── ⚡ ──

"You think I'll ever wear it again?" Barry asked Haylee as she walked up to him. Barry was standing in front of the glass case containing his suit, the brunette girl smiled softly at the suit before linking her arm with Barry's. "Yeah, you will. I'm sure of it," Haylee assured him with no doubt in her tone. "I didn't have my speed for very long, but now that it's gone, it feels like part of me is gone too," Barry expressed to Haylee. "With or without your speed, you're still you, Barry," Haylee said as she moved to stand in front of him.

"But I'm not. I'm not the best version of me," Barry told her as he looked down at her, his eyes focused on hers. "I love being The Flash. I love everything about it; the feeling of running hundreds of miles per hour, wind and power just rushing past my face, being able to help people," Barry smiled fondly as he spoke and Haylee couldn't help but smile with him. "I understand that, but Barry... You aren't your speed, it's an added bonus," Haylee rested her hand on the side of his face.

"I'm not sure I can live without it, Haylee," Barry told her before the two hugged and Haylee rubbed his back to comfort him. "Farooq Gibran," Cisco announced as he walked into the room. "Who?" Barry asked as he looked at Cisco, he didn't want to let go of Haylee. "The powers vampire who jacked your speed," Cisco explained as Haylee and Barry pulled apart and walked over to their friend. "I hacked into the surveillance footage from the Petersburg substation," Cisco told them.

"Once I got his face, it was easy to find a match," Cisco smiled widely at Haylee and Barry who nodded impressed with their friend. "He climbed an electrical tower the night of the accelerator explosion," Cisco informed them. "No surprise where his powers came from then," Haylee stated as she looked to the screen. An alarm began beeping within the room gaining their full attention, Barry moved closer to Haylee.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Cisco spoke as he leaned back in his seat, he clicked a few keys to show Farooq standing in front of a camera. "Dr Harrison Wells, I need to see you!" Farooq screamed out, "Come on, I know you're inside." Haylee let out a slow breath before stepping away from Barry and Cisco, electricity began flowing over her body as she looked up at them. "Are you sure you want to fight a siphon of electricity?" Cisco asked her.

"I can keep him distracted, get Wells out of here and find a way to get Barry's speed back!" Haylee demanded before making her way out of the room. "Haylee!" Barry called before walking up to her and without hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her. "Be careful," Barry whispered to her as he pulled away. "I will," Haylee replied before racing off down the halls. She turned a corner to see Farooq standing there, his eyes were dark and sullen.

"Farooq Gibran!" Haylee shouted, the mentioned metahuman turned to her with a glare. "You... You were the one that hurt me," Farooq seethed out before holding up his hands. Haylee created some balls of electricity, like Harrison had coached her to do, and threw them towards him. Some were absorbed and others he managed to dodge until one finally hit him sending him back into the wall while Haylee stumbled slightly.

"He did this to us," Farooq snapped before holding out his hands again, electricity began to come off of Haylee causing her to let out a pained scream. Barry, Cisco, Caitlin and Harrison watched through the camera, Barry grimaced wishing he had his speed as he came up with the idea to try and talk to the siphon. While Harrison fought the urge to reveal himself, he went to move his foot before the bracelet upon Haylee's wrist zapped to life.

A blue dome-like shield formed around Haylee as she dropped to her knees letting out slow deep breaths, Farooq went flying back as his siphon abilities bounced off the protective shield and hit him. Haylee lifted her head and used what was left of her energy to glitch back to the others, she stumbled but Harrison managed to catch her as he let out a breath of relief. Barry helped her sit down as the power went out completely which only weakened Haylee more.

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The groups had split up leaving Haylee, Barry and Caitlin to use Cisco modified treadmill in an attempt to restore Barry's speed. Farooq wandered into the Cortex, Barry grabbed Haylee and Caitlin's arms and pulled them with him below the window in an attempt to hide from him. "Did you know the human body generates electricity?" Farooq taunted. "The average person gives off 342 watts, that girl gives off so much more, and I can smell it coming from you," Farooq added.

They stayed silent as Haylee rested her head on Barry's shoulder, Farooq's steps disappeared out of the room allowing the three to let out breaths of relief. "Turn on the treadmill," Barry told Caitlin while helping Haylee sit down close to it, she needed electricity. "You're still hurt," Caitlin reminded him anxiously. "We don't have time," Barry shouted before moving up onto the treadmill, he gripped onto the metal that will be a conductor of the electricity.

Haylee raised her hand and rested it on the bar, she let out a slow breath as she didn't know how she would react or whether it would be more painful than the weakened state she was in. "Caitlin" Barry scolded. "I can't," Caitlin whimpered out. "We don't have a choice," Barry told her. "If I turn this on, it could kill you," Caitlin warned him as memories of losing Ronnie hit her. "If you don't, we could all die. Hayles could die," Barry pointed out.

The two looked at Haylee, her usually tanned skin was a close pale from the lack of electricity flowing through her. "I already lost someone I cared about in this building. I can't do it again," Caitlin looked at Barry hoping he'd step back so they just power up Haylee. "Listen, someone once told me that I was struck by that lightning for a reason, that it chose me. I'm not sure I believe it. Right now, it doesn't matter what I believe," Barry explained.

"What do you believe?" Barry asked Caitlin. She nodded before turning on the treadmill, Haylee let out a sigh of relief as her eyes began to glow, her pale tone returned back to its more bronze tone. The electricity soared throughout her and she felt more alive compared to before, she smiled happily. However, Barry groaned in pain before Caitlin turned off the treadmill. "My God, are you okay?" Caitlin asked Barry.

"Barr?" Haylee knelt down next to him, he smiled softly at her healthier state. "It didn't work," Barry told them after he attempted his abilities. Caitlin, Barry and Haylee moved out of the Cortex aiming to get to where Cisco was waiting for them away from the revenge-seeking metahuman. "Tony?" Haylee gasped out seeing a body slide across the ground, she rushed over to him and dropped to her knees next to him.

"What are you doing?" Haylee asked as Barry and Caitlin stood close by them. "Oh, come on. You know me, Haylee. I never run from a fight," Tony told her with a kind smile, he raised his hand and rested it on the side of Haylee's face. "You were always the light in the dark," Tony whimpered out before looking to Barry, "You look after her, Allen. No one compares." Haylee laughed as tears fell down her face, they burned against her skin but she didn't care.

"Stay with me, Tony! You can make a change. It's not too late," Haylee whispered to him but he shook his head softly at her, wiping the tears from her face. "You're gonna be okay. Now... Run!" Tony warned as Farooq turned the corner, Tony closed his eyes as he took his last breath. "No..." Haylee whimpered out before standing up and looking to Farooq. "Caitlin, Barry, go!" Haylee shouted, turning to look at them with glowing eyes.

They both hesitated before running down the hall as Haylee turned to Farooq, "I've learnt your tricks." Haylee glitched to the left before throwing a ball of energy at him, glitching again to the right to avoid his siphoning. She smirked before forming a large ball of energy at him, sending him flying back into the wall. She turned on her heels and ran down the hall, she learnt her lessons about overdoing it.

Haylee caught up to Barry and Caitlin, the three of them approached Cisco who let out a breath of relief at the sight of his friends. "You're winded. That's not good," Cisco pointed out to Barry who let out slow breaths. "I need to take your blood and figure out what happened," Caitlin told Barry. "I can't believe he's dead," Barry spoke up while Haylee looked away, fresh tears forming in her eyes despite Tony's past actions, he deserved redemption.

"Dr Wells?" Cisco asked slightly panicked. "No, no. Tony Woodward," Barry corrected him. "He escaped from the pipeline. He must have got out when the blackout hit," Caitlin expressed. "Not possible. The pipeline was designed to withstand a power outage. Someone had to have let him go," Cisco explained while Haylee looked towards Dr Wells as he approached them. "I did," Dr Wells spoke up, "I released him."

"Why?" Barry asked Dr Wells while Haylee shook her head in disbelief, her eyes were glossy with tears that pained the older scientist to see. "To divert our intruder's attention while we worked to restore your speed," Dr Wells explained without any regret. "You used him as a distraction?" Haylee asked, her voice cracking in the process. "An unnecessary one, as it turns out. It seems the plan has failed," Dr Wells stated with a tone of disappointment.

"I... I have his blood on me. How could you do that?" Barry asked him, he refused to let Haylee take any of the guilt. "You're showing a lot of sentiment for a man who tormented you as a child," Dr Wells expressed to Barry. "Tony might have been a bully then and now, but he didn't deserve to die," Haylee snapped in disapproval. "Does Caitlin or Cisco or Barry or me or you?" Dr Wells asked Haylee, the girl lowered her head at his words.

"I had a choice to make, him or us. I chose us without a second thought," Dr Wells continued hoping to get them to understand him, hoping that Haylee would understand him. "Well, all your talk about miracle cures and scientific breakthroughs, but you don't care about people at all," Barry seethed at his idol, he was disappointed, as was Haylee. "Well, maybe you care too much, Barry. I know being a hero is important to you, and I respect your ideals. I just don't have the luxury of sharing them," Dr Wells expressed openly.

"I forgot. Your game's chess. We're all just pawns to you, right?" Barry sneered at the older man while Haylee fought back the tears as Tony's dying breath burned into her mind. "So what's your next move, doctor? Which one of us gets sacrificed next?" Barry asked him. Electricity crackled through the facility, Haylee's powers reacted instantly. "We have to get out of the facility," Cisco pointed out. "We just left him on D level," Haylee told Cisco.

"We'll never make it to the main entrance from here," Barry pointed out while Cisco thought deeply before coming up with an idea, "What about the garage, the mobile lab van?" Haylee nodded in agreement with Cisco's plan. "It's my move, Mr Allen, and I say we make a run for it," Dr Wells expressed before looking to Haylee, the brunette Glitch avoided his eyes. "Oh, my God. Barry, look," Caitlin spoke up gaining their attention.

"Your cells, they're rapidly regenerating," Caitlin told him while Haylee pieced it all together. "It must be mental, not physical. Same issue I had," Haylee expressed openly. "Oh, you have the yips," Cisco pointed out, Haylee looked at him with a grin. "The whats?" Barry asked them. "You know, when a second baseman all of a sudden can't throw to first or a golfer tried to putt and they get all embarrassed and upset-" Cisco began explaining.

"-And then that makes the yips worse, and it's a hot mess, and then they feel like even more of a failure," Haylee finished off for Cisco, the two high fived each other with smiles. "The Fred to my George," Cisco stated to Haylee, wiping a fake tear from his eye. "That's not helping," Barry pointed out to them. "Look, you asked if I believed you were struck by lightning for a reason... if you were chosen. I believe, you should too," Caitlin expressed to Barry.

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They all rushed to the garage approaching the Mobile Lab Van but Farooq had approached them already. Barry stood in front of Cisco, Caitlin and Haylee protectively but Dr Wells was across from them. "Hey! You're here for me," Dr Wells gained the metahumans attention. "Finally you show your face," Farooq replied to him. "Well, I wasn't exactly eager to be killed," Dr Wells told him. "Neither were my friends," Farooq snapped at him.

"I know. I hurt a lot of people that night," Dr Wells responded, he glanced directly at Haylee before looking back at Farooq. "People? You don't even know their names," Farooq seethed at him with his hands raised ready to kill. "Jake Davenport, Darya Kim, Ralph Dibny, Al Rothstein, Grant Emerson, Will Everett, Bea Da Costa, Samara Justine, Ronnie Raymond. I know the names of every person who died that night," Dr Wells answered him.

"I know that they all mattered, and the fact that the world is now deprived of their potential is something that I have to live with every day, but these people... These people have done nothing wrong," Dr Wells expressed to him before sighing. "You want to punish me? Fine, let's do that, but let these people live," Dr Wells finished off. "You died that night too," Farooq began before raising his hands again, "You just didn't know it till today."

Within seconds, Barry had rushed over in a blur and grabbed Dr Wells, placing him safely with Cisco and Caitlin. Both Haylee and Barry worked together to tire Farooq, Haylee glitching around and throwing balls of energy while Barry flashed by him until he got the upper hand and knocked him out completely. Once they had successfully stopped Farooq, Barry and Haylee hugged each other. "I've always believed in you, Barry Allen. Always have, always will," Haylee whispered to him before Cisco pulled her into his arms.

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"We could have called him 'Blackout'," Cisco exclaimed, Haylee pointed at him and nodded in agreement. "I like that name!" Haylee exclaimed before they did a new secret handshake making Caitlin and Barry roll their eyes. "I'm just not sure what happened. Why didn't he just siphon all my powers like before?" Barry pondered aloud. "Because you finally stopped thinking about your powers and just connected to them," Dr Wells told him.

"A friend of mine told me that "Acceptance is the first step into greatness" and it helped me become one with my power," Haylee told Barry as she sat down next to him. "Look, this is a sample of your blood from just after you were struck by lightning," Caitlin showed him the tablet, Haylee watched in awe. "Now your cells are generating more energy than ever before. It was more energy than the meta could safely handle," Caitlin explained.

"It's almost like he choked on you," Haylee explained as she understood what Caitlin was saying to him. "But what does that mean?" Barry asked them. "It means you've kicked it up a notch," Haylee expressed with an impressed smile before looking to Cisco who was writing 'Blackout' on his list of Metahumans. The girl shook her head before zapping him lightly, Barry smiled at the interaction before stepping aside with Dr Wells. Haylee smiled as she looked at the four others in the room, despite what happened that day, she felt like she belonged.

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Author Note
This chapter made me a little emotional. Also, did you spot the little change of dialogue? I doubt it! Things are gonna get interesting and because I am writing only season one in this book, I will be doing every episode however, there will be original content within it.

@Jinhit_westan has given me a few ideas and I'm excited to write them. I'd also like to thank Jinhit for all the amazing support of this story. I love seeing your comments. <3

Also, the next chapter is Flash vs Arrow and I am so damn excited to write it!

P.S: The Gif above was made by me using Giphy. I finally learnt how to combine two gifs so I just might do that a lot now.

-Rose <3
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