Z E R O G R A V I T Y
↳ L a d y G a g a

"You were struck by lightning dude."
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-C O R Y-

Something's off.

My fingers felt numb, my teeth chattered, and if I had control over my eyes I'd bet you five bucks the tips of my ears shined a brighter red than Rudolph the reindeer's nose.

I wasn't just cold, I was hypothermia cold.

And knowing my usual relaxation methods on weekends; Netflix, ice cream, and me wrapped head to toe in oversized blankets like a baked burrito, my house was never cold. That's how I knew something was off. Because if it's never cold why start now?

Unless... Maybe I'm not in my home.

"What are you doing?"

"They like this song."

"How could you possibly know that?"

Shit, I hear voices. I'm not sure what's worse, praying that I'm insane and having satisfaction that its all in my head or ravish in the thought that I was right and have strangers invading my home.

Better yet with my luck in life, they probably kidnapped me.

I'm curious though. What sort of kidnappers play lady gaga to their prisoners? It's not a new form of cruelty or something, is it? If it is, frankly, it's not doing a good job.

"I checked his Facebook page. And besides Cory always hums this tune. I mean, they can hear everything right?"

Holy crap. They know my name, and my top twenty songs.

"Auditory functions are the last sensory faculties to degenerate." It sounded like a girl who said that. Or a really feminine guy perhaps.

"Hey, Cisco..."

"Mhm?"

"By any chance, do you know where Cory is?"

Wait a minute, Cisco? And...Caitlin? Their my kidnappers?!

If I'm not dead already, they will be.

The last thing I expected to see was myself plastered on what I thought was a cold metal floor, but really it turning out to be a ceiling.

No one should wake up on a cold metal ceiling.

And as if things couldn't have gotten any better, I fell. Hard. Like my skin decided to rid itself of the ultra cool glue that helped me accomplish the Spider-Man act in the first place.

My elbow knocked over a tray filled with dozens of syringes and needles. Luckily for me I tipped over the side of a gurney that was significantly occupied. Bravo to me.

The brunette and I both landed on our cheeks, side by side. His eyes shot open to reveal the most beautiful shade of mint green a person could own.

We sat up startled and lost of breath, which is when I realized he didn't have a shirt on. Talk about awkward.

I felt bad for my dirty mind which was internally praying to the gods above that I didn't sleep with him during my peak of absolute drunkness. But than again, it wouldn't explain why I was snoozing on the ceiling.

"Who the hell are you?!" I screeched. My voice sounded hoarse and raspy, as if I haven't been talking for a while.

He scampered back, snapping with another, "Who the hell are you?!"

"Oh my god. They're awake!" A familiarly new voice bombarded. And that's when I was nearly toppled over.

Caitlin shined a bright LED flashlight in both of my eyes mumbling something along the lines of, "BP one-seventy over one-ten, pulse one-twenty. Pupils equally reactive to light..." She huffed a scarce breath and engulfed me in a bear hug.

"Oh, thank the stars you're okay." I chuckled lightly with confusion written on my face as I scanned my surroundings. I was smack In the middle of what seems to be a deserted S.T.A.R Labs. It doesn't take rocket science to figure that out because of all the advanced tech and logo basically pasted on anything that can be branded.

Before I knew it, her warm embrace disappeared like a Houdini magic trick and a plastic container was placed in my sweaty palms.

"But in all seriousness, I'm gonna need you to urinate in this." Sad part is, she was actually being serious.

Cisco took the cup out of my loose grip. "Not this second, Caitlin." He hissed, acting as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He wasted no time wrapping his clammy hands around me for a hug of his own.

"Where am I?"

Not that I'm keen on the idea of having this total stranger here, I was glad he reminded everyone the question that's been on both of our minds since we woke up.

"What's happening? What is going on?!" Cisco and Caitlin raced by his side to calm him down as best as possible, leading to him becoming more aggravated. But all the poor guy wanted was some answers.

"Guys, stop." Everyone froze in place.

"I'm not sure how you haven't noticed by now, but your in S.T.A.R Labs," I pointed to the back of a touch screen laptop, a mounted TV screen, and several other things that made the identity of this place pretty obvious. I also flinched to the otoscope being shoved in my ear and shivering stethoscope pushed between my shoulder blades.

"That's Cisco and the chick who keeps prodding me is Caitlin-" She cleared her throat obliviously to which I replied with an eye roll. "I mean... Dr. Snow. They're scientists that work here, okay?"

"Can you take a deep breath for me?" Caitlin interrupted. She glided the bone- chilling stethoscope further down my spine. I narrowed my eyes at her for a moment, ripped the metal end away from my skin and coughed obnoxiously into it. It echoed and she shriveled back in exasperation. There's no doubt she's gonna have temporary hearing loss.

Mystery guy nodded sheepishly, most likely feeling dimwitted to all the examples I pointed out.

"Great, now what the hell are we doing here?"

I turned back around to the only staff members here at the moment. Which I found beyond weird since theirs usually a full office. Rob, the secretary, would be offering me a peppermint candy right about now.

Mystery guy swiveled around to be met with yet another monitor on a wall. Unlike analysis and statistics it mirrored both of our abdominal regions.

"You were struck by lightning, dude." The level of bluntness Cisco gave off amazes me to no end.

He continued to ogle at the reflection of himself on the screen, completely forgetting my presence beside him.

"Lightening gave me abs?"

Considering his tone, I'm guessing he's not exactly the athletic type. Doesn't look like it either if we're being honest here.

I did a hardy chuckle and patted my stomach with admiration. "Not me, apparently. I've had Patty long before any of this."

The man gave me a look that practically questioned my personality in general. And I wasn't appreciating the fact I was being judged by a complete outsider.

"What?"

"You call your stomach, Patty?" He wanted to double over in laughter along with Cisco about my little quirk. I'm not sure why he's laughing.  I bet he struggles to pick up a dumbbell with out straining a muscle.

"You got struck by lightening, and yet your having a hard time grasping the fact I call my stomach, Patty?"

Mystery guy stood before me with a gaping mouth that hung and closed periodically, letting all the information thrown at him sink in, until a word finally popped up in his empty skull.

"Touché." Was all he had to say.

He was cute, but stupid in a sense.

I snorted and shook my head, in a disapproving sort of way, before turning back towards the monitor. My eyebrows furrowed and I could feel the creases forming on my forehead as my eyes caught on to something new.

"But I've never had this scar before..."

My fingers ran across a large yet faded scratch that ran from my belly button and continued downward until it disappeared beneath the yoga pants I was dressed in.

"Oh that? Well that wasn't caused by the lightning. Your gravity chamber broke and scratched you." The doofus we called Cisco, replied nonchalantly. I'm beginning to become curious on how in hell he would react in what he thought was a serious situation.

Obviously this is news he tells people on a regular basis.

"Back the mother effing truck-My Chamber broke?!"

Cisco nicely brought a stool for me to sit as mystery guy and Caitlin watched in confusion.

"Cory, sit down, okay." I didn't object to anything and instead mindlessly agreed while Cisco guided me down by my shoulders.

I felt like a preschooler the way he talked. So far lately he's been the barrier of bad news and doesn't seem to mind it either.

"You guys were in a coma." Oh god, there he goes with the bluntness again.

"What! For how long?!"

"Nine months."

But this time, it wasn't Cisco who answered, and neither did Caitlin who sat herself behind her desk for quite a while now. Certainly Mystery dude didn't say anything because he was just as terribly confused as I was. But they weren't looking at me anymore, more like something behind me.

Except for Caitlin, who once again looked clueless to everything going on around her

Following everyone else's gaze I turned to face Dr. Wells.

In a fucking wheelchair.

He's taken laziness to whole new level.

"Welcome Mr. Allen. And it's wonderfull to see you once more Ms. Franta. We have a lot to discuss."

"What!?" Everyone nearly jumped out of their skins when Caitlin adrubtly yelled. Turns out she was trying to unclogg her ears the entire time.

I told you she'd have temporary hearing loss.

"What the hell are you doing in that chair?"

Dr. Wells is in a wheelchair, this dude was struck by lightening, S.T.A.R Labs is looking similar to a post apocalyptic ghost town, and my Gravity chamber broke-ultimately wasting dozens of money and effort. How much can actually happen in nine months?!

"Oh I'm doing great, Cory. My life is going along splendidly. Thanks for asking." Harrison's voice was heavy with sarcasm. I automatically felt threatened. The sarcastic bitch is my usual forte.

"No seriously, pops, get up. You guys had me fooled, congratulations. Now move aside so I can have a turn. My legs are killing me."

Dr. Wells pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"There's much you two need to be caught up on," He waved his hand as a gesture to follow. "Walk with me."

I raised my eyebrow. Not knowing if that pun was to be intended or not. But considering the fact that Wells has not one existing funny bone located in his body, it probably wasn't.

"Just come with me." He said with a scoff.

As we waited for the doors to automatically open Caitlin's ears must've finally pop, because she asked, "Where are they going?" In a baffled tone. Took her long enough.

"Its hard to believe I'm here. I've always wanted to meet you face to face." 'Mr. Allen' gushed as we walked- I mean made our way down the hall to who knows where exactly. The place was so burnt and covered with charred pieces, It could barely be recognizable.

"Well you certainly went through great lengths to do so." Wait a minute. Was that a cheap shot at a joke-for the first time in his life-or another sardonic comment.

Frankly, I'm not appreciating the role he's trying to swipe away from me in this truly disfunctional family.

"S.T.A.R Labs has not been operational since FEMA categorized us as a Class 4 hazardous location."

It was almost as if he read my mind. That or he knew me well enough to know a dozen of insults and questions on why this place looks like utter crap would've been thrown at him. I swear, it was at the tip of my tongue.

"What'd you guys do that was so horrible to deserve that title?"

"The accelerator," was his extremely curt answer."Seventeen people died that night, many more injured...myself amongst them."

I held back a scoff. Not wanting to add gas to the fire but I'm pretty positive he's lying. He can just come right out and admit he's lazy. I won't judge.

Harrison brought us over to a railing that was too high for him to see over, but was quite entertaining to catch a glimpse of how far his neck could go trying to glance.

I leaned over along with Mr. Allen and couldn't help the soft gasp passing over my cracked lips once I saw the wreckage.

"Jesus..." He mumbled. "What happened?"

"Nine months ago, the particle accelerator went online, just as planned."

Despite the coma, I remembered. I was here in the building, because my sister, Ellie, was so excited to be apart of the biggest project of her life. She worked as Well's right hand women basically and loved every second of her job.

"For forty-five minutes, I have achieved my life's dream. And then...then there was an anomaly." He took in another deep sigh, seeming like this wasn't something he was comfortable talking about or overall excited, but told anyways.. For his sake.

"The electron volts became unmeasurable, the ring under us popped, energy from the detonation interacted with the molecules in Cory's Chamber causing it to be thrown into the sky, and that, In turn, seeded a storm cloud-"

"That created a lighting bolt that struck me." Mr. Allen finished.

My upper row of teeth found their way to my bottom lip and I caught myself gripping the railing a little harder than I really should be.

"Christ, that's why it shattered. I built the glass to be bullet proof, not molecular proof."

A strange feeling harvested in my chest. It was a combination of relief mixed with regret and a dash of anger.

"That's right. I was recovering myself when I heard about you two. The hospital was undergoing unexplainable poweroutages whenever you were going into cardiac arrest. Which was actually a misdiagnosis. Because you weren't flat lining, Barry, your heartbeat was going too fast for the EKG to measure it."

So that what his name was. I felt like Nancy drew based on my new discovery although I didn't do any actual discovering.

"But you, Cory, you were the exact opposite. They declared you dead the minute they saw you because your heart stopped. Also a misdiagnosis I tell you, because if the doctors paid close attention they'd realize it was beating twice per hour."

He shook his head at their ignorance. Probably believing how much outrageously smarter he is, yet he's the one with a scorched accelerator and wheelchair.

My chest sizzled as I thined my lips to keep myself from laughing. It should be time for me to leave soon. It's beginning to literally pain me not to say sarcastic comments.

"Now I'm not the most popular person in town these days," I realesed a shaky breath into my fist as a way to bottle down another remark.

Well's gave me a side glare which stumped me. I mean I could go into total bitch mode with all the opportunites he's handing over, but I'm not.

"But Detective West and his daughter gave me permission to bring you here where we were able to stabalize you." I can't tell whether these people are nice or not. Well's did mention S.T.A.R Labs being a Class 4 hazourdus area and they still allowed it.

Maybe they were desperate?

"Iris?" The name seemed like a cotton candy dream to a five year old when he said it. Hopeful and unrealistic.

"Iris, yes. She came to see you quite often."

"She talks a lot." Caitlin remarked.

"Also she's hot." Cisco should've seen the smack he was about to get a mile away.

"And I'm not?" We both scoffed and I rolled my eyes deeply, hurt. He hugged me by my side despite my crossed arms.

"Did Ellie visit me?" Everyone except Allen tensed visibly. The air hung toxically until Caitlin akwardly announced. "Ellie isn't exactly here-"

"Oh, well then I need to go."

"No you can't." All three of them hurriedly said. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion but instead shrugged it off.

"I need to. Obviously she's not here, and like you said, she didn't come by to check up on me. We all know that's not like her. So I'm gonna run to her apartment."

Allen supposedly had the same thought as well."Yeah, I need to go too guys." I grabbed a sweatshirt with their logo on it which I was sort of expecting at this point and trailed behind the six foot giant to the exit.

He back tracked. "Can I keep the sweatshirt?"

"Yeah, keep the sweatshirt."

Everyone looked at me expectantly. "We all know I wasn't gonna ask in the first place."

[ Re-edited ]

*Update* I fixed the color of Barry's eyes. I guess I never realized they were green.

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