Keep Running

[run_barry]

Kyle Nimbus is out to kill Joe.

When Joe doesn't answer his cell an urgent phone call to Eddie puts Barry on Joe's trail. Joe's at Iron Heights, visiting Barry's father.

Thoughts and feelings on that are pushed aside as Barry puts on the suit and races to get to Joe before Nimbus does.

Toting an antidote to The Mist's poison reverse engineered by Caitlin, and armed with fourteen years worth of research on the place his father has been held in, Barry makes it through the maximum security prison without missing a step.

Even so, the frantic calls for help from his dad that echo down the corridor from visitation let Barry know Nimbus beat him there.

His arrival startles his dad, and even though Barry is wearing the mask, he takes the extra precaution of using his speed to blur his features before turning his attention to Joe.

Kneeling beside Joe who's in seizure on the floor, Barry's heart drops down to his stomach. The thought of 'it's too late' attempts to paralyze him, but his hands are steady and actions sure as he pulls out the antidote and gives it to Joe.

With his dad looking on, Barry watches as the injection works on Joe. The man relaxes, and then he breathes, and finally his eyes open to meet Barry's.

"Go get him."

With those words from Joe, Barry leaves his foster dad and father behind and takes off after Nimbus, determined to stop him from hurting anyone else.

*****

"So, you've come to finish what the gas chamber couldn't?"

Outside of the prison on the road leading back to Central City Nimbus squares off against Barry. Nimbus is intimidating, his power and complete lack of conscience make him deadly dangerous and at first Barry struggles to find a way to take him on.

"You need to stay away from him, Barry, do not breathe him in," Caitlin cautions in Barry's ear as Barry narrowly avoids the gaseous cloud Nimbus turns himself into.

"I'm not sure how that helps me, guys," Barry replies, ducking and dodging and missing with every swing.

"You can't fight him, Barry," Caitlin says urgently, "Just-- keep him coming at you, that should sap his strength."

"Gas is the least stable form of matter," Dr. Wells puts in. "This metahuman will not be able to stay in his mist form for long; his particles will need to reform"

They're spitballing on the fly, but as Barry baits Nimbus into a chase the plan starts to work. Outracing the evil metahuman, Barry keeps Nimbus coming at him until the meta can't anymore.

Reforming into his human self, Nimbus is left gasping, out of gas, literally.

Barry doesn't hesitate, he takes his moment to knock the man out with a superspeed shoulder check.

"We win," he announces to the team proudly; standing over the soon-to-be-first occupant of S.T.A.R. Labs metahuman prison.

*****

Leaving team S.T.A.R. Labs to handle getting their new evil meta-friend settled, Barry heads to the hospital to check on Joe.

The doctors assure him that Joe is going to be fine, but with Joe asleep, Barry still takes up residence in a chair just inside the doorway to Joe's room; nodding off after awhile.

He wakes up to find Joe sitting up with his eyes open, looking at Barry from across the room.

"It's been awhile since I watched you sleep," Joe says with a warm, if worn out, smile.

"Rescuing you is exhausting," Barry informs Joe, relief that the man is okay written into his own tired smile.

"I really miss the ability to be able to ground you," Joe replies with a light chuckle.

"Sorry I went and grew up."

Getting up from the chair and crossing the room, Barry stands beside Joe's bed, taking the man's offered hand. Joe's grip isn't quite strong, but he's alive and Barry will take that.

Letting go, Barry looks Joe over a moment then says quietly, "I could have got my dad out of Iron Heights tonight."

With a small nod Joe replies, "I know."

"But you were right. It's not the way." Despite how desperately he wants to see his dad free, Barry has no regrets for turning aside the opportunity tonight afforded.

He is going to keep on moving forward and, with the help of those around him, Barry will do things the right way, to free his father. To honor his mother.

And to be a hero.

[dialogue taken from episode 1.3]