The Man:
Driving into the parking lot, I look around for a bit to find a parking space. Finding one near the end of the lot, in between a small red sedan and pale-blue mini-van, I then look at Barry.
"Hey," I say, slapping the moron in his face. "Hey! Wakey, wakey Sleeping Beauty!"
Taking off my shoe, I hit Barry in the head with it, the attack snapping him out of it!
"What," he stutters, his arms and legs shooting wildly. "What! What the! What! Where am I?
"Central City," I reply, putting my shoe back on and turning off the radio.
"Central City," he repeats, looking out the window. "Wait, how did I get here? I mean, the last time I remember is being at the table! You had just said the two of us are going to Central City to--"
"Recruit Captain Cold for the Insurgency," I say, finishing his sentence. "Yes! I am bursting with joy that you remember that! You know what else! I am also bursting with joy that you're finally awake and that now, in order to be 'polite', I have to turn off the radio. Now, get out."
Politely kicking Barry out of the car, I then get out myself. Looking at the old, crumbling, paint peeling off the wall, rats and roaches infected, apartment building, I shrug my shoulders and head for the front door.
"Where are we," Barry asks, looking at me. "I mean, where are we? Why are we here?"
"There goes the joy," I say, walking through the front entrance. The fat guy sitting behind the front desk doesn't even bother to raise his head as we enter. Nodding off, I walk up the stairs, each step comes with a creak.
"Hey," Barry says from the bottom of the stairs, his foot not even on the first step. "Did you change my clothes? I've just realized I'm not wearing my 'suit'."
Examining his clothes, a red plaid shirt with a white shirt underneath and blue jeans, all too big for him, he looks back at me.
"Yeah," I reply, "I switched your 'suit' for some clothes I picked up at a thrift store about ten minutes from here. By the way, thank you for reminding me. You owe me 15 dollars."
"Why did you change me?"
"Because the only reason we can walk into this building without drawing attention is that 'who you know' is not with us. Wow, you are slow. You move fast and whatnot but your mind is slow."
"Well, speaking of 'slow', why are you taking the stairs? There's an elevator right here."
"Lots of bad experiences on elevators. Listen slow mind, if you fancy the elevator, then knock yourself out. I'm taking the stairs. See you on the fifth floor."
Turning around, I start my jog up the stairs. While jogging, I see not only wallpapers peeling off but also rotten woods underneath the peeling papers. There are stains of all colors and sizes on the carpets, and the smell is a mixture of urine, feces, and many things rotting.
"You lived in worsts," my mind says to me as I jog up the final flight of stairs. Stopping when I see a rat run across the hallway into a mousehole, I get an idea.
Barry Allen:
"Listen slow mind," the man said, "If you fancy the elevator, then knock yourself out. I'm taking the stairs. See you on the 5th floor."
"Listen slow mind," the man said again. "Listen slow mind. Slow mind."
"I am not slow," I say, hitting my hand against the elevator's wall. "I am not slow! I am the Flash! I can be here and then in China in less than five minutes! Two minutes if I really try! At least I'm not stupid. Do you really think Leonard Snart is going to join us? He'll freeze me the second he sees me."
The elevator dinging, its doors opening, I jump back when I see the man standing right in front, his arms crossed.
"Beat ya," he jokes, turning and walking away. Following him, we stop at a door.
"Is this Cold's door," I ask, preparing. "Captain Cold? Leonard Snart?"
"Yeah, that's all one person," the man says before knocking. "Pizza!"
The sound of something falling and someone swearing and falling follow after, we look at each other.
"I didn't order any pizza," Cold yells, the door not opening. "Go away!"
"Room service," the man says, knocking again.
"What? This place doesn't have room service! Whoever the hell you are, go away! Now!"
"Mail," the man says, knocking a third time.
"That's it," Cold says, the sound of him unlocking his door ringing loud in my head.
"Get ready," I told myself.
"You are going to regret this you son of a--," Captain Cold says, opening his door. However, before he could aim his gun or I could run, the man punches Captain Cold with a straight right to the face. Stun for only a second, the man then kicks open Cold's door, Cold falling back and us walking in.
"I lied about the mail," the man starts, closing and locking the door. Once locked, he then looks around Cold's apartment. There are half-empty food trays and cups scatter everywhere, the leftover foods rotting and attracting flies. Cold seems to be sleeping on his sofa, considering there are a pillow and blanket on it, and besides his 'bed' is a turnover coffee table. Surrounding the coffee table are what look like old newspaper clippings.
"Lucky for me," the man says, tapping my arm. "I ain't thirsty."
Nuding his head toward the kitchen, I see some cabinets barely hanging on next to a rusted sink with no doubt a broken fridge."
Picking up a newspaper clipping off the ground, the man read it out loud.
"Captain Cold and Golden Glider win big at Central City Horse Track," he starts, showing me the clipping. On the clipping is a picture of Leonard and his sister. "100,000 dollars stolen. Not bad, Cold. Not bad at all. Course, this does go back quite a distance. Never figured you were one for being in the past Snarty."