Chapter 4: Bounties

For the next week or two, Barry had gotten into a sort of habit. Get up. Go to Star Labs. Save a couple of metahumans from being taken. Run on the treadmill to try and get faster. Either go home and spend some time with Joe and Iris or hang around with Cisco (without leaving the house/lab). Sleep. Repeat.

Each time Barry rescued a meta, he felt a sense of pride and satisfaction, but he couldn't just sneak all the metas out of the city. It wouldn't stop the overall meta-collection system. And it wouldn't save all the metas they've already taken to the meta collection center (MCC) where God knows what's happening to them. He had to fight them. It was especially hard with the new price on his head. Signs had been posted all over town a few days ago offering a reward for the Flash but he had to be alive.

And he couldn't just erase Barry Allen from existence just because the rest of the world believed he was gone. Of course, he could move out of the city, but did he want to? This was his home after all. Thoughts swirled through Barry's head, but one thing was obvious. What he needed was a plan. And who better to help than team Flash?

The next day, Barry barged into Star Labs and announced his thoughts to everyone. "We need a way to fight back instead of simply sneaking all of the metas out. We can't just keep doing this. We have to come up with a different strategy."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement and Dr. Wells spoke up, "I agree, Barry. What do you propose?"

"I- uh- We could…" Cisco clapped his hands suddenly.

"I have an idea! Oh, unless you have an idea Barry?"

"No, no, go ahead."

"Alright, so we already have an army. They just don't know it yet." Cisco put on the biggest grin Barry's ever seen. "Oh, come on. Do you guys not get it? We can use the metas we rescue to fight back!" Everyone on the team began to understand.

"That could actually work," said Dr. Wells, deep in thought, "We only need a way to know which metas have already broken out."

"And a way to contact metas when it's time," Barry added.

"Alright! Now we're getting somewhere! Dr. Wells, help me with the breakout identifier thing. Don't you worry, Barry, very soon, you will have a full-scale revolution on your hands."

"That's the idea," Barry said, grinning at the prospect, "Alright, what should I say to metas I save before then?"

"Just tell them to wait for your call or something trippy like that," Cisco replied. Just as he said that, the meta collection truck detector device lit up. Not ten seconds passed before Barry was out the door.

He ran out of Star Labs and to the corner of Hazelnut Street and Randolph Court. He spotted the familiar truck outside of a small house and hid behind large tree in the yard.

He heard the knock on the door and the hinges of the door opening. Then he heard a familiar voice from the house. He peered over the tree to see his old girlfriend, Linda Park. Linda's a meta too? Barry thought.

"What do you want?" Linda asked, her voice shaking slightly. The man grabbed her arm to scan her wrist, but suddenly, Barry was there as he threw the collector across the lawn. "Who are you?" Linda asked incredulously.

Barry thought for a quick moment about telling Linda her identity, but thought against it, believing it would only endanger her further.

Before Barry could reply, Linda beat him to it, "Wait, I've heard of you haven't I? The Red Streak? Saving metas left and right?"

"The Flash actually," Barry replied, his vocal chords vibrating to hide his identity.

"So the streak has a name? Now what? Let me guess, I have to leave the city and chance my name?"

"That's right. Look, I'm sorry. It's the safest option for the moment."

She sighed. "I know. I just don't want to leave Central City."

"It's not permanent. You'll know when it's safe to come back. Keep an eye on the news" Barry didn't know how to ask whether or not Linda had broken out yet, but he had to find out. "Linda… The night the particle accelerator exploded, did you…"

"Get any super cool superpowers? Nope. Guess I'm the placebo in the bunch. Hey… I didn't tell you my name yet… Do I know you?" Linda stepped closer and squinted at Barry.

"Uh, no. Public records. Stay safe, Linda. I gotta run." With that Barry sped off without another word. Little did Barry know that Linda had not broken out yet but she to very soon.

"The reward for the man calling himself "The Flash" has been increased drastically, inspiring action in bounty hunters around central city. More news on Central City's most wanted later tonight."

Barry switched off the TV in the cortex with a sigh. "It's hard enough dealing with collectors on my tail, now I have to fight off bounty hunters?"

"Come on, man, you're the fastest man alive. You can outrun anyone they throw at you," Cisco said with a proud smirk.

"He's right Bar, a few lowlife guys obsessed with money should be the last thing on your mind right now," Iris added.

The device on the desk started going off and Barry looked up with a confused expression considering he had rescued Linda only an hour ago. "There are a lot more meta alerts lately. Think that's got anything to do with me?"

"Possibly. Perhaps they believe since they have a potential uprising with the streak around town, the search for metas has become more urgent," Dr. Wells said insightfully.

"Hey, that only means we have more metas fast and the rebellions gonna come a lot sooner. No big deal," Cisco reassured him.

Barry nodded and flashed out of the room and into dark, very poorly lit neighborhood. He squinted into the darkness, searching for the truck and spotting it in front of a small house at the end of the road. He made out a figure approaching the door and decided to take out the collector before he even knocked.

He ran over to the house, but before he knew what was going on, the figure swung around with a large weapon and fired at Barry. Instead of bullets as Barry was expecting, A line of pure ice was fired at Barry unexpectedly.

He fell to the ground and started shivering violently. The figure approached and now Barry could see that the man was not wearing the usual white coated collection uniform, but a large winter parka.

"Flash. How nice to finally meet you. And shivering at my feet, no less." The man smirked.

Back at Star Labs, Caitlin had apparently picked up on Barry's failing vitals, because Cisco was now yelling into Barry's earpiece, "Barry! Start vibrating, it will warm you up faster!" Barry obeyed and vibrated, immediately beginning to feel himself shivering less.

"Nuh uh uh, Red," the bounty hunter said. He fired ice at Barry's legs and Barry cried out at the numbness and loss of feeling in his legs.

"Now that you're not running anywhere anytime soon, let's talk. Now the MCC has offered quite a bit of money for your head on a silver platter. And from what I've heard, you've stirred up quite a bit of trouble on the streets. So perhaps I'd be doing a public service to turn you in. Not to mention how much richer I'd be, don't you agree?

Barry struggled to answer. "Th-the MCC is wro-wrong. Metas don't… deserve it-t-t." Barry's teeth had begun to chatter uncontrollably.

"I see. Well unluckily for you, I could care less about what happens to the metahumans. What have they done to earn my respect besides kill my sister!" Snart shouted. "She was so young, Lisa. And it was all because a stinking meta lost control and killed her. Stuck a fricking ice shard in her chest.

"I'm s-sorry," Barry stuttered. And he was. But he also had to keep the man talking longer to save himself even though he was nowhere close to escaping , "But, n-not all of us are l-l-like that-t.

He snorted, "Yeah, right, Red. I don't see any other goody goody metas running up and down the streets like you do every day."

"You d-don't have t-t-to do this," Barry insisted.

"Sorry, Red. But I do. Only way to get filth like you off the streets. Night, Flash," he said, raising his cold gun at Barry's heart.

Barry pulled his eyes closed tightly as he heard Caitlin screaming his name in his ear. He prepared himself for the cold about to hit him in his chest.

Behind his eyes, he saw a bright flash of light wondering if this was death welcoming him with open arms. A moment later he realized he was still lying on the ground, shivering.

He opened his eyes in surprised to see Linda hovering over him in concern. He mildly registered his mask being pulled off and Linda whispering, "Oh, Barry. What have you gotten yourself into…" Then he faded into darkness, feeling cold and alone.

DON'T HATE ME PLEASE.

I know you thought this is just another sad abandoned fic, and I honestly thought it would be. But I continued this story for the few readers I have because I know what it's like to be waiting endlessly for a chapter. I'll also try to make the chapters longer but I just wanted to get this chapter out. Don't expect daily or weekly updates but I WONT abandon this story completely.

Please review to make sure people are actually reading this story, especially with school starting soon (ugh).

For those who read my other story about Kara and Mon-El, I will update soon, but I don't know where I'm going with it, only how I'll end it. But don't worry, I'll figure it out.

Until next time loves…