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[accelerate]

[ in a bid to try and remember the memories he has lost to flashpoint — a realisation our fast hero hasn't had yet — barry turns to the realm of fandom. what better way to jog his memory than to write some fic? isn't that what the therapists told a young bartholomew allen? (he doesn't know. this isn't his first piece of memory fan fiction.) ]

[ this graces the network in the middle of the night. ]

UN: BEARY

The air crackles with golden electricity. Slick with ice is the street the Flash skids along, easily pulling himself to a confident standing position despite the ice on his shoes and the slightly poor finish to his run.

Captain Cold stands before him, Cold Gun in hand. His parka covers most of his face, and his goggles are as blue as the fabric. "Hello, Flash," he purrs.

"Captain Cold," the Flash says, a little respectively. "What brings you out so late?"

Captain Cold almost shrugs. "I was bored," he drawls. "The nighttime circuit around here isn't as fun as it used to be."

"You can blame your friends for that," says the Flash. He stand with his hands on his skinny hips, face a blur when the captain studies him.

Captain Cold's lips twist. "Want to have some fun, Flash?"

The Flash shakes his head. "No thanks. I've had enough fun for today."

"Oh well," Captain Cold almost pouts. "Save a dance for me next time. I've got my best dancing shoes on."

"And best dance floor," The Flash nods toward the thin layer of ice on the street.

It's now Captain Cold shrugs. "Call it practice. Giving to the poor what they want."

"And what's that?"

"I'll tell you later," he smirks. "During our next dance."

The Flash doesn't look displeased. Glancing at the Cold Gun and then back at Captain Cold, he nods his head, knowing that this is it.

"See you around, Captain." The Flash doesn't take off immediately, glancing at the Rogue who is almost like a friend. With another respectful nod, he's zipping along the street, a little clumsily on the thin ice as he disappears into the night.

Captain Cold watches him go with a little smile.

Comments

hmm, who else could it be??

[accelerate]

Dibney, it's not a literal dance. You're supposed to be an ex-detective!
And you're Facebook stalking the wrong Allen.
Dishonor on your cow.

Re: hmm, who else could it be??

[stretchydick]

1 i am a great detective thank you very much
2 dick move pulling that card BARRY ALLEN i know who you are
3 you're the one posting weird creepy stories in the middle of the night
4 i don't even own a cow

[accelerate]

1. No
2. No
3. No
4. Okay, you are seriously not telling me you have not seen Mulan

[stretchydick]

are you for real? i thought we'd moved past this allen. but i guess it's your turn to be the *dick.*

[accelerate]

You'll always be the dick, Dibny. You got that in the bag.
For that thing you did.

[stretchydick]

for planting evidence, yeah, i know. you don't need to mention it every five minutes for me to remember.

so what, we all get brought to some weird ts-whatever earth and you go back to being a jerk? what happened to thinking i could do good for people?

[accelerate]

I only thought that once and that was when I started at the CCPD.

[ he thinks ... barry may be forgetting some of his memories of ralph dibny, dick extraordinaire from years past, but his gut hasn't left him astray right now. it's how he knows he can trust cisco and iris, and that captain cold truly is someone who would give him a dance card. ]

[stretchydick]

which means you were full of it when you made that big speech about how i could be a hero.

guess i shouldn't be surprised.

[accelerate]

[ — the timelines here are all messed up, but barry's gotten the idea, despite wanting to refuse it's even reality, that ralph dibny means more to team flash than he ever did to ccpd. so: ]

I meant what I said in my speech.

[ just don't ask him what that was. let's try the usual tactic of: let's pretend he knows what's going on. ]

[stretchydick]

you literally said two messages ago you didn't.
scroll up allen.

[accelerate]

[ fuck off, ralph! ]

Do you want me to mean it or do you not want me to mean it?

[stretchydick]

of course i want you to mean it!

but if you don't then fine, whatever. just don't jerk me around.

[accelerate]

I mean it.
Or will mean it.
I don't remember us ever being friendly, Dibny. You kind of hate my guts.

[stretchydick]

because you're from the past.

[iris really is too good for you, allen. he's got her to thank for that part of the rundown.]

yeah, i do. or did. i mean, i liked the flash before i found it was you but after that you tell me a lot of things. stuff about how i can be a hero and make a difference with these crazy new powers i got. they're *awesome* by the way.

[focus, ralph.]

and you don't know it yet but a couple of hours ago i was the one making the big speech about how all of you guys were my friends.
first ones i've had in a long time, too.

[accelerate]

[ he's getting a headache. ]

You consider us friends.

[ and by "us", he means himself. this is bartholomew allen, the csi who ruined your career. barry's been bullied in school before, so he knows how to identify the telltale signs of incredible hatred. it's the type of hatred that will never go away. it's the expression eobard thawne, with the blonde boyband hair, came to wear every time they came face to face. ]

Okay. I can try and be your friend. If this is really what happens in the future.

But if I find out that you're lying, I'm going to kick your ass to hard you're going to wish you never came here. Got it?

[ tough and rough barry allen! what's the point in fighting the inevitable? if ralph has turned the page ... he actually finds himself interested in knowing what that looks like. ]

[stretchydick]

only because you said it first.

[there would be defiance in ralph's tone if they were talking face to face, but--it's true. barry dropped the f-bomb first, surprising ralph then as much as barry's surprised now.]

i'm not lying, rookie. and flash or not, there's *no way* you could kick my ass. my cells are totally polygamized!

[that's--that's not the right word ralph. no.]

[accelerate]

I highly doubt that's what you mean, Dibny.

[ if this is what he puts up with … god, barry thinks it'd be a nice change from all the super sekrit speedsters who either want to take his speed, kill someone he loves, or all of the above. ]

I also doubt I let you call me Rookie anymore.

[ sorry, bear … ]

[stretchydick]

shows what you know. just wait until you see what i can really do.

[he's the stretchiest man alive!]

how would you know what i call you? i'm the one from the future, allen. i know **everything.**

[accelerate]

Just because you're from the future doesn't mean you know everything. You seriously need to watch Back to the Future, man.

[ pinching the bridge of his nose right now. ]

What can you do? Besides talk a lot of shit.

[stretchydick]

goes to show you. i don't need to know everything. i just need to know more than *you*

[SUCH GOOD FRIENDS.]

oh, no way. you don't get to find out about my awesome powers until we're face to face. this sort of greatness requires a demonstration to be fully appreciated.

[and just saying "I stretch?" definitely ain't going to cover it.]

[accelerate]

[ he's seriously going to obliterate the fuck out of his nose given how hard he's pinching it right now. ]

Uh huh
So your powers are so lame you don't want to admit what they are on the public network?

[ even if ralph didn't suggest a demonstration, barry would still claim as much. ]

[stretchydick]

i just said my powers were awesome. besides, it's not like you can't zip over here in 2 seconds, so get off your butt rookie.

[accelerate]

I am busy doing stuff that's going to take me more than two seconds to do.

[ LIES. ]

[stretchydick]

you know you're not supposed to lie to your friends allen. bad friend.

[accelerate]

I'm not

[ his friend? lying? what is it, allen? ]

Let me meet up with Iris first. Apparently she has some ideas for you, and that's more ideas than I have for you right now.