flashpoint_heroes | You Bring Out The Worst In Me~

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.

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From:

feelthelightning

Barry leaned in and gave Claire a quick kiss... on the cheek, before he scooped up Iris and darted off with her since he had Claire's blessing.

Eddie didn't seem to relax at all. "New to town?" He asked her, making small talk. "Seems like he let you in on the 'Flash' secret pretty quickly. But then again, I hear you're something pretty special."

From:

infinite1ups

A kiss on the cheek made sense. Barry was just taking Iris to the precinct quickly, of course he didn't need to stop and kiss her first. But she had to swallow down those feelings of jealousy as he scooped her up and ran off.

The small talk helped, weirdly enough. It gave her something else to think about rather than stewing in all that bitterness and jealousy. "Yeah, I met Barry not long after I got settled in," she replied, softening as she nodded. Eddie was a handsome guy; he and Iris made an attractive couple, and as far as she'd heard, she was crazy about him. Or was everyone just trying to make Claire feel better?

It was much better to focus on the good, so she tried to do that. Little else kept the paranoia at bay. "Barry's the best thing to ever happen to me." The warm fuzzies she got talking about Barry were far preferable to the cold, hollow feeling that came whenever she thought about losing him. "Been kind of a whirlwind, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He just moved in this week."

She hesitated before deciding to follow up with a question of her own. "How long have you and Iris been together? I'm kinda learning about everyone in bits and pieces."

But even as Claire seemed to settle, every second that ticked by made her wonder.

From:

feelthelightning

"You two are living together? That's sweet. Bar's a good kid. I'm glad he found happiness." Eddie said, honestly. There might still be a tinge of bitterness in there somewhere but Claire wouldn't know why.

"We've been together for almost four years. We... were engaged. But when I got transferred, I didn't want her to choose between me and her life here, so I called it off. But we're still together. She takes trips to stay with me from time to time. Long distance." He sounded pained by that. But it was much better than dead. That was an even longer distance relationship.

From:

infinite1ups

That seemed genuine, but Claire felt she was pretty good at reading people. It seemed like there was some kind of tension lurking under the surface.

Was that what happened when you were supposed to be dead? Did he know that Barry had feelings for Iris?

Or... was it because of his transfer, and the now long-distance status of their relationship? He had to leave his fiancée, and there Claire was, bragging about moving in with Barry. It made sense as soon as he answered her question. Of course he'd be unhappy about that. But it puzzled her, why he'd call off the engagement but stay together. She didn't have the roots and family here that Iris did. Claire supposed that would probably make it difficult to just pack up and leave. Well, for someone who wasn't her, that hadn't spent most of her adult life wandering.

"Love New York," she said cheerfully. "It was one of the places I almost chose instead of Central City. I have family there. It's nice you're still together, you make a lovely couple. Long distance can work."

Would Eddie be dead if she'd picked New York? Would Iris and Barry be together? She wondered if Thawne would enjoy that he was making her doubt every decision and causing her so much turmoil. He wanted to save her life, sure, but he seemingly had no qualms about causing her emotional pain.

It couldn't be that much longer for Barry to get back. Allowing a few minutes to chat with Iris and Joe... he should be back any second.

From:

feelthelightning

"Yeah, sure it can." He said bitterly, laced with sarcasm. He knew something. Maybe it wasn't Claire and Barry or her questions that had him on edge. That was the tone of someone who knew his relationship would fail.

But then, Thawne's expression shifted a bit as he watched her. Those detective skills going to work here. His brow furrowed and that lingering tension seemed to fade away, replaced with concern. He could wallow in self pity later.

"Hey... is something bothering you? You're thinking way too hard." His tone had softened, but it made the vocal fry more evident in his voice. "I'm a detective. Things don't slip by me as easily. I read people for a living." The smile he offered was far more welcoming.

From:

infinite1ups

Yeah, that hit of sarcasm was... something else. Despite all of her conflicted feelings toward Iris and whatever feelings there may or may not be between her and Barry, Claire realized she'd be kind of mad if this guy ended up breaking Iris's heart. He was on notice.

But then Eddie was reading her just like she had done to him - and probably better, given it was his job. She faltered, shaking her head.

"It's been a long day," Claire sighed, honest almost to a point of vulnerability, despite her newly formed suspicions of the man. There was also a draw of curiosity, though. Eobard said he'd saved Eddie - surely Eddie might remember something about that. But it was hardly right to ask the guy about what surely had to be a harrowing experience just so she could have a few more fleeting answers.

She also didn't want to accidentally let it slip that things had gone differently, once upon a time. That would just make things worse. So she was determined to keep her mouth shit about that whole thing.

"I'm sure you know it's like, always a crisis around here, yeah?" She laughed, not bitterly, but with a touch of the way someone laughs to keep themselves from getting angry or upset. "I knew what I was signing up for from the jump, it's just a lot all at once. When you start thinking of leads and solutions, it's hard to shut that off. Which... I feel like you'd probably understand, being a detective."

That was like, one of the key attributes of being a detective, if those TV shows she watched with her mom were anything to go by. It was a sample size of only one, but Matt Parkman was kinda like that too. He'd been obsessed with the Sylar case, and obsessed with finding out about The Company. At least Eddie wasn't a telepath.

From:

feelthelightning

Eddie nodded. That he could understand. He couldn't say he missed it, but he also couldn't say he hadn't enjoyed being part of something like Team Flash. Even if he'd never been fully part. He'd been involved in helping even before the rest of the force knew a out Metas. It was a special feeling.

"Keep your chin up. Bar has a way of inspiring people and somehow always coming through in the end. Just take each lead one at a time and lay them all out. If you need visuals, use cards on a table or something. With them all up front, you might start seeing connections." He put a hand on her shoulder and levelled with her gaze. "You remind me of some of the runways I find. You've got this. You're part of a support network here. If you have thoughts or concerns, share them with these guys." Levelled with her as he was, it was probably easy to tell how much he missed all of this.

"If you want a fresh pair of eyes, maybe I can call my boss and ask for an extension to my leave."

From:

infinite1ups

Her hackles were raised, but she didn't let it show. Whether he meant to or not, the advice felt condescending. It was probably the comparison to these 'runaways' he apparently found. Sure, at one point she'd run away, and had lived a nomadic life for years. That didn't make her some lost kid.

"Thanks," Claire returned, forcing herself to stay relaxed under Eddie's touch. She was letting more people give her advice, that much was true, but Eddie was new, and she already had her suspicions about him. Later, she'd have to ask Barry about him. Eddie hadn't come with the strong recommendations beforehand like Cisco and Caitlin. She could ask Cisco, too, in case he had anything to share about Eddie after the timeline change.

Whenever someone called him Bar, she just heard Bear. Her teddy bear - that thought always made her smile. "Barry's been my rock through all this, but it's always nice to have more support. The team has been incredible. Like I got a whole new family overnight."

Claire didn't know what to make of the offer to stay and help. She was a stranger to him, and it was a big thing to offer. Maybe a ploy to spend more time with Iris? She would hope so, anyway. Or maybe he preferred Team Flash stuff to whatever was going on in New York. "That's really nice of you to offer. But we're a team, wouldn't be fair for me to make that kind of call on my own."

Though everyone had accepted her pretty much immediately, she still felt new. That feeling would probably go away with time, and as more of her family joined her in Central City.

From:

feelthelightning

He could see a rebellious streak in her. But he let it go.

"I'm sure Team Flash wouldn't mind having me around again for a couple days. And I know Iris would be thrilled. She still has the apartment I bought for us before I was forced to leave..." His blue eyes glazed over for a moment. He wanted so badly for things to be like they were again. Planning their wedding, living together, happy...

"Bar is a rock for a lot of people. And an inspiring voice." Eddie sounded a little pained and let his hand drop away. He trusted anyone Barry would bring into his life like this. Which had admittedly bitten them all in the ass once, but that man... was too painful to think about.

"Bar's sure taking his time, huh?" He tried to break any tension he'd caused.

From:

infinite1ups

Now that was the voice and look of a man who wanted his relationship to work. That tugged at her heart and cut through all of her suspicion. Fuck it. Maybe she was new, she was part of the team.

"So stay," Claire suggested suddenly, smiling mischievously. She mimed drawing an invisible zipper across her lips. "I won't say a word, so you can surprise Iris, too. Maybe get her some flowers - that almost always works. And if there's stuff you can help out with, that'll be invaluable. I'd quite literally owe you my life."

Or maybe they'd be even, because Eddie was alive, and Eobard changed the timeline to save Eddie's life because of her. But she couldn't tell him that.

The flowers Barry brought on their first date stayed in her vase until they were on their last legs.

She had been trying not to think about how long it was taking Barry to get back, but then Eddie had to go and mention it. "Yeah," she agreed with a sigh. "Maybe they got wrapped up chatting? Barry's been away from the precinct for the last few days so he might be catching up." Technically, he was still on leave for his 'emergency appendectomy' so maybe his sudden appearance had caused a stir. Shit. She hoped Barry wasn't getting in trouble.

From:

feelthelightning

Eddie looked hesitant now. Staying for Iris was different than staying for the case. If he stayed for her... he might not want to go back. But he didn't miss that last bit.

"Your life? What's going on?" Cop mode. He didn't want Barry to lose the woman he loved, not just for selfish reasons. But also because he cared about Barry despite the poison Eobard had introduced. He couldn't tell this pretty, happily in love girl that Barry was supposed to marry Iris.

"Captain Singh might have caught him. The man's a good guy, but he can be stern. It's out of care, though. What happened? Did Bar get hurt?" If he did, it had to be pretty bad to have him recovering for days... that sparked worry.

From:

infinite1ups

In Claire's eyes, it was staying for both. He could help out and get to spend more time with Iris - heck, Iris could help them too, if she wanted.

"Oh, just some visions of me dying a horrible, permanent death in the future and we're all trying to figure out how to stop it. The usual, am I right?" She tried to sound light-hearted about it in spite of her fear.

Fuck the timeline, she thought. It seemed very much like Eddie wanted to stay with Iris, but was feeling the strain of long distance. She never would have guessed that Eobard had gotten into Eddie's ear with the very same poison.

"Captain Singh approved it. Might be a little awkward if he came back so soon." She actually didn't know how long an appendectomy recovery was supposed to take. But clearly Eddie knew the truth about Barry, so she could be more honest. "We were recovering from a Meta attack. A nasty one. It was affecting his speed, and affecting me too, but we're both okay now."

If Eddie looked up her name, he might find articles about her, so she might as well come fully clean. "I'm not a Meta, but I'm something close. I was born with my ability. Regeneration... uh, a healing factor. Hence the threat of a permanent death looming over me at the moment."

From:

feelthelightning

Sadly, the poison had run deep. Before Eobard tampered with time.

"Visions?" He asked, looking sympathetic. "That's horrible. I... might know someone who can change the future." He said very carefully. "It's a long shot. A very long shot. But if I can figure out how to get a hold of him, I might be able to ask." He had no idea if Thawne would even help him. He had no reason to. Hell, he didn't even know why Thawne had stopped his own evil self. Spitting cryptic bullshit about redemption. But maybe...

"Yeah. Cop, remember? Sorry, I did a background check on you when I heard the news. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't hurt Bar. A lot of "redacted" stuff, but I found some footage of a ferris wheel. Attempt number, you kinda lost count. I just thought you were a Meta."

From:

infinite1ups

"Won't be the first time I've proved a precog wrong," she said with a shrug, but then once again her suspicions were raised. The way Eddie said it... that phrasing brought one person to mind, immediately. Claire's voice was a little harsher than she intended when she asked the question that every fiber of her being needed to ask, "Who?"

Eddie's admission of looking her up was as touching as it was unnerving. "Streisand Effect. We delete the video, it goes back up. Nope, not a Meta. Evolved human, or Evo for short, I guess." She'd originally hated the term Evo, but now she was coming around to it. "I hope what you did find was convincing enough. There's no way in the world I'd hurt my Bear."

Now some of Becca's articles about her and other Evos were out there on her Red Files blog. It was the one 'interview' Claire had ever done after that initial media frenzy the night of her jump. A small effort to put out some pro-Evo stories, to combat whatever negative press might be around.

If Eddie was talking about Eobard the way she guessed... Claire didn't know what to make of that. She regretted asking so rudely, but she needed to know.

From:

feelthelightning

The demand in he tone caught him by surprise and it showed. "A--" He stopped short. The man wasn't a friend. "relative of mine is a Meta." He answered. "He helped me with... something a year ago. I was supposed to die, apparently. He gave me a new chance at life. That's why I think he might be able to help you." He said carefully.

"I didn't find anything incriminating. That's what I was hoping for." Eddie answered calmly, smiling at the nickname.

From:

infinite1ups

The worst of Claire's history would have been erased for good, thanks to Rebel. Not that she had any dark secrets she hadn't already told Barry about, or at least had alluded to.

"Eobard," she breathed the name out at that description, almost on instinct. Her face went a bit pale. So Eddie knew. Eobard saved Eddie because of her, and her belief in him. She still couldn't bring herself to admit it. Did he know about Barry and Iris? She was just as afraid to ask that.

"I know him." He deserved to know that much, especially because he'd find out eventually anyway. "I'm not sure he'll help. At least... not more than he already has. He sent a message from the future about it."

Eobard's timeline meddling was self-serving at its core. He needed Eddie to survive, to ensure his own existence in the future. Claire's influence had caused Eobard to spare Eddie instead of just killing Barry. Sure, Eobard kept popping up as time remnants or whatever, but surely that wouldn't last forever. There had to be some sort of deadline, right? A point of no return where Eobard Thawne's existence could no longer be tenable. So long as Eddie stayed with Iris - or, barring that, Eddie didn't get with whoever enabled him to continue the line which produced Eobard in the future... maybe that was something they could work with. It was still a little selfish, on Claire's part, but now the success of Iris and Eddie's relationship also could serve a larger purpose.

She wasn't quite ready to let it slip to Eddie that there were already plans in place for her to talk to Eobard. Barry's continued abscene was starting to make her worried, and that nervousness could make her rambly. "What is taking so long? Where the hell is Barry?"

From:

feelthelightning

Eddie nearly choked on nothing when she breathed that name. He recoiled and then looked around as if the name might summon the man in yellow. "You know the Reverse-Flash?" He asked quietly. So, he'd also meddled in her future too. It was strange.

"He said he was trying to... do better." Thawne said, but he sounded sceptical. "Don't worry, we'll find a way. Bar never fails." He promised. Which, wasn't true if he'd actually died in the original timeline. But best not to bring that up again.

He started to pull out his phone when she expressed her agitated worry. "I'll call and see if something happened--" But with a gust a wind, Barry was at Claire's side again.

"Hey, sorry! Julian saw me with Joe and decided to give me a piece of his mind." Barry looked so very annoyed.

"Who?" Eddie looked to Barry.

"Uh... just some new CSI guy." Except he wasn't new. Not according to everyone else. But he had to remember that Eddie had been pulled from before Flashpoint, so he didn't know any of the changes to the timeline that Barry had caused. Only the ones Thawne had caused. What. A. Headache.

From:

infinite1ups

She just nodded at the question, and what Eddie said about Eobard trying to do better, almost looking regretful about it. Eobard must have said that before he found out she was with Barry. Now how many lives would he ruin because she had betrayed him? But, she thought, it was better that Eddie was alive than not. He seemed like a good guy, even if he did raise her suspicions sometimes - which, she had to admit, wasn't terribly hard to do.

The relief on Claire's face as Barry whooshed back to her side was obvious and instantaneous. She slipped her hand in with his and immediately looked less tense. "Ugh, I should've guessed you'd run into Juilan. For a moment I forgot he existed." The fortunate thing was that she had no idea how new Julian actually was, and she didn't really care to know. The two things she knew about him - that he annoyed Barry and hated Metas - were more than enough to ensure he wouldn't be on her good side and therefore she wouldn't care to know anything more.

"He's a jerk," she grumbled, then looked to Barry. "Is everything okay at work, though?" Technically, he'd be cleared to come off of leave now. If he was going back tomorrow, she planned to spend the day at the lab, unless her dad needed her for something. Being home by herself all day would drive her crazy. "Eddie and I were just chattin' about stuff." She briefly shot Eddie a friendly smile. "He's pretty cool."

From:

feelthelightning

Barry gave he hand a squeeze and laced their fingers, bumping his shoulders with her playfully. He could feel her relax and it made him happy.

"Yeah, he's... God, I hate him." Broken record much? Eddie almost looked amused that there was someone Barry hated like that.

"I can't believe there's actually someone who gets under your skin." Eddie teased.

"He's the worst! You have no idea!" Barry said dramatically. But he smiled at Claire. "Yeah, everything's okay. Singh's glad I'm doing better and he said he'll be happy to have me back to work."

Eddie smiled. "And I think she's pretty cool too." He admitted.

From:

infinite1ups

Barry was usually so cheerful and sweet that it was almost a little amusing to see him so irritated, but then it also had the added effect of making Claire angry on his behalf. It was probably for the best if she never met Julian, or else she might get Barry in trouble. The shoulder tackle she'd launched at Hartley sounded like a good place to start, the more she thought about it, so she quickly forced herself to start thinking about something else.

Besides, she could hardly stay annoyed for too long when Barry was smiling and Eddie was returning the compliment. Maybe he wasn't that sus, after all.

"It's been really nice to meet you, Eddie, but I think I'm kinda starving," Claire said, suddenly shy, gently nudging Barry's side with her arm. "I promised this guy spaghetti. But hey, remember-- don't forget the power of a bouquet of flowers," she added, teasingly. A not so subtle hint about his potential plans to stay in Central City a little while longer.

From:

feelthelightning

"It's been a pleasure, Claire. I think I'll take your advice." Eddie said with a smile and gave Barry a clap on the shoulder. Barry offered him a nod then scooped up Claire yet again, running off with her.

The world whirled around them and they were back home in no time. He carried Claire up to their couch, sitting down with her in his lap. His stomach growled, but he just needed a moment with her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect to see Eddie. That was a surprise. And sorry I took so long at the precinct. I hope things went okay with you and Eddie. He's a Thawne, but he's not like the Reverse-Flash at all. He's actually a good guy."

From:

infinite1ups

Claire was pleased by that response from Eddie, and even more pleased when Barry scooped her up and took them home. She cuddled right in on the couch. Honestly? She needed a moment, too.

"Hey, it's okay." Her voice was soft and reassuring, with a kiss to his cheek. "It was a little awkward at first, but yeah. He's a good guy."

She was hesitant on the next part, but she truly couldn't hide anything from Barry. "Mr. Detective could tell I was stressed. I didn't tell him everything, of course, but I did tell him vaguely about the threat looming over me. He offered to help, so... I think he might be staying a bit longer, instead of going back to New York." A content little smile warmed her features, though it was a touch sheepish. "I suggested he surprise Iris with flowers. 'Cause, y' know, it worked when you surprised me on our first date."

From:

feelthelightning

Barry stroked his fingers through her hair slowly. "She'll like that. You kept those flowers until they wilted. I'll have to get you more soon." He leaned in and kissed her between the eyes. "I'm glad he's willing to help. I just hope him being here doesn't cause trouble." He didn't know any of the details of the mess with Eobard and Eddie. He just knew the basics and the result, so maybe things would be fine.

"You didn't tell him you were planning on talking to Thawne, did you? That may not be the best idea." He tipped his head so his cheek could rest against the top of her head. "Iris wants to treat us to dinner. I invited her over here instead to spare us her cooking. But maybe with Eddie staying, we can double-date and go out to eat somewhere which will solve the problem."

From:

infinite1ups

She beamed at the kiss, the snuggled in more so Barry could rest his head on hers. There were some worries in the back of her mind that Eddie staying could be dangerous, but she didn't know exactly what the threat might entail or what to do about it.

"Eddie was talking about asking Eobard for help, actually," Claire replied with a shaky sigh. The part about Eobard saying he was been trying to do better, that was haunting her. "I shot that idea down. Figured he'd find out one way or another eventually so I told him I know Eobard. but I didn't tell Eddie anything about our plans. I just said I didn't know if Eobard would help more than he already has, and mentioned a message from the future. I didn't go into details."

Claire pulled back to meet Barry's eyes with a worried frown. "I didn't just put Eddie in danger, did I? Or Iris? He just-- there was this look in his eyes, like he really didn't want to leave. And he seemed genuinely concerned when I mentioned my life was in danger, so I thought it'd be nice. Two birds, you know? He gets a little more time with Iris, and maybe his detective skills can be of some help." She tried to smile again, but she was still worried. "And we can definitely double-date."

If that went well, maybe she could show Iris a trick or two in the kitchen. It'd be nice if they could be friends, and if Claire could let go of all those jealous feelings. That'd stick it to Eobard, combating all his hate and conflict with love and friendship. The prospect of two different double-dates was exciting too. Barry had turned her into such a romantic, she could swear - now love was in the air!

"Did you know Eddie looked me up when he heard we were dating?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

From:

feelthelightning

Barry lifted his head in alarm and looked down at her with shocked, wide eyes. "Why would he suggest going to Thawne? How would he go to Thawne?" He didn't like any of that, actually. It not only meant Thawne had changes the timeline, but when he'd done so, he'd directly talked to Eddie. How much did Eddie know?

"What? No. You didn't put anyone in danger. Eddie's the kind of guy who probably already had his mind made up to stay. Let me tell you something about Eddie; before he even knew I was the Flash, he wanted to arrest the Flash. He hated the idea of a masked vigilante. Afraid I could just use my powers to turn against the people I was helping since I hid my face because there would be no repercussions. But when I was fighting Snart and Rory, Snart had me dead to rights. I was on the ground and Snart and Rory were over me with the Cold and Heat Guns about to finish me off and Eddie jumped in with a ballistic shield. He blocked their fire and saved my life. He didn't know who I was, he didn't even like the Flash, he could have died there. But he did it anyway. Eddie impulsively acts on his desire to do the right thing. He would have helped anyway."

Her next admission made him laugh. "You know, I'm surprised Joe didn't do the same thing. He was Joe's partner. Detective Pretty Boy Joe used to call him before they actually became friends. But he tried to treat us like family."

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Flashpoint: Heroes

November 2025

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feelthelightning - XD Nah, that was very sweet of her! Prepare for awkwardness.

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