042 | Exposures
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Barry sat beside Haylee as she lay asleep on the bed in the medical room within the Cortex, his eyes were focused on the machine connected to her. Caitlin had assured Barry that Haylee was okay and her body was just rebuilding the energy it lost in the fight against Eliza who was now locked up in the pipeline. Haylee's hand rested by Barry's, the bronze had returned to the prior pale tone from the loss of energy. Barry felt the sheet move, turning his head he spotted Haylee's pinkie move closer to his, so with a smile, he linked their pinkies.
"How long was I out?" Haylee croaked out as she turned her head to look at Barry, she knew better than to overexert herself after extensive use of power. "Around twenty-seven hours. You scared all of us at first but then Jesse showed up and told us what happened. Dr Wells had to convince him to still go on his date after Caitlin assured you'd be fine," Barry explained to Haylee who sighed. "I'm glad he went on the date. He needs to move on from Iris considering her serious relationship with Eddie," Haylee replied.
"I agree with you. But right now, I'm more worried about you," Barry told her before brushing the hair out of her face. "I'm alright. Just feeling a little drained," Haylee assured him as Cisco and Jesse walked up to them with a battery. "We have a way to speed up the recovery," Cisco told her with a smile. "This will be great," Haylee said as Barry helped her up, Cisco set up the battery and the jumpstart cables that Haylee grabbed onto.
The electric bite of the battery caused Haylee to close her eyes in pure relief as the energy coursed through her body stabilising her body. "Oh wow!" Haylee spoke with a smile before letting go of the cables, laughing slightly at the slight burn marks on her hands that faded out like nothing even happened. "That is so much better!" Haylee smiled widely at the three men before Barry helped her out of the bed, she instantly kissed Barry. "Now I need coffee," Haylee told them making them laugh.
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"Dude! It was so damn cool how you just glitched into the room," Cisco cheered as he, Barry, Haylee, Caitlin and Jesse sat down at a table in Jitters. "If only I didn't pass out to exhaustion," Haylee replied to Cisco who nodded before walking over to the counter to order coffee for everyone. "So I hear you are going on a second date?" Haylee inquired as she looked at her brother with a teasing smirk on her face. "Yeah, tonight actually," Jesse replied with a fond smile on his face. "And you aren't worried that you are moving too fast?" Cisco asked as he sat down again.
"Oh, God... Ignore Cisco. You'll be fine, it's just a second date," Haylee pointed out with a reassuring smile while Cisco shrugged. "A second date? With who?" Iris asked as she walked up to them, Cisco's phone rang. "Uh, with Linda Park, the sports reporter," Jesse told her as Haylee, Barry and Cisco shared a look. "That's great!" Iris cheered but Haylee noticed the underlying tone. "Linda seems great, and you're great. And you two are definitely great," Iris added with a smile to the new couple.
"Oh, my God..." Haylee breathed out before dropping her head onto Barry's shoulder, biting her cheek in an attempt not to laugh at the awkward tension. "Hey, I gotta go. I gotta help out a friend," Cisco told them as he returned. "Everything okay? We just got here," Barry spoke up with furrowed brows. "Yeah, I'll see you guys later," Cisco smiled before heading off leaving Haylee watching him, she knew what Cisco was like and he was hiding something that was for sure.
"Quentin Quale was attacked near his lab at Concordance Research last night. There were several unsubstantiated reports of the so-called "Burning Man" in the area following the attacks," The news reporter spoke gaining the group's attention. "Burning Man?" Iris muttered out before looking at Haylee as her phone rang. "It's Cisco... He probably forgot something," Haylee stepped away from the others as they discussed the Burning Man.
"Hey Joe, what's up?" Haylee spoke instantly. "I've already asked Cisco to meet me, but I need you to come to. You were right, we need to look into this more," Joe told her. The two had met and spoken about the uneasy gut feeling they get around Harrison Wells, so Haylee did her research end while Joe did his. "Alright, where do I meet you?" Haylee asked. "Barry's old home," Joe replied before he hung up.
"Hey, guys. I gotta go, but I'll see you later," Haylee left no room for conversation as she quickly kissed Barry and left without her coffee. "Is it just me or are Cisco and Haylee acting weird?" Iris asked the others which initiated an uncomfortable thought in Barry's mind. "For one, Cisco is always weird in some way and two, Haylee is probably saving Cisco from his stupidity," Caitlin spoke before looking at Barry with a reassuring smile.
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"I have a theory about who might have been involved in Barry's mother's death. I thought you two and I could reexamine the crime scene, you could apply your technical expertise and help me prove who really did it," Joe explained to the two as they walked up to the door of Barry's old home. "For sure, we should get Dr Wells and Caitlin in on this," Cisco replied to Joe. "No," Joe and Haylee both said instantly before looking at each other. "We should keep this between us for the time being," Haylee told Cisco with a reassuring smile.
"If too many people know, Barry will find out, and I don't want to involve him until we know something definitive," Joe added before knocking on the door. An older blonde woman opened the door, her attention focused on Joe as a flirtatious smile appeared on her face. "Hello, ma'am. I'm detective West, this is Cisco Ramon and Haylee Brager," Joe introduced. "Oh, please, it's Sherry, like the drink," Sherry told him with a chuckle while Cisco and Haylee smirked at each other.
"What can I do for you, detective?" Sherry asked. "I don't know if you were aware, but there was a homicide in this residence approximately fifteen years ago," Joe explained to her, the woman nodded along with his words. "Oh, I know," Sherry spoke in a faux sad tone. "We've reopened the case. Do you mind if we come in and take another look around?" Joe asked. "Oh, not at all," Sherry opened the door wider for the three.
Haylee's body shivered as she stepped through the threshold causing her to tilt her head as she zoned out of Joe's conversation with Sherry focusing on the familiar energies that bounced off the walls in the room. "I'm not picking up anything. Not even with the Super Light," Cisco told Joe as Haylee walked up to the wall, she slowly rested her hand against the wall causing a small light of blue and yellow to form in her hand, she pulled her hand back with furrowed brows.
"Super Light?" Joe asked gaining Haylee's attention, she turned to the two and made her way over. "Well, technically, it's a multi-spectrum, violet laser-enhanced scanner that detects molecular schisms in the 600 mega-volt range, but I figured "Super Light" was easier to say," Cisco explained making Haylee laugh softly with a shake of her head. "Right, but what does it tell you?" Joe asked. "Nothing we didn't already know about the night," Cisco told him and before Haylee could speak, Sherry cleared her throat wearing skimpier clothing.
Haylee leaned her head on Cisco's shoulder biting back her laughter at the woman's attempts to flirt with Joe, the detective clearly flustered by the woman while Cisco happily checked the older woman out. "Uh, can I get you all something to drink? Water? Soda? Wine?" Sherry offered though her focus was on Joe. "Uh, we're fine. Thank you," Joe answered with a small smile. "Well, if you change your mind, I've been told my strawberry daiquiris are sinful," Sherry told Joe flirtatiously before walking away.
"We will not judge you," Cisco told Joe while Haylee smirked at the older man. "Okay, Barry's mother's body was found here," Joe told them pointing to the spot before continuing, "Knife beside her, blood splatter on the wall belonged to Nora." Cisco looked from Haylee to Joe before sighing, "Joe, I think... I just think maybe it's been too long, and everything's different." Haylee shook her head as Joe looked at the photos from the crime scene. "Except that mirror," Joe told them as he pointed to an antique mirror.
"Sherry must have bought it at the estate sale," Joe spoke up before the three of them approached it, Haylee quickly turned it around and Cisco shone the Super Light on it. "Silver nitrate," Haylee breathed out with a smile. "The compound used in photography. It was often used to back vintage mirrors," Cisco continued before he and Haylee did their handshake which put a smile on Joe's face. "If there were two speedsters there that night, the sparks from their movement would have generated enough flashes to actually expose images onto the silver nitrate," Cisco explained to Joe.
"You saying what I think you're saying?" Joe asked with wide eyes. "This mirror might contain photographs of what actually happened that night," Haylee said with a smile. "Also, I should mention that I could feel the speedster's energy the moment I walked into the home," Haylee added causing the two men to look at her. "Don't look at me like that, every time I went to say something, Sherry walked into the room to make a move on Joe," Haylee told them before smirking at Joe.
✫*゚・゚。.★.*。・゚✫*
"I sent Sherry to the movies," Joe spoke up as he walked into the room as Cisco and Haylee worked on the finishing touches of the projector. "Trust me, the best show in town is going to be in here tonight," Cisco replied to Joe while Haylee nodded in agreement. "So you're telling me you can get actual photographs from this thing?" Joe asked with slight doubt. "The science is solid. It works exactly like an old film camera," Haylee assured with a smile as she moved out of the way of where the image would be projected.
"We developed the mirror backing, and fortunately for us, the lightning went off about ten times that night," Cisco finished off from Haylee's response. "Multiple exposures," Joe breathed out getting nods from the other two scientists. "Now you're getting it," Cisco complimented as Haylee smiled at Joe. "We went ahead and enhanced them digitally and, just for kicks, decided to extrapolate a 3-D hologram from the original 2-D," Cisco explained to Joe.
"Lights," Cisco began and Joe switched the lights off, "Camera. Action." Haylee's eyes widened at the image projected in front of them. Nora was on her knees in the middle of a circle of lightning with little Barry outside the circle screaming for his mother, the sight caused pain in Haylee's chest; seeing it was so much more painful than hearing the story. "Can you play it again? Slower?" Joe asked, Cisco clicked through the photos slower until Joe stopped him.
Haylee watched as Joe walked over to the wallpaper, "This wallpaper's new." Joe pulled back the wallpaper revealing a splatter of blood. "Oh, man. Is that blood?" Cisco asked as Haylee clued on to the fact the blood would belong to one of the speedsters, not Nora. "We had a husband-" Joe began but Haylee cut in, "An innocent husband, but go on." Joe nodded at Haylee before looking back at Cisco, "Who was holding the same weapon that killed his wife. We weren't looking for any other suspects."
"That blood belongs to one of the two speedsters that was here that night," Haylee added as she took in a deep breath. "Maybe the one that killed Nora," Joe stated with Cisco nodding. "I'll get a sample kit," Cisco made his way out while Haylee walked back towards the projector with her arms crossed, Joe followed after her and stood next to her. "When he opened up about Nora's death, I knew instantly that Henry was innocent, I knew it in my heart but I... I never really prepared myself for how painful the sight was," Haylee expressed.
"Both you and Barry have gone through more than most, Haylee. But you both push through it and come out on the other side," Joe told her as Cisco walked back into the room, walking straight to the blood splatter. "We'll prove Henry's innocence, no matter what," Haylee stated sternly as they turned to Cisco. "You think Harrison has something to do with this, don't you?" Haylee whispered to Joe. "We both have our suspicions, Haylee. We have family to protect," Joe spoke lowly back to her. "Trust me, Papa Joe. I'm on your side," Haylee told him.
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Author Note
And the truth slowly begins to unravel... It's gonna be interesting.
Side Content:
Jesse totally dipped on Linda to help Barry with Ronnie/Martin and Iris has the same conversation from the show but Jesse replaces Barry, so yeah. I want to write the parts involving Jesse but I tend to get bored writing his storyline when it's just Barry's lines and such with Iris...
So, Haylee will stay the main focus and if it's important to the storyline then I'll summarise it in the author notes!
-Rose <3
{2317}
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