Barry stood in front of his usual board in the precinct lab, while Joe sat behind. "Alright, this is everything that we know about Harrison Wells." Much like the case of his mother, he pulled down a secret board down to reveal a brand new case - Dr. Well's - on there. "Which is actually not a lot."
Joe thought it ironic despite the problem at hand. "Didn't you read a whole book about him?"
"Yeah, 600 pages, and the big takeaway is, he's enigmatic."
"Your mom was killed by a speedster. Wells' machine turned you into a speedster. That's way too many coincidences for this old cop."
Barry shook his head, at a complete loss. "Do you think that he wanted me to become the Flash?"
Joe shrugged. "Everything he's done since that night you got struck by lightning... bringing you to STAR Labs, giving you the suit, training you... it's all been to keep you safe."
"And to make me faster. Wells once said that he needed more speed from me. Why?"
"I don't know. But he wants something from you, Barry. We just need to figure out what it is."
Barry was feeling like patience should just be damned. "Well, let's go get him then. Let's get some answers!"
Joe stood up and walked up to the board to take a closer look. "We can't do that now as much as we might want to."
"Joe, you had your suspicions about Wells from the very beginning. You thought that he might be the man in yellow."
"Except the blood from your house didn't match him," Joe reminded.
"Alright, so maybe he's not the Reverse-Flash, but you think that he knows what happened that night. He may have the key to getting my dad out of prison."
Joe sighed and looked away from the board."Whatever Wells wants from you, it started 15 years ago. He's been patient. Scary patient. You gotta listen to me on this. We have to be just as patient."
"Hello?" came the familiar chirpy voice. Barry immediately pulled down the board's common - public - paper just as Belén walked in. Despite his quickness, Belén detected she had walked in on a moment she wasn't invited to. "I should have waited downstairs…" she apologetically chuckled.
"No, no, it's fine," Joe gave Barry a look on how close it had been. For the moment, it was decided no one would know about their investigation on Wells. "I was leaving anyways."
"I don't quite believe that," Belén stopped by a table full of what she considered interesting science things.
In an attempt to steer the conversation away from anything dangerous, Joe casually asked, "You guys made plans?"
It had worked.
Belén nodded and turned to the detective. "Barry's buying me the drink he promised me so that I wouldn't come with him to see Snart."
Joe made a face and glanced at Barry. "You bought her off with drinks?"
"Don't get used to it," warned Belén. "I'm much more expensive - first time it's a pass."
Barry playfully rolled his eyes. Joe said his goodbyes and left the two in the lab.
"Ready to go?" Barry went for his jacket left on the chair by the computer.
"Mhm…" Belén discreetly looked around, hoping to find something of a clue of what was truly going on.
Barry turned back as he put his jacket on and of course noticed her behavior. "Something's wrong?"
"You tell me," she lightly sighed. "For the last couple of days you've been...distant." Barry immediately, almost instinctively looked anywhere else that wasn't her. "Like you don't want to tell me something. I don't know, maybe...maybe you're rethinking this whole dating thing-"
"No that's not it!"
Belén smirked. Tricking him into admitting that had been far too easy and he was supposed to be the scientist. "So there is something?"
Barry shook his head. He couldn't tell her anything, at least not now. He thought it was the best call. He just forgot the part where she was a reporter.
"Barry, you know you can tell me anything right?" Belén spoke earnestly, and softly.
Nodding his head, Barry assured her he knew of this. Nothing left to say meant it was time for the drinks.
Once they were out on the street, Barry felt it was time to cut the silence he knew was meant to make him come clean. Unfortunately for Belén, when he did speak up it wasn't to confess.
"I was thinking maybe we should try at your training again…"
Belén's eyes widened, at first surprised but soon the fear filled her eyes. "You know I've been struggling out in the field..."
"I know but I also know that you're fighting it," Barry stopped walking to face her. "And it's for that same reason that you owe yourself to train."
"I know you're right, I really do," Belén took his hands, needing to feel his warmth and support. "Everything you're saying is right but...it's just difficult to accept," she sighed.
"I get it, you're scared-"
"No you don't, Barry," she shook her head. "You're sweet, but you don't get it. You have your powers like this," she made a fist with one of her hands. "Mine are like this-" she released her fist and waved it above her face. "My powers are complex and they scare me. If I lose control in one part, I lose control with everything."
"That's not true-"
"Yes it is!"
"Okay so we know that's not going away until we train again," Barry kept himself calm despite Belén's growing agitation with him. She needed calmness, understanding, something he was more than capable of giving. "Let's just...try one session. One session, you and I, and we can take it slow. Sound good?"
Belén stared at him for a minute before sighing. "I...I guess..."
"You can kick my ass for free," he said, smiling when she laughed. While she laughed, he swooped in and stole a kiss from her. She looped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Words could not express how much better Barry made her feel at moments like these. She doubted words were ever going to be enough to describe it.
A loud explosion from a distance cut their moment short. As they pulled away from each other, a second explosion rocked the ground. They saw smoke billowing into the sky not too far from where they stood.
"Go, it'll be too long if I go get changed first," Belén urged him to go without her.
As the Flash he arrived at the city park to find a disturbing sight. Small gifts strapped to small parachutes were coming down to the park, exploding upon landing. Now everyone was running away with their children but Barry spotted one particular blonde boy that was still anxiously awaiting to grab on more falling gift. Barry sped over and snatched the kid in time, returning him to his father who'd been looking for him.
Not long after that, the culprit happily revealed himself through a video that went online fast. A young man dressed like a modern jester in class black and white leather declared himself the Trickster. "Tricked ya. Look who's back. My tricks. My treat. But I'll give you something good to eat. Today's special. A city in ashes. The Trickster proudly welcomes you all to the new disorder."
In the cortex, Cisco paused the video once it was finished and scowled. "Talking in the third person. That's never a good sign."
Caitlin threw him an amused smile. "You're just mad because he named himself."
"Actually, he didn't," Joe turned around, having been watching the video as well. "20 years ago, Central City was hit by a series of terrorist attacks. One man killed at least ten civilians, two cops. That guy called himself The Trickster."
"So he's a copycat?" Belén tilted her head but soon was captured by the news Cisco had found online about the original Trickster.
"Whoa. Someone was rocking the unitard," Cisco did his best not to laugh knowing the situation was serious.
"James Jesse?" Belén read part of the headline.
"Like Jesse James, only more twisted," Joe briefly explained.
"Where is this Mr. Jesse now?" Wells inquired.
"He's serving several life sentences at Iron Heights. He was just about the most dangerous thing Central City had ever seen."
"You mean until the Particle Accelerator blew up," Barry corrected, and rather coldly that someone had noticed.
"Um... Barry and I will go see this James Jesse at Iron Heights, see if he can give us something that can help us catch his groupie," Joe announced, instigating the rest to get to work.
"I'll analyze the video and see if I can figure out the source," Cisco straightened up and started on the computer.
"I'm heading to work too," Belén began getting out of her chair. "The news is hot today so...they'll be needing me."
"C'mon," Barry walked towards her, "We'll give you a lift." He didn't wait for her to openly agree. He took her hand and almost pulled her out of the room.
"Hey, Joe. Is Barry doing all right?" inquired Wells. "He seems cranky."
Joe tried playing it off as casualness, "Even The Flash wakes up on the wrong side of the bed some mornings. He's fine."
If he the same speed powers as Barry, he would've used them there and then.
~0~
CC Picture News was up and alive with the newest criminal town as Belén had said. She entered the building and had to dodge several of her co-workers before they crashed into her. When she reached her desk she plopped down with a heavy sigh of relief she made it without spills of any kind. Just as she was putting down her purse, Noah came up to the desk.
"Belén, did you hear about the new criminal?"
Scoffing - politely - Belén put her elbows on her desk, chin on her hands. "I think everyone's heard about him."
"He's calling himself the Trickster," it didn't appear like Noah had paid attention. He moved around the desk to be side-to-side with her, laying out a couple of papers he had brought with him.
"Is he now?" Belén tried her best to sound in the dark about the situation.
"Yeah, and the crazier thing is there was another guy - like twenty years ago - with the same name," Noah shuffled through the papers to find the very article that Cisco had pulled up earlier about James Jesse. He handed it to Belén for her to read. "So I was thinking that maybe it was connected some way."
Belén raised an eyebrow, genuinely bemused by him. "What are you? A reporter or a detective?"
"Don't those two kind of the same thing?" Noah smirked and shared a small laugh with her. "This guy - the new Trickster - is doing similar attacks as James Jessee did. Why would he do that?"
"Because he's a fan?" Belén tried the easiest answer she could.
"Obvious answers, Belén," Noah sarcastically looked at her. "Or maybe there's something deeper in there."
"But what?"
"That's what we need to find out," Noah declared, much to her further bemusement. "I asked Iris if she wanted to get in on the article but she's too immersed in Mason's disappearance."
"Right," Belén glanced over her shoulder to see Iris working at her desk, very quietly too. "There's been nothing on him yet?"
"Nothing," Noah was beginning to clear off his papers from her desk. "Boss has tried calling him and everything, but there's no response."
"It's weird," Belén leaned back on her chair, thinking about her annoying co-worker who, she did admit, she kind of missed. It had been a week since Mason mysteriously disappeared without a trace. And while on the first couple of days Belén joked and considered it their break from him, it was becoming a bit of a worry for her.
~ 0 ~
After a wild goose chase trying to find the newest Trickster, Barry and Joe returned to STAR Labs. They'd seen the newest video the young Trickster posted, all of which was just another warning for the city.
"Whoever this Trickster is, he's certainly not shy," Joe remarked after watching the video.
"Well, not every criminal likes to hide in the dark," Barry snidely commented, much to Joe's irritation. He'd been trying to get Barry to keep those types of comments to himself until they knew something concrete about Wells, but apparently it was too difficult for Barry.
"Cisco, can you trace where the video was posted from?" he asked Cisco, hoping for the conversation to keep moving and that Barry would no longer talk.
"I tried, but this guy is using some crazy Felicity-caliber scrambler like I've never seen. The origin of the upload's coming from hundreds of different locations. Until he uploads another video, it's gonna be tough."
"This psychopath has the capability to destroy the city," Barry frowned.
Cisco liked being optimistic and clarified, "Hey, I said tough, not impossible."
"Barry, we'll catch him," Caitlin tried to resassure, like the others sensing something was off with him.
"We always do. Mr. Allen, a word please?" asked Wells. He led Barry into one of the side rooms again, the training room, where they could talk freely. "I know what's going on with you. I know what you're thinking."
Barry found it incredibly hard not to make the face he was making right now, as Wells had his back to him. "Do you?"
"I know going up to Iron Heights prison and conversing with Mr. Jesse has brought about feelings of your father. How could it not?"
Barry forced himself to go with it and sighed. "Yeah, no, it's, uh, it's been really tough knowing that my mom's killer is still out there."
"Of course. But we'll find him, together. You have my word."
Barry wondered what fat good that was but on the outside politely said, "Thank you."
"For now, how about we focus on finding this Trickster before anybody else gets hurt?"
Silently, Barry gave a nod and forced himself to go at a normal pace outside the room. Right now, he just couldn't stand being near Dr. Wells.
~ 0 ~
"Hey, Bells?" Iris quietly approached Belén by the printer.
Belén pressed the printing button and glanced at her friend, immediately noticing the timid demeanor in Iris. "Hey girl, what's up?" Iris opened her mouth to say what she wanted but at the last moment closed it and plastered a little, fake smile. "Iris?" Belén tilted her head, gesturing her to say what she needed to.
Sighing, Iris took a discreet look around in case anyone would hear. When she spoke, it was still quiet. "Have you heard anything about Mason?"
"No, I'm just as lost as you are," Belén shrugged, glancing to see if her papers were printing out correctly.
"Yeah, well, I talked to Eddie about it at the CCPD but he's got a load of work because of that Trickster guy so Mason's case would be last priority," Iris then bit her lip while nervously smiling.
"I feel like there's a favor to be asked," Belén said after seeing Iris' face.
Iris stepped a little closer and spoke even quieter, a faint whisper merely. "Do you think you could ask the Flash and the Azalea to look into it?"
"I-I'm sorry?" Belén was caught off guard by this question that she nearly dropped her papers she'd been picking up from the printer.
"I know it's a humongous favor and I will owe you big time but I'm just really worried here," Iris tried her best to sound reasonable. "When Mason is on a story, nothing is getting in his way. I mean, he considers threats minor annoyances."
"I know that," Belén nodded her head, "But...to ask the Flash and the Azalea? I don't...I don't know…"
"It's the best idea considering where the police's attention is at the moment."
"I don't know...I mean, I don't know how to contact them," Belén tried to say but Iris gave her a 'really' expression that shut down that excuse.
"The Flash personally came to give you the story of the week - for sure he'll come if you ask. C'mon, Bells. Look if you don't wanna go then I guess I can just go back on my old blog and see if one of them answers-"
"No!" Belén said far too fast. At Iris' bemused face she tried correcting it in some way. "I mean, I guess I can look into it." She would prefer to keep this call on the down-low. The last thing they needed was for Iris to put herself in danger using that old blog of hers.
Iris' expression flipped like a switch after hearing that. "So then you'll do it!?"
Now Belén was caught back because she knew that was basically what she had said. "Well, um...I mean...I guess...I can give...one a call..?"
"You're such a good friend!" Iris threw her arms around Belén, giving her a ridiculous excited hug which made Belén laugh in the end.
~ 0 ~
"We have got a problem," Belén walked into STAR Labs later that day, surely enough finding Barry, Caitlin and Cisco there.
"You know-" Cisco turned on his chair to face her direction, "-most people say 'good afternoon'."
Belén rolled her eyes and plopped her bag over his lap, continuing her conversation. "Iris just asked me to get in contact with the Flash and the Azalea."
"Really?" Caitlin spoke before Barry could. "She hasn't done that in a long time. I actually thought she forgot about it completely."
"Yeah well, with Mason's disappearance she's up and active again," Belén sighed and now looked at Barry. "I don't know what to do but at that moment I had to tell her okay. I'm so sorry."
"It's fine, I know how Iris can get sometimes," Barry walked over and gave her a hug.
"I'm still sorry, I should have told her I would think about it so I could come talk to you about it," she looked up at him. "But my big mouth said I'd call you and I guess me."
"She's not gonna give up until one of us goes," Barry said, thinking about the possible ways this could go.
"So who goes?" asked Cisco curiously.
"Barry," Belén instantly said, earning herself a wide-eyed response from the man. "Can we get a moment guys?" she looked at the other two. "Just a minute, I promise."
"Sure," Caitlin got up first and motioned Cisco to follow her out.
Now Barry didn't need to think twice to know what Belén was going to tell him. And while it was frustrating to go through this again, he understood she was just scared to use her powers around Iris. "You don't want to go see Iris as the Azalea because you're scared you'll lose control, right?"
"That-" Belén pointed at him, "-is why I like you. You're incredibly smart."
Her forced smile didn't fool him. Swaying his head, he came up with an alternative way to approach the same subject. "Or, we could both go and I could keep an eye on you…"
"I wouldn't be comfortable," Belén quietly objected. Her expression wasn't one that was ready to argue the hell out of it. She had decided it already, and was just waiting for him to get on board with the idea.
"First you're scared of training and now you wanna pull back on your time being the Azalea? Bells, c'mon!"
"I don't know what I want to do, Barry, to be honest," Belén admitted for the first time. "I became the Azalea to find my brother but...now my brother's evil so what does it really matter if I stop being the Azalea?"
"Hey it matters," Barry was looking at her incredulously. "Because when you came to Central City wearing that mask you made a commitment to the people. And Bells, the people love you," Belén scoffed, "They do. You've become a part of the city and nobody wants to see her go."
Belén stared hard at the floor, truly thinking about his words and the meaning he put into them. Seconds later she felt his arms wrap around her from behind, actually making her think he gave a mean hug. "Can you just please go for tonight?" she whispered, tilting her head to look at him. "And then...we can continue discussing...I promise."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
"Okay," Barry said, although making it a conditional 'okay'. "What's the story?"
"Um…" Belén thought about it for a moment, "...I gave you a call?"
Barry laughed. "So you're just casually going to let it out that you have the Flash's number?"
"Fine - e-mail," Belén shrugged and turned around. "WhatsApp?"
"Now you're just playing with me!"
Belén nodded her head, chuckling. "Maybe a little," she admitted and draped her arms over his shoulders for another hug. "But we better get our stories straight because Iris West is no fool."
"No she is not," agreed Barry and both laughed again.
~ 0 ~
Needless to say that when Iris got a call from Belén telling her it was all set up, the reporter was up and thanking Belén up to who knew what Gods. It was so nice to hear someone happy that Belén didn't mind Iris picking the place for their meeting.
"You still have a key to this place?" Belén was cautious as they both walked into the closed Jitters' in the night.
Iris smiled deviously to herself as she closed the door behind them. "They don't quite know I still have it."
"Shouldn't you - I don't know - give it back to them?"
The response Belén got was a loud laughter.
"Okay, so, um...I don't suppose there's still coffee behind there?" Belén leaned towards the counter in case there was a random pot of coffee she knew was probably not going to be there.
At that moment, Barry sped in through the back door of the place and was careful to stay in the shadows. Iris was stunned to see him again, and while Belén walked away from the counter, the other reporter tried gathering her words so she didn't sound like an idiot.
"Mind my asking but why are we meeting here?" Barry genuinely asked them both while taking a look at the place.
"Ask my friend," Belén replied, chuckling.
"I still have a key," shrugged Iris, although her attempted casual demeanor was not going so well.
"So what's going on?" Barry asked.
"Iris has a problem…" Belén trailed off and glanced back at Iris who'd stayed a bit behind.
"U-um, my coworker, Mason Bridge is missing," Iris remembered the severity of her problem and got over her nervousness. "He's not at home. He's not answering his phone. I mean, it's not like him. I am really worried that something bad has happened."
"Truthfully so am I," admitted Belén after a moment, "I mean, yeah Mason was a bit of a prick but...his job was everything to him. He wouldn't leave it like that."
"I'm...sure he's fine," Barry tried sounding convincing but the look he was getting from Belén told him he was failing. Even in darkness her eyes were burning on him.
And now that he was avoiding her look, Belén detected there was something he wasn't telling her. Without thinking, she stepped towards him, closer, much to Iris' curiosity. "I know Mason - longer than Iris, and definitely more than you - and I know that he wouldn't do something like this.''
"Maybe he's-"
Belén sighed when she saw him going in another excuse attempt. "Will you look into it? ...for me?"
Even if he could show his face at her at that moment Barry knew he probably wouldn't. Those pleading eyes of her was stronger than she knew, and it was already a part of him - a part of the Flash - to help Belén Palayta. Of course he would do it for her.
"For you, anything," he responded in a soft voice.
Belén smiled at him. She couldn't help remembering their first meetings like this, where she hadn't known who he was, and the feelings that perhaps were there at the time. All those reprimands and denying with Nina made her laugh inside. If only she had known then where she would be now.
"Heads up," Cisco's voice in the suit's earpod startled Barry. "Trickster's broadcasting again."
Barry looked past Belén to Iris, the latter now with an unreadable face. "Can I borrow your laptop?"
Iris blinked away her stupor and nodded. "Um, sure. Help…" but Barry sped over in half a second to get her laptop. By the time Iris turned around he was already working at it. "...yourself…"
Belén hurriedly crossed the room to get a closer look at the screen. It was the young Trickster again, making a new recording. This time he stood in front of a wooden box with a drawn picture of a cartoon bomb.
"Get ready for the games to begin! I have...a bomb. It's a big bomb. It'll make a big bang and then a big hole and then a big drop in the pop-ulation. But never say The Trickster is not fair. The bomb is somewhere between 52nd Street and Avenue B."
"Oh my God," Iris covered her mouth in disgust at the new trick on them.
Belén wasn't surprised, much like Barry. He got up quickly and turned to her, both silently agreeing he should he going while she stayed with Iris.
"Be careful okay?" He couldn't leave without saying first.
She nodded her head, slightly smiling. "Of course. But you too."
With a smile of his own, Barry sped out of the building. Belén moved to the computer, barely closing its lid when Iris blurted, "Oh my God! He likes you!"
"What?" Belén tried keeping her widened eyes out of sight while picking up Iris' laptop from the table.
"The Flash - he likes you! Oh my God, that's why he kept coming to you with all the stories," Iris walked straight up to her, wearing a cross of amusement and surprise on her face. "Belén, what he did - all he did - was for you. He so likes you."
The laugh that came out of Belén was not one that clearly defended her proclaimed innocence. "Iris, you're just confused."
"Oh no I am not! I was watching you two, and it was...it was like I was intruding on some private meeting," she looked to the side, "Can you imagine what Barry would feel like if he knew this?"
Belén fought the urge to respond with the truth. She didn't want Iris thinking there was some kind of cheating going on. Because if that was the case then she would tell Iris everything right there.
"You gotta be careful, Belén," Iris continued, taking her laptop back. "I mean, he does know you're going out with someone right?"
A quirky smile spread across Belén's face. "Oh, he knows alright. Trust me."
"Good," Iris nodded.
"You're putting way too much thought into this," Belén laughed and made way for the door.
"I can't believe you hadn't noticed!" Iris went after her, still very much in shock. "The frikin Flash likes you! How does that feel!? To have the city hero's heart?"
Belén shook her head, holding the door for Iris, while trying not to laugh. "You're exaggerating. Have I mentioned you're crazy too?"
"No I am not!" Iris exclaimed, and she didn't give up on the topic as they headed home.
~0~
Like the police, Barry was doing his best to find the bomb before it went off. Speeding through, he went through every last building and corner through the streets the young Trickster had covered. At the end, he stopped for a moment to get in contact with the others.
"Guys, I can't find it. I need your help!"
"There's nothing on traffic cams or CCTV," Caitlin reported after an intensive search.
Cisco agreed. "I re-tasked the STAR Labs satellite to scan the area for incendiary devices. A bomb that large should be giving off some kind of thermal or chemical signature."
"Well, then why can't you find it?" Barry asked, rather impatient and frantic.
And then it clicked. "Because it's a trick. The bomb's not there," informed Wells.
"No, it has to be. I'm gonna keep looking."
Wells shook his head. "That is what he wants, for you and the police to keep running around in circles. There is something else going on, Barry. I can feel it. Now, trust me."
Barry thought about it for a short second and decided he really couldn't trust Wells anymore. "I'm gonna keep looking," he declared instead and continued to speed through the streets.
"Barry?" called Wells but the metahuman didn't answer anymore.
Cisco, confused like Caitlin, glanced at Wells. "Why doesn't he just listen to you?"
Barry continued ignoring the others as he went in search of the bomb. He eventually came across an old basement in one of the buildings that contained the familiar box.
"I found it!" He exclaimed and opened up the box. Unfortunately, he found the words 'Tricked you' on the lid inside, and he realized that the box was empty.
It was then that Cisco got a ping from the Iron Heights prison. Looking into it, he discovered it was far worse than usual.
"There's an explosion at Iron Heights!"
Well tried not to sound a know it all but he had been correct. "This was all a diversion. The prison was the real target. James Jesse. I guess he's tricked us all."
Hearing this, Barry quit the basement and got in contact with Joe through the earpod.
"Joe, there's no bomb in this city. It was a diversion so The Trickster could help James Jesse escape."
"I know," responded Joe, sounding grim. "We just got surveillance footage from Iron Heights. Jesse got away. Barry, look, they took a hostage."
Barry frowned, feeling even worse then. If he had listened earlier he would've been there. "Well, who did he take? A guard? The warden?"
"No. Your dad."
~0~
Night had turned into morning, and while everyone at STAR Labs and the CCPD worked long and hard, they were only able to solve one thing.
"We were able to identify the other Trickster," Joe told the rest of the team. "His name's Axel Walker, age 25. Apparently him and James have been corresponding through snail mail for over a decade."
"I should have been there," Barry kept repeating ever since he had entered the cortex. He was beyond furious...and beyond terrified.
"We're gonna find your dad, okay?" Caitlin assured, although she didn't know how her words would go on him.
Barry ignored them as he got up from his chair. "I guess I should have listened to you," he sourly aimed at Wells then left the place in a stalk.
No one blamed Barry for his mood, it was perfectly understandable. Still, there were decisions they didn't quite agree with but didn't voice it. And a while later, one of those decisions walked in.
"Please tell me we have more news on these maniac," Belén walked in holding a cup of Jitters coffee in one hand. As she drank, she noticed the uneasy glances the group was sharing. "What is it?"
"We wanted to call you…" Cisco resorted to an explanation she probably did deserve, "...but Barry said no…"
"To tell me what?" Belén frowned, lowering her coffee and bag.
"Last night we figured out the bomb was a diversion...and James Jesse escaped," Caitlin slowly explained, glancing at the others just to make sure they were all on board.
"Why do I get the feeling there's something worse?" Belén spoke her intuition she now felt at the pit of her stomach.
"He took a hostage with him," Joe said, and like a bandage he ripped it off with the truth. "It was Barry's dad."
Belén's eyes widened till they couldn't. The first few seconds displayed shock but then came the inevitable irritation from not being told right away. "How could nobody have told me about this!? It's mighty important!"
"Barry decided to hold it off for the night," Dr. Wells explained, not that it mattered for Belén was rightly angry now.
"Well, I'm gonna go tell him why that was wrong," she declared, hastily setting her things down at the desk. "Where the hell is he!?"
"You know, maybe it's not the best time…" Cisco began but was promptly silenced with a glare. "He's down in the pipeline,."
With a huff, Belén turned and marched out of the room. Everyone else turned on Cisco with disapproving looks for his easy answers.
"She scares me," Cisco said like it should've been a reasonable excuse.
~ 0 ~
The plan was to scold Barry for his stupid decision and then, ultimately, try and comfort him during the hard time Belén was sure he was going through. But then she found him in the pipeline sitting on the floor alone. She silently walked towards him, feeling her initial annoyance fading the more she looked at him. By the time she reached him, the idea of scolding him had been thrown out the window.
"Hey," she greeted softly, taking a seat on her knees right beside him.
He didn't seem surprised she was visiting him, but he did look nervous. "You know…?"
"Oh that you decided not to tell me your father had been kidnapped last night because in your deluded mind it was much better for me to be in the dark?"
He draped his arms over his knees he'd pulled up and leaned his head on them. "I just...thought you deserved to sleep well for tonight."
"While I appreciate that, I would much rather prefer to be in the know of what's happening in my boyfriend's life. Especially when it concerns his father's life."
"Are you mad?" Barry asked, truthfully a little worried he would now have to worry about that.
"I was annoyed," Belén rolled her eyes. "But I'm letting it slide because you're cute and you have a lot on your plate today."
"I am sorry though," he raised his head but couldn't afford to look at her at the moment. He felt all the fear inside mixing with anger and yet another layer of fear.
"It's okay," Belén rubbed his arm and scooted closer to him. "How are you?"
Barry truly did consider words to voice his feelings but...it became difficult to find the right words that would express them. "I don't...I don't know if my dad's still alive," came out of his mouth. He hadn't realized that his eyes were becoming teary.
"Of course he is," Belén quickly said. "James took your father as proper leverage and that only works as long as he's alive." A couple seconds later she wondered if those had been truly the best words she could come up with. "Plus," she then added, trying lift up the mood, "everyone upstairs is looking to find him."
That was supposed to reassure Barry but now all he thought of was the fact that the person who may have murdered his mother was now dealing with his father's fate. He closed his eyes, releasing a tiny, shaky sigh through his lips.
"I can't...I can't do this…" he struggled.
Belén took that as still regarding his father's situation and three her arms over him, forming a side hug. "We're gonna find him, I promise you. I will go out there as the Azalea if I have to but your dad is coming back. I swear." She planted a kiss on his cheek with a bright smile just for him.
Feeling her touch made him smile. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. Belén saw sad, teary eyes before her and wanted nothing more than to make the pain go away. In roles reversed, she was sure Barry would think the same thing if she were in pain. She had so much she wanted to give to him, and see him happy, and she knew how she would start.
Leaning forwards, she pressed a short kiss to his lips. When she pulled away she sported a tint of pink on her cheeks, but a smile nonetheless across her face. In that moment Barry had never felt so grateful to have something good - particularly this good - in his life. He reached with one hand to brush his fingers across her cheeks. Without warning, he shifted a bit on his side and kissed her again. While it had been a surprise for her, Belén fell into the moment and let it continue for as long as they could.
If only breathing hadn't been an issue.
With a bright red face, Belén smiled sheepishly. "I think...you are definitely my best boyfriend."
Barry made a bemused face at her. "Really?"
"Definitely best kisser," she nodded, chuckling when she practically saw his ego swell.
"Well…" he began, making her laugh even more.
"Okay, I take that comment back," she said when she could talk without laughing. After a short minute she sobered up and took his nearest hand. "Look, no matter what, you are not alone in this. I am here, right beside you."
"Thank you, Bells," Barry said, interlacing his fingers with hers.
"I'm gonna go call work and tell them I can't do tonight's event so that I can stay here," Belén announced, already making a move to get up when Barry protested and pulled her down.
"What event?"
Belén rolled her eyes. "It's not important. The mayor's having a fundraiser and they wanted me, Noah and Iris to visit to get some info."
"That sounds important…"
"It's really not…"
"I don't want you to get into trouble because of me, okay? Please, just go to your event-"
Belén was already shaking her head in refusal. "I'm not leaving you."
"It really would make me feel better knowing you are doing your job that I know is important to you," Barry covered their interlocked hands with his other one. Belén seemed might unsure of this idea but Barry was persistent. "I promise of anything happens I'll call you."
"Barry…"
"I will speed you there myself if I have to," he resorted to warnings, much to her amusement.
"You don't even know where it is," defied Belén.
"Power of Google, my dear, it's very helpful."
Belén sighed in resignation. "Fine. But there goes me trying to be a good girlfriend by sticking with you when you need me."
Barry scoffed. "What are you talking about? I think you are my best girlfriend that I've ever had."
A small giggle escaped through Belén's lips as she remarked, "You've only had two girlfriends before me, Barry, so I don't think it really counts."
Barry frowned. "No more hanging out with Iris."
Belén playfully rolled her eyes and got up, pulling him with her. "You let me know if anything happens okay? No matter what."
"I promise," Barry truthfully returned. Satisfied with his response, she gave him a quick - but meaningful - hug then hurried out.
Watching her go, Barry realized he had felt a little better after her visit. She just had that power on him.
~ 0 ~
In a nice pink, laced dress Belén attended the public mayor's fundraising along with Iris and Noah. The three walked up to the check in table where they showed their work identifications to the check-in people.
"You sure you're okay?" Iris asked her after they had left the check-in table.
"No, but I'm here anyways," Belén responded with nothing but the truth.
"Barry told you it was fine," Iris reminded, accepting a glass of champagne from a young man on the way. "This is your work, after all, and you don't play with it."
"Champagne, miss?" an older waiter man stopped beside with a tray of champagne glasses.
"Thanks," in her distraction she didn't see just who was the waiter offering her the drink. She took the glass and right away took a sip.
Noah took second glass and did the same thing. "Relax, Belén," he distractedly said, not really caring what was going on.
Iris walked over to the mayor she spotted near the platform and began a conversation. Noah remained beside Belén watching the procession, but discreetly noticed her constantly checking her phone. He was sure it had to do something with the Flash considering they still had the runaway prisoner, and more so considering they'd taken her boyfriend's father as a hostage.
Then it hit. An idea.
"You know Belén, this is sort of relating back to my initial thoughts about these metahumans," he began, turning to her. This time she didn't appear angry nor irritated at the least by his comment. "It's bad news - the lot of them. Look what they did to your boyfriend's father."
"Technically, James Jesse is not a metahuman," Belén corrected, still moaning a suave attitude. "He's a regular crazy criminal."
"But he's got the Flash after him and because of it he took some poor man to threaten with."
"This isn't the Flash's fault, Noah. It was...an unfortunate event. And I am sure he is out there looking for Henry Allen."
"They're bad news, and they need to be eliminated at their core."
Now this struck Belén oddly, especially the determination in Noah's voice. She lowered her glass and looked to the side, considering what all this meant. "You mean...like...eliminate the leader? Who would that be exactly?" she chuckled then, shaking her head. "You better not think it's the Flash because that's ridiculous."
"Of course not," Noah responded, well aware he was letting more loose than he wanted. "But he's part of it. He's in league with them."
Belén really struggled not to sound so bias but it was difficult knowing how wrong Noah was. "And in your mind who the hell runs the strings with the metahumans?"
"STAR Labs," Noah wasn't afraid to answer. He looked Belén dead in the eyes, despite her mixture of emotions at the moment, and explained more. "Dr. Wells is responsible for all the metahumans in the first place, as well as all the causalities that followed. Everyone who works there is also at fault for creating the particle accelerator."
Surprise was gone, as well as confusion. All that filled Belén at that moment was nothing but anger. "I'm going to remind you that my boyfriend was saved by those people-"
"-because of guilt," Noah snapped, unable to keep his own biases away. "Need I remind you that it was because this stupid accelerator was created my mother - my last parent - died? Belén, even your own father was killed by a metahuman!"
"That had nothing to do with Wells nor STAR Labs!" Belén pointed out, her voice rising so that others were beginning to look at them. "Metahumans think for their selves - their thoughts are not run by STAR Labs. And the fact you think all this is possible really shows me the kind of person you are."
"Oh, really?" scoffed Noah.
"Yes, really," mimicked Belén. "You're not the type of friend I want to have nor work with." Giving him a narrowed look, she walked away before things escalated more.
"Hey-" Iris stopped her near the platform, one hand on Belén's arm, "-what was that all about?" she discreetly nodded towards Noah who'd remained far in the back.
"He's an idiot, that's what," Belén angrily rolled her eyes.
"What he do?" Iris asked in concern, truthfully rarely seeing her friend so worked up about something unless it was important.
"I'd rather not waste my breath on him," Belén answered and plastered a little smile to get by.
At that moment, someone took the stage and the podium. "Welcome, welcome," began the elder man - a James Jesse - who seemed delighted with the turn out of his plans, "Centrla City's finest. How about a toast to Mayor Anthony Bellows? He doesn't just yell at his staff, he bellows!" But hardly anyone in the crowd laughed to his joke. Belén squinted her eyes at the properly dressed waiter, trying to figure out who he was. "You see what I did there with the wordplay and the...tough crowd."
The Mayor had hastily made his way up to the stage to see it all stopped. "Excuse me," he said to James after placing a hand on the microphone, "Who are you?"
"How quickly they forget," James mumbled to his partner - and apparent son - Axel who stood beside him now. He cleared his throat, getting ready to make the presentation of his life. "James Jesse, your honor, aka-" he ruffled his hair and smirked as he faced the crowd, "-The Trickster. And I'm here to relieve you fine people from all your money. Because we know if you're in this room, you've got loads of it."
"Oh no," Belén's eyes widened.
"What makes you think that anyone in this room would give you a cent?" the Mayor seemed to want to laugh at what he thought was an utter hoax.
"Because that champagne they just slurped down like so much fruit punch... I added a little something special to it," James said to the crowd, and everyone began suspiciously looking at their glasses. "Trimethylmercury 32. Poison. Without the antidote, you'll begin to feel the effects in about, oh, um... One hour."
A couple seconds later one man started coughing loudly, and in his stumbles he came forwards to reveal he had some sort of foam slipping through his mouth.
"I remember you," James pointed at him with a widened smile. "You got to the party about an hour early. I offered you the very first glass of champagne."
The man continued to cough until the foam covered his throat. He collapsed on the ground dead minutes later.
James chuckled along with Axel. "An hour is plenty of time for all of you to call your bankers and transfer everything you have to the account number on the bottom of your glass," he gestured to the crowd to get started. "Once my young friend and I are rich, you'll get the antidote. If any of you decide to call 911 instead, well, then we switch to lead poisoning." As a show, he pulled out a gun and raised high in the air to issue the start of the blackmail.
"We'll see about that," Belén mumbled and pulled Iris towards the middle of the crowd where they would hopefully blend in.
"What are you doing!?" Iris whispered-yelled at her when she saw Belén pulling her phone out.
"Shhh," Belén put a finger on her lips as she hit a number. She shifted Iris so that both faced the front and Belén left her phone between them while Jesse continued to talk.
~ 0 ~
"Anything?" Joe asked the three STAR Labs employees who did, truthfully, worked at fast paced on the computers.
"I'm scanning all the traffic cams in the city. I got nothing," Cisco took a moment to look at Joe but quickly got back to the computer.
Barry was at the threshold of the cortex listening to everyone yet not really listening at the same time. The only reason he snapped out of his trance was because he felt his phone vibrating in his jean's pocket. He pulled it out to see Belén's name and answered it.
"Bells?" he answered but received a some indistinct talking from the other side. As he paid more attention, he realized he knew one of the voices that was speaking over everyone else's. "Guys?" he quickly leaned off the threshold and rushed for the desk. "It's Belén's phone but listen…"
Putting his phone on speaker they all heard James Jesse on the other line.
'How many of you feel the Trimethyline 32 coursing through your veins, hmm?'
"That's him. That's Jesse," Barry urgently said, realizing Belén was somehow with him and more people.
"Cisco, can you ping her phone?" Joe immediately asked.
"Just find out where the mayor's having a fundraiser," Barry said to Cisco. "She, Iris and Noah are there for their jobs."
"Iris is there!?" Joe nearly lost it.
"I'm on it," Cisco quickly searched for the location.
Meanwhile, Caitlin had been searching for the strange name James had mentioned and came to some bad results. "Trimethylmercury 32 is a relatively fast-acting poison."
"Is there a cure?" Barry panicked.
"Yes," Wells assured. "Yes. We can start synthesizing the antidote right now."
"Hurry - Belén is there and she's...not exactly herself," Barry left it at that for the moment. He knew why she had called him in the first place. She didn't feel confident enough to come out as the Azalea. She needed him. And he was going to help her.
~ 0 ~
Belén had long stuffed her phone inside her bag and kept Iris close to her while everyone called for their bank accounts to be drained. She couldn't find Noah anywhere though. Despite their argument she didn't want him to get hurt.
"I don't see him," Iris said quietly as they continued their search through the crowd.
"Just...keep looking, he has to be around here somewhere," Belén politely moved around a couple who were fervently talking on their respective cellphones.
"Maybe he's just drunk and doesn't even realize what's going on," Iris suggested.
They were now at the front and as they were moving down, James cut in front of them.
"Eugh, what do you want?" Belén took a step back with Iris.
"You know, I've been in prison for 20 years," he informed with a widened smirk, but neither woman was amused.
"Then you'll know the routine when you get sent back," Iris promptly replied, instigating a deep glare from the man in response.
"You're not getting away with it," Belén declared, much to the man's amusement. "The Flash is gonna get you."
"Oh really?" it was James' turn to scoff in disbelief.
"Yes and-"
But James was blasted with a shot of ice that pushed him against the wall across the room. Belén was so stunned that Iris had to pull her back as another blast shot past her.
"I'm gonna need that antidote now," Azul stood on the platform with his hands glowing blue, indicating there was to be a third blow coming.
"What is he doing here?" frowned Belén. Azul hopped off the stage with eyes trained on James - the latter being surprised of this new metahuman he hadn't been expecting. But as Azul got closer Belén noticed there was something off in his eyes - was he drunk?
"Oh my god he's drunk," Belén mumbled, stepping back with Iris.
"What!?" Iris gaped. What kind of metahuman was this!?
"I said: GIVE ME THE ANTIDOTE!" Azul made to hit again but this time Barry had come in - as the Flash - and blocked him.
"You reek of champagne," he frowned.
"Get the hell out of my way, speedy," Azul went to use his powers but Barry was far quicker and chucked him across the stage.
After making a quick glance to see if Belén was fine he went for the real problem. He grabbed James by the collars and pinned him on the wall again. "Where's Henry Allen?"
James was groggy but not that much to not know when to put the second part of his plan to action. "He's where you'll be soon. Heaven!"
Axel appeared and slapped something on Barry's wrist. When Barry looked down he saw some sort of contraption beginning to beep.
"Are you familiar with the movie Speed?" asked James with a wicked smile. "Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock? See, you're the bus, and that's the bomb. A kinetic bomb, actually, and if you go below 600 miles per hour, it'll explode. Same thing happens if you try to remove it."
"Here we go," Axel declared and flipped a switch on the contraption that lit it up.
"Ooh, it's active. Run, run, run, run, run!" laughed James.
Barry had only a second to think before he dashed out of the building. Belén swallowed hard as she saw her last help leave.
"Great, what happens now?" Iris looked around. "Where's the Azalea?"
The mere question made Belén shake a little. She bit her nail and happened to look down where she saw her phone lighting up inside her bag. She could clearly see the name 'Cisco' on it and panicked even more. She stuffed her things over the cellphone and tried to not to think about it. But as seconds ticked by, minutes ticked by, it was becoming a real struggle. Azul was getting up from the stage, looking ready to fight again. And drunk.
"Someone needs to stop him…" Iris was desperately looking about as if someone else was going to step in before anyone got hurt.
"He's coming back," Belén said as a means of comfort. But the moment Azul struck a bystander in the crowd all calmness went to hell.
"I WANT THE ANTIDOTE!" He shouted, actively searching for the two culprits that merged within the crowd. No one dared leave the building because of the poison, causing even more pandemonium. "If I don't get the antidote people will get hurt - fork it over!"
And to prove his point, he shot mystical ice bits that grazed some of the crowd and actually stabbed someone on the leg.
"Oh my God!" Iris clapped a hand to her mouth.
Belén was, also, horrified that Azul was going to these measures to get the antidote. He truly was out of his mind for the night.
"Where's the Azalea!?" Iris kept her hopes up that the MIA partner would show up.
Belén knew it was useless to reassure that the Flash was coming back to help them. Azul was making his way through, hurting those he passed by. She also kept hearing her phone vibrate amongst the things she carried in her bag, reminding that STAR Labs was still pushing her to be someone she was afraid of.
But even then, she didn't have her suit. If she wanted to keep her identity a secret she would have to...go green. That terrified her to the core.
"WHERE IS IT!?" screamed Azul as he came to a stop in the middle of the crowd. Everyone retracted several steps away but he yanked the nearest attendee, a suited man, by the collars. "I guess I'll have to shake it out of everyone until it appears."
From the corner, Belén was able to see James Jesse and Axel trying to sneak into another hiding spot. Due to that, she missed Azul throwing the innocent man back. Iris yelped when the man landed mere inches from her feet.
"How about you princess?" Azul turned on her. "Think we can get some answers if I come for you next?"
Iris felt her feet frozen at the floor from fear. But when she looked down she saw that it wasn't actually from fear. Azul had made ice creep up to her heels and tips.
"I-I don't have anything!" Iris exclaimed, dropping her bag instantly.
"Let's find out who does," Azul said with a warning blue hand.
But at the same time he was struck from the side, across the face, by a thick, green vine that knocked him to the floor. Iris gasped and quickly looked for the source she was already assuming who was the Azalea.
Sure enough, she stood at the other side, with her emerald green, scaly skin. Without her suit she had entrusted her vines and roots to cover it up and at least impersonate some new vine dress. Her pulled hair remained the same but covered in bits of vines.
"Woah, new look," Iris remarked while immediately moving around to return to the crowd.
Belén didn't waste time in talking to her, for she could feel the terrible turmoil inside her. She didn't want to lose control in the middle of so many people. Looking to her right, she thrust a hand forwards, barring James and Axel a clean hideout. "You better give these people their antidotes now."
"And what if we don't?" challenged Axel.
Belén raised an eyebrow. Using the same vine, she swatted them like bugs against a wall. "That gets to happen again...and again...and again."
"Watch out!" she heard Iris frantically call to her. She barely had time to process when she felt a blow to the stomach that sent her to the floor, flat on her back.
Azul had gotten up and was ready for some payback. "I am sick and tired of your stupid brother giving you freebies!" He struck her with shards of ice that pinned her to the floor. She hissed at their coldness, and grew even more concerned when she felt a growl trying to escape her lips. "You shouldn't even be allowed to join us," continued Azul, who was now walking for her, "No, you should die like everyone else in STAR Labs. Because you are and will always be in league with them instead of your own family!" During his words, he kept shooting at her, although now she was trying to defend herself.
Belén growled and swung a vine towards him, grabbing him by the waist and smacking him to the ground. She could feel her mind frazzling with so many different thoughts and emotions, most of them not in her control. Nearly screaming she entangled him with vines here and there, wrapping him like a cocoon till he couldn't move anymore. Then, wearily, she turned where she had left James and Axel across.
"Your turn," she whispered and made a step forwards when she felt a sharp jab at her arm. "Ow!" the pain she felt snapped her out of early trance, allowing her to see that Barry had returned with an antidote...and thankfully with no exploding contraption on his wrist.
Barry exchanged a look with her, showing he was overly worried and this time so was Belén. Because she remembered this time.
"It's okay. You've all been given an antidote," he addressed the stricken crowd who was left looking from one odd person to the next.
"Over there," Belén pointed Barry towards the two criminals on the floor.
He sped towards them and picked both up."Now where is Henry Allen? You're going to prison either way, James."
"Unless you want me to go all swatty again," warned Belén who was already conjuring up another vine.
Seeing that made James sing like a canary.
~0~
"Now I want you to take it easy alright?" Caitlin warned Belén after securing the last bandage on the side of Belén's stomach. "You don't heal fast like others-"
Belén made a loud, clearly annoyed, sigh. "Yeah, believe me, I've figured that out the hard way." She tilted her head upon remembering certain difficult memories. "Oliver's not very gentle when it comes to body injuries."
Caitlin laughed and returned all her tools to the metal table beside the bed Belén sat upon. When Belén lowered down her blouse, Caitlin called to the rest of the team outside. "She's decent!"
Belén made a face at her choice of words. "I'd like to clarify that I was always decent," she said as she got up.
"You know what I'd like some clarification on," Cisco said the moment he and Dr. Wells came into the room, "is how on earth you didn't get worst hits by Azul?"
"A little clarification on Mr. Allen's words wouldn't be bad either," Wells added, instigating a very nervous reaction from Belén.
"He-he said something?"
"He said you weren't exactly yourself," Caitlin looked down at her with a small smile.
"Let us remind you that you are here so that we can help you, Ms. Palayta," Wells reminded with a pointed look her way.
"Um…" Belén scratched the side of her head.
Cisco walked to her side, swinging a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You know you can tell us anything."
Belén nodded her head. If course she knew that. It was practically embedded in her head. It just didn't mean it was easy for her. "So, um, when I first got my powers...there was this...this ability I could sort of do...that I actually hated. Hate."
"What kind of ability?" Wells leaned forwards on his chair to better hear.
"The kind where I go all green with scaly skin type," Belén answered at light speed, leaving Cisco and Caitlin to decipher what she had said.
Wells had grasped her words on the first try and was now experiencing a state of surprise. "You turn...all green?" he gestured with his hand to his face.
"Yes," Belén nodded. "But...but I didn't want anyone to know so I hid it. I hid it deep down and left it there."
"And now it's trying to break free with it controlling you," Wells concluded within the minute, getting a shameful nod from her in response.
"Why didn't you tell us about it?" Cisco asked her, forgetting his surprise to comfort her.
"Yeah," Caitlin put a hand on her arm, "We could have helped you."
"Barry was trying to help me," Belén explained. "But that's sorta when I lost control…"
"What happens exactly?" Wells pushed her to talk.
"I, uh, I lose myself, basically. I go fully aggressive when someone starts attacking me - it's like the trigger I think."
"Interesting," Wells leaned back on his chair, looking far more bemused than Belén would've liked, "A self-preservation trigger."
"A whatta-what now?" Belén blinked.
"Self-preservation - like every man for himself sort of thing," Cisco simplified it for her. "In your case, every metahuman for theirself."
"Well, I'd like to get rid of it," she declared. "It's horrible not being in control of your own body and mind. It's worst knowing that I can hurt people with it."
"That's only because you've kept it buried," Wells clarified her. "If you want to control it then you have to be able to use it whenever you want to, not the other way around."
"It scares me. That's why I'm debating about being the Azalea. Every time I remotely become her, I can feel this other side creeping to the surface."
"Don't worry, we're going to help you control it," Wells promised. "Do you trust us?" He said, no one but him knowing the test laid out before her.
Without a doubt, Belén nodded. "Of course."
"In the meantime," Cisco began walking her out, letting Caitlin and Wells follow behind, "We've got Azul nicely locked down in the pipeline." Although that was bitter news in itself.
"Yeah, I can't believe I just imprisoned my co-worker," Belén shook her head. She felt like an idiot, honestly. Her brother had no doubt set Noah up at CC Pictures to keep an eye on her. She felt disgusted, frankly.
"Noah's not going anywhere, trust me," Cisco assured her.
"I always did say I'd lock them up if I ever got the chance," Belén quietly said. She felt momentary relief when she saw Barry walking into the cortex. She immediately rushed to go up and hug him. "I had to tell them everything," she said, clinging tightly to him.
"Everything?"
"That I'm a hideous green monster," Belén briefly explained and pulled away. She realized he hadn't come alone as there was Joe and the man she presumed to be Barry's father. "Is that your father?"
"Yes!" Barry quickly turned around to formally introduce them.
"Well there goes my first impression," Belén hung her head with a long sigh.
"You're fine," Barry rubbed her back affectionately. "Bells, this is my dad," he gestured to his father who was already looking amused by her.
"Henry Allen," the older man reached to shake her hand. "But I'm sure you already know that."
Belén sheepishly shook his hand with a tiny nervous smile. "Belén Palayta, but...I'm sure you already know that, well, I'm a hideous green monster."
"No, you are not," Barry scolded her playfully.
"You really are not," agreed Henry. "You're very pretty, actually."
"I can see where Barry got his good-natured compliments," Belén nudged the man in question beside her. "Are you taking notes for future situations?"
"I like her," Henry told Barry with a chuckle. "And let me tell you-" he now looked at Belén, "-that he-" he pointed at Barry, "-likes you as well."
"Dad-" Barry stiffened, beginning to feel that embarrassment he was sure others experienced when their parents started talking too much around a girlfriend or boyfriend.
"He talks about you a lot," Henry said, more on purpose now.
"Dad!" Barry made a cutting motion across his neck. Belén just laughed and curled her arm around his waist, leaning her head on his arm.
"I like knowing this piece of information, thank you very much, Mr. Allen."
Henry nodded, and then, more soberly, said, "And I also heard about your father. I'm very sorry." He was sure this was another reason why his son found comfort with this woman. If it had been the same speedster that killed Nora, Belén was probably feeling the same way Barry had all those years ago.
"Thank you," Belén softly said. "I've been able to get through it thanks to everyone here, especially your son. He's very good at helping people."
Everyone agreed.
~ 0 ~
"Brazil?" Iris couldn't help make the face she was making after hearing what Eddie had come up with after searching for her co-worker, Mason. She shifted on the couch, both currently at her father's where they were to have dinner together. "Why...why would Mason move to Brazil?"
Eddie wanted to sell this story as best as possible, even though he hated the idea of lying to his girlfriend. But, it was what Joe wanted and - apparently - Barry as well. He was still in heavy shock from discovering the latter was the Flash, but now was not the time to freak out. "Apparently there was a girl involved, and he decided to go hike the Amazon with her for a year, you know, live off the grid, write his memoirs or something."
"Wow," Iris looked down for a moment. "I guess you really don't know anyone. Wait till Belén finds out."
And at that moment, her father walked in alone. "Hey, baby, everything good?"
"Yeah, yeah. Of course," she brushed off the Mason topic, deciding it was enough for now. She got up from couch. "Um, dinner will be ready in a jiff, okay? Is Barry not coming?"
"No, he had a date thing…"
"Okay," Iris shrugged and grabbed her phone from the coffee table before heading for the kitchen.
When Joe was sure she wasn't listening, he went directly for Eddie. "She buy it?"
Eddie sighed. "I think so."
"Keeping her in the dark, it's for her safety."
"That is debatable," Eddie sharply responded, "and we will have that debate. But for right now, what's our next move? How do we figure out what Wells is up to?"
"Right now, we're not sure," confessed Joe. "We need to wait until Barry gets back so we can talk."
Eddie gave a nod, but still openly displayed his disapproval of this plan of secrecy. A part of him wished he hadn't been told anything.
~0~
"Barry, I don't understand, what are we doing here?" Belén said as Barry held the door open for her to walk into the flower shop.
Since it was dark there weren't many people there, allowing almost a perfect glance at every plant being sold there. Barry took her hand and led her direct towards the side near the display window.
"I wanted you to see this," he explained upon stopping in front of a full display of colored Azaleas. Belén's eyes flickered from one flower to the next, bemused by their variety. "I know it's a bit weird to end the date at a flower shop but I promise there is a meaning behind this."
"They're Azaleas," Belén looked at him curiously.
"They're selling them now, all over the city," he began smiling, "And they're doing it in honor of you, Bells."
"...me?" she repeated quietly. "But I haven't done anything special…"
"Yes you have, Belén! And I am so tired of hearing you say otherwise. You don't see it because you're scared, and it's normal, but this city loves you. You are their hero too, no matter what you look like. And people want you here. I want you here too."
Belén looked at him a long time, processing his words and feelings. Of course she wanted to be there too, but it didn't take away her fears. Then again, it really wasn't just her in the equation anymore. There was the city who, apparently, yearned for her to continue being their hero. She didn't want to let anyone down. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to be afraid of herself anymore.
"I guess...we have to practice first thing in the morning," she whispered, making Barry quickly smile.
"Absolutely-"
"And I'm talking serious practicing-"
"-sign me up-"
"-with no holding back-"
"Difficult," paused Barry, giving her a look, "But doable. For you."
And so, with a deep breath, Belén agreed to once again continue this new training session with the promise this time it would be effective. After all, this time everyone would be helping her.
Author's Note:
Sooo...we've caught Noah. Gaah, I just loved writing that flower shop moment so you'll have to excuse my sappy self for it xD
For the reviews:
LadyRedStar: Ugh I love Snart too believe me! He's the total villain-turned-hero package! I thought about putting Belén in the woods with Barry & Snart but I ultimately decided it wouldn't bring much. Maybe some other time they'll meet again :)
GraceEllingson: Oh my gosh I'm so sorry for the scare! But don't worry, as we speak I'm actually drafting the third story (3rd season) so we have a lot moreBelén/Barry stories to come! And thanks so much for your kind words! :)