Sometimes I don't understand why the world works the way it does. Here I was, coming here to confess to Barry about my feelings for him and about my identity so everything would turn out okay, but turns out he already found out from another source. What in the hell were the odds of that happening?

However, I could see the burning hatred in his eyes, and I knew that I had to keep playing my part. There was no convincing him of my cause now. "Barry, what are you talking about."

He slams his fist into the glass, causing me to jump backwards. "You know what I'm talking about! Stop acting like you don't!"

I grit my teeth. I've been used to people being angry at me, but something about Barry being mad at me was different. However, that didn't mean I'd loosen my lash back at him.

"Listen to yourself, Barry. You're accusing me of being a villain...one that no one can prove the identity of!" I scream back at him, taking a step forwards, fire in my eyes. It was almost as if I was believing my own lies. "I don't know who you think you are locking me away in here before you can even ask me what the truth is! I thought you trusted me?"

"I did," he breathes slowly, lowering his fist. I couldn't tell if my words were changing his mind. "And you're wrong. Someone can and did prove Silver Trickster's identity."

I narrow my eyes. "How?"

"You made the mistake of telling Cisco your real name," Barry says as he looks me in the eyes, and I could tell that he had me good. "Jay made the same mistake. All it took was Harry to recognize the name and...just look for yourself."

A lump forms in my throat when I watch Barry tap something on the little computer by the cell, causing an image to be thrown up on the TV that was up in the corner of the cell. My heart sinks into my stomach when I see my face up there, but it was a younger version of me...the last time anyone took a photo of me.

"Congratulations Barry Allen, you found a photo of me as a child," I clap slowly, turning back to him and glaring. "What is this supposed to prove?"

He taps something else on the screen, causing an article to be thrown up onto the TV. He reads it out loud as my eyes skim over it. "Raven Black, the daughter of Teresa and Anthony Black, was born on January 21st, 1990. She went missing on the night of September 2nd, 2001 at the age of eleven after her parents were brutally murdered by an unknown identity. Clues and evidence at the crime scene lead to believe that the killer was the now known speedster Zoom, but can't be proven 100% true-"

I tune out Barry's voice in that moment as everything crashes into me. Jay had always told me that my parents were still out there somewhere...I had reason to believe that they were dead, but never once did he tell me that they were or did I believe it was true. Images of my parents flash through my mind from that night, and I wanted it to stop, but it wouldn't.

I slam my eyes shut as I press my hands to my ears, shaking my head. My mother's voice screaming,"Run, Raven!" rings in my head, and it wouldn't cease. I feel my father's hand on my shoulder then, causing me to open my eyes and turn around, shaking my head when I see no one there. Jay lied to me all of this time...how could he?

"Are you okay?" Barry says, finally looking up from the article to notice my odd movements. I could hear in his voice that he didn't care if I was okay; he just wanted to make me feel this way. To feel broken again.

I turn back around, feeling a tear fall down my cheek as I practically snarl at Barry. "How dare you read me that."

"You wanted the truth," Barry shakes his head, not caring as I had predicted in the first place. "I'm just giving it to you."

I run up to the glass, pressing my hands against it as I scream at Barry. "You know what it's like! You know what it's like to lose a parent, but you don't know what it's like to lose both of them. How...how dare you stand there and read that to me as if it still wasn't fresh in my mind!"

Barry takes a moment as I pant heavily from my yelling, rage coursing through my veins. He looks down at his shoes for a moment before looking back up, his eyes going back to the screen to continue reading, only it wasn't my life story anymore.

"Hunter Zolomon, son of James and Ashley Zolomon, was born on March 6th, 1982. On the night of July 29th, 1991, James Zolomon murdered Ashley in front of their son. Afterwards, James went to prison and Hunter was sent into foster care. Later down the line, Hunter was convicted of multiple murders and was subjected to electroshock therapy at-"

"Who is Hunter?" I shake my head, not following where he was going with this. He looks up at me, giving me a dumbfounded look.

Barry scoffs. "He didn't even tell you his real name."

"I don't know what in the hell you are talking about Barry! Why does any of this matter-"

"It matters because this is what started it all, wasn't it? Hunter, or Jay as you would prefer it, obtained his powers from the particle accelerator the same night you got yours. He became a speedster, and because of his childhood, he became Zoom and wrecked havoc across the city. That was when he met you, wasn't it? He murdered your parents right in front of you, and he would have murdered you too, if it wasn't for your ability to take speed. That photo up there is the last one that exists because he took you with him. You both disappeared off of the face of that planet, only you both were hiding in plain sight behind your masks. He taught you everything you know and now here you are, here to get close to me before he can come back and take my speed. Am I wrong?"

I stare blankly at Barry as he gives me a stone cold look, waiting for me to say something. I noticed then that I had been biting my tongue, which explained the metallic taste in my mouth. Barry hit the nail on the head...but he was also telling me more things about Jay—or Hunter I suppose—that even I didn't know.

I clench my fist. "Do you think you're wrong, Barry Allen? Do you believe that I really am the killer that hides behind the name Silver Trickster? Tell me Barry, do you honestly and truly believe that everything that has happened since I have gotten here was all a lie?"

Barry stares at me long and hard, not quite sure what to say, I could tell. A voice in the back of my mind was telling me that what I was saying was just a lie, but another part of me truly did care. I cared what Barry honestly thought of me as.

He takes a deep breath as he walks forwards, never breaking eye contact with me. "I believe that you once were a good person, Raven. I believe that fear made you who you are today, and I believe that everything you did here was just a lie spun up that even you started to believe. I just can't believe I was so quick to trust you."

Another hot tear falls down my face, and I hated myself for crying. I couldn't help it when I saw the betrayal and pain in Barry's eyes, and in that moment, I regretted everything that I had done here to Barry. Jay told me to not love and to not trust, but I did, and I didn't regret it.

Barry was the one sliver of happiness I've truly had since the death of my parents, and I was losing him.

I press my hands on the glass as I shake my head, wishing that none of this was happening. "Barry, please...I'm sorry-"

"Save it," Barry snaps at me, shaking his head. He turns and walks back over the screen then, tapping something before looking back up at me. "What happened to you might not have been your fault, but you could have stopped it at any time. So, I hope you remember my face and this moment as you sit in there and think about your life, Raven Black. And if you can't remember, don't worry; I've got that covered."

I look up on the screen then, seeing articles of my name flash across the screen. Every news account, every mention of Silver Trickster, and every one of my murders was on that screen. It was then my eyes got stuck on a certain photo of me that I didn't know existed...one of me back when I had met Harrison that night of my robbery. It was me lying on the ground, that metal band on my ankle. It was clearly me, so no matter what I said now they'd know was a lie.

I pull my head away then just as Barry starts to close the doors, turning and leaving the room. I shout for him as the doors shut and seal the space between the two of us, everything going dark.

I collapse into the corner then, letting the tears take over.

-*+*-

9 years ago

I pull the blanket on top of my body closer to me as I look up at the TV screen, remote in hand. A dark skinned lady comes on the screen then, there to give the news of the day.

"It's been three weeks now since the death of Dr. Weston, who was gunned down by the notorious Silver Trickster. Ever since that night, there has been no trace of Silver Trickster or Zoom besides the trail of bodies that have been assumed to be connected to the two speedsters. Detectives have reason to believe that since Silver Trickster was struck by what appeared to be the reverse serum, her and Zoom both have been trying to seek help from lab specialists, not finding any luck-"

Just when I thought I was about to burst into tears again, a flash of blue is zooming into the room, taking the remote from me before turning the TV off. I look up to see Jay standing there, removing his hood slowly as he stares down at me, a look of pity on his face.

"You don't need to be watching that," he tells me, only making me angrier.

I shake my head. "Save your pity. I don't want to hear it."

I go to stand, but Jay just blocks me from leaving the room. "Raven, I get it. You lost your powers and you don't know what else to do with yourself-"

"You're right, I don't know what to do with myself. You know why?" I spit in his face. "Because of you. You only taught me how to live with my powers, not how to live without them."

He groans under his breath as I walk around him, hearing him shout after me. "That's it? I save your life, teach you everything you know, try and help you reverse this, and you treat me like that?"

I look over my shoulder. "Like you said, you taught me how to be cold. That's on you."

I could feel his anger as he dashes around to the front of me, fire in his eyes. I knew he hated being talked back to, but I couldn't help it. "I taught you to be cold so you don't let the light in; so you don't subject to someone else's power and that feeling of conquer. You're letting him get the best of you."

"What else do you expect me to do, Jay? My whole life was stripped away from me from a simple serum, and not even you could possibly understand that. So don't stand here and preach to me like you understand, because you don't. I'm worthless without my powers. I can't take care of myself, I can't help you; I can't do anything! Just leave me alone and spare me of your pity."

I go to march around him once again, this time positive that he wouldn't follow me. However, when I finally get around him and head towards the door, I stop in my tracks when I see particles start to form in front of me, and I knew who it was before I saw her face.

"Look who finally decided to show her face," I snap at her, still angry at her for ditching that night after everything went to shit.

Jay was acting faster than I had thought, because before I was even done saying my sentence, he's racing around me and grabbing Dust Storm by the throat, holding her up into the air. He speaks with that demonic voice of his. "What makes you think you have the right to show up here? You're just asking for a death sentence."

She gasps, her eyes wide as she stares at me. "I'm h-here to help."

"Help with what?" Jay hisses as I cross my arms, wishing deep down that she was dead. She was one of the reasons that this happened to me, so she deserved it.

I watch her closely as her eyes never leave mine, the next thing coming out of her mouth being something I wouldn't have ever expected.

"I can fix her."

-*+*-

Okay so this is hands down my new favorite chapter.

Thoughts on Barry and Raven? Tragic love story or was what Barry said and did justified? Only you can decided.

vote n comment!