You Bring Out The Worst In Me~

[nevergetshome]

It had been some time ago that Thawne had gotten the results of Claire's blood. He messaged her and to his surprise the text kicked back. A phone call told him the number had been disconnected. It only took a little bit of research with Gideon to get her address from this time period only to find out she'd moved. Recently. And where had she moved to? Of all places in the world but Central City. The hometown of his foe. A place he spent fifteen years of his life. It was time to visit his old rival.

Silent observation was key. He kept his distance, but immediately, he felt something interesting. Barry Allen was having trouble handling the Speed Force. The fumbles were small, but enough that he could feel them when Barry faltered. Ahh, so this was around his encounter with the Chameleon. That made sense. What drove a dagger into his heart though was to see Barry Allen and Claire Bennet together. After he'd shared everything with her. Told her how Barry ruined his life. Even if he never said Allen's name, he called him the Flash, and she clearly knew who he was. How could she betray him?!

Just one more reason to hate Barry. One more thing Barry stole from him. One more reason to destroy The Flash. He'd have to teach them both a lesson.

There was a knock at Noah's hotel door. Harrison was standing politely on the other side, waiting for Noah to answer.

Comments

[infinite1ups]

Barry showing off his powers made her smile, as always. Part of her was tempted to reach out, to see how it felt compared to Elle's blue lightning, but she refrained. Maybe at the lab, but not at the breakfast table. "You're like Pikachu," Claire pointed out, delighted.

Yes, it was silly, but she needed this. A slice of whimsy and normalcy in the midst of tumultuous times. "Adorable, yellow sparks. It all checks out to me."

Noah shook his head with a soft laugh. Pikachu was just about the only one of those little creatures he knew. Mostly, he was glad to see Claire holding it together. Though part of him did want to remind her that it was okay if she couldn't. It would be far better to give herself the time she needed to feel her emotions now than when in the middle of a situation.

"You kids enjoy your breakfast. I'm going to step into the other room and make some calls," Noah announced quietly, then quickly continued. "Nothing serious, just checking on things in New York."

Claire felt more relaxed at that, and gave her dad a nod in response. She was worried about Peter. Angela, too. If Sylar was hanging around and was willing to protect them, she might be a little nicer to him. Maybe.

"I think... maybe the Time Vault after breakfast," she said to Barry once they were both seated and Noah was in the living room. Just the first few bites were already taking the edge of and helping to settle her a bit more. Okay, so having a boyfriend who was as good a cook as she was? Pretty awesome, actually. "It's gonna drive me crazy - well, crazier - to wait too long."

She needed to know what was on the drive. Desperately. That would help to solidify any plans she might be forming.

"Thank you for making breakfast, babe."

[feelthelightning]

Barry laughed. "Did you catch me or get me from Professor Oak?" He asked curiously. Sorry Noah, they're disgustingly nerdy and adorable.

He glanced in Noah's direction and also gave a nod as he ate his breakfast. His mind was reeling. Noah had been in imminent danger. But Thawne hadn't actually decided to hurt him, even though he could have easily done so. He wanted to dwell on why that was, but he also knew Thawne was insane and trying to understand him wasn't worth the headache right now.

"We can do that. And, if you don't want anyone else in the room, we can all step out." He offered, knowing the information could be private.

[infinite1ups]

The nerdy references sometimes went over his head, but Noah was just happy to see them happy. If they started talking about Lord of the Rings or Shakespeare, though, he'd be on board.

"I caught you, of course. But I think my apartment is way more comfortable than a Pokéball." Claire smiled cheekily in between bites of bacon.

She considered whether or not she'd prefer to see the drive's contents by herself. As much as she knew she'd appreciate (and probably need) Barry's support... part of her wanted to see it alone, at least at first. There was nothing she could think of that was so private that she didn't think she'd be able to share it at all, eventually. She certainly didn't mind sharing the printed report, especially with people who could make more sense of the contents, like Harry or Caitlin.

The drive, though. Knowing that Thawne had gone to the Time Vault to create it, and knowing what that entailed, it had to be important. Something possibly just for her, but then she did sometimes have a habit of making things about herself when they really weren't.

Choosing to go to Noah, however, that was a message to her, specifically. There was no doubt in her mind about that. She could almost hear Thawne's voice in her mind, reminding her that he could get to anyone she cared about and there was nothing she could do to stop him. Thawne could have killed her father but chose not to - that was the only threat he really needed to get the message across. Just the thought was enough to make her shiver.

"I-- I think I'll check it out alone, first," she said softly, then took a deep breath. "I feel like it's something I have to do."

[feelthelightning]

"Totally more comfortable." He agreed. "Are you saying I'm a prima donna, just like OG Pikachu?" Barry was doing what he could to keep up the mood for her sake. Sorry, Noah. If you want LoTR talk, Cisco's your man.

Thawne had very easily delivered silent threats to both of them. Subtle and yet chilling. That he could easily go undetected in STAR Labs, meaning Team Flash were in danger and he had no trouble getting to the people Claire cared about either. They'd need a way to detect if Thawne was in the building or a way to track the NSF.

"Of course. After breakfast, I'll show you to the Time Vault and plug in the drive, then Gideon can help you with the interface from there and I'll step out. If you wanna share it, we'll be just outside the vault." Barry promised. The unique thing about the vault was that it was a space with its own energy source and sound proofed from the rest of the facility. It also housed Gideon's mainframe and a temporal engine.

[infinite1ups]

"No, definitely not a primadonna, but I remember Pikachu being pretty loyal to Ash, and that's you with all of us." She smiled at Barry, gently nudging his leg under the table with her foot as she ate.

Noah would also be in on Star Wars movie night, so at least there was that, too.

It was such a comfort to know she has that kind of unwavering support. Claire let herself relax a little more, but there was still some obvious tension in the way her shoulders were set, her smiles not fully reaching her eyes. She imagined it'd be that way for a while. At least until she saw the contents of the drive, and maybe not even then, depending on what was there.

"Thank you, babe. How are you holding up?" She didn't want to focus solely on herself; worrying about others was almost a distraction. It'd be more of a distraction if they weren't all worried about the same damn thing. It eased her mind to dote on Barry as much as she could, though.

[feelthelightning]

The comment and little bump with her foot made him smile.

He reached across the table to take her free hand and give it a squeeze. "I'm trying not to be reckless." He admitted truthfully. "Every time I think he's gone..." He was trying to focus on her, because it was her father who'd been put in the most immediate danger. She seemed to feel guilty for it all and he loved her. He wanted to protect her. They were both worn at the seams, but he thought he might be a little more used to it all by now than she was, so he wanted to keep his attention on her. It totally had nothing to do with not wanting to deal with his own emotions.

[infinite1ups]

She had an feelingthat maybe his focus on her was a similar avoidance tactic to her asking after him now.

"Trying not to be reckless," Claire repeated fondly, lifting his hand to kiss the back of it. The ways they were alike just kept piling up. "That could be the title of my memoir."

The way Sylar kept popping up in her life was almost similar, but with Thawne it was so much worse. It terrified her, knowing how easily he could get to literally everyone she loved, and she could do exactly nothing to stop him. And yet, she still was filled with half-assed, self-sacrificing ideas to try.

"Hey." She kissed his hand again, then held it close to her chest. Her heart. "We're gonna be okay, and we're gonna get through this. We have what he doesn't. We have each other - all of us."

Despite the villainy, the hatred for Barry, there was, she thought, a sense of loneliness in Thawne. He had spoken so fondly of Cisco and Caitlin even after everything that had happened between them. Not regret over what he had done, but it sounded like he missed them. If she was right - and she held a lot of space for the possibility that she wasn't - it would have made her betrayal even worse.

But he also said she made him care, how could that not make her betrayal worse?

Which... once again made the guilt flare up. She wasn't deluded enough to think that her friendship would make it all better, but there was hope that she had some positive effect up until she stabbed him in the back. The fact that even while he was making such an obvious threat, he kept his word to her, it held a lot of weight, in her mind.

"I'm afraid to see him again, but I also kind of feel like it's only a matter of time before he tracks me down." She quickly added, "I don't think he'll hurt me. Not physically, anyway."

[feelthelightning]

"From what I've heard, you're still pretty reckless." He tried to tease.

Then he looked alarmed again. "Your dad said he heard we were toxin free. Which meant Thawne knew we were weak." He wasn't sure how Thawne found out, but the fact that he knew and didn't attack was also confusing.

"If I can help it, you won't have to see him again. I'll keep him away from you." As soon as Thawne showed his face again, Barry would be on him at lightning speeds. It was his turn to bring her hand across the table so he could kiss the back of it.

[infinite1ups]

"I'm... very reckless," Claire admitted, laughing softly.

Thawne knowing of their weakness was concerning, but she couldn't begin to figure out how. Maybe he'd been stalking her father and had overheard a phone conversation? Noah didn't have a watch to sound the alarm, and the stolen face would have been another stranger on the street until her dad and Harry met. Thawne could have gotten extremely close at any point, completely undetected.

The thought chilled her. And yet...

"I think sooner or later, I might have to." Those plans of hers were still forming, but beyond that, it felt a little like an obligation. She owed it to him to at least come face to face and stop hiding like a coward. "Part of me almost wants to just get it over with. But I'll see how I feel once I find out what's on the drive."

[feelthelightning]

"We'll work on that." He gave her hand a squeeze. Not that he had room to talk. Their healing factors and love for their family and friends made them reckless.

To Barry, he didn't think Thawne was owed anything. So he would have to hard disagree with her there. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to." He said softly. "I'm gonna get dressed and clean up the kitchen." He brushed his lips over her knuckles before letting go of her hand. He was gone in a flash, dressed, and cleaned up his cooking mess in just a couple seconds and a streak of yellow lightning. He settled in his chair again and waited for her to finish eating.

"I've sent him home once. I can do it again."

[infinite1ups]

Maybe she didn't owe it to Thawne to confront him, but she might owe it to herself. Something, anything to ease the guilt she felt. To own up to the hurt she caused.

That guilt, Claire was starting to realize, wasn't solely about Eobard Thawne. It was everyone she'd strung along, shaken up their lives, and left behind. But she couldn't deny that it was mostly Thawne. He was the freshest betrayal, and he'd somehow managed to get his hooks deeper into her than the others. She couldn't shake him.

She was so lost in her thoughts that not even another display of 'Pikachu' lightning distracted her. The contents of that drive were starting to feel like a beacon, an alarm that she couldn't ignore. So she hurried through the last few bites of her breakfast.

"I'm... gonna get dressed." It was getting harder and harder to keep up the illusion of optimism. Her dad was still on the phone when she passed through the living room toward her bedroom. Talking to Peter, from the sounds of it, though she didn't hear enough to know exactly what they were saying.

Maybe now that she was clear of the toxin, she'd find out definitively whether or not it'd be safe for Peter to visit. Hell, it could be in the report from Thawne for all she knew, but she was more keen to get that answer in particular from the STAR Labs team.

Claire allowed herself a few deep breaths as she was getting dressed, pressing her palms against her eyes to keep herself from breaking down and crying. There wasn't any time for that. At least regeneration worked to hide the redness in her eyes. With a little makeup, and her messy bun switched up to a loose braid over one shoulder, she looked pretty normal.

Noah finished up and headed into the kitchen after her. "All good in New York. Peter and Sylar are keeping their eyes peeled. What's the plan for us? Should I meet you kids at the lab?"

Somewhat uncharacteristically quiet, Claire deferred to Barry on that one.

[feelthelightning]

She was too quiet when she came back. Barry didn't like it at all. He watched her carefully and only looked away when Noah spoke.

"I could always run you there." He offered to Noah. He knew he'd be running Claire. There was no world right now that he'd let her out of his sight outside of the apartment or the facility. "You'll be safer around other speedsters who can see Thawne coming."

[infinite1ups]

Noah shook his head. "He could've had me at the hotel, I don't see the point in him coming back to finish me so quickly. Seems like he wants to watch us squirm, no?" Like a cat toying with a mouse.

"Will he somehow know when I've seen what's on the drive?" Claire asked suddenly, her voice quiet, heavy with emotion. "He could be waiting for that, if so."

[feelthelightning]

"He could. When he left me his will, he left a video file on it that was designed to message a lawyer once I watched it. If I didn't, he wouldn't leave me STAR Labs. He could do something similar with the drive." Barry answered. That had been a tough video to watch. He'd almost just let them seize the Labs if not for Caitlin's support. And then Thawne had given him the confession to free his father in that video...

[infinite1ups]

"I'll just drive over. You two take care of each other." Noah gave them each a pointed look. Their love for one another would be their strength.

Claire gave her dad a hug, holding on just a little tighter. She really didn't think Thawne would attack now, especially not after Barry confirmed her thoughts. Sure, she could be wrong, but she felt Thawne was too deliberate to send a message and not wait to make sure it was received.

He might want to see it when she breaks, she thought. To see the same pain in her that she caused him.

Noah patted Barry on the shoulder before heading out, leaving the two in the kitchen. Even with the head start, he'd still be meeting them there.

She neatly repackaged the envelope and folded it as carefully as she could into the pocket of her hoodie, then reached for Barry's hand. And she tried to put on a smile. "Ready when you are, my love."

[feelthelightning]

Barry gave Noah a nod and what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He wanted to be overprotective, but he was pretty sure if Thawne had any intention of killing him, he would've just done it.

He held her hand tightly and let the Speed Force flow through them both, scooping her into his arms. He tucked her head into his neck and ran. They vibrated through the door, leaving it locked behind them. He ran them down the streets, letting her see the world as he did, surrounded by streaks of yellow lightning, with the Speed Force protecting her as they broke the sound barrier just for a moment. Too long and his shoes would melt. Not to mention their street clothes would catch fire from the friction.

They slid to a halt in the hall outside the Cortex. Barry was met with a gun barrel in his face, a pause for Harry to react, then the man lowered the weapon with a sigh.

Jesse trotted over and threw her arms around Claire when Barry set her down. "I'm glad you and your dad are okay!" She said when she finally let Claire free of the hug.

[infinite1ups]

As down as Claire has gotten, as much as the stress and fear were getting to her... running with Barry was a thrill. One she sorely needed. She held on tight, looking around at the city as they zipped by, as much as she could get away with safely.

The warmth of the friction against her was more intense than she expected, which told her they were going faster than she had with Thawne. Phasing through the door was a new experience that delighted her. They needed all the little wins they could get now.

Claire supposed she couldn't blame Harry for being ready to defend them all. But Jesse was hugging her before she had a chance to greet everyone else. She hugged back tightly, her smile a bit fuller when she pulled away. Barry's support meant all the world to her, but they both needed the whole team.

"Thanks. Yeah, we're both okay. My dad's driving over now. He figured it'd be safe enough at the moment. How're y'all doing over here?" Once again, it was nice to focus on someone's feelings other than her own. As eager as she was to see the drive, she still felt it more important to check on her friends.

[feelthelightning]

"Ramon nearly Vibe blasted me, but we're fine." Harry grizzled, letting the sniper rest on his shoulder from its strap.

Jesse rolled her eyes. "Dad's just being dramatic. Cisco was suspicious, but didn't try to shoot him. He's with Cait right now. She's a little shaken, knowing he was just down the hall for who knows how long."

"I'm already working on a local system to integrate with Gideon that will ping just like the watch if Thawne enters the Time Vault. This won't happen again." Harry promised firmly. "That's the easy part. The hard part is designing a speed trap that won't hinder Allen or Jesse."

[infinite1ups]

Despite all the tension, it was good to see Harry up and about, rather than in the med lab. He was clearly already hard at work ramping up their defenses, and that made her feel just as safe as the way Barry wasn't letting her out of his sight.

"I have some thoughts about that," Claire said, perking up. The run had re-energized her, and felt like it strengthened her bond with Barry all over again. Now seeing everyone else was like a balm on her soul. Or something equally as cheesy but sincere. "A trap, or something. I was thinking about that cold gun. It can slow down a speedster, can't it? I just so happen know at least two people who have cryokinesis as a power."

And no, neither of them were Caitlin. Tracy Strauss, and her uncle Peter. If Sylar also had Tracy's cryo, then that made three. Though Caitlin's recent revelation had inspired the idea as much as Lenny's cold gun, Claire just wasn't going to mention that.

[feelthelightning]

Barry was hovering close, holding Claire's hand still, to keep her grounded as much as himself. "Snart's Cold Gun is still with the Legends." Barry said. "They'd have to test it against me. Snart's Cold Gun works against me briefly because it drops my cells to absolute zero, which is a state with where matter is completely still. Even that is temporary, because I can vibrate my cells to warm up and generate heat. But I'm down to give it a shot if they wanna practise against me. Actually hitting me with it is the hardest part."

Harry looked intrigued. "Slowing him down with cryokinesis would give me enough time to take him down." He patted the sniper to indicate it.

[infinite1ups]

"Well..." Claire hesitated, pointedly avoiding Harry's gaze, because he wasn't going to like what she was about to say. "The cryokinesis I've experienced was enough to shatter body parts. I saw the Cold Gun do the same to the Chameleon. Snart shot it in the arm first, but it regrew."

She was feeling pretty proud of herself for this idea, but she was also trying not to let it go to her head. "I'm sure Peter would help, and maybe we can get Tracy on board, so that'd be two. I... hate the thought of asking Sylar for help, but that asshole keeps saying he wants to be a good guy, and he owes me. If he has cryo, that's a triple blast."

Her first instinct was to use herself as bait, a way to distract Thawne long enough to ice him. She wasn't ready to bring that part up yet, knowing it how little everyone would approve. Barry would no doubt veto that and insist that it should be him. But, Claire reasoned, having The Flash in play put him at risk of being iced, and made it harder to keep Thawne in one place.

"It's at least something to consider," she said, deciding to keep the rest of her cards close to her chest for now. The more they talked, the heavier that envelope felt in her pocket. She pulled it out and carefully unfolded it with one hand. "I can't wait anymore; I need to see what's on this drive. You guys can look over the printout from Thawne in the meantime. Nothing on there is a secret, not from y'all, and you can probably make more sense of it than I can."

[feelthelightning]

The muscles around Harry's eyes tightened as his gaze sharpened. He could extrapolate what she was implying. And no, he didn't like it. "Are these cryo users hostile? Or were you testing the limits of your abilities?" He didn't like either idea, honestly. But he did like the beginnings of this plan.

"Peter is the Empathic one, if memory serves." Harry said easily, which was almost a joke seeing as he had an eidetic memory. "And Sylar... he's the distasteful one." She'd called him her Thawne. A plan was forming, so they at least had something to work with.

Harry immediately started looking over the data on the printout she handed over and without a word, started off to the med lab.

Barry nodded at Claire's request and took her down the hall. He planted his hand against one of the identical concrete walls and the one beside it opened up to reveal the small room inside. The walls were covered in braille like panels. There was an alcove in one wall with a mannequin where the Reverse-Flash suit once stood. In the centre of the room was a lectern-looking console with a circle indent in the middle. Barry walked up to it and touched it. Gideon's head appeared in front of the lectern.

"Good morning, Barry Allen, Claire Bennet. How can I help you?" The distinct difference Claire might immediately notice would be a lack of the crisp English accent in this Gideon's voice.

[infinite1ups]

"It was an accident," she assured them all. "A family friend was having trouble with her cryo powers. I was trying to help, and... better me than someone else. Tracy is, well. She lives up to the ice queen part of her powers at times, but she's good people when it comes down to it. I trust her."

Harry's assessment of Peter and Sylar was, of course, correct. She just nodded as he went off to the med lab, then followed Barry down to the Time Vault. It was one of the strangest rooms she'd ever seen. Suddenly Thawne talking about being from the future made even more sense - it looked futuristic. And somehow, it suited him. She tried not to think about him working in here, but her mind betrayed her.

Fuck, did he run her bloodwork here? Right under her friends' noses? The thought made her chest feel tight.

Claire did notice the difference in Gideon's voice, but wasn't sure what to make of it, exactly. Probably different versions of the software? Either way, Barry had told her that Gideon would guide her through the process of opening the drive, so she trusted that. It was all she really needed to know.

She pulled the drive out of the envelope. "Uh... can you show me what's on this?" It still felt awkward talking to an AI program, but she still found herself instinctively adding, "Please." There had to be a slot. Otherwise how could any information could be loaded onto it in the first place?

It wasn't the time or place for such a thought, but she couldn't help noticing that their names sounded nice together. She shot Barry a little smile, almost a reminder that she was okay.

Okay for now, anyway.

[feelthelightning]

Barry chuckled and kissed her cheek. He pointed at the small round port just beneath the circular indent. "Plug it in here and Gideon can project the contents for you. I'll be just outside if you need me." He then stepped out of the room. The wall slatted itself back into place, closing her in the room with Gideon.

"Of course. Insert the drive and I'd be happy to assist. Dr. Wells said you'd be here."

[infinite1ups]

Her nerves were on edge as soon as Barry left the room. She knew she was perfectly safe - well, as safe as she was going to get - but it was more the anticipation that was eating her alive than anything else.

Claire took a deep breath, forcing herself to keep her hands steady as she plugged the drive into the port.

"Thank you," she said, still trying to remain calm. But if this Gideon had any capacity to scan her vitals like the one aboard the Waverider, there'd be a clear bump in her heartrate as she watched the screen and waited.