AN:I have the entire week off from school, so hopefully I'll write quite a bit!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Flash!
"Seriously, do you not think I have cameras over every square inch of this place? Well, except the bathrooms, cause that's creepy...anyway, still!" Cisco said, crossing his arms as he glared at them in utter disbelief.
"I...don't know what you're talking about, Cisco," Barry said calmly, and it would have been very convincing except for the fact that his 'I' was terribly drawn out.
"You're a terrible liar, Barry," Cisco said dryly, "Need I replay it?" he was brandishing yet another thumb drive.
"No, no. That won't be necessary," Caitlin said quickly, no longer pretending like she couldn't hear through her headphones.
"Then take your headphones out which aren't even hooked in, by the way, and tell me why you keep acting all kissy and shit and then acting like it's nothing?" Cisco said. For such a little guy, he had a lot of anger.
Caitlin reached up slowly and removed her bulky headset.
"Start talking," Cisco said sternly. Both Barry and Caitlin felt like they were toddlers receiving a parental trial over who ate the last cookie.
"Cisco, I care about Caitlin. As a friend. And that's it," Barry said.
"I don't know who you think you're fooling, but it's not me," Cisco said, "Continue,"
"I care about Caitlin a lot, is that better?" Barry said, growing irritated.
"And what do you care about her as?" Cisco said, tapping his foot to create a dramatic effect.
"A friend, Cisco!" Barry said. He was now exasperated.
"False information, Allen," Cisco said, pointing his finger (a little bit too threateningly) at Barry.
"What do you want me to say, Cisco?" Barry said. Caitlin was surprised he wasn't yelling by now.
"I want you to say the truth," Cisco said simply, "Barry Allen -are you attracted to our friend and colleague, Dr. Caitlin Snow?"
"I -yes," Barry said, looking at his shoes.
"Dr. Snow -are you attracted to our friend and colleague, Barry Allen; also known as the Flash?" Cisco said.
"...yes," Caitlin said, focusing on the action of tapping her fingers.
"Then you may let me slap you both in the face for being so ignorant!" Cisco said huffily.
Caitlin and Barry stared at Cisco, eyebrows raised.
"But I'm not going to, because I'm a nice guy," Cisco said, calming down.
"Well thank you, Cisco," Barry said, sarcasm very evident in his tone. While slightly (slightly) less, he was still aggravated.
"Alright, you are not helping your chances at not getting slapped," Cisco said. As Barry left the room, leaving Caitlin standing awkwardly off to the side and Cisco holding back rage, Cisco opened his mouth again, "Damn. Hate the Cisco, why don't you?"
"He just needs a minute, Cisco. He'll come around," Caitlin said, not moving from her spot.
The room became silent after that, the air filled with contemplation and decisions being made over what conversations needed to be held, and about what. Cisco was contemplating going and possibly apologizing, but he thought against it. He had only been trying to help, and if Barry couldn't see that -well, it sounded like a personal problem. Caitlin, on the other hand, was seriously fighting to urge to go find Barry. She, unlike Cisco, didn't argue with herself much longer.
She expected to find him in the time vault, Jitters, or maybe even the roof once more. But she didn't really expect him to be sitting against the wall right outside in the hallway, one knee drawn to his chest and the other leg straight in front of him. Caitlin slid down beside him, only not saying a word for a few seconds.
"He was just trying to help, Barry. He didn't mean to upset you," Caitlin said, but her words seemed to take no affect.
"I know it's been rough for you -" Caitlin continued, but Barry chose that time to speak:
"I thought we might have been done. Zoom was gone, and after losing my dad, I thought there was nothing else the universe could throw at me. There hadn't been a meta human attack in months. And then there's this guy, who is literally made of batter, and I couldn't even stop him," Barry said, breathing heavily.
"This isn't the first meta human that gave us a first time. You have to remember that," Caitlin said, standing up and offering him her hand, "Now, what do you say we go figure out how to stop this guy?"
"There's something I need to do first," Barry said, zipping into his suit and rushing outside faster than Caitlin could yell at him for being reckless and to not do anything stupid.
Yet he was back a mere three minutes later.
"Where did you go?" Caitlin asked him, frustration in her voice.
"I had to get something," Barry said, then turning to Cisco and holding out a foot long, lime green bag to him, "Here,"
Cisco took it, "The jumbo bag of gummy worms..."
Cisco hugged Barry and patted him on the back, then began tearing open the bag, "You are forgiven, old friend,"
"Now, let's get to it!"
"Okay -what do we know about our Cookie Monster?" Caitlin asked, uncapping a marker.
"His name is Mixer," Cisco said. Was it so much to ask for them to use the name he gave him?
"Okay, okay -what do we know about the Mixer?" Caitlin said, placing the tip of the marker on the board.
"His motive -revenge, I'm guessing. He's been targeting bakeries in the area. Seven robberies, two homicides.." Barry said, "He must've been one himself. Cisco, check the database for any bakeries that might have closed or switched ownership during the time the accelerator exploded," he nodded his head towards Caitlin, and she jotted down 'revenge?'.
"Got something," Cisco said, pulling up a photograph of a young man standing in front of a pale yellow building, "Christopher Morrow...his bakery exploded during the night of the explosion -a body was found in the ashes, police forces couldn't fully recognize the remains...blah blah blah..."
"Zoom in on his face, Cisco," Barry said, striding over to the computer.
Barry took in the details of the man's traits, and recalled the moment when the meta human's face began to show. The same hooked nose, the same small eyes, thin lips, thin face...the similarities were unmistakable.
"I can't be certain just yet, but if I'm not mistaken -that's our guy,"
"The Mixer,"