Status: new project
Skin
Thank You, Barry
“Woah.”
“I get that a lot,” he said flashing a toothy grin.
“I get it,” Violet laughed. “This is all a joke. I’m being Punk’d aren’t I?”
“You’ve only been out for nine months. Punk’d hasn’t been cool since 2003.” Cisco said, burger in hand and pieces of food still in his mouth.
She rolled her eyes, “This can’t be real. At all. None of it makes any sense. You guys are out of your minds to believe any of this is real. First, you guys say that by touch, I can magically know someone’s life. And now you’re saying this guy is the ‘fastest man alive.’ You guys are full of shit.”
Violet turned around to see the group proclaimed ‘fastest man alive,’ and seemingly out of nowhere he was holding a bag of Big Belly Burger. She was certain he wasn’t holding that two seconds ago. Maybe he was holding it behind his back?
“Sorry for taking so long. There was a bit of a line at Big Belly. But here’s some food. You’re a little grumpy.”
“Grumpy? Grumpy isn’t even the word to describe me right now. I’m confused beyond measure. You guys claim to be scientists, but here you guys are, reading out of comic books and science fiction movie scripts. You guys are ridiculous. I am going home. I don’t know where exactly, but I’m sure Starling City isn’t as crazy as this place.” Undertaking and all.
“She’s mean,” Cisco said under his breath.
Violet changed her direction from the door to the scientists. “Look, let’s say I play around with this crazy idea that I can read people’s lives or that this guy can run super hero fast. What does this do for me, hm? How do I benefit from this? How does he benefit from this? I wouldn’t want to be known as the fastest man alive when trying to get dates.”
This gained a chuckle from everyone in the lab except for the man she was poking fun at.
“Remind us to try to run some tests on that, Barry.” Cisco murmured.
“Miss Valencia, this is a monumental time in science. This is history in the making. Imagine all the advances we can make. Mr. Allen as the fastest man alive, and because of this his cells are super repairers and could potentially cure many sicknesses if the correct research is done. And as for you, being able to see the lives of individuals without speaking to them. Can you imagine the crimes you could help solve with that ability? You could see whether someone is guilty or not. Imagine the lives put wrongfully on death row. Or those that should be on death row. You two could help make the world a better place.”
She bit at the nail of her thumb with anxiety. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps they could help make the world a better place. But this was still the craziest thing she had ever heard of. Actual real life… superheroes? She internally chuckled at the thought.
“Mr. Allen, here, is actually making quite use of his ability right now. As we run tests on the side, he is actually helping make Central City a safer place for the people. During the particle accelerator explosion, many others, just like you, were changed. The difference being, they are using their powers for evil versus good.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, “Sorry. I’m really trying to take this seriously but it’s still a little weird to me. You’re saying that there are others who have ‘powers’, too? But they’re bad guys?” Violet tried wrapping her mind around the thought. “Since when did my life become a comic book?” She said, mostly to herself.
“What if I don’t want this anymore? I don’t want to know anybody’s life. I don’t even know mine.”
“That’s something we can find out together, but we need you here. We need you to help us help you. We can find out if this is something you can control- something on and off like a light switch.”
“Fine. I’m in.” She didn’t know what she was getting herself into.
The entire day was spent in and out of the lab. They were trying to figure out if she could read just anybody. Caitlin and Violet walked around Downtown Central City to answer some of their questions. They came to the realization, that just about anyone she touched, she saw their life. Twenty five different strangers, and she knew everything about them. From their first birthday to the last. The first love and the first heartbreak. They also learned that, yes, she could turn it on and off like a light switch. She was able to choose who she wanted to read, simply by allowing herself to be open. Those she refused to read, their lives weren’t processed in her mind at all.
There was a handful of people who weren’t that easy to read. Dr. Wells figured that maybe it wasn’t in their nature to be so open in the first place. Maybe that person just instinctively had very high mental and emotional walls. Either way, she was able to tear them down.
“I feel kinda weird. I’m letting myself into these people’s lives. That’s kind of creepy, don’t you think?”
“It’s pretty creepy… Violet, can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“What did you see about me?”
Violet smiled, “A man named Ronnie. Someone you truly loved. And by the feeling I got, he loved you just as much.”
The two women arrive back at S.T.A.R Labs feeling accomplished. Violet was finally getting used to the idea of having powers, she no longer cringed when they talked about her life reading abilities. Granted, it was still weird. The men were celebrating a victory over capturing a man named Kyle Nimbus. Violet learned that he was being put down by the death penalty when the accelerator exploded. He had the ability to actually turn himself into a poisonous gas.
“You guys don’t feel bad about caging people up here… like animals?”
The fastest man alive shrugged, “Better to have them in here where they can’t hurt anybody else than out there. A regular prison couldn’t hold them, either.”
Violet nodded, “I guess you’re right. I’m still trying to get a hold of this.”
“No worries, you’ll get used to it.” He patted her on the shoulder and suddenly stopped. “Wait, what did you just see about me?”
Violet refused to invade anybody’s private life. After the experiment she did with Caitlin that morning, she didn’t want to read anybody else. She switched her ability off since they had gotten back to the lab.
She shook her head, “I don’t feel right about knowing everybody’s business. It’s turned off right now. I don’t know how to explain it, but, it’s strange how I can control who I want to read.”
“Thank you, Violet.” Barry smiled. “I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“How long are you planning on staying in Central City and do you even know where you’re staying?”
He took her silence as a ‘no.’
“Well, you’re more than welcome to stay with me. There’s an extra room. I’m sure my stepfamily won’t mind.”
Stepfamily?
“Thank you, Barry.”
“I get that a lot,” he said flashing a toothy grin.
“I get it,” Violet laughed. “This is all a joke. I’m being Punk’d aren’t I?”
“You’ve only been out for nine months. Punk’d hasn’t been cool since 2003.” Cisco said, burger in hand and pieces of food still in his mouth.
She rolled her eyes, “This can’t be real. At all. None of it makes any sense. You guys are out of your minds to believe any of this is real. First, you guys say that by touch, I can magically know someone’s life. And now you’re saying this guy is the ‘fastest man alive.’ You guys are full of shit.”
Violet turned around to see the group proclaimed ‘fastest man alive,’ and seemingly out of nowhere he was holding a bag of Big Belly Burger. She was certain he wasn’t holding that two seconds ago. Maybe he was holding it behind his back?
“Sorry for taking so long. There was a bit of a line at Big Belly. But here’s some food. You’re a little grumpy.”
“Grumpy? Grumpy isn’t even the word to describe me right now. I’m confused beyond measure. You guys claim to be scientists, but here you guys are, reading out of comic books and science fiction movie scripts. You guys are ridiculous. I am going home. I don’t know where exactly, but I’m sure Starling City isn’t as crazy as this place.” Undertaking and all.
“She’s mean,” Cisco said under his breath.
Violet changed her direction from the door to the scientists. “Look, let’s say I play around with this crazy idea that I can read people’s lives or that this guy can run super hero fast. What does this do for me, hm? How do I benefit from this? How does he benefit from this? I wouldn’t want to be known as the fastest man alive when trying to get dates.”
This gained a chuckle from everyone in the lab except for the man she was poking fun at.
“Remind us to try to run some tests on that, Barry.” Cisco murmured.
“Miss Valencia, this is a monumental time in science. This is history in the making. Imagine all the advances we can make. Mr. Allen as the fastest man alive, and because of this his cells are super repairers and could potentially cure many sicknesses if the correct research is done. And as for you, being able to see the lives of individuals without speaking to them. Can you imagine the crimes you could help solve with that ability? You could see whether someone is guilty or not. Imagine the lives put wrongfully on death row. Or those that should be on death row. You two could help make the world a better place.”
She bit at the nail of her thumb with anxiety. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps they could help make the world a better place. But this was still the craziest thing she had ever heard of. Actual real life… superheroes? She internally chuckled at the thought.
“Mr. Allen, here, is actually making quite use of his ability right now. As we run tests on the side, he is actually helping make Central City a safer place for the people. During the particle accelerator explosion, many others, just like you, were changed. The difference being, they are using their powers for evil versus good.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, “Sorry. I’m really trying to take this seriously but it’s still a little weird to me. You’re saying that there are others who have ‘powers’, too? But they’re bad guys?” Violet tried wrapping her mind around the thought. “Since when did my life become a comic book?” She said, mostly to herself.
“What if I don’t want this anymore? I don’t want to know anybody’s life. I don’t even know mine.”
“That’s something we can find out together, but we need you here. We need you to help us help you. We can find out if this is something you can control- something on and off like a light switch.”
“Fine. I’m in.” She didn’t know what she was getting herself into.
The entire day was spent in and out of the lab. They were trying to figure out if she could read just anybody. Caitlin and Violet walked around Downtown Central City to answer some of their questions. They came to the realization, that just about anyone she touched, she saw their life. Twenty five different strangers, and she knew everything about them. From their first birthday to the last. The first love and the first heartbreak. They also learned that, yes, she could turn it on and off like a light switch. She was able to choose who she wanted to read, simply by allowing herself to be open. Those she refused to read, their lives weren’t processed in her mind at all.
There was a handful of people who weren’t that easy to read. Dr. Wells figured that maybe it wasn’t in their nature to be so open in the first place. Maybe that person just instinctively had very high mental and emotional walls. Either way, she was able to tear them down.
“I feel kinda weird. I’m letting myself into these people’s lives. That’s kind of creepy, don’t you think?”
“It’s pretty creepy… Violet, can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“What did you see about me?”
Violet smiled, “A man named Ronnie. Someone you truly loved. And by the feeling I got, he loved you just as much.”
The two women arrive back at S.T.A.R Labs feeling accomplished. Violet was finally getting used to the idea of having powers, she no longer cringed when they talked about her life reading abilities. Granted, it was still weird. The men were celebrating a victory over capturing a man named Kyle Nimbus. Violet learned that he was being put down by the death penalty when the accelerator exploded. He had the ability to actually turn himself into a poisonous gas.
“You guys don’t feel bad about caging people up here… like animals?”
The fastest man alive shrugged, “Better to have them in here where they can’t hurt anybody else than out there. A regular prison couldn’t hold them, either.”
Violet nodded, “I guess you’re right. I’m still trying to get a hold of this.”
“No worries, you’ll get used to it.” He patted her on the shoulder and suddenly stopped. “Wait, what did you just see about me?”
Violet refused to invade anybody’s private life. After the experiment she did with Caitlin that morning, she didn’t want to read anybody else. She switched her ability off since they had gotten back to the lab.
She shook her head, “I don’t feel right about knowing everybody’s business. It’s turned off right now. I don’t know how to explain it, but, it’s strange how I can control who I want to read.”
“Thank you, Violet.” Barry smiled. “I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“How long are you planning on staying in Central City and do you even know where you’re staying?”
He took her silence as a ‘no.’
“Well, you’re more than welcome to stay with me. There’s an extra room. I’m sure my stepfamily won’t mind.”
Stepfamily?
“Thank you, Barry.”