At one point, Barry was proud of his resolve. Now? Now he's just tired. And in pain.

A lot of pain.

It's kind of embarrassing really, the kidnapping so stereotypical that Barry can't quite believe it happened to him.

Or maybe because he's, well, him that he really shouldn't be surprised.

In his defense, he had been tired though it was less 'I've been pummeled by and if I'm being generous done a little a little pummeling myself of 5 ridiculously strong people' and more 'this is the first case I've been allowed to work on alone and I am not leaving until I'm done'. In fact, the former might have been preferable because at least then he might have had some lingering adrenaline to work with. As it was, he'd barely managed to lift his heavy head before he'd felt a prick in his neck. After that, all he remembered was darkness with a few moments of light before he was pierced in the neck once again.

It was almost a relief when he was finally allowed to stay awake for more than a few seconds. Almost because that's when Barry realized he was half naked and strapped to a reclined metal table with restraints not even his speed could break through. There wasn't even much of an evil monologue before it all began; the people who captured him just regular humans who hated the Justice League and had picked Barry as being the weakest.

Which, considering just where he was, might have proved their point but at the beginning Barry made a vow to remain as optimistic as possible.

5 doses of various experimental formulas of a truth serum with multiple beat ups and torture to attempt to prevent his body metabolizing said serum later; Barry is finding optimism pretty difficult.

"No one's coming for you, you know," Stabby says conversationally, nicknamed so because her skill with a knife was just that. Plus, it was a lot more appropriately villainous than the Sandra she introduced herself as. "There's no point to your loyalty towards them. We'll be getting these answers out of you one way or another; it'd be in your best interest to just tell us." Barry watches as she cleans another knife, one that had made a pretty pattern in his abs earlier on before trial number 3. Barry had vomited after that one but the victory of it not working had been worth it.

For a few seconds, their eyes catch and Barry's dreamed of having this sort of moment with someone, where you gaze into each other's eyes, there's a thrum of anticipation in the air…

"Naaaah," Barry slurs and the moment is lost. Not that there was a moment. He thinks. She can't like him like that, can she? Unless she's a sadist…what were they talking about again?

Barry's lost a lot of blood.

"No matter," Stabby says. "Oh, looks like it's time for another dose."

Oh, right. Truth serum. Torture. Interrogation on the Justice League. Hoping it doesn't work because even though Barry's now convinced himself they definitely aren't coming for him, he still can't just sell them out. No matter what Stabby says or does.

This time, the liquid in the test tube is a light blue. Barry's eyes groggily follow the scientist until he stands beside Barry's arm where his veins are exposed. The bruises from the previous trials still haven't faded and yep, this one hurts too when it's stuck in. Slowly, the serum disappears into his blood stream and then there's the glint of the knife just before Stabby draws a long, painful, line from his shoulder to his hip. There's no point in being quiet and so a low whine makes its way out of him as she smirks, clearly enjoying herself.

Well, at least one of them is.

It might be his imagination, but Barry thinks he can already feel his healing factor kicking in and for once he really wishes it wouldn't because he can tell this time's different. He's nauseous, like all the previous times, but now it's accompanied by something else, a sensation of almost weightlessness, a need for something. A need to talk.

Barry's no stranger to that feeling but it's the first time he's ever been so scared by it.

Something in his expression must give it away because Stabby tilts her head. "Feeling a bit more talkative, Mr. Allen?"

"Talkative? I – no – talkative would imply I have a lot to say and I really don't want to tell you anything. I'm in a lot of pain and it even hurts to speak and I don't want to sell out my fr-the League."

Stabby smirks, getting far too close for Barry's comfort.

"I don't think you have a choice. Tell me Flash, where is your base of operations. Where might I find your friends all in one spot?"

Panic claws in Barry's stomach as words instantly begin to fly up his throat. This is nothing like when Barry's nervous and whatever's on his mind bursts out. This is a level of need he has never experienced before, never been so powerless to. Maybe, maybe he can stall, maybe he can-

"It's surrounded by buildings," Barry blurts, the need to say nearly Wayne Manor reaching boiling point. Perhaps if he just says enough useless things that are true then he can wait it out…"It's in-in Gotham. From here you'd need to-um-it's-"

Barry hisses as Stabby swiftly enters the knife in his leg, the same one that only a few weeks ago had been hit by Clark.

"Enough of that now," Stabby says dangerously. "Tell me what I want to know."

He can't do it. He has to tell her. "I-It's-"

The door slams open just as Barry yells Wayne Manor, the knife now buried to the hilt in his thigh. A golden light seems to encompass Stabby and just as Barry's certain he's kicked the bucket, Stabby gets yanked away, revealing Diana standing there, her lasso in hand.

Barry might black out for a second because next thing he knows, Diana is releasing him from his restraints.

"It's okay Barry. We're getting you out of here. Can you walk?"

Finally safe, any restraint Barry had over his tongue is gone and the truth comes spilling out of him.

"My leg really, really hurts. I don't think I can. I didn't think you'd come, you know. I tried to fight the serum anyway but this time I couldn't. It's really lucky you came. I didn't think you would. I hurt a lot everywhere. Are we leaving? I'd like to leave. It's not nice here. Did you guys come to find me? Or the Flash? I'm sorry I was gonna tell her. I didn't want to. But I'm sorry. I tried. I just wanted you guys to like me. I wish we could be friends. Oh, are we going?"

"We are Barry, Diana says gently, forgoing having him lean on her in favour of a bridal carry. Maybe Barry should care that he's being carried like this but he's really tired, in pain, and Diana's skin is very soft where his face is mushed against it. He ends up telling her this and he thinks Diana laughs though she doesn't sound entirely happy. Is Barry heavy or something?

"You did very well Barry. Feel free to go to sleep if you want. You're safe now."

Even though Barry still feels the urge to tell her more, such as how he's pretty sure he's hallucinating, his body finally gives out properly and Barry's plunged into the sweet embrace of darkness.

When Barry wakes he has to pinch himself because he's pretty sure he's dreaming. Not only is he in his room at Wayne Manor but he's not alone. Surrounding him are his teammates, all asleep apart from Bruce who's playing on his phone. At least, he is until he notices Barry pinching himself a second time, just to be sure. His body already hurts enough without him abusing it more but he can't help it – what's going on?

"Hey Barry," Bruce greets and of course that's enough to cause six pairs of open eyes to land directly on him.

Realising that he doesn't have a shirt on, Barry pulls the bedsheet further up his chest.

"…Hello?"

At the ensuing silence, Diana rolls her eyes and comes to sit on the edge of Barry's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"…Um…"

Arthur snorts. "Well, at least we know that shit's worn off."

Barry blinks. "…Uh, what's worn off?"

"How much do you remember Barry?" Asks Clark.

Barry picks at a nail as he thinks back. Clearly, from how he feels right now it had been pretty bad and…oh yeah. The kidnapping. The torture…the serum. Things get a bit hazy at the end but he remembers being given the serum, the panic, Diana showing up…

"Oh man, what did I say?" Barry whines. He knows he said the truth, that much is obvious but what truths did he say? Did he admit to wetting the bed until he was 10? To having small, very insignificant and hopefully not worth talking about crushes on Diana and Clark…

"You said you didn't think we would come for you," Bruce answers and while that's not so bad comparatively, he still hides a wince. What should he say? Should he lie? 'No guys I had total faith in you because we're all such good buddies?'

"Which we can't really blame you for," Arthur adds gruffly, saving Barry from trying to come up with something. "This team's been a shit show from the get go."

"Funnily enough, excluding Steppenwolf, we worked the best we had when rescuing you," Victor says, a small lilt to his lips and while Barry realises that's supposed to be uplifting, it means that Barry has been a hindrance and-

"Whatever's going in your head, knock it off," Bruce interjects. "What Victor means is we had the right motivation."

"We've not been a good team," Clark says. "We've not been a team full stop. We've not been trying to get to know each other and we need to change that. We didn't just come to rescue the Flash but we came to rescue you Barry because you are our friend. I'm sorry it took you getting kidnapped to get us to admit it. You don't deserve how we've treated you, how we've been treating each other."

"…You guys are my friends?" Barry repeats, hating how small his voice sounds. He's tempted to pinch himself one last time. He's not going to cry, he is not going to cry…

All it takes it a chorus of 'we are's and Diana's arm wrapping around his shoulders and Barry's gone. He'd try to blame the blood loss but he figures that it's been long enough that no one will buy it. At least it doesn't look like they care. Well, Arthur looks a bit panicked and lost and Bruce looks vaguely murderous but they're not laughing at him, which used to happen when he was a kid.

"What do you say when you're better we all go out for drinks. Celebrate a new start, a new way this team's going to run," Clark suggests, once Barry's left with a few lingering tears.

"You might have a fast metabolism Flash but I'd like to see you try and beat me in a drinking competition," Arthur cajoles and this, this is the kind of teasing Barry's been wanting. Not the guys at the precinct's kind that just serves to make him feel small.

"Oh, that reminds me." Victor throws something in Barry's direction and he catches it to find food in his hands. Not just any food though. Chocolate muffins. "Thought you might be hungry."

Now that he mentions it, Barry's starving and while he would like to savor this moment, he ends up devouring them in seconds.

"Thanks Victor," Barry says, his abated hunger outweighing his embarrassment. Setting the box to the side, he leans back into his pillows, unable to hold back a yawn.

"We should let you get some sleep," Bruce says pointedly. "We'll order some take out for when you wake up next."

"Can we watch a movie too?" Barry asks unthinkingly but instead of getting rejected, as has always happened before, Diana nods.

"How about Iron Man?" She suggests and Barry might just be in love.

"Sounds great," he says, a large, dopey smile on his face and for the first time in perhaps forever, Barry can go to sleep knowing everything's okay.

He finally has friends.

I really hope this chapter made up for the last 5 D: Thank you guys for sticking with this story, your support has been amazing and helped me get this out!