48 Hours Before Particle Accelerator Explosion

Barry was once again running late to work and he couldn't exactly tell his boss that he had car trouble since he didn't even own one. Besides the fact that he's used that excuse once already, the only other option that was actually true was that he overslept.

Barry had gone straight to his lab when he arrived at the CCPD only to be told that he was to head to Starling City to help with the case there as an assisting CSI. So Barry gathered his things and rushed to the train station as transpor-tation into the next city.

☇☇☇

As soon as Barry stepped off the train, he was hit by the rain pouring from overhead and he had to grab a newspaper to cover his head since he was not in the least pre-pared for such weather. He hadn't really considered what the weather was like in Starling City and wouldn't have had time to grab an umbrella even if he had since he was told to come so last minute.

Barry quickly made his way away from the boarding stage, his feet splashing in the huge puddles the rain had created as he began to quicken his pace to a run. Of course he knew no matter how fast he ran he would still be soaked with rainwater by the time he reached his destination.

He was headed to the steel mill where the crime had taken place and where he would be meeting the detective leading the investigation. He ran past people who were giving him looks of confusion or dis-approving looks for his attire.

Reaching the steel mill, Barry entered the building acutely aware of several pairs of eyes watching him as he tossed the now soaked through newspaper in his bag. He walked straight over to the crime scene at the sight of a detective waving him over.

"Barry Allen?" The detective questioned. At a nod from Barry, he introduced himself. "I'm detective Conan Marshall, leader of this investigation. I'm glad you could get here."

"It's a pleasure to help actually." Barry said. As he knelt by the body on the cold ground and pulled the tarp back, he was very aware of a single pair of eyes burning a hole in his back. Barry ignored it and began to inspect the body.

The victim was an African-American male in his early to mid-twenties with what used to be brown eyes that were now a slight shade of brownish gray, which meant he had probably been dead for more than twenty-four hours. Barry moved on to check the victim's hands, inspecting his nails carefully. Finding what he was look-ing for, he used tweezers to pull hair and skin from under his nails and placed it in a plastic baggy.

Next, Barry focused on the man's arms and legs, making note of the position of the body. His eyes traveled up to the man's torso and head, taking note of the piece of bullet shrapnel in his forehead. He repeated the same process he had done for the nails, making sure the plastic baggie was sealed.

Barry straightened up, feeling a bit sick at the thought that just crossed his mind. This kid was probably still attending college and from what Barry just gathered from the crime scene and the body, the boy wasn't just murdered. This had been a professional hit.

Clean shot through the head in a place where no one would hear the gunfire. From the minimal amount of a struggle, the kid knew his murderer but fought back enough to gather skin and hair under his nails.

Barry turned to Detective Marshall and said, "Do we know the victim's name?"

Detective Marshall nodded, crossing his arms. "Richard Dawkins. College kid from the state university. Good kid too."

Barry glanced down at the body again before pulling the tarp back to cover it up. "This wasn't just a murder, Detective Marshall. Dawkins was the victim of a hitman."

Detective Marshall nodded again, his eyes hardening with what Barry identified to be anger. "We notified his parents that he's passed. Now what we need to do to give his family solace, is to find the son-of-a-bitch that did this."

Barry nodded and hoisted his bag on his shoulder, his eyes drifting over to a man who was making his way over to him and Detective Marshall. Barry took a moment to study him even as the realization that he recognized the man vaguely, entered his mind.

The man had a nice build, muscular but not too muscular, dark brown hair, blue eyes and a chiseled chin. He wasn't that much taller than Barry and only by a few inches but he began to wonder if this man was ripped.

"Detective Marshall," the man started when he reached them. He held out a hand for the detective to shake. "Oliver Queen. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Barry blanched at the introduction. Oliver Queen. The Oliver Queen was standing right in front of him, talking to the man beside him. Barry could not believe he was standing next to a billionaire who had been missing for six years and now turned up.

Detective Marshall shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Queen. What sort of questions?"

"About the victim, Richard Dawkins. He was a colleague of mine and he was a good kid." Oliver said.

Barry chose that moment to speak up. "Dawkins was still in college, right?"

Oliver turned his hard blue eyes on him and Barry immediately recognized that stare he had felt during his inspection of the body minutes ago. He met the gaze head-on and ignored the look the other man and woman gave each other.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Oliver demanded, his voice like an arrow pene-trating his body.

Barry struggled not to fidget under the full undivided attention that Oliver was giving him. Instead, he smiled brightly and said awkwardly, "I'm Barry Allen."

Oliver narrowed his eyes and Barry gave it a few moments before he decided to take his leave. He smiled again and turned to Detective Marshall, making a gesture to the door.

"I'll just go to the station to test all of the evidence for DNA." Barry told him. "I'll let you know what I find out."

To his surprise Detective Marshall waved a deputy officer over and said, "Can't have you traveling in the rain, now can we?" Turning to the deputy he said, "Take Allen to the station so he can test the evidence."

Barry thanked Detective Marshall and followed the deputy outside to the squad car. Once inside the car the deputy drove off.

☇☇☇

It was two hours later that Barry was even close to getting actual results from the tests he ran on the DNA he found under the victim's nails and the bullet shrapnel he found in his forehead. And honestly it wasn't like he had much to do during this time anyway.

Barry rolled over to the computer as it beeped three times to see what the DNA results brought back. Right clicking on the screen, Barry read what popped up on the screen.

There was a picture of a man with black hair and even darker eyes. His name was Mathias Kovacs. From his criminal file, he had been arrested for murder, trafficking, laundering, terrorist attacks. He had been dishonorably discharged eight years ago from the army before moving to a foreign country and joining a hitman organization stationed there.

Barry continued to read, noting that this man had a long rap-sheet and that he was no one to mess with. They would need to call in all of SCPD's resources to apprehend this man. Especially if he's as dangerous as his case file reads.

Barry clicked print on the computer and waited for the paper to print itself out so he could take it down to Detective Marshall. Strangely enough he was the only one up in Starling PD's lab but he didn't really mind.

While the paper was printing, Barry was moving around the lab working on the reshaping of the bullet using the shrapnel from the crime scene to find out exactly what bullet and gun was used. Make and model. Barry had never been more relieved for advanced technology in his life.

Barry was so focused on reshaping the bullet that he didn't realize someone had entered the lab until he was grabbed from behind and violently yanked back-wards. He yelped in surprise and flailed around, trying to get free. Whoever it was threw him on the floor and Barry scrambled back, his eyes widening when he recognized who was in front of him.

Standing in front of him, in whatever glory he had was Kovacs. He had a gun aimed at Barry's chest and the young CSI stared up at him, fear rising up inside him.

"Where is the necklace?" Kovacs demanded.

"I-I d-don't know." Barry stuttered. "There wasn't a necklace at the crime scene."

Kovacs made a sound of frustration and cursed under his breath, the gun not at all wavering from Barry. "Get up. You're coming with me."

Kovacs grabbed the collar of Barry's shirt roughly, pulling him to his feet and placed his gun to the side of his neck. "Walk. You try anything, I'll kill you."

Barry swallowed thickly and began to walk, exiting the lab and walking down the stairs. A couple officers noticed them and shouted a warning aloud, causing the whole precinct to turn its attention to the criminal and the CSI.

Barry could not believe this was even happening to him; this never happened in Central City. At least not to him. Kovacs yanked him roughly around as he kept the gun to the base of his mandible. Barry watched him out of the corner of his eye, even though he knew he wasn't going to get out of this on his own.

"Any of you officers move, I'll blow the kids head off!" Kovacs yelled.

I'd rather you not do that, Barry thought.

Barry had raised his hands in surrender when the man had first pulled the gun on him. He wasn't a fighter so he couldn't defend himself if he tried to get away from him. Barry had stopped walking, his eyes meeting Detective Marshall's from across the main lobby of the precinct. The detective gave him a look and a slight nod.

Barry assumed that meant that he wanted him to make a move but Barry didn't exactly want to do anything irrational or rash at the moment.

"Keep moving!" Kovacs hissed, shoving him forward.

Barry kept walking, his heart beating faster the closer he got to the front doors of the precinct. Barry was terrified of what would happen once they were out of the building.

The minute they exited the police station, Kovacs grabbed Barry by the back of his neck and dragged him to a car on the street, tossing him in the trunk and slamming the cover closed.

Barry started to panic and banged on the trunk, yelling to be let out even as the car pulled off with a lurch, causing whatever was in the trunk to roll and hit him in the stomach. Barry, who was now panicking completely, banged on the trunk as hard as he could, shouting and yelling. He hated small spaces and this wasn't doing him any favors.

Questions ran through his mind. Why was this happening to him? Why did Kovacs take him? What did Kovacs want from him? Was he going to kill him? What did he do wrong to deserve this?

How long would it be before anyone found him?

A/N: This is a long chapter and I'm very proud of it. Hopefully the next is just as long.

I hope you guys enjoyed! Comment, vote and read!

Seriously let me know how it is! I want your opinions and comments!!

See you in the next chapter!! 😁

Also I'll add music later.