Steve slipped the package into the mailbox. He hoped it would get to Tony in time. He flagged down a taxi and got inside, making sure to pull his baseball cap low over his eyes. He quietly told the driver the address to the hotel he's taken up residence in and leaned back in his seat, eyes watching the people passing by on the street.
Twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of the hotel and stopped to let Steve out. He payed the driver, tipping him well, and got out of the car. He walked through the doors of the tall building and towards the elevators, head held low, eyes scanning the crowd cautiously. Thankfully, Steve managed to make it into an elevator without being identified.
Once he stood inside, he pressed the button for his floor and shuffled into the corner. A few people joined him in the elevator, crowding around in the small space. Steve's hands began to tremble a little and he placed them in his pockets. He became more and more nervous as the elevator stopped at several floors and minutes ticked by.
Finally, it stopped on his floor and he squeezed through the crowd of people and into the hallway. His legs picked up their pace as he moved down the hall to his room. Steve pulled the cardkey out of his pocket and it took him a few shaking tries to open up the door. Once inside, he closed the door quickly and took a few deep, steadying breaths.
He had a plan, one that he was not entirely confident in. But it's all he had now. With half of the Avengers in prison and the other half gone who knows where, he hasn't got much of a choice. There's got to be a way to get his team—his friends—out of that prison.
Steve sat on the end of his freshly made bed and pulled a small flip phone out of his pocket. He opened it up and typed in a number that belonged to someone who can help him, someone as off the grid as he is. The phone dialed for a few tense seconds before it was picked up.
"Coulson, it's time."
Barry had done this plenty of times before. The Accelerator was like a second home to him. He had completed the circle plenty of times before, going around and around until reaching the desired speed to create the wormhole. Yet every time he entered, the Flash felt a sense of anxiety. Time was not one thing that is easily manipulated, he knew that from experience. However, changing a point so set in stone like his mother's death would change the world that he knew. Barry would never go to live with Joe and Iris, or visit his father in prison. Or even go down that path of police work like he had done before. He could be a completely different person for all he knew.
It was a risk he was willing to take. To see his mother again. To reunite the Allen family. His father wouldn't spend years in Iron Heights, and wouldn't die at the hands of his greatest enemy. He could save everyone. This was a risk he would take. For everyone he loved.
Bright colors flashed in his vision, and time and space fly by as if he was experiencing his life all over again. To the past. His eyes got caught on a certain color, catching him off guard. Before he could set himself down the right path again, the wormhole ended. Appearing out of nowhere in a new earth, the fastest man alive collided with a wall.
The world went black.
A helicopter flew over the gray ocean, holding a parcel full of boxes upon boxes of supplies. It reached a large helipad and released its cargo on the designated loading area before landing in its own space. The helicopter landed and the pilot turned off the engine. The stormy gray sky swirled above; the violent waves reflecting its attitude as they crashed into the base.
A small group of guards began to unload the boxes, carrying them down a stairway to the prison below. The guards stacked the heavy boxes in a supply room in neat rows. After all of the boxes had been taken down, the guards took a short break in the hallway outside the room before they had to start unloading the supplies.
Meanwhile, Steve Rogers sat inside a box in the supply room, waiting for the right moment to get out and enact his plan. He couldn't wait too long; he would need to incapacitate the pilot so he could use the helicopter. After a quie minute, he ripped open the top flaps of the box and emerged as silently as he could.
He stepped out of the box and tiptoed towards the door, watching the guards through the small window in it. They were still hanging out in the hallway, oblivious to the super soldier lurking within the room. He pressed himself against the wall next to the door and prepared for the guards to come in.
A few silent, tense minutes later, the door handle turned. Steve took a deep breath and the pilot only managed to open the door halfway when Steve punched him in the face, immediately knocking him out. The guards behind him, realizing what just happened, drew their guns and walked carefully into the supply room.
Steve hid behind a row of boxes as they entered. The guards fanned out and began to thoroughly search the room. A guard made her way to Steve's hiding spot and he readied himself for a fight.
The guard peeked behind the row of boxes and spotted Steve. She tried to shout, but Steve cut her off with a swift, incapacitating kick to the gut. She fell over backwards and Steve ran the other way as the guards started to converge on the area.
Another guard saw Steve and began to shoot. Steve grabbed a box and threw it at the guard. It knocked the guard out. He dove behind a stack of boxes as the guards started shooting at him. A box next to him lay open, its contents spilled across the floor. Within the contents, he noticed a small sheet of metal. He grabbed it and turned to face the guards.
It felt… strange to use a shield again. Nonetheless, it's all he had at the moment. Using the metal to shield himself, he moved towards the guards. One of the bullets ricocheted off the metal and hit a guard, piercing through his armor. Only two guards were left. Steve broke into a run and rushed the guard closest to him, knocking her to the floor.
He got back up and ran towards the last guard, who was finished off with a solid kick to the head. Dropping the metal sheet, Steve made his way to the door. He peered outside, watching for any sign of movement in the hallway. No one appeared for a few moments and Steve slipped out into the hallway.
Steve made it about halfway down the hall when a flash of bright light momentarily blinded him. He kneeled down on the floor and covered his eyes, his heart racing. Once the light subsided, Steve stared at what was before him; a young man, dressed in a bright red suit, lay passed out on the floor.
He was speechless. Who is this? Why is he here? Most importantly, where did he come from? But Steve didn't have time to think about these questions. Footsteps began to sound behind him, at the end of the hall.
Without a second thought, Steve grabbed the man around the waist and hauled him into the nearest room, which was full of the guards' gear and weapons. He laid the red-suited man on the floor in the corner and stood next to the door, ready to fight anyone who opened the door. No one came, and the footsteps arrived and passed by.
With a sigh of relief, Steve turned to the man on the floor. He kneeled down next to him and tried waking him by shaking him gently by the shoulders. The mystery man's eyes fluttered open.
Pain flooded his thoughts. Every breath felt like a knife stabbing into his lungs. By experience, he knew that it wouldn't last very long. Yet it didn't do much to fight the pain. Movement made the pain grow worse, slowing the progress of healing in his ribs. The odd thing about fast healing was that he could actually feel his bones mending. It wasn't exactly something someone could get used too.
His breathing slowed from his labored speed. Barry had to focus. Cautious eyes peered up past his lashes, the lights from the ceiling of the room flooding his sight like a tsunami. Instinctively, they shut in response. Then again quickly opened at the sight of the man looking worriedly down at him.
The world slowed down as the speed force within him came to life. Electricity sparked in his eyes. Before the other man could register, Barry was at the other side of the room. Electricity sparked and a red streak followed in his wake.
The world sped up again.
Almost immediately, Barry dropped against the wall with a groan of agony. It seemed that he was not completely healed yet. It also seemed that he was in fact not back at his childhood house as he had aimed to be. The Flash's eyes narrowed at the man across the room. Something had caused a disruption during his travel back.
It seemed as if he was yet again in another world. Third time that has happened. One time he had a way back, and another he had help with a certain alien being. Sooner or later his luck would run out. But one thing was clear through all of those times.
The Flash had to get home. Barry Allen had to get home.
"Who are you?" the scarlet speedster asked through clenched teeth, his breathing hitched has his gloved hand tapped a spot on his chest. It must be where his rib broke. "And where am I?"
Certainly, both world traveling events, he had a smooth way to get to know those who lived there. Dr. Wells from Earth 2 had come on his own. The Keira from her world had fallen out of a building and of course him being the good ol' hero caught her. There wasn't anything like that here. Only a man watching him while unconscious. How creepy.
Steve was shocked when the young man seemingly disappeared right in front of him. One moment, he was there, and the next, he was all the way on the other side of the room, groaning in pain. His mind raced as he questioned what was happening. He was clearly some sort of super-human; there was no other explanation for what just happened.
Perhaps it was teleportation? The ability to bend reality? Whatever it was, Steve
couldn't explain it. This was the last thing he needed right now.
The man started questioning Steve and he noticed that the mystery man was clearly in pain. If he broke something or had a concussion, he'd need medical attention. That would complicate things even further and oh man, this was probably not going to end well.
"I'm Cap—" Steve hesitates in his introduction. That's not who he is anymore. He can't live up to the perfect standard everyone expects; he can't be the same Captain everyone knows and loves.
"Steve. Steve Rogers. You're in the Raft, a prison base used by U.S. Marshals," he said, wondering if he should also state that it's Earth, in case this guy is Asgardian. He decided against it; the young man definitely didn't look like he could be from Asgard.
"And who are you? How did you get here?" he asked.
"What? A prison base? How did I…?" The dimension hopper frowned and scanned the room. This place was certainly one hell of a place to arrive. He also noted the man's hesitation in his introduction, but didn't press any farther. Barry knew that he shouldn't be in the base, but if this guy worked here, maybe he could get some help back. It seemed like Barry wouldn't get to go and save his mother as soon as he thought he would.
It wasn't like he had a limited time. The past stays in the past. Always waiting for him. That being said, the Central City hero did not want to stay in an Earth where he did not belong. Sooner or later the Time Wraiths would appear to come after him for disobeying the laws of time. Although, he was going to do break the laws before… The masked man shook his head and pulled himself to his feet. His ribs were pulling themselves together. He could handle his pain now.
A chuckle escaped the man. It seemed this was happening again. Pulling his headgear off, it fell to his shoulders like a hoodie's hood. It revealed short brown tousled hair, and a partially nerdy looking young man. A small smile on his face.
"I got here by creating a wormhole and using it as an attempt to get into the past in order to save my mother. However, it seems that I have unknowingly vibrated at a different frequency. Which brought me to this...Earth." it didn't seem like the man completely understood how The Flash had gotten there. If he was honest, the newcomer wasn't either. With a few casual steps toward, he extended a red gloved hand.
"My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive."
This is the first Chapter of our fanfic. We really appreciate you reading all the way, and hope you review! I edited line breaks. It seemed it was lost in the copy and paste. Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be posted in a week's time. This will be usually, but you never know.
See you soon!