Chapter 1

It was a quiet Friday afternoon at STAR Labs. Dr. Caitlin Snow was looking over the latest results from her weekly tests on the Flash, Barry's oxygen levels to be precise, chewing her lower lip, her concentration fully on the numbers showing on the screen. When she was done with him, Kid Flash was next. Although neither complained when the doctor demanded so many unrequired tests, both speedsters didn't particularly like these days. They knew that Caitlin was more than a little paranoid when it came to their health. Being thorough, is what the young doctor called her obsession with keeping track of all their vitals and speed records. Cisco always rolled his eyes at her poor attempt to justify her actions. He was thankful though that she hadn't started applying the same treatment to him.

In another part of the lab, Cisco and Barry were discussing ways to improve their awful security. Well, at first at least. How the conversation turned into Cisco complaining about his non-existent love life Barry had no idea.

"I'm telling you, maybe I should just adopt a cat or something." the young engineer told his best friend.

Barry sighed. He was so bored and there was nothing to do. No metahuman activity was so far reported, not even a robbery. Even at the station, it was quiet. Central city was as calm as if someone had drugged it. Barry made a face at the thought. Not a good analogy. The Flash was itching to do something, to run, to feel the electricity of his lightning surging through his body. They made him anxious days like this. Days where it was too quiet. Days that everyone should jump at the chance and relax, take a day off. Not Barry though, no. Being the Flash made him aware and cautious of when crises usually arrive. The calm before the storm. And if there's one thing Barry's experience has taught him over the last three years of being the Flash...there's always another one.

"Dude... DUDE!" Cisco yelled snapping his fingers in front of Barry's face.

The speedster shook his head coming out of his thoughts.

"What?"

Cisco rolled his eyes. "I said you're not listening to me."

"Sorry." he mumbled quietly.

"Maybe you should go home. There's nothing going on here anyway." he suggested.

Barry shook his head, then he sighed. God, he hated slow days. Being the fastest man alive made them even slower. He almost begs for someone to commit a crime or a metahuman. Almost.

"Naw, there's no one home." he brushed his long fingers through his hair.

It wasn't a lie. Joe was at CCPD finishing a report for captain Singh, Iris was at CCPN finishing her article before the deadline ended and Wally had classes all afternoon. So yes, the house was pretty much empty at this hour and Barry didn't feel like being alone.

The other man nodded. He knows his friend is experiencing the world in a far slower pace than a regular human, but not having super speed himself is hard to imagine what that is like. Cisco noticed his friend in deep thought and frowned. He picked up a pen from his desk and threw it at the speedster.

"What's on your mind man?"

Barry looked up not realizing he had spaced out. Cisco's look is fixed on him. He sighed again and plays with the pen Cisco threw at him.

"I guess I'm just wondering when all this will blow over."

Cisco looked at him questionably. "I don't follow."

" I mean, we hadn't had a metahuman case in a few weeks. It seems too good to be true. I wonder when the next big bad is gonna show up." he explained.

"I guess you're right." Cisco nodded agreeing too. "There's always one waiting around the corner."

"Not that I want to jinx us or something." Barry added making Cisco chuckle.

"I get it. But, until the next threat shows up we just have to wait and enjoy this blissful, quiet, stressless, normal day. We'll deal with it when it comes. We always do."

"We always do." Barry agreed.

"Alright." Cisco jumped to his feet and clapped Barry's back. "Since we have no criminal activity going on, how about we go to your place for a movie marathon?"

Barry grinned liking the idea. "Star Wars?"

The other metahuman gave him a look. "What else? Come on let's drag Caitlin away from her tests. We'll put "The Empire" first."

#

Caitlin had no idea how her two friends had managed to pry her away from her work, but she was currently watching a space battle. She was never one to like movies let alone science fiction -not even Ronnie had managed to do that- but after being forced to watch them an unmeasurable amount of times by her two nerdy best friends, it had started to grow on her.

Caitlin couldn't believe how her life had changed ever since Barry came into her -their- life. Sure she had lost her husband more times that she could handle and her first attempt to love turned out to be a sociopath and a murderer, but now she felt warmer inside. Before and after Barry was first out of his coma Caitlin was cold to other people, not letting anyone inside her heart, afraid of being hurt like when her father passed away. Ronnie was the only one she didn't keep at arm's length. She loved him with all her heart - she always will. But after it was clear that they were stuck helping Barry fight crime as the Streak and later as the Flash (because let's be honest Streak was a terrible name) Caitlin started seeing life in another light. Yes, the line of superheroism was dangerous, God knows how many times one of them had been kidnapped and used as leverage against the Flash. The feeling they felt after their victories or when someone was saved was more than worth it. It was liberating. And Cait found herself with a warm heart and a few close friends who gave her a purpose higher than her own life. Ronnie might have died saving the world, but she felt more love with her new family.

Just then the metahuman alert app went off. Cisco fished his phone out of his pocket.

"Car crash on 1st and avenue."

Barry suppressed a groan. He had to say it, didn't he? Then in a flash of lightning, he put on the red suit and disappeared in a...well, in a flash on his way to the accident. It was time to save people.