The Flash: Scorched…

This was intended to be the second of two short stories I wrote based on a scene in the first few pages of Flash #16 (nu52). I had originally intended on just branching out from that scene, and taking an alternative track. But as I began to give it more thought, the story started to expand. Some points have been borrowed from the previous story. But in all this is a completely separate story. I have given the story a month and year time line in order to add clarity in order to make the story easier to follow.

As with the first story Flash: The Scarlet Letter, the story is primarily based on the events of Nu52. But I have also decided to take some creative licensing. There have been many influences for Barry Allen/Flash. But the main influence has been the writings of Cary Bates and the portrayal of the Flash/Barry Allen by Jim Krieg in Flashpoint and actors Matt Bomer, and James Norton. The physical influence for Barry Allen/Flash is actor James Norton.

Iris West is primarily based on a composite of various current and former CNN anchorwomen and reporters. Physically I have based Iris on actress Laura Haddock.

Central City is based on Kansas City Missouri, Keystone is based on Detroit Michigan. Flash/Barry Allen and Iris West etc. are all properties of DC Comics.

Part I

PROLOGUE/ April 15, 2011

Barry Allen stood outside the Gotham City Central Train Station. In his left hand he held his suitcase, over his right shoulder was his lap top brief case for his trip back to Central City. He wore a simple standard off the rack suit and tie. Which had taken to a tailor to have it adjusted so that it fit better and flattered his 6'0 185lb trim muscular physique. It was the usual suit which he wore to work, which would not incur too much negative attention from the front line officers and detectives at the CCPD department. Darryl Frye his foster father and the current police captain had warned him that the CCPD department was not a place to exhibit his sartorial style unless he wanted to incur jealousy or suspicion that he was on the take from the mob..or worse showing off. So he kept his display of vintage clothing to a minimum at least at work.

Barry briefly thought to the type of the first rate wardrobe that he might have been able to afford (and wear) if he had said yes and accepted the offers from some of the top bio tech firms in the country. Monsanti, Wayne Bio, Alegris, Lexpharm along with others, had courted him very hard. After he had turned down Monsanti, the recruiter had upped the offer by 30%. Barry would have been pulling in six figures just to start with.

Barry had always been meticulous dresser, he was a meticulous about a great deal of things. He could not help it, it was in his DNA…it was his Myers Brigness. He had the seriousness of the melancholy and combined with the calm laid back attitude of a phlegmatic.

Back home he had two designer suits which he only brought out on special occasions. The first one was a black suit from Canali the other one was a Navy woven fine virgin wool suit by Tom Ford which he had been lucky to find at The Salvation Army in Chicago. The clerk had told him that a stockbroker had just retired and was getting rid of his entire work wardrobe. Barry was just lucky that he had got the last two.

Barry had gotten his sense of style from his father. Which was why he was always scouting out vintage clothing stores for old designer suits. Barry had learned a great deal of things from his father including the importance of being neat and tidy.

Dr. Henry Allen had been a fastidious dresser always conscious of his appearance. In fact Henry Allen had been fastidious about a great deal of many things. Including his wife and son, if everything wasn't all perfect then he would be sour and angry. The matter had come out during his trial, and it was why the jurors had not found his testimony at his trial to be compelling. They had merely found him to be an arrogant and controlling man who had struck out at his wife after she had served him with divorce papers.

If he had accepted the job offer from Monsati his financial troubles would be over, he wouldn't have a massive student debt which needed to be paid off, and he wouldn't be working for a tyrant like David Singh who appeared to be more fixated on office politics and looking good at city hall, as opposed to accuracy in fighting crimes. But he wouldn't be happy either. This way he was making a real difference in putting the bad guys away. Justice was very important to Barry. It was what had been instilled in him growing up. Good Midwestern values. Community, helping others, sacrifice and selflessness. It was something that he felt deep down into his bones… along with.

"Barry!"

Barry turned and saw Iris West walking towards him. She was wearing low cut black jeans, a blue denim shirt and a black leather jacket.

Barry had originally met her two days earlier. Despite their brief time together Barry felt as if he had known for her for almost a life time.

Barry had been on the job as a newly minted graduate of the Central City police academy and a CSI in the crime lab for only one month. When there had been a black out in the Gotham City New Jersey. When a nationwide all persons bulletin had been sent out to police precincts nationwide for assistance. His police captain had sent him to Gotham to help out.

Barry had been assigned to ride around with two senior police detectives Harvey Dent and Spencer Thompson. Both of them barely held their contempt at having to chaperone a newly minted police officer with a gung-ho and do-gooder attitude. They took to calling him The Eagle Scout due to his propensity for rushing in and doing good.

But Iris was different, she shared his enthusiasm to help others and get to the heart of issues. Iris was working as an intern at the Gotham City Gazette, and in the process of working towards her journalism degree at the Columbia School of Journalism in New York City.

A series of events had caused Barry and Iris to work together, where they had not only found a huge cache of hallucinogenic street drugs, take down a crooked cop and save each others lives. Just as the crooked cop was about to shoot at Iris he had flung himself on him just in time. It had been the first time that Barry had ever thrown himself in arms way before to help someone.

And when Barry had accidentally inhaled the hallucinogenic drug –Icarus- and began to feel his insides begin to burn almost killing him. It had been Iris who had saved him by detaching the cooling hose from the container and doused him with a blast of artic cold air that cooled him down and saved his life. Their near death experience had made it feel as if they had an unshakable bond.

He had really liked working with her. She was smart, intuitive, cheerful , determined and..

Gorgeous as hell.

Barry could barely take his eyes off of her. Iris was in her late 20's. She stood at 5'7 inches tall, with thick chestnut hair that spilled down to her shoulders. She had a heart shaped face which lit up when she smiled and blue –grey eyes. And despite the layers she wore to protect her from the spring chill. Barry could tell that just from the way in which she carried herself, that she was in excellent shape.

But Iris West was a hell of a lot more than just a pretty face who looked good in snug jeans. There was a confidence and an elegance to her that was not forced or put on that Barry found rare in women her age these days.

Barry already felt as if they were partners. During the course of their being together , Barry had found that she was originally from Keystone. Central Cities sister city that was across the river. Her mother still lived there. Barry could not help but wonder if he could see her again.

"Iris," he said smiling, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you off," she replied, "I over heard Dent chewing you out and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I stopped by the police station to see you. I was told that you had already left for the train station. I am glad that I was able to catch you."

"Yeah," Barry said smiling, "Well after what happened this last week, I pretty sure that they're glad to be rid of me."

"I think that you did a great job," Iris said, "If it wasn't for your determination. That shipment of Icarus would have hit the street, many more people would have been harmed."

"I can't take all the credit," he said , "You helped me remember?"

"Yeah I remember we make a heck of a team. Sort of like Steed and Peel."

"Who…?"

"It's an old tv British tv show called the Avengers. It was about a secret agent team called the Avengers

"I never heard of it," Barry admitted. The fact was apart from the news and sports he wasn't much of a tv watcher.

"I'm not surprised," Iris said, "Most people haven't. I just know about it because one of the nuns who taught at the all girls Catholic Highs school I attended was an Anglophile and a massive fan of spy thrillers. Sometimes as a reward for being good or whatever, she would take a whole class and play an episode of The Avengers. She thought that the female protagonists would be great role models for us girls. There were three of them during the shows run. My favourite one was Emma Peel."

"Oh really."

"Yes," Iris admitted her cheeks blushing slightly in embarrassment as if she had not planned on revealing this much to Barry, "I consider her to be my role model who I patterned my life after. She's sort of my guiding light if you will."

"Maybe we can catch it together some time. When you're home," he suggested.

"I'd like that," she said, she reached inside of the satchel she was carrying over her shoulder and took out a small card holder.

"Here," she said handing him a card, "This is my cell number and e-mail address."

Barry looked at the business card it was professionally done. With one side her credentials and contact information. On the other side it read ' .'

"Wow! You have your own website?" he asked surprised.

"Yes. I booked it a few years ago. Fortunately it was free. I guess there aren't many women with the name Iris."

"How did you get that name..If you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all," she said laughing, "I was named after my grandmother. You wouldn't believe the hell I caught in grade school because of it. But I guess that it's paid off in the end. It's not a very common name..not anymore so it's unlikely to be mixed up with someone else."

"I don't think that anyone will be forgetting you."

"Thanks," she said politely although her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Is your website up and running or have you just booked the domain name?"

"No the site is up and running," Iris said, "Admittedly it's not very much. Just writing samples of articles I worked on and some on camera interviews. And some photos that I've taken."

"You're a photographer as well?" Barry asked, "Wow! I'm starting to feel inadequate!"

"Don't be," she said laughing, "It was more out of a matter of necessity than anything else. When I was an undergrad at Missouri State. I worked part time on the student newspaper. We had a tight budget so everyone had to pitch in where they could. I often went out taking pictures for articles as well as maintaining the website."

"That's very impressive," Barry said.

"And exhausting."

"You seem tireless."

"As do you," she said, "I heard one of the cops grousing that you're just a lab rat. And have no business on the police force. For the record I think that he's dead wrong. I've been here for three months and I just can't believe the level of indifference that some on the force have for the regular people. Especially those who live out in the narrows. They won't even respond to a call or if they do they won't show up until way after the fact. It's really very sad. I like it that you care and want to help others Barry. It's very noble."

"Thanks Iris," he said beaming inwardly at the compliment, "I am a CSI, but I went through the police academy. I am a fully licensed police officer."

They stared at each other for a moment, before the spell was broken by the voice over the loud speaker.

"What's next for you?" Barry asked clearing his throat, "Will you be returning to the Midwest?"

"Not yet. I have one more week here in Gotham. Before I have to return to New York to hand in a paper. I'm graduating from school in early May."

"And you'll be returning to Central City and Keystone after that?" Barry asked. He found himself surprised at the hopeful inflection in his voice.

"No…I'm still interviewing right now. So that's really up in the air. I'm trying to get a job back home or close to home. My mom's not exactly in the best of health. And I actually like it in the twin cities region. I guess that I am a Midwestern girl at heart."

"I know that you'll make it Iris," Barry said, "This past week has shown me that you're relentless and determined."

"Thank you Barry," Iris said truly grateful, "I appreciate the vote of confidence."

Barry cleared his throat. He wasn't good at asking girls out. Not that he hadn't dated in high school or university. But he was an extreme introvert who didn't go out of his way to meet people. Most of the relationships he had been in, had been initiated by women. With his clean cut good looks and athletic build he was not for wont of female attention. But despite her willingness to rush in to help others. Barry didn't think that Iris West was the type of woman to ask men out. It would be up to him…

"You know Iris," he began, "I would really like to—."

"Final call for the 5:10 train to Central City, passing through, Pittsburg, Columbus, Indianapolis and Chicago."

"Is that your train?" she asked.

"Yeah it is," he responded.

"Take care Barry," she said with a smile.

She reached up to kiss him on the cheek. But being unable to resist. Barry moved his head and the kiss caught him on the lips, his hands snaking to her back making the kiss deeper. For a moment Barry had wondered if he had been too forward. But after they parted she just smiled.

Just then then there was the call that there was only one minute to final boarding for the train to Central City. Barry turned and bolted for the entrance to the train station, his arm pumping the two bags in his arm. Over the clang of the train bell he heard Iris voice saying.

"See you around Barry Allen," she said, "You don't want to be late."

March 5th, 2012

9:30pm

Barry Allen was inside the Central City Crime Scene Investigation Lab. The rest of the office had cleared out almost 4 hours earlier. But Barry had stayed behind in order to work on a case. And the cause of death of man who had been found by his neighbor in his home a week previously.

Normally Barry wouldn't have been given such advanced duties, normally it would have been assigned to one of the more senior team members in the department. But due to the budget cuts, the department was understaffed. And James Forrest whom Barry had shadowed when joined the CSI team had suggested that Barry take care of it. Surprisingly Singh had not objected.

Not that Barry minded being there so late, He was a man science and loved chemistry and forensics work, ever since he had been a young boy. Further he was grateful for the fact that this all provided him with more hands on experience. Barry loved his work. Many people considered him to be boring and square. But the fact was that he enjoyed working on cases, the meticulous research figuring out things went together. And the reward that came with figuring out a mystery.

And of course there was the biggest mystery of all. The murder of his mother.

Although the event had happened more than 15 years ago, Barry could still see the murder scene as the day it had first happened. He practically relived it in his memory over and over again every evening.

The day had been one of the happiest days of Barry's life. He had won the Central City Spelling Bea for his age group. He had been presented with a huge trophy and a certificate which he ran home and showed his mother. She had stooped down and embraced him hard.

"Nora. I need to speak with you."

Came a stern harsh voice from the far side of the room. Barry looked up and saw his father standing there. In his tie and shirt sleeves. Barry was surprised to find his father standing there. His father was rarely home at that time of day, Henry Allen had been a work a-holic who spent most of his time treating terminally ill patients at the hospital. Barry was to later learn that his mother had met Henry while working as a nurse at the hospital.

His father barely acknowledged him, his attention had been completely fixated on his wife Nora Allen. Henry's face was a sheet of white rage, in his hand he held a 8x11 manila envelope. Barry did not recognize it on the top right hand corner was the city hall seal. Nora's expression changed from one of jubilation to one of dead seriousness. She turned to face her husband.

"Barry can you just step outside for a moment?" Nora said her voice tense.

"Can I go to the store to buy a comic book?"

"Sure," Nora said,She reached inside of her pocket and passed him ten dollar bill, "Be back in time for dinner."

Barry agreed and ran off to the nearby convenience store and picked up the latest issue of The Flash. The Flash was Barry's hero and his greatest inspiration. He loved and admired the Flash not only because he was the fastest man alive, but also because he like Barry loved science. In fact the Flash's whose real name was Jay Garrick owned a chain of laboratories. Barry hoped that one day he could be like him. The Flash wore a neat silver helmet that was fashioned like the god –the mercury. A red long sleeved T shirt with a lighting bolt across the chest, as well as blue trousers. Barry thought that it was the coolest thing on earth. Barry ambition was to one day be a scientist like Jay or maybe a doctor like his father.

Barry had been so excited by the days events, winning the spelling bea…and getting his hands on the newest and latest issue of the Flash. That he did not notice the stream of police cars that were lined up along the block leading to his house. It wasn't until he saw his father being led down the garden path by the police that Barry understand the gravity of the situation.

Tears flowed down Henry Allen's cheeks. The arrogance gone from his eyes. When he saw Barry he yelled at his son that he was not a criminal. Barry watched as the police opened the cruiser door. Placed one hand on Henry's Allen's head and made him get into the car. Barry was still haunted by the site of Henry looking at him out of the back window, the expression on his face a combination of terror and pleading.

Everyone had been so busy that they had not noticed Barry make his way up to the house through the door…just in time to witness the crime scene unit covering the body with green tarp. Barry had been frozen still as a statue. Only vaguely aware when officer Darryl Frye had placed his hand on Barry's 11 year old shoulder and told him that it would be okay.

Darryl had been the one who had volunteered to take him in. Apart from an aunt, his mothers' sister who lived in California who made it clear that she did not want to be saddled with a kid. Barry had no other living relatives. So Darryl had volunteered to take him in. Darryl had been a close friend of Nora Allen. They had met back as college students and had maintained a close friendship ever since. Sometimes Barry would come home and find them together in the living room or the kitchen laughing over a cup of coffee. It was funny, but it seemed that the happiest that Barry had ever seen his mother was in the company of Darryl Fry.

Barry was grateful for Darryl for taking him in. Not only because it had prevented Barry from being dumped into the foster system. But also because of the kindness he had shown him growing up. Barry had even admitted to himself that Darryl had shown him more kindness than his father had growing up. While Darryl had never spoiled him or let him get away with misbehavior. Darryl also had shown him more compassion and guidance than Henry. Darryl had had a tremendous effect on shaping Barry's character and some of the most important instances of Barry's life.

After spending two months watching Barry become almost catatonic with grief. Darryl introduced him to his neighbor who ran the Central City Speed skating club. Barry had been reluctant to join at first. But after a while he found that he liked it. All throughout junior high school, high school and even into university he had done speed-skating (when he had been forced to give up his skates in graduate school..he had replaced that with CrossFit). He rose each morning at 4 am and head over to the rinks to put in two hours of practice before heading off to school. Barry loved it. The speed and the grace which it gave him. No longer was a slow poke, out there on the ice he felt as if he had all the power in the world. He felt confident and invincible.

Barry had won a few championships here and there in high school—mostly as part of the relay team, and had been invited to join the Speed Skating club at the SUNY Plattsburg where he had done his undergraduate studies. He was a decent skater. Not astounding and certainly not good enough to make the US Olympic team, but he had been grateful for the opportunity that the sport (and training that went with it) had given him. It had helped to mold his character and give him confidence. It had helped him to deal with his grief, and in a way to channel his energy. He felt that he was closer to his childhood idol..the Flash.

The second impact which Darryl had on Barry's life was in his love of science. Months after moving in, and watching Barry's scientific experiments go bust. Instead of getting mad and yelling at Barry that he messed up the kitchen. He had set up a make shift lab in the basement, complete with an air conditioner to exhume the fumes from his chemistry experiments.

Barry would spend hours and hours experimenting with different chemical compounds. Barry's specialty was watching the effects in which electricity had on various polymers.

When Barry had turned 16 years old, Darryl got him a summer job working in the police precinct. He mostly helped out doing odd jobs around the station, and run errands. It was there that he had met James Forrest a man who worked as a Crime Scene Investigator. And it was then that Barry had found his true calling and what he wanted to be. A Crime Scene Investigator. It would allow him to help perform a service by helping others, work on science and free his father from jail.

Sometimes after most of the staff had gone home for the day. Forrest would sneak Barry into the crime scene lab where he would show Barry the various equipment they used and procedures which were used to examine evidence and prove or disprove the guilt or innocence of people.

Barry was fascinated. He could hardly believe that science could actually be put to such a good use in fighting crime and bringing criminals to justice.

Barry entered his scientific experiments in various contest and won first place during his last year of high school. One of the judges, the head of the Chemistry department for the State University of New York recommended that he apply for a full scholarship to the school. Barry did and was given a full scholarship, including room and board to the Plattsburg campus. He had done so well that he managed to get this degree in three years instead four.

Although Barry had received a scholarship to do his undergraduate degree at the University of New York in Plattsburg. His graduate studies at the University of Chicago was all on him. He had taken a job at Innova Laboratories Inc. a company which specialized in developing synthetic fibers for various industries. Barry worked there part time as an assistant. He was mostly used to help out and help run tests. But he was also allowed to experiment on his own free time. Over a period of months he had worked on a project which allowed for a chemical to expand and become fabric when it made contact with oxygen. When the client decided that they no longer had funds to support the project. Innova shelved the work. But Barry had stored away the notes for a later date in case it would be useful.

During his final year at graduate school he had applied for a position at many private sector firms but he had also applied to a place in the Central Cities CSI department. Deciding that he wanted to move back to Central City to become a CSI was a non starter—there really was no other place where Barry wanted to live. Despite the tragedy that the city held for him. He liked it because it had a big city with a small town feel. Many described it as being a cleaner and safer version of Chicago. Due to the low cost rents, many companies held their Midwest head offices there. There were also several clothing and apparel companies that still operated on the outskirts of the city as well as in Keystone. The city had also attracted its' share of IT companies. Besides Missouri was the home of Miles Davis his favorite Jazz musician.

He applied for a position on the department and was called in for an interview a month later. After a grueling set of interviews, Including with the Director David Singh who used every hostile interview tactic in the book to make Barry sweat—but Barry had retained his cool.

A week after he handed in is dissertation, Barry was given a job offer. Two weeks after that he enrolled in the Central City police academy for the 22 week training that was required for him to become a full fledged police officer. While there he had undergone training and taken courses including Criminal Law, Firearms Training, Emergency Vehicle Operation Training, Traffic Law, Report Writing, Crime Investigation, and Defensive Tactics. After he had finished his training at the academy he had taken the State of Missouri Certified examination. He had been subjected to two weeks of examinations both written and physical before he was qualified to move ahead.

But right now he was taking a break, a mug of his favorite brand of mint tea in one hand, the sound of John Coltrane wafting from his computer speakers and the latest issues of The Flash in the other. He had picked it up on his lunch break and was now in the process of reading it. Although the character had gone through the hands of several publishers. The characters book had never been out of circulation since Barry had been a boy. He had collected the book through Jr. High, High school and into university. Marv the owner of Comic Book Therapy, where he had purchased his books for the last 15 years had made sure to keep it on the top of his pull list. Barry had continued to collect comics for years, he found them inspirational and great escapist fun. He also liked them because he found that the characters had qualities which he admired in men and women. Bravery, nobility, responsibility and strength.

It was a refreshing change from the self-serving dishonesty that he encountered in his day to day life working as a CSI and a police officer. The level of politics with the CCPD and at City just drove him crazy, the way that the DA, headed by a weasel by the name of Eric Tanner who made no qualms about hiding his desire to run for state office. Then of course there was the Forbes family. Rob Forbes the mayor and his councilor brother Darren who appeared to be constantly in the media.

The latest issue involved Jay fighting on two fronts. As the Flash he was being attacked by his arch nemesis Rag Doll. And as Jay Garrick he was being investigated by the Justice Department who were accusing him of providing dangerous chemical weapons to a Russian backed oligarch.

Suddenly his cell phone went off. He reached out and picked it up.

"Hello," he began.

"Hey there stranger," came an alluring voice on the other end.

"Iris," he said his mood picking up, "Well this is a surprise! How are you?"

Ridding on the train from Gotham, Barry decided to check out Iris' website. He had to admit that he was thoroughly impressed by what he found. It was professionally and tastefully done. Consisting of a professional biography, articles, photos and accolades. There was even a link to a couple of on camera interviews she had done while working at the school news paper as an under graduate. Barry could not help but admire how friendly yet professional she was. She asked intelligent questions and steering the conversation in such a careful way to elicit a satisfactory answer. He also did a brief search into the British tv show particularly the character of Emma Peel.

Barry had not really expected to hear from her again. But she sent him a few e-mails after she returned to New York. And after taking about a week to screw up his courage he called her. To his surprise she had seemed happy to hear from him. They had remained in communication even when Iris landed her first job. It was as a cub reporter for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in Minneapolis Minnesota. Iris had admitted to him that it wasn't exactly what she wanted especially since the position was a one year contract. But she considered herself to be luckier than most since many of her classmates had not been able to secure employment at all.

They chatted almost on a weekly basis. And the more they spoke the more Barry began to realize that his original attraction to her in Gotham City was not simply due to their circumstances or due to the fact that she was attractive. He genuinely liked Iris, he found that she was assertive without coming across as pushy, abrasive or even worse desperate. Feminine without coming across as cute or 'girlie'. Intelligent without coming across as a know-it-all. She displayed a great poise, charm and confidence which he found magnetic.

While Barry was used to getting attention from the opposite sex. He was not used to them maintaining that attention. They eventually found him too boring and could not understand why he wanted to spend his free time either training for and competing in endurance competitions, attending forensics conferences, going to Jazz clubs or coaching kids at the Central City Speed Skating Club. Eventually they would end up calling it off. Not that Barry didn't mind. To be frank he found most of them to be boring and shallow. And to be honest after a few dates he began to find being with them a chore. They usually had nothing to say apart from complaining about their lousy jobs, their ex-boyfriends or some drama from their childhood. But this wasn't at all the case with Iris.

She was a great conversationalist and knowledgeable on all sorts of subjects. But most of all she seemed to be genuinely interested in what he had to say. Whether it be on forensics, science and mysteries. She asked him intelligent questions, and did not just nod as if she were eager to please. Unlike Patty Spivot who seemed to have a very little sense of self and was eager to please. Iris had her own opinions but never came across as being contrary just for the sake of being contrary. Barry had found being with her exhilarating and exciting.

During every long holiday weekend Iris would make the long 5 hour drive down from Minneapolis to Central City after work on Thursdays to visit her mother in Keystone. Of that time she would spend at least one single day with Barry. They would either go out to catch a film, a play, attend one of the showings at one of the cities art galleries or museums.

During their get together' Barry had found that they had really managed to get to know each other. Barry liked Jazz, Iris liked dance music. Barry liked baseball. Iris liked hockey. Barry liked Baroque art, Iris like The impressionists. Iris saw herself (not surprisingly)as a liberal Democrat. Barry was a moderate Republican. Barry's idea of a great vacation was attending scientific conventions on quantum physics. Or training for and attending endurance competitions such as Crossfit and the Spartan Games. Iris's idea of a great vacation was learning about new cultures. She had spent the summer of her freshman year at university travelling around Japan and Korea and teaching English.

Iris enjoyed reading murder mysteries and history books, especially involving the American political system. Apart from the comic book 'The Flash', Barry liked reading scientific journals. Barry's main idea of fun was having a night in just chilling in front of the tv with a German watching a sci-fi thriller or attending a baseball game. The Chicago Red Sox were his favourite team. Iris' idea of fun was dancing at a club. She was by no means a party girl. But never felt more alive than when she was surrounded by the pulse of a loud base whether that be on a dance floor or a spinning class. Barry was a member of the cities Crossfit club. Iris belonged to World Gym. Known to be a haven for bodybuilders. Iris had been an avid fitness junkie since her days at an all girls Catholic High school in Keystone run by Ursuline nuns called St. Josephs Morrow Park. She also took martial arts on the side, something which she had been involved in since she was 16.

Barry did find that they both liked old movies from the 1930's,40's and 50's. They had caught a few films during her infrequent trips back to the Midwest. Despite the difference in interests. Barry had found that their biggest bond seemed to be their interests in justice and the fact that they both seemed to dislike superficial things.

Despite Iris' cheerful and up beat personality, he could sense that there was something else going on beneath the surface. One evening after they had caught a matinee at the local art-house cinema. They had stopped at a local Italian restaurant which served in-expensive but plenteous pasta. Barry and Iris had been in the process of chatting and discussing the film and waiting for their order to arrive. When they noticed a man who had been sitting a few tables over stand up and begin yelling at his children. Barry noticed that Iris' visibly became agitated. She kept glancing over in their direction and made a move to rise. But stopped when one of the servers approached the table and the man calmed down.

Barry heard Iris mutter something under her breath that sounded like 'pig'. But he wasn't sure.

"I'm fine," Iris said, "It's been awhile since we've chatted. "How was your tournament?"

Barry was an avid endurance athlete. He entered at least two contests a year, one was the Spartan Race and the other one was Urban Crawl. He had gotten into the competitions on the recommendations of one of the members of the Cross Fit club he belonged to when he had been at graduate school in Chicago. He loved entering the races because it was a great way for him to test his metal both physical and mental. He also was involved in training a bunch of school kids for speed skating races and often traveled with them for competitions around the Midwest. Between that and work most of his time was accounted for.

"It was great," Barry said, "I just competed in the Spartan Race Indianapolis last weekend. I came in 15th place overall and I'm still trying to recuperate."

Iris laughed softly.

"I should come and watch you compete one day," she said, "Anyway I am just calling to let you know that I got your e-mail, thanks for the information it really helped."

"You're welcome," Barry said grinning, "I don't mind helping where I can. I actually admire the fact that you put an extra effort into what you're doing."

"Well I like being thorough," she said, "Besides I don't look well with egg on my face. I should send you a finders fee."

"Oh come on Iris," he said turning a shade of red, "You don't have to do that. It's not all everyday that I can discuss forensics with someone outside of work. Most people's eyes just glaze over with boredom."

"Well they don't know what they're missing," she added, "Besides you're a great teacher. And I owe you a lot. If it hadn't been for you. I wouldn't have this job or I would have been kicked down to covering sports and entertainment."

Iris told him that she had originally been hired by the Star-Tribune to cover community events. But when the senior crime reporter had quit suddenly for a job at Time. She had been promoted to the crime desk. There were many murder investigations that she had covered, and many she had even solved with Barry's help.

"You'll be happy to know that I'm not calling to pick your brain about work," Iris said.

"No?" Barry asked.

"No. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be home this weekend," she said, "Well I'll be in Keystone visiting my Mom. It will be my first real vacation home since Christmas. I really could do with the break."

"Well, I would love to see you when you come home."

"I'd like that too," she said there was a brief pause, "I might have some news to share with you."

"And you can't tell me on the phone?" he teased.

"The news isn't final yet….but it will be by time I'm in town. And it has a lot to do with you. So I want to share it with you in person."

"Now you really have me curious!"

Iris laughed.

"Really I'd love to share it with you now. But I can't. Not yet. How about we make it a celebration over dinner?"

"Sounds great."

"Okay then. You pick the restaurant. I'll let you know when I'm in town."

"Where are you now?" he asked.

"I'm at home. Actually I've been home all day," she said, "I've been working on a story all day. I just decided to take a break and find out how you were doing. Where are you?"

"I'm at work," Barry said.

"You're still at work? She asked surprised, "Why?"

"But we've been busy here and I work best at night," Barry said, he did not want to add that he was working independently on his mothers' case. He normally did so at home in his makeshift lab. But there were far more facilities to be used at work. And the neighbors had started to complain about the smell that was coming from his

"Well that's pretty diligent," she said. There was a brief pause before she added, "But you know the saying. All work and no play makes Jack or Barry a dull boy….we're going to have to do something about making you loosen up a little."

"Oh really?" he asked, "Like what?"

"Oh you'll see," she replied, there was a beep on the other end of the phone, "Look Barry I have to take that. It's one of my sources. I'll see you this weekend then?"

"Absolutely," he said.

They both said their goodbye's and signed off. Barry put his cell phone back down on the desk and stared at it for a long time, his mind still on Iris West. Barry's mind could not help but linger on the last portion of what Iris said about making him 'loosen up'. He was sure that he had not been mistaken about the inflection in her voice.

Barry would be lying if he denied that he had not thought about what it would be like to sleep with Iris West. He thought about it all the time, especially after one of their dates, or their lengthy talks. There were several times at the end of one of their dates when he wanted to suggest that she come back to his place (he couldn't suggest going back to her place, as she stayed with her mother when she was in Keystone, and the first time Barry had picked her up, her mother wouldn't stop gushing over him. Calling him a 'hunk of a man'..He understood after that why Iris always chose to meet him in Central City as opposed to having him pick her up).

But he was not interested in a fling with her and he wanted to make sure that the interest was mutual. The kisses they shared at end of one of their dates told him that she was. But she always pulled back and merely told him that she really loved their time together and would call him before she drove back to Minneapolis. Barry guessed that she was not into long distance relationships and wanted to take things slowly. He saw other women casually in the meantime, but they just did not have that same effect on him that Iris West had.

He was only brought out of his reverie by the sound of hollow thud from behind him. Barry turned around, his eyes scanning the back of the lab behind him. He noticed that there were some papers flying to the ground and he looked over to the left side of the room and saw that the window in the back was open and there was a strong gust of wind blowing through it.

The building had been an old one and was fitted with windows that could be easily opened from the inside, Instead of permanently sealed all year round. Someone in the department had left the window open in the back, either to let some air in, or in order to dissipate the smell coming from new batch of chemicals which had been brought in earlier that day. The store room where they were normally stored was being painted. He rose to his feet and went to the back of the room and began to pick up some of the fallen plastic containers which had fallen to the ground by the gust of wind.

Barry glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 9:40pm. Twenty more minutes and would catch the 10pm bus that drove past police head quarters and up across town to where he lived, after that it would be a 10 minute hike to his apartment. Barry decided that he might as well finish working on the experiment he had started earlier before he had decided to take a break.

Barry was about to reach up for a bottle of ninhydrin, his mind still on Iris West.

She had sounded very excited on the phone. He wondered what the good news she had wanted to impart to him. From the excitement in her voice Barry surmised that what she had to tell him had to be important and most likely having to do with her career. He knew what a hard working and ambitious woman she was always pushing herself forward. She had mentioned to him briefly that she was aiming to for work on network tv.

It would be a call for a special celebration. But he couldn't take her to the usual mid-level restaurants in Central City. Maybe one of the five star rated ones like Scaramouch or the new Japanese place that had opened up on Hawthorn. Or even better he might take her home to Darryl's place and fire up the barbecue on the patio deck. He happened to know that Darryl would be away for the entire week on a fishing trip up in the wilds of Michigan. Barry would have the entire house to himself. It reminded him of the time that he had Lucy Farris his first real girlfriend and fellow speed skater over on a Saturday night. Barry had cooked for her, nothing fancy just burgers and hot dogs. Then they had retired to the couch to watch a DVD, then the evening had turned to something…else. It had been Barry's first time, and it had been completely initiated by Lucy. It was strange but in retrospect he realized that most of the relationships he had been in were initiated by the woman.

But not this time…he would make sure that he let Iris know how much he….

Suddenly there was a roll of thunder and a flash of lighting which came through the open window an struck Barry. Throwing Barry against the chemicals. Barry's body crashed against the shelf holding the chemicals and the chemicals

It had only been a matter of seconds, but for Barry it felt like an eternity. He literally saw his life flashing before his eyes. The pain was almost unbearable, as if he was simultaneously being stabbed all over his body by a thousand tiny daggers, but at the same time he felt a rush of indescribable power in his system. His body was wracked by seizures and he could feel his body being doused not by the rain outside, but by a mixture of chemicals. His muscles felt weakened, and the last thing he remembered was crashing to the floor like a rag doll.

When Barry rose to his feet an hour later, it was to discover that he was completely soaked to the skin in chemicals and his head was throbbing from where he had been hit when he had been thrown against the metal shelves. He slowly climbed to his feet and looked around. Well this was a hell of mess, he thought..thank God the chemicals had not gotten into his eyes. He rose to his feet, and cleaned up the mess the best he could. Singh would never believe the fact that he got struck by lighting, that was the reason for the mess in the office. Anyway Barry decided that he would deal with it tomorrow. He looked at the clock on the wall, it was just before midnight. With any luck he would catch the bus that passed by the station home. He went back to his desk gathered his belongings and left.

He had just reached the floor below when he saw the bus pulling out from the bus stop.

"Hey wait!" he cried running after the bus. But a funny thing happened. He out ran out to catch the bus and when he stopped…..he found himself standing several blocks up from it. Barry stopped for a moment, he thought that maybe he was being delusional, that he had merely inhaled the fumes from the spilled chemicals and was delusional. What he needed was a long hot shower and a good night sleep.

The following morning, Barry woke up out of bed at 6:30am showered dressed, ate a quick breakfast and went downstairs to catch the 7:30 bus to work. He was standing at the bus stop, about to check his messages on his iphone. When he noticed a mother and her young son crossing the road. The boy was lagging behind his mother as if did not want to follow.

There was the sound of car wheels screeching in the distance. Barry looked up and saw cherry red Mustang speeding around the corner directly into the path of the lagging little boy.

"Hey! Watch out!" he shouted and he was soon running in the direction of the boy.

He dashed across the street snatched the up the boy and was the side walk of the other side of the street. And grabbing the boy scooped him up and arrived on the other side of the street just moments before the car could hit them. The youngster stared up into Barry's face with a mixture of awe and excitement. The mother ran up to them.

"Miles are you alright!" she shrieked grabbing the boy and pressing him to her body.

"Yeah Mom. I'm fine," the child replied still staring a Barry.

"Don't you ever do that again," she began shaking him, but stopped and looked at Barry, "I don't know how to thank you."

"It's no problem at all," Barry replied.

"How…how did you do that?" she asked.

"Just lucky I guess," Barry said with a shrug.

Over the next few weeks, Barry spent every moment when he was not at work, experimenting with his new found powers. He dug out his old physics text books from college and read them, along with every paper he could find online as well as at the local university regarding the newest findings in physics journals. Researching the use of speed and how it could be incorporated. It took him a lot of trial and error

He also discovered that his movement, which he dubbed the 'speedforce' only kicked in when he supremely focused in zen like state. A trance. So if he were to just trot across the room at work his super speed would not kick in.

He was not sure how he would describe it, but being under the speedforce meant more than him just moving at a supreme speed. It was as if he was enveloped in a protective shield that moved him along so that his body and physique did not suffer the physical effects which would hurt his body. This included any cuts or bruises which he sustained. While making dinner one night the knife he had been holding to cut some carrots slipped and sliced through the index of his left finger leaving a gash that was about half a centimeter deep. Barry gasped in pain and ran his cut finger under the tap to stop the bleeding. When he examined his finger again he noticed that the bleeding had stopped.

It was a miracle, in all the years he had been alive he never would have thought that it would happen to him. He was now a meta human with extraordinary powers. Not only could he move at the speed of light, creating vortexes charged with electricity and enabling him to even run across open water without sinking. He could also control every molecule of his body, and vibrate through solid matter.

He wondered how he could start to use his powers. He could lend it out to the government. But then again despite his respect for the military, he did not want to spend his life taking orders from them and being under their thumb. He thought long and hard about what he should do about it. He could become a hero and rescue people full time. Maybe join the police force and help that way. That would be nice, think of all the attention and notoriety he could assume. But Barry decided that's not what he wanted. He wanted to protect his privacy.

It was during his monthly trip down to the Comic Book Therapy to pick up his monthly stash that he decided what he would do. He would become a 'super-hero' and don a costume.

But which one? Then it hit him, he would become like his childhood hero, Jay Garrick, The Flash. But unlike the Jay Garrick who wore no mask at all. Barry would wear one, that way he could work anonymously, and still keep his regular private life. Jay Garrick did not have a secret identity. He wore no mask and everyone knew that the same Jay Garrick who ran Garrick Laboratories was the Flash. But Barry did not want that. He was a private man who valued his privacy. He wanted to use his powers to help others..no. It was his duty to be a service to others. And then he wanted to slip back into his life as a CSI.

Barry set out designing his costume based on the full bodied suit that speed skaters wore. A full bodied costume which covered him from head to toe like sheath or full bodied condom. But in the place of goggles, he made a cowel with only the eyes visible.

He choose the colour red, as in red hot it was also the same colour of the uniforms worn by the US men's Olympic speed skating team. Around the fore-arms and the waist his covered it with a jagged yellow lines for contrast.

The cowl he designed so that it would fit over his entire head, only revealing the lower half of his face. Over his eyes were two red lenses. Barry was certain that his features were bland enough that no one would recognize him. Further he had mastered the ability to move almost at imperceptible super speed, so that it was impossible for anyone to make out his features. On both sides of his head, over his ears he put two antenna's which he modeled as being wings, similar to what Jay Garrick wore on his helmet along with god Mercury.

The next question for him to what make it out of. He experimented with various latex, not to mention Polyester and Elastane. But they were too flimsy and disintegrated under stress.

It was one evening while pouring through his old note books from graduate school which he kept in a box in his closet, that he came across a notebook which he had kept from the time he had worked at Innova. He looked through it and instantly recalled the material they had been working on that had got scrapped and that Barry had worked on in his own spare time. He had not been able to finish it. But maybe he could do so now. Over the next several weeks he worked on the fabric. Doing various calculations, varying the ingredients which went in to making the material. Until he came up with something that was just right.

He made the costume thermally stable, suitable for high speed travel. The suit was made of highly compressible synthetic silk with ultrasonic welded components. The key to the suit´s effectiveness was the bonded outer layer of ultra-smooth Teflon which aided in thermal dissipation and eased the high speed passage through atmosphere or other media.

The biggest issue was how he would wear the suit. He could carry it in a bag, but that would be too cumbersome and given his absent mindedness he would be sure to forget it. He could wear it underneath his clothes but it would be too stifling and warm, and it would be easy for it to be seen. Finally he came up with an ingenious idea one Saturday evening while lying on the couch and watching a dvd for the latest Star Trek movie. He was immediately struck when he saw one of the characters wearing a 'Star Fleet Academy' ring. It was a silver ring, flat across the top with the emblem of the United federation of planets on it. It was then that he decided that was what he would do. He would conceal the costume in a special compartment inside ring that he had made. Whenever someone asked him about his ring, he said that it was a class ring which he had customed designed in honour of the speed skating club he belonged to at SUNY Plattsburg, the SUNY Lightning. Plattsburg was small enough a university and no one really cared about speed skating that it would invite any further prodding.

The ring was simple, almost like a toy one would get out of a candy machine. The crest was round and an inch in diameter. It was made out of special alloy and coated with gold, Across the top was a lightening strike. The suit fit into the ring through a series of carefully calculated folding's. It was compressed so rapidly that great heat occurred as it is placed inside the ring. As the suit cooled, a partial vacuum was formed which held the ring halves closed. The suit formed its own seal against the only opening, which was released with tiny studs at the sides of the top. When the ring opened, the synthetic silk molecules uncoiled and absorbed atmospheric gases, expanding to full size very rapidly. He wore the ring on the middle finger of his right hand, like a fraternity ring.

Barry had originally decided to work in silence and be discreet. But after foiling two robberies, saving people from fires and rescuing people from a collapsed building. People were beginning to talk, chat rooms buzzed and the media had taken notice. He was caught on camera more than a few times, and people tried to talk to him for interviews. But Barry would just smile and take off. This wasn't about him. It was about others. But it did not stop them from trying to pin him down and giving him a name. Barry was called everything from The Lightning, the Bolt, The Flame, The Streak, The Blur and Red Hot. But it wasn't until a reporter interviewed Mel the proprietor of the Comic Book Therapy and he showed him an old issue of The Flash. That the name stuck.

Barry decided that if he was going to be called the Flash. He might as well incorporate the identity of his true predecessor. So in honour of Jay Garrick his hero (and his mother) he placed a white circle measuring about 8 inches in circumference in the middle of his chest. And a yellow jagged bolt of light across. Barry could not help but both feel embarrassed and yet also honoured. He was not only seen as the cities favourite son, but the savior of the Midwest region.

The day that Barry had completed and put on the costume had to be one of the proudest days of his life. He looked like the god mercury come to life. The vibrant red of the costume made him almost shine and glow. And he could not help but marvel how the fabric clung to every contour and muscle of his body like a second skin. Showing off every hour he had spent flipping tires, doing deadlifts and doing box jumps at Crossfit. He would have to cut back on the German lagers and the deserts for now on.

Eventually the media began to report of other similarly powered super humans. They were being called 'meta-humans'. Much of them like him, they began to help the police in fighting crime, saving lives and doing good. Eventually they had all met and banded together in order to fight even greater threats that neither of them could combat alone. There was Hal Jordan. The Green Lantern who had his powers bestow on him by an extra-terrestrial organization called The Green Lantern corps. But also Superman Clark Kent who was a meta or an alien who had come to earth as a child. Secretly raised on a farm by a kindly human couple. Jonathan and Martha Kent who had instilled in him old fashion American values such as doing what's best for the community and helping others. And of course there was Batman whom he had first heard of when he was working in Gotham City. It was debated whether or not The Batman was a myth or a vigilante. Barry remembered that Dent hated him and considered him to be trouble. But The Flash had discovered that Batman was very much real. In fact his first words to The Flash was to compliment him on doing 'Tight efficient work'. It had been one the proudest moments of The Flash's life. There was also Wonder Woman, one of the hottest and most beautiful women that The Flash had ever seen. It took a long time for him to be around her without losing focus.

Barry Allen who as a child had not only been cut from team sports as a child. Was now seen as the hero of the Midwest and the part of an elite superhero unit. He felt as if he were living in a dream.

October 14, 2012

Singh walked up to Barry and dumped a file on his desk.

"Hey golden boy," he said gruffly, "I have a new case for you."

Barry picked up the file.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It should be pretty cut and dry for you. It involves a bar brawl."

Barry opened the file and looked at it. The name was Daniel West. He opened it and saw a tough looking man in his early 20's with a scowl on his face. But there was something familiar about him which he couldn't put his finger on.

"Wrap it up quickly Allen," Singh began, "Don't take forever on this one."

"Okay," Barry said.

September 10th , 2012

It was 5 minutes past 5pm when Iris West unlocked the door to her Central City one bedroom apartment. If she hurried up, she might be able to make the 6pm spinning class at the YMCA. It had been almost two weeks since she had been able to attend a spinning class..or go to the gym for that matter.

And she really needed this work out to decrease the amount of stress she had been under. And Iris was definitely under a lot of stress.

She had just moved into the apartment three weeks previously after spending a week staying at her mothers' house in Keystone after moving from Minnesota. She could have stayed with her mother. But Iris wanted her privacy. Her mother was a good person but unbelievably nosy (not in a good way) and Iris did not want to have to have to explain her every move or to be spied on.

Michael Clark, of the Publisher of the Central City Citizen as well as several newspapers across the Midwest, had contacted her about six months ago after reading an article which she had written on the life of Jamie Nordstrom an all star rookie who played football for the University of Minnesota. The story covered how young Jamie who had grown up in a primarily working poor neighborhood. His father had died in work related accident when he had been 12, And his mother suffered from Parkinsons, was left collecting disability. Jamie was mostly left to take care of his two younger siblings. But that had not stopped Jamie from excelling at school and going on to win a football scholarship to Georgetown University and then getting a draft pick from the LA Kings.

It was a story that was both inspiring and yet lacked any sort of pity. The story had first run in the Minnesota Star-Tribune, then ran in syndication in other papers across the country, including the New York Times. After Clark read the piece and saw Iris name he remembered that she had applied to him for a position on his staff. He invited her to re-apply for a position on his staff. She sat for an interview, first with Don Lessing the editor of the crime desk, then with Edith Roth the editor in chief then with Clark himself. She had been invited back two weeks later for dinner with Clark, his wife and Roth. Then a month later (the weekend before she saw Barry) she had been given a formal job offer as one of the reporters on the crime/city hall desk. Clark told her that he had been impressed with the amount level of hard work that she put in and her penchant for accuracy and going the extra mile. Especially in these days of race to the bottom journalism, where fact checking wasn't always a priority.

Iris had been ecstatic at the offer, not only because it would put her back in Central City, but also because the offer had just come at the nick of time. One month earlier her editor at the Star-Tribune had called her into his office. He told her that although he was pleased with her work, the fact was that the paper was still bleeding readership and could not afford to keep her on. Her contract would not be renewed and she would be out of a job in a month. It was a blood bath out in the media, especially with sales of newsprint and magazines falling.

If it had not been for the offer, Iris would have had no choice but to move back home with her mother, and try to get job as substitute teacher, teacher of English to new immigrants (she had taught English as a second language during the summer of her sophomore year in Korea and Japan) or worse get a job as a receptionist or administrator. Her mother had told her that she could get her a position working at the post office tracking and tracing lost parcels. That was not what Iris wanted to do. The offer had not only come in the nick of time, but it would allow her to remain in the Central City region.

She loved the news business and was grateful for the job working at the Citizen. She liked living in the Gem Cities area, it was cheaper than living in major metropolitan cities like New York, Chicago and LA, and further given to the low tax rates and state incentives it was becoming a major hub for Tech firms. Further being in Central City would allow her to be closer to her ailing mother, whose pack a day smoking habit was finally catching up with her.

It would also allow her to finally take action on something she had wanted to do for over a year. Start a serious relationship with Barry Allen.

She could never forget their first encounter in Gotham City. He was different from the usual muscle headed cops she had run into during her time in Gotham. Granted he was a CSI and not a frontline officer. But still he was just different from most men she had met period. It wasn't his looks. Iris had been around plenty of good looking men. Besides that in and of itself was not enough to strike or keep her interest.

There was an innate animal magnetism and which could be seen in how he carried himself and moved, almost like a predatory jungle cat which stayed in her mind. Barry stood at a strapping 6 feet wore his hair in blond shag, just shy of police force regulations. A broad handsome face which was just irregular enough to make him not be too good looking, and the most piercing crystal blue eyes she had ever seen. When he looked at her, she felt as if he were gazing into her soul. He was serious, strong, yet incredibly sexy and passionate. And the fact that he was willing to run into danger and helped saved her life that stuck with her. Iris was very a very loyal person and she valued loyalty in others.

One hour in Barry's company, Iris knew that she was smitten. But she played it cool. She had to she knew first-hand the danger and recklessness of jumping into a relationship and being swayed by superficialities. She had first-hand experience in that. First from having watched her mother's disastrous marriage with her father. A handsome ex-college football superstar whose dreams of joining the NFL had been killed once he had been injured. With the inability to cope with life's difficulties Ian West had taken to drinking. He often came home drunk and would take out his anger on Iris, her mother and her younger brother Daniel. It wasn't until Iris was 12 years old that her mother managed to screw up the courage to leave her abusive husband. She had bought tickets on a Greyhound bus and had gone to Keystone Missouri. A city large enough for them to disappear in and which, at the time, was known to have plenty of factory jobs. To this day Iris could never forget the week they had spent living in a women's shelter. I had had a great impact on her life and had a great deal in forming the kind of journalist she was.

And of course there had been the relationship she had been in a year ago during her first year at Columbia. She had met her then boyfriend Logan Saunders through her roommate at a party. He was a commodities trader at JP Morgan a graduate of Brown and Harvard Business School. And looked as if he stepped out of the pages of a mens wear catalogue. They had hit it off, and when he called Iris the next day to go out for dinner she accepted. Iris had to admit that she had been flattered by the attention from Logan. As attractive as she was, and as used to male attention. She could not forget that she was a Midwestern girl at heart from a primarily working class background. She never put herself down or sold herself short, but she did not expect someone with Logan's background, his father was the partner at a prestigious Connecticut law firm and a long time Democratic party operative. But she would be lying if she said that she was not impressed by the outer trappings that Logan presented. He dressed well drove an Aston Martin DB.

Logan had a beautiful apartment near The Flat Iron district. It was spacious and well lit. Iris found herself spending almost more time there than she had at the small cramped rental she shared with her roommate in Washington Heights. Logan had suggested that they move in together, and Iris had been more than tempted. Logan's place was big and he would cover the rent. But she did not want to give up her independence, besides Iris had to admit that she was a bit old fashioned in that department.

They had dated for more than five months and Iris thought that they had been doing great until one evening after work. Iris had gone over to Logan's so that they could have dinner together.

They had just finished dinner. Logan had been in a lousy mood. He said that one of his clients shafted him on a trade and he was now in the dog house with his boss. Iris tried to cheer him up but Logan was not to be mollified…instead just grunting a response and downing a bottle of wine. Iris was a bit alarmed by his drinking. She knew that the traders sometimes celebrated a successful day of trading by drinking champagne in one of the private clubs. She also wasn't blind to the fact that many of them celebrated in other ways. She had walked more than one time to see the girlfriend of one of the traders benched over a line of cocaine. They had not even flinched at seeing the site of Iris watching them. They went on to tell her that most of the traders did coke. It helped them to keep up and work hard.

Iris sometimes tagged along, but more often than not she refrained from drinking. Not that she was a prude, she enjoyed the odd glass of wine and beer. But alcohol did nothing positive for her, and it wreaked havoc on her diet so she often refrained from touching it.

Seeing that Logan's mood wasn't getting in a better mood she excused herself to go and start on the dishes. Logan wasn't to be put off he followed her into the kitchen ranting and raving about his boss and how he was an asshole whose ass he was going to kick one day.

When Iris dropped a pan he lashed out at her and grabbing her by her bicep he yelled at her. The expression on his face was a familiar one filled with animal like rage..one she had seen countless times on her father's face, when he had beat her mercilessly with his belt during one of his drunken stupors. Iris had always been left feeling humiliated and small by that experience. And she determined that she would never let anyone treat her like that again.

The karate skills which she had been taking in one form or the other since she was 15 and had learned that her muse Emma Peel was adept in the martial arts kicked in.

With her free hand she took the bottom flat of her hand and hit him so hard beneath his nose that his head flew back and there was a sickening crunch as his nose broke. Logan let out a cry of pain. Iris did not bother to wait to see what happened next she ran into the living room, grabbed her purse and coat and charged out of his apartment.

Logan tried calling her several times. But Iris never picked up. Finally when he came by to see her one day before her classes. Iris told him that if he ever came near her again she would let the cops know that he abused cocaine. He left her alone after that.

Iris buried herself in her studies, work and going to the gym. She had not thought about dating again until she met Barry Allen.

When she had returned to New York from Gotham City,she had sent him a few e-mails providing him with updates on her life. Iris had been thrilled when he had called her a few days later. And after that point they had retained a constant communication, Including when she had moved to Minneapolis. She enjoyed their outings on her infrequent trips home. The time they had spent together watching films, seeing art shows and watching concerts. But it was the face to face conversations which they had which she found the most enjoyable.

Iris had never considered herself to be much of a people person. Sure she was interested in other people's stories and human psychology. But she did not have a constant need to be around people all the time. She partly attributed it to having spent so many years moving around as a child, and the next was from the mis-treatment she received at the hands of her father. It took a long time to get rid of the negative programing that he had drilled in her head. As it was she generally considered books to be her best friends. But there were some people whom she greatly valued and liked spending time with.

In all her life, Iris could probably count the close friends that she had on one hand. The first one was Rachel Stanton, whom she had been friends with all through St. Joseph's Morrow Park Catholic Girls School. Iris and Rachel had been each others' constant companions while in High school. They studied together, were on the same varsity teams (basketball and volleyball) and volunteered together the same soup kitchens. Both of them in their own way they were rebels. Rachel against her Baptist preacher father who was the head of the largest African American church in Keystone. Her father had been flabbergasted when he found out that Rachel had converted to Catholicism and was joining the army.

Rachel had won a scholarship to the Virginia Military Institute and had served as a Lieutenant in the army for 5 years. Rachel's plan had been to join the sisterhood and become a Camelite nun after she left the army. Which was something Iris had found amusing at the time given how boy crazy Rachel was. But it was not to be. Just 6 months before she was to be discharged. Rachels' convoy hit an IED in Syria and Rachel had been killed instantly. Iris spoke at her funeral.

The next closest friend she had was Tyler Beaureguard she had met while studying at Columbia. He was from Mobile Alabama and every inch the Southern Gentleman. Polite, intelligent, charming and impeccably groomed. He used to call Iris a real 'Georgia Peach'. Sweet on the outside with a tough pit. Iris would have married him in an instant. Except for the fact that he was gay. He now lived with his partner and their 5 cats in the suburbs of Atlanta. He wrote technical journals for a pharmaceutical company. Iris still kept in touch with him. He had sent her tickets to fly down to Atlanta so that they could spend the weekend together.

There was also her cousine Wally West a student at Missouri State in Central City. Wally was eight years younger than Iris and used to spend many of his summers with her family in Keystone. He hailed from a small county in Nebraska by the name of Blue Valley. His father Rudy West was an ex Marine Corps lieutenant who ran a long distance trucking company. Much like her father, and her uncle, Rudy West was an arrogant man who felt that he could cruise by on his looks. He had spent most of his time running a trucking business and womanizing and drinking. Hardly any time with his wife and son. Wally's mother Mary would send Wally to stay with her ex-sister in law as an excuse to get away from the small county and see the big city. But Iris was certain that the main reason that she sent Wally to see them was to get him away from the constant fighting that was at home.

One day when Iris complained to her mother that she didn't want spend her Saturdays looking after Wally, her mother revealed to her that if it had not been for Wally's mother they wouldn't be in Keystone and would still be stuck in the abusive situation with her father. Mary had given her mother money so that she could get away from the abusive situation. And lent her money for several months so that Maureen could rent a house and support Iris and Daniel until she found gainful employment. The two women remained close. Ever since then, Iris had spent time looking out for Wally.

When Wally had been younger he had taken to tagging along behind Iris and Daniel. He had especially liked Daniel because he drove a motorcycle, smoked weed and got into fights from which he always won. He also admired the fact that Daniel seemed to always have some hot 'babe' on his arm. Daniel got him a job working illegally under the table working at one of the garages. He mostly served as a goffer for the mechanics on duty and doing cleaning up. But he had learned a great deal of things as well. Iris had tried to be a better influence on Wally but it was hard. The boy wanted a male role model and a father and Daniel had done that for him in spades. That was until Daniel ran into trouble and skipped town. After that Wally had begun to focus his attention on Iris.

The one good thing going in her favour that Wally was a science geek who liked physics. His secret goal was to work on the space program. But he had thought that he would never make it to college…until he found out that Iris had gotten herself a partial scholarship to Missouri State University and was working diligently on getting her degree and getting into Columbia.

Wally saw that through Iris what could be done with his life and..to boot it did not involve skirting the law. So he applied himself and entered the Central City campus of the University of Missouri. He was currently in his last year working on a degree in Mechanical engineering. Iris saw him from time to time when he dropped by on weekends to visit her mother in Keystone. But generally Wally's life was consumed with studying, partying, playing sports and working as part time mechanic at a garage. He was a major gearhead and loved nothing better than tinkering with engines. Wally had served as the little brother she never had.

Now he stood over 6 feet tall, with a shock of red hair and piercing green eyes. Aside from science he was an avid sports fan and played for the men's field hockey team at university. Iris had been to a few of his games and she could see what a menace he was on the field. He was also girl crazy and seemed to have a new girlfriend every week.

WWlkdld

And Iris found that the third closest person on that list had to be Barry Allen. Yes she was attracted to him, but she also would be denying that she enjoyed spending time with him. He was charming not in a slick or phony way. But in a way that was sincere and genuine. He was kind and considerate without coming across as if he was eager to please.

If she said something that he disagreed with he would gently push back. He was intelligent, widely read and humble a rare combination. He had a quiet confidence about him which she liked. And she liked the fact that he genuinely seemed to like her and believe in her as a person. Iris could often tell within 15 minutes if a guy was only interested in her because of her looks. And spending time with Barry made her feel that was not the case at all. He took an interest

After moving back to Gem Cities she had come across a few people who had known him from his days in high school. The word was that Barry had been a bit odd, he was a geek in the body of a hunk. He ran the science club and was a member of the cities speed skating club even as a teenager when other boys his age were into hockey and football. He often dressed up for school, not exactly preppy, but at the same time very GQ. He was very polite and rarely swore and displayed a great deal of old school confidence. Not surprisingly, she had heard, he had attracted a score of girls to him without even trying. And Iris could see why. Barry Allen was sexy as hell. It took all of her self control to say good bye at the end of one of their dates and not suggest that they rent a hotel room or suggest that she come home with him (going home to her mothers was out of the question). As much as she liked Barry she didn't want to get involved in a long distance relationship. Not while she was still stuck up in Minnesota, not that she ever thought that either she or Barry would be tempted to cheat if they were apart. But she knew that more often than not being apart for a long time ruined things.

Another reason she was happy to see him was that Barry was one of the main reasons that she had been offered the job at the Citizen. If it had not been for his insight into the circumstances behind the death of Jamie's Dad. Then Jamie's family would not have been given the insurance money and Jamie would not have been able to go on to University of Minnesota and been a first round draft pick for the LA Kings. The night that the story had broken and the insurance company had settled with Jamie's family. Jamie had insisted that Iris join him and his family for dinner at the cities biggest steakhouse. It made Iris proud. She wasn't just some muck raking journalist who fancied herself speaking truth to power. She was really making a difference in people's lives.

The weekend she had returned to Central City to accept her job offer. Barry had taken her to Scaramouche, and up scale pasta bar and grill restaurant in Central City located in one of the office towers in the financial district. It had been a Saturday night and it was raining heavily outside. Barry had called asking if she was still keen on going out. Without hesitation Iris told him yes. She was burning to see him and give him the good news which she had just received earlier that day. Two days after her conversation with Barry Iris had received the phone call that she had been looking forward to. Michael Clark called her up and offered her a job with the Citizen.

It was all Iris could do to keep her composure. She immediately accepted and he told her that he would courier her over the paper work to fill out and complete. All throughout her drive down to Central City, Iris felt as if she were on a high. She drove faster than she normally did and was surprised that she had not been stopped for speeding. As soon as she signed off on the paper work. Iris knew how she was going to celebrate.

Iris chose a white imitation Ralph Lauren open back dress that skimmed her figure.

He had picked her up in a car. He was wearing a dark blue immaculately pressed suit, light blue shirt and red bow tie. Had it been any other guy Iris would have considered it over kill or a sign of him showing off. But not with Barry Allen. It actually suited him very well. He looked like a leading man out of an old film from the 1950's. The shirt really set off his crystal blue eyes.

She knew she had been right not to laugh when she noticed several avaricious female glances when they had entered the dinning room. Sorry ladies, Iris thought wickedly, he's mine. Barry was excited at hearing the news and congratulated her. He blushed furiously when she informed him that part of the reason for her getting the job was due to his assistance in helping her.

They had spent more than two hours talking and laughing. Until Barry suggested….

"Would you like to have some coffee?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied after a brief pause she added, "But how about at your place?"

Barry looked at her for a moment getting her meaning loud and clear.

"Okay then," he said softly, his crystal blue eyes lighting up. Barry called the waiter for the cheque.

They had just been about to get up when Barry's phone went off. Iris felt her spirit sink visibly fall when the expression on his face became ashen. Barry fished the phone out of his over coat

"Barry Allen," he answered, "Yes Director Singh. I understand….I'm about 15 minutes away from there. I'll be there.

Barry hung up the phone and looked at Iris.

"Something important?" she asked trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Iris I am so sorry.." he began, "There was a gangland shooting and I have to work this."

"I understand," she said squeezing his fore arm, "We'll do it another time."

"I'll call you. I promise."

When Barry got back in touch with Iris she was in the middle of Iowa. She pulled off to the road to take his call. He was profuse with an apology stating that he had been the only CSI on duty that weekend and had to work two double homicides alone.

Again Iris had reassured him that it was okay. She would probably be back in the Gem cities region at the end of the month, once she tidied everything up. And they could get together then. But it was not to be.

Her first day on the job at the Citizen Roth dumped five file on her desk and told her that they were important stories that she had to start working on. The most important story involved a story which involved Central Cities embattled mayor Rob Forbes. A slovenly overweight man who was looked down on by the rich and left wing intelligentsia. But the purported champion of the working poor. It was hardly a secret that Michael Clark the cities publisher was contemptuous of him and never missed a chance to feature an article or commentary that would embarrass the mayor. Apart from Clark's thinly disguised contempt for the mayor. There was also the fact that stories featuring the mayor exploits drove up sales (and advertising) by 25%. Roth assigned her to work on stories covering the mayor as well as other crime stories. While she was assigning the previous reporter who was covering the mayor on the latest new phenomenon (which also drove up sales) on Superheroes. Most notably the Gem Cities protector 'The Flash'.

Iris was grateful that she had not had to cover the Flash. Sure he was a rockstar and an interesting phenomenon, but as far as Iris was concerned he was nothing more than a vigilante a glorified pro-athlete that had taken the law into his own hands. The scuttle butt at police head quarters was that some cops liked him others hated him. She had asked Barry about him briefly and not to her surprise he told her that he thought that the Flash and other superheroes were cool. He then went on to excitedly tell her at late that the Flash has powers which were very similar to a pulp comic book hero that he used to read about as a kid.

The fact that Barry collected comics did not bother her. After the fiasco with Logan, she realized that she would rather date a guy who read comic books than one who was a drug addict. Everyone had eccentricities of one form or other. Her mother collected stuffed bears. Not everyone understood why she enjoyed old British spy films and tv shows.

Further after the fiasco with Logan Saunders, Iris realized that reading comic books was the least sin you could have. Besides…Iris already knew several police officers on the CCPD and lawyers who read them. And Barry was never inappropriate with his hobby. While she had been dating Logan, one of his Hedge fund friends had invited him over to his weekend retreat by Cape Cod for dinner. They had arrived early, and the friend had shown them around his beautiful art deco home. The place was the classic bachelor pad complete with guitars on the wall. He then showed them to a hermeneutically sealed room which was sorounded by shelves with long white boxes.

He informed them that his parents had split up when he was younger and he had not seen much of his father growing up. Superheroes had served as being role models for him, and were partly the reason why he was where he was now. Seeing that the guy pulled in seven figures a year, drove the top of the line Jaguar F-TYPE and wore tailored Italian suits. Iris surmised that the collecting comic books was the least bad thing anyone could do. It was certainly better than being addicted to coke or weed.

Currently the Citizen was working on an angle in which the mayor was to be implicated and it was important that all the information was double checked, triple checked and quadruple checked for accuracy. It was a story that Iris lived ate and breathed. It was her major make or break chance. To show Michael Clark and Edith Roth that they had not made a mistake in taking her on. She hoped that someone who was as careful as Barry was and valued accuracy as much as she did would understand. She promised that she would make it up to him…

Unfortunately things did not go the way she had planned….

June 11, 5:15PM

Iris was about to grab her purse and satchel in order to meet with Barry for dinner when Edith Roth appeared at her desk.

"Ah-ah," she said, "Where are you going?"

"Home," Iris began, "It's five and I have a date."

"Cancel it, "Roth said abruptly, "I need you on deck tonight. Legal came down and said that we're being sued by Conrad Brown for the piece we did on his insider trading activities. I need everyone to go through the evidence with a fine tooth comb. We're meeting with his lawyers at 9 tomorrow morning. The conference room in five minutes. I've ordered dinner come on." And she was gone.

Iris hesitated for a moment and put her purse and bags down at her desk. And picked up the phone on her desk and began to call Barry Allen's phone number.

June 25th 6pm….

When Iris West stepped inside her apartment she was met with the sickening sound of "splash" beneath her feet. She looked down and noticed that all the entire floor was covered with water. She felt her temper flare as she realized that her land lord had not fixed her kitchen pipes. She would have his head on a platter, but first she would have to call Barry Allen and cancel their dinner date….

July 5th… 7:05pm

Iris West was sitting in the back of a cab on her way to the Golden Ox Steakhouse; it was Central Cities most famous steakhouse and had been in operation since end of World War I. She was on her way there to meet Barry Allen for dinner. It was the first time they both had when their schedules did not conflict. When suddenly her phone went off. It was her work phone and the number in which she gave out so that her sources could contact her anonymously. Iris was tempted to ignore it and let it go to voice mail. She could address it later…but the fact was that she was currently working on two very hot stories and she still had to pass her probation with the newsapaper. She answered it.

"Iris West," she began.

"You that reporter looking for dirt on Mayor Forbes?"

Iris ears perked up.

"Yes I'm looking for information on Mayor Forbes."

"I have evidence that he was at a crack house last week. Smoking up."

"What kind of evidence?"

"Evidence on a cell phone."

"When can I meet you to see it?"

"How much are you paying?"

"Depends on what kind of information you have."

"This will be well worth your time and money trust me."

"Where and when can I meet you?"

"Malvern Collegiate. Out by the sheds. Be there in 10 minutes or I phone the next reporter on my list. And with that he hung up. Iris spent 10 second debating what she should do.

"Driver…" she called to the cabbie, "There's been a change of plans. I need you take me across town to Malvern Collegiate. Right now."

As the driver changed directions. Iris began to dial Barry Allen's phone number…

July 14th…5:12pm

Iris sat inside the waiting room at St. Michaels' hospital in Keystone. She was sitting beside her mother who was still waiting to see a doctor. Her mother had been waiting there for the better part of the afternoon.

Iris inwardly fumed at the slow progress, but St. Michaels' was under staffed and not funded like most government services in Keystone. Unlike Central City which was a booming metropolis and a financial hub. Keystone was more of a working class city where most of the citizens worked either at the big three car plants, or the businesses which supplied them with parts. As it was the tax revenue wasn't nearly as high enough to keep the hospital staffed with the services it needed.

When her mother had moved the family there 15 years ago. Her mother had worked in a variety of clerical jobs. Until the boyfriend she had been dating at the time managed to get her a job inside the post office. Maureen Connor had sorted parcels for 2 years straight until she was promoted to a clerical position consisting of tracking and tracing parcels. She did not consider it a glamorous job. But it provided steady benefits including health care insurance and a pension. Iris had been in a particularly good mood when she woke up that morning. She had gone to the gym and then to work. But what placed her in good mood was the fact that she was going to be meeting with Barry Allen. She had asked him out and had gone so far as to make dinner arrangements at Scaramouche the restaurant that they had last been at together..and the time she had almost gone home with him. She was certain that the significance of the invitation would not be lost on him. Iris fully intended that there would be nothing that would stand in their way tonight. She had even co-opted James Forrest in her plans to find out which night Barry was on call on the force. So unless there was some major emergency Barry Allen would be all hers. She had just returned from lunch when she received a call from her mother's friend Maggie at the post office saying that her mother had a heart attack and had to be rushed to the hospital. Iris had immediately dropped everything she had been doing and rushed over. Her mother had been in emergency the better part of the day. There had been a truck pile up on the interstate, resulting in serious casualties and other people being sent ahead of her mother. Iris fumed as the clock ticked along to 6pm. Finally she reached into her bag and brought out her phone and began to dial Barry Allen….

****/

She and Barry had met each other a few times, over coffee (well she drank the coffee, he had tea) at the local coffee shop where she basically just peppered him with forensics questions...before dashing off. She hated to be so…impersonal…but the fact was that Roth was ridding her hard to make sure that all the information that she had been working on regarding the mayors connection to the hit on Alderman Landry was correct.

Currently the Citizen was working on an angle in which the mayor was to be implicated and it was important that all the information was double checked, triple checked and quadruple checked for accuracy. It was a story that Iris lived ate and breathed. It was her major make or break chance. To show Michael Clark and Edith Roth that they had not made a mistake in taking her on. She hoped that someone who was as careful as Barry was and valued accuracy as much as she did would understand. Iris promised herself that she would make it up to him..as soon this story with the mayor was put to bed. But in the meantime…

Iris had just dumped her purse and satchel on the living room couch when she heard her cell phone go off. Cursing softly she fished the phone out of her purse.

"Hello?" she said breathlessly.

"Iris," came a quivering voice on the other end which she recognized as belonging to her mother.

"Mom?"

"Yes it's me. I.."

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"No I'm fine. It's..it's your brother Daniel," Maureen Connor replied.

Iris felt her stomach involuntarily clench at hearing her mother mention the name of her brother.

Both Iris and her brother Daniel had grown up under the same difficult circumstances. Under the hand of an alcoholic and abusive father who had kept the family in terror, until Iris' mother had finally had taken the steps to leave her husband when Iris had turned 12. Her mother had moved the family to the working class suburb of Charleston in Keystone City, where the family slowly began to rebuild their lives. Iris had studied hard and obtained a partial scholarship to Central City campus of Missouri State University. She had lived at home and scrimped, saved worked two part time jobs while doing her studies and working at the school newspaper so that she could achieve her ultimate goal of getting into the Columbia School of Journalism in New York City. The most prestigious journalism school in the country.

Iris's brother Daniel on the other hand had not applied himself. He had instead used the anger from the abuse he had experienced and embarked on a path of self-destruction. He had drifted into a life of petty crime and had spent the last 10 years drifting in and out of trouble. The last time Iris had heard from Dan he had been in Chicago. She had no idea at all that he had been back in the Gem Cities region.

"What about Daniel?" Iris asked unable to keep the anger out of her voice.

"He's been picked up on a murder charge in Central City."

"I see," Iris said, "And what do you want me to do? The last time I spoke to Dan. I told him that it was the last and final straw. I won't be helping him if he got into trouble again. I have a life to lead Mom and if he doesn't care about himself, I can't do it for him."

"I know Iris. I know," Maureen Connor said, "But you know how it is with him."

"Mom we discussed this before. Dan has had the exact same opportunities that I did. I worked my..I worked hard to get where I am. I didn't get a free ride."

"I know that but .."

Iris had always felt sorry for her mother. She knew that she had been a weak woman who had a hard time defending herself. She had been a pretty girl in high school who had had the misfortune of getting pregnant by the first year Freshman at Notre Dame. Her father had disowned her. Although he had come around during Iris's last year in high school. Where he had assisted the family by giving Iris some money to help with her University fees.

"But you're a crime reporter in Central City. You must know several people at the district attorneys office or police force that can help you."

"Mom I just moved to Central City two months ago…I hardly know any of the cops that well," Iris began carefully, "Besides, they aren't my friends. I don't and can't get any special favours."

"What about that nice young man you were dating."

"You mean Barry Allen?"

"Yes him. He seemed so nice and kind…Maybe he can help you."

"Mom for the umpteenth time. I am not dating him..and I can't get any special favours. It's illegal and unprofessional."

"You must be able to do something."

"Okay then," she said with holding a sigh, "I'll see what I can do. What's the name of the lawyer who is representing him?"

"Hold on..he's with legal aid," Maureen said, "I have it nearby. Just wait."

Maureen came back after a minute and gave Iris the information which she wrote down.

Iris hung up the phone. She cursed softly. There wasn't much she really could do on her end. She didn't have that much pull with the police department. She did a computer search for the name of the lawyer that her mother had given her. She then picked up the phone and left a message with his office.

It took a week for her to see him. But the lawyer said that evidence against her brother was tenuous but not rock solid. It would all rest on the forensics lab results. Iris thought long and hard about what she should do next. She had only been in Central City as a crime reporter for six months. She had developed a fairly good relationship with the Police Department. It helped that she was pretty, well mannered and charming (vestiges of attending an all girls catholic school). Her maxim was that you caught more flies with honey than with vinegar. It also did not hurt that she had grown up in Charleston. Charleston was a working class neighborhood that was mostly consisted of Irish Catholic stock. Many of the cops in the CCPD came from that neighborhood. They liked Iris because she was from the old neighborhood and had done well. More to the point she wasn't stuck up and often dropped by one of the watering holes to play pool or to socialize. Iris knew how to tone down her alpha career woman tendencies when necessary. She had spent her four years while at Missouri State bussing tables on weekends at various bars near the car plants in Keystone. Thursdays and Fridays (pay days for the workers) were the days she got her biggest tips. She knew how to make the workers feel special without sending out the wrong message. Most of the men some of them past their prime enjoyed the harmless flirting and attention from a pretty young woman.

She wore a short black skirt which barely covered her ass and would have sent the Nuns at St. Joe's into a fit. But it helped to get her into Columbia. Anytime she had been tempted to skip a work out (heavy squats) or cheat on her diet, she just had to remember the amount of money that she would get in tips.

Iris walked into the visitors lounge. Her brother was seated there in an orange jumper.

Although he looked thinner than she remembered his face was still marked with the hard angry look that she had seen on so many prisoners before. Hard, angry, entitled. It's what got them in trouble to begin with. Iris placed her bag on the table and picked up the phone. Daniel gave her a smile. She noticed that his teeth were yellow. He had not only started smoking when he was 10 but had graduated to pot and crackas well by time he was 15.

Gilly, one of the servers whom she had gone to St. Joes' with and who now worked at O'Reilly's Bar and Grill as a server, told her that Daniel had become muscle for the Finley Boys Gang and had moved up to Chicago or the East Coast. The latest rumour was that he had fallen in with the Hell's Angels.

"Hey sis," he said his voice rough and scratchy.

"Dan," she said coldly.

"You look…uh real fine. That's a nice outfit."

"This is not a social call," she said, "I need for you to tell me what happened."

"I got into a fight with a guy and he had a heart attack."

"The police said that you hit him hard in the chest."

"I punched him yeah," Daniel said rubbing the knuckles of his right hand, "But I didn't him hard enough to kill him. He had a weak heart and was jumped up on crystal meth. He was an old dude."

"So your old habits have caught up with you," she said drily.

"Spare me the lecture sis. I already have Mom on my case."

"The only reason I am here Daniel is because Mom is on my case. Why she bothers with you is beyond me."

"I don't know sis. Maybe because it's my charm," he hissed, "Maybe it's because I add some excitement to her life."

"I didn't come here to listen to your crap."

"Then you can leave."

"Don't tempt me. Please don't," Iris began her temper flaring as it normally did when it came to her brother, "The lawyer said that the case is shaky. The guy you hit was a member of the Hell's Angels. Since when have you been running with the bikers?"

"I don't. I was sitting at O'Reilleys a few days ago and this jackass comes up to me and tries to pick up fight."

"Out of the blue? For no reason at all?"

"Who the fu-heck knows what he was mad about? He was some old biker who tried to intimidate me. I decked him and he fell like a ton of bricks."

"The lawyer says that it's basically a slam dunk case," Iris said, "The only way that you'll beat this charge is on a technicality."

"Why don't you talk to that cop you're seeing?"

"I'm not seeing any cop Dan," Iris said.

"No. They don't earn enough for you."

Iris was tempted to get up from her chair and leave, But controlled herself.

"Who said I was seeing a cop?" Iris asked.

"Mom," Daniel said, "She said that he's some big wig at the CCPD. You hang around him all the time."

Iris silently cursed. She just wished for once that her mother could keep her mouth shut about her personal life and not exaggerate.

"That's not exactly true. He's a…friend and a contact that's it. But I don't have any pull with him at all. He's not a judge."

"Look sis," Daniel snarled, "You owe me big time."

"I owe you squat," Iris said hotly, "You had the exact same opportunities that I did. It's not my fault that you dropped out of school."

"Fucking Princess," he said with a sneer that unnerved her, "That's what you've always been. Parading around Charleston as if you were untouchable. Remember the McCoulough's?"

Iris felt a pit in her stomach. The McColoughs' were the prominent street gang in the neighborhood. It primarily consisted of four brothers, Kevin, Doug, Michael and Ian. All of them were high school drop outs and were mostly known for being muscle for the Smalley Brosnan the crime lord who had a grip on the vice and the drug trade in Charleston. He was also known to be the mastermind behind some of the big time bank and jewelry robberies in the Gem Cities region.

Kevin was the eldest one and always made it a point of flirting with her in his crude and vulgar way. Iris had no interest in him at all, but she could not help but notice that Daniel appeared to like hanging around with them.

When Iris had turned 15, and started to develop a woman's body, the advances became more pronounced, to the point where she began to take the long way home, where she would not have to pass the locations where they normally hung out. It had been one of the reasons she had taken up Krav Maga at school and until this day trained in martial arts once a week.

One day they suddenly stopped and neither Kevin McColough nor his brothers, nor any of their cohorts troubled her. Iris had wondered briefly why. But afterwards she assumed that they had just gotten the message and understood that she had no interest in him and had moved on to someone else. The look on Daniel's face told her the exact opposite.

"Yes," Iris said stiffly.

"There's only one reason those animals never touched you. And believe me they wanted to. But I put them in their place. So you owe me big time."

"You really are a piece of work," she said disgusted, "You'd really stand by and let people…hurt me or Mom."

"You don't get it do you?" Daniel snarled, "We were nothing in that neighborhood. If I hadn't made contacts with them. There are so many ways that they could have come after us."

"Dan, I'll do what I can to help you out. I'll ask around for professional advice. But I won't be manipulate my friends in order to get you out of a jam. I don't operate that way and I don't plan on joining you in prison. I'm only doing this for Mom."

September 15th,

7:35 am Barry walked into Sunrise All Day Breakfast Cafe. The name was quite ironic given the fact that it was some of the worst weather seen in Central City for the last month. Summer was definitely slipping away and fall was coming with a vengeance. Although it was 10 degrees outside the weather was blustery. But Barry wasn't bothered by the weather. He was happy that he was going to be meeting with Iris West.

Although she had moved to Central City some months back. They had yet to sit down for any kind of face to face meetings apart from a couple of rushed encounters at a coffee shop and when she had cornered him as he was on his way to lunch. They had tried several times to get together, but Iris had ended up cancelling each and every date. He had understood that this must be a rough time for her. Having to make a good impression at her new job, her ailing mother as well as trying to settle in. Barry understood how rough it was. Life had been hectic for him as well when he had moved back to Central City settled down in his new apartment, trying to pass the police academy qualifications to be a police officer, then trying to fit into the CSI department and get the respect of the regular officers. He wanted to cut her some slack. But at the same time it irked him that she could either not make time to see him or she broke all of their dates. But at the same time..she seemed to find the time to see about issues regarding her work. Barry considered himself to be a kind a generous person. But he did not like being used and he could not help but sense the feeling that Iris was using him.

After the last time she had broken off their date, he had almost suggested that it might be best if they re-connect sometime in the future. But Barry had not wanted to give up on Iris..he knew that she was one of a kind and he did not want to lose her. Not without giving her a fair chance.

He found her sitting on the terrace. She was wearing a navy blue scuba knit line dress and cream coloured sweater.

She had her head buried in a sheaf of papers. A large cup of coffee sat on the table before her. Iris was a coffee nut, she was forever drinking the beverage. She said that she had become addicted to it while she was an undergrad. It helped to keep her energy up, and since then she had been hooked on it.

Barry had never been a fan of coffee, he preferred tea. But since he began hanging around Iris he had developed a taste for Jitters premium blend Blond roast. Iris she had such an effect on him….

"Hi," he said walking up to her. She looked up startled for a moment.

"Sorry did I frighten you?" he asked concerned.

"Hello," she replied smiling and regaining her composure, "No I was just absorbed with stuff.."

She took the sheath of papers she had been looking and placed them back inside the folder and in turn placed the folder inside her black leather satchel.

"Sorry I'm late," he began taking a seat from across from her.

"No that's okay," she replied recollecting herself, "It gave me the opportunity to catch up on some reading."

"I was a bit surprised to hear from you last night."

"And why's that?"

"Well you've never ever asked that we get together for breakfast before," he began, "All the other invitations were from me."

"There's always a first time for everything," she replied, "Besides. It's high time we got together. I've been cancelling all of our dates and I thought that if we got together over breakfast then, there would be very little chance of something happening to mess up my plans. I really should have done this before."

"Well I'm just glad that we could get together," he said, "Although I would like to have a night out on the town with you."

"Would you now?" she asked.

"Yeah, there's a performance of Don Giovani at the Kauffman Center until the 18th. I'd love to take you to see it."

"I'd like that too Barry," Iris said gratefully. It was so nice that he still thought of her, "It's been ages since I've been able to go to a concert or a show."

"I'll see about getting you tickets," he suggested, "Closing night? It's a Friday."

"That sounds fine Barry," Iris said, "I'll make the time."

"We can go catch dinner afterwards. The Fishhouse is within walking distance or we can go to Fatty Cue's." Fatty Cue's was one of the Central Cities most famous barbeque houses.

"The Fishhouse is better. I've blown my diet with late nights working. I've been pigging out on chips and too much carbs."

"You look fine to me."

"Thank you Barry," Iris said blushing slightly. She placed her hand over his and squeezed it in gratitude. When other men flattered her in the past, Iris brushed it off as a cheap insincere come ons. She knew they had ulterior motives, either to use her as a trophy get her into bed or both. But not coming from Barry Allen she knew that he would not say anything he did not mean. It was then that she felt his ring.

"What's up with the ring?" she asked.

"Oh this?" he said glancing at the ring and touching it affectionately, "I've had it for a long time. I had ordered when I was on the speed skating team at Suny. I don't wear it that much, Only once in awhile."

"Do you miss it?" she asked.

"You mean the skating?"

"Yes."

"I enjoyed it a lot," Barry said, "But I'm too busy with my career now. I still coach at the center though."

"You do? Who do you coach?"

"Just a bunch of kids. Mostly high schoolers."

"I should come catch you one day."

"Oh Iris it's really nothing."

"Can't be nothing," she said, "If you're taking personal time to coach others."

"Speed skating and athletics have done a lot for me," he said seriously, "They helped to build my confidence. When I'm out there on the ice. I feel almost invulnerable."

"I know what you mean," Iris began, "It's sort of the same way with me when I'm at the gym lifting weights or do spinning. I hate it when I work out. But afterwards I feel as if I could walk on air."

Barry agreed, it probably contributed to the way in which she carried herself like a queen.

Iris took his hand and looked at it more closely.

"Are you sure that's it?" she asked, "It has nothing to do with The Flash?"

"No.." Barry said blushing, "Well not entirely. I designed the crest myself and based it on the emblem on the costume that the super hero wears."

"I see," Iris said laughing, "I'm going to guess that the vigilante had the same idea as you did."

"The vigilante?"

"You know," Iris said, "The Scarlet Speedster. The Gem Cities very own mascot."

"You mean the Flash?"

"Yep that's him," Iris said taking a sipping from her coffee.

"I take it that you're not a fan?" Barry said seriously.

"Barry I know that you're a comic book fan and all but…"

"But.."

"Comic books are one thing. But this is real life. The appearance of all these meta human beings makes me nervous."

"What is that?"

"Because of what I've seen and know of human nature. People don't always do nice things Barry. People can be kind and from what I have seen of The Flash and this ….Justice League so far show that they are benevolent. But what would happen if they decide to turn on us. I've seen footage of Superman. The guy has awesome powers and has done so much. But…God help us all if he should turn rogue. Everyone has a breaking point Barry."

"Maybe. But I'd like to think that he and the other metas thought about that long in advance. From what I've seen he must have thought long and hard about it before embarking on his life as a superhero."

"You mean like the fame, the glory and the adoration from women?"

"I am sure that it doesn't hurt," Barry said with a smile, "But those factors don't help when you're being beaten to a pulp by Girder."

"I guess so."

"Have you ever thought of interviewing him?"

"You mean the Flash?"

"Yes."

"No. I don't think he wants to talk to me. Not considering what I wrote about him last month after his fight downtown with Captain Cold and the amount of property damage it caused."

"I read that," Barry said, "You were pretty harsh."

"You wouldn't believe the ton of hate mail I received because of it. After that my editor said that I should just stick to the crime desk. " she said, "The Citizen already has a team of reporters who are assigned to follow his every move and all other meta human activities."

"A team of reporters?" he asked surprised.

"Yes," Iris replied, "The public is absolutely fascinated with The Flash and other metas. Circulation goes sky high whenever we do a feature on them. We even hired a fitness instructor on a part time basis who writes articles on how to get abs like the Flash. It's crazy."

She paused for a moment.

"You must be pleased."

"Well yes," Barry replied, "I mean it's nothing that I would have expected to happen..at least in my life time."

"How so?" Iris asked leaning forward slightly as if interested.

"I mean..," Barry began, "The emergence of these meta humans could represent the next steps in human evolution."

"So you think that they could ultimately replace us?"

"Well I wouldn't go that far," Barry said, "But with their special powers. They could be the next step on the evolutionary ladder."

"I had no idea that you thought about this."

"Well I am a science geek. I'm interested in how the world works as well as the uncanny."

"But I have to disagree with you a little," she said.

"On what?"

"The next step on the evolutionary ladder bit. The metas we've seen all so far….have been full fledged adults."

"How do you know that?"

"Just by the footage I've seen. Superman, Wonderwoman and the Flash and so on….are not kids. If they had adopted or been born with their powers don't you think that it would have manifested themselves earlier on?"

"Well maybe they did," Barry said, "And we haven't heard anything about it. Maybe they were bidding their time to reveal themselves to the world. Waiting for the right time."

"Maybe," Iris said nodding, "Speaking of which. Have you met the Flash?"

Barry paused as if unsure how to answer her.

"I met him once or twice," he said.

"Oh really?" she asked, "Under what circumstances?"

Barry paused again as if thinking. He had to provide Iris with a satisfactory answer, one in which he knew that would not prompt her to do any further digging. She might not be covering the Flash, she was still curious enough about The Flash to probe further if she thought that something was amiss…

"The first time was during a fire..which turned out to be an arson investigation. The second took place during an explosion at a factory where two workers were killed."

"Wow that's interesting," Iris said, "I'm a bit surprised."

"Why is that?"

"I would have thought that he would have stuck around."

"Contrary to what you might believe Iris. The Flash is really a good citizen. He stood by to answer questions."

"So he's a citizen of Central City?"

"I don't know," Barry said.

"But you just said that.." she began.

"I meant in general," Barry added quickly, "He's a good citizen..or member of the community. He wants to help people."

"I am really curious as to who he is. He must come from the Gem Cities region. Most of the footage of him has been covered in the upper Missouri area."

"So it seems,"

"Have you ever wondered who he is?"

"No, not really."

"And why not?"

"I have enough on my plate as it is..with work and all."

"Yes I can imagine," Iris said leaning back in her chair. She raised her hand up off the sheaf of papers and soon the papers went flying all over the place.

"Oh my God!" Iris screamed. Both she and Barry jumped to their feet and began to run around picking up the papers. They managed to get most of the papers and sat down breathless.

"Wow that was close," Iris said.

"Yeah," Barry began. He was about to hand his collected sheath of papers back to him when he noticed the name at the top. It read Daniel West.

"Daniel West?" he asked puzzled, "You know him?"

Iris stared at Barry for a moment as if unsure how to proceed.

"Yes. He's my brother," she finally said. Barry felt a coldness come over him as he realized what this was all about. It appeared as if Iris had no genuine interest in him. He was just a means and way of propping up her career and assisting her with personal problems.

"So this is what this is about? You initiated a relationship with me to get information on your brothers case?"

"What?" Iris barely choked the word out.

"Daniel West was arrested five months ago. Shortly after you moved to Central City. Is that why you wanted to see me? To get inside information on your brothers case to help release him?"

Iris cheeks reddened.

"Is that what you really think this is about?" she asked with a coldness he had never heard before. But he refused to back down.

"All I know is what I see Iris," he said, "Ever since you've moved back here. You've cancelled all of our dates..the only ones you've kept are the ones which involved you picking my brain for forensics questions. I know that you're an ambitious woman Iris who will do anything to get ahead. Including using people."

It was only later that Barry wondered why he had said that last part. He was not normally that harsh with people. But he had ended up shrugging it off when she had not countered him.

He slowly rose to his feet.

"I should be leaving."

Iris said nothing. Barry left.