Respect

"What is it?"

Derek, having entered with both Cisco and Caitlin, raised an eyebrow as Joe and Barry stared straight at him.

The tension in the air instantly diminished any joy or light they might have brought in as silence prevailed.

And for once, Derek wasn't putting on an act like he usually would when Team Flash would have conversations and plans he already knew everything about.

This time, his furrowed eyebrows and paused demeanour were genuine, his confusion evident.

"Your battle with the Reverse Flash." Joe started.

"What about it?"

"You fought a speedster just as fast as Barry, if not faster, and…" Joe made an exaggerated gesture, waving his hands all over Derek's body.

'Ah, I see.'

"Not only did you beat him, practically single-handedly, but you don't have a scratch on you. You came out completely unscathed."

"I don't understand, what are you getting at? We won, isn't that all that matters?" Caitlin asked, her eyes shifting from Joe and Derek every once in a while in nervousness.

Joe decided to get to the point.

"Yes, but that's the thing. You won too easily. Which brings me to my next point."

'Hmm, my regeneration's proving to be a burden just as much as it is a gift.'

Derek shifted his eyes to the side.

[Joe West's suspicions of you grow]

"A while ago, we came across an unknown man up in the hill just south of here. He wore a helmet and we assume he was responsible for the chaos that ensued up there, whatever it may be."

Caitlin and Cisco paused for a second, recalling the event then turning as their eyes lingered on Derek.

The youth's expression remained calm, unchanging. 

"It was you, wasn't it?" He finished.

"That's ridiculous. What brought you to even consider this?" Caitlin voiced her mind, Cisco backing her as he shared in her stern demeanour of opposition.

"I didn't tell you something about that day."

Barry finally spoke, raising his head, his eyes scouring all those standing before him.

"That person I met. I told you I let them go, which I did. But before that, I ran toward them…but despite going faster than a normal human could track, the person somehow was able to keep their eye on me. Like he was following my every movement."

Caitlin and Cisco slowly put two and two together, figuring out what Barry was trying to imply before Joe continued.

"If that person could see and follow Speedsters, it would explain why you had it so easy fighting Thawne. Because you could see him, like that person."

'Oh Joe…'

Derek inwardly thought upon staring at the man.

Joe was the only person he had yet to even have a full one-to-one conversation with. He assumed it wouldn't be long till it happened though since he was living in their house after all.

However, it seemed as though their relationship was already solidified.

Joe, like the Detective which he was, was the one to ask questions about Derek.

And in all honesty, Derek couldn't blame him. He'd also be suspicious of a random guy who conveniently had no past and happened to save their own in a dire situation.

"Yes, it was me."

Silence descended as all eyes to Derek. 

Some, more specifically Joe, surprised but hidden under his stoic demeanour while Cisco and Caitlin tried far less in covering anything, staring at the youth with scrunched eyebrows and crestfallen eyes.

"You can see Speedsters, that much is clear. But what else are you hiding? Are you a Speedster yourself? What is the full-range of your Meta abilities, whatever they may be? And what happened on that hill that night?"

Joe found himself letting out all the questions on his mind.

Perhaps it was because Derek was so upfront and did little to hide anything that made him feel like he could get all the answers he pleased, a Detective's wet dream.

But he was mistaken to think Derek would be so compliant.

"Are you asking me as a friend or as a Policeman?"

"Is there a difference?"

"Yes. It lets me know where exactly I stand in this group."

Joe stayed silent, perhaps thinking over his answer before he said anything he regretted. 

However, as Cisco's eyes wandered off with him deep in thought and Caitlin's eyes remained on Derek, the youth couldn't help but speak, breaking the suffocating silence.

"So, what now?"

No one answered until…

"Now nothing."

All eyes turned to Barry as he rose to his feet.

With dark circles under his eyes as a rather deflated expression plastered on his face, a result of his exhaustion, he stepped closer.

"I don't care what you did or who you were before this. None of us should." He eyed Joe as he passed him.

"I only care about the Derek Bond I know now. The Derek Bond who saved Caitlin and Cisco from a train. The Derek Bond who saved my ass and took on dozens of Metas."

Barry finally came face to face with Derek.

"It's because of that Derek Bond who risked his life to stop the Reverse Flash, the man who murdered my mother, that I now have the best chance in years at setting my dad free."

Derek's eyes stayed locked with Barry's. 

He knew Barry to be too trusting for his own good sometimes, but oddly enough, he didn't hate this.

The feeling of acknowledgement, not being discarded with just a glance.

It was similar to when he proved himself to be stronger than his foe.

But where he would be noted for his acts of strength on one hand, this time, he was being acknowledged for something else.

Himself.

Not because of who he'd killed or how strong he proved himself to be, but because of who he was.

And with it, came something he had yet to truly bask in.

'This is…respect. I don't hate it.'

"You don't have to tell us everything if you aren't ready. You don't owe us anything. But if you ever do, we're always here. What are friends for?"

[You have earned a title as Barry Allen's closest allies and something he considers to be more important: A Friend]

[Your understanding of Barry Allen has increased]

Barry turned, he and Derek looking to each of the others.

And it seemed as though Barry's words resonated with both Caitlin and Cisco, since their previous expressions had disappeared.

Cisco had his usual boyish grin, holding out a thumbs up while Caitlin wore a warm smile.

[Caitlin Snow holds something back]

'Huh?'

Derek, his inward emotions not showing on his face, stared at the screen in confusion. It didn't seem like she was holding something back yet his Narrative Viewpoint confirmed it.

"Sigh, if Barry trusts you…" Joe shrugged, sighing as he nodded at Derek.

"I'll follow my boy's instincts. He's usually a far better judge of people than I am."

[Joe West puts aside his suspicions…for now]

[Your understanding of Joe West has increased]

"Well, I think we know what this calls for…"

Cisco, who had wandered off at an unknown time, stood in the far end of the cortex, spinning around as he spoke, revealing a glass bottle filled with an orange liquid.

"Whisky, baby!"

"It's 10:30 in the morning." Joe muttered upon seeing this, everyone turning to him as his grin widened.

"Why are you only now showing me this? I could have used that crap three hours ago." Joe chuckled, grabbing a glass and instantly filling it.

Cisco licked his lips like a goblin, setting down the bottle and cups in the table in between everyone.

While Cisco and Joe showed no hesitation in instantly downing full cups, Caitlin instead chose to pour some into her coffee.

"Barry, don't worry my boy, I gotchu. I've been working on something that's the equivalent to 9000 cups of pure vodka. Sure to give you a nice buzz…" 

As Cisco said this with a mischievous smile, seeing the Speedster watch with envious eyes, Barry's head perked up, his eyes focused as he didn't even wait for Cisco to finish.

-CRACKLE

-WHOOSH

In a second, Barry had searched the entirety of Cisco's lab, finding the cylinder bottle filled with bloody red liquid, tightly sealed.

Cisco nodded as he witnessed Barry fiddling to find an opening without spilling any.

"Aren't you going to take a cup?" Caitlin turned to the dazed Derek, snapping him out of his trance as he darted his eyes between her and the alcohol.

"I'm not sure I've ever had Alcohol before."

A pause erupted as the others couldn't help but stare for a moment.

"Oh…well this can be your first!" Cisco poured Derek a cup, handing it to him without the latter having much of a say.

"We can have your first drink and my…first drink since the lightning struck me, at the same time." Barry commented, bringing forth his cylinder vial as Derek stared for a second, soon tapping his glass with Barry's.

"Alright, here goes nothing."

In an instant, the two downed their respective beverages as everyone watched each of their reactions.

"EUGH!!!"

"SSS!!!"

Derek's face contorted in discomfort as the burn of the alcohol instantly spread throughout the inside of his mouth, leaving a smoky flavour on his tongue.

'I've bathed in the Lazarus Pit and I've suffered injecting raw Mirakuru into my body, yet this crap is enough to make me squeal like this,'

Derek thought, coughing a few times as the others laughed, the scene reminiscent of the first time they had their first glass.

Meanwhile, Barry hissed in enjoyment as the same burn ran through his mouth. A burn he'd longed for while he basked in the buzz that electrified through him.

"Ohhh, that's good…and it's gone." Barry's expression and tone instantly returned back to normal as he felt the sensation leave his body just as fast as it came.

"A work in progress." Cisco shrugged.

"I'd imagine someone like you would be able to hold their liquor." Caitlin spoke, staring at Derek who was still recovering, only for him to see a teasing smile on her face as their eyes locked.

"After all, you're Bond…Derek Bond." Caitlin finished her joke, referring to the previous night.

In the next second, the others fell into a fit of laughter as Derek stared with a defeated expression.

"Hey, I quite liked it. You were like a Power Ranger. You even struck a pose and everything." Cisco added, intensifying the others' laughter.

"Am I missing something?" Joe finally asked, not following the joke.

Barry was quick to explain Derek's over-the-top entrance, falling from the sky.

"...He then hit us with the catchphrase "Bond, Derek Bond"."

Joe turned to Derek, letting out a hearty chuckle from the chest as he imagined the scene.

"Alright, hello, excuse me, isn't that the whole point of being a superhero? Exaggerated entrances and cool catchphrases that would otherwise be somewhat…corny?" Derek defended himself.

"I don't know, I'm starting to think that it might be better to act first and speak later as a superhero." Barry suggested.

'Aw hell nah. I'm doing something wrong if he's telling me that of all people.'

"I'm sorry, aren't you the guy with superspeed who constantly loses to a regular man with an ice gun?"

"Woah."

"Hey."

"That's not nice."

"There's nothing regular about that cold gun."

The others instantly fell into an uproar while Joe sneakily poured some more whisky into his cup.

"I know Captain Cold is a bad guy, but seriously, put some respect on that man's name." Cisco retorted, causing Derek to roll his eyes and Barry to smirk and nod at Cisco's words.

But Caitlin shrugged as she joined in.

"Well…he did beat Snart in a matter of seconds amidst the chaos of World War M." 

"Caitlin!"

Cisco exclaimed as he and Barry snapped their heads to her in betrayal.

"She isn't lying. The boy deserves his bragging rights." Joe added, garnering the piercing eyes of both Cisco and Barry.

"Aha! Three against two. Face it boys, Snart aint shi…"

"Barry! Dad!"

Everyone present snapped their heads to the entrance of the cortex as the sudden yells of a girl caught their attention.

"Iris?"

Hurrying toward them was a dark-skinned female with similarly dark and unkempt hair, as if she'd just gotten out of bed without taking the time to tend to herself.

But with teary eyes and a dishevelled look, it was clear something was wrong.

And in the next second…

"It's Eddie. He's gone. A yellow man with a blurry face took him. He was fast…like the Flash."

'Oho?'

While the others' expressions crumbled, the space returning to its previous gloom and despair, Derek's mind moved to his Eclipse that still trapped a certain speedster.

'You've already dealt with the biggest threat to your very existence. You're doing better than you were in the show, that's for sure.'

Derek inwardly smirked as he thought this.

'Well done, Thawne. What else do you have planned, I wonder?'

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I too also wonder what Thawne has planned. Allow me to hint at it...

Next Chapter Title: Betrayal

I'm not gonna waste too much of both our times today so lets keep it one worded.

Powerstones. Now.

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