Surge

[run_barry]

So the crazy plan didn't work.

Barry took on the approximate charge of another lightning bolt and he still doesn't have his speed back. With Farooq tearing his way through S.T.A.R. Labs the only thing left now is to try and get out.

Navigating the hallways with Caitlin, trying to regroup with Cisco and Dr. Wells, the last thing Barry expects to run into is Tony Woodward being thrown across the corridor by a charged bolt of electricity.

The big man Girder, who should be locked up down in the pipeline, is knocked out of his metal metahuman form and slams to the ground, obviously hurt and bleeding.

Wide-eyed in surprise, Barry rushes over to Tony, kneeling down beside him. "Tony? Hey, Tony, what are you doing?"

Tony looks up at Barry, wearing the same smirk that used to be so infuriating when Tony was being a jerk, but now it's tight with pain. "Oh, come on, you know me, Allen. I never run from a fight."

Barry can hear Farooq on the approach, but Tony doesn't look so good and Barry hangs by the man's side, trying to encourage him.

"All right, well, stay with me, okay? You're good." As Barry desperately tries to think of a way that he and Caitlin can help Tony, Tony reaches up with a bloody hand to grab Barry.

Drawing Barry close, Tony grates out one urgent word, "Run."

And then, just like that, Girder is dead. Before Barry can fully process what just happened Farooq comes around the corner and Barry and Caitlin have to flee, leaving Tony behind.

*****

Somehow they manage to stay ahead of Farooq and Barry and Caitlin make it back to Cisco in the generator room.

Barry's hurting and obviously out of breath and Caitlin immediately sets to work drawing Barry's blood, hoping to figure out what happened while Barry laments the death of Tony Woodward.

As they try to figure out exactly how Tony got out of the pipeline prison Dr. Wells arrives and announces he was the one who released Tony.

Baffled, Barry shakes his head at Dr. Wells and asks, "Why?"

"To divert our intruder's attention while we worked to restore your speed," Dr. Wells explains.

Barry's floored by the admission, trying to understand. "You used him as a distraction?"

"An unnecessary one, as it turns out," Dr. Wells replies almost callously. "It seems the plan has failed."

Barry feels shock and outrage welling up. "I-- I have his blood on me. How could you do that?"

"You're showing a lot of sentiment for a man who tormented you as a child," Dr. Wells notes impassively.

Barry draws himself up, shaking his head. "Tony might have been a bully then and now, but he didn't deserve to die."

"Does Caitlin or Cisco or me or you?" Dr. Wells counters. "I had a choice to make, him or us. I chose us without a second thought."

Barry can't abide by that, and he can't believe that Dr. Wells would.

He tries to argue Dr. Wells further, pointing out the hypocrisy of the doctor's proclaimed dedication to cures and breakthroughs while not actually caring about people at all, but it's not getting them anywhere.

They need to get out, before Farooq finds and kills them all.

With the killer metahuman blocking off their exit through the main entrance the team plans an escape down through the garage. As they move to go Caitlin, who has been running blood work the whole time, makes an excited exclamation.

"Oh my god, Barry look, your cells, they're rapidly regenerating." She holds up her tablet screen with a magnified image of Barry's blood from a microscope slide displayed.

Barry stares at the image, then once again tries to get his speed going with no success.

Watching Barry try and fail, Dr. Wells draws a conclusion, "It must be mental, not physical."

That's not an encouraging diagnosis, and Barry doesn't know what to do with it. Cisco makes things worse when he throws in his own theory about Barry suffering from fears of being a failure that don't help the situation at all, and finally Caitlin steps in.

Rising, she stands before Barry, her expression earnest. "Look, you asked if I believed you were struck by lightning for a reason, if you were chosen. I believe. You should too."

Barry throws his friends an uncertain frown, not sure if he can believe it.

*****

They all make it down to the garage and while Cisco and Caitlin help Dr. Wells, Barry hops into the mobile lab van and gets it started. A moment after the engine turns over though, it sputters and dies, along with most of the lights in the garage.

Farooq has caught up to them.

Looking up through the windshield, Barry tries to get out of the van as the metahuman approaches, but just as Barry throws open the door an electrical bolt comes arcing towards him, striking Barry and knocking him out of the vehicle.

Cisco and Caitlin rush over to help Barry who struggles to sit up. Unable to gain his feet, all Barry can do is sit and watch as Farooq closes in. The three of them cower and Caitlin pleads as Farooq raises his hands to strike--

"HEY."

Everyone looks and Farooq turns around to see Dr. Wells calling from his chair, out in the open, facing Farooq.

"You're here for me," Dr. Wells says.

"Finally you show your face," Farooq sneers.

Barry stays huddled with Cisco and Caitlin, watching helplessly as Dr. Wells talks to Farooq about the night of the explosion, and what happened to Farooq and his friends.

"I know," Dr. Wells says, voice low, regretful, "I hurt a lot of people that night."

Farooq snaps back, voice quaking, "People? You don't even know their names."

Dr. Wells doesn't flinch as he goes through the names of those lost.

"Jake Davenport. Darya Kim. Ralph Dibny, Al Rothstein, Grant Emerson, Will Everett, Bea Da Costa, Ronnie Raymond. I know the names of every person who died that night. I know they all mattered, and the fact that the world is now deprived of their potential is something that I have to live with every day, but these people… "

Dr. Wells looks past Farooq and on to the three crouched and anxiously watching, his gaze meeting Barry's. "These people have done nothing wrong. You want to punish me? Fine, let's do that, but let these people live."

Barry watches as Dr. Wells offers his life for theirs and Farooq accepts.

"You died that night, too," Farooq says.

Bringing his hands up, Farooq launches a blast of electricity at Dr. Wells.

Barry lets out a loud anxious shout as Dr. Wells is knocked from his chair to the floor.

"NOOOOO!"

Dr. Wells hits the ground and Farooq keeps stalking forward, continuing to say, "You just didn't know it 'til today."

Barry can't let Dr. Wells and his friends die.

He Won't.

Resolve wells up within Barry and the moment draws out into several long heartbeats before time seems to halts completely. It's a familiar feeling and Barry recognizes it for what it is; the world isn't slowing down, Barry is moving so fast it only seems that way.

Whatever was there, whatever had been stopping him, it's gone now and in the moment of knowing that he has to save Dr. Wells, Barry feels a surge of power rising from within. Lightning sparks in his eyes and without thinking Barry moves.

In a rush he crosses the distance between where he was with Cisco and Caitlin and where Dr. Wells is lying, an arc of deadly electricity being hurled his way. Determinedly, Barry lifts Wells and pulls him out of the way of danger, placing him in the safe care of Cisco and Caitlin before dashing off again.

One moment it's Barry Allen rescuing his friends, and the next it's the Flash, facing off with Farooq. The evil metahuman's stunned reaction only lasts a moment. As soon as he sees the red clad Barry standing before him, Farooq attacks.

Bolts of electricity are hurled his way and Barry dodges each one neatly until finally one hits, striking Barry full on in the chest. Barry is caught up in the arc and the power drain starts to happen again, only this time, Barry fights back.

Blue bolts of Farooq's charged powers slam into Barry and Farooq tries to siphon out the electricity from within him, but the gold flared lightning that drives and powers Barry flares and strikes back; streaming from Barry and lancing through Farooq. The clash knocks both men to their knees as the force within Barry streams out in an overpowering burst that overwhelms the other metahuman, cutting him down.

Farooq sputters out and keels over, and Barry is left panting from the experience.

Before he has a chance to catch his breath one thought jumps into Barry's mind.

"Iris."

With Dr. Wells and the other two safe, Barry speeds off hoping it's not too late for Iris and Joe.

[ooc: dialogue taken from episode 1.7]