Chapter Text
Waverider was a small tea shop, tucked out the way behind the library. Red checked table cloths covered all the tables, and little flowers sat along the windowsill. It was quaint, usually quiet, and Miranda made the best hot chocolate Barry had ever had.
He'd first come across it before the lightning, when Julian had suggested it as a place for a break from a particularly difficult case. How Julian had found it, Barry and Patty hadn’t asked, but they suspected it might be something to do with Rip's mother’s scone recipe.
Currently neither Rip nor Miranda were around; they'd gone to visit family in the UK, with their son, Jonas. Sara had offered to take care of everything for the time being.
Kendra smiled as she sat opposite Barry.
“You've got five minutes to drink that coffee you've been staring at for the past half an hour before we close.”
“I was thinking,” Barry said. He picked up the cup. Cold. He downed it anyway.
“Yeah, about a certain purple speedster.”
“I was not- I would never- Why would you even-” Barry spluttered, and Kendra laughed. “Stop it.”
“What are you two talking about?” Mick asked. He shut the door behind him.
“Barry’s girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Urgh, feelings, I’m out. Haircut still in the kitchen?”
“He's just finishing off,” Jax said. He picked Barry’s mug up and put it on a tray. “Here, can you take these through?” Mick took the tray and headed behind the counter and opened the hatch. Jax sat down next to Kendra.
“That’s everything.”
“How’s school?” Barry asked.
“Great,” Jax said. “Where’s Cisco?”
“He went to meet Dante. Where’s Sara?”
“Waiting for you to back to talking about a certain speedster,” Sara said. She sat next to Barry. “Ray’s nearly done. So. How’s your crush?”
“I don’t even know her name,” Barry said. “And I wasn’t thinking about her. Captain Singh wants me to talk to the reporter from Picture News tomorrow.”
“A reporter?” Kendra asked.
“Apparently she’s writing about the Slick case, you know Sand Demon, Patty’s got something else, Julian’s, well, Julian, and I was the lead C.S.I. on that one. But I know she’s going to ask about Rothstein as well, and I don’t have answers.”
“She?” Sara asked. “It’s not Kara Danvers, is it, she’s sweet, and she gets all flustered when I flirt with her, it’s adorable.”
“No, Kara’s with CatCo, she said she was going back to National soon,” Jax said. “She was just writing that piece on metahumans.”
“I don’t know who they’re sending yet,” Barry said. “I just got told by Captain Singh as I was leaving I have to do an interview. This is punishment for something, I know it is.”
“How many times have you been late this month?” Sara asked.
“Not many,” Barry said. “Are you wearing a dress?”
“You look nice,” Kendra said. “Date night?”
“Not exactly,” Sara said. “I’m meeting Lindsey.”
“Who’s Lindsey?” Barry asked.
“She’s a nurse, I helped liberate her from the denial and self-doubt that was preoccupying her the other day.”
“What?”
“She means she slept with her,” Jax said.
“I did not,” Sara said. “I kissed her, we both had to get to work.”
“And now you apparently have dinner plans,” Kendra said.
“She’s still figuring everything out, this isn’t a date,” Sara said. “I’m just trying to be supportive to someone who needs support.”
“Have you heard from Nyssa recently?” Kendra asked.
“She’s still sorting out the mess her dad left, trying to fix up the family business.”
“You mean the other assassins,” Jax said. “I can’t believe you were dating an assassin. You were an assassin. Why am I friends with you?”
“Because you’re a occasionally half a superhero and needed a job where that’s not an issue, so Barry pointed you our way,” Sara said. “And you love me.”
Barry’s phone buzzed. He skimmed the address.
“It’s Cisco,” he said as he stood. The door to the kitchen opened and Ray emerged. He handed Mick a box.
“Share them.”
“In your dreams, Haircut.” Mick pulled the box a little closer, and Ray rolled his eyes. Cupcakes then.
“Let me know you’re okay?”
“I’m not on duty for another half hour, they just need someone down the station. Red, you got the same message as me?”
“Sounds like it,” Barry said. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Vibe was waiting when the Flash skidded to a stop next to the burning building. Central City Fire Department were already on the scene.
“You took your time,” Cisco said. “I texted you thirty seconds ago.”
“I had to change,” Barry said. “What've we got?”
“A building's on fire, people are potentially inside.”
“I'll be right back.”
Barry dashed in, just as a purple streak passed him.
“Hey,” the Streak said. “Fancy seeing you here.” Her voice echoed with the speed, and Barry vibrated too, just enough to disguise his own voice.
“I take it Doctor Light is outside.”
“Flash, Light Show is here!” Cisco confirmed through the comms. “That was unnecessary.”
“Play nice, Vibe,” Barry said. He darted in and out of rooms with the Streak, making sure they were all empty.
The two of them met outside.
“Vacuum?” Barry asked.
“If you think you can keep up,” the Streak said. Barry had a feeling she smirked before running off.
“We’ll see who’s faster.” Barry joined her and the two of them ran around the building as fast as they could.
The Streak skidded to a stop first, and Barry stopped next to Cisco.
“Doctor Light,” he said.
“Flash.”
“Thanks for your help.”
“We should team up more often,” Cisco said.
“Us girls have got it handled,” Doctor Light said. The Streak swung an arm over her shoulders.
“I wouldn’t mind the odd team up with you, Flash,” the Streak said. “I think that’s our cue.”
“See you around, boys,” Doctor Light said.
The Streak scooped her up and shot off. Cisco nodded.
“I like them.”
“Me too,” Barry said. Cisco opened a breach and they ran through into their living room. “How was your drink with Dante?”
“I told him I’m Vibe. I had a vibe, and then he didn’t believe my excuse for leaving, so I told him the truth. Which probably means he knows you’re the Flash.”
“He’s your brother, we can trust him. You had a vibe about the fire?”
“No, something else. There was lightning, yellow, red, purple, and blue, that’s it. It was definitely a vibe, it just doesn’t make sense.”
“It sounds like another speedster,” Barry said. “Yellow could be me, Wally or Jesse, purple is the Streak, but I’ve never met anyone with blue lightning. Which probably means we don’t have to worry just yet. How did Dante take it?”
“I kind of ran away rather than wait to find out? What if he tells our parents? You know they’ll tell your parents and-”
“Cisco, you’re panicking.”
“If Dad finds out I’m a superhero-”
“I’m sure Dante won’t tell Santino. And we can worry about our parents killing us if they find out.”
“I saw red lightning. Nora can’t find out.”
“You think…”
“It makes sense. You said you saw a man in the lightning, that’s what it looks like when you run, Barry.”
“Why now? It’s been fifteen years, why now?”
“I don’t know.”
Barry was still thinking about red lightning when he arrived at work the next morning. Cisco was right, it made sense for the man in the lightning to be a speedster. But other than that, they knew nothing.
He was so deep in thought about it, he forgot to check the time.
“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere, Allen?” Julian asked, without looking up from his paperwork. Barry looked over at the clock. Quarter to-
Oh no.
“Thanks, Julian!” Barry yelled, already legging it out the door. He still had five minutes. He could run.
Waverider was surprisingly busy. Kendra waved, and nodded at the lady she was talking to.
“Hi,” he said. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the lady said. “I’m Iris West.”
“Barry Allen.” He stuck his hand out, then paused. “Wait, Iris West?”
“Barry?”
“You two already know each other?” Kendra asked.
“We went to school together,” Barry said. “Then there was that break-in when I was eleven and we moved, and we lost touch.”
“It’s so good to see you again,” Iris said. “How’ve you been? When did you move back to Central?”
“A few years ago? I did some work with K.C.P.D. in the crime lab while I was studying, I guess they passed it on because I got an offer from C.C.P.D. once I graduated. It’s nice to be home. I kept meaning to look you up, but…”
“It looks like the universe beat you to it.” Iris smiled. “I do actually have to interview you.”
“Yeah. Yeah, course, and I will have to go back to work after that. But maybe we can figure something out after that?”
“I’d like that.”