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S.T.A.R. Labs. The new centre of Westminster, a shining beacon, bringing the future to Central City.
At least, it was supposed to be.
No one actually knew what had happened. The particle accelerator project had been on track, then all of a sudden the whole site was being cordoned off, some kind of issue with the accelerator that had put the whole thing at risk. According to Central City Gazette even Doctors Harrison Wells and Tess Morgan- the brains behind the whole thing- hadn’t managed to find the exact cause just yet. And Gem Gossip was claiming the military were involved, some guy called Eiling who had some very shady dealings, but that was so far unsubstantiated rumours. And Gem Gossip was the same publication that claimed S.T.A.R. Labs was haunted, some murder that had taken place in one of the old warehouses that had been there before they built the labs or the estate agent who had sold the land or something, and that seemed even less likely than the military rumours. No one knew the truth yet, and when someone did, it was probably going to be the story of the year, at least in Central.
Iris was going to ace her journalism assignment.
“I feel like what’s actually going to happen is we’re going to get arrested for breaking and entering,” Cisco- her best friend and scientific expert consultant- said, looking through the fence at the huge building.
“We’re not going to get arrested,” Iris said. “You don’t have to come. I just want to get some pictures.”
“Okay, but if I don’t come, you’re going to break in and get yourself arrested, aren’t you? Did we have to come at night? It’s even scarier at night.”
“Two things,” Iris said. “One, no one’s going to be here at night except a few security guards probably and we aren’t going to see them until later, two, my dad is not on shift right now so if we get arrested, which we won’t, it’s not going to be by my dad.”
“There’s security guards?” Cisco said. “This was a bad idea. I don’t even take journalism, how did I get roped into this?”
“You know about science and engineering, I don’t,” Iris said. “You’ve helped me understand all the papers that have been written about it. How about this, instead of investigating S.T.A.R. Labs, I’ll write an article on accurate journalism, fake news, and tabloid nonsense, and why we need to think critically of their place in today’s society.”
“Oh, yes, do that.”
“And I’ll use Gem Gossip trying to convince everyone there’s a ghost here as an example. You can wait here if you want.”
“No, I’m coming,” Cisco said. “I’m not going to let you get arrested on your own. At least I can tell Joe I tried to talk you out of it.”
There was a hole in the fence. Iris had already found it prodding around the day before, and the security guards at the gate clearly hadn’t noticed, because she couldn’t see anyone. Iris snuck through and Cisco snuck after her.
They wouldn’t be able to get into the main building, they already knew that, it had a fancy key card lock instead of one Iris could pick, and all the fire escapes only opened from the inside, but they could get some pictures.
A streak of lightning shot past her and knocked Iris aside.
“Who’s there?” someone shouted. Iris grabbed Cisco’s hand and ran.
Two people were trying to get through their hole.
“You should run,” Iris said.
“Great,” the girl said. “If we’d been five minutes earlier…”
“You there!” the guard shouted. “Kids!”
“Running,” the girl said. She pulled Cisco through the fence and went to pull Iris too, but the footsteps were even closer. The boy put something in Iris’ hands.
“Hey!” the security guard said. He shone a light at the four of them. “What do you kids think you’re doing?”
“My tortoise ran away,” the boy blurted out. He gestured at the thing in Iris’ hands and she lifted it up to find there was actually a tortoise in her hands. “We were taking her for a walk, and I guess she got curious because she found your hole in the fence and went through it. McSnurtle’s a very curious tortoise, it gets her into trouble sometimes, once she found a hole in our fence in the garden and broke into next door’s garden and they have vegetables and I found her asleep in the lettuce with a very full stomach, Professor DeVoe was not very happy with me. Well, McSnurtle, he knew it wasn’t actually my fault, but I don’t think he likes me very much.”
“Okay,” the security guard said. “Son, how many times has my tortoise ran away actually worked?”
“Twice,” he said. “She’s only run away twice, she’s a very good tortoise really. Just curious.”
“Which is why you were taking her for a walk in the industrial district at ten o’clock at night.”
“Yes.”
“That’s actually my fault,” the girl said. She stood up and the boy helped Iris through the fence then put his tortoise back inside a cardboard box. “I’m Linda, I’m with Impossible Mysteries, my associate and I heard there was a ghost around and wanted to see if you’d seen anything.”
“Great,” the security guard said. “That rag publishes one story and now I have to keep the ghost hunters out.”
“Actually, we focus on finding explanations,” Linda said. “Like the time there were a lot of Bigfoot sightings at the campsite up above Mounds View and it was a guy in a bear costume using it to break into people’s tents and steal valuables.”
“Right,” the security guard said. “And I take it the tortoise helped with that too.”
“Yes,” the boy said. “It’s the four of us and McSnurtle. She comes with me everywhere.”
“I take it from your dismissive tone you haven’t seen anything unusual,” Linda said.
“Just kids trying to break in and cause trouble,” the security guard said.
“There seemed to be a flashing light,” Iris said. “Not that we could see really, from all the way out here, but it looked like there was one.”
“That’s been doing it for the past few days, it’s nothing, the electrician is going to come and have a look tomorrow. Go on, get out of here before you do get yourselves into trouble. There’s no ghosts here.”
“Thanks, sir,” the boy said. “McSnurtle says thanks too.”
“Try not to let your tortoise run away again?”
“I’ll do my best,” he said. The guard waited for the four of them to leave and move out of sight before he walked away.
“Thanks,” Iris said. “Seriously, how many times has the run-away tortoise worked?”
“Twice,” he said. “But one of those times she actually did run off. Well, not run, she’s a Greek tortoise, not a very big one, and she’s not super-fast, but she is faster than you think, and she’s still only little too, you’re only sixteen, aren’t you Snurtle, so she doesn’t like much handling, that’s why I carry her inside the box, but she’s very friendly, especially when you get to know her and you have food, especially strawberries, she loves those.”
“She’s really cute,” Cisco said. “Does she actually come with you everywhere?”
“Not everywhere, just when we’re doing something like this so we can use her as an excuse, I don’t think she minds much. Also she helps with my anxiety, I would have had a dog or something, they like petting, not like McSnurtle, but my dad is allergic, so I have a tortoise instead, but she’ll live as long as me easy, which is better than a dog or a cat.”
“Anyway,” Linda said. “We should be going. Come on, Barry, we have to get the bus back.”
“You’re in my journalism class,” Iris said. “You’re Linda Park.”
“And you’re Iris West,” Linda said. “Don’t tell me you were going to do your article on S.T.A.R. Labs too.”
“To be honest, I figured half the class were, but I have a secret weapon.”
“You do?” Cisco asked. Iris looked at him. “Oh, right, me.”
“You,” Linda said. “Do you work here or something? I’m guessing not from that display.”
“Oh, no, I’m an engineering student,” Cisco said. “I’ve just been helping Iris with the scientific articles, and I can drive. Um. I’m Cisco Ramon, it’s nice to meet you. Thanks for helping us out back there.”
“No problem, I’m Barry Allen,” tortoise boy said. Iris knew that name. “Have you read Doctor Morgan’s book? It’s so fascinating, I’m mainly studying organic chemistry and criminology but physics is just so interesting too, I have so many questions I want to-”
“Barry,” Linda said. “I think we should go home. We have to walk to the bus stop.”
“Yes, we should do that,” Barry said. “My stomach feels very bad.”
“I can drive you if that helps,” Cisco said. “Are you heading in the Danville direction?”
“Brookfield Heights,” Linda said. “It’s fine.”
“Well, you got us out of trouble, so I don’t mind,” Cisco said. “It’s not that far from here.”
“It is the opposite direction to Danville though,” Barry said.
“Yeah, well,” Cisco said. “You want a lift?”
“Sure,” Linda said.
Danville was a nice part of Central. Fairly middle class, and Iris knew she was on the lower end of that but they were comfortable, everyone had reasonable sized houses and gardens, it was nice.
Brookfield Heights was slightly posher. It wasn’t Winsor Heights where people like the Rathaways lived, but it was posher than Danville. Barry mostly seemed embarrassed by it.
“Thanks,” Linda said.
“Any time,” Cisco said. “I guess I’ll see you around?”
“Probably,” Linda said. “See you in class, Iris.”
Iris had been doing a lot of reading about S.T.A.R. Labs for her article, and Harrison Wells and Tess Morgan. They seemed quite private, any interviews they gave were all about the science, but watching them it was because they were so passionate about it.
Cisco had a lecture during her free period mid-morning, so she’d have to ask him about some of this later.
Or, looking at the other people in the library, maybe she could ask Barry Allen.
He jumped as Iris pulled out the chair next to him, then glanced around at the empty desks.
“Hello?”
“Hi,” Iris said. “No McSnurtle with you today?”
“No, I don’t think having a tortoise in the lab would be a good idea,” Barry said. “She only comes when Linda and I prod around spooky places. You went to Carmichael Elementary.”
“How do you know that?”
“I did too. I was a lot smaller then though, and usually on my own.”
“I knew I recognised your name last night!” Iris said. “Wow, yeah. So, what’ve you been up to?”
“School,” Barry said. “Looking after my tortoise. Investigating weird stuff with Linda. That’s pretty much it. What about you?”
“I have a little brother now. It’s kind of a long story.” A long story involving her mother not being as dead as Iris and her dad had thought, and showing back up on their doorstep when Iris turned twelve with a six-year-old Wally. Not something Barry wanted the full story on, especially not because Iris distinctly remembered him leaving school because his own mother died. That must have been when he moved, because until then he’d lived around the corner from her. “Wally’s sweet though. He’s twelve, or he’d probably be trying to help with this investigation too.”
“That’s nice,” Barry said. “What about your dad, how’s he?”
“He’s fine,” Iris said. “How’s your dad?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Barry said. “You know. As much as he can be.”
The third chair at the table was pulled out and Linda Park sat down.
“Stealing my expert, West?” Linda asked with a smile.
“Actually, Iris and I were catching up,” Barry said. “We went to school together before, you know.”
“Oh, was pre-teen Barry as much of a nerd as teenage Barry?” Linda asked.
“Yeah,” Iris said. “He knocked out Tony Woodward’s front tooth once though.”
“That was an accident,” Barry said. “And it was already wobbly, and you were the one who told me my aim would be better if I aimed for Tony’s chest.”
“I was trying to help. He was a bully though.”
“I remember.”
“Enough about him,” Iris said. “When did you two meet?”
“Barry was at this fundraiser my parents dragged me to when we were fourteen,” Linda said. “We ended up at quite a few together, and then we started Impossible Mysteries last year.”
“The ghost blog wasn’t just a cover story?”
“It’s not just ghosts,” Barry said. “We investigate the unexplained to try and explain it.”
“That was just one of Gem Gossip’s nonsense page fillers.”
“And when we find conclusive evidence, that might be our explanation,” Linda said. “Why were you at S.T.A.R. Labs?”
“Finding out why everything got shut down so quickly is going to be the biggest story of the year,” Iris said. “What reporter isn’t covering it?”
“It’s just a school project though.”
“It’s still important. I picked journalism because it’s a way to tell people the truth. Whatever went on is enough to get the whole site shut and they won’t say why. Anything could have happened, what if it’s dangerous and someone gets hurt because they refused to tell the truth?”
“That’s exactly what our blog is about. Telling people the truth behind things they can’t explain.”
“I actually think you have a lot in common,” Barry piped up. “Also, that you shouldn’t argue in the library.”
“You’re right,” Iris said. “I’m going to find out the truth behind S.T.A.R. Labs though.”
“And we’re going to find the truth behind whatever ghost is supposedly there,” Linda said.
Iris had never really spoken to Linda Park before, even if they’d been on the same course for the past few months. But now Linda was making a point of sitting across the room from Iris.
That was fine, she usually sat with Kara and Nia anyway.
“S.T.A.R. Labs is a good topic,” Kara said. “You’ve got other ideas too though, right? Professor Bridge said we should have something every month, and if Linda’s already got a blog, she’s got an advantage.”
“I have a few ideas,” Iris said. “What are you two writing?”
“The plans for the investment in Keystone’s old factory district,” Nia said. “And on the proposed benefits of the investment in a deprived area but also taking into account local residents’ concerns over gentrification and finding a balance between the two sides.”
“That sounds good,” Kara said. “LuthorCorp is one of the proposed investors, right? We can help each other out, I’m writing an article on how Lex Luthor’s a dick.”
“I do hope that’s not all you’re intending to write, Ms Danvers,” Professor Carr said as he walked in.
“No, sir,” Kara said. “Just messing around.”
“Good. Everyone pay attention.”
If Iris could just talk to Doctor Wells or Doctor Morgan. But they hadn’t spoken to anyone, they weren’t going to make an exception now.
Maybe she could find someone who’d worked at S.T.A.R. Labs though. There were other people listed on the research. Maybe Ronald Raymond, or Doctor Caitlin Snow might know, or-
Hartley Rathaway’s photograph was on the website. Iris didn’t know Hartley personally, but Cisco knew him and they got on like dynamite and a lit match- explosively and should never be left unattended near each other. Perhaps asking Cisco wouldn’t be the best idea. And she’d never seen Hartley in the library, or anywhere at lunch. She knew he was studying physics because he had some lectures with Cisco and Iris had heard from Ryan Professor Stein had sat them on opposite sides of the lab and refused to let them work together, but that was all.
But she did have an idea of where she might find him. And she did need an article for this month. A fundraiser for Mayor Bellows’ re-election was bound to be news.
Bringing Cisco probably wouldn’t end well if Iris was trying to talk to Hartley Rathaway. At least she’d managed to get in. She’d ask a few people on their opinions on Bellows, then she’d see if she could find Hartley. She could see Osgood and Rachel Rathaway shaking hands. She’d got a comment from Theresa Merkel and Simon Stagg.
It wasn’t exactly interesting though. And there was no sign of Hartley. There was one familiar face loitering by the fire escape though. Barry was in a suit and bow tie, fidgeting, and avoiding all the eyes he could.
Iris slid in next to him.
“Mayor Bellows seems popular.”
“Iris,” Barry said. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. And his eyes kept flicking to the fire escape. “What are you doing here?”
“I don’t think I’m getting my article on S.T.A.R. Labs done this month, so this seemed like a good topic in the meantime. This doesn’t seem like your type of party. You and Linda haven’t heard about a ghost in the building, have you?”
“No,” Barry said. “No, I’m here with, um, I’m here with-” He took a few slow deep breaths.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Barry said. “I just miss McSnurtle. I’m here with Darryl.”
“Darryl? As in Darryl Frye? Deputy Commissioner Darryl Frye?”
“Yeah. He adopted me after, you know.”
“Oh. Dad says he’s all right though.”
“Yeah, he’s not a bad dad I guess.”
“That’s good. Actually, I know you’re helping Linda with her article, but I don’t suppose you’ve seen Hartley Rathaway, have you? I thought he might...”
“He’s not here,” Barry said. “And I wouldn’t mention his name around his parents, or anything about his parents to him.”
“Why not?”
“That’s his business, but just don’t right now. If you want to talk to Hartley, I’ll persuade him to actually come out the lab for lunch on Monday.”
“You know him?”
“Since I was fourteen, same as Linda.”
“Is she here?”
“Not tonight,” Barry said. “Lisa and John are mostly Keystone based, so. Um. I should probably find Darryl. Good luck with your article? Unless you want to talk to Darryl? I could use some help looking.”
“Sure. Thanks, Barry.”
The first thing Iris did when she got home was write the first paragraph of her article.
The second was look up Barry and Linda’s blog. It wasn’t bad. Not exactly what Iris had imagined.
Still. She was going to get to the bottom of this without suggesting ghosts were involved.
Except.
There hadn’t been much online at the time of Nora Allen’s death, but there were a couple of short articles, and a few front pages of old digitised newspapers. Doctor convicted of murdering wife, eleven-year-old son only witness. She remembered some of this. Not Henry being convicted.
There was one line, that the son- Barry, just unnamed in the paper because of his age- claimed there had been an intruder, but no one had found evidence of that.
She hit close on the tab. She shouldn’t be prying like this. Only-
Iris reloaded the article and skimmed it again. The estate agents Nora worked for, Fox and Sons, she’d read that name somewhere else recently.
She pulled out her notebook and flipped through the pages. Somewhere in here, somewhere- There. Just a brief note in an old article, something no one even thought was relevant, and maybe it wasn’t, but Fox and Sons were the ones who sold Harrison Wells and Tess Morgan the plot of land S.T.A.R. Labs was now on.
Cisco found Iris first thing Monday morning and handed her the pictures he’d taken. Most just showed S.T.A.R. Labs, but one looked like it had a streak of red lightning running through.
“That’s not a flashing light coming from inside,” Cisco said. “Something knocked us over.”
“Ghosts don’t exist,” Iris said.
“I’m not saying ghosts exist. It could be anything. But I’ve never seen red lightning before.”
“I need to talk to Barry.”
“Did you look at Linda and his blog too? There’s a few things that mention lightning.”
“Something like that,” Iris said.
Barry wasn’t hard to find. He was in the library, at a desk sitting opposite Linda.
“Iris!” he smiled. “Sorry, Hartley’s not feeling well today, I would have messaged but I don’t have your number?”
“I can change that.” Iris sat next to him and ignored Linda’s slight scowl. Cisco sat next to Linda.
“He wouldn’t be able to tell you anything anyway, if this is about S.T.A.R. Labs,” Linda said. “He was only an intern, not in charge of any projects, and he wouldn’t say anything without asking Doctor Wells or Doctor Morgan first.”
“Well, no,” Barry said. “But Hartley said he didn’t mind telling Iris that himself, he said he was curious.”
“How are you friends with Hartley Rathaway?” Cisco asked. “He’s so...”
“Stand-offish?” Iris suggested, looking right at Linda.
“I was going to say frustrating, but that works too.”
“He’s nice when you get to know him,” Barry said. “We’ve been friends for years. He didn’t have anything nice to say about you either, but you seem friendly.”
“Tell him I hope he feels better soon,” Cisco said. “Um. How’s your S.T.A.R. Labs article going?”
“Fine,” Linda said. “How’s yours?”
“I’ve got something for you,” Iris said. She put the photographs on the table. “You really want this one, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Linda said. “It’s important.”
“I know. If you want me to back off, I get it.”
“What’s going on?” Cisco asked. Barry was holding the picture with the red lightning and he passed it to Linda. “That, that’s whatever knocked us over, the security guard was wrong about it being a flashing light inside.”
“Is that him?” Linda asked. Barry nodded.
“Who?” Cisco asked. “Is there a lightning ghost?”
“Not a ghost,” Barry said. “A man. He has a yellow suit and glowing red eyes.”
“You’ve heard of him before.”
“I saw him. He killed my mother. My father’s sitting in prison for it, but I was there, I saw, it was the man in the lightning.”
“Gem Gossip were talking about Nora,” Iris said. “But you weren’t there looking for her ghost, you were looking for her killer.”
“What?” Cisco asked.
“Dad’s innocent,” Barry said. “He’s been in Iron Heights for seven years and he’s innocent. But if we can catch the man in yellow, if we can prove he’s real-”
“Henry goes free,” Iris said.
“I don’t know how he does what he does, but there has to be an explanation. He is real.”
“I believe you, Barry.”
“You do? I don’t understand.”
“We saw something. I don’t know what it was, and I know there has to be an explanation of some kind behind it, I sill don’t believe in ghosts, but there is something going on there.”
“I have to go back to S.T.A.R. Labs,” Barry said. “I have to know if he’s really there.”
“We’ll go tonight,” Linda said. “You two coming?”
“To the place where the dangerous guy is possibly currently hiding out?” Cisco asked.
“You sure?” Iris asked.
“We could help each other out a little,” Linda said. “Two heads are better than one and four is probably better than two.”
“Four plus McSnurtle,” Barry said.
“All right,” Iris said. “Partners then. Cisco?”
“I would like it noted I think this is a bad idea,” Cisco said. “But what the hell, if you’re all going, you’re going to need someone to drive you there.”