Chapter 7: Talks And Attack On Stagg Industries

(CCPD)

"And for the record, I care about him to." Wells said as he finished his talk with Joe about Barry quitting the team.

I was using my Wavelength Tuning ability to listen to the conversation from a nearby Police Radio and i had to say that, not only is Wells, or more accurately, Eobard, an amazing actor, he is fully living up to his status as a master manipulator.

___________________________________

(Jitters)

"I came to say I'm sorry. And you're right I have been distant." Barry started

"Correct." Iris replied obviously still a little angry.

"Kind of a jerk." Barry continued all the while he was sitting next to Iris surrounded by tons of empty plates that once held food.

"You should apologize more often, you are really sensational at it." Iris joked.

"So, what were you going to tell me the other day?" She continued.

"I thought i had to do something, something i thought was important, but it turns out I'm not very good at it. But what i am good at, is being your friend, so if you need help coming up with another idea for your article..." Barry explained and was interrupted at the end by Iris as she started to speak excitedly.

"I already found one, something that actually interests me." Iris stated and got up to go to her laptop and Barry seemed curious.

Iris walked over to the counter and spoke as she opened her laptop, and began to explain what her new idea was to Barry who seemed increasingly concerned about the content as the explanation went on.

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but it's been all over the internet this week, at a mugging, at a warehouse robbery, and even the other night, the police said that they saw a blue arrow made of electricity that showed where those robbers were. Something out there is saving people. And that's not all, there have also been reports of a red streak around the city and also the other night, the guard said he was "wooshed" outside" Iris said obviously talking about Andrew or more accurately, his hero persona, Volt and him as The Flash.

 "I thought you were taking Journalism not Science Fiction writing." Barry said unsuccessfully trying to steer Iris away from the topic.

"Ever since I have known you, you have believed in the impossible, what if you were right? What if you were right about the night your Mom died?" Iris asked.

Barry was about to answer until phone vibrated and he noticed it was S.T.A.R. Labs calling.

"I told you I'm through." Barry said frustratingly.

{I know, but you need to get to S.T.A.R. Labs right now.} Caitlin explained fearfully over the phone.

Barry then explained to Iris he had to go and rushed over to S.T.A.R. Labs to see Danton Black?

"It's okay." Caitlin explained as she saw Barry being on guard.

"It's not okay, Black is here and he's... just standing there... that's not him is it?" Barry said with the alarm in his voice slowly going away in lieu of confusion.

"It's one of his duplicates." Wells said off to the side as he rode?... in.

"How did you get it?" Barry asked. 

"She grew him, how awesome is that!!" I said from the other room as i walked in.

Barry was even more confused on top of shocked as they all followed Caitlin as she brought then over to her computer to explain what she did.

"I isolated a sample of Black's blood from your suit to see if I could trigger the in-vitro cultivation process to learn how Black multiplies. I exposed the target cells to a protein gel and they grew into this." Caitlin said as she gestured to the grown clone.

"Why isn't he, it doing anything?" Barry asked.

"We did a brain scan, aside from basic motor functions, there is no other activity." I said.

"We think the clones act as a receiver." Cisco said.

"The clones are an empty shell without Black." Caitlin explained.

"How would I be able to tell which ones the real one?" Barry asked.

"Well, considering the dizzy spells you were experiencing, it stands to reason that just like you, Black has his own limitations, and controlling so many clones must take a lot of energy so if you find the one showing weakness or fatigue, that's the prime." Caitlin said finishing her explanation.

"Well that's great, now we have a theory to put to the test, we should be better prepared when we face Black next." I said.

Just then, the clone began to move starting Caitlin so much she screamed and before even Barry or I could do something, Joe came in and shot him dead.

"Any more of em?" Joe asked.

"No, just the one." Caitlin replied.

"What happened why did it activate?" Barry asked.

"The prime must be up to something and the clone heard the call?" I proffered.

"Yes, as far as we can tell, they are linked so if the clone was moving it means that he received the summons to battle." Wells explained.

"And I know where it was summoned, Stagg Industries." Joe said.

"Then you need to call it in." Barry said as he has already given up on being the Flash.

"The police can't fight this, they'd be outnumbered and from what you said, the guy has some form of enhanced strength. What Black can do, what Marden could do, beyond me, maybe way beyond them. The only person it's not beyond, is you. Well you and him." Joe said. Gesturing to me at the end.

Barry had a complicated look on his face and I could only guess what he was thinking.

"You gotta do this, I get it. So for once in your life, do what I tell you to do. Go stop him." Joe finished and Barry had a smile on his face and I could see his confidence was coming back.

"Well then I'll head over now." I said as I was already in my suit.

The group looked on in shock when all of the sudden the ground opened up and swallowed me up. They didn't know, but I was traveling underground to get out the building. Once I made it out, I started to travel up and created an earth pillar that shot out the ground and sent me into the air after which I threw my Halo out and then pulled it under me making my way to Stagg Industries the earth pillar dissipating.

If anyone had been around they, like those still in S.T.A.R. Labs, would've seen the ground reform to what it was before and anyone who didn't know better would've thought it was never damaged and there was no earth pillar.

I got to Stagg Industries to see Black pull a gun on the two guards, in which I grabbed the bullets out of the air and then the guards themselves I brought outside. When I got back I saw Black confronting Simon Stagg and almost get shot until Barry came and saved him.

"I know you had your research stolen by Stagg, but that doesn't give you the excuse to murder." Barry said as he walked up toward Black before having to dodge a bullet.

Black then explained the real reason he was mad at Stagg. Which involved his wife needing an organ and Black tried to grow her one using his research, until his research was stolen. During his explanation, Barry was running around attacking the different clones and I was flying through and either shocking them unconscious, magnetizing them to the walls, or retraining them with electric restraints.

I looked over and then I saw Black making clone after clone until I saw a small army heading over toward Barry and the army was only growing.

"This may be a tad bit more difficult than I expected." I said as I started to charge a Nova Burst.