Flashpoint: Heroes

She remembered the part about Gideon saying the antidote was in development, but had the timeline of events all wrong in relation to when things were happening to her. It was probably for the best that she didn't realize how truly dire the situation had been for Barry. Just seeing him like this had her nervous enough already.

So much for not worrying as much knowing that he could heal. To be fair, that toxin changed everything, as far as she was concerned. She was going to be on edge until they got the all clear from Caitlin.

Claire did relax, however, as Barry rested his hand over hers. Calling her 'sweetheart' didn't hurt, either. She blushed faintly, offering a smile. "Maybe taking a couple days off isn't such a bad idea, then. I'd like to meet Jesse." And she even managed to perk up a bit. "I was gonna pick up my dad from the airport but he said he's renting a car when he lands. Pretty sure it's because he knows how protective I am about Penny and how much I'd hate driving her in airport traffic. But he should be here either tomorrow or the next day."

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"I guess picking him up Flash Express is out of the question now." Barry joked. There were a few people who explicitly told him they'd rather walk unless it was an emergency. Joe was one. Unless Joe was actively in danger, Barry wasn't allowed to run him anywhere. Diggle was another. But at least with Diggle, he had to deal with it if they needed him in Central City fast. Ollie wasn't a fan either but Barry was sure it was more a motion sick and physical contact thing for him.

"I'm sure right after seeing Harry, the first thing Jesse will wanna do is thank you for saving him. They don't always see eye-to-eye, but they love each other. I'm sometimes surprised he lets us keep him from her this long."

Joe faced Claire. "You're gonna have to promise me you won't let him go trying to save the city while he's like this." He said firmly.

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"He'll be just fine renting a boring SUV," Claire laughed, now feeling much more at ease. Noah would probably join the 'only in an emergency' club. The smile lingered as they talked about Jesse. "I was actually gonna thank her for letting us borrow Harry."

She looked to Joe and gave a solemn nod. "You have my word. At this rate I might not let him out of my sight until we're both clear of this damn toxin." As much as she'd been part of attacks in Central City already, she wouldn't be surprised if Barry was feeling the same about her.

She smiled at Barry. "What d'you think, babe? A little staycation while we're on the mend? From what Harry told me about Jesse... I feel good about trusting her."

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"From what I hear, she encourages him to stay here." Joe said. "Something about him seeming happier around all of us. You might ask her when you see her." Joe suggested. He may not be a scientist like the rest of them, but he was a damn good cop and he noticed these things too. The way Harry acted around Team Flash. The way Jesse sent him sad, longing glances when she actually saw him being animated with everyone like it wasn't something she got to see very often. She wanted her father to be happy but Wells had such a strong sense of duty to Jesse that he made himself miserable for her.

Barry looped an arm around Claire and leaned against her. "I think that sounds like a great idea, sweetheart. I hope your dad won't mind that we'll be attached at the hip."

"Dinner bell in the Cortex. Chop, chop, people!" Cisco's voice rang over the PA system.

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As Joe spoke, it made sense with what she knew about Harry. It was similar to how Claire sometimes encouraged her dad to come out of retirement. Noah didn't want to admit how bored he was, how much time he spent alone. She felt bad about some of that, but it wasn't like she has ever fallen completely out of contact with him, even when she'd first run off.

Now, when he saw her settled and happy, she hoped that it'd make him feel better. Less like he'd failed her. "I'll try to talk to her about it. I think she and I will have plenty in common."

She let Barry lean on her with a grin. "He's gonna love you. It might just be a little weird at first 'cause I haven't introduced him to anyone I've dated in like, years. Not since... before I dropped out of college."

Okay, maybe she should have expected some kind of PA or intercom, but Cisco's voice still surprised her. She checked the cut on Barry's head. "Looks like we stopped the bleeding," she said, then moved to her feet and offered him a hand. "C'mon, my darlin', I'm starving after this morning. You don't wanna see me when I'm hangry."

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Barry was both excited and nervous to meet her father, despite Claire's reassurances. She'd met the team dads now and he would give anything to have been able to introduce her to his biological father, too, but Zoom stole that opportunity.

"Barr made it sound like he was in law enforcement too?" Joe said as he helped Barry to his feet with Claire. Barry had taken both their hands. He could tell Joe wanted to shoulder his weight, but was trying not to be too babying. Barry seemed to stand fine on his own, so Joe stopped hovering.

"I'm sure if we have to, we can grab a Snickers from Cisco's lab on the way." Barry teased. "He always has candy stashed around." He started for the hallway, looping an arm around her waist and pecking her cheek with a kiss.

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"Not exactly? It was an organization that deals with evolved humans like me," she tried to explain. "It's just kind of easier to say he worked for the government, 'cause he did consult with them a little after The Company disbanded."

Claire fell into step with Barry as he got his arm around her and they all headed toward the Cortex. "I will endure," she promised with a laugh. She understood the regret over not being able to meet Barry's biological father - it bummed her out that he couldn't meet Nathan and Meredith.

At least she felt confident that everyone else was going to adore Barry. Heck, they'd probably get along with the team here, too. She was over the moon to be getting along with everyone so well, herself.

When they were just outside the Cortex, she glanced up at Barry, smiling softly. "How's your head?"

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"That sounds a lot heavier than what I do." Joe admitted and left it at that.

Barry offered her a smile. "I mean, it feels like I ran into a concrete wall, but it's still on my shoulders. It's not the first time I've run into a wall and it won't be the last time, either." Barry answered lightheartedly.

As soon as they were in the Cortex, Cisco looked up then surprise crossed his face. "Woah! Was there a Meta battle while I was gone?" He asked.

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He didn't sound the way Harry did, concussed in her kitchen, which was mostly what she was checking for. Now she was getting to that point of not having to worry as much, and... it was weird. In a good way, possibly the best way.

"Less a Meta and more the wall in the Speed Lab. The fact that I'm still infected with that chameleon toxin had me worried about Barry so we checked it out. Guess it's better to find out in here than in the middle of Flash stuff, huh?" Claire explained. She really did feel like part of the team already. Nothing had felt so nice in a long time.

The smell of the food had her stomach grumbling, and she excused herself to quickly clean up a bit before lunch. Seemed appropriate after all she'd been doing that morning. She also wanted to see how Harry was doing.

But nothing could keep Claire from her extra pickles for too long. "Thanks for doing the food run, Cisco. I'll do the honors next time."

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Barry didn't have a concussion. His healing seemed to make him a lot more durable than he should be. Hitting a concrete wall at that speed would have killed a normal person. Coming to an abrupt stop at 120 MPH would kill most, but when he ran, the Speed Force excited his cells which saved him from things like the deadly effects of G-forces, so his 600 MPH tumble wasn't much worse than a marathon runner tripping at full tilt.

"Oh, shoot!" Cisco looked alarmed. "So you're both still whammied by chameleon? That's bad! Does Caitlin know?" Cisco was laying out their orders on different surfaces, but he'd paused now that he was fussing over Barry.

"Do I know what?" Caitlin asked as she stepped into the Cortex to get Harry's food for him. He was sitting up and awake, but not out of bed at least. And Cait was going to keep him that way as long as she could.

Cisco nodded when Claire thanked him and held out her meal and drink.

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Claire grabbed her stuff from Cisco with a grin and found herself a spot to settle in and eat. She was quickly picking up on just how much his powers protected him from those high speeds. It was impressive, the more she thought about what she'd learned so far.

"I'm not the only one still affected by the bad karma chameleon," Claire told Caitlin, with a pointed glance toward Barry, in between bites of fries. "Since I heal faster than Barry, I had concerns... sometimes I hate being right."

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Cait brought Harry his food and picked up her pizza pocket. He was straining to listen in on their conversation.

"I'll run some labs on Barry and get an accurate measure of how strong the toxin is in his system." She moved to one of the computers in her lab and pulled up the telemetry from his suit. "It looks like he ran for a while without issue. There." She paused the readings where the Speed Force dipped below 100% for a fraction of a second, then his vitals went out of whack as he panicked with his tumble. "It's minimal. We've seen his levels fall worse," She glanced at Harry. It hadn't exactly been meant to be accusatory but he took it that way, averting his gaze. "but any fluctuation at those speeds is enough to be a problem."

"Perhaps we should flood both your systems with the anti-venom again, just to bolster your immune systems." Harry suggested, his voice was raspy. "It can't hurt. I can help Snow synthesise the antidote again. Maybe tweak it to be more effective with your healing factor now that I know a little more about how yours works."

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There was more to that look, Claire knew, but she thought maybe it was a story for another time. "Yeah, everything was going fine. I was talking to Joe, and then... boom, Barry was down. I'm just glad it wasn't worse."

She nodded at Harry's suggestion, but also put up a hand in a 'slow down' kind of gesture. "Barry and I are gonna be taking it easy for the next couple days, so you don't have to push yourself, Harry. We can keep an eye on labs and how we're feeling, but I don't think seems too critical at the moment."

And as much as she'd been freaking out about this, it really was saying something that she'd finally reached a more peaceful mental state with regard to how to move forward. It was a relief that they'd run a test here instead of finding out the hard way. She trusted the team, and her dad would be there soon. This wasn't something she had to face alone.

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"Barry's tough." Caitlin said reassuringly with a small, tight smile. "He's taken some pretty bad tumbles. He'll be okay." She reached out and touched Claire's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Allen doesn't know the meaning of taking it easy." Harry grumbled. "And I get the feeling you don't either. It's my fault he's still fighting this venom. I thought I'd accounted for his metabolism, but I didn't do a good enough job. You're both hurt because of me, and I'm stuck in this damn--"

"Harry!" Caitlin cut him off and the hand over Claire's got very chilly, but the hidden Meta cuffs kept her power in check. The outburst from Cait seemed to silence even the chatter in the Cortex. "Claire can help me synthesise the antidote."

Cisco leaned in and knocked on the door frame, looking at Claire worriedly. "Everything okay in here?"

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"Even vefore my regen manifested, I never got sick. I was always the kid with perfect attendance. Then, ironically enough, I started missing a whole bunch of school." It had been ten years, she could find humor in those earliest traumatic days. "So now I'm actually getting kinda hyped up to finally have a sick day. Trust me, I'll make Barry relax." Their honeymoon phase could have a little unofficial honeymoon, the way she saw it.

The sudden chill on Claire's hand was startling, but she was easily able to play if off as though it was due to Cait suddenly raising her voice. She quickly smiled, waving her free hand in dismissal. "Everything's fine! I can help Caitlin with the antidote. I was gonna show my dad around, but I can guarantee he'd rather make sure I get clear of this toxin than go sightseeing."

She shot Caitlin a little smile. Her secret woild remain safe.

Edited Date: 2025-09-04 07:47 pm (UTC)

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"Make sure you're both relaxing." Harry said firmly, barely bothered by Caitlin's outburst. Or, if he was, he didn't show it.

Cait lifted her hand from Claire's after a moment. She'd wanted to jerk it back as soon as she felt how hot Claire's felt under hers, but knew that would bring attention to everything. "You're extra irritable." She stated and got up. She located his meds and brought a small cup with painkillers over to him.

He took his meds with his soda and thanked her quietly, apologising just as quietly to her and Claire, then went back to his food. It wasn't just pain, it was suffocating guilt, on top of it, but the meds couldn't help that.

Cisco gave them all a warm smile and an 'ok' sign with his hand then went back to the Cortex. Caitlin sat back down and smiled at Claire. "How long is he staying?"

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"I can relax just fine! In fact, I can relax even easier with Barry." Claire didn't see it as Harry's fault at all. She had been reckless in that fight, letting herself take a hit even after Snart had warned her about the chameleon's claws. Somehow she didn't think Harry would accept that if she tried to convince him, though.

"Like a week, I think? He didn't really give me an answer when I asked." It almost made her think he was up to something. "But he did say he'll text me when he gets his rental and he's on his way from the airport. I'm so excited for him to meet y'all." Her cheeks flushed faintly. "I... haven't really had a life worth showing off to him in quite a while."

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"Is he in on the whole...?" Caitlin gestured around them as if that should explain what she was trying to say. "Superpowers thing?"

Harry still felt responsible for every Meta that attacked thinking he was Thawne, even if he had no control over that at all. His particle accelerator didn't explode like Thawne's, but there had been an unexpected wave of dark matter that he directed underground when he powered his on, and that had still changed people. So he felt like Thawne's sins were also his own because he never paid for them on his Earth. So, even if she was reckless, if Thawne hadn't created the chameleon, it wouldn't be there to hurt her.

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"Dad doesn't have powers, but he taught me almost everything I know about it. He's worked with people like me for a long time. Meta-humans are new to him, though. He sounded pretty eager to learn and help however he can, even if he was pretending to be enjoying his retirement."

Even if she hadn't met Harry, Claire still had a connection to Thawne. Any Meta with a grudge could've found her, regardless. Arguably, it might have been worse if she had carried on their partnership. It couldn't really be said whether or not Thawne would feel guilty about it. Sure, he had said he'd protect her, but now she was convinced he had been manipulating her.

That was what hurt the most about the whole thing. He had seemed so honest, so genuinely fond of her. What if he had been, now she was ghosting him and betraying him on top of that? He would be pushed even further into madness, and it'd be her fault. There was no one she could talk to about it. She was committed to her relationship with Barry, her new friends, and her promise to stay away from Thawne. She didn't want to do or say anything that might call her that into question.

But that didn't mean it wasn't eating at her. She pushed those thoughts away for now.

"Oh! Caitlin - my dad has a geneticist friend. I could talk to him about maybe seeing if Mohinder is interested in a chat? Dr. Suresh is legit, he works a lot with evolved humans."

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"It still blows my mind that there have been people with powers before Metas." Caitlin sounded awed. "Some people just can't stay in retirement." She doubted she'd be able to.

They would constantly assure her that Thawne only cared about himself, but only Thawne would know for sure whether he'd truly cared for Claire or whether she was another means to an end. Perhaps both. Barry would never accept that Thawne could care for anyone though. Cisco could believe it, but Cisco also knew what it was like to be one of the few Thawne cared about but at the same time, he'd kill them anyway. The only thing they knew for sure, that this path would cause upset and they were prepared to fight for Claire.

"I'd love to chat with him!" She lit up at the idea.

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"I'm surprised y'all were in the dark after my televised swan-dive," Claire said casually, but with a small sense of relief. "But I guess it tracks, I don't get recognized as much anymore." She looked to Harry with a grin, "And maybe the Earth-2 version of Claire Bennet made better life choices, if she exists at all." Because she just knew the words 'televised swan-dive' were going to get a look from him.

Knowing that everyone would fight for her, with her, was perhaps the hardest part. The most difficult and bitter pill to swallow. That they were all so ready to stand up for her and put themselves at risk for her. It had been her own foolish, naive heart that had gotten her all wrapped up with Thawne in the first place. At least she came to her senses and proved that she could, in fact, make better choices, she supposed.

Approaching Barry Allen was arguably the best decision of all. Though it was likely would've met him eventually anyway if she'd kept in touch with Harry after saving him.

"I'll let Dad know when he gets here." Claire hummed thoughtfully in between bites of pickle. "He's been acting a little cagey, almost makes me think he's got something up his sleeve. With him, it could be anything from a housewarming gift for my new apartment, to some kind of life-changing announcement. Honestly, I kind of hope he finds something to do. The sad divorced dad life is really not his style."

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That absolutely got a look from Harry. Stern and concerned father. While Cait covered her mouth in a small gasp. "Swan-dive off of what?" Harry asked firmly. THIS is why he does not think the two of you will be fine, Claire!

Cait could feel Harry's rising blood pressure even without an art line in his arm. "I'm sure it was an accident." She assured meekly and looked at Claire hopefully. But Harry knew better.

When she described Noah's lifestyle, Harry sipped his drink and glared, almost like he took personal offence to what she said. "Maybe he has other things he's focused on. His daughter doesn't have to constantly worry about his happiness. That's his prerogative, not hers." Someone's projecting. The look on Cait's face said just that.

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"...a Ferris wheel." She at least looked the part, ducking her head sheepishly. "Never again, though. I'm avoiding the public eye as much as possible." That much Harry could count on. If she really wanted the attention, she would've made a spectacle out of catching the chameleon, not helping to take it down and then disappearing.

"Actually, I think he was holding himself back 'cause he was worried about me. Way more than I was about him, and I worried about him a lot," Claire said softly. She knew exactly what Harry was doing, and she wasn't going to match his gruffness. "He liked having the time to be available whenever I'd roll through Arlington, or when I'd ask him to join me on one of my adventures." It was making up for all those times he wasn't there when she was little. All the 'business trips' when he was really out bagging and tagging evolved humans.

"But I also think he was kinda... waiting for something to happen. Waiting for someone to need him." If Harry felt called out again, it was not her intention.

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"To clarify, you will never again swan-dive off a ferris wheel or you just won't do it again in the public eye? Because those are two different promises, young lady." Claire, how do you activate Grumpy Dad mode so easily? You left Fun Dad in the Cortex.

Harry's gaze was so stern that Caitlin had to keep her mouth covered to hide her smile. Claire and her dad sounded like Jesse and Harry. "We don't know anyone like that, do we Harry?" Cait said fondly. "So you think he might be planning something when he visits here?"

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