Shield

Twenty One

Iris sat back her book in her hand and sipping on a mug of tea. Sitting in between both Izzie's she waited for only one to wake up as the other was sedated. The monitor on her heart showed a bit of an increase making Iris drop the book and put the tea down on the near metal table top. "Guys!" She called out. Finn, Cisco, and Christian all ran in. Cisco and Finn took their place next to Iris as Christian took the near tablet looking at her vitals.

Iris's heart jumped as Izzie started to move. She still cared deeply for the girl she lost so many years ago. "Izzie," Iris put her hand on Izzie's leg making her eyes flutter open. After a moment she took a deep breath sitting up and trying to take the breathing tube off her face. "Izzie, hey, slow down." Iris stepped in front of her grabbing her hands. "You're pretty badly hurt."

"I saw him-" Izzie said. Iris could tell she was still tired, a bit out of sorts, but she could feel and see the pain Izzie was connected to. "I saw him."

"Who?" Iris asked.

"Ryan," she said. "He showed me what happened the night he died." Iris stepped back confused. "The night those gang members shot him. I had a shield. It covered him too but...it wasn't fast enough."

"But...you didn't even know you could make a shield when we met."

"I didn't either." Izzie wanted to stand but knew she needed another minute. "I was just stronger than I thought I was." Iris pulled her close wrapping her in her arms. Izzie didn't pull away. She didn't run. She held Iris just as tight as she held her. Iris was her family more than she realized or accepted before. Everything the boy she loved told her seemed to just sink in. Oliver was a path she could take in dealing with her problems. It just wasn't the right path. She'd always respect him, respect why he does the things he does and how. She just knew now it wasn't the way to go for herself.

Izzie opened her eyes looking at the older version of herself laying asleep on the near bed. Pulling away Iris turned to Christian. Christian advised she was okay, she just needed to take it slow. Staying seated on the bed she looked to Finn. He smiled, happy that she was okay. She realized what Ryan told her other things she wasn't quiet ready to hear but needed to.

"Can you vibe me in with you?" Izzie asked Cisco.

"You might not be strong enough,"Christian said.

"Wouldn't his powers not work on you?" Finn asked.

"Trust me," Izzie said pushing herself to stand. "I can do it." She said. Cisco nodded and walked over to the older version of herself that was somehow no longer scary or unfamiliar. Izzie sat in the chair next to Izzie's bed as Cisco stood behind placing a hand on both their shoulders.

Taken into the vibe she understood why Cisco's head hurt so much when he vibed at first. She stood next to Cisco watching as she walked down a city sidewalk. One she recognized from a trip to Star city, then Starling City, when she went with her parents shorty before their death. Only now she was closer to her age. She was walking with her headphones in. A moment later a fuzzy green dart hit her neck. Awake long enough to take it out but the drug inside had taken over making her drop to the ground. A flash passed as a white van stopped men jumping out to pick her up, throwing her inside. The vibe continued showing her locked in a white room screaming to be set free as a doctor in a white coat put a needle in her filled with a red liquid. It was a moment before the drug started to change her releasing an energy that threw every person in the room against the wall and she woke up as someone else.

Cisco quickly left the vibe with Izzie making her fall to the ground as weakness washed over her. Iris and Finn both rushed to help. Pulling her back up they brought her to the bed. She leaned back taking deep breaths. "What'd you see?" Iris asked.

"Someone experimenting on her," Cisco said with a hint of anger. "They took her and they changed her." Cisco sat down. "They got killed in the process. What ever they put in her is what changed her."

"But with the Meta human cure," Christian stepped up. "What ever was in her was wiped out with her powers. Her DNA has returned to what it was when you found her. She's going to be the real Izzie when she wakes up."

"Not without some more serious issues," Izzie said looking over at everyone she cared for. "Because what I had wasn't enough." Sitting up again but staying seated she focused on keeping strong. "We should wake her up though," Christian nodded and started the process to remove the sedative from her system. Izzie put her hand on Iris. "When I go back to my time, I'm not leaving. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure this never happens. To make sure you and Barry get the lives you deserve."Iris wrapped her arms around Izzie. She held the girl she considered a daughter.

Izzie knew she'd never go back on her word. She'd go home and let herself have what she wanted. Something she hadn't had for so many years that it seemed impossible. She'd lost who'd she's lost. With all her loss she has found the people she's needed. People that, despite everything she's done, have been by her side helping her every step of the way.

Izzie gasping and sitting up made Izzie pull away from Iris everyone looking at her. "No, No!" Cisco grabbed her along with Finn keeping her held until she calmed down.

"Izzie!" Iris moved from the young Izzie to her own times Izzie. "Izzie it's okay."

"I'm me..." Izzie put her head to her hands. "I'm me..." Izzie watched as Everyone surround her older self. It was a moment before she remembered. She looked around until she found her younger self. She pushed herself off the bed and walked over to her. "You...you saved me."

"I had to save myself." She looked at Iris. "When family ask to help...I help." Iris smiled tears in her eyes as she put a hand to her heart. "I'm just happy I know what I need to avoid now." Izzie nodded sitting next to her younger self. "Who exactly do I need to avoid?"

"After I had..."Izzie looked down. Younger Izzie could see the shame written all over her face. "I had done what I done to the people that killed Ryan I went to Starling City to look into somethings from my parents company. I had used my powers to stop this armed robbery of this armoured truck. It was owned by a company called Zion Inc. They dabble in everything. They saw me next thing I know a day later I'm waking up in a white room."

"How long were you there?" Iris asked stepping forward.

"Months. I lost count until I got buried under this...persona that drug created. I was there seeing everything. I just had no control. Eventually I wasn't as present. Couldn't fight it anymore. The days I could see became few and far between." Izzie turned to herself. "When you get home you'll have to be careful. People want your powers. They want to protect the world even if it means ruining someone who already does. Someone who can also stop other Meta's powers.

Izzie took in her words. She promised to return and tell the team so they'd be able to prevent this future. Only she couldn't return just quite yet. She had to be strong enough to breach back to her time. So here in the future she'd sit until then.