S I X T E E N:
dark side of a army

Bibiana turned around only to see Bette, the human bomb. She dropped the S.T.A.R. Labs tablet on the floor, causing it to break.

"I'm always doing this," Bibiana muttered to herself as she picked it up. "Sorry, Dr. Wells."

"It's alright, Ms. Solace," Dr. Wells replied.

"Wait, are you Captain Solace's daughter?" Bette asked. Bibiana looked at her.

"Yes, ma'am," Bibiana answered. She put away the broken tablet and instead got onto the computer so she could pull up what happened.

"As the detonation dispersed throughout Central City a number of people were exposed to a wave of unquestionable energy," Dr. Wells explained. "One of those people was you." Dr. Wells turned to look at Bette. "You were in Central City 10 months ago."

"Uh, I had just returned from Afghanistan," Bette said while putting on some gloves. "I was there diffusing roadside bombs and shrapnel ripped through me. I was flown back Stateside. Spent months at the base recuperating. And next thing I know I became the thing that almost killed me. And Eiling's favorite new lab rat."

"The dark matter must have combined with the bomb particulate inside your body," Caitlin explained.

"I thought Eiling did this to me," Bette said.

"Him?" Bibiana sounded surprised. She met the general multiple times while she lived with her family. He didn't seem to have the brains to do such a thing.

"Eiling is not smart enough to create someone like you but clever enough to see your value," Dr. Wells stated.

"Do you know any others who were changed?" Bette asked.

"You're talking to one of them," Bibiana said.

"You?" Bette sounded surprised.

"Yeah, proud Captain Solace has a daughter who is a metahuman," Bibiana said. She helps up a hand and let a little of purple electricity show before she made it go back into her system.

"There has been a few more," Caitlin said. Ignoring Bibiana's small show.

"But no one that looks like you," said Cisco. Bibiana hit herself in the face because of what he said. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. Please don't leave."

"I know how to perform a lobotomy," Caitlin stated.
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"Cell structure's unlike anything I've seen," Dr. Wells said. Bibiana ate Ramen noodles while she scanned the charts.

"Why is it that you always eat when we're in this room?" Cisco asked Bibiana.

"A hungry girl has to eat somewhere," Bibiana said.

"Her nitrogen levels are off the charts," Caitlin commented. She walked out of the room.

"Do you think we can help her?" Barry asked.

"To understand that question we have to understand how she works," Dr.  Wells said. "To understand that, we have to study her in action."

"You want her to blow stuff up," Cisco said. "Yes. Now we're talking."

Bibiana looked around to see that Barry was pacing around the room.

"Not in here," Dr. Wells said. "She's too unstable.

"I know."

"I know you know," Dr. Wells replied. Bibiana looked out the window and Caitlin pulling something out of Bette's arm.

"We're dead if it's what I think it is," Bibiana mumbled. The computers then started to beep. There were unauthorized people in S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Lockdown the pipeline," Dr. Wells commanded. "Get Bette out of here. I'll take care of Eiling."

"Don't forget our amendments!" Bibiana said as she scrambled to get some of her important things. Food.

⇝⇝⇝

Bette had grabbed a frisbee and threw it into the air. Bibiana watched as it exploded into small little pieces.

"That's kinda cool," Bibiana admitted.

"Four hundred twenty-seven kPas. Her Trauzi ratting is around 45," Cisco said. They were at the same spot Barry ran in front of Bibiana for the first time and where she tried to shoot him. "That's the same as any plastique. 'Plastique.' Ha! First, try."

"Didn't really think this through, did ya?" Caitlin asked.

"Walk away, Cisco," Bibiana advised him. She picked up a boomerang and threw it into the air. Purple soon followed it, causing it to burn. "Training is paying off. It makes me feel like Superman from the DC comics."

"Now if we can only figure out how you can turn into pure energy so you don't have to travel on Barry," Caitlin said. Barry ran over to the two girls and looked at Bibiana.

"I need you to do me two big favors," Barry said.

⇝⇝⇝

Electric Storm was standing in Jitters next to the Flash. They were both looking at Iris. Bibiana was actually able to make a better voice box to disguise her voice.

"Oh, my God. It's both of you," Iris said.

"Iris West. I heard you've been writing about us," Barry replied with a distorted voice.

"Thanks for like my purple theme," Electric Storm thanked with a voice so different. Iris tried to see what was beneath the purple electric mask but it was so packed together.

"You two are real," Iris commented. "I should, um  . . . Let me clean up--"

Barry already ran all over Jitters and did that. He was now standing on the opposite side of the room. Bibiana walked to the other side like a normal person.

"Need us on the roof," Barry said. Bibiana looked at him. Did she walk across the room for nothing? "I'll give you a head start."

"Yeah, I can't run fast so I'm hitching a ride," Electric Storm added.

"Okay," Iris said. She then took off running. Barry grabbed Bibiana and ran her over to the room of the roof.

"I need you to stop writing about us," Barry told Iris. Bibiana swung her legs back and forth on the edge of the roof. It reminded her when she was younger.

"There are a lot of people who need someone like you two right now to know you're out there," Iris said. "I have so many questions."

"Where are you from?" Iris asked Barry ran to another spot on the roof. Bibiana just stayed in the same spot.

"I can't say," Barry said. "Electric Storm, you can't either."

"Wish I knew where I was from," Electric Strom lied.

"Who are you?" Iris asked.

"I can't tell you that either," Barry said.

"Electric Strom," Bibiana said. It wasn't a lie. Barry ran to another spot.

"Are you two dating?" Bibiana stopped swinging her legs. Barry almost ran into something from the question.

"Is cancer cured?" Electric Storm asked.

"No, but I wish it was," Iris replied. She didn't know that she answered her own question. "How can you two do what you do?" Iris asked. Bibiana stayed silent. That was something she didn't want to talk about. "You two are a terrible interview."

Barry ran and grabbed Bibiana. They both stood in front of Iris.

"There's more to this than you can understand," Barry said. "Just trust me, please. I need you to stop."

"It's for your own safety," Electric Storm added.

"Can you stop?" Iris asked. "Running into buildings and rescuing people without them knowing you're there? Or saving people from the electrical things?"

"We don't do this for the glory," Barry said.

"So why do you?" Iris asked. Barry grabbed Bibiana and now they were behind Iris. "Look. I have this friend and he had something terrible happen to him when he was a kid. And his whole life, he's been telling stories about this impossible thing. And people laughed at him and shrinks analyzed him. And he's been searching for an explanation ever since. But now suddenly it's like he's lost his faith. But you, you two are proof that he wasn't crazy."

Iris turned around and saw sadness behind Electric Strom's guarded eyes.

"Help me save my friend."

"He's a lucky guy," Barry said. He held out his hand for Bibiana to take.

"Some people just don't want to face the truth," Electric Strom stated, taking the Streaks hand. They were both then gone in a flash.

Bibiana had said that because she was still trying to face her own truth. Every time she used her electricity or became Electric Strom, she accepted the truth in little bits.

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jmc