My take on the tidbits and promos we've gotten about the next episode 2x14 Escape from Earth 2. I am sure my version is radically different than what we'll get but this came into my head and wrote itself and it WOULD NOT LEAVE ME ALONE until I wrote it. Warning: This is dark. Even for me. But if you can make it through to the end you'll be rewarded. :)
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it!
Tipping Point
Barry only had a few minutes of peace after Zoom first appeared on the other glass of his cell. He had done his best to put on a brave face when Zoom told him this would be the last place he would ever see, had tried not to flinch or show the terror inside because he wanted to be brave for Jesse, who was obviously traumatized and terrified. He tried very hard not to look at the man in the cell opposite him, the man in the metal helmet that covered his face who had gone instantly motionless once he heard Zoom's voice. Even now, he was utterly still against the back wall, as if hoping his lack of movement would bring no attention his way.
Barry swallowed hard and tried to still the fine tremor in his hands. His friends would come for him. His friends would find him. He just had to have faith and stay alive. It did no good heaping recriminations on himself right now, he could do that once they were free. He had been sucked in emotionally just as Jay had told him not to, and now he was Zoom's prisoner. He had to focus on getting himself and Jesse out of here, and the other man as well if possible. He tried to phase through the glass and realized that besides the dull pain all through his body, he felt strange and wrong. He tried to summon the speed force. Nothing. Had his speed been taken already?
He looked Jesse's way. He wondered if he dared try speaking to her again. She was badly in need of comfort, crying silently with her hand pressed against her mouth to stifle any sound. She looked like she had lost hope now that he was here too, her father's plan to rescue her had obviously failed spectacularly. That was his fault. He could feel his heart pounding, racing against his chest, and the dull pain that wracked his body from head to toe. Remnants of Reverb and Death Storm's attacks. He scoped the area quickly and looked Jesse's way again. He opened his mouth.
Almost instantly, Zoom was outside his cell, then phased inside it. Faster than Barry could prepare or even perceive the motion, he grabbed Barry by the throat, slamming him first forward into the glass and then back into the wall behind him. Barry couldn't hold in an exclamation as sharp new pain blossomed on both sides of his body, especially his head. Zoom's clawed hands were gripping his neck tightly, pinching and cutting off his air. His eyes bulged as he fought for breath. He could feel the rough patches on Zoom's glove abrading his skin.
"Stop!" Jesse looked like she couldn't refrain from crying out, though it was clear she had no expectation of it having any effect. Barry caught a brief glimpse of her face before darkness crowded the edges of his vision and he slipped into darkness.
He woke on the edge of a cliff that fell into a deep ravine. He was outside.
"Last place I'll ever see, huh?" He bolted to his feet, ready to run, but he only took a few steps before he realized he still had no speed. Right now he could try to escape but he wouldn't make it far at all. His limbs felt like lead. He was just wondering if he was now useless to Zoom when the black-clad speedster returned, moving past Barry faster than he could track and coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff. His arm extended out, holding a dangling figure over the deep ravine below.
It was Caitlin.
Her face stood out white against her darker hair as she turned panicked eyes his way. It was just like Linda, just like his dream about Patty. He felt just as powerless, just as immobile. He didn't even bother to ask how Zoom had found her and brought her back to earth 2 so fast. He had found the last open portal. It's not like it would have been hard. Jay would have no chance against him.
"What're you—" He took a step forward, and Zoom let her drop further. Caitlin's face contorted in terror. He froze, a good ten feet away from the edge where Zoom was now standing. Zoom's faceless mask and empty eyes turned Barry's way.
"Catch her if you can, Flash." Caitlin's eyes widened as he let her drop. She fell into the ravine, screaming.
Barry rushed to the edge of the cliff, but it was at regular speed. Just like his dream of Patty he was on his knees watching helplessly as she landed on the bottom. "No! No!" He turned to swing at Zoom, only to find the demon's hand around his neck again, squeezing. He gasped and sputtered, still looking over the edge at Caitlin's still and broken body.
"Looks like we'll have to try again." His threat reverberated through Barry as he again slipped into darkness.
The strange assortment of people made their way carefully through the forest. A tall man with dark hair walked with purpose, a huge gun held in both hands. His younger and shorter counterpart moved next to him, shifting the multiple straps across his chest, a smaller gun of his own invention in one hand. The other hand nervously reached for a Twizzler in the front pocket of his vest but found it empty. He sighed in disappointment.
Behind him followed a couple, murmuring quietly together. The woman had a revolver up and ready at all times. Sharp and tailored, her gray CCPN uniform contrasted her companion. His sweater and jacket, complete with yellow striped bowtie would look more at home in an office or library. He looked distinctly out of place, and his nervous fidgeting and fearful glances simply confirmed it. He looked to his wife, and noted that her eyes never deviated from the leader of their group, a thin woman with stark white hair and black leather clothing. His wife looked like she would stare holes in the other's head if she could.
Killer Frost led Harry, Cisco, Barry and his wife Iris deeper into the woods, moving closer and closer to the cliff where Zoom had made his lair. Every other moment had her doubting the wisdom of going against Zoom, but the moment after brought her the memory of Ronnie dead body and how much she missed him already. She wanted to hurt Zoom, and that helped her take another step. Her unnaturally light eyes scanned the horizon, looking for any sign that Zoom was near. She felt cold. She wished she had Ronnie's warmth back.
The group moved steadily closer to Barry and Jesse.
And Zoom.
Barry's eyes slid toward his wife. Today so far was already the weirdest day of his life. Yesterday would have been a contender after he was kidnapped and then tased, but then he had spent the rest of it sleeping in a closet. This day won hands down. So far he had woke up still handcuffed in a closet, yelled and threatened until he was freed. (He distinctly remembered yelling that his wife was a cop, and the exact charges she was going to book them on.) Cisco and Harrison Wells had let him out. (Harrison Wells!) That was still somewhat exciting, though the novelty experience had been dampened quite a bit by said kidnapping and tasing. Oh and the attack by Zoom that happened immediately after he was freed.
Suddenly rushed into a new closet, he and Cisco had instantly bonded as they cowered together against the wall of a storage room while Harrison Wells stood in front of them brandishing the biggest gun Barry had ever seen. Barry and the police had been working for months to eliminate Zoom, but Barry had never come face to face with him before. The moment Zoom's hand had phased through the wall he had known such bone-deep terror that he found it quite easy to forgive Harrison Wells for holding him captive, since he was now the only thing standing between Barry and death by Zoom. He was so terrified by the sight of that claw-like hand he had looked away. It took a moment before he realized what he was staring at, sitting innocuously on a shelf. It was phosphorus. His scientific brain put two and two together and he grabbed one. "Shoot this! Ignite it!"
Cisco pointed. "Yes! Barry had that all over him once, he couldn't do anything else until he ran enough to stop the burning!"
"You're right." Harrison threw the phosphorous container into the air and fired. The package exploded, ignited phosphorous coating the wall that Zoom's hand was coming through. Some of it managed to hit Zoom's hand. It was quickly withdrawn. Barry semi-idolized Wells once more. He still had the feeling Zoom had decided to let them live for the moment. It felt like a cat and mouse game. But he'd take it.
Harry and Cisco made to leave as if they did this kind of thing every day. Barry's stress boiled over.
"Wait, wait! Hey, hey, hey, hey! You have to explain everything to me that is going on here!"
Harry and Cisco agreed to fill him in. They had retreated to his lab to regroup and he immediately found Iris there, organizing a search party to find him. And the whole story had come out. Cisco was from another earth. Zoom was holding Harrison's daughter Jesse, and now their Barry from the other world as well. Iris had spent the day before with the other Barry after her husband had been kidnapped, and her father was dead.
It was a lot to take in.
Iris had been disturbed to realize that the man the day before had been an imposter, not to mention a speedster as well from another world who was now Zoom's captive. Barry had almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it all until he registered how much time his wife had actually spent with his double and how bothered she was. Cisco and Harrison were trying to figure out how to find Zoom's lair now and arguing about whether it could actually be called a lair.
Barry had looked at Iris and read the anger and stress there. And something else. Disappointment? He wasn't sure. He would have pushed for more detail from his wife but they were interrupted by Killer Frost. After a tense stand-off in which guns were aimed, Killer Frost pointed icicles and almost let one fly when Cisco called her Caitlin, and Barry had to remind his wife that as a police officer she needed to uphold the law and not shoot her father's killer, Harrison had been able to get a sentence in and ask Killer Frost what she was doing there. She told them Zoom had killed Ronnie, and she wanted him to pay. She was willing to lead them to Zoom's lair. Iris was determined to go, and Barry wasn't about to let her go without him. Even if he was scared beyond belief. Iris had tried to reason with him, saying he wasn't used to the front lines like she was. That was true, but it didn't stop him.
Guns had slowly been lowered, only to be raised again as Iris and Killer Frost goaded each other in the forest. Before he knew it his wife was pinned against a tree and Killer Frost looked ready to kill her. The click of Cisco's gun aimed at her head had dissuaded her for now. Barry had been terrified and immobile. Only later had he realized that he was so afraid of what was happening that had it not been for Cisco and his gun, Iris might have been taken from him forever. That shook him down to his core. This day might still be his last, but for the time he had left it could have been the worst one of his life as well.
As it was, it still could be.
The deeper they moved into the woods, the more Barry tried to figure out how he of all people had ended up in a forest tracking a homicidal maniac. But the answer was walking next to him. He wavered between trying to talk her into turning around and asking more about the impostor. Since he was sure Iris would never turn her back on an opportunity to take down Zoom, the latter won.
"So, you spent the day with that other Barry and thought it was me." It wasn't a question, they had established this back at the lab. His wife nodded shortly, still watching the woods and Killer Frost with a sharp eye. She looked like she didn't really want to get into it right now. Barry almost lost his nerve. But the burning jealousy eating away at the edge of his perception convinced him to keep going. "Did...did you guys...did you sleep together?"
Iris stopped short and turned on him. Her gun came with her and he almost took a step back. She was giving him a shocked and disbelieving look.
"No! How could you think that?"
"Well..." he gulped, tugging at his bowtie nervously. "You said you thought he was me..."
"Yes, I did. But my father died, Barry. That kind of put me out of the mood." Her tone was lightly sarcastic, and he recognized it as cover for how she was really feeling. Joseph was dead. Barry had never really liked the man and the feeling had been mutual, but it galled him that he had been knocked out in a closet all night when his wife needed him most. She must be hurting so badly now. He also recognized that she had something more she could say but was refraining. They began walking again. He knew he should express condolences about her dad and give her comfort, but she knew he had never gotten along with Joseph. and he couldn't decide if she'd believe him. Plus he knew that she was in cop mode right now. The last thing she would want was to compromise her focus and discuss her loss. Or her feelings. He stepped over a fallen log before he was brave enough to say what was really on his mind.
"So, you never realized it?"
"What?" She flicked him a glance, still watching the woods and Killer Frost in the lead.
"I mean, we might look the same but he still acted different than me when I saw him, before he tased me. You didn't recognize a difference at all?" His voice had a slight whining tone to it, like a petulant child.
Iris huffed in annoyance and stopped again. "What do you want me to say, Barry? He looked like you. He had your clothes on. He sounded like you."
He knew he had a doleful look on his face, but he couldn't change it. "Did you...kiss him?" He felt like there was a hole in his chest, sucking in all feeling except the hollow emptiness. He knew the answer already. Iris was extremely affectionate with him and he loved it. She was the one who regularly initiated any office PDA despite his blushing protests. He rarely instigated a display of affection between them because he felt too awkward doing it, but Iris made up for that. If she thought his double was her husband, she had probably kissed him. He waited for her to say it out loud, but he could already see it on her face.
Iris looked at him, her eyes distressed and her mouth pulled down. Her gun lowered along with her defenses. "I thought he was you."
He nodded, swallowing hard. He didn't even want to know how many times or what circumstances. It wasn't her fault. She hadn't done anything wrong. But he still felt irrationally hurt and betrayed. He put his hands on his hips and focused on the grassy underbrush to one side of her, blinking away moisture. She made a motion to touch him and stopped. After a few moments they started walking again in silence. Both could now feel the yawning distance between them.
The group stopped at the base of a high cliff. Killer Frost pointed to the top. "It's up there."
Barry's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? We're going up there?" Barry could actually feel his stomach drop too. The others were still looking up. Iris turned his way. "I mean, I'm wearing wingtips here, okay? I don't have much tread..." He demonstrated with his foot and then faded into silence as he caught sight of the rest of the group.
The others were now staring at him with expressions ranging from disgust to disbelief to annoyance. Iris put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay babe, just stay close to me." Barry nodded and tried to stem the flow of fresh terror at the idea of actually entering a known Zoom residence. This just seemed like a really bad idea.
The others began discussing which was the best way to approach unseen, but Barry caught the looks of censure the others flicked his way. He didn't belong here. It was embarrassing to realize it, especially when his own wife was perfectly at home. Inadequacy washed over him, making him feel even worse.
Once the group decided to move to one side and climb the craggy uphill path that looked the least used by Zoom, Barry fell into step next to his wife again. But thoughts and questions and emotions were roiling inside him, and they had only gone a few minutes before he gave voice to them.
"I'm sorry, how could you not know? How can that be?"
Iris flicked a glance his way. "What?"
"I am your husband. Are you telling me that you didn't noticeanything different between him and me? There was nothing that helped you realize you were spending time with and kissing the wrong guy? Nothing? Am I that replaceable?" He felt like he was seconds away from crying, and that was just what he needed to disgust this group even more. Right now he felt the smallest he ever had. His voice was strangled with emotion when he spoke next. "I thought what 6we had was special."
By now Iris had stopped completely. She looked just as upset as him, which was saying something because she didn't usually show emotion as readily as he did. She collected herself, threw a look at the others and leaned closer, She looked irrepressibly like her father in that moment. "You really want to do this right now?"
He hesitated. This was so not the time for this, he knew. But Iris was the woman he loved, his wife. And he couldn't hold it in any longer. He couldn't face possible death knowing that he was dispensable to the woman he loved so deeply. "Yes." He put his hands back on his hips, shifting his sweater out of the way irritably. "Yes I do."
Iris looked over at the others. "Give us a minute?" Harrison sighed, but Cisco nodded and gave them a sympathetic look as they moved further away. Iris turned back to her husband and took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, Barry. There were a few signs. I did notice some different things, but I thought —" she stopped suddenly, biting her lip.
He could see she was on the verge of tears, and it helped him gentle his tone as he moved closer. "You thought what?"
She looked at him for a split second, wondering about the wisdom of voicing her thoughts. She steeled herself. "I thought you were getting more...brave."
He stared at her a moment. What was that supposed to mean? "I don't understand."
She holstered her gun so she could hold both of his hands. "Barry. I love you for who you are. I always have, and I always will. That will never change. But your double," she took a deep breath again "when Killer Frost and Death Storm attacked Jitterbugs, he tried to talk down Killer Frost. He flipped a table to deflect a blast and told me to run. When I pulled my gun on them and told the civilians to get out he told them to go too. He wanted to go with me to catch them and make them pay for my father's death."
He stared at her. "You don't think I would have done those things?"
She gave him an apologetic look. "Barry, I know you. You are so smart and so good. But being in the middle of the action has never been your strong suit. You're better behind the lines. When he disappeared I thought you just ran away, and that made sense to me. But now I realize that he used his speed powers to take them outside and keep me safe." She studied his face.
Barry stared at her, crushed. "You...you think I'm a coward?"
"No!" She cupped his face. "No. You are so brave in your own way. You are leading the charge to take down Zoom. You are doing your best to help your city, and it puts you in the spotlight with a target on your back. Would a coward do that?" He looked away for a moment, unsure if he should believe her. She shifted his face back to hers so she could look into his eyes. "And I see so much inside of you. You are a hero and you could be even more of one if you just believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. I always have. I thought if I believed in you enough one day you would take that next step. But if you never did that wouldn't change how much I love you."
She looked at his lips the way she always did when she wanted to kiss him. "I noticed the difference. I just thought you were coming into your own like I always knew you could. I'm sorry." She gazed into his eyes with a pleading look.
He wasn't sure which part actually made him feel better or if it was a combination effect. He looked into her face and saw love radiating back at him. Love and faith. In him. Her husband. She saw him as a hero. Warmth spread through him, pushing out the feelings of jealousy and inadequacy.
His hands rose up to hold her wrists. "I'm sorry too. Maybe if I hadn't been so distracted with Harrison Wells I would have been able to get away before they tased me."
Her eyebrows rose. "You think you could've outrun a speedster?"
He smiled bashfully. "Maybe I could. If it meant getting home to you."
"Ohh..." she made a small sound and leaned up to kiss him. His eyes fluttered closed as he relished it, and he didn't even think about his double once. She pulled back and stared into his eyes. "I love you."
He didn't even hesitate. "I love you too."
Harrison's annoyed sigh could be heard even though he was standing a good distance away. "Can we get going?"
Iris looked at her husband, checking to see how scared he was. He took in the determined glint in her eye, the shadows under them that indicated a sleepless night. She had lost her father. She could have been killed too, but she had been watched over by someone who looked like him and had his name. Who was now in the clutches of a monster. True, that same man had tased him and taken his identity. Nevertheless he still felt gratitude that Iris was safe and standing in front of him.
But Zoom...his mouth went dry at the memory of his clawed hand coming through the wall.
He noted how she waited patiently for his response, giving him time to think. For just a moment he could see himself reflected in her eyes, a hero. Deep down he knew that hero wasn't him. He was a brainiac who worked in a lab. He got excited about science and theories. He was pretty sure he had led the fight to rid the city of Zoom because he liked the attention it gave him and how that made him feel. Even now he was scared and out of his element and no good in the field. Almost the opposite of Iris. She was the hero, not him. But he wanted to be one. He so wanted to be. For her.
He swallowed his fear and gave her a tremulous smile. "Let's go."
She smiled back and took his hand. They took the trail together.
Barry woke back in his cell, still in shock over Caitlin's death. Jesse's eyes were watching him tearfully from behind her bars. He pushed to his feet and tried to reassure her that her dad would find them. He only got a few sentences out before Zoom was back. Once more, he felt the pinch of Zoom's hand on his throat and fought for breath until he blacked out.
This time when he woke on the cliff side, Zoom had Joe by his shirt collar, dangling over the same ravine. Joe was livid. "Get your hands off me, you evil bastard." He spotted Barry, moving to stand up. "Barry, run!"
This time Barry didn't even let Zoom say a word. "Joe!" He raced to grab him, get him to safety. He felt a spark or two run through his body but he still didn't have his speed. He ran right at Zoom and got there just as Zoom dropped him.
Joe didn't scream. His eyes met Barry's for a split second. Barry could read the fear and the pain. He reached for him, speed coming in spurts of quick acceleration that died off quickly. His fingers just brushed Joe's as he threw himself over the edge, desperate to catch him. Zoom pounded him into the dirt with a fist and held him there, flat on his belly, forced to watch Joe fall to his death. It took him a moment to realize he was screaming. It was the sudden silence as he paused for breath that made him aware of it.
"Close, but not enough."
Zoom reached down and picked him up by his throat again, holding him off the ground, eyes bulging, staring into the bottomless black that should be Zoom's eyes. His fingers pulled ineffectually at the claws around his neck as Zoom stared into his eyes, which were now streaming with tears.
"Where is your speed?"
Barry gasped for air. "I don't...I don't know..."
Zoom leaned so close Barry could feel his breath whisper out of the holes in his mask. "I suggest you find it. Before you lose everyone you care about."
This time Barry welcomed the darkness.
The trek to the lair was progressing well until they got close enough to see an entrance. They retreated a good distance away to plan. Then Killer Frost decided her job was done. Cisco smirked and suggested she had cold feet. She gave him a withering glance.
"I wanted to hurt Zoom, not get myself killed. A suicide mission seems to be your specialty. I'm done." She moved to step away. Harry stepped into her path, his face set and determined.
"You could be very helpful to us in there. I'd like you to reconsider."
She smirked at him. "You think you can convince me otherwise?" Her hand lifted, already forming frost that rose into the air. Everyone tensed. "I'd like to see you try."
Harry didn't flinch. "My daughter is in there. I have worked hard and done things I'm not proud of to get here. I'm not leaving without her." His gun leveled straight at her. "I think you should help us. We need everyone here if we're going to have a shot at beating Zoom."
Killer Frost's eyes narrowed. "You'll never beat Zoom. I led you here to get back at him for killing the man I loved. I am not on a crusade." She punctuated her words with a broad sweeping motion of both hands. Frost and ice crystals erupted from her palms, barely missing Harry who had dropped out of the way and was racing into the trees for cover. Iris shot a few rounds, which only brought Killer Frost's attention to the rest of the group. They all scattered as she aimed her barrage of attacks their way. Cisco bolted behind a tree and leaped behind a fallen log. Harry raced from tree to tree, dodging splinters and chunks of wood that exploded off the trunks as Killer Frost followed his progress. He returned fire with a couple shots but missed.
Iris had slid to the side and found cover behind a tree while Barry awkwardly dove in the opposite direction and ended up behind a mossy boulder. He huffed and puffed, trying not to panic.
Cisco's head popped up above the log that was his cover and quickly ducked down again as ice shards peppered the other side. Iris took aim and fired another shot from behind her tree, narrowly missing Killer Frost in the same place she'd hit her the night before. The metahuman felt the tug on the sleeve of her leather jacket, and the memory of the pain and loss the night before fueled her next attack. Her icy blast shredded the tree Iris was standing behind and threw her into the air. She landed on her back with a cry of pain, her gun flying out of her hand, lost in the underbrush. Killer Frost moved forward, throwing a blast toward Harry and Cisco behind their respective cover to keep them busy. She didn't even bother with Barry. She zeroed in on Iris, who was clutching her shoulder and trying to move to her feet.
"I wanted to hurt Zoom. But killing you will just be a bonus. If you hadn't stuck your nose where it doesn't belong my Ronnie would still be alive." She stood over Iris, who looked up at her with loathing. "I never even got to kiss him goodbye. Maybe kissing you goodbye will kill the pain." She leaned down to Iris, still supine on the forest floor. "Or just kill you. And that's good enough."
Barry lay behind the rock and tried to gather his courage. He was no good at this, he was just too scared. He could hear the trees cracking around him under the ferocity of Killer Frost's attacks. But Iris was out there and he was afraid for her too. He took a last deep breath to steady himself, rolled over and scrambled to his feet, crouching enough to just barely see over the top.
He was just in time to see Iris sailing backward through the air. His jaw dropped in horror. Killer Frost moved forward, reminding him of the documentary he'd seen once of a sleek panther on the hunt. She didn't even spare him a glance. He was about to lose his wife forever.
He didn't even really think about his next action. His mind was a fog of furious rage as he moved. He was barely aware that he was hefting a thick tree branch in his hands, or that he was swiftly moving from behind the safety of his rock and straight into danger. His wife was in trouble. And he would be damned if he'd stay hidden if it meant her life and light, her love, her devotion to justice and truth, would be taken from the world. Taken from him.
Killer Frost was inches away from making contact with Iris' skin when Barry cracked his tree branch over her head. He hit her with such force that she was knocked to one side and landed on the ground unconscious. Barry stood over both women, panting with rage. He glared down at Killer Frost.
"Get the hell away from my wife."
Iris stared up at him in wonder. Barry never swore. Cisco's jaw dropped. Harry looked on with amazed disbelief. Barry dropped his stick as if unsure what to do with it anymore and was instantly at his wife's side, his rage changing quickly into concern and worry.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Iris grimaced. "I'm fine. Just my shoulder." She sat up and pulled her hand back, revealing a slender icicle embedded in her jacket. Blood was oozing around it, but sluggishly. Barry gasped. Cisco and Harry moved quickly to them.
"Honey, I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough—"
"You did fine." Her gaze held pride and immeasurable fondness. "I'm not an icicle through and through. You did good." She moved to get to her feet. Barry carefully helped her up. Cisco peeked at the wound while Harry used a cord from his pack to bind Killer Frost's hands together.
Cisco pondered the wound. "I think the icicle is actually helping to stem the blood flow. Maybe we should just dress it and let it melt on its own. You are going to need some serious antibiotics after this though. Watch for increased bleeding later on." He spared a look for Killer Frost, out cold. "I've picked up more from Caitlin than I thought." He glanced at Barry. "She'll be okay, Barry."
Barry was untying his bowtie, feeling hot and breathless. He looked at his wife. Her hair was somewhat askew and she had smudges of dirt on her face. He was sure he was sporting bits of foliage and moss all over his jacket from his wild roll behind the boulder. Between Zoom's attack and finding out his wife kissed his double and traipsing through the forest and Killer Frost, today was the worst day he had ever had.
But it was also the best. Iris was alive. And he had actually saved her. For once in his life he felt like a husband worthy of her, a man who could fight for and even protect his own because life without her was unacceptable.
The adrenaline was still racing through his veins. He was filled with more testosterone than he ever had been in his life, he was pretty sure. He rode the wave of it and moved forward to embrace his wife. One hand slid around her waist to avoid touching her injured shoulder, and the other rose to cup her cheek as he captured her lips with his.
Barry rarely if ever instigated affection between them, so that was a surprise in itself. But the other surprise was how aggressive he was. His mouth laid claim to hers with a dominance usually only displayed by Iris. He took her lips, her willing participation and demanded more. She responded in kind, the pain in her shoulder forgotten.
Cisco and Harry suddenly became interested in the surrounding trees and stepped away uncomfortably. But not without some eye rolling from Harry and Cisco's awkward mumbling. Neither Barry nor Iris really noticed or cared.
Barry finally broke the kiss and stared into her eyes, his chest filled with love and possessiveness. Iris looked not just surprised but delighted. He gave her his usual tender smile, but it also had a shadow of assertiveness she had never seen before.
"I bet my double never did that, did he?"
A slow smile spread across her face. "Nope. Only you, Barry." Her hand grazed his cheek, her thumb rubbing his chin. "Mr. West-Allen."
They probably would have stared into each other's eyes much longer, but Harry interrupted them with an annoyed huff.
"Sorry to interrupt your marital bliss, but we still need to rescue our Barry and my daughter. Zoom could find us any moment. We are now down one metahuman and have an injury to deal with. We need a plan."
"Right." Iris quickly became her in-charge cop persona. "I say we push through. I'm not that injured, I'll be fine."
Harry gave her a doubtful glance. Cisco looked thoughtful. Barry put up a tentative finger.
"What if we split up? We already know he can take out more than just us easy. If just a few of us sneak in maybe we can get in and out without getting spotted. Besides, we have her to deal with now." He pointed to the unconscious Killer Frost.
The others considered it and agreed. Harry spoke first.
"I'm going into Zoom's lair. That's my daughter in there. I need one of you, and the other two should stay with Killer Frost and lie low."
The others nodded agreement. Cisco moved to join Harry at the same time Iris did. They looked at each other in surprise.
Cisco frowned at her. "I should go. You're wounded."
"You think because I'm wounded I can't fire a gun?"
"Do you have your gun?" Cisco raised his eyebrows.
Iris cast a glance behind her at the green underbrush. Her gun was hiding somewhere in it. "Damn it."
"No." Barry stepped forward. "I should go with Wells. Cisco, you stay with Iris. Watch over Killer Frost and help Iris find her gun."
Iris stared at him. "Babe, are you sure?"
He met her eyes, and then nodded. "Yes. It makes the most sense. Cisco has a good gun to defend you two, and you need to keep an eye on Killer Frost and make sure she pays for her part in killing your dad." He gave an emphatic nod and put his trembling hands in his pockets.
He could see in his wife's face that she was touched he was thinking about justice for Joseph at all. Her eyes flickered to Harry, who didn't seem too bothered by the idea. She considered it for a moment. "What about you? You don't have a weapon."
He shrugged. "I'll just have to stay close to Wells. He's got the big gun."
Wells nodded and help up his weapon. "I'll keep your Barry safe to the best of my ability, Iris."
For some reason, she didn't doubt him. "Okay." She turned to her husband and reached for his chin, pulling his attention straight to her face. It was a familiar move and it dawned in the back of her mind she had done the same thing the day before, but she quickly pushed it away. This was her Barry and they were both heading into danger. She stared into his face. "You be careful and come back to me."
His long fingers rose to hold her chin, a motion he had never performed before. It was new and exciting, but the look in his eyes was the same one he always had when he looked at her. It was wonderful. "You too." They both moved to kiss, meeting each other halfway. Their fingers were the last thing to part as they moved separate ways.
Harry hefted his gun, on the alert. "I'm coming, Jess."
Barry lay on his side in his cell. He had become conscious a few minutes ago, but the memory of the cliff side made him wish he hadn't. He lay there, full of cold emptiness. Joe was gone.
He made no attempt to talk to Jesse again, to reassure her that help would come. It just didn't seem to matter much any more.
There was a flicker of movement, and Zoom was outside his cell again. Barry didn't have the strength to move his head, just raised his eyes to stare at the monster's faceless mask. "Please...not again...no more..."
He couldn't do anything as Zoom lifted him by his neck yet again...
This time when he woke up, he scrambled to his feet. He needed his speed. He had to stop this. He tried to summon the speed force. Nothing.
Frustration and grief and pain burst out of him, along with a long scream. He stood with his fists clenched at his sides, screaming at the cliff. At Zoom.
And Zoom was suddenly there, like Barry knew he would be. Holding yet another person Barry cared about over the edge.
Cisco hung from Zoom's grip, suspended by the many straps around his body that held all the gear he'd packed for their trip to Earth 2. Barry could still see a few Twizzlers peeping out of his front pouch. His face was gray with terror, just like everyone else Barry had lost so far.
"Please..." Barry's voice was thin and thready. "Please...don't."
Zoom's face showed no emotion as usual, but his head turned to Barry immediately. "Find your speed, Flash."
Barry was still forming words to reply when Zoom let go. Much as he wanted to help Cisco, he knew there was nothing he could do. He sank to his knees and cried as Cisco landed on the bottom. He knew what was coming next, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Zoom's grip was far worse than it had ever been, a sure sign of the man's frustration. He yanked Barry into the air and shook him like a rag doll. His voice was far more guttural and terrifying than even his usual tone.
"WHERE IS YOUR SPEED!?"
Barry slipped into the darkness without even trying to reply.
When he came to, it took all of a second before Zoom was on him again.
He woke on the cliff side for the last time. He rolled to his hands and knees, feeling ill and wanting to retch. He took a few gulps of air, noting that it did nothing to help. He didn't want to stand up. He knew what would happen. But he could only delay it so long. He pushed slowly to his knees, and then to a standing position. He could barely raise his head, he was so sure of what he would see.
Zoom was already standing at the edge, waiting for him this time. And Barry couldn't take his eyes from the victim he was holding, even though he knew exactly who it would be.
It was Iris.
She was dangling over the edge, her eyes flickering from Barry to Zoom to the depths below. Barry could tell she was terrified but she was still looking for a way out or a way to turn the tables. His legs felt like limp noodles, but he still took a staggering step forward. "Iris..."
"Barry —" she choked out his name, her eyes now never leaving him. Just hearing the sound of her voice tore at him, but it also gave him the strength to move another step. Zoom was utterly still, waiting.
"Please. Please let her go."
"Where is your speed, Flash?"
"I—I don't know, I'm sorry. I don't know..." Barry moved another step.
Zoom shook Iris, making her cry out in alarm, but he didn't drop her yet. He was still focused on Barry.
"Barry...please..." Her voice was wavering and yet it gave him strength. Zoom let her slip a bit.
"Don't!" Barry's voice was suddenly stronger, his body more rigid. He was tracking every micro movement of Zoom's hand clenching Iris's jacket. His eyes were sparking with anger.
Zoom looked at him for a moment, and then at Iris. "Interesting..." He let go.
In slowed time Barry watched her face change as she began to fall. Fear and panic washed off of her even as he started moving. He felt the speed force building, charging through him Before she could even pass by the edge of the cliff he was racing after her, running to catch her.
But he was always a step behind. It was just like the flying glass from the car, all over again. He reached out to grab her but missed by a few inches. His legs were pumping madly to keep up, and the faster he ran the faster she seemed to fall. He pushed harder. She wasn't even writhing, there was no struggle as she fell. He realized she was watching him, waiting for him to catch up.
Out of nowhere a memory replayed in his mind, what seemed like ages ago now when Iris had called him and needed help.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes. I trust you." Even now her eyes were waiting for him to catch her. She believed in him.
"I promise I'll never be late again..." But he had been late again. He was still late as he rushed to the bottom of the ravine, too late to catch her, too late to save her.
Too late to do anything but hold her broken body because she had already landed.
"No...no..."
His gloved hands tenderly cupped her face. Her empty eyes stared back at him. He wept, his tears falling onto her cheeks.
Zoom's voice echoed down to him, disturbing the silence. "Where is your speed, Flash?"
His tears fell, and with every one a rage built up inside him until it couldn't be contained within the tiny vessel that was his body. It was exploding out of him, a furious energy far greater than any speed force. He lifted his head, glaring at the dark figure that gloated so far above. His tight jaw and clenched teeth uttered his next words. "You want speed..." He reached back for the first time since he'd awakened in Zoom's prison and pulled on his hood and mask. "I'll give you speed."
"I'd like to see you catch me." Zoom sounded almost gleeful, if that were possible. He sped away. Barry raced up the ravine to catch him.
Anger and hatred pumped through Barry's body as he trailed Zoom through the woods. He still couldn't keep up. It wasn't until they were on the outskirts of the city that Barry's mind brought up Iris not broken and lifeless on the ground, but the way he always wanted to remember her. Before Zoom had robbed the world of her light. Her smile, turned up to him thousands of times, her happy giddiness over Christmas and birthdays. The one kiss they had ever shared with the backdrop of impending doom in the form of a giant tidal wave. Her faith in him, her support, her unwavering ethics, morals, and strength. She had saved him so many times in his life, and he couldn't even save hers. It brought a burst of speed he didn't know he had.
Zoom and Barry burst into Central City, easily outpacing the monorail, weaving in and out of traffic and buildings. It wasn't long at all before Barry caught up to Zoom and overtook him as they raced up a tall skyscraper. Now trailing Barry, Zoom arrived at the top and ran straight into Barry's outstretched arm, effectively clotheslined. He flipped into the air and landed on his back on the roof. Barry was on him before he even landed, screaming in rage as he landed speed punch after speed punch.
"You...want...speed...?" Barry pounded Zoom's face and chest. "You...got...it...!" Barry lost track of how long and how many times he pummeled Zoom as the other lay helpless under the onslaught. And all the while he was screaming. The punches landed faster and faster, blurring and ever accelerating. Barry's screaming reached a fevered pitch.
And Barry woke on the floor of his cell, still screaming. His body was coursing with energy, with lightning and speed. He gasped in shock, startling to a half-raised position. His hood and mask were still off, his cell was still holding him in, and Zoom was standing above him.
"Finally. Now I just need the other piece." Zoom left.
Barry lay on the floor of his cell, still utterly confused. He felt sick to his stomach. He rolled onto his side and had to breathe for a few minutes before he could think straight. He remembered the cliff, so many deaths, the grief and helplessness and pain...Zoom's hand on his neck over and over...he pulled off a glove and felt his neck. It was swollen, still healing from Zoom's many assaults, but even so Barry could feel the telltale points where he had been injected with something. Now that his speed was back they would disappear soon. That pinching feeling hadn't been just Zoom's hands. What had he been injected with? Some hallucinogenic drug? Something to induce some kind of vision controlled by Zoom? Obviously an earth 2 drug and something he never wanted to be invented on his own earth. He took several breaths, putting it together.
The cliff hadn't been real. No one was dead. Zoom had manipulated him, had used the people he loved to get his speed back. Barry was filled with relief and disgust. He was unbelievably grateful they weren't dead, but at the same time the grief he had felt at their loss was so real. It still clung to him, washing over in waves that made him want to break down and weep. He reached out and pulled himself to his feet, a bit unsteady. Jesse was watching him with saddened eyes. He had to ask.
"I never left this cell, did I?" Jesse shook her head silently. Barry nodded. "Why was my speed gone if Zoom hasn't taken it yet?"
Jesse cast a frightened glance back to check for Zoom before speaking. Even then her voice was quiet. "It was Reverb. His sonic powers mess with a speedster's speed and it takes a shock to get it back. That's why Zoom tells his goons not to harm a speedster."
Barry nodded, feeling sick. He had another thought. "What—what's the other piece?"
Jesse's face crumpled. "My dad. He needs my dad's technology to steal your speed for good."
Barry felt his insides sinking. Harry was probably on his way here right now. He sunk down to the floor, still awash with memories of dead loved ones. And Iris.
Zoom had only missed Harry and Barry approaching the lair because he traveled the other direction down the mountain. It was a near thing, Harry slamming his arm across Barry's chest to halt his progress at the first whispering sound of Zoom's super speed progress. They both held their breath, motionless except for their pounding hearts. Once they were sure Zoom was really gone, both started breathing again. Barry cast a worried glance back in the direction they had come.
"He won't find them, will he?"
In spite of he desire to rush into the lair, Harry took a moment to think about it. "I don't think so. He looked like he was heading somewhere specific. Maybe S.T.A.R. Labs again. He shouldn't be searching the forest and they're on the other side." Harry hefted his gun. "We need to hurry."
Barry followed quickly, glad to know for sure that Zoom wasn't inside at the moment.
Harry made quick but careful progress into the lair, gun raised and ready to fire. Barry was quick and light behind him, and he only tripped once.
They cautiously moved into a new room. Harry spotted his daughter immediately. "Jesse!" He ran to her cell.
She gasped. "Daddy!?"
"I'm here baby, I'm here." Harry let his gun hang from the strap around his chest so he could unlock Jesse's cage. She fell through the opening door into his arms, wetting his shirt with her tears as he held her tightly and murmured soft reassurances. How he'd never let Zoom take her again, how he was here now and they were leaving for good.
Barry made his way deeper into the prison and spotted his double, slumped against the back wall of his cell. "Barry?"
The man in the red suit looked up at him in surprise, then moved to his feet. They stood, divided by glass, for a moment. Taking each other in. Barry Allen and The Flash. Harry looked up from his daughter finally.
"We need to go. Allen, can you phase through that glass?"
The Flash didn't move. "I can't."
Harry frowned. "Maybe we can break it. Allen, I mean other Allen, look for something to break it with."
"No." The Flash's voice was soft. "I can't leave."
All three stared at him. There was a soft tapping sound from the cell opposite the Flash's. He exhaled before he spoke again.
"You were right. Zoom will use whoever I care for against me. He already has. And if I leave here he will track down everyone I care about —the person I live for—and they will be in danger. I can't protect them. I don't stand a chance against him. I can't beat him. It's impossible."
"We will find a way—" Harry began, but Barry's voice rose.
"There is no way! Everyone I love will be kidnapped or die, and I can't be responsible for that! If I stay here, Zoom will take my speed and probably kill me, and they will stay safe." Barry backed up a step. "You better go, I think he went to find you. If you want a fighting chance you better go now." His voices was still raised slightly, probably to compensate for the incessant tapping on the glass they were all hearing.
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the tapping on the glass. Harry noticed finally and moved to see if he could find a way to open the cell.
"Is it Iris?" Barry from this world tugged at his collar and approached the glass. Barry in the Flash suit stared at him.
"What?"
"The person you live for. Is her name Iris?"
The Flash made no reply. But his counterpart could read it in his eyes. He nodded slightly. "That's why you pretended to be me."
"I didn't know you were married to her. I was just going to get information on Zoom from the CCPD."
Barry Allen nodded again. His hand came up in a random pointing gesture. "Thank you. For keeping her safe while I was —out."
The Flash decided not to comment on the fact that he was responsible for his doppleganger being out. "Sure. She's pretty good at taking care of herself though."
His double gave a huff of laughter. "Yeah. She is." He continued. "You know my Iris is in the forest right now, right? She still needs to get back out safely. And she came in to get you. So you can take out Zoom. I just followed because I didn't want her going without me. But I've been terrified this whole trip. Right, Dr. Wells?"
"Oh yeah." Harry was almost into the other cell. "He was." Jesse was casting fearful glances at the door but helping her father.
Barry straightened his glasses. "Today I did things that I never thought possible. Now if I can do the impossible so can you. Because I'm just Barry Allen. But you—you're the Flash."
The Flash stared at him from the inside of his cell. "I already watched them die. I can't lose them for real. And now he knows which one affects me the most. She will be the one he goes after."
Barry nodded. "I understand. But I don't think your Iris would want you to give up like this either." He shrugged. If you let Zoom do this to keep her safe, Zoom becomes more powerful and then what's to stop him from attacking your world again, or other worlds? This world? He knows my Iris is involved now. No one is safe. Losing someone...that's just a chance we have to take."
"He won't stop." The voice was slightly echoed, bouncing off the helmet mask that Jessie and Harry were peeling off of the man in the other cell. His head lifted, half of it terribly disfigured, the voice issuing through twisted lips.
The Flash gasped. "Wally?"
Wally West looked at him from the other cell, battered and beaten and wraith-like. "He won't stop. Zoom is obsessed with speed, and his addiction is just getting stronger. He took my speed but he had to half kill me to do it without Wells' help, and he damaged and lost some of what he got. He wants a purer form, undamaged." Wally looked at the Flash. "You need to go now, and you need to beat him. Or every world will pay. Every speedster, every human. No one is safe."
The Flash gaped at him. "I never thought about a double of you."
Wally gave him a tragic smile. "No one ever thinks of me. Not anymore. I've been gone since Zoom wanted my speed the first time. Everyone thinks I'm dead."
Barry Allen was staring in horror. "You were that speedster that first showed up after the accelerator incident? We thought you left town long ago." Wally didn't reply. Barry Allen turned to the Flash.
"You can't keep her safe from Zoom if you're dead."
"But...she's the one...I live for." The Flash could barely get the words out. Harry's arm tightened around his daughter's shoulders.
"Then live for her."
"If he finds out..."
"...then you'll be there." Barry Allen gave him an understanding look. "You have to try. You need to go home."
Home...
The Flash lowered his head. Flashes of her eyes believing in him, waiting for him, accepting him. She thought he was a hero. And he had never felt less like one in his life. But he wanted to be one. For her. To keep her alive.
He raised his head and phased through the glass. "We need to go now."
WOW. OKAY. That was dark! Sorry! I'm not sure what happened but I will tell you that a far darker version came to mind and this was actually my attempt to twist it into a version I could accept. Hahahahaaaaaaa that's crazy... But it looks like Barry carries a heavy burden back with him after Earth 2 according to promos, and my mind went into overdrive. Plus all the bits and pieces laid down in ep 13 for the concluding ep got me really excited in terms of E2 Barry and Iris! Whee! So, this was the result. Alas, I want this out before the episode comes out and so it leaves off a bit open-ended. So unlike me! I actually think there will be more at the conclusion at the episode after they get Barry and Jesse based on a promo, but this was a good point to stop. :)
Thanks for reading!