Guide (n.): a person who advises or shows the way to others.

6 months later

Ba Sing Se

2 years, 6 months after the fall of the Red Lotus

"When I was a child, I lost both my parents on the same night, to a man who never should've existed in my time. Eighteen months ago, I rescued my father and brought my mother's killers to justice. I also left this Earth for just two days, only to come back and find out I'd missed a year. The world changed in my absence. Everything changed. My friends went on to do bigger and better things, my dad got a new medical practice out in the west, and the woman I love…she moved on. Sort of.

"It's been six months since I came home, and I'm on my own now…which is fine, I guess. It's just…it gets lonely sometimes, you know? And boring. Soooo boring. But more than that…I don't know. I guess I'm having a hard time adjusting. I mean, in the six months after I came back, there was plenty for me to do. Metas left and right comin' through the breach in the Spirit Wilds, picking up the pieces left in the Reverse-Flash's wake. But now…now I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't know my purpose when there isn't some world-ending cataclysm to stop. Funny…was a time where all I wanted was peace, but now that I have it…I don't know what to do."

Barry Allen looked up at the man at the other end of the table. "You understand?"

Oliver Queen pursed his lips and sighed hard. "More than I'd like to admit. Thing is, Barry, I don't think you're having trouble finding purpose. I think your problem is accepting it."

He shrugged and stared down into his coffee, stirring it slowly. "Ever since I started using my powers to help people, being the Flash has been my entire focus. But what does the Flash do when people no longer need saving? What do I do, Oliver?"

Oliver smirked. "Try your dayjob. I hear it puts food on the table."

Barry gave him a deadpan look and snorted. "Like I need money. Ever since she found out about my overclocked metabolism, Asami insisted on paying my food bill, and since that was, for the longest time, my biggest expense, I've had more than enough for myself."

"Speaking of, are you still living with her?"

He shrugged. "I don't like living alone, and since Mako became Prince Wu's bodyguard, he's been forced to move out of our apartment. I mean, I'm still keeping the place up, but…doesn't seem to be much point in living there." He smiled. "Besides, Asami and I have a lot of catching up to do, even six months later." His heart ached briefly as his smile turned sad. "She missed me. A lot. When I first came back, she woke up in the middle of the night sometimes, and I could hear her sobs from two rooms down until I came to check up on her. Like she kept wondering if one day, she'd wake up and I wouldn't be there anymore." He looked up at Oliver. "There's no harm in me sticking around, and truth be told, I don't want to leave her, even if it's just to move a short run downtown."

"She's family," Oliver said simply, smirking. "Nothing's more important than family."

Barry's lips pursed. "Yeah…I was sorry…to hear about your mom. I would've come sooner, but…you know."

Oliver smiled sadly and looked away with a wince. "Thanks. It's been months since it happened, and…I still feel it like it was yesterday."

Barry licked his lips. "My mom died over eight years ago, and there are some days where the pain is worse than the night it happened. Grief is a strange thing, has a mind of its own. Only thing you can do is ride out the storm and hope to heaven that the people you have will stick with you through it all."

Oliver nodded slowly. "True enough." He looked back to Barry. "Sounds to me like you're experiencing a different kind of pain, though."

Barry nodded. "Ever since Korra left…I don't know. I mean…we parted on good terms, I think. Gave me a little hope that maybe…we might be able to get back to where we were before, maybe even better, but…" He shrugged. "I don't know, Ollie. It's been six months with no word, no sightings. Not even a letter to let us know she's okay. Starting to feel like it was a permanent goodbye."

"Except you don't actually believe that."

"How can I not? All the evidence is right there, staring me in the face."

Oliver's lips pursed. "And does your heart believe the evidence?"

Barry gave him a strange look, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Who are you and what have you done with Oliver Queen? The Oliver I knew couldn't ask a question like that. Like, ever."

He chuckled. "Well, the Oliver Queen you knew was also a gigantic ass. And I'm glad he's gone."

Barry smirked. "In more ways than one." He leaned back in his seat. "The 'Green Arrow,' huh?"

Ollie nodded slowly. "As far as history is concerned, the Arrow died defeating Slade Wilson just over six months ago. My city needed a hero."

"Though from what I hear, it's got more than one now."

He waved at Barry. "You're one to talk."

Barry shrugged and sipped his coffee, the smile slowly slipping from his features.

"Barry."

He looked up at Oliver. "Hm?"

"You're doing that thing again, where you're not okay."

Another shrug. "No, I'm…just thinking about what to do next. You know, Korra said something to me, before she left. Said that she'd based her identity on who she was to me for so long that she didn't know who she was without me. And now that I have time and space to think, I think I'm in the same bind. I don't know who I am without her. Am I Barry Allen? The Flash? What do I do, Oliver?"

Ollie took a long drag of his coffee. "Well…I think the first thing to do is shove down the panic that's trying to set in. It never helps. Second thing you need to do is think long and hard about why you became the Flash, why you became a CSI, why, instead of using your intellect to lining your pockets and making yourself popular, you decided to apply your talents to helping people, super or not."

Barry's brows furrowed as he faced Oliver head-on.

"And then you need to realize that everything changes, one way or another. It has to. Without change, we can't grow, and if we stop growing, we die." Oliver's lips pursed as he looked down and away. "I learned that the hard way." His eyes trailed back up to his friend. "You don't have to. You've always been as stubborn as I am, but for the right reasons, not out of fear or anger."

"That's not true," Barry protested with a shake of his head.

"Okay, don't get me wrong. Everyone acts out of fear every now and again." He shrugged. "It's human nature. No two ways about it. But you're not like everyone else. And, as we've both pointed out in the past, you're not like me."

"I'm not sure that's such a good thing. I mean, look at me. I'm no good to anyone the way I am now, so unsure and indecisive. Korra said that my strength and heart make me special, but it's like without a threat, without someone to save, I don't know how to use them."

"That's a lie," Oliver said flatly. "And I've known it since the day we met." He looked away, taking a deep breath. "Barry…I have a confession to make. That…thing she saw in you. What your father saw, and Chief Beifong, and everyone else who knows you…I saw it too." He looked up at Barry, expression deadly serious. "And for the longest time, I resented you for it."

Barry looked at him confusedly, shaking his head slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Oliver sighed hard, closing his eyes briefly. "Remember…when you came to Ba Sing Se, and we teamed up for the first time, to take down Harkness?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, 'course I remember."

"You told me that with everything I'd gone through, I couldn't have come out the other side at all, much less a hero, if there weren't a light inside of me."

"Okay?"

Oliver's lips pursed. "Barry, all those times I yelled at you or lectured you about one thing or another…it wasn't just because of your inexperience." He gulped slowly. "After you disappeared, I realized that I resented you…because your light always eclipsed mine."

Barry stared at him blankly.

He held up a finger for emphasis. "See, that's your power, your real strength. Not your speed, not your intellect, not even Korra. An old friend once told me that love is the most powerful emotion, and that is what makes you better. Your love, your care for all of humanity. Your need to see justice done, to always do the right thing no matter what it takes. You don't need Korra for that. You don't even need your speed. All you need is a mission, someone to care for, someone to help, even if they don't need saving. You have always lived to make someone else's life better. That's how this all began, didn't it? So get back to that, and you'll find your center again."

Barry stared off to the side for a few moments. "How?"

Oliver shrugged and grinned. "You're the Flash. You'll find a way." His grin faded to a small smile. "I have faith in you."

The speedster smiled back at his friend, nodding slowly. "Thank you, Oliver. I…I really needed to hear this." He winced. "And I'm sorry for laying all this on you so suddenly. I just didn't really have anyone else to—"

Oliver cut him off with a raised hand. "Barry, I told you that if you ever needed to talk, about anything, you could come to me, and I meant it." He smiled. "It's my pleasure."

Barry smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

Ollie grinned. "Now, don't you have a city to get back to? Or can you stay a bit longer? Raisa, my family's steward, she makes an excellent soufflé."

He chuckled. "Well, you know I'm all about the soufflé."

They exchanged a laugh and headed for the door of the coffee shop, Oliver flagging down Diggle in a nearby limo and ushering Barry inside.

…

30 minutes later

Queen Mansion, Upper Ring

"Should be only five more minutes."

Oliver smiled at the portly woman. "Thank you, Raisa." He turned to Barry, who was inspecting a few model ships, opening his mouth to speak when a loud beep from the speedster's pocket sounded.

Barry pulled out his upgraded long-range earpiece (courtesy of Cisco-One), and put it to his ear. "Yeah, what's up?" He frowned a little. "Uh huh? Okay, I'll be right there." He turned to Oliver with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ollie. Looks like I'll have to skip soufflé."

He waved dismissively. "That's okay. Thea'll take care of it."

A short, lanky girl passed through a nearby doorway, Barry giving her a strange look as he dragged his eyes back to Oliver. "Her?" he asked, pointing a thumb in her general direction.

Oliver nodded, eyebrows arched.

He looked back, seeing Thea reading something in the next room, then snapped his vision to Oliver. "Where does she fit it all?"

Ollie threw his hands up. "Good luck figuring it out, 'cause I've been trying since she was six."

They both chuckled as Barry grabbed his jacket and shook Oliver's hand. "Thanks for the talk, Oliver."

He nodded. "Anytime."

Barry left in the next couple of seconds.

…

30 minutes later

Sato Estate, Republic City

Barry looked around Asami's empty room for a few seconds before moving to her home office and finding her bent over some legal documents. He gently knocked on the doorframe, and she looked up to smile at him.

"Hey, Bear." She stood, patting down the papers and setting them aside. "Come on," she added, grabbing his arm on the way out the door.

"Where are we going?"

"Something I have to show you."

Asami led him outside, around back to her father's workshop, Barry giving her a confused look as she pulled the lever to activate the secret passage and ushered him onto the elevator.

Barry spoke after a few moments of silence. "I thought you hated this place."

Her jaw tightened briefly. "No, Barry…I was afraid. Afraid that if I came back down here, that if I relived the memories, it'd destroy me. And then I realized, what good has running done me? Done any of us?" She glanced at his smirk, rolling her eyes. "You know what I mean."

He nodded slowly, smiling. "So why bring me here?"

Asami smirked. "Because coming here isn't just me healing."

She stepped off the elevator as it came to a stop, pushing aside a set of double-doors Barry hadn't remembered being there. His jaw dropped as he stepped through, coming to a stop as he stared at the space in shock.

"Welcome to Flash Central 2.0."

Barry strode toward the center of the massive room, gaping in shock and glee at how different it looked from the last time he'd been there. The walls and floors were cleaned to a shine, the lighting bright and fluorescent, some of the spotlights illuminating banners, both of the United Republic and the Flash's new white-and-gold symbol. An assembly line of spare suits sat in one corner of the space, with the center containing maps, radios, and everything else they needed for a base of operations.

"Asami—this is…this is—"

"I know," she deadpanned with a grin. "I'm amazing like that."

He laughed unrestrainedly as he zipped from one end of the room to the other, inspecting his suits and coming to a halt in the center of the room, an area he mentally nicknamed the Cortex. Eventually, he looked back up to a grinning Asami and sprinted over to her, picking her up while moving and swinging her in circles, the woman laughing and holding him tightly. When he finally set her down, she pushed some windblown hair out of her face, stepping away and crossing her arms as she moved toward the Cortex. Barry came up alongside her.

"So, why the new digs?"

"Well," Asami answered, "the airfield is nice, but nowadays it's being used for, you know, actual aircraft testing. Plus, it isn't exactly inconspicuous, and since we can't exactly assign armed guards, I thought an underground fortress would be a better base of operations."

Barry nodded slowly, pointing at the suits. "And these are all ring-compatible?"

She smirked. "I had Cisco send me the plans after he constructed that last one. He was right. For all their advanced tech, those designs are quite simple."

He fell back into a chair and kicked back, rolling across the room to Asami's desk, grinning up at her. "This is awesome."

She smiled back and kissed his forehead. "Happy birthday, Bear."

Barry blinked rapidly, looking up at her. "Wait…what?"

Asami chuckled. "I should've known you'd forget." Her head shook slowly as she reached into her inside jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. "From your dad."

A few more blinks passed before he snatched the envelope and tore it open, reading for only a few seconds before his lips stretched into a smile. He stood up, pacing and coming to a stop just a few feet away. He finished, putting a hand over his mouth as his eyes filled and a pair of arms curled around his shoulders from behind.

"Happy nineteenth, Barry."

He smiled wider, tears spilling from his eyes as his free hand grasped Asami's. Eventually, he wiped his eyes and disengaged, clearing his throat as he set the envelope down on her desk. He slumped into a seat a moment later, smile plastered to his face. It faded to a small curve after a few more seconds as he looked up at her.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

She rubbed his shoulder briefly. "Anytime, Bear."

Silence reigned over the space for almost a full minute before the Cortex's central radio hub beeped to life. Asami strode over and put her ear to the receiver for a few seconds, frowning.

"Robbery in progress on Ash and 8th," she said, glancing over at him.

He grinned and shrugged, hopping from his chair to reach over to a nearby workbench and snatch up a golden device. Putting it on, he placed its front onto the emblem of one of the suits, watching in accustomed awe as it sucked the suit into its hollow insides. Making for the elevator shaft, he stopped when Asami cleared her throat to get his attention. Barry turned back and watched as she kept pointing toward a wall that used to be sewer grating. He cocked his head slightly as she flicked a switch on the central dashboard, causing rectangular panel of the wall to recede and give him a straight shot to the surface.

Another grin. "You're golden, Asami." Pointing his hand, his suit burst from the ring and onto his frame as he sped out the secret exit.

…

The Flash ran across the city at a rapid pace, though considering the speeds he'd had to achieve lately, it wasn't anything special. When he arrived at the address, bafflement struck for a few moments before he walked through the front door. His confusion only intensified when he saw the culprit, the initial fear of facing him offset by what he had in his hands. Captain Cold turned to face him, looking utterly annoyed but not at all hostile as he hefted two bags of…were those clothes? Women's clothes?

The Flash lifted a hand to hip level to point at him vaguely. "Snart? Are you…what exactly is happening right now?"

He sighed hard. "Let me guess. Store owner called the cops. 'Robbery in progress,' right?"

He shrugged.

Snart rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration. "There isn't. They just flagged me down 'cause that's usually what I do."

Flash waved toward the ceiling, indicating the sign of the store. "This is a women's boutique."

"Exactly, now why the hell would I want to rob a place like this?" He snorted a laugh. "Thing is, I actually paid for all this stuff." Cold motioned toward the counter, where the cowering shopowner was busy staring at a large pile of yuans sitting on his register.

The Flash was still utterly confused as he lifted his hands into the air. "Why?"

Snart rolled his eyes again. "It's my sister's birthday tomorrow, jerkwad. Wanted to get her something nice."

Barry blinked hard once, then twice, finally shaking his head to clear the "does not compute" from his mind. "I'm sorry, I'm just…trying to decide which one is weirder: Leonard Snart paying for something, or that he has a sister he actually cares about."

"Hilarious," Cold deadpanned, glaring at him. A long breath was inhaled and exhaled hard as he held his wrists out. "Fine. If you insist on taking me in, I won't fight. Not in the mood. Just make sure these get to my sister." He nodded at the bags.

Flash looked back at the proprietor, glancing around the store to verify that no one was hurt in the slightest. He looked back to Snart. "I wouldn't even know where to start looking, and to be honest, I'm not really in the mood to take you in."

Snart hid his shock well, but not well enough.

"Look…you've been avoiding attracting too much attention, causing trouble, and I appreciate that, even if you are a thieving douche from time to time. Truth is, far as I know, you haven't done anything illegal since, you know, breaking out of prison." He stepped aside. "You can go. For now."

Cold hesitated for a moment, then strode toward the exit with a shrug.

Barry grabbed his arm as he walked past. "But if I hear anything about you causing trouble, I'm coming for you."

He smirked and looked over at him. "Understood…Barry."

Barry arched an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly with a deadpan look. "Just go before I change my mind."

Snart just smiled and shook his head as he walked out.

"And Snart!"

He glanced back, annoyed.

Barry grinned. "Tell your sister happy birthday for me." He sped away a moment later.

"Sure thing," Snart said to no one as he started walking. "Ass."

…

3 hours later

RC Jitters

He was walking out of the coffee shop, smiling rather knowingly at one of the hostesses. "Iris" read her name tag. On his way out, a shady-looking man pulled him into a nearby alley, holding a small crossbow on him.

"Wallet. Money. Now."

A disbelieving jaw drop graced Barry's features for a moment before a grin spread over his features. "Oh, this is awesome."

The man stared at him blankly.

"You've gotta be kidding me." He glanced down at his coffee. "Hold on, okay? I'm just gonna set this down." He laughed and started pacing as he set down his mug. "I mean, this is crazy." He grinned at the mugger. "There are literally millions of people in Republic City, and out of everyone you could've picked to rob—" he tapped his chest, "—you pick me."

More blank stares passed before the mugger blinked hard and waved the crossbow. "What are you, sick? Money, now."

Barry chuckled. "Just—you're gonna be kickin' yourself, man. I mean, if there was a bending tournament for bad luck, you didn't just medal, you Toph Beifonged."

He gripped the crossbow tighter and pointed it at his head. "I'm gonna count to three, and then I'm gonna shoot you."

Barry grinned. "Okay."

"One."

"Yeah."

"Two."

Before the mugger could exhale another syllable, Barry vanished in a gust of wind—along with the guy's jacket, pants, and weapon, leaving him in nothing but his boxers and boots. A metalbending cop mysteriously appeared right next to him a second later. The discarded mug of coffee disappeared a second after that, and a lanky nineteen-year-old in a red t-shirt and gray jacket strode toward the waterfront, a block away from the alley. He sipped his coffee as he passed another side street, a voice stopping him in his tracks and nearly causing him to choke on the piping hot liquid.

"Still an insufferable showoff, I see."

When the coughs and sputters subsided, he looked into the alley, deep shadows cast by the setting sun, and narrowed his eyes for a moment, jaw open halfway as the voice registered. His eyes went wide when a pair of ocean blue eyes peeked out at him from behind raven locks. A small smirk was framed by the ends of those locks, ripped arms sitting crossed over a chest just a foot below.

Barry stared for another moment, mouth agape, before he blinked and unfroze. "Korra?"

The smirk turned into a full-blown grin as she stepped out of the shadows and embraced him, careful not to spill his coffee. "Hey, Bear. Been a while."

"Y-Yeah, I'll say," he replied, hugging her back with one arm. As they pulled apart, he looked her over, frowning when he saw bruises over her left eye and right cheekbone. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "A little beat up, but I'm getting stronger by the day." A sigh. "Need a breakthrough soon, though." Korra frowned and looked off to the side. "Starting to feel like I left home for nothing."

He stared at her. "You ever considered that you haven't been making progress because you refuse to let anyone help?"

Korra shot him a small glare and crossed her arms again.

Barry threw his hands up. "Fine. Fine, you're right. It's just…" He shifted. "I promised I wouldn't come after you, that I'd let you sort things out, and I have, for six months." He set his coffee down on a nearby bench, taking her hands. "I've waited, Korra. Waited so long." He drew closer, picking up on a sharp intake of breath on her part just six inches away.

Her hand on his chest pushed him away with some hesitation. "Barry—I can't."

He blinked rapidly.

"Not yet."

A shrug. "So…what, I'm gone for a year, and you have to put me through the same thing, is that it?"

She looked up at him in shock. "What?" Her head shook rapidly. "No, of course not." She took his arms. "I already said I forgave you, and I do, but..." she sighed, "I'm not ready to get back to…what we were." At a roll of his eyes, she huffed and looked away. "Barry, I can't be who I need to be if you're always in the background, ready to storm in and save the day when everything goes wrong. And it's not an ego thing."

"I know," he sighed. "I just…when are you coming home?"

Korra smiled a little. "Soon, Bear. Meantime, I just stopped by to wish you a happy birthday." She reached into a messenger bag at her side. "And give you this."

Barry reached out to take a manila folder from her grip, opening it and perusing its contents for a moment before recognition registered on his face. He looked back up to her, lips parted. "Korra, this is—how did you get this?"

She leaned against a nearby lamppost, arms crossed. "Was trying to make it into the United Republic without being recognized when I came across a United Forces camp out in the mountains. Obscure, looked like it was being hidden. On a hunch, I sneaked in and found the commander's tent." Korra pointed at the folder. "Found that waiting for me."

He looked over at her concernedly. "Are you okay? Did anyone spot you?" His thumb traced over her face. "Is that how you got these?"

She brushed his hand away as her head shook. "I may not be up to full fighting shape, but I know a thing or two about stealth, Bear." She tapped the folder. "Figured you'd have more use for that than I would. Not exactly the most traditional birthday present—"

"But I've been looking for this for almost two years without success." Barry smiled and pulled her close. "Thank you." He held on for a few more seconds, tightly, not wanting to let go. His eyes closed for a moment, savoring the feeling of her in his arms.

"Barry," she whispered.

"I know." Another couple of seconds later, he let her go and held one of her hands with his empty one. "Please stay safe."

"I'll do my best," Korra assured him, gripping his hand tightly. "Trust me, I didn't go off to find myself just so I could get killed."

Barry snorted and arched an eyebrow. "Well that's reassuring."

She smacked his shoulder hard, causing a loud yelp. "Oh, come on. Wasn't even that hard."

His face took on a strange, pensive expression as he looked her over. "Or maybe you still don't know your own strength."

Korra smirked and nodded, turning back for the alley. "Goodbye, Barry."

"Goodbye, Korra." Before she was out of sight, he called after her.

She turned to face him, mostly cloaked in shadows.

"What do I do?"

He could see her smile and shrug. "What you do best." Korra backed her way into the alley. "You love doing it, so what's stopping you?"

Barry stared into the alley, watching her become smaller and smaller until she lifted into the air and out of sight. He blinked a few times, a pensive expression on his face as he looked over the file. A huff left his throat as he smacked his forehead. Idiot! I've been looking at this all wrong. A grin spread over his features as he retrieved his coffee and downed it in one shot, feeling the briefest of caffeine highs before taking off with his new reading material.

…

Future Industries Airfield

Asami tabbed down with the typewriter she was using, glancing at the legal documents on her right, she entered a bit more information on the document, jumping a little when several unexpectedly loud knocks sounded from the doorway. Her green eyes looked up expectantly, face falling into a deadpan when she saw who it was. Her arms crossed.

"So," she said, "you finally decided to come back from vacation."

A young, brown-haired man stepped through the door, a brown leather jacket slung over his shoulder, a tight t-shirt doing nothing to hide his well-defined arms. "Come on, boss. It's not like you actually had any work for me. You admitted that yourself when I asked for time off."

Asami leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "I might've if you'd actually given me valid contact information."

He held back a smile rather poorly. "Well, I will admit that I may have miswritten a digit or two, but the number was still good."

She glared.

He approached her desk and sat on the other side, looking down at her with a cocky smirk. "Come on, 'Sami. Can't a guy get a break?" His eyebrows lifted. "You know I'm good for it."

Her nostrils flared briefly before she rolled her eyes and huffed, returning her eyes to the typewriter. "Fine."

He fist-pumped and got up, heading for the door.

"Be warned," she said firmly, stopping him in his tracks. "You're on notice, Jordan. Screw up, and you're gonna find your employment here very tenuous."

He looked back and grinned at her. "Don't mind me, boss. I promise, you give me a week, you won't even know I was gone."

Asami arched an eyebrow critically. "I better not." She pointed at the door. "Now get out of here and get to work."

"Aye-aye, ma'am," he replied flippantly, saluting sloppily on his way out.

Asami sighed hard once he was gone, rubbing her tired eyes as her head became heavy and fell into her hands. A gust of wind caused her to jump as her head snapped up. "Spirits, Barry! Don't you knock?"

He gave her a strange look and a smirk. "Asami…this is an air control center. It's not the ladies' room."

The CEO sighed and palmed her eyes, letting out a long breath. "Sorry. It's just been a really long week." She leaned back in her seat and waved out the window. "City's been trying to rebuild after everything that's happened, and I've been trying to help, but President Raiko's budget isn't cutting it. Theoretically, I could subsidize the difference, but something tells me my investors wouldn't look at that too kindly."

Barry nodded slowly, glancing back at the door. He jerked his thumb toward it. "By the way, who was that?"

She groaned softly. "One of my employees. A very fickle, inconsistent employee who annoys me to no end."

He arched an eyebrow. "And why does he still have a job? I didn't think you were one to just take that."

"I'm not, but the fact is…" she sighed hard. "Okay, I will never admit this to him, but Hal is the best damn pilot I've ever seen. His skill behind the yoke of a plane…" her head shook slowly, "I've never seen anything like it. Almost like it's an extension of his body."

"So, you keep him on, despite his annoying habits, because he's a prodigy."

She shrugged. "Essentially, yes."

Barry gave her a sideways look, a wry smirk on his face. "Really? 'Cause it seemed to me like he was acting a bit…familiar."

Asami's eyes widened slightly in alarm as she sputtered a few times, face filling with red. "Well, I uh…he's—we're…um…"

He arched his eyebrows, smirk turning into a full-blown grin.

Her eyes rolled as she groaned. "It's complicated."

"Asami," he teased, "have you actually been getting a life?"

She tossed a stapler at his head, the speedster laughing and catching it with ease as she crossed her arms defensively and turned her back to him.

Next thing she knew, he was in front of her, grinning like a madman. That is, until he saw the document on her typewriter. Eyes perusing it for a moment, he turned to her a second later. "That's a requisition order. You're laying down track?"

Asami nodded tiredly. "New mag-lev rail line. State-of-the-art Varrick Global technology for a line connecting us to Ba Sing Se. A trip that would normally take weeks would be reduced to just over two hours."

He nodded slowly in approval. "What's the problem?"

She sighed. "We're understaffed and underfunded, and since this is a public, not private, project, I can't ladle too many extra resources into it without drawing the ire of my investors. The deadline is supposed to be a week from now, in time for Prince Wu's coronation so that he can take its maiden journey back to Ba Sing Se."

"But you've fallen behind due to lack of manpower," he guessed.

She nodded once.

He turned toward the window, looking out at the city as a smile slowly spread over his features. "You know…I think I've been looking at this all wrong."

Her brows furrowed. "Looking at what?"

Barry glanced at her. "Me. Being the Flash." He shrugged. "When I started this, actually using my powers, it wasn't just to take down bad guys. Hell, I wasn't any good at it at first. I had to learn how to be a fighter." He looked toward the paper on her desk. "I never had to learn how to help people. And I've just gotten so…caught up in all the conflict that I forgot the true purpose of the Flash." He smiled at Asami. "I want you to put together a press conference for tomorrow, in front of City Hall, or maybe Future Industries HQ."

Her brows furrowed as she gave him a sideways look. "Why?"

He grinned. "'Cause I'm about to solve your manpower problem."

…

Next day

Dozens of reporters and hundreds of citizens milled about in front of the iconic City Hall, waiting patiently for the conference to begin, most rather confused about what exactly was going on. After all, the briefs the journalists and public had received were rather vague, just speaking on a possible solution for the city's growing budget issues, which everyone had been grumbling about for months. Imagine their surprise when the mic picked up a massive burst of wind, everyone turning toward the stage to see their very own Scarlet Speedster standing behind the podium with a smile. The plaza erupted into deafening applause, the Flash waving them all to a calm about a minute later.

He leaned toward the mic. "Thank you for coming, everyone."

Dozens of cameras flashed and snapped as he spoke.

"I called you all here today to address a growing problem in this city, and the nation at large. Over the past few months, and in actuality the past few years, this great city has been the victim of attack after attack, one malcontent after another leveling their wrath on us for no reason except to cause trouble. As such, they've destroyed buildings, lives, infrastructure. They've threatened our public servants and private citizens. Threatened the order on which we stand and operate. They've tried to take away our loved ones and livelihood." His lips pursed. "And they've failed, every time, but not without lasting consequences.

"The Equalist uprising nearly bankrupted this city's greatest corporate benefactor. The Dark Avatar's meddling spawned the Spirit Wilds, which, though now a part of our everyday life, were extremely disruptive when they first arrived. Four escaped fugitives held our great city in the grip of fear, and nearly killed its guardian almost three years ago." His nostrils flared. "The Reverse-Flash subjected us to metahuman attack and nearly wiped us all out in one fell swoop, with an action that left us vulnerable to other dangers. And over the last six months alone, metahumans from another Earth have slipped through, wreaking havoc on Republic City and our world. Through all that, we've endured, but this city has suffered because of it.

"Buildings damaged, infrastructure destroyed, costs and shortages. It's all piled up now, and the harsh truth is that our nation is on the brink of bankruptcy." The Flash smiled. "But you don't have to worry, because I found a way to bridge the gap, keep the United Republic closer to the black, give our public servants enough time to bring us back up from the dumps." His shoulders broadened. "To this end, I am officially pledging myself to the renovation and reconstruction of Republic City, free of charge."

A dozen cameras went off at once as applause erupted.

When they calmed, he continued. "Things are quieter now, and with that peace must come creation, or we'll stagnate. As human beings, conflict is in our nature, but it cannot be our focus, no matter how accustomed we are to it." He glanced behind him, seeing Asami beaming. "And as the guardian of this city, that has to include me." He straightened completely. "Are there any questions?"

A dozen hands went up.

He thought for a moment before motioning to a man on his left. "Yes, sir."

"Do you have any previous experience with construction?"

"Not to this extent, but my mind works a lot like a sponge. Whatever knowledge I need I can absorb in a matter of minutes and retain long enough to get the job done." He pointed at someone else.

"According to President Raiko, the breach out in the Spirit Wilds is no longer operable. Can you confirm this?"

Flash's head tilted to the side. "I wouldn't say 'inoperable,' and if you remember, that isn't the actual word he used. What he meant was that we no longer have to fear any dangers from that breach. The Flash of Earth-One managed to seal every connection between our worlds except for one, and that one's under constant monitor and guard. The chances of anyone or anything dangerous slipping through are…minimal." His eyes scanned the crowd again, and he smiled as he pointed to the next reporter.

"Linda Park, RC Picture News."

"Good to see you again, Ms. Park."

She smiled. "With your new occupation as an extremely overqualified construction worker—"

Laughter rumbled through the crowd.

"—does this mean that you'll have less time for your other more…crime-related duties?"

The Flash's lips pursed. "No. Absolutely not. My mission is the help the people of this city in any way, and that means, first and foremost, keeping people out of harm's way. Rest assured, if I'm needed, I'll be there. No matter what."

Before anyone else could speak up, a massive crack split the air, and smoke started rising from the east as the crowd's attention shifted, murmurs flowing through the people.

"Was that an explosion?"

"Another attack?"

"Where is that smoke coming from?"

The Flash looked toward the source and frowned as his eyes narrowed, then turned back to the crowd. "Everyone just stay calm." He turned back to the east. "I got this."

He was gone in the next second.

…

1 minute later

Central City Station

The moment the Flash arrived, he realized what had happened. Two civilians were rescued from falling rubble, another dozen sped out of the danger zone before he saw the culprit and frowned. He slid to a stop just twelve feet from a red-haired woman, her back to him.

"Bette!" he shouted.

The woman whirled around, her blue eyes wild and unfocused. "Stay back!"

He held his hands up. "Listen to me. I know what Eiling did to you, and I know you don't want to hurt anyone."

"You're wrong," she bit out, glancing around at the fleeing civilians. "But I don't want to hurt these people, and I don't want to hurt you, so just stay out of my way!"

"I can't do that, Bette."

Her lips pursed, conflict in her features as they slowly sharpened. "Then I'm sorry."

She reached into a pocket of her jacket, pulling out several large marbles and squeezing them for a moment, their surfaces glowing and vibrating before she tossed them in his direction. He ran toward a nearby wall, scaling it in a half-second as the marbles detonated, putting a massive crater in the flooring of a train platform. Several more explosive projectiles were thrown at the Flash, but he dodged them all, managing to get any potential collateral damage out of the way before coming to a stop behind cover, out of her sight. When she turned her back to him, moving off toward another section of the station, he sprinted after her, tackling her to the ground.

Bette's right hand smacked his chest hard as pushed him off, her eyes going wide in panic a moment later. "Take it off," she ordered breathlessly.

"What?" he asked, scrambling to his feet.

"Your suit! Take it off, now!" Her features were alight with panic as a violet glow started spreading from his emblem outward.

"Oh frack," Barry sighed as he realized what was happening, sprinting out and into a deserted alleyway as his suit flew off his body, barely outrunning an explosion with a twenty-foot radius.

Looking back at the station, he pursed his lips, running through the place in little more than his boxers, but too fast for anyone to see him. One cursory look at the building was enough to confirm Bette's disappearance, and he came to a stop on a nearby rooftop moments later.

Okay…this is a problem.

AN: Welcome to the heart of Act II. Hope you're still enjoying this story. There's a lot about to happen in the next couple of chapters, both with Barry and Korra, and when they meet again…let's just say it's gonna be a little on the explosive side.

Anyway, not much to say for this chapter, so I'll just ask you to review as you see fit and let me know if there's anything you guys have concerns or confusion about. Oh, almost forgot—ThirteenPrimes, if you noticed, I took your advice. Enough said.

Oya, vode.

- CDrake