Desperate Measures

[run_barry]

Barry doesn't have his powers.

And a very pissed off electric metahuman has just wiped out the power in S.T.A.R. Labs and is now rampaging through the building looking for Dr. Wells.

They need help, and Barry has been frantically trying to call Joe. He tries the man's cell phone a dozen times, and the phones at the precinct a dozen more. Finally, as a last resort, he dials Captain Singh's cell.

The Captain answers with a clipped, "Not now."

Urgently Barry speaks out, trying to stop him from hanging up. "Wait. Captain Singh, I've been trying to get in touch with Joe or anyone at the precinct."

The Captain's next words make Barry's heart sink.

"There's a hostage situation, Barry, and Joe's inside. So's his daughter."

With a curt, promise to call back when he knows more, Singh hangs up.

With the situation more urgent now than ever, Barry turns to his team.

"Joe and Iris are in trouble. I need my powers back now."

Caitlin and Cisco throw Barry fretful looks, but Dr. Wells is calm and thoughtful.

"I have a theory. It's untested."

Barry shakes his head, desperate. "I'm willing to roll the dice."

The idea is simple; Barry's cells are still primed and ready for him to be the impossible, all they need is a jumpstart.

Of course, giving him that jump is when things get crazy, because it's going to require another lightning bolt; or whatever S.T.A.R. Labs equivalent they can whip up.

"Are you insane?" Caitlin exclaims, trying as always to be the voice of reason when it's made clear just the kind of charge they're expecting Barry's body to handle. "That's more electricity than they give to people in the electric chair."

Barry listens to them arguing, knowing that somewhere in the building Farooq is closing in, and down at the precinct Joe and Iris are in danger.

If he gets his powers back he can save them all.

But, if this attempt doesn't work he's either down for the count or dead, and then everyone dies.

The decision comes to him, and Barry realizes maybe there's another option.

"I'm gonna talk to him," he says, already on his way out the door.

Dr. Wells is adamantly against that and when Barry tries to counter with his reasoning Wells tries to shoot him down with facts.

"Earlier today, you worked a crime scene where this metahuman electrocuted an innocent man," Dr. Wells reminds Barry as Cisco and Caitlin stand by. "He's a murderer! And you are powerless to defend yourself against him."

That may be true, but still Barry wants to believe there's a chance for this to work. Back at the power plant Farooq wasn't deliberately causing mayhem, he was 'feeding'. Maybe he has to. Maybe he's suffering.

"He may just need help, like I did," Barry replies to Dr. Wells. "I don't need my powers to offer him that. I have to try."

*****

Barry's heart is beating double-time and his palms are sweaty when he comes across Farooq. Watching the arcs of electricity and remembering how not fun being hit by one of them was, Barry is anxious when he approaches.

Downing nerves, forcing calm, Barry finds his courage and approaches, quick to stop in his tracks when Farooq notices him, throwing up his hands to stall the man's attack.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, easy. I'm not gonna hurt you," Barry assures the metahuman.

Farooq holds back for the moment, sneering. "You can't hurt me. Where is Harrison Wells?"

Stepping closer cautiously, Barry tries to talk to the man. "Look, I know what happened to you. The night of the accelerator explosion, it changed you. It changed me too."

Farooq recognizes that it was Barry in the suit. He tells Barry about his friends who died trying to save him, and Barry's heart goes out to the man.

"This is not your fault," Barry assures him.

For a moment there's a hopeful pause, but then Farooq's expression darkens, and his hands start to spark.

"I know," the man growls. "Wells did this to me."

Barry barely has a moment to try and reason with Farooq before he's being hit with a blast of electricity and thrown through the doorway.

It hurts. A lot. And Barry is oh so grateful to see the door slam shut between him and Farooq.

"Done being noble, Mr. Allen?" Dr. Wells asks, sitting on the other side of the door with Caitlin and Cisco at his side, the trio there while Barry made his effort to reach Farooq.

Barry frowns and Dr. Wells takes that as acquiescence.

"Caitlin, get him to the treadmill," Dr. Wells instructs, taking over the situation. "Cisco, bring the generator online. Make sure Barry gets the charge."

Cisco protests, and while he and Dr. Wells argue Barry and Caitlin head for the training room, Caitlin supporting Barry as he limps along and Barry hoping like hell that this is going to work.

*****

It's a cat and mouse game trying to make it to the treadmill room and to stay ahead of Farooq. Along the way Barry finds himself trying out a few doors, hoping that maybe one of them might open to Milliways.

If he could find a way into the bar then he could get help for his friends, and Joe and Iris. Steve or X; any one of the Milliways heroes who could stand up to Farooq.

Unfortunately the bar doesn't present itself, and they're running out of time.

"Barry what are you doing? Let's go," Caitlin says urgently, pulling the last door shut for Barry and hustling them both into the treadmill room.

Prepping for the insane plan they're about to attempt, they have a close call as Farooq closes in.

Cisco does his job, though, and when the power suddenly comes back on Farooq heads off, presumably to continue his hunt for Dr. Wells.

Caitlin has everything prepped, and Barry is in position, but when the moment comes to throw the switch that will hit Barry with the bolt he needs to regain his speed, Caitlin hesitates.

Barry shouts at Caitlin to go ahead, but she balks.

"I can't," she says, shaking her head at him.

"We don't have a choice!" Barry replies, knowing they're down to their last option and that time is definitely running out.

"If I turn this on, it could kill you," Caitlin argues.

"If you don't, we could all die," Barry counters.

Caitlin won't budge, and her voice is trembling when she replies, "I already lost someone I cared about in this building. I can't do it again."

Barry feels for her, he really does, he knows how she lost Ronnie the night the Particle Accelerator exploded, but he also knows now that he has to do this.

"Listen," he says, heat leaving his voice and replaced with quiet urgency, trying to convince her. "Someone once told me that I was struck by that lightning for a reason, that it chose me. I'm not sure I believe it. Right now, it doesn't matter what I believe. What do you believe?"

He gives Caitlin an imploring look and she looks back at him anxiously before finally reaching up and throwing the switch.

The charge hits Barry with a full-bodied blow, throwing him across the room and into the glass wall lining the lab.

He hits the ground on his side and Caitlin is there a moment later, trying to pick him up.

"My God, are you okay?" she asks urgently. "Did you feel anything?"

He's not okay. Everything hurts and even though he wills it, his powers aren't returned.

Frowning, he shakes his head.

"It didn't work."


[ooc: dialogue taken from episode 1.7]