The Flash
Speed War
2
What now indeed.
Eobard Thawne looked out at the wet horizon and placed a hand on his hip. Freedom felt good but his mind was running through countless scenarios about what he could do right now. Anger was causing his usual speedy analysis of situations and scenarios to slow down just a bit.
Anger at himself for turning out to be the very reason The League formed in this time. He had most assuredly done nothing to alter his fate in his time and had likely in fact made things worse as The League had now been formed earlier than in his time. He clenched his fist and his face twisted into a tortured grimace. He never thought he could despise him any more than he already did but standing on that hill Thawne's hate for the Flash seemed to triple and intensify.
Now here he was, relatively trapped in this time and it was his own fault. He could have kept living his normal life and not returned to crime. He could have not traveled in time to kill Flash's mother. So many things that had happened because of his meddling. He thought about returning to National City with Maxwell Lord but that alliance had proven futile already. The idea was solid in itself, assemble a team of super-powered individuals to destroy the obstacles in their way. The problem wasn't the team but more so that each of the members had their own agenda and purpose.
Thawne's eyes grew wide and his grimace turned to a broad grin. He pulled his mask back on and opened a portal in time.
"Alright Cisco, turn it up to max voltage and we'll give it one more shot!" Harrison Wells stood over the body of Wally West preparing for one more charge in attempt to resuscitate Joe West's son.
Cisco looked reluctant but Caitlin and Kara were busy behind them tending Professor Martin Stein who was currently burning so hot he had to be laid on the floor. Cisco turned the nob to max and Wells inhaled, preparing himself.
"Clear!"
Barry tore into the room so fast everything that wasn't tied down flew into the air. Papers floated near Professor Stein and were immediately incinerated. Barry took in everything in the room in a split second and shouted, "No! Wait!" at Wells who stopped inches from Wally's chest.
"Barry, we're losing him!" Wells shouted angrily. "I have to-
"No…" Barry stared absently at Wally while walking next to the bed he was on. It was like nobody else was in the room and the others took notice. Barry had a curious look on his face. "…his heart is beating fine. It's just too fast for the machine to read."
"Like yours was when…" Cisco's eyes widened as it dawned on him what was happening.
"Yeah." Barry said. "Wally's got the speed force."
"That's crazy yo!" Cisco shouted while jumping up one time.
"Um. Guys. We're glad Wally is okay and everything but Professor Stein still isn't." Caitlin interrupted Cisco's childlike glee.
"Crap! Right!" Cisco rushed over to Caitlin and Kara stood there looking at Barry with her arms folded. They hadn't seen each other in a while.
Barry walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey." He kissed her and smiled. "You okay?"
"Me?" Kara looked around. "Yea I'm fine. I've been through way worse, Barry. Carrying a hot guy for an hour was nothing."
Barry smiled. "That's my girl." He took her to the side so they would be out of Caitlin, Cisco and Wells way as they moved around now trying to figure out the issue with Professor Stein.
"His body is becoming increasingly unstable." Wells informed them from a computer screen.
"The energies from Firestorm are overloading his body. At this rate Professor Stein will go nuclear in a few days." Caitlin looked at the sick old man.
"Where's Wally?"
Everyone turned to see Joe rush into the room removing his hat and jacket. He quickly noticed his son and ran to his side. "What happened? Why doesn't he have a pulse?!" he looked around the room, fear and desperation apparent on his face.
"He's fine, Joe. Wally is absolutely fine." Wells assured him in a fatherly way and Joe relaxed a little but was still confused.
"Well sort of. Joe, I don't know how to tell you this." Barry walked over to him. "Wally is experiencing what happened to me when I became the Flash."
"You mean...?" Joe looked at his unconscious son.
"Wally has the speed force now." Barry confirmed and Joe's face washed over with sadness.
"Oh no. My poor boy." He whispered. Barry had suspected that he would take this hard. Both of them knew that Wally would be excited about this and want to help the Flash protect the city. Wally had already tried something like that after having his life saved by the Flash.
It nearly got him killed.
Barry and Joe had been able to convince him to stop the antics but now that he had super powers? No. Nothing would keep Wally from emulating the Flash. Barry and Joe knew it and it seemed that realization was dawning on everyone in the room as a somber mood fell on everyone.
"Daddy? Barry?" It was Iris and she had Professor Stein's wife with her. "I found her outside trying to find a way in. She says her husband is here."
"Martin!" Clarissa tried to run to him but was repulsed by the intense heat. "What's going on?!" She looked to Caitlin and Cisco, both of whom she had met before.
Wells stood up from his desk with some papers he had printed. "I've finished my analysis." He said and handed her the paperwork. Caitlin and Cisco looked at it with her. "This seems to have been slowly building up since the singularity that opened the portal to my Earth."
"Since Ronnie died…" Caitlin said in hushed tones to nobody.
"Professor Stein's system was doing alright for a time but now the energy is building up too much. He's been separated from Ronnie for too long. He needs to fuse into Firestorm or he'll die." Cisco finished glancing at the papers.
"But you said his other half died." Kara observed.
"He did." Caitlin said firmly. "But there may be a chance."
"How? With Ronnie gone…" Wells looked at her for answers.
"…by finding another capable of merging with me…"
"Martin!" Clarissa pushed passed everyone and gripped her now normal husband tightly. He made a pained expression but endured happily.
"I'm alright Clarissa. For now, I'm alright." He kissed his wife and then looked at his friends. "We have to find someone to make a new Firestorm."
Iris walked up behind Barry who was standing with Kara beside Joe and Wally. "What's wrong with my brother?" she asked low as to not disturb the scientists conversation about how to fix Professor Stein.
"He's a speedster now." Barry told her and Iris smiled.
"But how?"
"The second particle accelerator explosion. Somehow it gave him access to the speed force. He's fine, just unconscious for now." Barry responded. Kara stepped on his toe. "Oh! Um, Iris this is Kara. Kara this is my best friend Iris."
Kara smiled. "Nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you." Kara's bright and cheerful personality perfectly complimented Barry's own cool and cheerful nature. Iris took notice.
"I know," she replied sweetly. "A shame it's under such circumstances, hopefully we can all hang out together soon. Excuse me." Iris went over to her father and brother.
Kara kissed Barry on the cheek. "Are you going to be alright?" She wrapped her fingers around his.
"Yeah. Everything seems to be stable around here. I'm good. Just gonna wait until Wally wakes up to break the news to him."
"Okay. I've got to get back to National City but I'll call you later." They kissed again and then Kara said quick goodbyes before leaving the room.
Barry checked out the now calmer situation, "I'm going to go get some coffee. Anybody want anything?"
The night was clear if not a little damp but people were still lined up outside of the local nightclub, their voices rising and blending together in a mass of irrelevant chatter and laughter. The bouncers inspected I. D's and patted down eager party goers at a slow pace but got their jobs done efficiently. A random gust of wind blew over everyone nearly knocking down a few people as it sped forth. Many would swear they had seen blue streaks in the wind that night. None of them would know that the blue streak had robbed them all.
Across the street, Eobard Thawne watched from on top of a roof. He displayed his trademark grin and then sped off after the wind that had passed.
It took him a split second to catch up to the female speedster that was running with jolts of blue lightning surging around her. Thawne took a second to admire the uniqueness as he had approached, having never seen it himself.
"Eliza Harmon, I presume." Thawne said to the female speedster's shock. She skidded to a halt and took a defensive stance, dropping her bag full of stolen goods.
"Who the hell are you? How do you know that name?!"
Thawne raised an eyebrow but held up his hands and then slowly removed his mask. "My name is Eobard Thawne and I'm a time traveler. I come from a future where heroes like the Flash have killed or imprisoned honest folk like us."
Eliza folded her arms and replied in sassy tones, "What's that got to do with me?"
Thawne grinned, "You die tonight." Now she sprang back and clenched her fists but Thawne again held up his hands, "Not by my hand. In my time you're but a footnote in the history of people with the speed force. The Flash comes for you tonight. You fight him and you die." She said nothing. "I'm here to offer you a way out of that fate, Eliza."
Eliza visibly flinched at the use of her name but remained silent and relaxed her fists. "What do you want?"
"Want?!" Thawne laughed but his expression darkened and his voice was dangerous. "I want to hear the Flash's neck break beneath my boot."
Eliza smiled and then turned her head to the side looking at the window of a parked car. In the reflection was Eliza Harmon, the real Eliza Harmon. "We shouldn't do this!" the reflection shouted. "We need to stop this!"
Eliza laughed at her reflection. "No we don't! We need to do this! Do you want to die?" the reflection fell silent. "Alright then. This guy is offering us another way and it just so happens to sound like fun! We have to do this!"
Thawne watched the exchange with a curious look and whispered, "Gideon, what's going on?"
"Information shows that Eliza Harmon may have suffered from some sort of multiple personality disorder caused by the speed drug she synthesized and used on herself."
That wasn't so bad. He had worked with psychos and all sorts before and this wouldn't be any different. "So," he interrupted Eliza's argument. "Are you going to stand there debating with your imaginary friend or…" he sped up to her and extended his arm. "…are you in?"
Eliza was shocked by his display of speed but also intrigued. After a brief moment of thought and a quick glance at the window again she took Thawne's hand and shook it. "Name's Trajectory by the way."
Thawne pulled his mask back on and opened a portal in time. "Well then, Trajectory. Follow me." They both vanished into the time portal just as the Flash of that time period appeared.
"Guy's there's nothing here." he reported and then noticed the bag, quickly checking it. "Except a bag full of stolen stuff."
CC Jitters, seemingly the only coffee joint in Central City. At least one would think that from the line that was out the door at the moment. Barry Allen looked from his place at the end of the line and sighed slightly. "This is going to take forever."
"Barry?" Patty Spivot was walking out of the shop with two coffees in her hand. "I was starting to think you'd stood me up."
"Stood you up?" Barry used his super speed to think quickly and remember what Patty was talking about. He had agreed to meet her here for coffee earlier! All the drama with Wally, Professor Stein and then Kara being there as well had completely made him forget about his plans. Somehow he had still wound up here just in time.
"I ordered something for you when I saw the line getting crazy." Patty smiled, handing Barry the coffee. "C'mon. There are seats inside."
She turned and went back into CC Jitters and Barry found himself drawn in. It was okay right? There was nothing wrong with what he was doing. Just having some coffee with a friend, that's all. A friend that he had consistently neglected to tell that he was in a pretty serious relationship. Or that his significant other could laser beam both their heads off. Still, they were just friends. Even Patty had said so earlier back at the precinct.
"Everything okay, Barry?"
Barry snapped back to reality and found he was sitting at a table with Patty although how he'd gotten there was blank in his mind. He seemed to be losing himself in thought much more often then not. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine, Patty. Thanks for asking. How about you?"
Patty sipped her coffee. "Well, to be honest I'm a little up and down really. I had thought that once I got accepted into the meta-human task-force it would be non-stop action and that sort of things but..."
"The Flash pretty much keeps that area covered." Barry understood.
"Yeah exactly. Sort of wonder why even have the task-force if all we're going to be doing is picking up metas that Flash leaves for us. Don't get me wrong I appreciate everything he does, the man's a hero, but I'd like to see a bit more of the action myself."
"Strangely enough I know what you mean." Barry stared into his caffeinated beverage. "Sometimes the urge to just do something gets so strong it can't be ignored. I have to deal with that everyday, Patty. It gets tough but you have to learn how to close off everything and focus on what's important."
Patty smiled. "I think I know what you're saying Barry. I need to be glad that I'm working and at least on the path to being where I want to be."
"Exactly." Barry and Patty both smiled at each other. She was so easy to talk to, even more so than Kara. They always seemed to click and their conversations flowed easily as a river.
"So what's been bothering you Barry?" Patty asked.
"You sure you want to know? It's a lot." Patty nodded and so Barry told her, withholding some detail of course, about how two of his friends had nearly died and the other random stresses of the everyday adult life. The two of them continued to talk and laugh and have a good time while time passed by without either of their notice.
Patty's phone vibrated and when she looked down at it she said, "Oh wow! We've been here for hours! Barry, I've got to go. I have some work to do."
Barry stood up, realizing he was supposed to have returned to Star Labs with coffees hours ago. "Yeah, I definitely have some things I neglected to do too."
"I just always have such a good time with you, Barry Allen." Patty said playfully. "Hope we can do this again soon. Bye."
Barry said goodbye and then ordered the coffees he was supposed to have taken back to his friends before leaving CC Jitters for Star Labs.
When Barry finally made it back to Star Labs nobody was interested in coffee anymore except Cisco who happily took to tasting them all and selecting the best one for himself. "Wally is up," he informed Barry. "He's down in the lab with Iris and Joe. Harry was still running tests on him to make sure everything's okay, last I checked."
Barry thanked Cisco and left him in the main area to head for the lab. He could hear Joe, Wally and Iris debating in the hall as he approached.
"I can do good now, dad. I can help the Flash. I can save people!"
"Wally, no! You can't just put on a mask and start risking your life!" Iris retorted.
"Why not?" Wally demanded. "Isn't that pretty much what Barry and Green Arrow did?"
"Wally you have to be careful now that you've got these powers. You don't understand them," Joe said. "Barry and Green Arrow had training and learned to harness their powers. You can't just wake up from a coma, find out you can run fast and then go save the world."
"Maybe not, dad," Wally stood up. "But I can damn sure try." Joe opened his mouth to speak but Wally held up his hands and kept talking, "Did you act like this when you found out Barry had his powers?"
"That's not fair, Wally. Barry had already been the Flash by the time I found out."
"Would it have mattered either way?"
"Dammit, this isn't about Barry or the Flash! This is about my son!" Iris watched on in silence while Barry stood out in the hallway listening. "I can't risk losing you out there to some meta-human maniac, son."
Wally's expression softened and he put a hand on his dad's shoulder. They had just been reunited and now it must have seemed like he was being taken away again and Wally could sympathize with that but this was something he was going to do. The decision had been made the moment he woke up and found out he had the speed force. "If I pretend like I don't have these powers and innocent people get hurt I wouldn't be able to live with myself, dad. I got these powers for a reason and I'm going to use them to help people. To save this city when it needs it."
"The city already has the Flash, Wally." Iris had tears in her eyes. She was torn between a mix of pride for her brother being such a good man and fear that he would be out risking his life like her best friend already did. Iris trusted Barry to be smart and be safe but Zoom had showed her, no had showed all of Central City, that even the Flash was not immune to danger or injury.
"There are new threats every day, Iris. Barry might need some help one day. What if Green Arrow or Supergirl can't make it in time?" Wally looked at them both. "I know you're both just concerned for me and I appreciate it but I'm going to do this."
Joe hung his head in defeat and Iris just smiled a little seeing in Wally that same determination that wouldn't allow herself or their father to quit something no matter how stupid or dangerous it was. "Alright Wally," she whispered. "Alright."
"Well, if you plan on helping the Flash..." Barry walked into the room with arms wide and a bright grin. "...you're gonna need some training."
Cisco stood there staring at Vibe's goggles. The goggles used by his Earth-2 doppelganger to assist in fully utilizing his 'vibe' abilities. Cisco was quite comfortable with using those powers, at this point he had used them on numerous occasions. He had basically mastered opening and closing portals to other worlds during their trial with Zoom as well. They were still learning the full extent of his abilities but he was comfortable with using them nonetheless.
What he was concerned with were his other abilities and how to properly use them like his Earth-2 counterpart. The attempt at mastering his full potential was why Cisco was now in a target practice room of sorts. He had erected several life-sized posters of various famous people around the room and had been attempting to 'hit them with the Force' as he liked to say.
So far though nothing.
He would have asked for help but Caitlin and Professor Stein were busy trying to save his life and Harry had been checking up on Wally. Both situations were more important then Cisco's passionate want to be a member of The League.
He was a meta-human, so why not? If he could control his powers like he had seen the doppelganger do he could become a powerful ally in future battles.
Plus how bad ass would he look standing next to Supergirl and Vixen?
"I know I can do this." Cisco whispered to himself over and over. "I know I can do this! Gotta take pictures with Vixen and Supergirl!" He tried to hit one of the targets but nothing happened. "Aw man..." he looked sadly at his hand.
"If that's the only reason you're doing this you'll never get a hold on your powers." Harrison Wells was leaning in the doorway with his arms folded and a rare smile on his face.
"How long have you been there?" Cisco asked.
"Long enough to know you need help." Wells walked up to him. "You've got to fully understand your abilities before you can safely use and eventually master them, Cisco. I'll help you learn and guide you when I can."
Cisco's eyes widened. "You'll be like my Yoda!"
"Your what?"
"They don't have Star Wars on Earth-2?!"
"Never heard of it."
"Never mind then. Let's do this."
