Work Text:
Barry walks into STAR Labs to find Caitlin alone in the Cortex, hunched over in front of a single computer screen. From the monitor, he hears grunts and his curiosity is piqued.
"What'cha watching?" he asks, making his friend startle with a small shout.
"Barry!" Caitlin scolds, placing a hand to her chest. "Were you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Sorry," Barry apologizes with a smile. "I didn't mean to startle you. Whatever you're watching must be pretty intense. Is it one of Cisco's kung-fu movies?"
"No!" the woman scientist answers, moving to cover the screen as she looks at her friend. "It's nothing! Nothing to see at all. Boring stuff, really. What are you doing here, Barry? Looking for Cisco? Dr. Wells? Gonna do some training?"
"I was actually looking for Len," the hero answers. "He's been good about leaving notes about where he was going and the one on the fridge said he was coming here. Have you seen him?"
There's a shout from the monitor as Caitlin presses her lips together.
"What is that?" Barry asks, pushing his friend aside to get a look at the screen. It's a security monitor of the room where they failed to trap the Reverse Flash. Len is in the circle with another man and they're fighting. "Len!"
"It's not what you think," Caitlin frowns at the lighting trail of her friend.
Len falls backwards then Barry is suddenly there, pushing Hartley away from his foster brother.
"How did you get out?" the speedster shouts out angrily, body tense as he stands in front of his downed sibling.
"Chill, Barry," Len drawls as he gets back to his feet. "I let him out."
"You what?" Barry snaps, turning to glare at his brother.
"Before you get angry at me, you should talk some sense into your friend there," Hartley remarks angrily.
"I did it for your own good," Len returns evenly.
"You had no right to stick your nose into my affairs!" Hartley barks, taking a step closer.
"Hey!" Barry gets in his way, hands up and ready to stop him. "Watch yourself, Hartley. Why don't you start by telling me what this is all about?"
"Lion-Heart went to my parents," Hartley answers with narrowed eyes. "He's trying to set me up!"
"With a meeting with your mother!" Len returns, anger building. "You should be glad you still have one, you ingrate!"
The room stills as Len and Hartley continue to glare at each other, unaware of the minute flinch from the third person in the room.
"I think we should shelf this argument until later," Barry says, looking to his foster brother. "Len, I need to talk to you."
Len blinks away his glare to look at his sibling. He sees something in the way the speedster holds himself and he nods.
"Can you put Hartley back first?"
"I'm not a toy!" is all Hartley gets out before he's returned to his cell.
Barry stops again in front of his brother.
"Fighting with Hartley? Really, Len?" the speedster mocks.
"I already explained myself once, Barry," Len returns as he moves to walk out of the room. After jumping off the slightly raised portion of the containment room, he pauses with a wince and puts a hand to his chest.
"You couldn't help hindering the healing process could you," Barry scolds as he watches the other man recover.
"I'm fine," Len assures him, straightening to walk the rest of the way out of the room. "I can take pain meds too; so no matter what, I'm better off than you."
"It's because you don't have super healing that you shouldn't jump back into doing whatever you want, Len," Barry argues as he follows after him into the hallway.
"I never should have agreed to stay in the house again," Len frowns. "You're all babying me to death. Just so you know, I'm leaving tonight. No more parental notes either."
"We wouldn't have asked you to write those notes if you didn't always run off to do super secret things behind our backs," his foster brother returns.
Len stops to raise a brow at the speedster. "Me run off? You do know how that sounds, right?"
"I know that it's up to you, me, and Joe to protect the others from-" Barry steps closer to lower his voice, "You-know-who."
"I've already got some ideas about that," Len assures the other man with a pat on the shoulder. "In the mean time, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? Or were you lying to Hartley because you still hate him for Sicko's sake?"
"Cisco wasn't the only one Hartley verbally abused," Barry points out. "He wasn't nice to Caitlin either."
"I'm sure he also wrote mean spirited Christmas cards to a host of other people," Len rolls his eyes. "But that's neither here nor there, now is it?"
"Len, can't you let this go until after more important things are handled?" Barry asks.
"No one's life is more important than another person's," his foster brother answers seriously. "Except for psychopathic killers. Change starts one step at a time, Barry. I'm a prime example of that."
Barry sighs in frustration as Len walks away from him again. They arrive back at the Cortex where a nervous looking Caitlin is waiting for them.
"I'm sorry," she says to Len. "I tried to keep him here, but I couldn't."
"It's fine, Caitlin," Len smiles at her. "Barry was born with an unnaturally large nose."
"You're the one putting yourself in the middle of Hartley's business!" the speedster argues.
"He's also a bit of a complainer," Len winks at Caitlin, who giggles as Barry throws his hands up in defeat.
"Okay, we've got to go now," Barry prompts his foster brother.
"I'll see you around, Caitlin," Len waves as he follows his sibling out of the building.
In Len's car, the elder waits until he's pulled out of the parking lot to address the younger.
"Well? What is it already?"
"I think we should tell Cisco and Caitlin what we know about Dr. Wells," Barry spits out faster than he meant to.
"Why?"
"Why? To protect them, of course! Wells could be using them! Or...Or he could kill them if they stumble upon his secret alone."
"That sounds like a lot of maybes, Barry."
"You think leaving them in the dark would be better? They could be able to help us!"
"Or they could slip up and Wells will figure out we know he isn't the good guy he pretends to be." Len glances over to his foster brother and lets out a sigh when he sees the frown. "We've had this conversation with Joe plenty of times, Barry. Why are you bringing it up again with just me?"
"I was hoping you'd change your mind and help me change Joe's," the hero grumbles.
"There is going to be a time when we tell them," Len assures him. "When that time is, exactly, is the problem. You can't take information back once it's given. We have got to be careful."
"I know," Barry sighs. "But...They're my friends. Caitlin is your friend too. I don't want anything to happen to them."
"I know, Barry," Len replies soberly. "And I'm sorry for that. Just...Give it a little more time, okay?"
The younger brother crosses his arms, "Fine."
---
When the CCPD get the call about a murdered woman named Lindsay Kang, Len has been put on on desk duty after his last brush with danger; so Joe, Eddie, and Barry go without him.
Outwardly, Barry does his job as a regular CSI, but secretly he takes samples to bring to S.T.A.R. Labs. He doesn't feel comfortable being there, near 'that man', but it's a necessary evil that he forces himself to handle so that he can stop another murder.
'Death by Bee' is an unpleasant way to go and how Miss Kang was killed, but there were no stingers on the body from the honey bees and the toxicity is higher than it should be. The possibility for a Meta seems more likely.
"Anyone wanna join me in getting a beekeeper suit?" Cisco asks warily.
"I'm pretty sure I can out run a bee," Barry confidently states with a smile.
"Just don't run into a lake," Felicity Smoak's voice suddenly says into the room. The entire team turns to the blonde genius as she adds, "The bees will wait for you to come up for air, and then they'll sting you."
Lisa pops her head into the room with a bright smile, "Turns out the Discovery Channel has a lot to discover."
"Felicity? Lisa? Wha-What are you both doing here?" Barry asks as his foster sister moves to stand beside the blonde woman.
"Can you guys come outside for a sec?" Felicity asks instead of answering, to which Lisa giggles excitedly.
The group goes outside.
After a few minutes of nothing, Cisco turns to his girlfriend. "What's going on? Should I be concerned about your mental well being?"
"No more than I should about your fashion sense," Lisa jokes. "A beekeeper suit? No, no, it simply won't do, babe."
"What exactly are we waiting for, Ms. Smoak?" Dr. Wells asks before the genius can comment.
Felicity smiles as she points skyward, "Up there."
A dot turns into a comma-sized something that zig-zags towards them, growing in size with every uneven motion. Caitlin and Cisco try to haphazard a guess until the shape reveals itself to be a full grown man in a suit. The man lands in front of the group, breaking the concrete under him.
"It's my boss-slash-friend-slash-bodyguard," Felicity answers as the man rises to remove his helmet.
"Oh! I can't wait to hear the details on that," Lisa comments with a nudge to the blonde.
"Hi!" the newcomer, a brunette with a bright smile, waves at them all. "I'm Ray."
Back inside the building, Ray removes his suit. Caitlin checks the man over, while Cisco and Wells check the tech.
After Ray is given the 'all clear' Dr. Wells voices how he's impressed with the man's technology.
"And he is never impressed," Caitlin remarks with a smile to the suit's creator.
"Thank you, but I can't quite keep it up," Ray says as he looks to his creation.
"Crash and burn," Lisa giggles as Felicity rushes to her friend's aid.
"The suit!" The blonde clarifies. "I told him how great you were with Barry and his Flash suit and thought you could look at the A.T.O.M. suit. See if there's anything he might have missed."
"Any friend of the Arrow's-" Dr. Wells starts, to which Cisco interrupts with a fervent "Yes."
"We've still got our bee controlling Meta," Barry reminds his team.
"I'm sure Caitlin and I will be ample support," Wells assures him.
"And I will happily sit this one out," Cisco smiles.
"Great!" Lisa claps her hands. "Muscles can stay here to play with his toys while Barry and I take Felicity to get something to drink. I'm parched!"
"Wait, shouldn't I go too?" Ray interrupts as they start to walk away. "I am supposed to be protecting you, Felicity."
"Yeah, but Barry can do that too," the blonde points out. "We're also in another city, so I doubt there will be much of a problem."
"Why do you even need protection, Felicity?" Caitlin asks.
"It's just an over-precautious step," Felicity waves her hand. "Nothing to worry about. We're fine. I'm fine. I think I should go now, though."
"Have fun, Cisco!" Lisa calls out as she leads her foster brother and friend out of the building.
"Oh, you know I will," Cisco mumbles to himself as he returns his focus to the suit.
- - -
At the CCPD, Len is typing up reports when Iris walks in and heads to Eddie's desk.
"Hey, stranger," she smiles, pulling the man's face in for a quick kiss. She winks at the glare sent her way before focusing on her boyfriend. "You ready for our lunch date?"
"Actually, I still have several things I have to do," Eddie answers. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour. Don't you have a story to write?"
"I finished it," Iris shrugs. "It was a piece about the lack of crime in Central City. The Flash has been pretty busy recently."
"I don't know how you can keep track of a man who runs as fast as he does," Eddie says, amazed. "Do you...know him, or something?"
"If I knew who The Flash was, don't you think I would have convinced him to do an interview?" his girlfriend answers with a raised brow.
"Right," the blonde detective smiles. "What was I thinking?"
"Nothing," Len speaks up. "As usual."
"I guess we'll rain check then," Iris says, ignoring her foster brother as she leans down to kiss her boyfriend again. "I'll make us a special dinner instead."
With another quick kiss, Iris turns and leaves the room. Eddie tries to focus on his computer but eventually gives up in favor of chasing after his girlfriend.
Joe passes him on the way, but his partner ignores his greeting as he practically runs from the room. When the older detective gets back to his desk, he sighs when he realizes the reason why.
"You're going to have to cut that out," Joe states as he takes his seat. "It's getting old."
"Said the old man," his foster son returns. Dropping the icy glare and his voice, he says, "Blondie was asking about how Iris knew The Flash so well. Barry needs to stop giving her the play-by-play."
"Her work mainly revolves around what The Flash does for Central City," Joe returns, voice just as low. "Why should she appear strange by having secret connections?"
"And what happens when he starts putting together your connection as well?" Len presses. "We've got to rein in the bonding when it comes to hero duty."
"I'll get right on that," Joe shakes his head with no intention of following through with his words.
- - -
At Jitters, Lisa sits beside Felicity while Barry sits across from them.
"So how did you know Felicity was coming to town?" Barry asks his foster sister.
"As if my bestie would arrive and not tell me," Lisa rolls her eyes dramatically. "Honestly, Barry, I'm insulted."
"That reminds me," Felicity pipes up, turning to the other woman. "I need to kiss your brother."
Lisa's face lights up in amusement, "Things with Ollie that bad?"
"No-no," the blonde smiles. "Because of something he said, I had weeks of Happy Oliver and I want to thank him."
"Only weeks?" Lisa remarks. "What's going on now?" She fake gasps. "Is Ray really your boyfriend now?"
"What? No. Never. Well," Felicity's face scrunches up in thought, then she shakes her head. "Maybe, if I wasn't already involved. But...No. It's complicated, but no."
"O-K," Lisa laughs. She drums on the table with her fingers, then points to the ordering counter, "I'm going to get us something. You two, talk amongst yourselves."
Lisa pats her friend on the back as she passes behind her. Felicity turns to Barry, interlaces her fingers to place them on the table, and waits expectantly.
"What?" Barry asks.
"You wanna tell me what's going on?" she prompts.
"Nothing," the hero lies, averting his eyes.
"Barry," Felicity warns. "Come on. Is it-" she leans forwards to ask quietly, "Are you angry at me because I told Ray your secret? Because he is trustworthy; I promise. He wants to help people, like you."
"Yeah, I know," the brunette nods. "It's not that."
"Then what is it?" the blonde presses. "Hurry up and spit it out before Lisa comes back, because if you're reluctant to talk about it, I know you're keeping it from her."
"It's just...I really don't want to put anyone else in danger," Barry deflects, locking eyes with his friend in an attempt to convince her to drop it.
It doesn't work.
"In danger of what?"
"Felicity!" Iris's voice calls out as the woman walks over, her arm wrapped around Eddie's. She looks between the blonde and her foster brother, "When did you arrive in Central City? How is everyone at Starling?"
"Just today and we're good," Felicity answers as she gets up to give the other woman a hug. "How are things with you and Eddie? Len break you up yet?"
"He's certainly tried," Iris jokes back. "Hey, are you here with Oliver? Maybe we can double date? Triple, if Barry can invite Linda."
"I don't know-" Barry starts, but Felicity interrupts him.
"Oliver has a lot on his plate and had to stay at Starling," she says sadly. "But, we can still go out and have a nice dinner together. It would be fun and I could introduce you to my new boss-friend."
"You're friends with your boss?" Eddie asks. "And you travel with him?"
"Eddie, don't sound so judgmental," his girlfriend scolds.
Lisa steps up to the table with three drinks in hand.
"I walk away for a second and a party breaks out?" she comments as she gets back to her seat.
"You want to join us for a dinner get-together?" Felicity asks her friend. "Barry's going to get Linda, Iris will have Eddie, and I'll bring Ray."
"You think Cisco will be able to walk away from his new man-crush?" Lisa jokes with a grin.
"Man crush?" Eddie repeats, confused.
"It's a nerd thing," Felicity waves off the other blonde's confusion. "Ray Palmer is the genius behind Palmer Tech. Also, my new boss turned friend."
"Guys," Barry tries again. "I don't even know if Linda is in town. Sometimes she had to leave to cover sports events and-"
"What's going on here?" Linda says, stepping up to the huddle of people. She smiles at her boyfriend, "Hey, Barry. I heard my name, you saying nice things about me?"
"What is it about Jitters that randomly brings people together?" the speedster asks the world in general.
"Linda," Lisa waves a hand to get the woman's attention. When she does, she points to Felicity. "This is my best friend, Felicity. She's in town for the day and wants to invite you to a dinner gathering. You interested?"
"Is it going to be just us girls?" Linda asks.
"Nope," Lisa smiles. "We're all supposed to bring our second half, but Licy has to settle for her boss because her beau can't make it."
"That sounds like an interesting story I'd like to hear," Linda says, curiosity captured. She looks to her boyfriend. "I'm in if you are, Barry."
The speedster lets out a defeated sigh. "I guess we'll all meet up tonight then?"
"It's a date!" Lisa claps her hands together excitedly.
"One that we can't tell Len about," Iris adds, to which her boyfriend nods in agreement.
"He's grouchily moving back to his place tonight. He won't even notice," Lisa assures them.
Barry's phone goes off with the incoming message about another bee attack.
"I'll see where Joe is," Eddie offers, "Do you want to ride with me?"
"I'll take my car and meet you there," the speedster lies. As the blonde detective runs out of the coffee shop, Barry rounds the table to kiss Linda on the cheek before running (at regular speed) after him.
"Bee careful!" Felicity calls after him.
Linda, Iris and Lisa turn to the blonde woman.
"Seriously?" they chime.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it," Felicity ducks her head to hide her blush.
- - -
The Flash arrives at Folston Tech too late to save the latest victim.
"Where are the bees?" Cisco asks over the coms nervously.
Barry looks around but, "I don't know. There's no sign of them."
Then the bees comes out of the dead man's body.
"Found them."
Barry runs.
The bees chase him.
When he finally makes it out of the building, the bees have completely swarmed him, stinging him hundreds of times until he passes out on the ground.
In front of Joe.
"Barry!" the detective shouts as he runs away from his parked vehicle to check on his foster son. He puts a hand to the speedster's chest but doesn't feel any movement. "Barry, stay with me."
After checking for a pulse and finding none, Joe calls Cisco. He starts chest compresses as the line rings. The second the other line clicks on, he shouts, "Cisco! Barry doesn't have a pulse!"
"Step away from him!" the genius orders.
"What? Why?"
"We need to jump-start his heart. There's a defibrillator in the suit."
Joe hesitates for a second. then grabs his phone and stands away from his boy.
There's a shock that sends Joe's own heart into overdrive, but Barry doesn't wake up after it.
The second shock causes Barry to gasp, then cough into wakefulness. Joe is instantly at the speedster's side grabbing his hand and helping him to sit up.
"Barry," he says, pulling the young man into his arms.
"Joe," Barry wheezes out, then drops his head against his foster father.
Joe holds tightly to his son as he breathes through the panic and fear that still gripped him. This is what he hated most about Barry being a hero. There was always a chance that his boy would get too hurt; that he could die and be taken away from him.
Joe clutches even tighter to Barry as the young man still struggles to catch his breath; the ragged heave of the body in his arms both frightening and relieving.
Because as long as Barry was still breathing, he was still alive.
- - -
After dropping Barry off at S.T.A.R. Labs to recover completely, Joe returns to the crime scene to work it with Eddie. Len, who had heard about the attack, arrives shortly after his foster father left and is quickly brought up to speed.
"Let me get this straight, you died?" Len growls at the hero as he lays in the medical bed.
"Temporarily?" Barry tries to lessen the severity of the glare sent this way.
"What were you thinking!" his foster brother snaps.
"I thought I could out-run a little bee!" the speedster defends himself.
"Apparently, you can't!" Len points out. "What was Plan B?"
At Barry's silence, Cisco steps in. "I don't think that yelling at him will help the situation."
"What about you then?" Len turns on the man. "You're supposed to have something in between your ears that's remarkable. Why haven't you come up with a way to stop the killer bees?"
"What do you expect me to come up with?" Cisco counters. "A pheromone gun?"
"Don't bees communicate through subsonic frequencies or something?" Len asks.
Caitlin steps up to answer, "Although sounds have shown signs of affecting nature, bees are known to use pheromones or dances to communicate."
"Then maybe you guys can create a super can of Raid," Len suggests. "Anything's better than sending Barry out there defenseless."
"I'm not defenseless," the hero states. "I have my powers."
"Which do you no good when you're swarmed and stung enough to die," Len growls.
"Although we understand your frustration, escalating things into a shouting match won't alter the facts," Dr. Wells points out. "It is our job to protect Barry and we failed. This will only strengthen our resolve and make us more vigilant in the future."
"Just be glad you have a future," Len threatens with a point of his finger.
"Len," Barry reaches for his brother as he sits up. "Don't."
Len takes the hand and helps ease his foster brother up.
"If you're all content to sit on your hands instead of figuring out how to stop the killer bees," he says quietly. "Then I'll go to someone else for ideas."
Len pats his brother on the shoulder before walking out of the room.
"Should we...go after him?" Caitlin asks worriedly.
"No," Barry shakes his head. "he's probably going to talk to Hartley."
"The man has bad taste in friends," Cisco frowns, returning his attention to The Flash suit.
"And anger issues," Ray comments, having remained silent during Len's visit and tirade.
"Word," Cisco snorts. "Just be glad you're not dating anyone in his family."
Felicity and Lisa arrive in time to hear Caitlin give Barry a clean bill of health.
In a bolt of lightning and gust of air, the speedster is out and dressed, ready to go to dinner.
"Must be nice to be able to do that," Lisa remarks with a touch of wistfulness in her voice.
"Barry, are you sure you should be going out?" Caitlin asks. "You just died."
"He what now?" Lisa asks, alarmed.
"I'm fine," Barry assures her. "I feel great. Hungry. Can we please just go?"
"Are you sure?" Ray questions. "Because we can totally cancel. Order take-out."
"No," Barry shakes his head. "Linda was very excited about this and I'd rather end the day on a good note."
"You coming, babe?" Lisa prompts, turning to her boyfriend.
"Me? I'm invited?" the genius asks, surprised.
"Of course, didn't you get my text?" his girlfriend frowns.
"No, I didn't. I-" Cisco pulls out his cellphone and sighs at the screen where the 'New Message' read out. "I put it on silent somehow. Sorry."
"Been a little spacey recently," Lisa observes. "Oh well," she sighs, looping her arm with the genius. "What you're wearing will have to do."
"What about Ray's suit?" Cisco asks as he's pulled from the room.
"It'll still be there when you get back," Lisa states, undeterred as she continues to pull her boyfriend out of the room.
"They're cute," Felicity remarks as she steps up beside Barry.
"Yeah, I guess," Barry shrugs, not knowing what to say to that.
After the rest of the group leaves, Caitlin quietly remarks, "I'll just hang out here then..."
- - -
Hartley glares as the outer doors open to reveal the identity of his guest.
"I'm not interested in your poor attempt to-"
"Shut up, Hartley," Len orders. "I'm not here to talk about your cowardice. What do you know about bees?"
"Not my area of expertise, but I still know more than you," Hartley answers confidently.
"Good," Len crosses his arms over his chest. "How would you stop a swarm of killer bees? Is there some sort of pulse you could use to stop them in their tracks?"
"The right frequency blast may disorient them," the genius nods. "Let me guess, a Meta-Human with the ability to manipulate the world's most important pollination workers? Don't let the planet savers know."
"I don't need them killed, I just need them to be diverted from attacking people," Len corrects.
"And you think I'll do that just because you told me to?" Hartley scoffs. "No way, Lion-Heart. You're on your own."
"So you want to rot in that cell for the rest of your life? Is that it?"
"Not for that long. I'll get out sooner or later."
"More like never. I think you like it in there too much. It's your protection blanket."
"You can't out-wit me, so don't even try."
"I already have out-witted you, Hartley." Len uncrosses his arms as he steps closer to the other man. "What's more important is that I've stood up to my difficulties and won. What do you have to show for yourself? A nasty attitude over a broken heart and rejection. What has that done for you exactly? Oh, yeah," he grins. "Nothing."
Hartley slams his fist against the see-through wall.
"When I get out of here, I'm going to wipe that cocky smirk right of that idiotic face. I'm going to make you wish you had never come across me."
"Help me, Hartley," Len says with a firm, but somewhat pleading tone. "There's good in you. I know it. Let me show the others so that they can trust you enough to let you out of here."
"I will never help Harrison Wells again," Hartley seethes.
"I'm not asking you to help that piece of dirt," Len returns angrily. "I'm asking you to help yourself. Your mother wants to see you, Hartley. She called me this morning. I want you to talk to her as well, but I can't do that until I know I can trust you!"
"So I fix your little bee problem and all my previous misdeeds are," Hartley spreads his arms out. "Washed away?"
"It'll be a start," Len counters.
- - -
Eddie and Iris are already at the restaurant when Barry, Linda, Ray, Felicity, Lisa, and Cisco arrive.
"Wow, Iris, check you out!" Felicity says, impressed by the woman's white dress.
"Hi again, Felicity," Iris returns, pulling the woman in for a hug.
As the two separate, the blonde woman points to Ray. "I've already introduced Linda to him, but this is Ray Palmer."
"Hi, nice to meet you," Ray shakes Eddie's hand first.
"Lovely to meet you," the blonde returns the shake.
Then Ray shakes hands and exchanges pleasantries with Iris while Eddie lifts a hand to greet Barry and his date.
A French Maître D arrives to inform Ray that his table is ready. The group follow him to the dining room where a large table is set, with five waiters standing at the ready for them.
"I thought it'd be nice if it was quiet, so I bought the out the entire restaurant," Ray says proudly as he motions to the table. To Felicity, he adds, "And safer."
To his party's silent shock he nervously asks, "Too much?"
"Just a tad," Felicity answers.
Linda pulls on Barry's arm to whisper into his ear, "You never told me you had excessively rich friends, Barry. Makes me think what other secrets you're keeping from me."
The speedster fakes a laugh as he leads his girlfriend to the table and pulls out her chair for her to sit down.
"We've been trying to get into this place for months," Iris says as Eddie helps her with her seat. "And you just bought the place out?"
"Some times I forget how much money I have," Ray says as he assists Felicity with her chair.
"Are you sure you two aren't dating?" Linda asks, motioning between Felicity and Ray.
"No! No-no," Felicity quickly says. "Not that Ray is a bad guy. He's great. I'm just already taken. For a while. We're complicated but we make it work."
"Right," the sports reporter nods her head. "And whoever it is doesn't think it's strange that you're schmoozing with the rich and famous without him?"
"Oh, Oliver knows Ray," the blonde woman answers. "They met and looked each other over carefully. Ray smiled, Oliver scowled, it was great."
The group's focus is brought to the wait staff as they ask about their meal.
- - -
Joe brings a folder of info on their second victim, Bill Carlisle, to S.T.A.R. Labs but there's no one in the Cortex room.
"Hello?" the detective calls out, looking into the two side rooms to discover they are empty as well. "Where is everyone?"
He stops by the computer desk and sees Len standing outside Hartley's cell. With a heavy sigh, Joe drops the file folder onto the desk and runs a hand over his face.
"What are you doing now?" he murmurs at the screen.
Caitlin, carrying a bag of take-out food, steps into the room and nearly runs into Joe.
"Detective West," she chirps. "When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago," the detective answers. He points to the screen, "How long have they been talking?"
"Since about the time Barry left with the others for their dinner," the scientist answers. She lifts her bag, "Have you eaten yet? I've got some spare rice."
"Nah, it's okay, thanks," Joe politely turns her down.
With a shrug, Caitlin puts her food onto the desk. Before she can fully unwrap the topmost part, an alarm goes off.
"Containment breach, foreign object detected," the computer announces.
The two hear a buzzing noise and they tense.
"Oh no," Joe looks around for the source.
"Where is he?" Caitlin asks, sounding scared.
"I don't know," Joe answers, walking over to the fire extinguisher to pick it up. "But you better make sure Barry is on his way. I don't think I can shoot it with my gun."
- - -
Len looks to his phone as it alerts him to the containment breach.
"You got your phone hooked up to this place?" Hartley asks, sounding almost impressed.
"I'd hack the whole place if I could," Len answers. "What'll it be, Hartley? You going to mope and whine in there for the rest of your life? Or are you going to pull yourself together and move on?"
Hartley narrows his eyes at the other man. After several moments of no answer, Len turns to leave.
"Wait!" Hartley calls after him. When Len turns back, he holds his head high. "I'll help you. With the stipulation, of course, that I get to see my mother afterwards."
Len moves to the control panel to open the door. "That's more like it."
- - -
At the restaurant, the first course has arrived.
"It must be amazing working at S.T.A.R. Labs all the time, Barry," Ray says as he looks to the speedster. "Harrison Wells is a personal hero of mine."
"You work with Harrison Wells on top of being a CSI for the CCPD?" Linda asks as she turns to her boyfriend. "Anything else you're not telling me?"
Barry can hear Linda speaking, but can't understand the words through the panic rising up in his chest. Just thinking of the man who was deceiving him, had killed his mother, made him sick to his stomach.
"Excuse me," he says, getting up from the table and walking away.
"Is he alright?" Linda asks as she turns to Lisa.
"Probably nerves or something," Lisa tries to lie, thinking it might be a side-affect of all the bee stings her foster brother got earlier.
"I, uh," Felicity gets up with a polite smile to the group. "I gotta pee. You guys start without us."
"Okay," Iris frowns as the blonde woman races after where Barry disappeared. She wanted to run after her foster brother too and by the look in Lisa's eyes, she had the same idea, but she knew it would draw too much attention or unnecessary worry, so she remains in her spot.
In another room, Felicity catches up with Barry.
"Alright, spill," she orders. "You've been twitchy since I got here. "
Barry opens his mouth, trying to formulate a good lie over the nausea rolling in the pit of his gut.
"Don't say it's a bad time either," Felicity adds, then hurriedly states, "Oliver might be joining the League of Assassins, I'll probably go with him and abuse my powers and go super dark as I order a hit out on Malcolm who is training Thea, Laurel's Black Canary; so I know about bad times."
Barry is more at a loss for words after the rush of information from the blonde. He takes in a deep breathe before saying, "Wells...Isn't who he says he is."
Felicity frowns, "Hasn't Len stated that the man was secretly evil for, like, forever?"
"Yeah, but it's worse than anything we could ever have imagined. He-" Barry has to pause before finishing. "He is the man that killed my mother."
"But he's been helping you." Felicity points out, eyes widening. "I'm surprised he's still alive. What did you say to stop Len from killing him?"
"We don't know why he's been training me to get faster, stronger. Until we do, we've got to play things out like we aren't aware of who he really is."
"But you've told Cisco and Caitlin, right?" At the brunette's head shake, Felicity continues, "Barry! They're your friends! You don't think they'd be in on any nefarious scheme of Wells', do you? Cisco is Lisa's boyfriend; there's no way he'd risk losing her by doing that. And Caitlin is your friend and Len's. She'd never do anything to hurt either of you."
"I know, but... Joe and Len want to keep them in the dark. They think it's safer that way."
"Safe for who? They saved you, Barry. You don't leave friends like that in the dark."
"Wells has also saved me, many times. A man like that plays the long game. Whatever else he has planned is going to be big. I can't risk letting him know I know about him."
"You also can't risk losing their friendship because you couldn't trust them with something that could literally be about life and death."
The door to the room opens and Linda looks over to the two.
"Is everything okay in here?" she asks, looking to her boyfriend. "Barry, you look a little pale. Are you sick?"
Barry's phone buzzes with an alert of an attack on S.T.A.R. Labs.
"It's an emergency at work," he quickly lies, looking back up to the women. "I'm sorry."
"You gotta do what you gotta do," Linda shrugs. "Go ahead. I'll tell the others."
"Thank you," Barry smiles. He steps over to his girlfriend to give her a kiss before jogging out of the room. Once he's far enough away, he speeds out with his powers.
Back in the dining room, Cisco gets the same alert on his phone and he stands.
"Emergency at the lab," he states. He leans down to kiss Lisa on the cheek before rushing out of the restaurant. "Someone make me a doggie bag!"
"Where's Barry?" Eddie asks when Felicity and Linda come back without the man.
"He had a work emergency," Linda explains, getting back to her seat.
"That's strange," the blonde detective frowns as he checks his phone. "Why wasn't I alerted?"
"It was probably a CSI emergency, hon," Iris smiles as she takes her boyfriend's hand. "Dad is probably working a case without you so you can be here with me."
"But why make Barry leave?" Eddie asks.
"Maybe he didn't know he was here too?" Lisa guesses.
"How about we focus on the food and not the people who can't have any of it?" Felicity smiles.
Ray crouches down to whisper to the group, "I don't think this place actually gives out doggie bags."
- - -
Joe and Caitlin are back to back in the middle of the Cortex, the scientist holding a rolled up pile of papers and the detective with the fire extinguisher.
The bee buzzes loudly as the computer repeats its warning about the containment breach.
"Do you see it?" Joe asks, even as he blasts at where he thinks it is.
"No," Caitlin swipes an arm. "You?"
Len and Hartley run into the Cortex together.
"What's he doing out?" Joe barks at his boy.
"What's with the alarm?" Len counters.
"Killer bee!" Caitlin shouts, swiping at air again.
The buzzing noise heads for Hartley, the bee moving dangerously close to his neck.
A second later, Barry is there, holding the insect captured inside a glass bottle.
"You just...saved my life," Hartley observes as he stares at the speedster.
"You're welcome," Barry replies, then turns to his foster brother. "What's he doing out?"
"Even lifers get fresh air privileges," Len smirks.
"Instead of putting me back into the box," Hartley rounds the computer desk to take the bottled insect from the hero. "Why don't we have a closer look at this bee?"
"We?" Joe repeats.
"I suppose it could just be me," Hartley amends, walking into one of the side rooms. "That's all the intelligence we'll need, really."
Caitlin, who had followed the genius, rolls her eyes at the man's last statement before looking over his shoulder to see the bee under magnification.
"That is one odd-looking bee."
"It isn't a bee, Caitlin," Hartley corrects. "It's a robot." Looking away from the microscope, he turns to the detective. "Who have been the victims of the attacks so far? Robotic scientists, I assume?"
"Yeah, Lindsay Kang and Bill Carlisle," Joe warily answers.
"Were they connected?" Hartley presses.
"I don't know," the detective answers.
"That would have been the first thing I did," the genius says, sounding annoyed. "Even without doing a full diagnostic on this faux bee, I can tell it's next gen stuff. It looks less like a Meta problem and more of a human issue."
"Not unlike the one we have in this very room," Dr. Wells states as he rolls into the room. He looks to Barry, "Why has Hartley been allowed to roam free?"
"Because I wasn't willing to risk my brother's life waiting for you to do nothing," Len answers angrily. He steps over to the computer and takes a seat. "I'll cross reference the victims names; see if I can get a hit. Joe, do you know the proper spelling?"
Joe steps over to his foster son as he dictates the names to him.
After a few seconds, the computer displays the results: They both worked at Mercury Labs.
"Perhaps it's time we paid a visit to an old friend?" Wells suggests, looking up to Joe.
"I'll stay here with Hartley," Len says. "He'll figure out a way to short-circuit the miniature robotic army while you guys figure out who the creator is."
Barry steps closer to his brother to whisper, "I can't leave you alone with Hartley. He'll figure out a way to overpower you and escape."
"Gee, Barry, thanks for the vote of confidence," Len returns sarcastically. "Listen, I've got my gun and Hartley has more reasons to be helpful than to double cross us."
"Now is not the time to perform trust exercises, Len!" his foster brother hisses.
"You let me worry about Hartley," Len returns seriously. "You just watch out for 'other' problems."
Len's eyes dart over to Wells and the speedster immediately understands.
"Fine," Barry huffs. "But, if something happens, it will be all on you."
"I never expected anything else." his foster brother drawls.
"I'll be here too, Barry," Caitlin points out. "Don't worry."
"You're all talking as if I'm going to explode," Hartley grumbles.
"Says the man who put explosives into his hearing aids," Len reminds him.
As Wells and Barry start to leave the room, Joe points at Len.
"He stays in sight at all times," he orders. "He doesn't go near anything dangerous. He doesn't get to make anything. And you pat him down before you return him to his cell."
"Yes, sir," Len nods to his foster father.
Joe turns his glare to Hartley, "If you try anything, I'll shoot you."
"Your party is leaving without you, detective," Hartley remarks, unfazed.
With a scowl, Joe goes.
"Quite an overprotective group you got here," Hartley says to Len.
"Just another reason to be on our team," Len grins.
"Hardly."
- - -
At Mercury Labs, Christina McGee informs them of Brie Larvan, a brilliant roboticist who once developed robotic bees for agricultural use...Before she decided to weaponized them for the military. Kang and Carlisle had warned their employer of their coworker's intentions and McGee terminated her for it.
It's clear that McGee would be Larvan's next victim and Wells voices the need to keep her safe, but she refuses; excusing the gentlemen from her presence.
- - -
Joe drops Barry and Dr. Wells back at STAR Labs, then heads back to the CCPD to run Larvan's name through the database to see if there's anywhere she might be hiding out.
The speedster and evil scientist enter the Cortex to find a tense situation where Cisco is pointing a weapon at Len who is standing protectively in front of Hartley while Ray holds Caitlin and Felicity back from the two.
In a flash, Barry has the weapon and is in between his best friend and foster brother.
"What's going on?" he asks, looking to Cisco first.
"Major Pain has finally lost it!" the genius snaps. "Look who he let out!"
"Don't lose what little intelligence you have left," Len grinds out.
"My genius is not in question!" Cisco counters, taking a step closer. He points a finger, "You're the moron who let one of the bad guys out!"
Barry keeps himself in between the arguing two, arms up even while he holds onto the gun.
"Hartley isn't a Meta," Len returns. "The worst thing he's guilty of is property damage and assaulting police officers."
"He tried to escape!" Cisco sputters.
"From an illegal prison!" Len returns hotly.
"Enough!" Barry shouts over them. He turns to his best friend, blocking his view of the reason for the disagreement. "Cisco, why don't you work on Ray's suit instead?"
"Instead of what?" Cisco asks, turning his glare on the hero. "Instead of keeping an eye on a man who'd stab us in the back if he's given the chance?"
"Hartley has no reason to do that," Barry reasons. "I'll be here to watch him. Ray came here for your help. Can you please just go do that?"
Cisco steps to the side to point at Len and Hartley, "This is not over."
"It never is with you," Len returns as the genius turns and strides out of the room.
"I'll just...should I go with him?" Ray hesitantly asks, pointing towards where Cisco just left. Barry nods and the billionaire runs after the other man.
Barry turns to his foster brother with a 'really?' look.
"Not my fault, Barry," Len tells 'the look'. "Cisco came back with an attitude and an ax to grind."
"I'm sure your sunny disposition didn't help anything," the speedster remarks.
Len turns his back to his brother and looks to Hartley.
"Let's get to work, shall we?" he prompts.
"Len," Barry tries, but his foster brother ignores him as he walks away with Hartley.
Caitlin and Felicity look to each other before the blonde walks closer to the hero.
"I never knew Protector Bro extended his talents towards non-family members," Felicity jokes quietly as she stops beside her friend.
Barry sighs tiredly. He looks at the gun in his hand and steps over to put it on the computer desk.
"Maybe I'll hold onto that grateful speech for later," Felicity adds, voice still nervously quiet.
"It's fine, Felicity," Barry tries to assure her with a tight smile.
"Major Snart's insight into certain people's potential is, perhaps, more frightening than inspiring," Wells supplies, rolling further into the room from where he had stopped initially.
Barry's stomach tightens at hearing his foster brother's name coming from his enemy's mouth. He nods his head and decides to change subjects.
"How was dinner?" he asks, looking to the blonde. "Was Linda really upset I left?"
"Oh, we totally got her mind off you," Felicity waves a hand. "I mean, not that she isn't into you, of course. She totally is. We just kept talking whenever we weren't eating and had a good time. Until we came back to STAR Labs found Cisco going all crazy at seeing Harry Potter."
"Are the others back home then?" Barry asks, smiling at his friend's speed talking.
"Yes, Eddie and Iris went to their place. Also Lisa and Linda went home. Not together!" the blonde quickly amends. "In their separate homes. Lisa was particularly excited about having the house to herself."
Fear hits Barry in the heart as he thinks about his foster sister, alone, without anyone to protect her. He makes sure to keep track of Wells and an ear out for his phone should Lisa call him for an emergency.
- - -
While Cisco works with Ray on the latter's suit and Len works with Hartley on their secret project, Barry paces the Cortex, not knowing what to do.
Eventually, temptation takes over and he finds the room where his foster brother is working with the young genius.
Hartley is hunched over a ray gun looking device, eyes focused and arm movements precise.
Len turns when he feels a presence at the door and nods to the speedster.
"I'll be right back," he tells Hartley before stepping away.
When the two siblings are out in the safety of the hall, Barry whispers to his brother.
"I know you want to help Hartley," he starts off. "And I respect and approve of that, I really do. But did you have to do it now?"
"I told you," Len remarks. "No time like the present for a change."
"But, Len!" Barry nearly shouts. "What about We-" he catches himself then lowers his voice again. "You-know-who?"
"Voldemort?" the elder jokes.
Barry hits him in the arm.
"Okay," Len relents. He glances back at Hartley, the man still hard at work, then he focuses on his brother again. "Hartley knew about the evils from this place long before you guys would admit to it. He's an ally, not an enemy. Not only can he help us, he would be happy to. Once we stop treating him like the bad guy."
"But everyone knows he hates Wells as much as you do!" Barry reminds the other man.
"Exactly," his brother grins. "No one will bat an eye if I bring him over to our team. You can keep up your little act of not wanting this to work, by the way. It totally helps sell it."
"Done!" Hartley calls out, drawing the attention of both brothers to himself. He turns around and steps away from the work bench.
"What is it?" Barry asks as he steps slightly in front of his brother in case the thing should explode.
"It's not a bomb," the genius mocks, as if he could read the speedster's mind. "It's similar to a mini EMP, but without all the fallout of electronics dying around you. Simply charge, aim, shoot, and the mech bees will fall uselessly to the ground."
"How long a charge and how often can you use it?" Len asks as he steps around his younger sibling to get at the gun.
"Charge is a few seconds; one shot per charge but the range is wide so even an incompetent person like Ramon could handle hitting the target," Hartley succinctly answers.
Len snorts at the jab at Cisco. Barry decides to let it go in favor of looking the weapon over. There's nothing wrong with it as near as he can tell, but he picks it up to take to Cisco to double check anyway.
"Is that enough?" Hartley asks as the speedster reaches the doorway to leave. Barry turns back to him, confused. "I get to see my mother now, right?"
The speedster looks to his foster brother expectantly.
"After the bee lady is caught," Len informs the genius. "I might need more help from you with that gun of yours."
"With the feeble minds around here," Hartley grins. "I suppose you would, Lion-Heart."
Barry walks the weapon out of the room, irritated by Hartley's attitude.
Len waits until his brother is well out of earshot before turning on Hartley.
"You gonna be like that for a long time?" he asks casually.
"Sapientiam loquitur voluminibus," the genius shrugs.
"Scientia est sapientiae," Len returns. "Wisdom is the way you use your knowledge."
"Where did they make you?" Hartley scoffs. "Boot camp? Military school? Catholic school? Were you an Eagle Scout?"
Len chuckles as he reaches out to pat the other man on the shoulder.
"Come on, Hart," he says as he starts out of the room. "I want you in the Cortex where I can keep an eye on you."
Hartley stays in his spot as he stares at the other man. Len looks back when he isn't followed and raises an eyebrow in confusion.
"Are you really gong to take me to my mother after this?" Hartley asks with an air of superiority, even though there's hidden fear in his eyes.
"I think the real question you have for me, is if she really wants to see you," Len counters. With a smile, he adds, "Yes. And she does, by the way. Lovely woman, your mother. I'm a little jealous."
"What? No angelic mother figure in your repertoire?" Hartley remarks sarcastically.
"No."
Hartley blinks at the small, cold answer, his smile falling away as he looks more carefully at the other man.
"Come on, Hart," Len repeats with a nods towards the door. "I don't feel comfortable leaving Wells alone with my friends and family."
- - -
In the Cortex, the drone bee reactivates, bringing everyone into the room. The brains in the room realize the thing is being controlled wirelessly and that its signal can be traced to figure out where it's trying to go: Mercury Labs.
"Larvan is remotely piloting the bees from somewhere," Wells surmises and Felicity works hard on the computers to figure out where that is.
"We need to stop this bug-eyed glasses woman." Cisco remarks as he watches the blonde work.
"And her mini bandits." Ray adds.
They look at each other and together they name the woman: "Bug-Eyed Bandit!"
"She's in an abandoned greenhouse," Felicity announces as she puts the address up on one of the viewing screens.
"I'm going," Barry announces.
"The defibrillator is broken," Cisco says worriedly.
"If you get stung again, we won't be able to save you," Caitlin adds.
"The better plan is to take out the woman and her computer that is controlling the mechanical bees," Wells reasons. "Without their queen, the bees will die off."
"What about Dr. McGee?" Barry reminds them. "She's being attacked now!"
"Bees can't penetrate my suit," Ray states.
"Your face is still exposed," Len points out. "Better take Hartley's gun."
"We haven't tested out the new power system yet." Cisco says to Ray. He points in Len's direction, "And there's no way we're trusting any tech from the Pied Piper."
"Hartley has nothing to lose," Len reminds the genius. "If you want to keep your tech bestie safe, take the dumb gun!"
"We're wasting time arguing!" Ray talks over the two. "We'll test out my suit and Rathaway's gun at the same time. There's no guarantee that either will work, right?"
"My tech will work," Hartley says confidently.
Ray nods to the man then walks out of the room to suit up.
"I'm following you." Cisco announces, leaving the room with Ray.
"I'm driving." Caitlin adds, chasing after the two.
- - -
As Caitlin and Cisco drive a STAR Labs van towards Mercury Lads while Ray flies in his suit, The Flash runs to the greenhouse where the Bug-Eyed Bandit is hiding.
"It's over, Brie." Barry tells the woman and she turns to him as he continues. "I know you're trying to kill Dr. McGee. You think that she betrayed you. I can imagine how that feels."
"You think you understand the sting of betrayal?" Brie counters angrily. "I'll show you what it means to be stung."
"There are more of them?" Len frowns as he hears the bees attack his brother over the coms. He looks worriedly to Felicity who was typing like a mad woman on the keyboard. "Can you jam them or something?"
"Don't distract me!" the woman orders, eyes darting over the screen as she works.
-
Ray reaches Mercury Labs and points Hartley's gun at the swarm trying to break through the glass of McGee's office.
"Here goes nothing," he says, then fires.
A large chunk of the bees suddenly drop out of the sky.
"It works!" Ray chirps happily.
The rest of the bees seem to turn on him.
"On no," he counters himself, charging the gun again. The bees swarm towards him and he orders himself to, "Fly back!"
-
Barry runs from the bees, slides on the floor to get under a thick swarm of them, but when he stops again the miniaturized foe is closing in all around him.
Just as they're about to reach him- They stop.
"Barry, I hacked into the bees' frequency. I'm controlling them." Felicity says, still working furiously on the computer.
But Brie hacks back.
"I never had a nemesis before...I kinda like it." Felicity says with a small wince for how happy she really is about it.
"Felicity," Len says, sounding tired.
"Sorry," she blushes, working harder.
-
Ray dives and swoops through the sky, firing Hartley's weapon at the bees to diminish their numbers.
"How much free time did she have to make so many of these?" he asks no one in particular as he flies around the final batch of the swarm to hit them with one more shot. "I got them all!"
Caitlin glances to Cisco as she continues to drive towards their flying companion.
"You going to be okay with Hartley getting a victory?" she asks quietly.
Instead of answering Caitlin, Cisco talks into his com to Ray, "Better come over to the van, Ray. We don't want to push your power system too far."
"I see you," Ray says answers back. "Coming to you now."
"Just think," Hartley's voice comes through the coms and Cisco cringes. "If I wasn't around, you might've fried that new suit and had to catch dreamy eyes when he fell out of the sky."
"I'm sure we could have done it if we needed to." Cisco bites back, then quickly amends, "Not that we'd need to."
"El celos es una cosa fea," Hartley says snidely.
"Yeah well, asi es tu cara!" Cisco returns.
-
Back in the greenhouse, the bees surrounding Barry fall uselessly to the ground as well after Felicity has completely hacked them; winning out over their creator.
"Boom! Drop the mic!" Felicity cheers as she stands. Quieter, she adds, "It's metaphorical of course, because I don't have a real...mike."
"Nicely done, Felicity," Len grins at her.
Barry speed cuffs Brie to her chair. "Brie is restrained. Call CCPD."
-
Ray has stopped beside the van where Caitlin has parked it at the water front.
"Everything still okay?" Cisco asks, opening up the back doors as his new friend removes his helmet.
"Seems to be in working order," Ray answers as he puts the helmet and gun down to start on other parts of his suit. "That Hartley guy might be a bit of a jerk, but he knows his tech."
"One thing in life I definitely do not need to hear is more praise for Hartley Rathaway," Cisco grumbles unhappily.
"I take it there's a lot of bad blood between you two?" Ray surmises.
"Maybe more than a little," Caitlin answers with a small grimace.
As the trio talk, a single bee that had survived flies out of its hiding spot and heads for Ray. Cisco sees it and steps in its path, allowing himself to be stung instead. He collapses onto the ground as the other two turn to him.
"Cisco's been stung!" Caitlin calls through the coms to her friend as she starts compressions on her friend's chest; Ray on worriedly watching from beside her.
"How is that possible?" Len asks, turning to Felicity. "I thought you hacked them all!"
"All the ones sent after Barry!" the blonde woman explains.
Barry arrives in a blast of energy and kneels beside his downed friend.
"Stand back," he tells Caitlin. "I want to try something."
The speedster uses his powers to zap Cisco.
"Cisco." Barry calls to his friend, one hand on his chest to check for movement.
Cisco gasps awake and everyone else can breathe better.
The young genius grabs Barry's hand and he's helped up by the hero.
"Either my fear of bees is over, or it just got a lot worse." Cisco remarks as he comes to a sitting up position.
"I'm so glad you're okay." Caitlin tearily tells him.
"I've never had anyone take a bee for me." Ray says in aw. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, bro." Cisco smiles.
"Cisco. You're a hero, man." Barry tells his friend proudly as he rubs at his back.
"Do you think I can use that status to get Len off my back?" Cisco asks, sounding sarcastic but secretly meaning every word.
"I highly doubt it," the speedster reluctantly admits.
Near-Death has loosened Cisco's lips as he hopefully asks, "But we can try?"
"Is Len the one with the anger issues?" Ray asks, to which the others nod. "I bet I could talk some sense into him."
"NO!" all three Team Flash members shout at the man.
"I just felt a shiver run up my side at the thought," Caitlin says.
"Yeah, let's just not," Cisco agrees, adrenaline finally tapering down.
-
Hartley looks over to Len.
"Do they know we can hear them?" he asks.
"Probably not," Len answers, his eyes distant.
"That's quite the team you have, Lion-Heart," Hartley mocks.
"Stow it, Potter," Felicity snaps. "Or I'll hack away your existence."
"And who are you?" Hartley asks.
"Not someone you want to mess with," Len drawls before the woman can answer.
"And don't you forget it," Felicity adds with a firm nod.
"Okay, I think that's quite enough Peacock strutting," Wells speaks up.
"No one asked for your opinion," Len says coldly. He turns towards the exit. "Come on, Hartley. You've got people to see."
Hartley follows Len out of the building without even bothering to look in Wells' direction.
- - -
Since it's too late to go that day, Len takes Hartley to his apartment to stay the night. When Barry realizes what his foster brother has done, he goes there to check on him.
"Hartley's asleep," Len says, keeping the speedster just inside the closed front door.
"Already?" Barry scoffs. "Len, what happens if he sneaks out in the middle of the night on you? Takes your gun? Tries to blow something else up?"
"Then our friendship will be taking a very dark turn," Len drawls. "On another note," he adds as his brother's anger visibly flares. "Back with bug lady, you said you could imagine how that feels? What, was that? Were you trying to tell Wells you're onto him?"
"I'm sorry," Barry's anger deflates slightly when he remembers almost choking on those words. "I don't think he noticed though and you're just using that to get my focus off of you."
Len ignores the attempt to bring things back on him.
"Wells is a manipulative genius. I doubt he couldn't notice, Barry."
"Just...Leave it alone, alright? It happened. I can't take it back." Barry sighs out a breath before adding. "But I can fix something else."
"Like what?" his brother asks, moving to block him from getting further into the apartment.
"I'm going to tell Caitlin and Cisco about Wells," Barry whispers to keep Hartley from overhearing.
"Joe's okay with that?" Len prompts, disbelieving.
"He will be once I talk to him about it," Barry says confidently.
"Well," Len sighs. "When you're in a tricky situation, that's when you need your friends to have your back. I suppose they can't, if you won't let them. Plus, I keep talking about taking action and I wouldn't want to come off as a hypocrite, now would I?"
"So, you're in?" Barry clarifies.
"I'm in," Len nods.
Barry looks beyond his brother, towards the inner part of his apartment where Hartley is.
"You sure about him?" he asks quietly.
"As sure as I was about Wells," his foster brother answers.
"Okay," Barry relents, opening the front door. "Goodnight, Len."
"Goodnight, Barry."
---
The next day, while Len stays with Hartley to see his mother, Barry works alone in the CCPD crime lab.
McGee comes to visit him there.
"What can I do for you?" Barry asks after the initial pleasantries are over.
"I wanted to apologize.," McGee says. "I should have listened to you when you wanted me about Brie." She smiles sadly. "Perhaps next time I will take the CCPD's offer of protection."
"After we lost your tachyon prototype..." After it was stolen by Wells somehow. "I can understand why you were hesitant to trust us."
"Thank you," McGee smiles, then starts to walk away.
Barry rises from his chair as he calls out to the woman, "Can I ask you something?" When she turns back to him, he nervously broaches the subject, "I...couldn't help but notice some...tension between you and Doctor Wells."
"That's all in the past," McGee assures him, though she's not entirely convincing.
"Do you mind if I ask what happened between you two?" Barry presses politely, hoping to find something to help him figure out who Wells really was.
"I ask myself that same question all the time." McGee answers sadly. "Fifteen years ago, Harrison and I were thick as thieves. We were promising young scientists in Starling City." She sighs. "He was such a kind man...Then everything changed after Tess died."
"They were gonna get married," Barry remembers.
"I understand how grief can affect someone, but this was more than that. It was like...after that day...Harrison Wells became a completely different person." McGee seems to snap herself out of the past as she nods to Barry. "Good day."
"Goodbye," Barry returns quietly. his mind running a mile a minute as he tries to work in the new information.
Joe comes in after the female scientist has left.
"I heard you guys had quite the night," he says. "How's Cisco?"
"Happy to be alive," Barry answers, going back to his desk. "Sad that Ray is leaving."
"Lisa heard about the bees and was out of the house almost as fast as you," Joe adds. "She might need to change careers after all these days she keeps taking off."
"Len was saying something about her wanting a change anyway," Barry shrugs, unconcerned.
"What's going on up there in that super brain?" Joe asks.
Barry turns a serious expression to his foster father.
"We need to tell Caitlin and Cisco about Wells."
"Barry..." Joe sighs out.
"No, Joe, hear me out," the speedster stops him from continuing. "The longer they don't know, the more danger they are in. With them being in the dark, Wells could secretly try to turn them against us. They're my friends, practically a second family. Cisco nearly died yesterday and I realized...I realized I can't keep lying to them like Wells is. I need to do this, Joe. Please."
Joe looks at his boy long and hard...Then nods his head.
"Alright," he agrees. "But we've got to do it without Wells getting suspicious. And I still don't want your sisters knowing either."
"I'll figure out a way," Barry assures the man. "Thanks, Joe."
- - -
Sitting on the couch in his apartment, Len pretends to read the training manual in his lap while he secretly watches Hartley pace back and forth in front of him.
"She's your mother, not your date," he drawls after awhile. He had set up a time to meet Mrs. Rathaway, a time that was rapidly approaching.
"A mother who hates me," Hartley says as he continues to pace. "What do you say to that? To the face of hatred? Of...Of disappointment?" He pauses to look at the other man, face trying to mask the fear that has his hands shaking at his sides. "What would you do? What did you say to them to make them want to even see me?"
Len puts down the manual and all pretense of reading it.
"Do you regret your life choice?" He smirks. "The one about the kind of person you're attracted to, of course. Not the criminally juvenile action."
"I can't change who I am," Hartley answers, frowning. "When I look at certain people, I feel certain things. I'm no different than anyone else!"
"Go with that," Len tells him. There's a knock on the door and he smiles, "Show time."
As he passes Hartley, Len pauses to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Do me a favor...and don't run out the window. Okay?"
Len gives the shoulder a quick squeeze, then walks to the front door to let Mrs. Rathaway in.
"Right this way," Len prompts her with an elegant wave of his arm.
Mrs. Rathaway nervously walks around the young man and into his apartment. When she sees her son, her hands shakily go to her chest to clasp together tightly as tears well up in her eyes.
"Hi, mom," Hartley smiles at her, and it's a warm but frightened smile.
"Hartley," his mother whispers. "I thought...I was worried..." She stiffly moves closer to her son, hands still held tightly at her chest. "You're looking...well?"
"As well as can be expected," Hartley nods. The smile falls away as he soberly adds, "I'm sorry, mom. For everything. I won't change who I am. I can't. But you and dad-You should have at least listened to me! I'm your son! Your rejection filled me with so much anger that I-" he stops himself with a sigh, eyes looking away to glare at the floor. "It doesn't matter. I had no right to do what I did. I'm sorry."
"Oh mon cher fils," Mrs. Rathaway whispers still as she takes a small step closer.
Hartley looks up at his mother again, "S'il vous plaît, pardonnez-moi."
Mrs. Rathaway smiles as a few tears drip down her face. She takes her son's face in one trembling hand as she replies softly, "Seulement si vous me pardonniez d'abord."
Hartley steps forwards and wraps his arms around his mother. Mrs. Hartley closes her eyes tightly as she hugs her son back, fighting to keep her sob as quiet as she can.
Len steps out of the room to give the two some privacy. As he leans against the wall outside his own apartment, he smirks while murmuring, "Il n'y a pas plus d'amour que la mère pour son enfant."
He shakes his head as the smile turns sour, the words feeling like a poison on his tongue. Not all mothers were created equal. He just hopes that Hartley's is more like Barry's was and less like his own.
- - -
At Jitters, Barry meets with Felicity and Ray to say their goodbyes.
"I never did get any time alone with Len," Felicity remarks. "Not that I needed to be alone-alone with him. I just meant to talk to him."
"He's not that big into 'thank you's anyway," Barry assures his friend. He turns to Ray. "Did you ever figure out how to fix your suit?"
"Yes!" Ray answers happily. He pulls out one of the mechanical bees as he explains the solution to his suit was not to go bigger, but to go smaller.
"Great," Barry nods, not knowing what else to say.
Felicity pulls him into a hug, then asks, "You going to be okay?"
"I will be," Barry hopes more than he says. Pulling back, he adds, "I'm going to take your advice."
"Good," the blonde hits him in the arm. "I give out great advice. More people should listen to me actually."
"Licy!" Lisa shouts as she strides over to the blonde woman. "Were you really going to leave me high and dry without a goodbye?"
"Oh, you know that could never happen," Felicity answers as she one-arm hugs the other woman. "I just wanted to get my Barry byes out of the way."
"Yes, my brother tends to be needy," Lisa jokes with a wink to her foster sibling.
"So, wait, you're related?" Ray asks as he points between the two.
"That's a long story," Felicity answers with a pat to the man's arm. "I'll explain on the ride back to Starling."
"No, no!" Lisa shakes her head. "I'll give him the most important details on the way to your car."
As Lisa loops arms with the two visitors to lead them out of the coffee shop, Felicity speaks up.
"That will be quite the redacted version, Lisa."
"I did say the important details and I meant it," Lisa innocently returns.
Her friend smiles, "Ahuh."
- - -
After sending a secret invite to Caitlin and Cisco, Barry goes to Len's apartment to check on him again.
He finds his foster brother leaning against the wall just outside his front door and decides to lean on the wall beside him.
"Felicity and Ray leave already?" Len ask, eyes looking straight ahead.
"Yeah," Barry answers. "Felicity feels bad about not getting a chance to talk to you."
"I'm sure I don't deserve whatever she wanted to say." Len grins. "Good or bad."
The speedster turns his head to the other man. "Hartley in there with his mother?"
"Last I checked."
"When was that?"
Len glances at his watch, "About an hour ago. Give or take."
"And you've been standing here, outside your own apartment waiting for them to come back out?" Barry is surprised at his foster brother's head nod. "Why did you even invite them here? Why not go to a restaurant? Or even a library?"
"Too crowded and you have to be quiet," Len answers. "Family issues are better handled behind closed doors, Barry."
The door opens and Mrs. Rathaway steps out, her eyes red but she's smiling slightly. She turns towards the two men and focuses on Len.
"Thank you," she says simply.
"My pleasure, Ma'am," Len nods tips an invisible hat to her and she walks away.
Barry follows his foster brother into his apartment to where Hartley is waiting for them on the living room couch. He gets up when he sees the speedster.
"You're all-knowing teacher is a fake and a fraud," he states. "I hope you know that."
"What now, Hartley?" Len prompts the man. "You go back to 'giving it to the man' and I toss your gangly self back into a box?"
"I'm far from gangly," Hartley smirks, but his attitude changes to something more serious as he clears his throat. "My mother is going to talk to my father. She's going to see if we can have dinner together some time. She still doesn't approve, but..." A corner of his mouth turns upwards. "She's trying. Trying to understand my choices." He looks directly at Len. "That's all I ever wanted."
"Then how about you return the favor?" Len asks, crossing his arms over his chest as he levels the man with an icy glare. "You will never tell anyone anything about what you know concerning those in STAR Labs."
"Wells needs to be stopped before he hurts someone else," Hartley glares back.
"And he will," Len assures him. "But not by you. At least not yet. Do you think you can handle that?"
"You don't know what you're going up against, Len," Hartley argues. "A brilliant mind with no morals is too great an enemy for you and your team."
"Hey!" Barry starts but cuts off his objection when Len raises a hand to him.
"If there's one thing in this world that I know, it's this," Len says, stepping closer to Hartley. "There's nothing that can't be fixed as long as the right thing is fought for by those who believe in it most."
"Fine!" Hartley relents, stepping away. "Let him keep messing with the people you say you care about. Just don't come crying to me when he does something to them too."
"Deal," Len offers the other man his hand. When Hartley takes it, he adds, "Oh, and by the way, you'll be living here while you're on probation."
"What?" Barry echoes Hartley.
"Would you rather spend your nights in a cell?" Len asks seriously, grip on the other man's hand tightening.
"If you wanted me in your bed, you could have just asked," Hartley grins.
Barry almost throws up on the spot.
"I'll pass," Len drawls, dropping the hand. "The house arrest is an additional trust exercise and a protective gesture."
"The gun wasn't good enough?" Hartley remarks, sounding annoyed.
"It was a good enough start," Len counters. "It got you a meeting with your mother and a chance to change your future. You won't be here long. I'm not interested in a permanent roomie either."
"As you wish," Hartley huffs as he heads towards the kitchen. "I hope you have decent food, Lion-Heart."
"There are take-out menus in a drawer," Len tells his new guest.
"Hey, Hartley," Barry calls to the man as he inwardly scolds himself for not doing this sooner. "Thank you...for your help with the bees."
"You saved me," Hartley shrugs, not looking at the speedster. "We're even."
- - -
Later that night, Caitlin and Cisco meet Barry and Joe at the CCPD crime lab. Barry's crime board is out and the speedster is anxiously waiting for them.
"All right, all right," Cisco rubs his palms together. "Who's ready for some extremely sneaking but totally boss party planning?"
The two notice the grim expressions on Joe and Barry's faces and their smiles falter.
"We are not going to be planning a surprise party for Lisa, are we?" Caitlin asks.
"No. Um..." Barry motions to board. "This is everything we know about my mother's murder...and the Reverse-Flash." He steps towards the board. "I've been gathering information on him for...a long time." He pauses to glance at his friends, then inwardly gathers himself to finish. "And...this is everything we know about Dr. Wells."
Barry pulls down extra paper with his information on his ultimate enemy.
"I don't understand." Caitlin says. "What do Dr. Wells and the Reverse-Flash have to do with each other?"
"Um..." Barry glances back at Joe before answering. "They're the same person."
"That's impossible." Caitlin tries to laugh with the joke, but there isn't one. "Is this because Len hates Dr. Wells? You both know it's just because he blames him for what happened. Dr. Wells has been trying so hard to redeem himself since then."
"It's not just that," Barry assures her. "Look, Caitlin, it took me a long time to believe it too, but it's him."
"Dr. Wells is a speedster?" Caitlin clarifies, unconvinced. She purposely points out, "He's paralyzed."
"Is he, though?" Joe questions.
Instead of answering, Caitlin counters with a question of her own. "Why would he kill Barry's mother? It doesn't make any sense." She looks to Cisco for help. "Cisco. Say something."
"I've been having these dreams." Cisco says quietly as all eyes turn to him. "Mostly at night but sometimes during the day." He swallows as he continues to stare at the information against his mentor, flashes of his nightmares playing out in the back of his mind. "But they don't really feel like dreams. They....They feel real."
"What happens in the dream?" Barry asks after his friend goes quiet.
"Dr. Wells is the Reverse-Flash." Cisco looks to the speedster. "And...he kills me."
--- - ---