Karry Prime.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, although Millie and I likely own Rae Garrick.
Facebook: FanFiction Millma Verse Page.
Note: Last chapter I asked you guys to give opinions on if this story should be continued once I finish the plot I have currently, and while response was good, it wasn't great. That said, I am going to stop this story soon and re-evaluate my focus to being Millie's Beta, rather than an actual story writer. That's not to say you won't see me or Prime again, as I have a few ideas what to do here, and I will still be posting up for SuperEarth and even Extranormal (I have plots there too) for limited stories, both of which I'm excited about. So, including this chapter, there are now four chapters of Prime to go before I stop. Sorry if this disappoints some of you, but that's just what it is. I have some great stuff coming in the next few chapter though. And of course, this chapter too, which I hope you guys enjoy.
The Inmate.
Barry, Rae, the puppy Clark and Cisco stepped out on the grassy verge of a familiar island. Only it seemed unfamiliar to the two from Prime as they gaped at the fortified prison, even seeing San Francisco behind it, seemingly unchanged from their own earth.
"Before we go in… a little background?" Barry asked, stopping Rae.
"On my Barry?" Rae frowned at that as Barry nodded. "Erm. Okay. Well, when my dad died, Henry and Nora took me in. Because of my speed, it stopped Barry from doing the stuff kids want to do at his age, especially as my speed had to be kept a secret from others. He resented me as he grew up and… well, he became the Reverse Flash because of it." She looked down at that, puppy Clark rubbed against her leg now, comforting her. "Like I said, he killed my Justice League." Rae put a hand on Clark as she said it and the reason behind the puppy name became clear. She had named him after her dead friend.
"Henry and Nora… they're still alive?" Barry asked, a little cautiously now deciding to move off the Justice League. He needed to know.
"Yeah, of course," Rae nodded. She must have known that Nora on Karry had died though, so she could connect the dots from Barry's question to his own life.
"So, he had loving parents and still became…?" Barry asked as he sense Cisco's agitation behind. Cisco wanted to get this over and done with, he assumed.
"Yeah. And a loving cousin," Rae sighed at this. "You know, despite everything I still love him. I still care for him. Is that… is that bad?" She looked up at Barry now.
"Of course not," Barry shook his head, instantly coming to this conclusion. "You don't choose love – it chooses you," he was thinking of Kara as he said this, but it covered family love too, he knew it.
"Okay. Come on," Rae stated, her voice resolute as she led the way to the entrance of the prison.
Once inside and passed security, who seemed to just let the Flash through with smiles and no questions, they paused before they reached the cell that had to contain this world's Barry. Rae turned to Prime Barry though as she said, seriously: "I'll go first. Keep an eye on Clark." Her dog was by her feet, but as she said this he lifted his head up and moved over to Barry, as if he knew exactly what Rae had said. But Barry knew enough about Kryptonian dogs, suspecting this puppy was one, to know how intuitive they were to their mistresses or masters.
"Flash…" Barry heard his own voice come from the cell as Barry clenched his fist, "you have nothing better to do than come see me? I guess since I killed your League you have no one else of power to cry to."
"Shut up. I'm the one who wanted to see you," Prime Barry moved forward as he saw the familiar prisoner he had talked to so recently in the speed force. Shabby, in a brown jumpsuit and pale.
"You're back?" The prisoner Barry stated and Prime glanced to Rae at this before remembering she had encountered Karry Universe first. It figured they were the ones that this other Barry was referring to.
"Wrong Barry," Prime Barry confirmed. "I'm not from Karry."
"Come here to see the caged animal?" Reverse Flash Barry mocked.
"No." Prime stated, unsure exactly what he wanted to say or find out now he was here, but the speed force version of this Barry had been very vague on how he became the prisoner before him and Rae had only revealed so much. "I came here to see how a version of me could become everything I hate," Prime Barry muttered, glaring at his counterpart. "How could you become the Reverse Flash?"
"The 'how' is right next to you," Reverse Flash Barry said, indicating Rae, he right by the glass pane now and giving Rae a look. "She came into my life and ruined everything… I did all this in her name. She now feels the pain she caused me. All the friends I couldn't have. Every time her mishaps with her powers caused me pain. All of it!" Prime Barry remembered what his speed force counterpart had said – 'my life was ruined by the speed force, so I took my revenge. I used my greatest threat and turned it to my advantage. I killed everyone who my cousin held dear just to get back at her' – and knew this Reverse Flash wasn't bothering to lie, to manipulate his Prime counterpart. "You could have easily been me… brother"
"Don't call me brother." Prime Barry snapped at his this as he felt Cisco put a reassuring hand on his shoulder momentarily – Cisco knew what he had been through; what the Reverse Flash of Prime had done to him, how he had changed his life. It disgusted Barry that he, any version of himself, could become something like that.
"So, your parents took in your little cousin? Oh, boo-hoo," Prime Barry now spat, explaining himself through the anger he now felt. "My mom was murdered while my dad arrested for it. I was saved from the foster system by a friend, but everyone thought I was insane – the boy who saw a man in the lightning. That doesn't get you friends. I lost everything in one night; I had more reason to turn bad than anyone, but I didn't." He realized that as he said it. "I stood above that and became a hero."
Reverse Flash Barry rolled his eyes at this, but Prime wasn't quite done; thoughts spiraled as he continued to talk, "You know, Reverse Flash, I got my dad free from jail only for him to be killed by my next enemy. Life was not easy, but I stand above it with my friends at my side. You… you on the other hand, from what I understand you had loving parents who are still alive! You had a little cousin who could do the impossible, who was a little sister I never got to have. You know how much I would have loved that? How you should have loved that? You're pathetic. You couldn't accept having a little sister in your life and became a shadow of her in the end. Don't compare us."
"Oh blah-blah-blah!" Reverse Flash Barry moaned, making a mouth action with one of his hands, obviously not having listened to a word Prime Barry had said as Prime rolled his eyes. "Pretty boy Flash got to be everything I'm not. So, what?"
"Shut it!" Rae snapped, Barry about to have a retort to this too, but was glad Rae stopped the conversation before he broke his double out of the cell to beat him up. "Guess what Barry?" She now spoke to her cousin. "You killing the League was not my fault. You becoming this was your choice not mine." Clark barked from his spot now beside her again. "Besides, in case you didn't know, I have a new League. Friends who are helping me take down scum like you. You only made us stronger in the end." Clark barked again his approval at this as Prime Barry smiled at the pup while Reverse Flash Barry now glared at the dog instead. "And guess what?" Rae continued, a smile on her face now. "I'm happy. You lose."
"I took everything from you! You can't be happy!" Reverse Flash Barry yelled, Prime frowning at this.
"I thought that once, and I held onto sadness, but in the end, you can't make someone miserable forever unless they choose to be." These were wise words and Prime Barry was impressed by them. He made a mental note to remember those words. "A lot has happened to me since you ended up here. I found out Premo was a jerk – that hurt a lot. No offense, Vibe."
"None taken – he is a jerk," Cisco muttered, Prime Barry lost at this reference.
"But you didn't take everything. You took my old League, you took my mentor, my friends, and my family. Their loss will always be with me, but so will they. Everything they taught me. Everything we shared, it's in here." Rae pointed at her heart. "They are a part of me now, and they would not want me to be sad. I have a life to live and I refuse to let you win, so I am going to be happy. I'm choosing to be happy." Clark barked a third time at this as Prime Barry wondered exactly what Rae had gone through in the speed force – it sounded like it was more than feelings of guilt and inadequacy that he had to face. He almost wanted to ask but felt it was too personal to ask. "I've got great friends. Building a new League – and I've got an awesome dog."
"And she got a new cousin," Prime Barry spoke up, putting a hand on Rae's shoulder now. "Multiple of them, across the multiverse." He had to keep remembering that Karry Universe had been here before. "Anytime you need me…"
Reverse Flash hit the glass-like wall at this, but Rae turned now, not wanting to see him as Barry glared at his double.
"One thing," Rae turned back to her real cousin, a stray thought obviously coming to her. "Why did you stay?"
"What?" Reverse Flash Barry spat back at this as Prime decided to keep out of it. He did keep an ear on this though, wondering where Rae was going with this.
"I made your life hell, I get that, but why did you stay when you could have left? You could have seen the world and made new friends in new places. Built a life for yourself…" Prime had to consider this himself. If he had someone in his life who made it hell, pushing him away from everyone, the option to run away and start again seemed like a good one. If he had the finances to do so he would – being a CSI would have worked anywhere across the country.
"Why should I have had to?" Reverse Flash Barry snarled at this. "You were the one who stepped into my life – you should have left."
"But that's not… I had no choice. Your parents adopted me, I was never going to leave home like that. Besides, I had no reason to go. I was happy. You were the one not happy with your life. Not me." Rae spluttered back.
"Took the words out of my mouth," Reverse Flash Barry stepped back away from the glass now. "Well, most of them."
"Too stubborn," Rae sighed in conclusion as Prime Barry kept silent on this.
"Hey, it's Hydroman," Cisco distracted Barry as he turned to see the water meta in the cell opposite Reverse Flash. It seemed weird to see Cole Denier as a bad guy on other Earths. He worked for ARGUS on Prime now. Agent Denier. It was funny, but his water abilities were useful to ARGUS.
"Could be H2-No," Barry had to point out, as he ignored the shouts from his counterpart.
"What?" Rae asked, moving away from her cousin's cell but looking at them. "CatCo and Daily Planet call him Water Jet."
"Damn… H2-No is better than that," Cisco said, as Barry chortled, remembering Cisco's severe dislike of the name 'H2-No', "and don't ever tell Karry Cisco I said that." Cisco added, as Prime Barry smirked on that comment.
"We done?" Barry asked Rae, glancing at his angered double as Rae simple nodded. They headed to the exit, led by the guard who had been waiting just down the row from them.
…
"Hey Rae," Cisco spoke as they left Alcatraz. "Your teleport technology –"
"Zap Tunnels?" Rae corrected.
"Yeah them. Well, I'm looking into similar technology back home – I wonder if you know the specs as to what makes yours work?" Cisco had to at least try.
"Not a clue," Rae shrugged. "They were up and running by the time I was inducted into the original Justice League. How they're maintained, and work is beyond me. If Red Tornado was here I would suggest asking him," at this point, Karry Universe was still repairing her Red Tornado, "although you could ask Adam or Frankie."
"Frankie?" Barry spoke up.
"Our Cisco," Rae responded, and Barry nodded – he could see how the name Francisco could be either Frankie or Cisco.
"And Adam?" Barry momentarily wondered if Adam Grant was working for Rae in her League.
"Their Ray Palmer," Cisco stated. "He was adopted or something?" He turned to Rae who shrugged. "Okay then, I'll ask Adam," Cisco was resolute at this.
"Why not ask Frankie? He is you, after all," Barry pointed out but did a doubletake at the glares from both Cisco and Rae. It was obvious that Frankie was a sore spot here and the comment about Premo earlier suddenly made sense.
Cisco though, used that opportunity to open a portal which Barry waste no time in stepping through.
-Karry Prime-
Barry expected Cisco to send them back to Prime but had been shocked to find himself in a different base altogether. He should have expected it was not home though, since Rae and her puppy were still with them, having stepped through the portal after him.
"Welcome to New Justice's Watchtower," Cisco stated, "in space…"
"I thought…" Barry started. "Space, huh?"
"We'll head back home shortly, but I want the Zap Tunnel tech," Cisco pointed out as Rae moved off, with Clark still beside her. A moment a later, Ray Palmer appeared – both Cisco and Barry grinned at his appearance.
"Adam," Cisco spoke up and Barry paused. It seemed strange to call this man Adam.
Rae and Clark reappeared behind Adam at that point, and then there was another Cisco with her – only this one had short hair and a mustache.
"You can't give it to them!" the other Cisco said, and Barry remembered he was called Frankie. Cisco glared at his double.
"What are you even doing here?" Cisco asked.
"Trying to stop Rae from making a mistake. I have tried to get her to stop this multiverse stuff. She should have never…" Frankie started.
"I don't answer to you," Rae cut off her Frankie before Barry could. Barry could see why both Cisco and Rae did not like this version of his friend. "I am the leader of the Justice League." Barry remembered thinking Rae was used to giving orders, and now he knew why. She was a leader, like he should be. "You're a member, so here's an order for you: Get used to the multiverse."
Frankie had an indignant look on his face, looked like he was about to reply, but instead opened a portal for himself.
"Hey," Cisco called making his double turn around. "Get a better attitude. You're giving me a bad name…" Frankie rolled his eyes at this, before he left. Rae smirked at Cisco's remark though.
"Sorry about him. He wasn't always like this. You should have seen him when we started Team Flash. I think he could be that man again if he wanted to," Rae said a little sadly. "Adam will take care of you. I told him what you need. I'm going to go to the Island…"
"Home Base," Adam interrupted.
"Home Base," Rae said with a smile, "and call Karry. I need an update, then I need to go talk to my aunt and uncle."
"Don't worry," Adam spoke up at this, "I'm the resident nerd here. I can get the information you require…" Adam turned back to a computer as Rae went to push something into another computer.
"Nerd… I like that," Rae said with a smirk before she and Clark left through the zap chortled at Rae's comment as she left and started typing.
"Hey, can we have a space station?" Cisco asked Barry as Adam found out the specs for their Zap Tunnel tech.
"Do you happen to have several billion dollars in your back pocket?" Barry mused – as much as he was impressed by this Watchtower, it was a bit too grand, a bit too over the top for his liking. Besides, now he'd faced his evil self, he just wanted to get back home and talk to Kara.
"But… space…" Cisco pouted, pointing to the window.
"What happened to your ideas for our Watchtower?" Barry had to ask; ever since Karry Universe had their wasteland-based Watchtower, Cisco had wanted his own. The last Barry knew though, Cisco wanted to dig below STAR Labs – a sort of underground base for their heroes.
"Not feasible," Cisco sat down at that. "Too expensive and we'd need permission from the City government and without revealing it's for superheroes it would never get the go-ahead. You know, I'm at a loss of what to do now. I don't want to copy Karry, but it makes sense to throw up a tower somewhere…"
"What about a boat?" Adam was the one who voiced this and both Barry and Cisco turned to look at him now. He had already printed out the specs and was listening in to their conversation. "I have an uncle who works down the docks and they retire and strip down old cargo ships for only a few thousand here. Don't see why it wouldn't be the same on your Earth, and with the right maintenance and care those things can last many more years – you could set up base on one of those." He suggested.
"A boat?" Cisco mused as he moved back up to Adam, looking at the information he had printed out for Cisco and raising an eyebrow at this. "Hey, this is actually pretty easy tech. If we did get a boat and set up one or two Zap Tunnel things there, we'd have easy access for the vigilantes in our team; Kara and the dogs can easily fly there and –"
"Speedsters can run on water and up walls," Barry added with a smirk, liking seeing Cisco excited by something new. "You know, owning shares in Palmer Tech and running STAR Labs… I can easily contribute to, and help maintain, a cargo ship," thinking of somewhere other than STAR Labs for his team and the Justice Society felt like progress – he felt so far behind other Earths, especially this onel Rae had went to something called Home Base which she had at first called an Island, meaning they had a space station and an island. It was pretty impressive. Even more impressive than Karry, and Barry had to wonder how long the Justice League had been a round to have all this.
"Awesome," Cisco grinned, turning back to Adam. "And thanks. Any time you guys need me – well a better me," he didn't mention Frankie by name, "just call. There are instructions on the system technology but it's surprisingly straightforward. If our Ray can handle it, you can too Adam."
"Cool," Adam nodded.
"Come on Barry, I think it's time we head home," Cisco pocketed the paperwork as he turned to Barry. "Lucky I can vibe from space or else we'd be screwed," he added as he pulled on his vibe goggles and stretched out his hand, a portal opening in front of him as Barry sped around, gave Adam a nod and stepped through the breach. Cisco followed as their portal closed, leaving New Justice World behind.
Post chapter note: I hope you like the introduction of Prime's advancements. Next time, something no one might expect will happen for Kara and Barry back on Prime.
Please REVIEW.
Karry Beta OUT!
