Hey friends. The Barry chapter, as promised. Just a PSA; it's the holiday season. That means traveling, social engagements, and finals. So this will be the last "regular" (even though it's coming a week late) update until the new year. I'm going to do some editing (because some typos managed to slip past me the first time) and am hoping to get one more chapter up before Christmas. But it won't be until after finals.
Someone asked a question about Barry's return in the previous chapter. Just as a reminder, I had the whole story outlined in September, so this will not be following the current season of the Flash. I did this to avoid possible spoilers for season 4 and because I am not watching the Flash season 4 in real time. I'll be catching up over Christmas break though, so if anyone wants to talk season 4, you are more than welcome to PM me about it. I hope that answers any questions about my divergence from canon.
Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy the chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one.
The world was spinning. The world wasn't supposed to spin. At least Barry thought it wasn't. However, he also thought that the world was filled with other people and he was wrong about that. Wind whipped Barry's hair as he jogged through Central City. The sensation of vertigo finally forced him to slow to a jog as he reached an abandoned hot dog stand near the riverfront. Sighing, he snatched a water bottle from the ice chest inside. The minute he removed it, another bottle appeared in its place. His first morning here, that alone made him spiral out of control. Because that wasn't supposed to happen. Right? Or was it? Just the thought of it now was threatening to send him into a tailspin that he couldn't afford. Not right now...
Stop thinking. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat. Focus on the facts.
Fact: His name was Barry Allen.
Fact: He was the Flash.
Fact: He was trapped in the speedforce. Which wasn't the real world? Maybe it was another earth? No, don't speculate. Focus.
Fact: He was in Central City. He was here to meet with it. He hated meeting with it.
"Barry?"
Speak of the devil. Barry stiffened and took a sip of his water before turning around. It required all his self control to walk over to the bench where he knew it was waiting. He didn't look at it as he sat down, intentionally leaving a foot of space between them.
"Barry, you must stop. I'm here to help you, not hurt you". The voice was Henry's, but Barry knew it wasn't him.
Because fact: His father was dead.
"Then why won't you let me leave?"
Henry-not-Henry sighed, crossing his arms just like his dad had when Barry was ornery. But it wasn't him. It wasn't. He had to remember that. The thing was speaking again, "...we could have left you in the trap. Did you want that, Barry? Do you want to go back to a slideshow of your worst memories? Your greatest failures?"
A monster's claw was impaling the real Henry Allen, pulling him to the one place Barry couldn't follow. A girl with a name as cold as the ice she wielded striding through a dark forest towards her prey. Water rushing towards the city, Barry running faster than he thought possible to stop that terrible future. A man with glasses standing up from a wheelchair, Barry's heart sinking with dread and burning with anticipation of retribution. Barry's back snapping like a twig, his enemy parading him around his city like marionette with its strings cut. A beautiful woman dying on the street in winter. A black cocoon, pulsing and keeping him from his brother trapped inside. The crushing realization that he had done it again, he had trusted and he had been burned by a man who he called friend...and then it was him, he had betrayed himself. Another woman, mother, surrounded in a halo of menacing light...
"Barry. Don't go back there. It's alright, you're safe now. We brought you out. We're keeping you safe".
Barry continued to rock back and forth, but removed his hands from his head. A few chunks of hair were caught between his fingers. He stared at the brown hair as it drifted away on a breeze, momentarily taking his insanity with it. Looking up, he saw the one man who would make everything better. "Dad?"
Henry smiled, "Hey Slugger. You okay?"
Barry frowned. He thought he wasn't. But why wouldn't he be? He was here with his dad, in the park on a nice summer afternoon. "Yeah, I think so. I'm not sure what happened".
His dad smiled patiently. "It doesn't matter, son. You want to take a walk around the park? See if we can finally beat the frisbee golf course?"
Barry frowned. "I'm actually kinda tired. Was I running?"
"No. We were just getting some water at the hot dog stand. You were telling me all about your latest case. Something about a guy who drowned in honey?" When he didn't respond, Henry probed him again. "You feeling okay, Barry?"
"Yeah. I just feel like I was running. I kinda feel like I'm running now. Like I've never stopped running".
His dad snorted and offered him a hand. Barry took it gratefully and stretched his legs once he was clear of the bench. "Okay, Shakespeare. Let's not get melodramatic. That's okay, we can play frisbee golf next time. Anyways, didn't you have something to do this afternoon?"
Barry frowned. Yes, he did. What was it? Right, the case! How could he have forgotten? He hugged his dad goodbye and walked off in the direction of the CCPD. A few blocks and an elevator later, Barry was sitting at his desk, pouring over autopsy reports and testing samples of honey. He hummed to music only he could hear and danced around the lab. He laughed at...something. He wasn't sure what, but it was hilarious.
And all around him, the world was still. No traffic, no pedestrians, no change in seasons, and no night. Caught in a diorama of life outside the speedforce, populated only by people and events of Barry's own making. The thing smiled as he took one last look at Barry Allen, then left. Its work here was done. For now.
Barry was breathing hard. He took a slight left on the path, knowing it would lead to the hot dog stand with the water. Wait. How did he get here? The realization hit him like a dump truck. He had failed again. He really thought he was out this time. Barry's mind wandered as he continued to jog down the path. He knew it was a mistake, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't stop running.
"Good morning...I'll have the reports to you in an hour...no you don't have to watch me work, I'll get them done". He muttered to himself, his jog more of a granny shuffle at this point. Shaking his head, he realized he wasn't at work anymore. His mind had slipped away again.
"Damn it!" Barry stopped shuffling to kick at a bush, wincing when a bur poked through the top of his shoe. Every time! Every time he went to meet with the speed force, to ask, demand, beg it let him go back home, he was rerouted. Every. Single. Time.
Focus. Breathe in. Breathe out. List the facts. List them. Don't think about anything else. Don't look at the speed force. Don't get distracted.
The problem was that the list kept getting shorter and shorter and shorter. Because he was Barry Allen, and he thought he was the fastest man alive. Or was that a dream? His dad told him it was a dream. Of course it was, no one could run that fast and live...
He stopped by the hot dog stand, swiping a bottle of water. This time, he didn't even notice as the container filled itself back up. What was he doing in the park? He was supposed to be working on his report. It would take him thirty minutes to get back to CCPD, then another hour for the tests to run. His reports would be late, Singh would fire him, then he would be homeless and left to wander on the street. How could this have happened?
Wait.
Captain Singh wasn't even here. But wasn't he talking to him?
No.
He was talking to himself. Focus. Breathe in, breathe out.
Flashes of light. A female meta, shot and about to explode. A glowing rock, the philosophers stone. White silk adorning the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, flowers garnishing the aisle. A top hat, glowing and spinning round and round and round. A crib blown apart in a white room, the baby crying in his arms and Barry was angry, furious, wanted to...
Eat. Hungry. But there were never hot dogs at the stand. Only water.
"Barry?"
No. Don't look. This is your chance. Focus.
"I want to go home".
He could feel the figure coming closer and beckoning him towards a bench. No. Not this time. Maybe it was the bench. Because when he sat down, next thing he knew he was running through the park again.
His father's voice chuckled. "Barry, son, you are home. Stop this nonsense and sit down. Take a load off".
Barry shook his head and covered his ears. "No, I'm not home. I'm stuck...somewhere. I want to go home. To Iris and Joe. To the others".
"To Iris and Joe? You would rather be with your friends than your own father? What if something happened to me? How would you feel then?"
Barry lowered his hands. "I would be crushed. I would say screw it to the world and do everything in my power to change things. You know how I know this? Because it already happened". A moment of silence as Barry's memories finally returned to him. "And you were the one who killed him".
Nothing. Pure silence. Just Barry's breathing. Then, "Not exactly, but close, Flash. But it no longer matters. You must stay here. It is the only place safe".
Barry barked out a hollow laugh of disbelief. "Keep me safe? When have you ever wanted to keep me safe?"
"You misunderstand, Flash. It is the only place the multiverse is safe from you".
What? From himself? What is it talking about? Barry never...oh. Flashpoint. Savitar. Right.
"This body used to be Zoom. I assume that is who you are referring to. But I am not him, Barry. I am the speedforce's enforcer, the Black Flash. It is my job to regulate speedsters. And you broke the rules". His dead father shifted closer to Barry, radiating tension. "However, your actions last year swayed the rest of the speedforce in your favor. Which is the only reason you are in a replica of Central City instead of the speed force trap you created".
Robots attacking Central City. A teenager, bled dry as Zoom laughed and laughed. A man in yellow, his brother, broken after time in the trap Barry created. Running through dense forest, heart pumping and adrenaline rushing...a golden man on a golden horse...hands slowly cracking, frost filling the gaps between the skin...I'm thinking...alarms blaring through a concrete corridor...the sinking feeling of I should have known...time and space bending and folding until nothing exists anymore.
"Stop. Stop. I want to go home". Cover your ears, Barry. Don't listen, don't look. You're not there. None of this is real.
"Barry, son. I need you calm down. You are home".
"I want to go home" Barry whispered one last time, fighting against the insanity but losing the battle as he started to look up at his father...
"You heard the man. Vacation's over".
And suddenly, a teenager with dark hair and bright green eyes was glaring at his father...at it venomously. The kid was standing in front of a glowing multicolored circle, a swirling path behind it leading out of here. Freedom. His glare then turned on Barry and instantly softened into concern. A familiar expression. Barry knew him, he was an ally. Preston, Peter, no, Percy. "Ready to go, Barry?"
He nodded. He was very ready to go. He slowly walked over to Percy, keeping an eye on the Black Flash the whole time. "He's not just going to let me go".
The son of the seas glanced at Barry with amusement. "It's all good, Flash. I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse".
"Glad to know the Godfather is a staple of the multiverse". Barry muttered, preparing for a fight if needed. He was tired, so tired, but his mind was clearer than it had been in a while.
The Black Flash chuckled without humor, "What can you possibly offer me, boy?"
"I heard what you were saying earlier. Broke the rules, has to stay here, blah blah blah. I kinda tuned out after a while. Dude, your villain monologues are boring. Anyways, you forgot to give Barry his phone call. So I decided to drop by in person and pay bail". The demigod reached behind his back and pulled out a metal sphere. Barry could feel the energy pulsing off of it, though it was contained in whatever contraption Cisco whipped up. This thing was powerful, so very powerful.
"That's not how this works. A speedster must occupy the space. That was the deal when the trap was formed". Henry Allen's face slipped away as the thing grew taller, red lightning whirling around his form. A contorted version of the Flash suit emerged, half the mask torn off to reveal the rotting flesh beneath. The Black Flash. "He cannot leave".
Percy had a mildly nauseous look on his face as he swallowed hard. Barry could see him tighten his grip on something rectangular and metal. "Jeez, dude. You should have stuck with the middle aged man look. Don't you know that zombies went out of style last year?"
The Black Flash merely roared, then lunged forward and grabbed Barry by the shirt, pulling him back further and further from his escape. He clawed at the dirt, trying in vain to fight back but he was losing ground and where was his speed why couldn't he run...
Shnick! A shining silver sword sliced through his shirt, freeing him. Taking advantage, he scrambled back behind Percy as the Black Flash shrieked. The demigod settled into a defensive stance and motioned for Barry to move towards the breach. "Come on, World War Z. Let's tango".
Barry didn't look back. But he could hear the telltale whoosh of the Black Flash running and the surge of water rushing to meet him. Percy shouted in defiance behind him, trying to trap the Black Flash in a ball of water like he had to Barry when they first met. But the Black Flash was composed of the speed force and had learned from Barry's experiences. He wouldn't be caught by that again. When the water surrounded him, he phased into the ground then over, popping back up a few paces from the water.
"That's new". Percy muttered, recalling the water to himself and surrounding them. "Can you help out?"
Barry shook his head. "No, something's off".
"Well that's just fantastic". Percy muttered. "Alright, hold this". The demigod shoved the glowing shiny energy thing. Barry fumbled for it, not knowing if the containment system would protect the energy source from clumsy speedsters. Looking down on it, Barry had the distinct feeling he had never held anything so powerful in his entire life. "What is this?"
"Don't worry about it. Just hold on and don't go through the portal yet". Percy was manipulating the water with ease, forming it into a series of mini cyclones that were keeping the Black Flash back for the moment. "Keep moving! This isn't going to work for long".
Barry agreed. The Black Flash would find a way around him in a minute. He picked up the pace. Because he was not getting stuck in here again.
Just as Barry reached the breach, he heard a grunt of pain from behind him. Percy didn't slow down, but Barry could see that the Black Flash had gotten in a hit. Blood streaked the sleeve of his left arm, flecks splattering the Black Flash anytime Percy attacked.
"Barry! The jewel! It's in a protective casing". Percy paused for a moment to fill the Black Flash's mouth with water, shouting: "You look dehydrated. Got to get some fluids in you!" The demigod then turned back to Barry. "Turn the top three times clockwise".
Barry followed the instructions, turning the top of the glass-like casing thrice. "Done! Now what?"
The demigod surrounded the Black Flash in water so he couldn't use his full speed. "Pull up on the top. You should now see a small groove. There's little black switch, like the off switch on the bottom of a kids toy. Flip that, then press the red button next to it".
As soon as Barry did this, a quiet ticking sound steadily came from the device. "Umm, Percy? Did I just set a bomb?"
Percy laughed as he attempted to slice the Black Flash's hamstrings. "Of course not! It's just an ancient Egyptian artifact that when released will destroy everything within 100 meters". The demigod paused, dodging his enemy's claws again. "You know what, yeah, it's basically a bomb. Just get ready to move".
Percy gathered more water around him, creating one large hurricane that battered the Black Flash back. He then moved his hands closer together, gathering every drop of the water between his hands into a super compact sphere. "Hey ugly! Catch!" The demigod released the sphere with a flick of his wrist. Several tons of water hit the Black Flash in the chest and pushed him into the river. Barry could see the water wrapping around the speedster's limbs as he screeched his way to the bottom of the river. Percy brushed off his hands, then walked over to Barry. "I won't be able to hold him there for long, but we only need 30 seconds. Give me the jewel".
Barry gratefully handed the explosive gem to Percy. The demigod put his hands on either side and started chanting something that sounded like...well, mostly like gibberish to Barry. But it must have meant something because the sphere started to glow even more. With one final sentence, the sphere was carefully deposited on the ground outside the breach. Percy slapped his right shoulder, a gossamer coating covering him. A metal smartwatch gleamed on his wrist as the demigod carefully monitored the time. He paused to grab a water bottle from the hot dog stand and stuff it in his pocket. Percy stepped through the breach, but held out his hand to stop Barry from following. "Hold on, we have to time this right. If we mess this up, it'll probably destroy both us and Central City. Worst of all, I would never hear the end of it from Annabeth. And when you count the Underworld, she could literally lord this over me for eternity".
Barry thought Percy's priorities were a bit off, but he would appreciate not destroying the city he worked so hard to save. So he stood perfectly still, waiting for the word from the demigod. Finally, Percy looked up from the watch and fingered a button on the band.
"On my count, jump through the breach. 5...4...3...2..1...NOW!"
Barry didn't hesitate, leaping through the glowing circle just as the sphere behind him cracked open. He didn't hear an explosion, but could feel the surge of energy as soon as he cleared the breach. Percy grabbed his arm and pushed a button on his watch, the breach closing behind them. They were traveling fast, really fast, through the multiverse. This felt different than when Cisco or Barry went through the multiverse. They could actually see things on the sides of their multicolored tunnel. Some of them were other earths. There was a particularly nasty looking place. His speedster abilities may be a bit wonky right now, but he definitely knew that was Earth-X and he should never go there. There were also glimpses of the past, some he recognized and others he didn't. Given the monsters and the people in them, he figured they were Percy's memories. And then, well, he saw some things that confused him. If you asked him later, he wouldn't remember what he saw. But he knew it was the future. And it scared him.
"Barry! Barry, I need you to breathe. You're not breathing, and you're face is getting all blue and wrinkly. You look like a smurf. It's not a good look on you. Barry!" Percy was yelling at him, but Barry couldn't answer. His throat had swelled shut, his brain was melting. Focus, Barry. Breathe in, breathe out. But he couldn't breathe at all. Heart racing, Barry clawed at his throat and tried to convey to Percy that he was freaking dying here, do something! Percy seemed to get the message, hesitating for a minute before yelling at Barry to run. But Barry was running, he had been the whole time he was in the speedforce. As they got closer to earth, Barry could feel himself slowing down and solidifying. Everything was moving in slow motion, like when he was running fast. But he was standing still, and couldn't save himself from the effects of the breach tunnel. All he could do was float there and watch his hands crack slowly, filling the gaps between the skin with icy frost.
He shook his head, causing Percy to mutter uncomplimentary things about science, the multiverse, and his own sanity. The demigod seemed to come to a decision, grabbing the water in his right hand and reaching for his shoulder with the left. Barry realized what Percy was doing in an instant and tried to argue, but he couldn't move anymore. The son of the sea took a deep breath, then ripped what looked like a giant metal pin off his shirt while simultaneously bursting the water bottle. The water slowly moved to cover the now blue demigod as he shakily pinned the metal to Barry's shoulder, then activated it. At first, Barry thought nothing had happened. But suddenly he could breathe again. He greedily gulped oxygen, noticing that Percy had covered himself with the water. While the demigod was a little pale, he was no longer blue and was breathing the water normally. Or, at least as normal as a person breathing water could be.
Barry could see the end of the breach approaching. Suddenly, he was electrocuted. Yup, electrocuted. Just add it to the list of reasons why this day was awful. He shook it off, rubbing his head through the suit and focused on the end of the breach. But then, he was hit again by electricity. The suit, Barry realized. His friends were activating a defibrillator. Percy grabbed his shoulder, checked that he was okay, then pulled him closer to their earth. Finally, in a burst of light and energy, the pair were spit out on the floor of the particle accelerator.
Barry couldn't remember much after that. He knew that Caitlin was angry at Percy for some reason, that Joe and Iris were fussing over him. He nodded and interacted as best he could, but his throat was so raw that the best he could do was the sputter a slurred "villain?" at Joe. Reassured that his family wasn't in immediate danger from a homicidal super villain, he decided to take his first nap in...well...however long he had been in the speedforce.
He was jogging through the Central City park, stopping at a hot dog stand for some water. He did this every morning, the routine feeling equally comfortable and restrictive. Glancing around at the other joggers, he sat next to his father on a park bench.
"Barry, you have no idea what you've done". Henry Allen was upset. Barry wasn't sure why. He wasn't late, they met here every week. What could he have done? After asking that much, his father responded, "You left, Barry. Replaced yourself with a trinket, one that has been lost for centuries".
He scrunched his forehead, confused. "I'm right here, dad. What trinket? What are you talking about?"
His father stood up, clearly perturbed at his son. "I took you out of there! I gave you peace, tranquility, knowledge. And you left anyways. I will not sent our hunter after you, Barry Allen. But you will wish I had before the end". Henry Allen then walked away, ignoring Barry's cries of confusion and dismay.
"Dad! Don't go, wait for me!" But Barry couldn't move, his feet were trapped. The more he struggled, the deeper he fell into the dirt until it was up to his neck and covering his face...
"Barry!" Someone appeared next to him. She looked familiar. But she wasn't helping him, was taking his father away from him. He had to stop her.
An arm broke free of the restrictive dirt. He swung wildly, connecting with another person next to him. Struggling with all the energy he had, he freed his other arm, and then his legs. He climbed out of the dirt and ran.
"He shouldn't be up yet! He's going to hurt himself!"
Strong hands stopped him, holding him in place. "Barry! Stop! I'm trying to keep you safe!"
No. No, no, no. He was back. The speed force was still here, restraining him, trying to keep him from going home. It couldn't have him, it couldn't. So he reared his head back and rammed it into the person in restraining him. He tried to use his speed, but he only got about 100 meters until his body gave out. No. They couldn't keep him here. He would crawl out if he had to. Just keep moving. Towards the elevator. Get out. Get out. Get out.
A smack on his face made the world around him spin. A scary looking girl was standing in front of him, blocking his way. Lightning. Red. Death and war. War and peace make final stand. All...
Something entered his arm through his bruised skin. Slowly, his mind cleared. Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus. List the facts.
He's in Star Labs, by the elevator. Judging by the trail of sweat he left behind him, he came from the cortex. Probably the medical wing. The scarily fierce girl is still in front of him, Caitlin and a blonde girl to his left. Wally is trying to get him to his feet on the right, while Iris helps a boy with startlingly blonde hair juggle a plethora of bottles and needles. And behind him...
"Percy?" The demigod grins as Barry tentatively pokes him. Real. Too many people here to be the speed force. He really is out.
"Hey man? Decide to stop the runaway patient routine?" The demigod looks tired, his arm wrapped in white bandages. And his nose is bleeding. Great. He must have been who was restraining Barry. He winced and gestured to the demigod's nose. "Sorry about that".
"No worries. Its minor enough that water should fix it right up. You know where you are?"
Barry nodded. He grinned at Wally and gave Iris a hug, then apologized profusely to Caitlin, who quickly waved him off. "Disorientation is perfectly normal, Barry. I just wasn't expecting you to wake up so soon".
"Yeah, we thought you would sleep for at least 12 more hours. We gave you lots and lots of the really good drugs". The blonde haired boy finally managed to extract a hand from his load of medication and stuck it out to Barry. "Will Solace. Son of Apollo and camp medic". Son of who now? Barry raised one eyebrow at Percy, who shrugged. "Your friends came to get me, figured you could use all the help you could get. Girl in front of you is Clarisse, daughter of Ares. Next to Caitlin is Annabeth, daughter of Athena and my girlfriend. She helped with the jewel that..."
Barry wasn't listening anymore, his mind fixed on the familiar blonde. Annabeth. He was certain he had never met her, and yet...
"Barry? Barry, you okay?" That was Caitlin, a concerned hand resting on his jaw. She was trying to get him to look at her, but he kept staring at the daughter of Athena. Finally, he whispered in a voice that didn't sound like his own, "Wisdom's daughter walks alone. The Mark of Athena burns through Rome". Turning to Percy, he felt the same urge to speak come over him, stating, "A son of the eldest gods, shall reach sixteen against all odds".
Those comments got a reaction from the demigods around him, but he wasn't done yet. Turning back to Annabeth, he murmured, "Wisdom's daughter caught in webs. When intellect fails, sanity ebbs".
His breathed heavily for a moment, then his mind cleared. Everyone around him was looking like he had grown horns. "What?"
"Jeez man, what's with the exorcist routine?" That would be Cisco, who nearly dropped a half-finished drone. "If you're going to get all creepy, I'm going to start carrying around holy water".
Then, there was another, younger Cisco standing next to him. Barry blinked, wondering if he was seeing double or hallucinating. The double looked much more serious than Cisco, though it didn't look like that expression was often on his face. "Dude" he turned to Percy with concern, "I think your speedster friend just spouted a prophecy. Is that normal?"
Percy shook his head, glancing at Will. "No. Not normal at all".
Great. This day was off to a fantastic start. As everyone looked at him with suspicion and concern, Barry forced himself not to panic. They would figure this out. He was home now. Stop panicking. Focus. Breathe in, breathe out.
In the maximum security wing of Iron Heights, the prisoners were fast asleep. All except for one. He hummed quietly to himself as he carefully carved his mantra, the focus of his life, into the floor. Using a screw from his bed, he ignored the dark red dripping from his shredded hands as he admired his work. Satisfied, Baron Katana washed his hands mechanically and then slipped into bed. Below him, the meticulously carved words stood out against the darkness:
Earths bane hides in sight,
Gateway and guide will find the light.
Upon this steel vision builds his church,
Half dozen gone, then starts the search.
Wisdom's daughter caught in webs,
When intellect fails, sanity ebbs,
War and peace make final stand
All elements rage and death is at hand.
