Barry arrived at Java Junction fifteen minutes early.
The coffee shop sat on the corner of Fifth and Market, a popular spot for Central City's morning crowd. Glass windows wrapped around two sides of the building, giving clear views of the street outside.
Inside, the space was small but efficiently designed with a long counter on one side and scattered tables filling the rest of the floor.
At 7:15 AM, the place was already packed. Businesspeople in suits ordered complicated drinks.
College students camped out at tables with laptops. The espresso machine hissed constantly. Conversations overlapped into a low buzz of noise that filled the space.
Barry got in line behind three other people. His enhanced mind automatically tracked everything. The barista was working fast but efficiently. Average wait time per order was two minutes and thirty seconds.
At current pace, he'd reach the counter in seven and a half minutes. Iris would arrive in exactly fifteen minutes if she was on time, which she usually was.
He ordered a black coffee for himself and a vanilla latte for Iris. She'd been ordering the same drink since high school. Some things didn't change even when everything else did.
Barry paid cash and moved to the pickup area. While waiting, he scanned the seating options. Most tables were full. There was a spot by the window in the back corner. Two seats. Good lighting. Enough distance from other tables that conversation would stay private.
He grabbed the drinks when they were ready and claimed the corner table. Then he waited, sipping his coffee slowly, watching the door.
Iris walked in at exactly 7:30 AM.
She looked different from the last time he'd seen her three weeks ago.
More professional somehow. She wore dark jeans and a burgundy sweater that brought out the warmth in her brown skin. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. No makeup that Barry could see, but she didn't need any.
She spotted him immediately and walked over. Barry stood up, pushing the vanilla latte toward her as she sat down.
"You remembered my order," Iris said, wrapping her hands around the cup.
"Of course I did." Barry sat back down, meeting her eyes. "Thanks for coming."
"You made it sound important." Iris took a sip of her latte, watching him over the rim of the cup. "And you've been acting weird, so yeah, I was going to show up."
Barry smiled slightly. That was so perfectly Iris. Direct. No dancing around the subject. She wanted answers and she wasn't going to pretend otherwise.
"I know I've been distant lately," Barry started, keeping his voice calm and measured. "And I'm sorry about that. I've just been thinking about a lot of things."
"What kind of things?" Iris set her cup down, giving him her full attention.
Barry took a breath, organizing his thoughts. This conversation needed to go well. He needed to reassure Iris without revealing anything that mattered.
The original Barry Allen would have stumbled through this, awkward and uncertain.
But this version had enhanced emotional intelligence layered on top of years of memories from two different lives.
"About my job," he said. "About whether being a CSI is really what I want to do with my life."
Iris blinked. "You love forensics. You've been talking about working in a crime lab since you were fifteen."
"I know." Barry nodded. "And I'm good at it. But being good at something doesn't mean it's what you're supposed to do forever. I've been processing evidence for six months now. Running tests. Writing reports. It's fine work. Important work. But I keep thinking there has to be more."
Iris leaned back in her chair, studying him. "More like what?"
"I don't know yet." Barry spread his hands.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I just feel like I'm capable of doing something bigger. Something that actually makes a difference instead of just cataloging evidence after crimes have already happened."
There was a long pause. Iris took another sip of her latte, her expression thoughtful. The coffee shop noise filled the silence between them. Someone's phone rang.
The espresso machine hissed. A baby cried somewhere near the front.
"You know what's funny?" Iris finally said.
"I've been feeling the same way."
Barry raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
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