Chapter Text
“I keep going through things!” Barry Allen hissed as soon as Jay Garrick let the younger man into his office and closed the door behind them.
“As in crashing, or…” Jay tried, but Allen was beginning to stress out, and the speed force was bleeding into him in his agitation.
“I just… I don’t know, speed up somehow, more than normal, even if I’m not going that fast. And I reach through things instead of touching them.” He looked terrified, “I don’t know how I’m doing it. And it doesn’t happen all the time! It just seems like it happens especially when I’m focusing on going slow.”
Jay blinked at that, trying to remember if anything like that had happened to him. Too long for the panicking Barry, it seemed.
“Jay, you have to help me! I could hurt someone… I could hurt Iris!”
“Calm down, Barry,” Jay replied, stepping forward to put both hands on the younger man’s shoulders. “You’re practically vibrating in place! Listen to me. I don’t know how to help you, ok? But I know someone who can.”
“Who?” Barry asked, the statement calming him down a bit.
“His name is Max, and he lives out in the middle of nowhere,” Jay replied with a smirk, “Bit of a hermit. But he’s one of my best friends, and, believe it or not, he taught me everything I know about the Speed Force.”
“There’s another speedster?” Barry exclaimed incredulously, but excited, “Like us?”
“Max is… He has a special connection with the Speed Force,” Jay replied with a chuckle, “But, yea. He’s a speedster like us.”
“And you’re sure he can help me,” The younger man clarified.
“Taught. Me. Everything. I. Know.” Jay repeated calmly, “He’ll set you straight. It’s almost summer, take a month or two off, and tell anyone who asks you’re visiting a cranky hermit as a favor to me.”
Barry nodded seriously, and Jay smiled.
“I’m not kidding either, Allen. Max may be an amazingly insightful person, but he likes his peace and quiet. Make sure you pack everything you’ll need, because it’s enough of a walk to the nearest town you want to make every trip worth it.”
“How long did you say you’d be gone?” Iris asked again, worrying her lip. Barry couldn’t help but feel bad about that. She’d noticed he was feeling off, but he wasn’t able to tell her anything until he actually knew what was wrong with him. He couldn’t risk her knowing about his apprenticeship to the Flash.
“Only two months, and I’ll write, if I can figure out how often letters go out.” She frowned and he sighed, risking taking her hand. “Listen, I know you’ve noticed I’m not myself lately, and Jay thinks this friend of his is just the guy to help me, I don’t know, find myself.” He smiled at her, “I’ll come back a boyfriend you can be proud of, alright?”
“You’d better, Barry Allen,” Iris teased, “Get better and come back to me.”
“Promise,” he agreed, and she surprised him with a kiss before stepping back to watch him get on the bus.
And… the bus ride was torture. The whole time Barry worried he’d break something, or go crazy from how slow they were making any progress. It was a relief when they hit the outskirts of the city, and he got off.
Ducking into a stand of trees, he shoved his clothes into the duffel bag, and speed-changed into his costume. Securing his special friction-resistant bag, he set off at a jog for Alabama.