#I’ve seen a lot of fungi/flower infection stuff though

[firbolgfriend]

I've seen like 1 other person use swamp fever for their infection au which is a shame bc it had a whole episode dedicated to the fact Zecora and Fluttershy were gonna DIE from it unless Fluttershy found a cure

Swamp Fever has such insanely good horror potential it’s a shame more people don’t utilize it

[stupidfanfics]

Till Death Do Us Part: A Barry Allen Fan Fiction

Chapter 7: Mist-ery

Word Count: 4,391

“Regular movie scale that was a seven or an eight. Zombie movie scale, it was, like, a four, tops.” Barry exclaimed walking out of the theater.

“There’s a zombie movie scale?” Iris asked.

“Of course there is Iris. With Barry there’s also the ‘romance movie scale’, ‘comedy scale’, ‘action movie scale’, the list goes on and on.” I said bumping shoulders with Barry.

“Did you know that zombies exist in nature?”

I gasped, “That species of fungi that infects ants.” Barry nodded his head vigorously,

“Mhm, which causes those ants to attack plants that can release spores,”

“-which in turn infect new hosts.” Barry and I finished together.

“We went full nerd again, didn’t we?” I asked looking over at Iris.

“Yep.” she answered with a grin on her face.

“Yeah,” Barry muttered looking at the floor.

“It’s okay though. You two are still the cutest nerds I know.” Iris continued.

“Wait, does that mean we’re tied or…”

“Monica you’re obviously in first place,” Barry let out a groan. “Sorry Bare, you just can’t compete with a blonde.”

I let out a hum as a smile spread across my face. “I missed this.”

“Me too.”

“Me three. Anyways,” Iris continued blabbering, “I’m a lot more interested in the amazing as of late.”

“You mean cause of this “Streak thing?” Barry asked unimpressed.

“He’s out there. People are talking about him.” Iris pushed.

“How do you even know he’s a he? Maybe it’s a she” Barry retorted.

“A female superhero? I like the sounds of that.” I added.

“It’s a man, okay?” Iris stated.

“Yep, definitely a man.”

Barry turned to face me. “And how would you know that?”

I smiled, “Cause, I’ve seen him before-”

“Really?!” Iris exclaimed.

“Mhm.”

“I knew I was intuitive about this kind of stuff! And besides even if you don’t believe Monica there’s plenty of pictures online.” Iris pulled out her phone, “Here, what do you see?” Iris flipped her phone so that its screen faced Barry and I.

Suddenly a somewhat familiar face popped up on the screen, according to the contact list on Iris’ phone it was Eddie Thawne.  That officer from the news… I thought to myself.

“I see your boyfriend’s calling.” Barry bluntly stated.

Iris looked at her phone, “Oh, I should probably get this. I’m crashing at his place tonight he’s supposed to leave a key for me somewhere.” She said accepting the call and walking away.

“Boyfriend?” I whispered to Barry, “Isn’t he Joe’s partner. How is he okay with this?”

Barry turned to me with a tight lip smile, “Well, technically Joe doesn’t know, really I shouldn’t know either, and now you do so-” Barry’s rambling was caught off by his own phone ringing. “Hello.”

I stared at Barry as I tried to listen in on the conversation, apparently along with the ability to fly I also have super-hearing.

“Code 237 on Waid Blvd.” Cisco’s voice said through the phone.

“Public indecency?” Barry asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Wait I think I meant 239.” Cisco mumbled.

I couldn’t help but laugh which caused Barry to stare at me, “Dog leash violation?”

“Bad man with a gun in a getaway car.” Caitlin explained interrupting Cisco.

“Go.” I said, raising my eyebrows. Barry flashed off, leaving me to make sure Iris would not find out about his absence. Anxiously I tapped my foot. What if he doesn’t come back before she hangs up. What if she realizes he’s gone. What if she founds out he’s ‘The Streak’! Suddenly a gust of cool air blew my hair around and Barry was by my side.

“I’ll see you later. Bye.” Iris hung up and turned to face us. “Eddie says Hi.” Barry shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Nice of him.” Barry replied almost a little too chipper, “You guys wanna go grab a bite? I’m feeling a little famished.” Barry asked.

“After the mongolian barbecue we had before the movie and the extra large popcorn you had during the movie?” Barry shrugged his shoulders at Iris’ comment.

“It’s a- um- side effect of being struck by lightning.” I explained to Iris, “Yup, sometimes after going into a lightning induced coma the body feels the need to make up for lost time.”

“How are you not fat?” Iris exclaimed staring at Barry.

“I’ve been… jogging.” I snorted at Barry’s statement before all three of us walked away from the theatre.

“I just don’t understand why you couldn’t have invited us to the movie.” Cisco whined.

“Well number one, you and Cait aren’t my only friends. And number two, Iris doesn’t really know that Barry’s still coming here. As far as she’s concerned, you two don’t exist in Barry’s life anymore.” Cisco frowned at my response.

“Woah, way to be gentle with your delivery.” he spat.

“Aww, sorry Costco.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”

“Monica?” I turned my head to face Caitlin, “Mind if I use some of your knowledge for… research?”

I crossed my arms, “Lay it on me.”

Caitlin giggled, “Barry, what was he like in high school.”

I rolled my eyes, “You know, whenever you asked for my help I thought you wanted to hear something worthwhile.”

“This is worthwhile so spill.”

“Ugh, fine. But you’re not getting anything else out of me. Understood?”

“Mhm”

“Well you know that windswept, gelled up, quip-of-a-hairstyle he has now?” Caitlin nodded. “Yeah I have no clue when they came into existence, because the last time I saw him before I left for college he had the worst shaggy hairstyle.” Caitlin cringed. “Exactly.”

“Anything else?” She pressed.

“Nope, besides the hair and the speed nothing has changed about Barry. At least that I know of.”

“Talking ‘bout me?” A voice asked from the entrance of the cortex.

“Of course, who else would we be talking about.” I teased Barry as I turned to face him.

“Well good thing you guys aren’t busy cause I really need your help.” he said.

Barry spent about fifteen minutes explaining the case and everything he knew about the new meta we were about to face. “Fascinating, a metahuman that can manipulate poison gas.” Dr. Wells spoke.

“Is it just poisonous gas, or can he control all aerated substances?” Cisco questioned.

“And how is he able to formulate the connection?” Caitlin inquired as I looked over at her, “Is it physiological or psychological?”

When I looked up from my computer I saw Joe give Barry a confused look to which he just shrugged his shoulders.

“This individual can create a mental nexus using gaseous substances.” Dr. Wells continued. Suddenly, Cisco’s ‘geeky smile’ appeared.

“You mean connect with gases on a molecular level?” Cisco chuckled.

“Yes.” Dr. Wells replied excitedly.

“That’s really cool.” Cisco and Dr. Wells’ exchange seemed to confuse Joe even more.

“They, or should I say we, get really excited about this stuff. I mean how could you not get excited about science?” I exclaimed.

“The only thing I’m excited about is putting criminals behind bars.” Joe stated bluntly, “Except Iron Heights isn’t exactly equipped to handle metahumans.”

“Then I guess it’s fortunate the ones you've encountered so far are no longer with us.” As usual the room tensed up once Joe and Dr. Wells began going back and forth, passive aggressively arguing with each other.

“Well, unless we’re planning on executing every super criminal we stop, you geniuses are gonna have to come up with someplace else to hold them.”

“A metahuman prison. Sweet.” I rolled my eyes at Cisco’s enthusiasm.

“Until we figure a way to remove their powers.” I added.

“There is one place here that might hold them.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I mean we haven’t been down their since the-” Caitlin cut herself off, trying her best to not remember anything, “It’s cordoned off.”

“Cisco’s right, it could be modified to act as a makeshift prison.” Dr. Wells interrupted.

“Great, I can't wait to work right above an albatraoz of super-criminals.” Apparently my sarcastic comment was not welcomed by Dr. Wells, he glared at me for a few seconds before Barry spoke.

“What could?”

“The Particle Accelerator.” Everyone fell silent. These days using the words particle and accelerator together is basically tabu. I looked over to Caitlin who was staring at the wall in front of her with a blank expression.

“Caitlin.” I shook her shoulder, “Cait.” Caitlin shook her head and looked towards us.

“Did you hear me?” Dr. Wells asked, “We’re going down to the accelerator ring.”

“Actually Dr. Wells,” Barry interrupted, “I could use Caitlin’s help identifying the poison gas.”

“Okay. Monica will you be heading down with Cisco and I?”

“N-no, I’m alright. I, um, I actually need some fresh air so I’ll get go-” as I stood up from my chair and turned to walk away, a hand grasped around my wrist.

“Monica, come with us.” Barry pleaded, but I shook my head.

“I’m sorry, but I really should get going I have a few errands to run.” I slid my hand out of his and walked out of the cortex, flying off once I reached the parking lot.

I landed on a street a few blocks away from the Central City Mall, strolling over and stopping in some of the smaller shops on the way there. About thirty minutes later I was standing in a flower shop when a distant voice rang through my ears. “May god have mercy on your soul.” Then there was gasping. Someone’s dying, I have to call Cisco, or Barry- Then it dawned on me, Barry wouldn’t get there on time. And from the sounds of it I was only thirty seconds away. So, I dropped my bags and ran out the store, flying as fast as I could towards the gasping sound. I found myself floating in front of a glass elevator filled with a green gas, inside a woman was slowly falling to the ground. “Come on Monica, think fast, think fast.” I punched the glass creating a decent size hole allowing the gas to escape once the elevator let out a bing, reaching its final destination. I landed on the platform rushing into the elevator once the doors opened, rushing over to the woman who was laying on the floor. I checked for a pulse. Then a gust of air tickled my neck. “Barry, what the hell are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same about you.” He whispered back while looking around the mall. Then, he flashed off leaving me alone surrounded by security and customers. Security and customers! Damn it Monica! You messed up again! I thought to myself as I tried to find a way out. Carefully I rummaged through the woman’s bag to find a pair of black reading glasses. “Perfect.” I put the glasses on as I stood up and slowly strolled away, whispering to one of the security guards that the women was still alive and needed to be sent to the hospital. Once I was far enough from the mall I let my feet leave the grown and slowly flew home.

I kicked off my flats once I walked in the door and ran into my bedroom to change clothes. For all I knew somebody would've taken a picture of me, and with the reputation of most superhumans at the moment in Central City if anyone found out that was me I’d be the city’s newest enemy. I slipped on my STAR Labs sweatshirt and a pair of leggings, throwing my hair in a bun while I wiggled my toes into a pair of flip flops. This time I drove to work for the first time in nine months. It was different and kind of nice, but nothing can beat the feeling of cool city air rushing against your face. I parked my car as close as I could to the entrance and strolled over to the cortex.

“When do you think he’ll wake up?” I heard Cisco ask before I rounded the corner.

“I don’t know, it could take-” Once I made it to the entrance of the cortex I was met with the sight of Barry sound asleep in the same bed he was stuck in for nine months.

“What happened to him?” I yelled, looking around at the other scientists in the room.

“Barry inhaled some of the gas so we could get a sample.” Dr. Wells explained.

“I had to perform a pulmonary biopsy on him but we couldn’t put him under anesthetics so he-”

“Passed out. I get it. It’s just hard to see him like that again.” I whispered walking up to Barry, “You know what I mean?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at Caitlin.

“Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean.” She murmured with a tight lip smile.

I looked back down at Barry. As much as I hated seeing him like this, he looked so peaceful. Like all the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. Like he wasn’t running around Central City trying to be a superhero. Like he didn’t have a dark past.

Suddenly his eyes started to flutter open, and he let out a groan.

“The streak lives.” Cisco said cracking a smile.

“You’d be dead if your lung cells didn’t regenerate so quickly.” Caitlin spoke in a monotone voice.

“My chest feels like that one time I had a cigarette.” Barry muttered as I let out a giggle.

“Teen you did live for danger, didn’t he?” I joked as I ruffled Barry’s hair.

“And apparently you do now.” Barry stared at me with a knowing look.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cisco asked, barging into the conversation.

“Barry, we can talk about this later.”

“Well, now that we have the sample, we’ll get to work analyzing it, figure out the makeup of the poison, maybe get a clue as to his human identity.” Dr. Wells said attempting to get us back on task.

“Or at least a way to stop him from turning into a mist.” Cisco continued, “The Mist. Okay that’s his name. End of discussion.”

“Great. Monica,” I turned my head to face Barry, “You and I can talk about that thing.” Barry started to get out of the bed.

“You should be resting.” Dr. Wells said scolding Barry.

“I have work to do at the station too.”

“Don’t worry Dr. Wells,” I gave him a reassuring smile, “I’ll go with him. I know who to call if anything happens.”

Once Barry and I walked out of the back doors of STAR Labs a gust of cool night air hit me, making me shiver.

“So, how’d you get on a crime scene?” Barry questioned, raising his eyebrows.

“I saved that lady’s life.” I exclaimed letting out a chuckle.

“You saved her life? Monica, you were on a crime scene then left without being questioned. Do you know what that makes you?”

“A hero?”

“No! No, it makes you a suspect.”

“Well you always leave crime scenes without being questioned and you’ve earned the title of  ‘The Streak’.”

“That’s because I hide behind a mask! That’s because I have a reputation!” “You sir, need to calm the hell down.” I said poking Barry’s chest, “You’re at a fifteen and I need you at like, a seven. Especially if we’re going to talk to Joe.”

Barry rolled his eyes at me, “Fine, but please, don’t do that again.”

“Ok, deal.” I said shaking Barry’s hand.

“Need a lift?” he asked stretching out both of his arms.

“Why not?” I exclaimed as he scooped me up and flashed us over to the Central City Police Department.

“So, all that hard work paid off, didn’t it?” I asked Barry once he set me down in front of the station.

“You could say that,” he shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, “Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour and then we’ll go talk to Joe.” Barry started walking towards the front doors but I just stood there staring at the tall building in front of me. I was so proud of Barry, ever since his mother’s death Barry has been so passionate about cracking cases. Using his knowledge in the field of science to find clues and piece them together. And now he’s here, getting ready to give me a tour of his office.

“You coming?” He asked pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah.” I skipped over to him as he pushed open the front doors. Stepping in I was met with rooms crowded full of desks and employees. Chatter and phones rang throughout the building.

“Okay, there’s where the calls are received, that’s where cases are filed, interrogation room is right through those doors, Captain Singh’s office is right next to it, and if you head up those stairs, go down the hall, and make a right you’ll find my lab.” Barry chirped pointing rapidly in different directions.

“You really weren’t kidding when you said a quick tour.” I chuckled.

“I have to take advantage of my new abilities.”

“Ha ha. Very funny. Now can we get to work.”

“Come on.” Barry grabbed my hand, leading me to the set of stairs he was pointing at a few moments ago.

“Joe. I had him.” Barry bounded into the room where Joe was leaning on a desk reading some sort of a document, “The metahuman, we were wrong. He’s not controlling airborne toxins. He can literally transform himself into poison gas.”

“That’s new.” Joe said standing up.

“Isn’t everything new these days.” I pointed out.

“The target,” Joe continued, nodding his head, “is a judge. We’re going through some of her old cases to see if there’s a connection.”

“It’s too late,” Barry said shaking his head, “I didn't catch him. I should’ve been faster.”

“Focus on the job. Don’t think about that right now.”

“Yeah Barry, and besides the woman’s still alive. I mean she’s in critical condition but maybe you can get some sort of information from her.” I said beginning to side with Joe.

“You guys don’t want to know what I’m thinking about.” Barry murmured shuffling off towards one of the windows in the office. He placed his hand on the ledge and let out a sigh, “My dad has spent the past 14 years in a 6 by 8 foot cell for a crime he didn’t commit.”

In that moment I expected Joe to go off on him. To tell him that he needed to face the truth. The truth being that Barry’s mom is dead and his father is to blame. But he didn’t. In fact he did the opposite. He stood there and listened as Barry went on and on about how he couldn’t save his mom but now he has the chance to save his dad.

“Didn’t I promise you that we would get your dad out of prison together?” Joe’s question tore me out of my thoughts.

“You two,” I said pointing between the two men, “are getting his dad,” I pointed to Barry, “out of prison without me?” the sentence ended with my right index finger poking my chest. Barry swiftly turned around to face us.

“I don’t need your help, Monica. Yours either, Joe. I could be in and out of there with him before anyone even sees me.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do, Barry.” I said lowering my hand.

“Say you break him out of there. Then what? He’s on the run for the rest of his life. And something tells me he’s not as fast as you are.”

“You don’t know what it’s like there.”

“You think we don’t understand what you’re feeling? I have been a cop for almost as long as you’ve been alive. And Monica has been your best friend ever since your mom died. So you should know, putting on that suit does not make everyone safe. Every person you save, there’s going to be somebody you can’t.” Joe’s words began to fill my head.

Barry can’t save everyone. He couldn’t save that woman. But I could. And I did. All the puzzle pieces fell into place, the ones that have been scrambled for the past ten months. I need to save people.

“Moni-”

“I am not a human!” I blurted out as Barry tapped my shoulder.

“Woah, ok, what?”

“I-I I’m sorry. Did you say something? Where’s Joe?” I started to search the room, trying to distract Barry from thinking about the words that just exploded out of my mouth.

“He just left… are you okay? Do you need to talk or-”

“Yup, I’m fine,” I said shaking my heading vigorously, “Never better.”

The next morning I decided to walk to work, just to “Stop and smell the roses.”. As I strolled into the cortex I was met with Dr. Wells and Cisco both with very confused looks on their faces. I looked up at the monitor they were focused on which showed a molecular model.

“Why the puzzled looks boys?” I questioned waking them from their haze.

“Ms. Bell, take a look at that screen for us.” Dr. Wells ordered.

“Of course sir,” I said taking a step forward to get a closer look, “Is that-” I turned to face Cisco.

���Yup.”

“But why would it-”

“We don’t know.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“They’re in the pipeline.”

“Call them up here. I think we’re going to need reinforcements.”

“Hey check this out.” Cisco called out to the pair as they entered the cortex, “It’s a 3D molecular model of the gas we retrieved from your lungs.”

“We have identified the toxin as-”

“Hydrogen Cyanide?” Barry asked cutting me off.

“What's interesting is what’s mixed in with the cyanide… a sedative,” Dr. Wells continued the conversation.

“Of course,” Barry exclaimed, his right hand flying to his forehead, “The night of the explosion, find out if anyone was executed.”

“Why?”

“That sedative is given to criminals on death row before they go to the gas chamber and breathe in hydrogen cyanide.”

“CSI, Barry Allen cracks yet another case with the help of his team of cunning scientists.” Everybody stared at me once I finished my narration. “What? I couldn’t help myself.”

“Okay, cute nerd.” I felt a blush begin to swell onto my cheeks as a cause of Barry’s comment. Cisco let out a chuckle. Dr. Wells had a face that only read disappointment. And Caitlin could care less.

“There was someone executed. Kyle Nimbus.” Caitlin pulled up his mugshot on the monitor.

“That’s him.” Barry clarified.

“He was a hit man for the Darbinyan crime family.  They turned on him and testified.” I walked towards Caitlin as she gave us a run down of Nimbus’ history. “Judge Theresa Howard was the judge at his trial. She sentenced him to death.”

“He must have been affected by the explosion while he was being gassed.” I concluded.

“Records indicate the execution was completed.” Cisco pointed out.

“That’s why there wasn’t a match. The DNA database only has records of the living.”

“Right.” Dr. Wells said agreeing with Barry.

“He said there was one person left on his list. Check the arrest record. Who caught him? That could be his next attack.” Caitlin followed Barry’s request scrolling through the information, then turning to face me when she read the name. I looked up at Barry who was now standing in front of me.

“Barry… the lead detective… J-Joe West.” Barry stared into my eyes, his flooded with fear, and anger, and disgust. Quickly he scrambled to pull his phone out of his pocket, quickly tapping on the screen once it was in his hands.

“Eddie...Hey, do you know where Joe went? He’s not picking up his cell…. Eddie, it’s really important I speak to him. I need to know where he went…”

“Barry,” I interrupted as he hung up the phone, “Cait and I reverse engineered an antidote to the toxin. I hope you won’t need it.” I handed the syringe like device to him. And like magic he was gone.

“Barry I pulled up the specs on Iron Heights, it’s maximum security but I think I can talk you through breakin in there.” I turned to face Cisco.

“Don’t bother Crisco, he’s been trying to break in there since-”

“I was 11.”

After the a few minutes of the sounds of Barry rushing around Central City and Iron Heights his voice was finally heard again, “You’re going somewhere you can’t hurt anyone ever again…”

“He used the antidote on Joe.” Caitlin whispered.

“Of course he would. He’s Barry Allen.” I exclaimed, “You need to stay away from him Barry, do not breathe him in.”

Suddenly the sound of air rushing past Barry’s mic filled the cortex.

“I’m not sure how that helps me, guys.”

“You can’t fight him Barry… Just keep him coming at you. That should sap his strength.”

“Gas is the east stable form of matter,” Dr. Wells explained, “This metahuman will not be able to stay in his mist form for long. His particles will need to reform.”

Then the wind picked up again, faster than we had ever heard it before. Then Barry let out a grunt, as wheezing could be heard in the background.

“Barry. Barry.” Dr. Wells attempted to gain Barry’s attention.

“We win.”

“That’s one save in your book, Allen. The next one goes down in mine.” I joked as Barry walked out of Joe’s hospital room. Barry looked down at me, a smile on his face even though it was obvious he was confused.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you’ll see.” I said looking up at him, “But while we wait for an explanation how about Big Belly Burger? On me?”

“I could go for about twenty of those burgers right now.” He chuckled.  

“Okay then, come on fat ass. I’m driving.”

“Rude!”

“But for some reason I’m still your best friend.”

“I guess that will always be the real mist-ery.”

I laughed at Barry’s corny pun, in fact I laughed so hard I began to choke. And that’s how life was at the time. So good that at one point the vase would overfill with joy, spilling over, pouring into our throats, causing all of us to choke.

Taglist: @lexeeehhh