A/N: I got inspired for this as soon as 4x22 ended. The opening scenes of 4x23 had some good ideas though, so I'm keeping that as is short of Barry finding Ralph in Devoe's mindscape. I'm reeeally excited for this fic and hope to have it wrapped up by the time the show returns. Enjoy!

(Side note: rating will prob eventually become Mature, but atm it remains T.)

*Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing. :)

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

Prologue -

Barry knew the exact moment he wasn't going to be able to stop the Enlightenment from happening.

He stood in Devoe's mindscape staring at the good version of Clifford Devoe, the professor, the one who was capable of honorable intentions. But that man was gone.

"Barry? Barry, can you hear me?" Iris asked over the com.

"Yeah. Yeah, Iris, I hear you." His tone was deflated, resigned.

As always, she picked up on it. "What's wrong?"

"Good Devoe, I found him." He paused for what felt like an eternity. "He's dead."

There was nothing but silence on the other end. Here in Devoe's mindscape, Barry had seen no one but the evil version of Devoe. The place was eerie with only echoes of the promising life the evil mastermind had once had. His insides were screaming to find something – anything – to fix this, to stop the Enlightenment before it was too late.

When Devoe had enacted the Enlightenment, locking him out of the time vault, he'd been at a loss. There hadn't been a single idea left in his mind or anyone else's as to what he was supposed to do. Then Iris had showed up with Marlize and presented them with one last solution.

Find Good Devoe in his mindscape and have him defeat The Thinker that had overtaken him.

Well, he'd found him. Lifeless with a bullet wound through his chest.

Their last option had been expended.

"Iris…"

Silence still lingered, but he knew she'd heard him. Equally heartbroken and devastated, not just on her own behalf but everybody else's as well, she answered his summons.

"Come on out, Barry."

He ran until he saw a portal opening up and slid straight into STAR Labs, everyone watching him as if he were a ghost. He knew they were disappointed, but no one said a word to him. They knew he'd tried his hardest. They'd tried theirs too, been with him every step of the way.

They'd tried everything, but Devoe had been one step ahead every time. There was no stopping him from wiping their brains now. The countdown was rapidly approaching. Soon all their memories of everyone they knew would disappear. They would be taught that love was a disease and only the knowledge Devoe could give was true. That alone would supposedly assure peace instead of violence.

The underlining good intention Devoe so insisted existed there was impossible to see amongst all the dark toxicity of what would have to be sacrificed in exchange for it.

Barry felt the pain arcing through him. He felt the same helplessness as months ago, when he was so sure he couldn't reverse the nuke from exploding. Iris had given him the solution then, but even she had nothing left to offer up. Her puzzle piece had been nearly perfect, but it had failed.

Devoe had won.

Barry sped outside, found his villain on the street and cursed at him.

"You don't have to do this, Devoe. It's not the way."

Clifford was unthwarted.

"Say goodbye to your loved ones, Mr. Allen. While you still have time."

Barry turned around and saw Iris coming towards him with tears in her eyes.

"Iris, I-"

"I know," she assured. "Me too."

"You didn't-"

"We all tried, Barry, and now…now we have to say goodbye." Her voice cracked.

"Iris, no."

"We've tried everything, Barry!" she said urgently, desperate for him to take advantage of the few moments they have left. "Just…just come inside and…" Her voice lowered. "We don't have much time."

Reluctantly, and with a heavy heart, Barry returned to a nearly empty cortex. Infant cries could be heard not far away, and he knew what had happened. Tears stung his eyes, wondering what would become of Joe and Cecile's baby if in mere minutes they were brainwashed to the point of not knowing how to care for a child. Devoe would have no mercy. He wouldn't care if a newborn lived or died in this world he was so proud to have created.

He shared a look with Iris and interwove their fingers, walking together into the room where everyone surrounded Joe and Cecile. They looked up at Barry and Iris when they came in, forcing a smile at the last moment of joy they all would share.

"Guys, I'm so-" he tried, but Joe interrupted.

"Meet our daughter, Barry." He glanced down, his eyes full of love for the baby girl.

"Jenna Marie," Cecile said softly, not tearing her eyes away either.

Barry swallowed hard. "She's beautiful, Joe."

He looked towards Cisco and Caitlin. He thought of Harry sitting alone in Cisco's workshop with hardly a coherent thought passing through his mind. Everyone would soon become that. The agony of that knowledge was nearly unbearable.

"Cisco, I-"

His friend stopped him, coming to hug him tightly. Caitlin followed suit. He didn't know what either of them were thinking or feeling, but the message in their eyes was clear as day.

It's not your fault.

Joe would not be separated from Cecile and baby Jenna. He gave Barry a knowing look that said more than words ever could.

I'm proud of you.

He debated going to see Harry, but just the sight of him would destroy what remained of his ability to stay calm. So instead he turned to Iris, who held out her hand to him. He took it and went with her to the next room.

"H-how much time do you think we have?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling.

He tucked several of her dark locks behind her ears and cradled her face in his hands.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "Five minutes. Maybe more." He lowered his voice. "Maybe less."

She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"I failed you," he said.

Her head snapped up. "No, Barry-"

"I did. I failed everyone."

"Barry, you-"

"But as soon as the Enlightenment hits us, that won't matter. Nothing will matter because we won't remember it. But what matters right now, here and now, is you. Us."

He stepped closer, held her tighter.

"I love you, Iris."

"I love you, too," she said urgently, holding tightly to his arms encircling her. "So much. More than anything."

Their shallow breaths the only sound around them, Barry knew he could say so much more. He could tell her all the reasons he loved her. He could recall memories that felt so distant now. He could tell her hopes he'd had that were impossible now, but that would break their hearts even more.

In this moment, words fell short.

Instead he met her eyes, drinking them in, willing her to see how deep his love for her ran as she looked up into his. She seemed to understand. The subtle nod and gentle smile satisfied him.

He lowered his head and kissed her – first soft, then ravaging, passionate, intense. Iris rose up on her tiptoes for better access, intertwining her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. They came up for air once before resuming. They knew time was dwindling. Only seconds remained.

A loud hum could be heard above them, descending on everyone in the whole earth. The walls around them started to vibrate. Items on tabletops fell to the floor.

The Flash and his lightning rod ignored the reality shattering around them. In the other room, the only sound that could be heard was the soft cries of Jenna Marie, quickly becoming piercing as everything shifted, changed, slowly and then suddenly all at once.

Another breath, another kiss…

"Iris-"

And then it stopped.

The humming stilled, the vibrations ceased. Any remaining items left on desks remained there, not succumbing to gravity's forces. Car alarms still sounded from out in the street. Any moving vehicles crashed, causing instant death to millions. But no emergency vehicles came. There was no panic in the street.

A satisfied smile on his face, Devoe strolled casually into STAR Labs to see what had become of his most entertaining pawns.

He spotted Barry and Iris first, blank looks on their faces, no longer holding each other in a passionate embrace.

"And so, it begins."