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Bette Sans Souci charged forward with her hand pushed outward toward General Wade Eiling after the explosion, fierce and determined to end her tormentor's life.
One final mission, then it's over.
Barry Allen appeared suddenly, costume bound, startling her pathway.
"What are you doing here?"
"Being a soldier doesn't mean you're a murderer. You don't have to do this Bette." He said calmly, hoping to convince her.
Her broken voice almost choked out the words, "Dr. Wells told me to-"
"Not here." He said, quickly.
Barry grabbed her arm and sped to a narrow alley, away from the crowd. He didn't want to take any chances with General Eiling and company possibly ambushing. Barry wasn't military-inclined but with his newly equipped powers, he was able to think as well as mobilize fast.
Bette's back felt piercing whiplash, she wasn't used to Barry's ability. She took a moment to process what happened. Her dazed expression faltered her judgements.
Barry checked around, making sure the coast was clear. When he looked back at Bette, his eyes softened and glanced at her hand pressing behind her neck.
He wanted to touch her and make sure she was OK, but he didn't dare touch her, he couldn't. She was lethal, unfortunately. Her touch could wreak havoc to anyone or anything in mere seconds and so he thought of the next alternative.
"Are you OK?" Barry asked, watching Bette's focus come back.
Bette stood up as Barry backed away but stayed close. He couldn't help it, she'd almost lost everything just moments ago. She appeared so phased, unable to form words at first.
"Yeah, I think so. I-" Bette paused before catching herself.
She remembered what Wells had told her before and but disregarded it. Barry trusted him so she didn't mention it.
"Thank you, Barry, I-I just don't know what to say right now. My head is feeling...a little light."
Barry looked just to make sure they weren't being followed, he was feeling paranoid and didn't want to stick around to find out.
"We should leave, I'll take you back to S.T.A.R. Labs." Barry said as Bette looked at him sharply but calmly agreed with him.
Bette was stuck in a monster cloud of confusion. Why did Barry come in the nick of time to save her? She couldn't understand why anyone would want to help her, especially since the team he worked with at the Lab had basically said she had an incurable freak power and that she was a danger to herself and to the world.
She looked at Barry quickly before, without a moment to lose, he sped to the Lab's front entrance. Just as Barry was about to open the door, Bette stopped him.
"Wait, I..." She started to say, but lost the rest of the sentence.
Barry looked at her, patiently waiting for her to continue. Bette was too emotionally distraught, it was obvious. His concerned face urged her to speak.
Bette was in a state of near complete shock. There was no way someone cared this much about someone they just met.
She refused to believe this is really happening. "I can't go in. It's too-someone might get hurt."
Barry instead touched her elbow gently, trying to hold the compassion in his eyes stronger so she could see. She had to know that everything was going to be OK; and it was, he'd saved her, it was over.
"They won't, I just need to make sure you're safe. Please come with me. I promise, no one will get hurt." Barry said, softly.
Bette couldn't ignore this was the first bout of solace she has had in a long time. Being a commanding soldier didn't leave time to relax. The way of life on enemy grounds moved fast, at time much quicker than she can handle. Which was why her last mission had failed.
She nodded, following behind Barry as they made their way to the center research headquarters. Bette hugged her shoulders unsure if she was really supposed to be here. These people only just said they couldn't help her return back to the way she was. When she was normal. When all she had to worry about were post traumatic stress disorders, routine nightmares involving snipers and the worst of all artillery ammunition.
Bette suddenly collapsed to the ground and sobbed hard into her knees. Barry kept his distance but remained close. He wouldn't leave her side when she managed to tell him to go away.
She felt him lean down to her level, still not touching her, not even touching her with clothes on. He knew she was fragile and was trying to keep it together but was failing miserably.
"Sorry, please just, why didn't you leave me there? Those were my men. There is nothing left...nothing." She squeaked out through finishing sobs.
Barry sighed deeply, "I know you wouldn't have wanted that no matter how much you thought it was over. Bette, I..." Bette raised her head to look at him, "It is over for them. I mean this, they can't hurt you anymore."
Bette shook her head in near panic. "No, they can't." She paused, gulping back another round of sobs ready to take over. "Only I can."
"You don't believe that. You are not a danger to yourself, you can-we can help you."
She looked at Barry incredulously. "Barry, your team said they have no way of reversing this, this abomination, literally, out of me. No way."
Barry looked for something to say, surely there was a way to help her. "What if that's not entirely true?"
"What?"
"What if there is a way to reverse it, we just haven't thought of enough evidence to experiment with?" Barry said, hoping this sounded as plausible as he thought it.
"How?" Bette wiped her eyes with her jacket sleeve.
"We could try. I don't know, I just need you to stop going outside for a while. Eiling could find you again. He's still out there."
"I know." Bette replied, ominously.
She was sure the blasts had knocked him out. But knowing Eiling, he had the strength and stamina of a rhinoceros.
"Let me change quick OK?" Barry said and sped off only to return 10 seconds later.
Bette almost smiled but caught herself before any positive emotion dripped from her face. She was sick of crying, sick of feeling so afraid, she lost everything. She looked around the Lab.
"Where is everyone?" She asked, suddenly realizing they were alone.
Barry looked around just as confused as she was. "They were in my ear a minute ago."
"Ms Souci, welcome back." Dr. Wells rolled his wheel chair at a slow pace, "We thought we'd lost you."
Bette almost grabbed Barry for protection but then realized she's kill him seconds later after first touch.
Barry helped Bette stand up before turning his attention to Dr. Wells.
"Look, I was almost too late for Bette. I know Caitlin said there was no chance to reverse her powers back to the way they were. But I know there has got to be another way. We haven't tried everything. Have we Dr. Wells?" Barry asked, adamantly.
Dr. Wells took off his thick, black rimmed glasses and pointedly stared at Barry.
"Sometimes experiments are futile, but in this case, there may be an alternative procedure we haven't attempted on Ms. Souci. It's going to feel like a needle in a haystack but it's worth an attempt. You're right Barry."
Barry was almost sure Dr. Wells would tell him it's nearly hopeless or follow through on what he told him previously. But this news shocked him.
He looked at Bette with hopeful eyes and she appeared slightly unsure.
"He's right." Caitlin said, coming into the room with Cisco walking in back of her, almost peaking out to see Bette standing behind Barry. "We can still try. For your sake."
Cisco looked down before smiling bashfully at Bette. She finally warmed to the idea of leading a normal life.
And for what it's worth, like Caitlin said, at least she wasn't alone anymore.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DWHMitqbA
