Drained

[run_barry]

The morning starts with a hold up.

Barry is the one who gets held up, actually, at gunpoint, and it's pretty awesome.

Not that hold ups are awesome, but obviously it's something Barry can handle and the look on the guy's face when he realizes he's picked the wrong target is just priceless.

The whole thing leaves Barry in a great mood up until he arrives at S.T.A.R. Labs and gets called out by Dr. Wells for being late. Again.

"Now, may I remind you, Mr. Allen, we had an agreement," Dr. Wells says, tone level but disappointment edging towards frustration clear. "We would help with your heroics out there while you would help us research and develop your abilities in here, right?"

Barry nods, knowing they've maybe upheld their side of the bargain more than he has, but there's been reason for that. "Yeah. No, I know. I-- I guess I've just gotten a little caught up with being able to help people, you know, put bad guys away. It feels good."

Dr. Wells's reply is to the point. "Imagine how good it will feel to cure diseases, stop aging, reverse paralysis."

Resisting the urge to look down at Dr. Wells's wheelchair, Barry works back guilt and gives a nod. "All good causes. So how can I help you do that? You need more MRIs, more blood, or… "

"I need more speed."

There's a gravity to that statement that Barry feels, and it's a little intimidating.

"Okay," Barry replies, sobering as Dr. Wells goes on.

"Speed is the key to progress. You need to kick it up a notch."

Kicking it up a notch will have to wait. Barry's phone buzzes with a message calling him into work for a homicide.

Apologetic, Barry excuses himself but Dr. Wells stops him just before he goes.

"This is not just about you. Remember that, Barry."

*****

Barry leaves, but he's back at S.T.A.R. Labs again soon enough, hoping for help with the homicide case he was called in on.

The victim at the scene was a crispy corpse, mysteriously electrified to the point of being near unidentifiable. It's Barry's hope that Cisco can help with figuring out who the man was before he was toasted.

Cisco runs an image through software intended for archeologists but modified by the ever capable Felicity Smoak. That gets cross-referenced with the DMV database and…

"Casey Donahue," Cisco declares proudly when the results ping back. "No wife. No kids. Used to work at the Petersburg electrical substation."

Obviously someone electrocuted to death working at a power plant is no coincidence, neither is the use of the dead man's credentials at the plant now.

Beside Cisco and looking at the information the computer is spitting out, Caitlin announces, "The Petersburg grid is experiencing a power drain right now."

Barry doesn't hesitate, he grabs the suit and runs, missing Dr. Wells's call for caution on the way out.

*****

Arriving at the powerplant substation the air smells like ozone, and the loud crackling of electricity is impossible to miss.

So is the glowing dude standing in front of a transformer, hands up and electricity arcing against his open palms.

"I'm pretty sure this is a restricted area," Barry informs the man casually.

The man turns around, regarding Barry a moment before he suddenly lifts his hand and shoots electricity out, aiming for Barry.

Speeding out of the way, Barry dodges the blasts before coming back around to face the man.

This guy is definitely the metahuman they're looking for.

"I have to feed," the man grates out, then fires more blasts at Barry.

Barry dodges the first few before getting caught in the line of one. The arc of electricity strikes painfully, freezing Barry in place for a moment.

Yelling out, Barry struggles against it, just managing to break free.

He doesn't make it very far. Falling to his knees, Barry grapples with the pain. When the meta comes around again for another attack Barry tries to run.

He's barely to his feet when the surge of electricity hits again. Struck in the back, Barry is held in place by the surge, shouting out in agony. It's like being struck by lightning all over again, only this time the bolt is bursting out from within.

White hot heat and sizzling current explode over Barry's body, then streams out in an arc, stealing away Barry's strength and energy with it.

It feels like having something ripped out from the inside, like a piece of himself being torn away, and when it's done Barry hits the dirt while the metahuman who did it shambles off, muttering to himself.

Over the comm-link Dr. Wells yells at Barry to run.

Struggling to his feet, Barry tries, and goes nowhere.

"I can't," Barry calls back, voice shaky, out of breath. "My speed-- it's gone."

[ooc: dialogue taken from episode 1.7]