Ch - 12 Uncharted Territory?

Cisco floored the gas pedal, taking the south route via Lawrence Hill Road to return to S.T.A.R. Labs as quickly as possible. As they approached the corner of Cunningham and Sampere, near Gold City Bank, they encountered police barricades. Journalists were swarming the area, broadcasting live reports or recording for their news segments. Realizing they would be stuck if they waited, Cisco decided to take a detour.

---

When they arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs, the sight that greeted them was unexpected—Barry Allen standing at the entrance, chatting with Harrison Wells. While Swayam feigned confusion, both Cisco and Caitlin were genuinely puzzled. How had Barry beaten them there? More importantly, how long had he been there?

Before they could voice their questions, Harrison Wells waved them over. "Sam, can you move the vital monitoring equipment from the lab to the truck? Cisco, is all your gear packed?"

Swayam nodded, already heading inside without complaint. It wasn't the first time he'd been asked to help with the heavy lifting—something he didn't even feel, thanks to his enhanced abilities. He moved swiftly to retrieve the equipment.

Meanwhile, Cisco turned to Harrison Wells, curious. "Yeah, Doc, my stuff's already loaded, but why are we moving the vital monitor again? We've already checked Sam's condition, and everything was fine." He glanced at Barry, pondering aloud, "Or is this monitor for Barry?"

Barry blinked, startled. "Wait, what? Does Swayam have something abnormal going on, too?"

Before Cisco could respond, Swayam reappeared, effortlessly carrying a large box in his hands. He placed it in the back of the truck, clapped the dust from his hands, and turned to Harrison Wells. "Are we headed to the same place?"

"Yes," Harrison confirmed, rolling his wheelchair toward the truck. Caitlin set up a slope to help him board. Once inside, he glanced at Barry, who still stood there, wide-eyed. "Come on, Mr. Allen, we don't have all day."

Shaken from his surprise, Barry quickly followed Harrison into the truck. Once everyone was settled, Cisco started the engine, steering them toward an abandoned runway.

---

As they traveled, Harrison explained the unusual experiences Barry had recounted: the sensation of moving so fast that the world around him seemed to slow down. To Caitlin and Cisco, it sounded absurd—like something out of a science fiction movie. But then again, they weren't in the realm of normal science anymore, especially with Swayam as living proof of the bizarre.

When they reached the runway, Cisco parked the truck, and the group jumped into action.

Swayam unloaded the equipment with ease while Cisco tinkered with a device at his workbench. Caitlin was busy configuring the vital monitor, recalibrating it from the settings used for Swayam to more standard human parameters.

While they worked, Barry changed into his testing gear inside the trailer. He emerged wearing a makeshift suit consisting of red sports shoes, black knee pads, a snug spandex outfit, hand guards, and a helmet outfitted with motion capture cameras and a speedometer. He looked slightly uncomfortable as he stepped out.

"How's it fit?" Swayam asked, leaning against the truck.

Barry grimaced. "It's a little snug."

Cisco, overhearing, grinned. "At least you'll be moving so fast no one will notice." He began explaining, "What you felt earlier, Barry, wasn't the world slowing down. You were moving so fast it just seemed like everyone else was standing still." Cisco pointed at Harrison and Caitlin. "Dr. Wells will monitor your energy output, and Caitlin will track your vitals."

Barry nodded, taking in the setup. He then glanced back at Swayam and asked curiously, "So, what do you guys do?"

Swayam smirked and replied, "Cisco makes the toys, and I provide moral support… along with being a test subject from time to time."

Barry's eyes widened, his concern growing until Cisco cut in with a laugh. "Relax, man. Sam's just messing with you."

Barry exhaled, releasing the tension he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Oh… okay. For a second there, I thought you meant—"

"Nah, no human guinea pig situation here," Cisco assured him, chuckling. He then showed Barry a small, sleek black circular object adorned with a golden lightning bolt. "This is a two-way headset with a camera, modified to withstand potential sonic booms—basically, designed for people moving at high speeds. Which, in your case, will be awesome."

After handing Barry the headset, Cisco went back to fine-tuning his inventions. Swayam, still leaning casually against the truck, couldn't resist teasing Barry.

"So, you can run super fast, huh? Like Sonic the Hedgehog?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

Barry was about to respond when Caitlin approached, giving Swayam a quick glance before starting to check Barry's vitals. Catching the subtle interaction, Barry asked, "Are you two a couple?"

Caitlin froze, her hand momentarily still before she regained her composure. "No! We are not a couple!" she replied a little too loudly, throwing a quick glance at Swayam and muttering under her breath, "At least not yet."

Swayam, pretending not to hear her, whistled nonchalantly, avoiding eye contact.

"Okay, okay! Sorry for asking!" Barry said, raising his hands in mock surrender. He chuckled nervously, sensing the tension.

As the mood lightened again, Cisco returned with the final piece of the setup. "Alright, Barry, you're all set." He gestured to the speedometer display and the monitoring equipment. "When you're ready, just take your position at the starting line. We'll track everything from here."

Barry stood at the designated point on the runway, stretching his arms and legs. He looked at the team: Caitlin adjusting the vital monitor, Harrison poised with his energy output readings, Cisco ready with his gadgets, and Swayam leaning casually nearby, keeping an eye on everything.

"Alright," Barry muttered to himself, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. "Let's see what I can do."

Swayam watched, intrigued, as Barry bent down into a runner's starting position. This is it, he thought. The beginning of something big.