Ch - 11 Observation?
Chapter: Barry's Awakening
Caitlin watched Barry Allen walk out of the door, her face expressing disapproval. She turned to Harrison Wells, her voice sharp. "Really?"
Harrison sighed in resignation. Just as he was about to speak, Barry reappeared at the doorway and asked sheepishly, "Can I keep the sweatshirt?"
"Yes, keep the sweatshirt," Harrison replied with a small smile.
Barry nodded, muttering another quick thank you before hurrying off again.
---
As Barry left S.T.A.R. Labs, Swayam casually approached Eobard Thawne, tapping him on the shoulder. He made sure to brush his little finger against Eobard's skin. Instantly, Swayam felt the familiar surge of multicolored lightning leave his fingertip, enter Eobard's body, and return—this time, carrying something more.
But Swayam didn't dwell on that. Instead, he asked, "Dr. Wells, don't you think we should have stopped him from leaving? If Barry survived being struck by the lightning from the particle accelerator explosion, he may have developed superhuman abilities, like myself."
Eobard sighed, leaning back in his wheelchair. "What you say is possible, but we can't restrain him against his will. That would be unethical."
The irony of Eobard using the word "unethical" made Swayam suppress a bitter chuckle, but he said nothing.
"True," Swayam replied after a pause. "We can't restrain him. But we can observe him from a distance, right?"
Eobard considered the suggestion before nodding. "A good idea. You, Cisco, and Caitlin will follow him. Keep him under close watch."
Cisco, ever enthusiastic, beamed. "Great! Now we can wander around the city while keeping an eye on him, Sam!"
Caitlin, despite agreeing with the idea, simply nodded. Eobard, unconcerned by Cisco's informal tone, started rolling toward the door. "Enjoy yourselves, but stay out of trouble."
As he left, the room fell silent for a moment until Cisco, exasperated, shouted after him, "We aren't kids, you know! We're adults!"
Swayam burst into laughter, quickly joined by Cisco and Caitlin. Their laughter echoed through the lab, a moment of levity amid all the tension.
Once the laughter subsided, Swayam grinned. "Alright, should we get going?"
Caitlin wiped a tear from her eye and nodded. "Yeah, I'll grab the keys." Cisco, still chuckling, added, "I'll get the camera."
---
Barry, unaware of being followed, had headed straight to his apartment. Using the spare key hidden under a potted plant, he entered his home. To his surprise, it looked just as neat and tidy as he had left it before the accident nine months ago.
It only took a moment for Barry to guess who had been caring for his place. His thoughts immediately went to two people: Joe West, his guardian, and Iris, Joe's daughter—his best friend and the one person who had always been his anchor.
The thought of them filled Barry with warmth and urgency. He needed to see Iris. Without wasting time, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed to the one place he was sure she'd be.
---
Meanwhile, in a van parked nearby, Swayam, Cisco, and Caitlin watched Barry leave. The trio had been assigned to monitor him, but Cisco's stomach had other ideas.
"I still think we should go in there," Cisco grumbled, staring longingly at the CC Jitters café. "They have the best burgers in the city."
Swayam laughed. "We're here to observe, not eat."
Before Cisco could protest, Caitlin nudged them both. "Something's off. Look at Barry."
Swayam and Cisco turned their attention to Barry, but he looked normal. They exchanged confused glances before shrugging it off. Then, suddenly, Barry and Iris got into a cab, snapping the team back to focus.
"Follow that taxi!" Cisco said dramatically, sliding into the driver's seat.
---
Their surveillance continued as Barry's cab pulled up in front of the CCPD (Central City Police Department). From the safety of their van, they watched as Barry wandered inside.
After waiting for 15 minutes, they saw Barry rush into the parking lot, his expression one of shock. He was staring at his left hand, which appeared to be vibrating unnaturally. In an instant, Barry vanished, only to reappear near a wall, almost as if he had teleported.
Before they could react, Barry crashed into the bumper of a police car. The three of them jumped into action, ready to approach him, but Barry disappeared again before their eyes.
"What the hell just happened?" Cisco exclaimed, glancing at Swayam and Caitlin, who were equally stunned.
As they scrambled to find Barry again, Cisco's phone rang. It was Harrison Wells. "Stop whatever you're doing and return to S.T.A.R. Labs immediately."
Cisco's confused expression mirrored Swayam's. "What's so urgent that we need to stop monitoring him?" Cisco asked aloud after hanging up.
Swayam frowned. "Something's definitely off. We better head back."
Caitlin nodded, sensing the tension building. "Let's not waste time then."
---
Back in the van, Cisco couldn't help but rewind the footage he'd captured of Barry's strange behavior. "Did we just witness Barry Allen teleport?"
"Whatever it was, we need to slow it down to understand it," Swayam said, leaning over Cisco's shoulder to get a better view. "But that can wait until we're back at the lab."
Caitlin, sensing Swayam's growing tension, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Sam. We'll figure it out soon. And we can still explore the city after."
Swayam smiled at her, appreciating her kindness. Despite her usually reserved demeanor, he knew Caitlin was always the one to lift spirits.
"Thanks, Caitlin," Swayam said quietly. "But we should hurry back. If Dr. Wells sounded urgent, it must be serious."
Cisco smirked from the driver's seat. "Jeez, you two need to get a room. Why make it so awkward?"
Both Caitlin and Swayam blushed furiously, turning away from each other.
"Cisco!" they exclaimed in unison, before exchanging embarrassed glances.
Chuckling to himself, Cisco muttered, "Melodramatic people," as he started the van, heading back to S.T.A.R. Labs.