Chapter Text
Day 1
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015
Joe had gotten used to Barry living at home again. Because of that, they also split chores. But Joe enjoyed cooking, even if he was slower at it than the Flash. So, he made breakfast in expectation that Barry would join him as usual. When he didn’t? Joe figured an alarm had been slept through, and he went upstairs for a wake-up call.
What he found confused him. The bed was slept in, but Barry wasn’t in it. Rather than check the bathroom, Joe called out. But there wasn’t a response. He looked at the bedside table and saw Barry’s phone charging. Finally, unease crept in.
First, Joe checked to see if Barry’s car was in the driveway. It was. Then Joe checked the entire house, top to bottom. He found nothing. The house alarm was still on, too.
He decided that snooping was fully acceptable. He found Barry’s wallet. He found every pair of shoes, except a pair of sneakers. Every bag and suitcase was present. Of course, Joe thought of the times Barry had run away, but that wasn’t what this was. Of course not. Joe was certain of that.
He just had to wonder what would have led Barry to leave the house--alarm reset--and go outside with only his sneakers. It didn’t make sense. One aspect suggested planning, but the other didn’t. If he had time to think about the alarm, why not get his wallet and phone? If he rushed out, why reset the alarm--habit, maybe?
Considering this likely involved the Flash, Joe took out his own phone and called Cisco Ramon.
“Hello? Uh, Joe?”
“Are you at the labs?”
“Um, no. Not yet. Why?”
“Barry isn’t here, but his car and his phone are. I need to know where he’s at. Can you hurry in and see what he’s doing?”
“Oh. Yeah, sure. Give me, like, fifteen minutes. Maybe less, depending on traffic.”
Joe didn’t even want to wait that long, but the impatience was a clear sign he’d gotten used to having Barry zip around.
“Good. Call me back.”
“Wait. Dr. Wells might be there already. You should call him. Oh, and try Caitlin?”
Joe did not want to call Wells, but needs must. “Sure.”
So, he hung up and pulled up Harrison Wells in his contacts. Frustratingly, the number just rang and rang until it went to voicemail. Joe quietly cursed. He didn’t know if Wells was ignoring him or not, but it was very possible. He could almost hear Barry chiding Joe about not being a team player. As if it was his fault that Wells was extremely suspicious and off-putting.
Joe tried Caitlin. She answered, immediately sounding concerned. Like Cisco, she wasn’t yet at the labs. He told her not to worry about rushing if it’d be longer than fifteen minutes: Cisco could tell them then.
***
“Okay, so the Flash suit is here. I checked the logs, and nobody’s used it today,” Cisco said. “The sensors haven’t recorded anything.”
Briefly, Joe closed his eyes. God? I need the boy to be okay. The coma was bad enough.
“All right. Thank you. Could you check the cameras and see if Barry came by there?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Also, could you try calling Dr. Wells? I went to voicemail,” Joe said.
“Huh. Weird. Maybe he hasn’t woken up and turned on the ringer on his cell. I’ll call him, for sure.”
“Thanks. Talk later.”
Joe hung up. He considered the time. Soon, he’d have to go to work. Barry was supposed to go to work, too. It wasn’t like it was on TV: You didn’t have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing. Except Barry was a grown man, and a known runaway. It wasn’t like anyone would take it seriously, not without any sign of foul play. Also, the police couldn’t know he was the Flash. But since he wasn’t wearing the suit? Joe should probably report it when he went in, or, barring that, a while after Barry was a no-show at work. Maybe he’d run away from home as a kid, maybe he struggled with being punctual, but he wasn’t a slacker. He didn’t miss days with nothing to say for himself.
Either way, Joe would have to investigate it on his own if he wanted anything done.
Also, while he hated to do this, he should really call Iris. If Barry were anywhere safe, he might be with her. But Joe hesitated, and then he sent her a text.
Thinking of you. Everything okay?
Within moments, he got a response.
Iris: I’m good. Are you okay?
Joe sighed and chose an answer that was only a lie of omission. Healthy as a horse.
***
Cisco called when Joe was on his way to work.
“Hey. So, I called Wells’ cell and his landline. Repeatedly. And I got Caitlin to do that, but he’s not picking up.”
There was clear concern in Cisco’s voice now, too. Joe felt only suspicion, but he understood the concern. No response from a new paraplegic was cause for worry. But in Joe’s mind, he could only think, He’s done something.
He could check Wells’ phone records--to see if he was home--and the cameras around his house. But there was a faster, more reasonable option.
“Hmm. It’d be easiest for you two to do a wellness check; you’re closer. One of you has keys, right?” Joe suggested.
“Um, yeah.” There was muffled conversation, and then Cisco continued, “Caitlin has a code.”
“Then go make sure Dr. Wells is all right. But if there’s any sign of a break-in, don’t go in. Call 911 and call me,” Joe said.
***
Caitlin almost wished she’d had no coffee that morning. Pros: She was awake. Cons: She was now a jittery, heart-palpitating mess.
First, she’d learned from Joe--and then Cisco--that Barry was apparently MIA. That was worrying, but Barry was the Flash. It seemed possible he was fine: He was a fighter, and he could heal so rapidly. Whatever he’d rushed off to do, it seemed reasonable to think he’d be okay.
Second, Dr. Wells didn’t answer either of his phones. That? That terrified her immediately. He never ignored her calls. After the accident, after his disability and Caitlin’s loss--she relied on him, and she hoped he relied on her. She’d been so scared that he’d kill himself, and one more death would result from the accident.
That fear returned now, colder and sharper than the first time she’d realized the odds. So cold, but she was sweating despite the cool morning. When they reached Dr. Wells’ house, she took note of two facts: the van was present, and the house was dark.
Caitlin quickly got out of the car as soon as Cisco parked, and then she was leading the way. She’d chosen shorter heels today, and she appreciated it as she jogged to the back door.
“So, what’s with the servant’s entrance bit?” Cisco asked.
“The front biometrics are finicky, and this door’s closer to his bedroom,” Caitlin said, then considered implications. “If he ever needed help, this way’s probably faster.”
Her hand was damp and felt shaky when she input the code into his back door. It unlocked with a little noise. She yanked open the door and rushed in. The alarm beeped at her.
“Dr. Wells?” she called.
There was no answer, and her heart was fully lodged in her throat. Despite everything, he’d never invited her here. But he had told her where his bedroom was. So, she rapidly put in the code for the alarm, and then she followed those instructions. When she found the right room, it was dark. She fumbled for a light switch and then quickly took in what could be seen.
Dr. Wells' wheelchair was by the bed, but he wasn’t in the bed. He wasn’t in view, either. She quickly rounded the bed, looking at the other side. He wasn’t on the floor beside the bed, not at all. She looked at the bedding--rumpled--and around the scene. Cisco stood in the doorway, looking unsure.
There was no blood. No sign anyone else had been here. There was his phone, plugged into a charger, so he hadn’t been robbed. There were no broken windows or kicked-in doors.
She knew that paraplegia didn’t mean someone couldn’t move around with their arms, especially if they needed to. So, she went for the nearest doors, one of which was likely the in-suite bathroom.
Please let him be alive.
She opened one door to sunlight, and she looked within. There was no sign of Dr. Wells, alive or dead. Again, no blood. Nothing at all, just a pristine, modern bathroom.
“Cisco, can you check rooms?” Caitlin asked loudly.
“Yeah, yeah,” he called back. “On it.”
Together, they searched the sprawling house. They didn’t find Wells. They didn’t find any sign that anyone else had been here, either. But he clearly hadn’t left on his own, she thought. He could move, but not far. If he wanted to go anywhere, he would have taken the wheelchair--or at least gone for the van. It’s not like he would have crawled out into the woods.
(Right? If he wanted to die, he wouldn’t want a search for his body. He’d do it in the house, likely with the pain pills he hadn’t taken as directed.)
“So, it’s just like Barry, isn’t it? It’s like they just disappeared into thin air,” Cisco said. “Should we snoop for clues, or--?”
“We wouldn’t know what to look for, and we might mess things up,” she said. “We need to call Joe. And we need to report Dr. Wells as missing.”
Because he’s only missing. He’s alive, somewhere. He had to be, right? If someone wanted to kill him, they’d already broken into his house. They could have killed him here, and he wouldn’t have been able to defend himself at all. For someone to drag or carry him out, they had to want him alive. At least alive for a while.
Caitlin almost ended up shouting at Joe. When Cisco called to tell Joe, he said they needed to hide all evidence of the Flash at STAR Labs before Wells was reported missing. It was infuriating. It made sense, but it made her want to screech like a teakettle. She didn’t, but the amount of hand-wringing she was doing would end with her knuckles sore.
***
Joe’s day was not improving at all. When Barry didn’t show up for work, someone came to ask Joe about it. At that point, he realized it’d only look bad if he delayed. He needed to be seen as believing that Barry was truly missing, and not that he’d run off. So, he made his report.
“You know I can’t assign the case to you,” Captain Singh had said. “You can’t officially work the case. But if you need time off--?”
Joe had recognized the permission and denied needing time. Obviously, it wasn’t because he wanted to work on other cases. Singh, Eddie, and likely everyone else were fine with looking the other way. Joe used his work computer to look for Barry, and nobody said anything about it. And they’d better not.
“Anything?” Eddie asked.
“No,” Joe said.
Except he had a new problem. To check what time Barry had left, Joe had looked at the log of the alarm system. The last recorded code entry was for last night when Barry got home. There was nothing after that. So, he hadn’t used a door to exit the house. He’d have to have used a window. Just like he often had as a kid, running away. That, or he’d phased right out of the house.
Damn it, Barry. Why?
He’d put on his shoes and then seemingly jumped out of one of the windows. Why? So a door opening wouldn’t wake Joe, or what?
“Do you know what time he left?” Eddie asked. “I could help check cameras around your house.”
Joe sighed and rubbed at one temple. “No, I don’t know.”
“Do you think it has anything to do with Harrison Wells being missing? Barry spends a lot of time at STAR Labs,” Eddie said.
Joe knew his partner was trying to be helpful, even while stating the obvious. Part of him appreciated it. The other part wanted to tell Eddie to keep his nose out. He didn’t know about the Flash, and none of this would make any sense without knowing that.
“Maybe,” Joe said.
“But, uh, you didn’t want that case? Because you think it’s connected?” Eddie’s brow was furrowed.
It was an understandable point of confusion. By all means, Joe should leap on this like he’d leaped on Wells’ glass house being shattered. Mind you, he would stick his nose in. The detectives in charge of it wouldn’t mind that. But there were a few things he still needed to check first.
“We’ll go see the house,” Joe said. “Like last time. Just give me a little time.”
“And you’re sure you don’t want to call Iris?” Eddie asked.
Joe narrowed his eyes and gave a quelling look. “And worry her over something that might be nothing? No.”
Eddie tilted his chin up slightly and firmly said, “If she asks, I’ll tell her.”
“If you don’t act suspicious, she won’t ask,” Joe pointed out.
But he would have to tell her, sooner or later. God knows she often dropped by the station without even giving a word ahead of time. If she asked about Barry, Eddie would undoubtedly blurt out the truth.
***
According to all records, Dr. Harrison Wells had gotten home not long after Barry did. Wells input a code into his alarm system, and that was the last time a code was put in. The alarm stayed set until Caitlin turned it off. It wasn’t tripped, and seemingly nothing had been done to bypass it. There was no sign of forced entry or struggle. There were no visible drag marks from the back door: the stone-paved path was narrow enough that the moss could have been disturbed. But the front door had the pavement right there. There was also no sign of blood splatter anywhere.
There was a wait to get access to the front door’s security camera footage officially, but unofficially, it wouldn’t be a long wait. Felicity Smoak had been contacted by Cisco or Caitlin, and Joe was glad for it.
Like Barry, Wells’ phone and wallet were left behind. More than that, like Barry, a pair of sneakers was missing, according to Caitlin and Cisco. They didn’t know if there was anything else missing, but nothing seemed disturbed in the house. All valuables were present.
As they didn’t know when exactly Wells was kidnapped, only a window of hours? There were people checking camera footage, seeing who drove the roadway leading to his house. It might go somewhere. It was certainly a less busy area than the roads around the West house.
Joe told Eddie that a meta might be involved--one somehow able to bypass security cameras--and the Metahuman Task Force was clued in. But there was no evidence of that, so it might go nowhere. It wasn’t like Joe was wagering on that being the answer, either.
Thankfully, Caitlin and Cisco hadn’t allowed for a search of STAR Labs, which meant a warrant would be needed. If all went well, no one would ask for a warrant at all. If the detectives in charge found cause for one, Joe just hoped that Caitlin and Cisco had done their due diligence and successfully hidden away all evidence of vigilantism.
Meanwhile, Caitlin and Cisco were searching the labs’ camera footage, but nothing would be found there, Joe wagered. Its alarm system had also been active and had only been turned off by Cisco that morning, not that it was evidence of anything. But it seemed unlikely the kidnapper would try to hold their captives within the labs, not when both victims would know the location better.
But despite what Joe said, he didn’t really believe a techno-meta was at fault here. No, he had a certain suspicion he could tell no one else of. No evidence, only gut instinct. But he’d suspected that Wells was working with the Reverse-Flash, if he wasn’t faking the paralysis and thus the man himself. Barry might have gone out the window to chase the Man in Yellow. It was like red in front of a bull. Barry would have been too furious to think it through, Joe guessed.
If that was true, there were questions that followed that. Barry had been badly beaten by the Reverse-Flash, and that could have happened again. Barry might be badly hurt, too badly hurt to quickly heal and find his way home.
(He could also be dead, but Joe couldn’t think of it without flinching away.)
Barry could also be a captive. He was fast, but that didn’t mean he could escape a cell or chains, Joe guessed. Eiling hadn’t managed to catch Barry, but that didn’t mean it was impossible.
But if Wells was the Reverse-Flash? This situation in totality didn’t make sense. Maybe he’d decided it was the day to let the mask drop, but why? If he’d badly hurt or imprisoned Barry, Wells could come in like any other day and pretend to be worried. He could maintain his life, only suspected at all by Joe. Nobody else would even ask for an alibi.
Which made Joe wonder if Wells was instead working for the Reverse-Flash, and maybe not by choice. Maybe he’d finally tried saying no. But the Reverse-Flash had no respect for human life, and Wells hadn’t been killed in his home.
Joe also considered whether Barry could have maimed the Reverse-Flash. Were they both badly injured, a fight turning to mutual destruction? But Barry was a lot of things, but he wasn’t the kind to try to blind someone in a fight. No, Joe didn’t think Barry would even get the opportunity for it.
Regardless, Joe had to fight against rage. It clouded anyone’s judgment, and he needed to remain calm. Someone had to investigate this and find Barry. Joe didn’t trust anyone else to do it, either.
***
Sometimes, Iris couldn’t believe her father. She knew him well enough that she wasn’t entirely surprised. But she was still furious, regardless. He’d kept the information that Barry was missing from her for her entire workday.
“Barry has lightning psychosis!” she said, almost hissing. “What if he hurt himself? I would have been looking for him, I know where he likes to go--did you even check to see if he went to see his dad?”
“Yes, but he wouldn’t have been able to get into the prison without his ID anyway,” Joe said, all too calmly. “And you don’t have to worry about him hurting himself.”
She threw up her hands. “Oh, and why not? He’s been raised by someone who keeps secrets, hasn’t he? He could be depressed, and he wouldn’t say anything, just like you.”
Joe’s mouth flattened into a line, but he didn’t say anything else. It wasn’t a good sign. It was suspicious.
She pointed at him. “You know something. What else is there?”
Joe seemed to think too hard. “Well, Harrison Wells is also missing.”
“I know that,” she said.
It’d almost immediately leaked to the papers. The public reaction had been generally horrible. As it was, she knew Barry knew Dr. Wells, and they spent time together at STAR Labs. She had already considered there was undoubtedly some connection, but she didn’t know what kind.
“We can’t be sure the cases are connected,” she said. “Because you don’t have any evidence they are, do you?”
Joe crossed his arms. “It was the same night, and neither alarm was tripped.”
“But why would anyone kidnap Barry? I mean, with Dr. Wells. Barry had nothing to do with the particle accelerator exploding. It’d make more sense to kidnap one of the other STAR Labs employees, like Cisco,” Iris said. “And how would they kidnap Barry from home? You’d hear a stranger in our house, especially one carrying Barry. The footsteps would wake you up.”
“It’s possible Barry left on his own through a window,” Joe said.
“He wouldn’t just go out in his pajamas to greet a prowler,” she said. “So, where did he go from home, huh? Did you see him on any cameras, walking around?”
Joe rubbed a temple with one hand. “No, we haven’t seen him on any cameras. Yet.”
Iris shifted from foot to foot. She felt like she might explode. She wanted to yell, but she didn’t know what she’d even say. Eddie would certainly face repercussions for keeping this from her, too. Both of them would.
“You should have told me immediately,” she said. “You know the Flash checks my blog. He could have been helping with this.”
For an instant, Joe looked pained, and then he was too blank again.
“Don’t tell me to keep it off my blog,” she threatened.
Joe raised his hands. “I don’t see a problem with it.”
She narrowed her eyes, but she could only huff. “You better keep me informed, Dad.”
Then, as soon as she could, she set about writing for the blog. She kept it short and to-the-point, quickly posting a request to meet the Flash. He seemed to want to help people, and he seemed to like her. Surely he’d help.
Then she began writing down her thoughts on everything, because she was struggling to think about it clearly. Soon, she’d interrogate Eddie, and then maybe further interrogate her dad. Eddie seemed the best option; he might actually spill everything he knew. Her dad--it was disappointing, how sometimes she couldn’t fully trust him. Not if he thought he knew better, if he thought he’d better choose for her.
***
Felicity was concerned. At the same time, she’d gotten used to vigilantes. Much like outdoor cats, they had a habit of disappearing for days at a time. She might dislike it, but Oliver had always come back (so far). What worried her more was how Dr. Wells was missing; like her, he was the guy in the chair--not the wheelchair, but you know.
At least, she also had time to help. Everything was topsy-turvy in the lives of those around her, mind you. Oliver might be joining the League of Assassins, Laurel was the Black Canary, and Thea was training with Malcolm. But Felicity was okay, even if sometimes she felt helpless. Ray was, too.
Currently, she was at a bit of a loss. She knew she’d find something eventually. But so far, there was no evidence. It was a strange kind of absence, too. It wasn’t like there was evidence that had been removed. None of the footage had any sign of tampering. It felt too perfect. It raised her hackles.
She managed to get into Wells’ home security system. She had to give him credit for the extra security, but she’d gotten in regardless. The only cameras were focused on the front, and they did let her know that Harrison Wells was the last in--and no one had come back out. No other vehicle had pulled close to the house, either.
Then she’d also checked facial recognition for either of them. There’d been nothing. She knew the CCPD was both going through footage from the street cameras and asking for security camera footage, so she’d left them to that for now.
Instead, she looked into the records of Barry and Dr. Wells’ last week. Then she compared it to a week a month before. Nothing was anomalous, so she’d moved on.
As she investigated, she also thought of motivations. There were no clear answers there. Even as she typed up her thoughts, the thoughts stayed tangled.
Barry hadn’t been kidnapped as the Flash, so it was entirely possible he was kidnapped for being Barry. It seemed less likely, though. Kidnapping a CSI wasn’t common. Even people who hated cops rarely considered a CSI. Barry Allen also didn’t have many enemies, unless you counted the Reverse-Flash or Captain Cold.
Felicity, of course, had looked into Leonard and Lisa Snart and Mick Rory. They seemed to have other criminal business going on. It didn’t seem likely that any of them had done the kidnappings.
Then there was the second person who was kidnapped the same night or morning, seemingly impossible to be a coincidence. There were also a lot of people who hated Dr. Wells for the particle accelerator explosion. People might know Barry spent a lot of time at STAR Labs and worked with Wells.
But despite that, it seemed unreasonable to blame Barry for anything Wells had done. Barry had been struck by lightning and almost died. Felicity would expect a kidnapping of Caitlin Snow (again) or Cisco Ramon (again).
All Felicity could think of was that maybe someone wanted Barry’s CSI knowledge--or speedster skills--and Wells’ mathematical and scientific knowledge. This, of course, was a significant problem. Either of them could make extremely dangerous weapons, she wagered.
That, or someone knew Barry wouldn’t work for them even under threat of torture or death. But to protect someone else? He’d do a lot.
Then Ray brought her out of her work, softly calling her name and standing close. She looked up at him, having almost forgotten he was here.
“You know, I was going to ask them for help with my suit,” Ray said. “Why don’t we head there early?”
It’d be almost two weeks early, but it wasn’t a bad idea. She just wasn’t entirely sold on it yet.
“You were hoping to meet Harrison Wells, too,” she pointed out. “But he’s missing, and—well, I don’t know. I can use computers anywhere.”
Ray shrugged. “Maybe I could help more if I could figure out the suit. Cisco Ramon is a brilliant engineer, and maybe he wants the distraction.”
She considered it. She’d wanted to go to Central City to get away from all the angst, just for a few days. Now? Barry and Dr. Wells were missing. The angst was inescapable. But she didn’t feel good just sitting here, seemingly unable to help Ray or Oliver or anyone. At least in Central City, Cisco could maybe help Ray.
“I think you’re right,” she said. “I guess I need to buy a plane ticket.”
She’d planned to drive, but now, that seemed like such a waste of her time. The first twenty-four hours were so important in missing persons cases. It was common knowledge.
“I’ll buy it,” Ray offered.
Considering he always seemed to want to spend money on her? She didn’t try too hard to argue against it.