The Great Escapes

[run_barry]

Since Yamato offered to come to Central City and help with the epidemic crisis, things have been crazy, but handling them has been a whole lot easier now that Barry isn't operating alone.

He even got some rest in, on Yamato's orders, and they've got a bit of down time as far as emergencies in the city go so they're using it to work on other problems.

While Yamato recalibrates the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite to track the new meta they suspect is behind a whole bunch of the crime, and a death-trap or two set for Barry, Barry is getting his science nerd-amateur virologist on, trying to find a cure to the bug that has so much of the City down; including his team.

Sitting at a desk in the Cortex, Barry works away with a microscope taking notes on a tablet. Beside him are several boxes of chicken nuggets which he's working through, with a few empty ones already in the waste bin nearby.

In the middle of the space on the floor GP the porg is munching on shrimp treats while bopping around an inflatable S.T.A.R. Labs beach ball.

Comments

[run_barry]

After landing the blow Barry runs for cover. His last hiding spot is red glowing slag now, so he takes cover behind a workbench, watching the robot struggle from there.

For a moment his heart drops out when he sees the shield come back on and the robot draw itself together. The change in colors is a surprise and Barry ducks down when the sparks erupt and K.I.L.L.F.L.A.S.H. finally bites the dust.

Cautiously coming around to inspect the robot from a safe distance, Barry drops the wrench he'd held onto just in case and lets out his own sigh.

"I'm so over fighting robots, dude."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"But I was going to get Cisco to build an angry Yamatobot for your birthday," Yamato says, a little plaintively. Shaking his head, he adds: "Don't worry, that should be the last one. All that's left is two dudes, you can deal with them easily."

He flicks his hands over the computer, quickly taking control of the security doors and elevator, when he spies something on his monitor.

"Power's going out in the control room. Looks like they're shutting everything down to make a run for it," he says. "If I lower the elevator, is it wide enough for you to run down? That'll give you back the element of surprise and some momentum as you deal with them."

The elevator in question is pretty wide, built not just for people but also for large amounts of cargo.

[run_barry]

"You're so not my favorite Chosen," Barry declares, drawing himself up for what he's hopes is the last battle.

"Two dudes. Easy."

Hearing Camera Commander is on the run brings urgency back to Barry, and he nods to Yamato's suggest before voicing a reply.

"I think so. Do it, we can't let this guy get away."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"You wound me. Cuts deep, man. Feels bad."

He sounds cheerful enough about it.

There's the sound of some furious typing over the comms, and then the elevator drops, a lot more sharply than it ascended, with several crashing sounds, leaving an open shaft leading directly down to the control room, and the distant sounds of two people trying to very hurriedly pack everything of value up.

"There."

[run_barry]

"We catch these guys without anymore fuss and I'll put you back on top of the list," Barry promises, rushing for the open elevator shaft.

The feat isn't exactly as easy as he thought it would be, and he definitely stumbles a bit on the way down, but he gets it sorted out before the bottom and exists in a whoosh.

"Hey, Commander!" he shouts. "What's you're hurry?"

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Ya-a-ay," Yamato says.

He's fairly confident that Barry has this handled, and he doesn't have eyes on the control room anyway, so he settles back in his seat to watch the camera feeds he can see, just to make sure no drones are sneaking down the shaft.

(There are, he's pleased to find, no sneaking drones.)


The smaller man in the control room, middle-aged, curly haired, immediately makes a break for the door on the far side of the room, starting to shakily tap in a code.

The other -- larger, one of the escapees from before, currently overburdened with several bags full of stuff, starts trying to put down everything in his hands as quickly as possible so that he can reach for the gun on his hip.

[run_barry]

"No one ever just surrenders," Barry tsks quietly before streaking forward.

"Here, let me help you," he says, coming to a stop in front of the big guy carrying everything.

In a rush Barry removes everything from the man's grasp, including the bags, his gun, belt and his pants by unfortunate result of taking the belt, which Barry uses to tie the guy up with.

Leaving the man where he's at, Barry takes off after the Commander. Barry's a touch slow in reaching Camera Commander, but that's by design.

As soon as the door pops open Barry is there, grabbing CC by the collar and propping the door open with his foot.

"Not so fast there, guy."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Barry, didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with your food," Yamato remarks, and there might be the faint sound of him spinning in his desk chair, just for a second.

CC just freezes up nervously, apparently unwilling to struggle or even just move at all. "Listen, if you let me go I will absolutely not bother you or anyone again and I'll just leave and go to Starling Ci -- actually not there, maybe Coast City and I won't cause any problems and ..."

He shows no sign of stopping or slowing down.

[run_barry]

"I'm not," he denies to Yamato. "But after everything I thought this part would be hard."

Barry listens to the man's rambling, shaking his head.

"Seriously, dude? You've been trying to kill me this whole time." And Barry is having a hard time believing, and is actually kind of disappointed, that this is the guy.

"You definitely do not wanna set up digs in Starling," Barry assures the man. "C'mon, let's go join your buddy and you can tell it all to CCPD when they get here."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"I think after he sent out the anti-you robot, he was pretty much out of tricks," Yamato remarks, shaking his head. "All right, he's not in the system anymore, so I can take this place off lockdown and unlock all the doors. I'll send an alert over to CCPD."

There's a pause, and the distant sound of many, many doors opening, even if the vents all remain stubbornly shuttered.

"Oh, and you might want to run the guy up here to a hospital," he says, just a tiny bit sheepishly. "It's nothing life-threatening or anything, but he ended up with a few broken bones from our fight."

Nose, jaw, possibly a few ribs.

[run_barry]

Hearing all of the doors opening up, Barry lets go of the one he caught, assured now that they can get out of this place.

"C'mon, let's go sit down with your buddy," he tells Camera Commander, walking him over to sit with the escapee. Barry finds a long piece of loose cord and uses that to tie the Commander up with.

Hearing Yamato, Barry brows lift, "Say what now?"

With the two bad guys secured Barry leaves them to run back up to Yamato.

"Okay, so now what-- dude are you alright?"

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato stands up and holds up his hands placatingly as soon as Barry arrives and asks that. "It looks worse than it is. Head wounds are just messy, that's all."

There's no point demurring now that there isn't any risk of distracting Barry from taking down CC, so he adds: "I was in a rush to finish things and got sloppy, and dude got in a hit with a baseball bat," he says, tapping the gash on his forehead, "but I'm fine. It isn't even bleeding anymore."

[run_barry]

Barry gives Yamato a Look.

"How is getting clubbed in the head with a bat fine?" Raising his hand, he waves off the question. "We'll get you checked out when we get back."

Be ready for tests and scans, Yamato.

Looking down at the tied up escapee, Barry asks, "Now what's up with this guy? You whack him back?"

Barry's starting to regret having left, but there wasn't any choice, Yamato did handle things, and everyone is alive. So... in the end it's not so bad.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato looks like he's about to protest the idea of him being checked out, but he stops himself before he does, instead glancing down towards the escapee.

"I, er, headbutted him. And threw a few punches," he says, a little sheepishly. "The guy's pretty sturdy, actually, he managed to put up an okay fight before he went down."

Yamato approves! At least now that the benefit of hindsight lets him know that Barry was doing okay with the drones.

[run_barry]

The man looks pretty intimidating and Barry's impressed.

"Nice job, Clobberman."

Heaving a deep breath, Barry rubs his hands together.

"Alright well, let me get this guy to the hospital. If CCPD shows up before I get back then... hide."

That said, Barry scoops up the injured bad guy in a whoosh and speeds off.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"That's worst one you've come up with yet," Yamato growls, folding his arms.

As Barry rushes off, Yamato settles back into the chair, watching the external cameras around the building. He's not expecting the CCPD to get back before Barry, but if they do, he doesn't want to be caught off-guard.

[run_barry]

After safely depositing the escapee at Central City Hospital Barry returns to Yamato.

"Cruisers are coming down the road now," he says to Yamato after appearing in a gust. "There's enough evidence downstairs for them to figure out all that Camera Commander and his guys were into so, I think we're good to go."

He gives Yamato a nod, looking for confirmation that he's set to get out of here.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Cool. Let's head back, then," Yamato replies, standing up.

He's not looking forward to getting medical checks, but at the very least, it's a quasi-familiar environment to relax in, and he doesn't have to worry about the Camera Commander anymore.

[run_barry]

"Great, let's go then."

Surely Yamato is getting used to being sped around by now, right?

It isn't long at all before they're back in S.T.A.R. Labs. Shoving back the cowl, Barry throws Yamato an excited grin.

"Did we take care of business or what?"

[angry_friendship_wolf]

He still tenses up as they run, but he relaxes again as soon as they stop.

"We did pretty good," he says, giving Barry a quick smile and reaching over to nudge his shoulder. "We make a good team. And you were great out there."

[run_barry]

"So were you, man. Timing those traps and everything, getting me through that place. Really glad I had you there."

He claps Yamato's shoulder, then frowns as he takes another look at the wound on Yamato's head.

"Now let's get you fixed up, alright? Have a seat and I'll get what we need."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato turns a little pink, ducking his head and giving Barry another smile. "Thanks. Glad I could help out."

He hesitates for a moment, then takes off his armoured jacket (and grimaces a little when he gets a good look at the rather unpleasant bruising on his forearms from blocking the bat) and sits down.

"I'm fine, really."

[run_barry]

Eying that bruising, Barry scoffs.

"Oh yeah dude, you're doing awesome. Be right back." Not waiting for a reply, Barry speeds off.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"It's no -- ..."

And he's gone.

Yamato gives a quick grumble and leans back in his chair, shutting his eyes.

[makes_the_toys]

All is quiet in the Cortex until a berobed figure shambles in. Carrying a teapot and a box of tissues, a somewhat less bedraggled than before looking Cisco crosses the room.

"Hey Yams? D'you-- WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY ROBOT?!"