Grand Night Out

[run_barry]

Things in Central City have been quiet, and a night out is declared by Iris. Her and Eddie are heading out to a pub, and it only takes some mild imploring from her to get Barry to agree to come along.

Barry passes along an invite to Cisco and Caitlin, and he's thrilled when they accept. Not only because he doesn't want to spend the night as a third-wheel, but because he likes his friends.

And, as it turns out, Iris likes them, too.

"I'm glad you invited Caitlin and Cisco," Iris says, taking a stool beside Barry's at the bar in between another dart match with Eddie.

"They're cool, right?" Barry asks, throwing her a smile.

"They saved your life, Barry," Iris replies, her return smile bright. "That makes them the coolest people I've ever met."

They share a toast to friends old and new, then Iris moves off to rejoin Eddie, and Barry is left alone at the bar, contemplating his empty shot glass.

*****

"Guys, I have a problem," Barry announces, joining Cisco and Caitlin at their table with a tray of fresh shots.

Cisco and Caitlin jump to the assumption that Barry means Iris's hot date, who even has Caitlin swooning a little.

"I'm not talking about Eddie," Barry sighs, trying to ignore the laughing couple nearby. "I'm talking about this."

In superspeed succession Barry flicks back the five shots on the tray, then shakes his head at his friends. "I can't feel anything."

Cisco watches, surprised, then grins in amusement, "Yeah, that's usually what happens when you drink too much."

"No," Barry replies, not really finding it funny at all, "the alcohol is not affecting me. I mean I literally feel nothing."

Caitlin's expression brightens and she announces, "It's your hyper-metabolism. I need a sample."

Sensing an experiment, Cisco hops up from his chair. "I'll get more shots."

All Barry can do is stand by while his friends prepare to test yet another new side effect his powers seem to have on him.

*****

The only thing Barry can say about this night is, at least he isn't drinking alone.

In the name of science, the shots keep coming, and in the name of friendship, Cisco and Caitlin join Barry for a couple.

"Still nothing?" Cisco asks when he sees Barry's frown after another round.

"I can't get drunk," Barry bemoans, eyeing his empty glass. "I mean I'm only twenty-five and my drinking days are already over."

"C'mon, Allen, you're up."

Caught up in this new situation, Barry had almost forgotten about Iris and her boyfriend, and he starts a little when Eddie calls his name.

Reluctantly, Barry stands up, not really in the mood to play darts with Eddie. Before the game can start, Eddie's phone goes off and the man frowns.

"There's a bombing on Eighth and Pass." Eddie's announcement draws everyone's attention, and while he and Iris kiss goodbye, Barry exchanges glances with Cisco and Caitlin.

Eddie heads out the door and Iris isn't far behind, grabbing her jacket and excusing herself. "I've got an early shift at Jitters. Barry, we'll catch up tomorrow."

Barry's too busy making his own awkward excuses to notice anything off about Iris's exit.

"It's getting late anyways so I'm just gonna… " Leaving Cisco and Caitlin behind, Barry ducks out, headed for Eighth and Pass.

*****

In almost no time at all Barry is on scene, wearing the suit and looking up at the still smoking building. What he sees is a man hanging precariously high above. The explosion must have knocked him out of his rig while he was cleaning windows, and now both man and his platform are dangling by a wire strand nearly twenty stories above the pavement.

Tapping his comm, Barry calls back to Cisco and Caitlin, "Guys, there's a window washer and he's gonna fall!"

Back in the pub, Cisco and Caitlin try to monitor Barry, Cisco replying, "Don't try and catch him, you don't have super strength."

Casting about for ideas, Barry asks, "Well is there like a bed store near here? What if I get a bunch of mattresses and stack them?"

Caitlin is incredulous. "Barry, this isn't a Roadrunner cartoon."

Barry looks around wildly for a solution as the man above continues to cry out for help.

Finally, a wild idea strikes and Barry looks up at the looming building.

"How fast would I need to go to run up the side of a building?"

Cisco's voice hails back, full of uncertainty. "How far up do you need to go?"

It's about fifty meters, and while Cisco works out calculations, the man above's safety tether continues to fray.

"Guys, hurry!" Barry urges.

With no time left for equations, Caitlin takes over.

"Just run really fast and you'll be fine. But," she cautions, "you need to maintain your velocity on the way down or-- "

Anxiously, Barry prompts her to finish, "Wh-- or, or what?"

"Splat."

"Great." That's not comforting at all. Still, Barry finds himself backing up a few paces, considering the distance to and up the building he needs to run.

This is crazy and he knows it. Shaking his head at the doubts and the idea, Barry bounces on his heels, working out the nerves, trying to psyche himself up to attempt the impossible.

"Alright. Alright, alright, alright." Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Barry gets set. "Here it goes."

Releasing all doubt, he sets off, racing for the building. Running headlong into a wall goes against every instinct a person has, but Barry ignores the fear and instead plants his foot when he reaches the wall and keeps running.

Up the side of the building he goes, a streak flickering over with lightning gaining height, closing the distance to the man. The glass windows beneath Barry's feet crack in spider glass patterns after he races over them, but he gives up no momentum.

The safety tether finally snaps, but the man has no chance to scream, because Barry is there, snatching him a heartbeat before gravity does and running them both back down the building to safety.

Barry deposits the man back on the ground; his heart racing more from the feat than the effort.

With the danger over, Barry moves to take off and is stuck in place when he looks up and sees Iris standing there, staring in wide-eyed awe at him. Barry freezes, then instinct takes over and he vibrates in place, blurring his features, not counting on the mask to conceal his identity from her.

She smiles at him, and he finds himself returning it with a smirk before finally speeding away.

[ooc: dialogue taken from episode 1.5]