kind of a lot to process right now."
"Yeah," Barry said quickly, "Of course. Take all the time you need. If you need some space, I can…"
Barry trailed off awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do to make this easier for Bash. To his surprise, Sebastian gave him a small, watery smile.
"I think we've had enough space from each other," he said quietly.
Barry smiled in relief.
"I agree," he breathed, "You're more than welcome to stay at Joe's again. You shouldn't be alone right now."
Sebastian nodded.
"I'd like that," he whispered.
"But you should know," Barry said seriously, "You can't say a word about this to Iris."
Sebastian gave him a confused look at first, but then his eyes widened.
"She doesn't know yet?!"
Barry shook his head.
"No," he said, "I haven't told her."
"Damn," Sebastian muttered, "You keep all kinds of secrets from her, don't you? You really need to start telling her the truth, Bar, about all of this, and about your not-so-settle feelings."
Barry blushed.
"I'll tell her when I'm ready," he muttered awkwardly, "It's complicated."
"Your feelings aren't that complicated," Sebastian argued, "You love her. It's simple. So just tell her."
"Not all of us are as confident as you," Barry said.
Sebastian sighed, shaking his head at his "little" brother.
"Well, you can count on me to keep your secret, Flash," he said with a small smile.
Barry felt his heart warm at these words. Sebastian was taking this a lot better than he thought he would.
"And you can count on me to keep yours," Barry said then, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Sebastian gave him a confused look.
"Hate to break it to you, Bar, but I've been out of the closet for almost nine years."
Barry laughed and shook his head.
"I mean," he said slyly, "I won't tell anyone what you said about the Flash."
Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed, and Barry's mischievous smile deepened.
"What was it you were saying about my 'kinky suit?'" he asked, fighting a laugh.
Sebastian's face turned bright red. Barry couldn't believe it. Sebastian was actually blushing! He had never seen Sebastian blush before.
"Oh, my God," Sebastian groaned, burying his face in his hands, "That is so wrong!"
Barry just laughed.
"Imagine how I felt," he chuckled.
Sebastian looked up at him then, his ears turning red.
"Not a word to anyone," he said seriously.
Barry grinned at him, feeling just a bit smug that he had managed to embarrass Sebastian for once.
"I wouldn't tell a soul."
Sebastian was extremely quiet for the rest of the night. When they went back to Joe's for the evening, he hardly said a word, and he went to bed early. Barry didn't blame him, though. In fact, he was quiet, too. What had happened had affected him just as much as his brother. He had seen the man in yellow. He had spoken with him, fought him.
And he had lost.
He had let him get away. He had finally been given the chance to free his father, and Barry had let him get away. He didn't know how he was going to face his dad and tell him that it was now his fault he was still stuck in Iron Heights. Barry wouldn't have to go alone, though. Now, he had Sebastian. He hadn't talked to Sebastian about it yet, but surely Sebastian was going to go with him to see their father now. As sad as the circumstances were, Barry was looking forward to it, to the three of them finally coming together for the first time in fourteen years. As a family again.
It was all so bittersweet. They could all finally mend their relationships now, but the circumstances they were under were less than ideal. If Barry had just managed to stop the man in yellow, his father could walk free. They could all truly be reunited.
As it turned out, they wouldn't be reunited in any way like Barry had thought—at least not right away.
"Why don't you want to go?" Barry asked in confusion.
"It's just too soon," Sebastian said, pouring himself a cup of coffee, "I…I don't know what to say to him."
"I told you," Barry said desperately, "Dad's going to forgive you, Bash."
Sebastian shook his head.
"You weren't there, Barry," he said sadly, "I said…horrible things to him. I…I don't know how to face him now."
"So…what? You're just not going to go?" Barry demanded.
Sebastian let out a heavy sigh.
"Of course I'm going to go," he said earnestly, "I just need more time to figure out what to say to him."
"I'll be there, too," Barry reminded him, "You don't have to go alone."
"I know," Sebastian sighed, "Please, Barry, just…give me a day. Just give me a day to process everything and figure out what to say."
"Okay," Barry whispered, "I understand."
He didn't understand. If he were Sebastian, he'd want to visit their father immediately after finding out the truth. He and Sebastian were different, though. Sebastian was a lot prouder than Barry, and it was a lot harder for him to admit when he was wrong. Barry didn't think this was about pride, though. Sebastian wouldn't let that stop him. It was fear. It was his brother's deepest fear.
Rejection.
So the two brothers didn't go to Iron Heights that following morning. Instead, they went to STAR Labs.
"He acted like he knew me," Barry was explaining to Joe and Dr. Wells, "Like we've done this before."
Sebastian listened to his brother explain with rapt attention. The anger in Barry's voice didn't go unnoticed by his twin. He knew Barry was more than a little affected by what had happened last night, and Sebastian was trying to keep in mind that he wasn't the only one who had had a bomb dropped on him by the man in yellow's abrupt attack. Barry was clearly shaken by the experience, and rightly so. He had been kicked around that field like a football by the very man who had killed their mother. Sebastian couldn't even imagine facing an emotional and physical assault like that all at once.
"He was antagonizing you, Bar," Joe said calmly.
The response made Sebastian's blood boil.
"That's easy for you to say," Sebastian spat at the detective, "You weren't there. This wasn't just some stupid playground fight. This is the man who murdered our mother. A little more outrage from you would be nice."
"Bash," Barry said softly, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder to calm him, "I've got this."
He turned back to the other two.
"I would get close, and he would just pull away," Barry explained, his voice shaking in anger, "This was just some sick game to him."
"You'll catch him," the Wells creep assured unhelpfully, "We'll help."
Sebastian glared at him, but before he could say anything, Barry beat him to the punch.
"You don't get it, alright?" Barry said in frustration, "His speed, it's beyond me. I'm not the fastest man alive. He is! So how do we catch somebody even I can't keep up with?!"
Sebastian had seen Barry angry on many occasions. He had been on the receiving end of that anger a lot of the time. But this was different. It was scary to hear how much Barry was trying to control his voice—his rage. He had seen Barry angry, but he had never seen him like this—fighting for control.
"The beautiful thing about force fields, Mr. Allen, is they're impervious to speed," Wells said calmly, taking off his glasses to clean them.
He was cleaning his fucking glasses! He was talking in a calm voice as if they were discussing the weather! Did Joe and Wells seriously not understand how upsetting this was for them?! Why were they both so calm?!
"We're almost finished fabricating the trap," Wells continued calmly.
"A trap?" Sebastian asked, forgetting his anger, "What trap?"
"STAR Labs has been working on creating a trap that can catch a speedster," Barry answered him quickly.
Wells nodded.
"All that remains is for Detective West to procure the bait," he said, looking at Joe.
"I'm on it," Joe said, moving towards the door.
Barry immediately started to follow him, and Sebastian quickly moved along with his brother.
"Barry and Bash, why don't you two stay here?" Joe said calmly as he walked.
Before Sebastian could bitch the detective out for his nerve, Barry spoke first.
"No, Joe, today is not the day to tell me to stay behind," he said angrily.
The detective didn't protest then as they made their way out to the lot.
"Want a lift, Bash?" Barry asked flatly, still fuming as they exited the building.
Sebastian looked nervously at him.
"I think I'll ride with Joe," he said slowly.
Barry shrugged, too distracted by his anger to press the issue. He took off a moment later, disappearing with a flash of lightning. Sebastian stared at where Barry had been standing a moment ago. The air was still crackling with electricity and contained the faint smell of ozone. Like lightning.
"You'll get used to it," Joe said, as he opened the door to his car.
Sebastian quickly shook it off and got into the car with Barry's foster father.
"I don't know how anyone could get used to that," he muttered as he closed the door.
"Put on your seatbelt, Bash," Joe said as he started the car.
Sebastian rolled his eyes but complied.
"So," Joe said as they started to drive to the precinct, "How are you handling all of this?"
"What are you, my therapist?" Sebastian muttered, looking out the window.
Joe sighed.
"Believe it or not, I do care about you, Sebastian," he said simply, "How are you holding up?"
"Well, let's see," Sebastian said sarcastically, "My brother is a superhero with superspeed, and the man who really killed my mother has been walking free for fourteen years. How do you think I'm holding up?"
"I know it's a lot," Joe said quietly as he drove.
He glanced at Sebastian then, giving him a curious look.
"Why didn't you let Barry run you?" he asked, "Since you clearly don't want to talk to me."
Sebastian sighed, deflating a bit.
"I don't know," he said quietly, "I guess I just didn't want to be run anywhere by another…speedster."
Joe gave him another thoughtful look, and a few moments passed before he spoke again.
"You're not afraid of him, are you?" he asked gently.
Sebastian looked out the window.
"He's my brother," he muttered, "Of course, I'm not afraid of him."
Joe didn't say anything. He just continued to drive, thinking. He clearly didn't fully believe him.
"It's just," Sebastian sighed, "He has the same powers as…him."
Joe nodded thoughtfully.
"I suppose I can see how that would cause you some…anxiety," Joe said softly, "You know Barry is nothing like him, though, right?"
"Of course I know that," Sebastian said, rolling his eyes, "It's just…scary. What Barry can do. His powers are…"
"Dangerous," Joe finished seriously for him, "I know. But Bash, there's no better person to have been given these powers than Barry."
"I know Barry would never abuse them," Sebastian said quickly, "I know he would only ever use them for good, but…it's what he could do that scares me. If he wanted to."
"Barry is a good person," Joe said needlessly, "He only uses his powers to help people."
"Yeah, but at what risk?" Sebastian asked quietly, "He's not invincible, Joe."
"I know he's not," Joe said, seriously, "And Barry knows that, too."
"Does he?" Sebastian asked softly, "Because last night…when he was fighting that man…it didn't look like it. He kept getting up. He kept fighting."
"That's just Barry," Joe sighed, "He's always been that way. With bullies. With life. When life knocks him down, he gets back up. That's just who Barry is."
"And that doesn't worry you?" Sebastian asked seriously, "He could get hurt, Joe. He could get killed."
"Of course it worries me," Joe agreed, "I worry about Barry every time he puts that suit on."
"So, why do you let him do it?" Sebastian asked angrily, "Why do you encourage it?!"
"Because he'll do it anyways," Joe said simply, a hint of sadness in his voice, "That's how he's always been, when he was a kid and I was telling him not to go to Iron Heights and even just now when I told him to stay behind. When Barry has his mind set on something, there's no changing it. You can either support him or turn a blind eye to it. I chose to support him. If I hadn't, Barry wouldn't have had the confidence he has now. He would fail."
Sebastian nodded silently to himself. Joe was right. Barry was stubborn as hell, but he also lacked confidence when he didn't have the support of his loved ones. Sebastian, himself, had always taken advantage of his brother's shaky confidence. He knew all of Barry's insecurities, and he had always manipulated them. That's how he knew Joe was right about this. There was no stopping Barry from doing what he wanted to do. All you could do was support him.
When they arrived at the CCPD, it was to find Barry already talking with someone. Some woman. Sebastian figured out pretty quickly who she was. Tina McGee, the head doctor from Mercury Labs.
"If Judge Hankerson was going to sign this, he would have done so already," Dr. McGee said angrily, looking at the search warrant Joe had handed her.
She handed the warrant promptly back to him, a stiff look on her face.
"Look," Joe sighed, folding up the warrant, "I'm sure you don't want this investigation to get more public that it's already been. Do you, doctor?"
"This has Harrison Wells written all over it in big black letters," she said angrily, "I am not giving you my tachyon prototype!"
Joe opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by Barry, who spoke first.
"It was quite the tour of your facility, doctor," he said calmly, earning a few confused looks from Joe and his brother, "You were fine to let us dumb cops walk around, but I majored in physics and chemistry, and I saw a whole lot of stuff that Science Showcase Magazine would love to hear about. So, should I call their editors directly or just leave a post on their website?"
Shit! Barry was threatening her! He was actually threatening her! Sebastian couldn't believe it. He gave his brother a look of approval as the doctor glared at him. Barry didn't smile. He didn't even look smug. He just stared at her, waiting for her response.
"You'll have the tachyon device within the hour," she said venomously.
Barry smiled slightly and nodded at her. Sebastian could tell his brother was itching to apologize already, but Barry didn't. He maintained a solid poker face that would put even Sebastian to shame.
"I see why Dr. Wells holds you in such esteem, Mr. Allen," the doctor added angrily, "You're very much alike."
With that, the doctor stormed off. Barry frowned after her, but Sebastian moved in front of him to smile at him.
"Nicely done," he approved proudly, "And I thought I could be intimidating."
Barry didn't smile, nor did he say anything. He just looked seriously at Sebastian before walking away. Joe stared worriedly after him.
"What was that?" Joe muttered seriously.
"I know, right?" Sebastian grinned, "I've never been more proud of him. Maybe we're brothers, after all."
Joe didn't say anything, though. He just continued to frown. Before either of them could further discuss Barry's uncharacteristic behavior, they were approached by another detective. It was Iris's boyfriend.
"Hey, Joe," Eddie said, "You got a second?"
"Not now, Eddie," Joe answered shortly.
"I read the witness statement," Eddie continued anyways, "The Flash was there, at Mercury Labs. I know you've got something in the works."
"Yeah, but you don't want any part of this," Joe said slowly.
"I've got a task force approved to capture him," Eddie said seriously, "I want in."
"Capture who?" Sebastian asked in confusion, "The Flash?"
Eddie nodded seriously.
"We're going to get that menace off the streets," he said firmly, "The city will be a safer place for it."
"The hell kind of logic is that?!" Sebastian asked angrily, "He protects this city. How the hell does capturing him make the city safer?"
"The Flash is dangerous, Barry," Eddie said seriously, "I thought you agreed with me on this. From the beginning, you were always against Iris's blog."
"First of all," Sebastian said angrily, "I'm Sebastian, not Barry. Secondly, I don't give a damn about some stupid blog I've never seen. What I have seen is a hero protecting this city. Since I've been in town, I've seen reports almost every day about the people the Flash has saved. He's a good guy, and if you can't see that, then you're an idiot."
"He attacked me," Eddie said flatly, "He pulled me out of a moving car and beat the shit out of me, Sebastian, so before you jump down my throat about this, I suggest you get your facts straight."
"Sounds to me like you deserved to get your ass kicked," Sebastian said coolly.
Sebastian kept a straight face, but it was hard to hide his shock upon hearing this. Why would Barry beat up Eddie? Sure, the guy was dating Barry's lifelong crush, but Barry would never go into a jealous rage and beat someone up over that. The detective had to be exaggerating.
Eddie ignored Sebastian then and turned back to Joe.
"I'm not asking permission, Joe," he said seriously, crossing his arms.
"Excuse me?" Joe said, raising his eyebrows.
"If my task force isn't a part of this, I'll go to Captain Singh," Eddie threatened, "I'll tell him something's going on, and you're not talking."
Eddie's face softened slightly.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "You'd do the same thing if you were me."
Joe took a deep breath, reigning in his frustration. Sebastian, however, didn't make any attempt to hide his glare.
"Fine," Joe said shortly before walking away.
Eddie watched him leave and then looked back at Sebastian.
"You know," Sebastian said, "Iris could do a lot better than the likes of a dim-witted detective like you."
