The train back to Central City could have been a pleasant ride, but nervousness made it hard for Lucy to enjoy the scenery. The talisman still radiated warmth in Lucy's trembling hand. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"You sure about this?" Anti asked.

Lucy nodded and glanced her watch. Anti seemed to be just as nervous as Lucy was.

"You know it's dangerous, right?!" Anti hissed in anger. "I can't help you if the shaman's spell fails. Once he gets you, it's over."

"I know," Lucy whispered as Central City peeked above the horizon. "I won't fail."

Anti made an annoyed sound but went silent as the train approached the station. Lucy quickly gathered the few items that she had brought with her. A cab waited for Lucy in the distance. She ran to it and told the driver the address of STAR Labs again, making sure that it was the one she had called.

As the cab pulled out of the lot, Lucy patted D'Artagnan reassuringly. She was undeniably nervous. Positively terrified. But she could feel something that she hadn't before. A sense of purpose. Confidence. She knew that whatever the conclusion that this was the right thing for her to do.

Lucy thanked the driver, gave him his money, and got out of the cab with a spring in her step. It was later in the evening, so it was likely that Dr. Snow and Cisco at least would be going home for the night. She had texted Iris. Joe would be at work, and Iris had some school work to finish and wouldn't be able to visit Barry for a while tonight. Dr. Wells would likely still be there, but Lucy could take of him. Worst case scenario: she'd beat the hell out of him with his wheelchair. It wasn't like he needed it. And a promise is a promise.

Lucy hurried into the building and took note of Anti's quiet. Was it because he had given up on discouraging her to go through with this plan, or was he working on a plan of his own? Lucy soon found the room where they were keeping Barry to see Dr. Wells sitting nearby. He looked up with curiosity and raised an eyebrow at Lucy's breathing.

She caught her breath and managed to stammer out, "Uh, Dr. Wells… good to see you."

"And you. Are you in a hurry?" he asked her with a tilt of his head.

"No. Yes. Actually… I kind of plan on leaving tonight. I was wondering if you'd give me a little alone time… I have something to say. I know that he can't hear me or won't remember, but… it'd make me feel a little better about leaving before he gets better."

"I suppose," Dr. Wells replied hesitantly before an alarm went off, and he turned his attention back to one of the screens. "It would seem that I don't really have a choice anyway. Something in the chamber seems to be malfunctioning. Be right back."

Dr. Wells rolled out of the room, and Lucy wasted no time and placed the amulet above Barry's heart. Closing her eyes, she whispered a thanks to Anti and concentrated on the protection. The spell was activated by intent, so she thought about Barry being safe from the shadows. Hope filled her as she thought of the Barry she had seen in dreams. She wasn't sure if they were truly dreams or visions, but she thought of the person Barry was and the hero he could become.

The amulet burned hot underneath her hand, and suddenly it was almost as though it had disappeared. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Chills went up her spine as she struggled to keep her hand in place. A familiar voice echoed from the darkness.

"Lucy, so good of you to join me," Dark said as his eyes peered into Lucy's with a triumphant gleam. "You've already let the darkness inside of you win. You know that there was never any way for you to win against me. Give me your hand."

He held out his hand toward Lucy, but she ignored it. This had to be a trick of his. She couldn't feel the talisman, but she could feel the pressure of it on Barry's chest. She focused on her hope for Barry and tried to block out Dark as white noise echoed through her head.

"YOU HAVE LOST!" Dark yelled in fury before his voice changed back to a more melodious tone. "Lucy, we don't need to fight anymore. All you need to do is give me your hand. You can stay with me. Where you belong. I understand you, and you can learn to understand me. Please, Lucy. LET ME IN."

Lucy kept herself focused on the talisman, but nothing changed. She refused to let herself fall into despair. She could do this.

"You're far more like me than him, you know. Your anger… your heartbreak. They are keeping you tethered to that boy. Trapping you. All you need to do to free yourself is take my hand. Then this world will no longer be your prison but your palace."

Lucy laughed at that then chastised herself quietly in her head. Right now keeping this psycho away from Barry was more important.

"Lucy," Dark whispered in voice that was more of a growl. "STOP! Please… I can give you anything. If you stop, I won't need him. He's not even your brother. Just a shadow of the person he could have been."

"Aren't you the shadow?" Lucy asked and kept her hand in place even though it was shaking. "I know he's not my brother. Similar but not the same. And that kills me, but I've seen what he can be. What he will be. A hero. A beacon of hope. And that's worth protecting. You won't hurt him because I WON'T LET YOU!"

The talisman seemed to reappear in Lucy's hand, and Lucy could feel the warmth as it began to glow.

Dark seemed to change tactics and pleaded, "He'll be fine without you. He doesn't need you. Why are doing this for him?"

"Because I believe in Barry Allen," Lucy responded and once again closed her eyes. "If he can be a hero… then so can I."

Dark let out a scream of frustration, and Lucy opened her eyes to see dark tendrils being repelled by the light of the spell. The world swirled around her but soon brightened, and Barry laid on the bed in front of her. The talisman cracked as light swirled from it and into Barry's chest. Light danced on the surface of Barry's skin before fading, and Lucy picked up the broken talisman. It was over. Barry was safe. A jubilant smile spread on her face as she held the broken pieces close. A sound made her quickly hide them in her backpack as Dr. Wells came back into the room.

"Everything okay?" Lucy asked, taking note of an irritated look on his face.

"Yes, it would seem that something's wrong with our system," Dr. Wells murmured. "It showed one of our machines being active. It was not, but at least I got some exercise." He gave Lucy a meaningful look and asked, "Is everything okay with you? You seem pale."

"Are you trying to say that I should get a tan?"

"No, you just… look like you could use some rest."

"I'll be fine. Thank you, Dr. Wells. For your concern," Lucy said evenly and tried to keep the skepticism out of her tone. She highly doubted whether Dr. Wells cared about her wellbeing.

"Okay then," Dr. Wells said but gave her an unsure look. "By the way… did you ever get in touch with Dr. McGee? She sounded worried."

Lucy's eyes widened as she realized that she'd never gotten back to Dr. McGee. She'd gotten too busy trying to find out what Anti was hiding from her and hadn't called Dr. McGee back.

"So that would be a 'no'?" Dr. Wells asked with a bemused smile.

"Yeah… that's a no. It doesn't matter much anyway. I just came by to say goodbye to Barry. I won't be back," Lucy said as she felt a lump in her throat. She cleared her throat before continuing, "Thank you. I should at least tell her that I'm leaving."

Dr. Wells gave her a strange look and asked, "Leaving? You make it sound like you won't ever be back."

Lucy smiled at Barry one last time and replied, "I won't. At least not as long as everything goes to plan. It was… interesting. Meeting you, Dr. Wells."

"And you," Dr. Wells replied, looking more confused than ever. "It just… you were so insistent on protecting him. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Lucy sighed and debated what she should tell him. A 'none of your business' response would be satisfying, but she didn't want to give him a reason to interfere with any of her plans.

"I… I just miss home. I don't belong here. There are people waiting for me. People that I've kept waiting for far too long and they deserve more. They deserve better," Lucy explained and was surprised by the ease of her confession. While it certainly wasn't a lie, it also hid her true motives.

Dr. Wells glanced down, and for a second Lucy thought that she saw understanding flash in his eyes. Finally, he gave her a small smile and said, "Well, good luck."

"Thanks," Lucy responded when her phone started ringing. She fumbled with it for a second before answering, "Yes?"

Felicity answered with hesitation, "Okay. So… remember how you asked me to keep an eye on your cameras?"

"Yeah," Lucy replied and mouthed a 'sorry' to Dr. Wells, whom replied with a shrug.

"There was… I just need for you to see this. You need to come back to Starling. Pronto."