The hours quickly passed by. I woke up early to prepare for work, and before I even know it my shift already ended. With doubt in my mind, I fish out my phone from my jeans and dial Joe's number which he picked up with just a few short rings.
"Detective Joe West. Who is this?"
"This is Thora, Joe. My shift ended." there was a hurried sound from the background before I hear Joe answer.
"Thora. I see. Yes, Uhm... Will it be okay for me to pick you up? I know you have a car, but will it be okay for us to get back to it once we're done?" My brows furrowed.
Where does he want to bring me for him to pick me up and not just let me follow him? But since he's a detective, and quite respectable at that, I said yes. After all, I've searched about him on the internet and saw all the cases he closed.
I told him where to pick me up over the phone, and I didn't wait for that long. He stops in front of me with his police car. He even went out of his way to open the door for me, looking back at the café before getting back inside the driver's seat.
"I didn't know you work at CC Jitters." he started, as we drive out into the highway.
"I just started yesterday." he glances at me for a very short moment and smiles.
"How is Central City doing so far for you?" he continued as we get farther and farther away from CC Jitters.
"Well, everything's fine I guess. I'm enjoying a lot of things since I'm a lot freer here than when I'm in Kansas." Joe nodded, his eyes fixated on the road.
After that, no one said anything anymore. It's like we both know that wherever he's taking me, we will both find out what truly is going on with me. If the people he knows can truly be trusted.
When Joe said that he will be taking me to people he knows, like the Flash, I thought it would be some kind of house. Like a safe house. Stupid of me to think that, because standing in front of me, is the building of Star Labs. Still looking mighty even after the explosion that sent me into a coma for a year.
I look at Joe but he didn't say anything at all. He proceeded to move, so I follow him. All I expected to see inside were rubbles from the explosion, but dang, everything entirely looks great. The hallway we are walking in is kind of dark but it looks stabilized.
Again with my expectations. I expected to see Joe's friends waiting for us, not Barry and his friends I saw in CC Jitters carrying an old man with blue flames igniting on his head. The man was unconscious. They rush him into a room with transparent walls a few feet away from my left.
They hauled over him, discussing something I can't hear. I then have time to look around. Tables full of computer sets. TV screens that are hanging on the wall ahead of us. Another corridor, another room with transparent walls, and the Flash's suit in the middle of a secret wall. The hero who's supposed to be wearing it is probably inside this room with us.
I look at Joe and he just stares back at me with contemplation. As if he's deciding silently what to tell me.
The blue flames on the unconscious man's head were already gone when I look back at them.
"Well, the problem is we had already used up most of its energy trying to dampen up Meta's powers during our little rogue air world trip with Weather Wizard and company. I think we got a few days tops." the guy with long hair stated, all of them marching out of the room where the man was laying down.
Joe and I watch them talk without them even noticing us at all, and I was getting anxious every minute that passed by. I just saw a man with a flaming head. What am I supposed to feel? Amaze?!
"I think I might know how to do that." when the woman said that, they all turn around, finally seeing us. And believe me when I said I almost burst out laughing at their surprised faces.
"Joe... Thora?! How... What..." I watched Barry get lost in his words. I stare at all of them before looking back at Joe.
"When you said you brought me here to have your friends find out what's wrong with me, did you mean that they're going to check if I'm a freak? Because I swear to god, I just saw them carrying an unconscious man with a flaming head!" I burst out, panicking which I swear, I never do.
"Joe?" Barry called to Joe, and I almost burst out again. Because I didn't even know that they know each other.
"Okay. Everybody, calm down. I brought Thora here because I think she's a meta-human."
"A what?" I cut in, hearing the term for the first time.
"How can you say so?" The woman asked, all of them looking back at me.
"Well, I was almost shot yesterday-"
"Wait! Are you okay?!" this time Barry's the one who butted in, searching for any sign that he was hurt.
"That's where Thora comes in. You see... Thora caught the bullet that was supposed to hit me."
They all look at me once again, this time making me feel like I just want to run out of the building and away from them.
"Thora... Is that true?" Barry asked, this time taking steps closer to where I am, but not closer than I thought he would.
"Look, guys... I-I don't know, okay. I'm not sure. I don't know how that's why I'm here. Because Joe told me you guys might know what's going on with me." Barry looks at me, before looking back at his two friends. They all glance at the man in the room, still unconscious on the bed. "Look, if you're all busy, it's okay. I'll just go and-"
"No. We'll try to find out what's going on, but you need to tell me what precisely happened yesterday when Joe said you caught the bullet." the woman stated, motioning for me towards the room on the other side of the room.
I sighed and follow her, sitting right on the bed. Everyone after us, watching intently. Barry stands beside me with his arms folded across his chest. I look up at him and he smiles.
"What happened Thora?" Barry asked, watching me intently as I calm myself. Finally just letting myself let all the secrets out.
"It started two years ago... I was on a trip here to Central City for work. I just arrive when it happened. Remember the particle accelerator that exploded here in STAR Labs back that time? I was caught in the wave of the explosion. Got my car thrown off the road. I was in a coma for a year-"
"Wait! Then are you saying that the night of the explosion you were affected by the wave?" I wanted to say that, that was exactly what I just said, but I don't want to be sarcastic at such a time so I kept it to myself.
"Yes. I was. As I said, I was in a coma for a year. My mom moves me back to Kansas and admitted me there. I was partially blind a few weeks after I woke up. The doctors find it bizarre that I was fully back in health after a week. Not like someone who was in a coma for a year."
I then notice how they all glance at each other, understanding something I don't.
"Thora... I mean, is it okay to call you Thora 'cause that's what Barry and Joe call you?" I nodded, to which the woman smiles too. "Well, I'm Caitlin Snow, a bio-engineer here at STAR Labs and a doctor. This guy is Cisco Ramon-" she introduced to the guy with shoulder-length hair who gave me a wide smile and a playful wave. "he's a mechanical engineer here at STAR Labs."
"But isn't STAR Labs supposed to be shut down already after the particle accelerator explosion?" I cut, still, confused as to why is everyone staying here at the Labs.
"We'll get to that later, but will you allow me to get a blood sample from you, Thora? Don't worry. I won't do anything about it. I'm just gonna check if your cells are working properly and stable, and not experiencing any... mutation." I notice the slight hesitation she has from the last word, cautiously glancing between all the three men in the room.
Sighing to myself, I said, "That's fine. But I don't want you guys to make my problem a priority. I'll tell you everything, but for now, take care of the one thing that is most important right now."
We all glance at the unconscious man laying on the bed in the other room. I gaze back at the others and they agreed. I was planning to let it aside, but then it caught my eye once more. Piquing my interest once again.
"But if you guys want me to trust you, I need to make sure I have the reasons to. Don't worry, I swear to god you guys can trust me. After all, I bet Joe won't let me off of his radar from now."
Barry looks at Caitlin and Cisco before they all look at me with confusion plastered on their faces. I sighed and point at the suit ahead of us. It was in the open as if it was for show-off.
"Oh, that's... That's something-"
"You're the Flash, aren't you, Barry?" I butted in, cutting Barry's words. He immediately looks at Joe, and the latter just shakes his head too.
"That's-"
"I told you, you can trust me. After all, I am here partially because of you." his eyes gaze right through mine, so deep I thought he saw through my body and soul for a moment.
"What do you mean?" Cisco started. "Don't tell me you told her about you being the Flash without you knowing, Barry? Wait! Were you hypnotized without knowing?" Cisco blabbered, earning a grin from me.
"That's not what this is, Cisco. You see... It started three months after I woke up from my coma. I saw this guy who was staring right into a wall like he was about to smash his head in. I got curious and tap his shoulder, and that might've spooked him because he suddenly grabs my wrist. Now that I thought about it, his eyes were almost pure white. Like he was in a trance. After a few minutes, he abruptly let go of me and runoff. Like he doesn't even know what's going on at all. Then the next day, I started feeling my eyes getting blurry. Feeling like cobwebs were surrounding them. Then it happened... I started seeing through the thick wall of my bedroom like it was nothing but a thin sheet of the transparent cover. I can even see my mom in her room, and through what's on the other side of her room."
The moment I finished my story, all of them are boring holes through my face. Staring like they're seeing a ghost.
"Wait! So are you saying that the guy who grabbed you might've been the one that causes you to see through walls like an X-ray vision or something like that?" Cisco commented, sounding a lot more interested than earlier.
"Yes. Two days ago, I bumped into Barry the first day I came here to Central City. It was when he almost bumps into me after he ordered coffee at the counter." I saw Caitlin and Cisco look at each other before looking back at me, maybe remembering that I was the one they were staring at, back that day. "You see, I grab Barry's hands that day to steady the tray and not let the coffee spill on us. I think whatever's going on with me, started through physical contact."
"Is that why you were wearing gloves when I shook your hand the day we met?" Joe asked which I nodded to, before gazing back at Barry and the others.
"Uhm... Thora, can you tell us how exactly you caught the bullet?" Caitlin stated cautiously while glancing between Barry, Joe, and Cisco, like how she had been doing since earlier whenever she thought of something. Something I noticed while watching them all intently.
My brows remained furrowed, before sighing when I thought that there was no out of this anymore.
"As I said, I don't honestly understand. But it's like, everything slowed down around that time. I can completely see the path of the bullet. I don't want Joe to get hit, so I grab the bullet. After that, everything was back to normal."
Once again, Caitlin looks at the three men before walking closer to me.
"The bullet or your surrounding wasn't slowing down, Thora. You're actually..." Caitlin cut her own words and looked at Barry, asking for permission to continue which the latter closes his eyes before nodding. "moving faster than what the normal eyes can perceive."
I scoff, thinking that that would make me somewhat like The Flash. Like the statements on the internet saying no one can entirely see him when running around the city. Just a blurry red streak and a strong gust of wind when he passed by. I was about to say another remark when my eyes caught the red suit ahead of us, finally realizing my conclusion earlier. He is the Flash. So, it was his speed that I somewhat copied.
"Does that mean I am a Flash now too?" I blurted out, my eyes wide as I look at every one.
"We don't know that. We will need to check your cells and try to find out if there has been a mutation on them like Barry's did while he was in a coma." I was about to ask if he was hit by the particle accelerator's explosion, but that was already obvious without anyone asking. Now that I think about it, that explosion was the start of everything weird going on in my life. Starting with my coma.
"Have you experienced anything aside from, you know, seeing things as if they were slowing down?" I glare at Cisco when he sounded excited with his questions, and he might've noticed it because he took a step back and smile sheepishly at me.
"If you're talking about running faster that no one can even see you anymore, no. But I can do this..." I started, before lifting my right hand and showing them the fast vibration that makes my hand blurry even in my sight.
"Whoa! Yup! That's your powers, Barry." Barry looked over at Cisco with a frown on his face, before looking back at me.
"Will it be fine for you if we run some tests?" This time it was Barry who asked me. His eyes filled with doubt as if thinking that whatever is going on, will be a pain in the ass. Well, I can't hear his thoughts so I wouldn't know if I was right, but that's what I'm thinking right now.
"What can I do? You guys know better about these things than I do. But for now, let's set aside my problem and you guys prioritize that man." We all once again glance at the room where the man remains unconscious.
His chest heaving frantically, and he seems like he was having a nightmare because his head keeps turning from left to right.
Barry and the others looked truly worried when they all glanced at him. Probably, someone, they are so close with.
"I know you guys barely know me, and the same thing goes with me. But I'm willing to help if you need some. Well, you might need to teach me about things first though."
"Perfect! I'll be thinking of a hero name for you... How about Copy Cat?" Cisco beams cheerfully, earning a flinch from everyone after the name.
"No, Cisco. That won't work." I stated, shaking my head in his direction. Barry, Joe, and Caitlin laughed at him.
Then Joe got a call, he excuses himself for a moment and after a few minutes, came back to us.
"It's the station. I need to go back. Will you be coming with me?" I nodded, before following him back to where we came from.
"Thora! Wait!" Barry called, walking towards us. "Uhm... Will it be okay to ask for your number? Only if you want to, so you know, I can call you if needed or if we find a time to start your tests. Just only if-"
I cut him off by lending out my hand, which he creased his brows into.
"Your phone, Barry. So I can put my number."
"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed, fumbling in his pockets for his phone before quickly handing it to me.
I put my number down, before giving back his phone.
"Well, see you guys," I stated, waving a hand to everyone as I follow Joe backward.
"See you, Thora," they say. I watch as they disappear into the corner of my eyes when Joe and I finally got deeper into the hallway and out of the building...