Cisco Ramon had been arguing with Gideon for almost ten minutes when Barry entered the Cortex.
"I'm telling you, Gideon, there is absolutely no reason my coffee machine should require a security authorization. I built half the stuff in this room, and somehow I need permission to get caffeine before noon."
"Your previous attempts to modify the coffee machine resulted in three electrical failures and a minor fire," Gideon replied through the central display. "I consider the current restrictions necessary for everyone's safety."
"That fire was barely a fire."
"It activated the building's fire suppression system."
"Which worked perfectly. You're welcome."
Billy laughed from the couch, where he was playing a game on one of the large monitors. Cisco pointed at him triumphantly.
"See? The kid understands me. That's the kind of support I need around here."
Barry walked past them, shaking his head. "I'm glad you're all having a productive morning. We need to talk."
Something in his voice drew their attention. Caitlin turned away from her workstation, while Iris and Wally looked up from the table where they had been discussing the latest reports from Central City. Cisco lowered his hands, sensing that whatever Barry had come to say wasn't another joke about his coffee.
Barry stopped beside the central console.
"I've got something important to investigate, and it's going to take me away from Central City for a while. I don't have all the answers yet, but I have enough to know I can't ignore it. Until I get back, I need everyone focused on keeping this city safe."
Wally leaned forward. "Something connected to Savitar?"
"Not directly. This is something else, and I don't want the two situations tangled together. Savitar remains a threat, but chasing every lead at once isn't going to help us. I'll deal with him when the time comes."
Barry looked around the room before settling his gaze on Cisco and Billy.
"Cisco, I need you coordinating the team's investigations and keeping an eye on the city's systems. If anything unusual happens, I want to know about it immediately. Don't go chasing something dangerous just because a computer tells you it might be interesting."
Cisco placed a hand over his chest. "I'm wounded by the implication that I would ever do something reckless based on questionable information from a computer."
Gideon's voice came through the speakers. "Would you like me to display the incident report concerning your unauthorized breach of the containment system?"
"Gideon, this is a private conversation between friends."
"Your friendship does not alter the incident report."
Billy laughed again, but Barry's expression remained serious.
"And Billy, you're in charge of protecting Central City while I'm away. I mean it. If something happens, you help the team, protect the people who need you, and make sure nobody turns a manageable situation into a disaster because they want to prove something."
Billy put down the controller. The playful expression on his face gave way to something more thoughtful.
"You can count on me. I know I haven't been doing this as long as you have, but I'm not going to treat the responsibility like a game. I'll stay here, work with everyone, and make sure the city is protected."
"That's what I wanted to hear." Barry gave him a firm nod. "You have the power to handle most things that come our way, but don't let that make you careless. Protecting people sometimes means knowing when to ask for help."
"I understand."
Barry turned toward the rest of the team. "That goes for everybody. Work together, keep each other informed, and don't assume you have to handle everything alone. We've been through enough to know what happens when we stop communicating."
Caitlin crossed her arms. "We'll manage things here. You don't need to worry about the team falling apart just because you're going out of town."
"I know you can handle yourselves. That isn't what worries me." Barry's gaze briefly settled on Wally before moving on. "I just need to know that everyone understands the arrangement. Billy is responsible for protecting the city while I'm gone, and I expect us to respect that."
Wally's expression tightened almost imperceptibly, but he didn't interrupt. Iris glanced at her brother, then back at Barry. Neither said anything.
Barry let the silence settle before continuing.
"I'll stay in contact whenever I can. If something serious happens, Gideon will know how to reach me. Until then, don't manufacture emergencies because you're bored."
Cisco raised a finger. "I would like the record to show that I have never manufactured an emergency. I have occasionally discovered emergencies that other people were too unimaginative to notice."
"That's a very creative description of your work history," Caitlin said.
"Thank you. I've been refining it."
A few smiles appeared around the room, easing the tension. Barry returned the gesture, but his mind was already moving toward the investigation waiting for him. He had a Manhunter to find, and the available evidence wasn't going to examine itself.
Patty had been waiting near the entrance. When Barry turned toward her, she walked over and slipped her hand into his.
"Everything ready?" she asked.
"Almost. I just wanted to make sure everyone knew what was happening before I left. I don't like disappearing without telling people where I stand, especially when there are still things in Central City that need attention."
Patty squeezed his hand. "I understand why you're going, Barry. I also know that look you get when you've decided something is important enough to carry on your own shoulders. Just don't convince yourself that being away means you have to stop being part of this team."
Barry looked at her, and some of the tension in his face eased.
"I'll try not to. I've learned that lesson more than once, even if I apparently need reminding every now and then."
"You have a remarkable talent for learning lessons and then finding new ways to ignore them."
"It's one of my more impressive abilities."
They walked out of the Cortex together, leaving the others to return to their work. The corridor was quiet, and for a little while, neither felt the need to fill it with conversation.
At the elevator, Patty turned toward him.
"Whatever you find out there, don't let it consume everything else. You have people here who care about you, and you don't have to wait until a crisis is over before you let them help."
Barry brushed his thumb across the back of her hand.
"I know. And when I come back, I'm going to deal with the Savitar situation once and for all. I'm tired of letting him hang over everyone's heads, waiting for the next terrible thing to happen. Whatever he thinks he's going to do, I'm not letting him decide how our lives turn out."
Patty held his gaze, searching his face for the familiar signs of someone about to take on too much.
"Then come back in one piece, and don't mistake being fast enough to reach a problem for being required to solve every problem alone."
"I'll remember that."
He leaned down and kissed her before stepping away. A moment later, red lightning flashed through the corridor, and the Flash was gone.
Patty stood there for another second, watching the empty space where he had been. Then she took a breath and returned toward the Cortex, knowing the team had work to do and Barry had a mystery to solve.
A short distance away, John stood beside a parked car with its trunk open.
He lowered the lid and shut it firmly. The sound echoed through the quiet parking area, drawing the attention of the man standing a few feet away. One of John's brothers watched him with a troubled expression, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets.
John didn't look at him immediately. He kept his gaze on the closed trunk, as though finishing the small task had somehow made the decision behind it more final.
His brother stepped closer. "You've spent all your life living in the dreams of mom and dad and now you're walking away from the whole thing. I get that the situation has been strange, but I don't think you can pretend it never happened."
John rubbed a hand over his face. He looked exhausted, caught between frustration and a deeper uncertainty he couldn't quite put into words.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to make of any of it. Everybody acts like being chosen means I've already agreed to everything that comes with it."
His brother studied him. "Maybe they think you're supposed to figure it out along the way. Nobody starts out knowing how to carry that kind of responsibility."
"That's the problem. I don't want the responsibility. I don't want the ring, and I don't want to be a Green Lantern. Whatever the Guardians think they saw in me, they need to find somebody else."
John glanced toward the road, where cars passed without slowing. He had no clear picture of what came next, only the certainty that he wasn't ready to surrender his life to an obligation he hadn't chosen.
His brother remained beside him, giving him room to speak without trying to force an answer.
John exhaled and shook his head.
"I don't know if walking away is the right decision, but I know I don't want to do this. They should just deal with it and move on."
He turned toward the car, leaving the question of the ring behind him, at least for now.