Berni had been lounging on the couch early on Halloween, watching Iris's news broadcast as always, and was surprised to see her bring up The Flash saving the trafficking victims and the various good deeds she'd done around the city since then. It reminded her of when Barry had first become Flash, watching Iris report on him while the two were still dating, not quite official, feeling the guilt of keeping it secret from someone who meant so much to him. Iris seemed more excited than she did the first time around, maybe because she's older and cares more about others, or maybe because she's psyched about having a female superhero in her city. She'd been spending her family time for the last week decorating the house and giving notes on EO and Iris's costumes. She had put off looking at her costume, worried it would be some pink number nobody her age would be caught dead in with plastic stripper heels to match. If she expected the worse, she thought, it couldn't be that bad.
That evening, Berni sat on her porch wearing the pink number nobody her age would be caught dead in with the plastic stripper heels to match handing out candy to all of her neighbors. The parents congratulated her on waking up from her coma, a weird think to congratulate someone for, but it's good that they care. Unfortunately, since they only had two chairs on the porch, Berni got to have a front-row seat to Iris in her puffy, frilly Queen costume sitting on EO's lap in his bulky foam armor. It was fun to see the little boys dressed like Superman or Green Lantern, Barry never didn't get a kick out of kids idolizing he and his friends. Berni snuck a little extra candy to each of the superheroes as they came up until, as the night was winding down, she spotted a beautiful sight. One of the women she'd saved from the traffickers that night, with her little Sister in a little red jumpsuit with a little red ski mask and little red ski goggles. A yellow lightning bolt made with electrical tape removed all doubt what she was dressed as.
"Wow, little girl, what are you?" EO said, leaning forward enough that Iris had to stand.
"I'm The Flash! She's the best superhero 'cuz she saved my big Sister from the bad men." She said with such genuine pride and gratitude that Berni started to tear up at the flattery. Even more when she saw Eobard's frustration start to bubble up at somebody commending The Flash. Iris started to gush with the girl about how cool The Flash was.
"She IS the best, right Bern?" Iris exclaimed. Berni looked at her, then Eobard. He knows that she's The Flash, but she can't let on that she knows he knows.
"I mean, anyone who saves innocent people is the best! Team Flash forever!" Berni exclaimed. Emptying the candy bowl into the little girl's bag. Knowing that Eobard saw it, but not looking. She went back in to fill the bowl, struggling to walk in the tall heels. She can't imagine the autopilot Berni that ran the show before Barry's consciousness caught up with her ever would have chosen this costume, it had to be something that Eobard thought would be funny to make Barry wear before sneaking it into Berni's wardrobe. The Autumn breeze going up the short skirt of the costume was also mortifying, this didn't seem like the vibe for Berni's fashion sense.
The full candy bowl sat on the counter as Berni returned from the bathroom, going as a woman still felt odd, but felt less so than it had. She checked her phone to see a message from Iris "Going out. Night!" Berni had the house to herself. What would she do? Watch a scary movie? Stroll the neighborhood in costume to feel like a Halloween Princess? Find a party of people her age? No. She'd go on patrol. The Flash doesn't take holidays. She got ready to pack up for the night, the leftover candy would be good for the stomach rumbles that come after a night saving people. As she headed for the stairs, the doorbell rang. She scooped up the bowl and clicked her heels toward the door.
She was surprised to find a woman roughly her age, dressed as a French Maid. She was cute, with an enthusiastic smile and a kind wave.
"Aren't you a little old for trick or treating?" Berni asked.
"Oh! I'm not here for that. But -- Oh! You have Take 5. Don't mind if I do." the maid grabbed the candy and tucked it into her bra. "Love those things."
"Can I help you with something?" Berni asked, a bit worried that this was an old friend of Berni's that she didn't recognize, she began planning to explain that the coma made her memory hazy.
"I just wanted to give you my card. My name is Mandi Maines and I run Prime Labs over in Keystone. I'd love to have a few minutes of your time when you're looking less... Royal. Amazing, by the way. You're rocking those heels."
"How do I- What do you mean?"
"Your legs look great! And the bangs. They don't work for everyone but you-"
"Why would someone from Prime Labs want to talk to me?"
"We specialize in metahuman studies, and we thought maybe you could help us with some research and we could help you in other ways."
"What does that have to do with me?" Berni said, feigning ignorance.
"Oh, there's a lot you could help us with, I have an entire notebook filled with theoretical work on the applications of super speed. Would you like to see it? It's back at the office, but if you want to give me a lift I'm sure you could get us there... In a Flash." Her knowing smirk. Berni wrapped her arms around her and yanked her inside at super speed. "Exactly!" Mandi exclaimed as Berni stumbled in her heels, coming to a sudden stop.
"How do you know?" Berni asked.
"Well, I tracked your power signature here. Then I looked at the residents of the house and figured that the old guy probably wasn't the new girl in town. Then I hacked the surveillance cameras at CCPD and saw for a split second the The Flash has blonde hair. From there... You're the only answer. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I just want to help you save people and in turn you help me save people. How's that sound?"
"I'll hear you out... But if I change my mind."
"Your secret is safe, I just think we can do a lot of good together. And maybe we can help get you a real suit." Mandi teased. Berni's ears perked up and a smile crossed her face.
"Would you do the honors?" Mandi asked as Berni changed clothes, scooped her up, and ran them to the address on Mandi's business card. She asked Berni to wait outside so she could do a "wardrobe change." Berni sat in the empty parking lot of PRIME Labs, a large facility with no employees or visitors. She wondered how full this place was when it wasn't the night of a Holiday. Mandi returned in an outfit that seemed a bit whimsical for someone who touted themselves as such a professional. A golden bodysuit with a high collar, platform boots, a pleated black skirt, and a black lab coat that bore the logo of her lab. Not to mention the pair of goggles that looked straight out of a post-apocalyptic video game.
"Wow. This looks like STAR Labs." Berni said without thinking.
"Never heard of 'em."
"Oh, they're from uh... Back where I'm from. An indie sort of... Underground... High-Tech... Multi-million dollar lab. Uh. Not a lot of people have heard of them. They keep it hush hush. Keep out the posers."
"An... underground Metahuman research lab?"
"No biggie. Forget I said anything." Berni hoped that sounded casual and not desperate.
"Ok... Well... As you can see, we have facilities out the you-know-what made to research metahumans and their abilities." She showed Berni around, a bunch of different machines and contraptions that the nerd in her was dying to ask about, but she was trying to make a good first impression. "But... There's something more I want... An ulterior motive if you will." What could it be? Blackmail?
"And?" Berni said, showing a defiance. Or at least she hoped she was, she didn't have too much experience doing that with this face yet.
"I want... To help create a superhero." Her eyes went wide. "Not like... Genetically engineer one or give somebody powers. I just think I'd be doing a lot of good for the world by helping someone with the abilities to help people and, more importantly, the good heart to do so achieve their full potential. That sure beats, you know, being commissioned by Lex Luthor for the millionth time to prove that Superman's heat vision causes birth defects or deformation. They don't, in case you wondering."
"So, how exactly would you help The Flash?"
"Glad you asked! I've thought about it a lot A LOT. Like, a lot! I have meta activity censors in most major cities, I could get you intel on threats of all kinds in all places, I could have the information to you and you could be there saving the day within less than a minute. We have the facilities for you to train, enhance your speed and abilities. We have power dampening holding cells, only as a last resort of course. And we have the materials and capability to build you a suit that looks a little less like you're a jogger that decided to rob a bank before hitting the slopes. Not that your current outfit doesn't have its own, er, Ex-Con-Skibunny charm."
"And you don't plan to profit on this?" Berni asked.
"Outside of the grants that keep the lights on? No. I just want to help! That's why I started doing this." Mandi looked eager and nervous, like she was afraid to scare Berni off.
"I guess we could try it out... Now about this new suit..."
"Yes! Absolutely! It might take a bit but I have some ideas and we can-" She stopped speaking as the gust of wind Berni kicked up sinaled that she left the room, she returned in a form-fitting red suit with a matching cowl. Looking herself over in the mirror, there were a few details she thought she'd like to toy with later, but this would do for now. She couldn't wait to be back in this suit, this felt like Berni was in a skin that was familiar for the first time since she woke up. "Oh. OK..." Mandi murmured.
"Sorry. This is just... I've been thinking about this for so long. Sorry if I stepped on your toes."
"Oh. No worries. Did you use the anti-friction-"
"Yep."
"The extra traction boot soles-"
"Of course."
"Comms system in the earpiece-"
"Definitely."
"Tear-away pants in case of dance-off?"
"What?"
"Just making sure you were paying attention to me and not the way that cowl brings out your pretty blue eyes."
"Oh! Um. Thank you." Berni blushed and momentarily matched her costume.
"So you just knew how to do all that stuff?"
"Pretty much!" Berni tried to play it off like it was acquired knowledge, not something she'd done herself several times before.
"Wow. You're good at everything it seems. I saw in your file you're still in school?"
"Took off because of my accident. I go back next semester, haven't picked a new major yet."
"Well, if you decide to start taking engineering... You can start the day you get your degree."
"That would... Actually be amazing, Mandi."
"I mean, you don't have to start the day you graduate. You can celebrate and-"
"Mandi, you can just let moments happen. Its OK."
"Right!" Mandi nodded. Catching her breath. "Sorry, I just can't believe I'm actually meeting you! And I'm gonna help you become the next Wonder Woman! Except you're blonde! Wait, no. So is she. Except you're wearing red! Wait, no. She does that too. You're gonna be a superhero!"
"Where do you propose we start?" Berni said, confidently slipping back into a heroic voice.
"Well, I've been really anxious about proposing this to you and it went well beyond my wildest dreams but I'm... exhausted. So what say you we call it a night and tomorrow, we start taking down some supervillains?"
"Sounds great to me. Can I-"
"Yes, please! Take the suit with you, get used to it. We have a long heroic career ahead of us!"
