He almost didn't make it back in time. After having his cover blown by Oliver Queen and going to the party with Felicity, Barry had gotten a not so pleasant phone call from his boss. He used a special phone app specifically designed for Deaf signers, making work calls much more manageable for Barry, seeing as there would be no reading lips through a screen. He did feel bad for the interpreter who had to translate the harsh words Captain Singh was saying out to him, and the terrible excuses Barry was trying to make up on the spot. But in the end Barry promised to be back in Central City that night, or so forfeit his job.

Getting to be the forensics assistant that Barry was hadn't been easy. Being Deaf in a city where there wasn't really a big community of people like him, it proved to be more than difficult. Barry went to a normal school since he was a kid, always having a translator with him in every class. From elementary school through junior high Barry had the same interpreter, a younger women that his parents had found through the internet.

Over the years Barry had gotten used to her signing, had even gotten close to her as a friend and was devastated when he learned that she would not be able to sign for him in high school and was going on to finish her degree. His new high school instead assigned him a different interpreter but within the first period Barry learned that this guy only knew a few signs. From then on Iris would help him out, seeing as they had almost every class together and by then she was fluent in ASL. The classes they didn't have together Barry would try to follow along the best he could, managing to still get top scores in every subject, as he would teach himself everything at home. Then throughout college he managed to continue defying expectations of people who didn't think he was smart enough. Less than a year after getting his college degree, Barry had been hired at CCPD as an assistant in the forensics department and as an interpreter if it was ever needed. By now Captain Singh and the other officers had learnt different ways to work with Barry, getting his attention before speaking and not talking behind his back. Some even new a few words of sign language from what Barry had taught them.

Now as he walked into the police department after his two hour train ride, Barry made sure to go in through the back entrance to avoid getting yelled at once again. He quickly ran upstairs to the forensics lab, ignoring the pile of papers he had left undone from a couple days before, and dropped off his metal briefcase before running back down the stairs and turning back on his phone, which he had powered off on the train. His screen instantly began filling with text messages. Some from Joe, but almost all of them from Iris. Barry checked the time. It was 5:36. The particle accelerator was going on in less then an hour and Barry had been planning to go with Iris for months. No one wonder she going ballistic.

WHERE R U? read her most recent text.

"On my way" Barry texted back with a smile as he then called an Uber.

One of the reasons he loved Iris was because she didn't treat him differently with his lack of hearing. She knew Barry was just as normal as everyone else, and his hearing aids didn't change that.

Iris was waiting for him when he arrived. "Barry, I can't believe you were going to miss this!" Iris signed and said, both hands and lips moving rapidly.

"I wasn't! I just got caught up with something" he replied, shrugging.

"Another case, Bar?" She asked. "Dad's gonna ground you if Captain Singh doesn't fire you first".

"He almost did" Barry told her. "And plus I'm 25! Joe can't ground me" he added.

"Wait what was that about you almost getting fired?" Iris asked as the crowd around them began getting louder. "Come on" Iris motioned to him as everyone began walking forward to a stage set up in front and a man with glasses walked out.

"Harrison Wells!" Barry said excitedly, using the name sign he had come up with years ago, as he had been a fan ever since he was little. Wells began to speak, but because of the crowd and their not being close to the stage Barry couldn't make out most of his words so Iris translated for him, even though she herself didn't understand any of the science stuff he was saying. But then a guy came out of no where, pushing people out of the way and before Iris could react the man stole her bag. Barry didn't wait, he knew her laptop was in there which had her dissertation. He ran, chasing after the thief and almost had him, when the guy jumped over a fence but luckily he dropped the bag on the way down and Barry caught it. The thief however, didn't make it very far as police were waiting for him on the other side of the fence.

Barry felt a tap on his shoulder, Iris stood behind him looking out of breath.

"You ok?" She asked, spelling out the two simple letters and pointing to his chest. Barry nodded holding the bag with an exausted smile.

Barry was brought back to the precinct to tell the new blonde haired detective named Eddie, his version of events. But by that time Barry was tired and he had headache beginning to form, from all the noise around him. He wanted to go home but decided to go back upstairs to his lab to finish up some of his neglected work and to also watch the news report on the accelerator.

As he climbed the stairs Barry switched off both his hearing aid and cochlear, engulfing him in the complete silence he liked the best. He didn't know that doing this would be a big mistake, as he didn't hear the thunder that grew louder with every second, outside the glass windows.

Feeling the vibration of his phone in his pocket, Barry drew it out while simultaneously switching on the small television on his desk. He saw a few texts from Felicity asking him if he got back okay and if Central City was also seeing the storm. Barry looked out the windows and indeed saw the dark clouds forming. He then put down his phone, turning back towards the television with the captions on expecting to see more coverage on the particle accelerator and instead he saw the news reporter getting drenched by a sudden downpour. A bright light flashed in Barry's eyes, coming from the windows. Lightning. Just then he felt a chill run down his back, Barry looked for the source when he eventually looked up, eyeing the skyline window above his head. Barry silently cursed under his breath as he walked towards the now swinging chains to close the latch shut. But one touch of the metal and Barry felt the cold water on his skin. His eyes barely had time to find the sky when the lightning struck.