"Well, look who finally showed up!" Cisco's voice roared in the air the moment Shivhan walked into the cortex.
The woman flinched as she came to a stop by the desk. "What?" She thought it was far too early to start with Cisco.
"Cisco," Caitlin reprimanded him for his lack of seriousness in the matter.
"What — we called her an hour ago!" Cisco exclaimed then shot another glare at Shivhan, pointing a finger at her because glaring wasn't enough. "We called you an hour ago!"
Still, Shivhan remained absolutely calm in the face of Cisco Ramon's fury. "Yeah, it was 6 a.m." Her tone indicated that reason alone should be enough explanation for her tardiness.
"It's an emergency! Barry's freaking out and frankly, so are we!"
"Would you relax?" Shivhan stuffed her hands into her fluffy coat's pockets.
"We're just concerned about Belén given the, um...way we found her..." Caitlin said then nodded for Shivhan to follow her and Cisco out the cortex.
Shivhan was led right into the greenhouse where Belén still was but completely shut out from reality. There was an initial shock in Shivhan's face that worried Barry - the speedster had been the one to find Belén in the greenhouse earlier and had yet to leave her side. He'd been so frantic in the beginning, finding Belén sitting on the ground cross-legged, eyes shut and surrounded by thick vines entwined around branches, said vines held a subtle golden glow. He'd never seen anything like that on her when she wasn't fighting or training. More than that, there were noticeable patches of green on Belén's skin, much like it would appear whenever she'd lost control of her powers.
"What is happening to her?" Barry was right in Shivhan's face, begging to hear a plausible reason that wouldn't make his heart burst from his chest.
"Oh relax," Shivhan said abruptly, earning herself quite a look from Barry in return.
That's not what he was expecting to hear from her and it didn't even bother shedding light on the situation.
"Sheesh, this just reinforces the idea that none of you know what kind of metahuman your own teammate is," Shivhan finally flashed the trio a smile, "You're all so invested in doppelgangers and speedsters that none of you have ever really put some focus on the other metahuman in the team."
"That's not true," said Barry, shooting her an offended look.
"I'm not saying you do it on purpose," Shivhan said, raising her hands in front of her.
"Can you just tell me what's wrong with Belén?" Barry practically demanded, getting the feeling that if they continued with this conversation they would just end up arguing and that's not what he wanted to do right now.
"Nothing," Shivhan let out a small laugh.
"Shivhan—"
"Barry!" Shivhan planted her hands on the speedster's shoulders, "I promise you — nothing is wrong with Belén."
"But she's —" Barry gestured behind them but Shivhan cut him off again.
"She's doing what we've been training her to do," Shivhan said, pulling her hands off Barry and side-stepping towards Belen. She bent down in front of the ombre-blonde and gazed over the botany around her body. "She's done it, guys. She's in the Green." She missed the collective stunned expressions of the trio behind her. She looked down at Belén in pure fascination. "I've never seen this in real life but the other metas that I talk to would tell me about this. The branches? The vines? They're meant to protect Belen from any external threat while she's in the Green." Her left hand reached to touch one of the branches but ultimately didn't for fear of what could happen with her uninvited contact. "She's talking..."
"Talking to who?" Barry wanted to know who trapped Belén in those vines and branches.
Shivhan looked away from Belén, her face completely enamored with the situation. "She's having a hearing with the one and only...the Green."
~0~
Belén couldn't stop taking in the enchanted forest she had the privilege of being in. It was all shades of green with a beautiful permanent sunset sky, though there was no actual sun bringing light to the land. How the hell they had light was just one of the mysteries of the Green. As far as she could see, the forest seemed endless, just like Shivhan had once described it to be. It didn't seem to stop. The trees varied in sizes. Some of them resembled more skyscrapers than actual trees. There were regular sized trees and then there were ones barely qualified to be branded as trees. The one thing Belén did notice straightaway were the countless vines entwined with nearly everything. They were on the ground, swirling in odd shapes and enveloping logs or the roots of trees. There were more vines swinging from one tree to the next, others leading into nearby lakes.
The bushes holding all types of flowers and the plants sprouting from almost everywhere did make Belén smile. She'd already seen her Azaleas somewhere, and even a few Black Orchids. The Green accommodated all of its botanical metahumans after all. There were lakes too. And Belén was sure she was hearing the fall of a waterfall, but she couldn't see it. Actually, she couldn't see a lot of the land because ever since she arrived... she'd been kept hold by the Green itself.
"I can't believe you denied me the chance to see this place," she couldn't help but huff.
'I didn't deny you anything. You denied yourself,' the Green promptly retorted. 'You only wanted to come here to defeat another metahuman.'
"Have you seen Datura? Can you blame me?" Belén sighed. "She can kill me in 2 minutes flat. I like living. I want to live."
'And?'
Belén was sure if the Green had an actual face, it would be looking rather smug right now. "Aaaand...I want to live for my family. So now would you please help me? I've got zero tactics against Datura and she knows it. She knows that I'm weak."
'I have seen you, Belén. I've watched you ever since you became a metahuman. I've watched your struggles and how you overcame them. You must know that facing Datura is not your ultimate battle. It's what begins to shape you for your future.'
Belén rolled her eyes. "Instead of watching me, how come you didn't invite me to this place?"
'Because you didn't have a good control over your powers. The Green is not responsible for your control.'
"Oh, thanks," Belén muttered, folding her arms over her chest. "Maybe the Speedforce is better."
"We are the same," the Green promptly said. "The Speedforce and the Green are very aware of each other, as well as the others forces behind many metahuman powers."
"...how many places like these are there?" Belén found herself asking out of curiosity.
"Too many to waste time talking about. You and I have a pending conversation before you meet the others and embed yourself here."
"What is there to talk about? Am I in for lecture?"
"This battle between you and Datura must stop. Two botanical metahumans - sisters - must never fight each other."
Belén's scoff was loud enough to echo through the endless forest. "I am not her sister. And I didn't pick this fight - she did. She crossed through worlds just to fight me."
"But you do not hate her—"
"No I hate her...a lot." Belén didn't know if the Green had actual eyes but just in case it did, she gave a sweet, sarcastic smile.
"You're scared, and that's okay, but Datura's not your enemy."
Belén scoffed again. "Sure."
"Belén, I see the past, present and the future. I have seen how this fight between you and Datura ends, the sacrifices she will make in order for one of your friends to live, and I see the last choice you make in order to save the one you love most. You will each make the choices you never thought you would. Your life and Datura's are intertwined much more than you know. Polar opposites and yet...you work together."
Belén wanted to argue how wrong that was - she would never work with Datura, ever - but a new realization struck her. Her eyes widened for a brief second before it narrowed on the enchanted forest. "You know who she is." Her tone was accusatory and with a bubbling anger that quickly made itself known across her face. "You know who Datura is."
"Indeed I do."
Belén gave it a minute to say, but of course with her luck it never did. "Well, who is she!?"
"I never disclose the identities of my metahumans."
"But she's not even a part of this place!"
"Whether or not I allow someone in here, I always uphold their secret identities."
"So even if they're criminals they still get help. Nice," Belén scowled. "If I knew who she was, I could figure out a way to stop her before she kills me."
"You have many other resources to help you put a stop to Datura's wrath. I only need you to understand that you and Datura are intertwined for the long-run."
"And what's that supposed to do for me? Apart from being nonsense."
"That you must be careful for your own safety. Her time will come, but you should be aware that it could be you instead."
"Thanks," Belén muttered, though a good part of her did take the Green's words with caution.
"Now that you have listened, you may come and go as you please. You may discover the abilities denied to you in the beginning. The only requirement, my only rule, is that you never abuse the power of the Green. If you do, you will be banished from the Green."
Like Poison Ivy, Belén thought. It was a strict rule, apparently but it was a sensible one. She would never think to use any abilities for evil.
~0~
From the cortex, the group had a constant watch of Belén in her greenhouse. Shivhan told them it could be hours before Belén returned to their world.
"Well, the branches disappeared," Barry noted. He'd sat himself in front of the computer screen with the intention of staying there until Belén woke up. He would have stayed in the greenhouse but Shivhan said it was better to give Belen the space she needed. "Does that mean anything?"
"Yeah, the Green's done talking to her now."
"I don't understand," Cisco began from his seat. He'd propped both his feet up on the desk and had a half eaten twizzler in his hand. "If she has to be like that," he pointed to Belén's sitting position on the screen, "Isn't that just making her a target for anyone who wants to hurt her? Like, say I wanted to slap her right now — which I don't," he added when Barry and Caitlin gave him simultaneous looks, "But say that I did...what's stopping me from doing it?"
"This is the only time Belén will actually remain here while her consciousness is in the Green," Shivhan explained. "Next time Belén goes into the Green, her body will do so too. Only reason her body's here right now is because it's the first time and the Green always eases the trip for first-timers."
"Okay, makes sense," Cisco ate the last bit of his twizzler, seemingly moving on from the topic.
"What is she doing now, then?" came Barry's quiet question. Shivhan looked at the speedster and noticed his concern. "Is she okay?"
Shivna nodded her head, smiling kindly. "Believe me, the Green is the best, safest place Belén could be in right now. I imagine right now she's meeting other metas, beginning her training."
"But what kind of training?" Barry had to ask and the moment he did, his tone was indication enough for Shivhan to realize what he was trying to get at.
"Guys," Shivhan laughed, confusing Cisco and Caitlin while irritating Barry. Was she not taking him serious?
"Did I miss a joke?" Cisco wondered.
"No," Caitlin quietly told him. She was aware of Barry's growing annoyance, she hoped Shivhan would answer his question already.
"Okay," Shivhan tucked her hair behind her ears then put her hands together, "I know I'm new to this group and that I am, by far, the most deviant—"
"Ah," Cisco raised a finger, "You and Harry are in the running; winner's still undetermined."
Shivhan rolled her eyes and continued like he hadn't said anything. "Belén has fought a lot, right? And with each fight, she's gotten stronger. You guys have got to give her some space so that she can explore her powers."
"I'm just afraid she'll get hu—" but Barry wouldn't finish those words as Shivhan cut him off.
"Hurt? Yeah, I know, but guess what? She's the Azalea and she's bound to get hurt anyways. In fact, she probably will get hurt. And you gotta let her."
"I'm not gonna let her get hurt when I can stop it," Barry snapped, rising from his chair. "When I can protect her."
"Very sweet," Shivhan sarcastically pouted. Barry narrowed his eyes on the woman, but she didn't necessarily care. "But also overbearing. She's not always there to protect you, Barry, and the truth is you won't always be there to protect her. You can try but it's impossible. The Green will push Belén, hard, but she will be better because of it. So, Barry, I don't know if she's okay...but I do know that she'll be better." Barry raised a hand as if trying to say he'd heard enough, but there was a weariness in his face that eased Shivhan's hardness. "Okay, I'm being excessive but...I do mean well."
"I know," Barry nodded. "It's just difficult because we don't know anything about the Green."
"But I do," Shivhan put a hand over her chest. "Guys, I'm not a scientist but the Green? I know about it, trust me, and I owe Belén my life. I wouldn't have sent her there if she was going to get hurt."
"I believe you," Barry said and turned away. "But it's going to kill me having to wait for Belén to get out of there."
"Why don't you go out?" Caitlin suggested, though good-natured it did earn herself a look from Barry.
"And leave Belén alone here? Cait, I can't do that."
"What are we? Chopped liver?" Cisco waved his new twizzler in the air.
Caitlin made a gesture for Cisco to keep quiet. "We can keep an eye on Belén. And we'll call you the moment she comes back."
"I think Caitlin is right," Shivhan said. "Go, Barry. Go and distract yourself."
Barry knew they wouldn't give up on the idea, so he ultimately agreed and left. However, he didn't really have any place he needed to go to. In fact, if there was a place he needed to go back to it would be STAR Labs. But if he went back there, he was 99.9% sure Shivhan would personally kick his ass out. She was so different from the team - even Harry - and it actually worked, in a way. It did, however, make things a bit more difficult...like right now.
"Hi," Iris tilted her head as as the speedster made his way into their home. She sat on the couch, laptop in her lap, when Barry came into the living room. "What are...you doing here?"
"Distracting myself," Barry answered honestly. He let himself fall into the couch chair, practically sank into it.
"What is going on?" Iris was at a cross between laughing at his unusual actions or being concerned something happened and she was yet to know about it.
"Belén finally accessed the Green," Barry said, waving a hand as a gesture.
Iris beamed at the news. "Oh, that's great! She's been trying for weeks now!"
"Yeah, now the problem is I'm stuck waiting for her to come back."
"Why is that a bad thing?"
"Because...I just...I get worried, okay?"
Iris rolled her eyes, even shaking her head afterwards. "Dude, you are so helplessly in love it's almost laughable."
"It's not funny," frowned Barry. "I'm just worried. She's in a new place and there's no one to help her in case she gets into trouble."
"Belén's a big girl, she can take care of herself," Iris closed her laptop and set it on the coffee table.
"I know, I know," Barry let one of his hands cover his eyes. "I heard it, I understand it, I know it. And I believe it...it's just hard getting through these hours."
"What are you going to do when she's on some, like, trip or something? And she has to be away for days or weeks?" Iris was now very close to laughing when she saw Barry's horrified reaction to her question. "You are truly a love-struck puppy. Hilarious and, just so we're clear, I will be sharing this at your wedding."
"It's really not funny."
"It really is."
A door knock interrupted their conversation. Iris got up to answer it and found her brother, Wally, on the other side.
"Come on in," she let him walk in then shut the door behind him. "Dad's getting ready upstairs." She called up to the second floor, "Hey Dad! Wally's here!"
Wally nodded and headed for the living room when he saw Barry. "Hey..."
Barry awkwardly waved a hand. He didn't really know how to act around Wally yet, and he felt it was the same story for Wally.
"Don't mind him, he's having a breakdown cos his girlfriend's away," Iris was all too happy to inform. She ignored Barry's momentary glare as she returned to her seat.
"You have a girlfriend?" Wally then asked. He didn't really know much about Barry - it was probably next to nothing.
"Yeah, uh, I'll introduce you guys when she gets back," Barry sat up in his chair then threw Iris another glare.
"Belén works with me at CC Pictures," Iris, once again, ignored Barry's glare and went on with her day.
"Oh, cool," Wally put his hands into his jacket's pocket. He wouldn't have to endure much more awkwardness since Joe came down the stairs a few seconds later.
"Hey Wally, ready to go?" Joe asked, looking very much excited.
"Oh yeah. I can't believe you got tickets for the game," Wally was eager to get going and so he started for the doors.
"Came as a surprise, honestly," Joe followed him while waving goodbye to Iris and Barry. Their conversation drifted as they left the house.
"Where are they going?" Barry asked Iris once they were alone again.
"Oh some baseball game," Iris shrugged and leaned back in her seat.
"You don't look so happy about it," Barry noticed her grim expression. She was upset and concerned, which seemed out of place considering all she and Joe wanted to do was get closer to Wally.
"I am," she said, though it sounded like a weak attempt at convincing him. "It's just...I don't know, I feel like Dad is trying to be more like...Wally's friend rather than what he actually is...his dad."
"Well, maybe Joe's just trying to ease Wally into that fact. I do speak from experience, you know," Barry gestured at himself as the prime example. He remembered how Joe would try to buddy up with him when he'd first came to live with the Wests. He tried being the cool guardian, which did kind of work to be honest.
"Yeah, but you were a kid and besides...he was your guardian back then. He wasn't supposed to be acting like a Dad."
"Iris, ease up. I think right now Joe is very aware that he's missed out on Wally's entire life. You can't expect him to go full on Dad-mode when they'd only just met."
"But he needs to be, at some point," Iris nearly snapped. How could he not be understanding? "Because if he starts acting like a friend, then that's all Wally's ever going to see him as. And if that's what he sees Dad as...could you imagine what kind of trouble Wally would get himself into without the right supervision?"
"Alright, I get your point," Barry admitted. Although he didn't know what kind of trouble Wally would get himself into considering he didn't know much about the young man in the first place. "Maybe talk to Joe about it."
"Believe me, I want to but I'm trying to find the right moment and words. He's just so happy that Wally's letting him be in his life."
"You'll come up with something," Barry assured.
~0~
Belén had been left to wander through the Green as she pleased, but only five minutes after that...she realized the entire place really was a forest. And despite not knowing where she was going, she felt an endless peacefulness around her. Here, there were no problems plaguing her. If only she could bring the rest of her family here - but that was a rule, apparently. Only botanical metahumans were allowed in the Green.
Just as she stepped over a branch, she heard a gurgling from the lake on her left. She immediately turned her body towards the crystal blue lake and saw its contents swirling a brown-green. "What the hell—"
"Hi!" piped a voice from behind, making Belén gasp and whirl around to come face to face with a dark-haired woman. They could've pressed noses from how close they were.
"Ah!" Belén jumped back, but she didn't have time to process the woman's presence because of what was gurgling underneath the lake. She totally lost it when a large creature burst from the lake, splashing her and the other woman in the process. Her scream echoed.
"It's okay, it's okay!" the woman behind Belén tried to say, but Belén's eyes were glued to the creature that resembled a mesh of trees and vines. "Listen to me, it's okay! We're the good guys, remember?"
Belén's screams only faded because she was already tired from her wandering. "What the...what is that!?" she pointed at the creature slowly coming out of the lake.
"I am Swamp Thing," the creature promptly responded, making her eyes widen even more. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm Rose Red," the woman then introduced herself. "And he's right. We didn't mean to scare you."
"I...I don't know how to...take this all in," Belén made a weak gesture at the two strangers and backed up a couple steps.
"We get it," Rose Red nodded her head and looked at Swamp Thing behind her.
Belén couldn't help stare at them since she knew nothing of them. Rose Red was a petite woman with long, curly black hair and matching dark eyes. She wore a one-suit in the shade of navy with a brilliant red pattern on her abdominal side. There was a scarlet red mask covering her eyes.
Swamp Thing, the more Belén stared, wasn't actually as large as a monster (like she first considered him to be). He was human-size but seemed burlier due to his body being made out of trees and vines and whatever else might be in there. His eyes were a bit prominent and that was only because they had a shade of red.
"I-I-I'm Belén...um...Azalea - um..." Belén didn't know why she was stammering so much, but the other two seemed to understand her. "I'm sorry, do we use real names here? Well, I guess it doesn't matter since I already gave you my name-"
"-you're nervous," Rose Red smiled. "And that's okay."
"No, it's really not," Belén shook her head. "I don't have time to be nervous. I'm dealing with—"
"Datura," Rose Red finished, her smile fading a bit. Swamp Thing visibly groaned. Rose Red's smile finally flattened. "We, uh...everyone in the Green knows."
"Great, so...everyone knows that she's kicking my ass," sighed Belén. That's what she needed, alright.
"No," Rose Red's tone went sharp all of a sudden, "We know that Datura is continuously misusing her botanical abilities and needs to be stopped. You are the only one who's lived through her wrath. Everyone else who's come in contact with Datura has died."
Belén gulped. "Well...it hasn't been easy..."
"You are strong," Swamp Thing stated. "It is why Datura detests you. It is also why you need to continue to train."
"And why we are here to help you," Rose Red said, her smile already back on her face. Belén wondered if her face hurt after so many of those smiles. "The Green has chosen us to begin training you. But really, you already know so much...we're just here to help you strengthen it. We've already covered expanding your plant matter into bolts and other weapons, but there's still a lot you can learn. So, are you in?"
"Hell yeah," Belén nodded fast. "Where do we start?"
~ 0 ~
"What are you doing?" Cisco's voice startled the hell out of Harry, which was saying something considering he was never scared. But this time, Cisco had caught the man lingering around Barry's and Belén's suits. Of course Cisco didn't really take anything from it, he was just asking a simple question. How could he know that Harry had just implanted the very device that would suck Barry's speed little by little.
How could Cisco know that?
"Nothing, just like everyone else here," Harry promptly snapped.
"Ouch," Cisco let himself fall into one of the desk chairs. He immediately set eyes on the computers still showing them a constant video of Belén in the greenhouse. Nothing had changed after hours. "We're doing something alright. We're keeping an eye on our friend who's in some other world right now."
"What?" Harry walked up to the desk.
"Belén's in the Green now. She's been in there for hours."
"...she's in the Green?"
Cisco looked up from the screen to see Harry's paled face. That was strange, even for him. "Yeah. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Harry moved around the desk so he could see for himself. Belén was still sitting in her zen position, eyes closed and very much out of tune with reality. If she was truly in the Green, it was something Datura would want to know...
But he didn't want to say.
"It's kind of boring, to be honest," Cisco started saying, not that Harry was listening very well, "Caitlin and Jay took a shift then Shivhan and now...lucky me. Still, I'm hoping Bells comes out with some super cool moves or something."
"Yeah," Harry said fast before turning to leave. He ignored Cisco's calls as he went into the corridors. He had done with Zoom wanted because he was the one with the power to return Jesse to him. He only listened to Datura because right now, she was the caretaker of his daughter. But if he did good on his deal with Zoom, then that would be it. He would get Jesse back and this would be over. Screw Datura. If Belén actually became stronger, then Datura would end and that'd be it for that part of the nightmare.
~ 0 ~
Belén's yelp echoed through the forest after narrowly dodging one of Swamp Thing's punches - which extended the branches and vines towards her - and landing on her back.
"Okay, some pointers," Rose Red came up beside Belén, missing Belén rolling her eyes in annoyance. "You're trying to fight back with your own powers—"
"Yeah, what else am I supposed to do?" Belén groaned as she got back on her feet.
"Use my own powers against me," Swamp Thing said.
Belén wished he had more of an identifiable face to glare at. "How the hell would that make sense when you're literally vines and branches? And leaves?"
"You know one thing about you, Azalea," Rose Red tapped Belén's shoulder, making the woman turn around, "is that you always like to play peek-a-boo with your enemies. You love to swing with your vines, so...why not use that?"
"First," Belén raised a finger, "How the hell do you know that? And second of all," she raised two fingers, "How would I do that?"
"The Green told us some things about you and...we follow your work at CC Pictures," Rose Red said like it should've been obvious and just as Belén was about to ask her how the hell they knew about her job, Rose Red turned Belén back to Swamp Thing. "Now take a minute and really study Swamp Thing's abilities. We'll start in 30 seconds."
Belén's eyes widened. "In 30 sec—"
"And go, Swamp Thing!"
"You said 30 seconds!" Belén exclaimed but Rose Red just laughed.
"Sorry, I meant 5."
Before Belén could angrily say something more, she had jump out of the way before she was squashed into a pancake by one of Swamp Thing's vines. He was able to conjure up really thick vines that were twice her size and width. Of course it was only because of his incredible strength. With that kind of strength, she could squash Datura into a bug.
Focus Belén! She drew in a deep breath then ran through the clearing while actively avoiding the vines after her. She then made a swift turn with an arm ready to swipe an incoming vine. Doing as Rose Red had advised, Belén watched Swamp Thing and his attacks. One prominent move was to throw his arm forwards and let the vines and branches extend towards the victim - in this case Belén, she gulped - in an attempt to trap them.
Belén smirked. She got it.
Swamp Thing came at her with the same move and unlike before, instead of dodging it she ran towards it.
Rose Red smiled proudly from the side.
Belén jumped just as Swamp Thing's vines and branches smashed to the ground then she ran over the vines and branches until it led her to Swamp Thing's body. She put her hands together as if it were a sword and brought them down over Swamp Thing's head. Due to the masses surrounding his head, he felt nothing but the point was Belén had finally gotten the use of the strategy.
"Yes!" Rose Red clapped fervently from her spot.
"Ah!" Belén yelped when Swamp Thing picked her off his head like she was a mere bug but he gently put her down on the ground, on her feet.
"You understood," Swamp Thing sent the woman a smile. "When Datura uses her powers, use them against her."
"I like the idea but the problem is she's a siphoner. She has multiple, and I mean multiple, powers. How do I use, say, lightning against her? I can't even do that with my boyfriend."
"You know the thing about having an enemy is you don't have to fight them alone," Swamp Thing replied. "Use that boyfriend for the lightning. He may be able to super charge you or knock Datura down on her ass."
"Either way, we're sure you'd be content," Rose Red laughed.
"Yes," agreed Belén. "So, what else we got?"
"Well," Rose Red stepped forwards with her hands behind her back, "You can let me train you now."
"Okay, what exactly are we doing?"
"You've done the action part with Swamp Thing, now I want you to focus on the more docile part of your powers."
"How is that going to help me?" Belén genuinely wondered since Datura was a, well, murderer who wouldn't go down with 'docile' powers.
"Going deeper into your docile powers is the first step into turning them into...not so docile powers," Rose Red's smirk was promising. Her eyes flickered to Swamp Thing behind Belén. "Go collect the others."
"Wh-what 'others'?" Belén turned quick to see Swamp Thing walking away from them - more like stomping - to go in search of those 'others'. "What are we doing?"
"After we're done here, I want to attempt for you to do the ultimate ability the Green has to offer to us," Rose Red turned Belén back to her. "But right now, let's focus on those docile powers."
"Alright," Belén shrugged.
"So you understand that you own the power of Chlorokinesis, right?" Rose Red wouldn't move on until Belén nodded her head. "That means you can manipulate an control wood, vines, plants, moss, parts of plants, even fruits and vegetables already growing on said plants."
"I'll be honest, I've never really tried to control moss or the fruits and vegetables. I guess I've always gone for the big stuff, you know? Like the vines?"
"Because they're the most effective," Rose Red understood. "But it doesn't mean these others abilities aren't just as effective. For example, moss is actually quite dangerous since it releases certain toxins that non-botanical metahumans can't handle."
"I didn't know that, actually," Belén admitted in a flush of embarrassment. "I mean, I've been trying to read up on books that have to do with botany but let's be honest I'm not a scientist. There's just some terms I don't really understand and so... I guess I'm missing out on important information like this."
Rose Red smiled. "Belén, no one here is going to judge you on what you know and don't know. Lots of us, if not most of us, are not scientists either. What we've learned, what we are learning, all comes from experience. It's usually the experiences from others. For example," Rose Red walked up to a bush nearby, "I didn't know I could make apples grow until another meta told me the properties to make it so." She gently turned her palm upwards and created several bright red apples on the bush.
"Wow, I... don't know how to do that," Belén sighed.
Rose Red turned back to her student with another kind smile. "I get the feeling that you feel overshadowed by the people around you." Belén opened her mouth as if to argue against it but her lowering gaze contradicted her intended stance. "You're the Azalea, one of the most prominent botanical metahumans on our Earth."
"I'm not...in the whole world…" Belén felt ridiculous even having to argue against it. It couldn't be true. "Central City just got to know me a year ago."
"The Green knows," Rose Red declared, startling Belén with her certainty. "The Green sees the future, remember? You are one of metas that goes down in history. You create something, Belén, and the only way that can happen is if you start letting go of those negative feelings about yourself."
"I don't…" Belén shook her head, but Rose Red cut her off.
"Tell me about the people you work with. The scientists around you, because I assume there have to be in order for you to want to read up on all this scientific terms on botany."
"Isn't that sort of a waste of time—"
"Absolutely not. If you want to have a good hold on your powers, and introduce your body to a new powers, then you have to be willing in all senses. And for that to happen, you cannot have these negative things about yourself. So, tell me who you work with. What do they do?"
Belén sighed. There was no getting out of it. "I mean...I guess I start with my boyfriend?" Rose Red nodded and gestured her to keep going. With another sigh, Belén obeyed. "Okay. Well, he's really smart. Like, stupid smart. All the things I don't know, he knows. He gets things that I don't. And, you probably already know that he's also the Flash?"
"Yes," Rose Red smiled for another moment. "The, uh, Green doesn't really like the Speedforce. Says it's a bit smug and condescending."
"Really?" Belén nearly laughed at the irony. Rose Red would agree with her if the Green didn't have ears everywhere.
"So, what about your friends? What are they? What do they do?"
"They're basically like Barry. There's Cisco, he's an engineer and super smart. There's Caitlin - Dr. Snow - and she's a bio-engineer. And just to show you how different we are, to this day, I still don't know what that even means."
"Alright, do you have connections with people on the high ends of careers," Rose Red nodded to herself. "Nice one, sister." Belén honestly couldn't help the smile that'd come to her face. "Anyone else?"
"There's my Mom, she's a cop. And then Iris, she's a journalist like me."
"Okay, so I assume you get along easier with Iris, then?"
"Will you would think that, right? But... I don't know, sometimes I feel like there's just some things that even though I can share with Iris she won't really understand me. But then it's the same story if I go to, say, Caitlin? She doesn't have power so they don't really understand me in that sense. But then I guess Iris does really give me that sense of normality in my life? I go to work with her, I get to work with her."
"I get it, I do," Rose Red nodded again. "The way I like to think about it is that each friend offers you a different type of support that you need. For example, as you said, Iris gives you the support of having a regular life besides your botany side. And as each of them give you that support, you can see that these people are just like you. You are all good in your own way, and I really want you to understand that because I get the feeling that this isn't the first time someone's talk to you about this…right?"
Belén shook her head. "There's been my Dad, and, most recently Barry. they say there's no one like me in the world. But, I mean, I'm not really that type of special right? It doesn't mean that I have low self-esteem but... I can't put myself on the top tier by putting those thoughts into my head."
"And why not?"
Belén was startled by the question. Rose Red leaned on one hip and gave her a straight face. "What?"
"Why can't you put yourself on the top tier? Why can't you say you're the best?"
"Because that's narcissistic?"
"No it's not. it's okay to own up to your skills and your abilities. There's nothing wrong saying that you are good."
"You know, that's almost exactly what Shivhan told me," Belén said after some thought. "It just feels weird."
"But there's nothing wrong with it. So please, before we go any further, remember that. You're good."
"Okay," Belén nodded. "I'm...good…"
"Awesome! And as soon as you start believing that, things will get easier for you. Now here's another question, did you know you could rearrange DNA structure in plants? You could mutate plants if you know what you're doing."
"I...did not."
"What about releasing toxins?"
"Yes, bit up until now I've only done from an Azalea."
"And the release of pheromones?"
That one seriously angered Belén because it reminded her when Poison Ivy used it on Barry. "That one!" she pointed at Rose Red. "I want to learn that one!"
Rose Red's eyebrows knitted together in confusion until she too remembered Belén's opponents. "Let me guess, Poison Ivy used it?" Belén nodded. "On that boyfriend?" Belén crossed her arms with a huff. "Alright. Let's start then."
~0~
"What's that alarm?" Caitlin asked Cisco as soon as she and Jay hurried into the cortex.
"We've got a meta on the loose, what else?" Cisco was working the computers as fast as he could to pinpoint the meta's location and figure out who it was.
"Let's call Barry now," Jay suggested but Cisco waved him off.
"Nah, it's probably some local petty thief. We told Barry to take the day off. We can get Shivhan or Nina." But then Cisco froze altogether.
"Would someone please shut that thing up?" Harry walked into the cortex looking all too annoyed with the blaring alarm. He never understood their need to be this dramatic over a metahuman.
"Caitlin," Cisco said calmly, though there was a growing panic in his voice. "Call Barry."
"But I thought you just said-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what I said but that was before Zoom knocked on our front door."
"What!?" Caitlin exclaimed, nearly pulling Cisco out of his seat to take it herself.
Cisco wildly gestured at the computer screen showing them the security feed of the outside of STAR Labs. Sure enough, there was the black-suited meta.
"Is he waving at us?" Jay tilted his head.
"Call Barry now!" Caitlin was the one to order.
Cisco fervently nodded. "Yup, on it!"
"Why is he here?" Caitlin looked at Jay and Harry as if they had the answer.
And you know what, maybe they did…
Harry's eyes flickered to Barry's suit where his speed-sucking device remained undetected behind the suit's ember.
"You think he knows about Belén in the Green?" Caitlin came up with her own theory, but Jay shook his head.
"That would imply he actually cares about Datura and we all know that's not true."
~0~
When Barry got the call that Zoom was standing right outside STAR Labs, he left in a literal...zoom. At least that's what Iris would use to describe it but she would never use the description out loud. All Barry knew was that there was an evil monster right outside the building where Belén was unconscious and unaware.
He met Zoom right where the latter wanted him. Just the sight of Zoom put Barry on edge. The last time he'd face Zoom ended with his spinal cord being snapped. Barry wasn't interested in a repeat.
"It's been a while, huh?" Zoom said as if he'd been reading Barry's mind this whole time. "Thought I'd come in and see how you were doing." Or maybe he just stopped by to commence his plan of stealing Barry's speed.
"Get out," Barry ordered.
"How about I go and decide what street gets to live, and what street doesn't?" Zoom tilted his head, giving him the appearance of a creepy ragdoll one would see in Halloween. His demonic eyes didn't help the situation.
Before Barry could say anything, Zoom disappeared with a trail of blue lightning behind him. Barry knew it was a taunt, a game, but the seconds he spent thinking of not chasing after Zoom didn't even register in his head. All he thought was...go.
And so he went.
"Barry?" called Cisco twice through the comms. and received no such answer. "Duuuude, what are you doing?"
"He's following Zoom, what else?" Caitlin shook her head and took a seat beside him. "Barry, you have to know that this is just a game to him, right? Zoom clearly just wants to rile you up."
Still, Barry didn't answer. He zipped after Zoom, going from one street to the next. There was no stopping and there was certainly no catching up the black-suited meta. It definitely did rile him up, just like Zoom wanted.
And from his own room in the lab, Harry monitored his speed device. It was also doing its job, just as he meant it to.
"Yoo hoo!" Datura's face suddenly appeared right in front of a STAR Labs camera, upside down of course. It definitely got the collective screams of the group in the cortex. "I'm sure the lot of you just screamed - really wish this camera was a two-way thing - and now you're realizing that you're screwed." Her sinister smile was more than terrifying. "Barry's off chasing a speedster he'll never catch and Belén is off in Green La-La-Land." Her smile dropped in one second flat. "You're all mine." She punched the camera with a fist, ending the transmission.
"Oh snap," Cisco turned his chair to face the others. "Are we dead or are we dead?"
Caitlin and Jay glared in the same manner.
Cisco cleared his throat then turned his chair to the desk again and activated the comms. "Barry? Yo, Barry? If you could please put a pause on chasing Zoom, that'd be gr—" but the power went out, leaving them in darkness.
"She cut off the power," Jay looked up at the ceiling.
"Yeah, kind of noticed that," Cisco groaned and pushed himself out of his seat.
"Where are you going?" Caitlin asked when he started heading out.
"Where else? To get Belén!"
"But she's in the Green - Shivhan said we can't wake her up! She won't hear anything!"
Cisco stopped under the threshold and huffed. "Then what else am I supposed to do?"
The three heard the elevator dinging as it approached their floor.
"For now, let's just run!" Jay grabbed Caitlin's hand and ran out, pulling Cisco with them.
Datura stepped out of the elevator with the smuggest smile. She hummed as she walked down the hallway, her being the only light as they glimmered different colors. "No one to save you nooooow. You're all going to die, especially Belén."
~ 0 ~
Barry came to a skidded stop in a lonesome wood clearing. Zoom stood across but as the minutes went by, he said nothing. Barry couldn't take it. "What the hell do you want from me!?"
"What I want, I'm already taking it," Zoom said. Because somewhere he knew Harry was monitoring everything, watching how the speedforce slowly left Barry's body. "It's a work in progress." Barry clenched his fists and stepped towards him. But a second later, Zoom zipped up and grabbed him by the neck. "You really think, you have a chance against me? I suppose Earth 1 people are far too optimistic. I'll take care of that soon enough."
Barry glared. He let a rush of electricity rush up to one of his fists and used it to deliver quite a punch against Zoom's demon face. Soon as Zoom let him go, Barry went for a few more punches - finally releasing some of that anger and fear - before summoning up enough electricity for one clear thunder bolt. There was a strange rush that Barry felt seeing Zoom's body be thrown across the clearing.
Zoom slowly rose from the ground, though there was a hint of a stagger in the first few seconds. "You can throw all the punches, all the thunder bolts...but it won't matter. I will still win, because I am better. Watch." He took off, but Barry was right on his trail once again.
~ 0 ~
"Wait!" Cisco pulled his hand from Jay's grip, forcing him and Caitlin to stop. "We can't just go hide in the pipeline! What about Belén? Datura will have an easy murder on her hands!"
"Shivhan said that wouldn't happen," Jay reminded. "The Green will protect her."
"Yeah, man, I just don't feel good about leaving her body out in the open like that! Cait?"
Caitlin bit her lower lip and exchanged glances with Jay. "I mean...Cisco's right. Even if the Green is protecting Belén, we can't just leave her body like that. One never knows what could happen."
"Alright fine, but let's get some weapons first!" Jay decided and motioned Cisco to lead the way to the workshop.
~ 0 ~
"Pollen is actually very close to the pheromone technique that Poison Ivy uses," Rose Red was explaining while she watched Belén blow pollen in and out of her mouth. "You first master the pollen and then you can control pheromones as you please. It looks like you're getting it."
"This is child's play," Belén said without meaning to sound condescending. "I mean...I'm grateful for the proper training but—"
"I get it," Rose Red chuckled. "There are some abilities that just come naturally to each botanical meta. Pollen seems to be one of yours. You know if you get really good at it, you could mutate plants through the mutation of pollen."
"Sounds complicated," Belén said with widened eyes that had Rose Red laughing again.
"Belén," they suddenly heard the Green's voice.
Belén visibly frowned. "Are we doing another lecture again?"
"Your immediate environment in your world is in danger. I will keep you safe but I cannot say the same for your friends."
"What?" Belén crossed glances with Rose Red, both confused. "What are you talking about? What's happening to my friends?"
"Datura has gotten into your facility and is threatening to kill you and those still inside."
"What? But Barry's there, or Shivhan, but..."
"No other metahuman who can stop her is there. It is your choice if you want to return, I only fulfill my duty to inform you of what's happening outside."
"She just doesn't give up," Belén muttered.
"She knows you're in the Green," Rose Red said after a moment's thought. "Why else would she be suddenly attacking so coincidentally?"
"Because she's evil?"
"And smart," Rose Red pointed at her, "Don't forget that. She truly is smart. Nothing she does is unplanned. Good luck."
"You tell Swamp Thing I want that rematch," Belén warned. "Though I'm a bit bummed I won't see what he was coming back with."
"Next time," Rose Red promised. "Get going."
Belén nodded.
~ 0 ~
Datura continued to hum a tune - a 1950s tune that she loved - and walked down the hallway. "I can smell you, you know," she called to the trio. "Humans give off specific scents and with my abilities I can enhance an individual's scent. And you know what I smell?" she stepped into the workshop. "Fear."
"Yo, psycho!" Cisco suddenly jumped up from a table and shot Datura with one of their energy guns.
Datura yelled as she was blasted out of the room, her back slamming against the wall.
"Let's go!" Cisco then called to Caitlin and Jay. They strategically ran out of the workshop and headed in the opposite direction of Belén's greenhouse.
"You sure she's going to follow us!?" Caitlin exclaimed.
"We just shot her pride - she's coming!" Jay was sure of it.
They purposely waited inside the elevator until they could see Datura coming and then simultaneously waved at her before closing the doors. With her loud yell, they were absolutely sure she would be following them.
"Can we get ahold of Barry now!?" Caitlin said as soon as they were outside.
"Comms are still down," Cisco shrugged and put his gun over his shoulder. "And I doubt Harry can get them back working so quickly!"
"Spoilers, he doesn't," Datura emerged from the same doorway they'd come out from. She smirked. "Shall we play?" she raised her hands and let them glow in a scarlet red. But just as she was drawing her arms back, thick green vines entangled them.
"I'm game!" Belén yanked her backwards, really enjoying the loud cry the Earth 2 gave in the process.
"You're back!" Cisco, Caitlin and Jay chorused happily.
"Where's Barry!?"
"Chasing Zoom!"
"And the power!?"
"Harry's working on it!"
Belén turned to Datura and set her hands on her hips. "You really can't help yourself, can you?"
Datura sat upright and scowled at her doppelganger. "Oh, are we feeling brave because you got into the Green?"
"I'd be lying if I said 'no'." Belén smirked swung her arm to release plant-matter in the shapes of knives.
Datura's eyes widened and quickly rolled to the side to avoid getting hit. "You were about to stab me!?"
"Oh calm down, I would've treated you eventually!"
Datura growled with golden eyes. The ground rumbled under their feet, cracking as Datura rose to her feet.
"Don't even try it!" Belén extended her arms and shot plant bolts directly at the woman, hitting her square in the chest. Once more, Datura tumbled to the ground. Belén's skin turned scaly green fast as she continued to shoot the bolts. Datura growled again as she tried fighting off the bolts that pricked her exposed skin and expanded. For a brief second, Belén swore she saw actual fear in Datura's eyes as one of the plant bolts expanded on her cheek, near her eye.
However, something - someone - sped past Belén and knocked her back towards the trio. Before colliding with them, however, Barry swept her away and safely put her down on the ground. "Are you okay!?" he quickly asked her.
She nodded and threw a glare in Datura's way. The Earth 2 meta was struggling to stand on her feet with all the expanded plant matter over her body. It wasn't until Zoom returned and grabbed her by the neck, forcing her up. "You didn't follow through."
Datura gasped as he squeezed her neck. "I can't..."
"No matter," he let her drop like a doll and turned sideways towards the group, "I got what I need for tonight. Until next time, Barry." He grabbed Datura's arm and disappeared with her.
~ 0 ~
"Took you long enough to get that power back," Cisco was quick to reproach Harry once the man returned to the cortex.
"You're welcome, by the way!"
"Thanks Harry," Belén said. STAR Labs had regained its power half an hour after Datura's visit. "I can't believe Datura showed up again."
"I can," Barry muttered. "It's clear she and Zoom were playing us both. And they really were just playing because Zoom did nothing except taunt me."
"We'll just have to live with that part of being heroes," Belén shook her head. "At least I got to scare the crap out of Datura for once. The Green helped me this time and it showed. She was genuinely afraid for a split moment."
"Good," went Cisco with a deep scowl. "Scare her more the next time."
"We're glad everyone's okay," Caitlin said in hopes of moving them towards the more important parts. "Bells, how did you know we were in trouble?"
"The Green told me," Belén smiled when she answered. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and explained how the Green warned her Datura was trying to hurt them. "I wish you guys could see it - the Green is so beautiful. Shivhan was right. It's breathtaking. And I met more botanical metas - Rose Red and Swamp Thing."
"Wicked names," Cisco had to admit. "Might look them up later on."
"They're amazing and they're already teaching so many new things. I'm gonna be in the Green a lot more often now."
"We're happy that you finally found a place for yourself, Bells," Barry put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side. At least something had gone right, because every time Barry thought of Zoom he remembered the meta's taunting words.
"What I want, I'm already taking it."
What could Zoom have meant by that?
Author's Note:
How's about that Green? I, of course, had to go in and do my own thing like adding 'Red Rose' and 'Swamp Thing' which are both real characters (as you probably already know). What that means is that I've altered things like Red Rose's original age.
And what about all the things the Green said about Belén and Datura? Lots to think about huh ;)
P. S: I have created a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's also a place where I thought anyone might want to comment about a story or even just talk! I'll probably drop some aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "noble-crescent" and the tag I created for any posts having to do with my work is # noblecrescentedit.