"Bear," Joe started, gaining Barry's attention, "don't race him.
Barry turned his whole body to face Joe, a look of desperation was evident on his face and Joe was sure that he couldn't talk him down.
"It's not that easy" Barry said softly, shaking his head lightly.
"Yes it is," Joe reasoned, "you just say no. We find another way to stop him, together, like we always do"
"And do what, Joe?" Barry questioned, walking towards Joe, tears building up in his eyes, "just sit around and wait for him to kill somebody else? Wally?.. Iris?..," Barry pauses for a second, "you?.. no- no way!"
"He needs you Bear, he needs your speed to get what he wants again. We have the advantage here!" Joe exclaimed, pointing a finger at Barry.
Barry looked up from the ground, "all I have to do is beat him, Joe. That saves the multiverse, this whole city, all of you! I won't let another person I love die when I can prevent it." He shook his head, staring intently at Joe, he knew he had said too much, he had opened up and let Joe in, meaning that Joe now has access to his thoughts without him realising it.
"This.. isn't just about racing Zoom, is it?" Joe questioned, walking towards Barry who had his eyes shut. They suddenly opened and Barry was trying to avoid Joe's gaze, "you want to kill this guy"
Something in Barry just snapped and he filled the remaining space between himself and Joe, "of course I wanna kill him Joe! I want to do a hell of a lot more then just kill him, I want him to suffer for everything he's done! And he's going to" Joe raised his hands to try and calm Barry down but it didn't work, fighting Barry on this was a lost cause. He had his mind set.
"Come on Bear, think about what you're saying," Joe pleaded, his heart aching for Barry.
"I have to be willing to do whatever it takes. I'm sorry but I'm racing him whether you want me to or not" Barry said calmly, turning his back to Joe and heading back towards the window.
"I guess I can't talk you out of it" Joe stated.
"Not this time" was Barry's reply.
"Then I'm sorry too" Joe said, moving out of the way so Harry had a clear shot. He pulled the trigger and the tranquilliser went flying into Barry's right shoulder, the substance hitting him straight away.
Barry felt the world around him melt away, he collapsed onto the wall, not being able to hold up his body weight at the tranquilliser made his body go numb and soon he had collapsed onto the floor, his eyes shutting and his head lolling to the side in his unconscious state.
FLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASH
Cisco, Iris, Jesse and Caitlin had just came back from the little coffee date and were met with a silent Joe and Harry holding a gun. It scared them all but nonetheless they followed Joe and Harry up the spiralling stairs and into one of multiple hallways, on of which, led to where Barry was lying unconscious.
"Your sedative worked, Snow. Barry was out like a light" Harry said, guiding them to Barry's room where he laid on the bed, his arms handcuffed in meta-cuffs to the metal frame. The room was oddly colder the rest of the house, startling them as they wrapped their arms around one another to keep themselves warm.
"We turned the AC up so it was 30 degrees cooler in here then the rest of the house so in case he gets out of the cuffs then he can't speed off" Joe said, sighing as he looked at his foster son's peaceful face.
Nodding, Iris walked towards Barry, she placed her hand closest to his head on it and started to rub small circles into the side of his head. They didn't know how long he had been out for but ones thing for sure, at least they fount a way to help him during painful injuries for whe he just wouldn't pass out on his own accord.
30 minutes later he started to stir, his head was moving slightly and 5 minutes later he brought himself back with a small huff. He drowsily opened his eyes and looked at his blurry surroundings, it all looked familiar but his thoughts weren't coherent enough to piece it together for him.
"What?" He said softly, his vision slowly becoming less hazy and more focused.
He looked to his left and tried to sit up, being met with the guilty looks of his team made him realise they did this to him. They didn't trust him and they had acted upon it, leaving him in his bedroom, freezing and locked to his bed with meta cuffs.
"What are you doing?," He asked, somehow getting into a position as to where he could sit up, his back against the backboard of the bed, "why did you put me in here?"
"Because you're too angry right now," Joe answered, starting to feel even more guilt well up in his body after realising what he was doing to his own son," you can't race him like that. Without a plan, you- you'd lose"
Joe rarely stuttered, and when he did, it meant he was either scared or sorry for what he did, but right now, Barry didn't even consider what they were all feeling, yes, they may be feeling some remorse for doing this to one of their own, the only man who can stop Zoom, but they still thought that locking up a grieveing man who needs his family's support right now is acceptable and he didn't need that in his life.
"Keeping me in here is gonna get everyone killed," Barry said, shaking his head and making eye contact with them all, "I'm the only one who can stop him, you know that!"
Harry stepped forward calmly, his gun's strap laid across his chest as his gun was dangling at his right side," you race Zoom on his terms— you'll lose"
Barry slammed his hands onto the part of the bed closest to where he was locked up," THIS IS NOT YOUR DECISION TO MAKE!" His eyes had tears building up in them, although his brain was wanting him to turn away, look somewhere else he didn't. He looked at all their guilt-ridden faces.
Joe tried to keep his emotions even but he was struggling, Barry was breaking slowly and here he was locking him up to try and help contain his emotions, something he was struggling to keep even as well. The tears built up in Joe's eyes as he watched Barry struggle against the cuffs, but he held back the part of his brain telling him to go and undo them, he had to stay strong for the entire team.
"It is this time" Joe said, his eyes watering.
"No.." Barry said softly, turning his head so he was looking out of the window.
"We all made it together," Joe added, making Barry look at them all with hurt and betrayal shining through his eyes, they had all believed it was a good idea to do that, and now they were all in danger because of it. Iris' eyes were watering, she knew that she had betrayed Barry but it hurt her more, knowing how upset he was, seeing him so concerned on over how other lives were in danger had made her realise he was being slightly rational, yes, the desire for revenge was still coursing through his body but at least he was still using his ingenuity.
"What?," he took the time to look at each and every one of them, seeing even more guilt build up," all of you?" Jesse and Caitlin shifted from uncomfortableness whilst the others held faces made of stone, they weren't to budge from what they did.
"Bro, I went back and fourth, I was like a good 60/40 at first—" Cisco explained, getting interrupted by Harry.
"Ramone"
"Yeah," Cisco said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously," we all made the decision"
"Come on.." Barry muttered under his breath, tearing his eyes away from his team. He balled his hands into fists and placed his head on the mattress just below them, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Allen..," Harry said, gaining no interaction from the Scarlet Speedster," Allen, this is for your own good"
They all started to leave, making Barry's cries of anger and sadness be the last thing they hear from him.
"Don't do this," Barry begged, he wasn't an animal, he didn't deserve to be locked up in his own god damn house," guys come on, Iris?"
"Cisco, come on man.. you have to- you have to let me stop him!" Barry scream was shut off by the door closing, with Harry locking it.
FLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASHGLEEFLASH
Wes was help set up the decorations for the Christmas Party when suddenly all the lights flicked off, startling everyone in the room.
The lights turned back on, and in the middle of the room stood a man, dressed in an army uniform but the face, it seemed familiar. Wes would recognise that asshole's face from anyway;
Hunter Clarington