Disclaimer: The following is a nonprofit Fan based story; The FLASH and all related characters are owned by DC comics, the CW and anyone I may have missed.

Like I always seem to say to the point of redundancy (doesn't mean it's any less true) I love everyone who Reviews, Favorites and or Follows any of my stories. Again, if I didn't respond I apologize and just let me know.

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I will say that I am not one hundred percent pleased with this chapter, if felt sloppy and all over the place mainly because I was setting up several plot lines but hopefully it is clear enough for all of you.

Okay once more I thank you all for showing interest in this story. That is seriously my motivation to continue, that and how this story ends.


The Flash: Survival of the Fastest

Chapter 8: Ben's Blackouts


Godspeed's Lair

Godspeed sat in his lair looking at his mask while his face was obscured by shadows. Speed Demon had left him a message at the cost of the Tempest Twin's lives. He cared little for the Tempest twins, sure he had saved them from Frost, but that was after he had murdered their Earth's Barry Allen for what he did to her.

"My Lord Godspeed!" Godspeed immediately put on his cowl and turned around to be met with the blinding light of his most devout soldiers. The white clad speedster could barely make out the man's figure at times because on the dazzling light. "I must advise against this. Allow me to deal with the Heretic Speed Demon!"

"That will not be necessary." Godspeed said. "The only thing Speed Demon cares about more that killing me is his precious Time Line and killing me will disrupt it. And I believe I told you not to call me 'My Lord' I know on your Earth Speedsters are revered as Gods but that does not make me one."

"Your humility knows no bounds, my lord." Godspeed smiled beneath his mask as his follower vanished in a flash of yellow light.

"I hate to say it but I agree with him." Godspeed turned to see his right-hand woman. "You going out to face Speed Demon could only mean disaster. He will kill you."

"Speed Demon will not kill me, everything I have ever done to him has been for his own good and still he insists on this rebellious streak."

"To be fair, you did murder his mentor. You know, the one he developed a sort of father-son bond with."

"That man turned Speed Demon against me, against all of us!"

"I am sorry, I know how… touchy… this subject is for you."

"Whatever, how're our friends in Star City?"

"The Green Arrow and his team will no longer be a problem. I've dealt with them." Godspeed smirked beneath his mask.

"Good. Now excuse me Olvida, I have an errand to run before my meeting with Speed Demon." Godspeed took off at fantastic speeds leaving Olvida behind.


Earth-2 Central City S.T.A.R. Labs

A blue portal opened in the middle of STAR Labs and out came a stream of yellow lightning holding Vibe.

"Alright, we made it." Wally said happily.

Cisco doubled over trying to quell his stomach. "Damn… I will never get used to that…"

"Who's there?" Cisco and Wally looked up to see good old Harry aiming a plasma rifle at them.

"Hey Harry." Wally waved.

Harry lowered his rifle. "Oh great… it's you two… tell me, what kind of trouble has Allen gotten himself into this time?"

Cisco shook his head. "You would not believe me if I told you… which is why we need you and Jesse."

Wells opened up some kind of wrist communicator. "Jesse, come on down to the Breach Room, we have guests."

There was a flash of yellow lightning and Jesse was suddenly in the room giving both Cisco and Wally hugs. "Hey guys!" She said happily.

"Hey Jesse" Wally blushed a little before noting the dirty look Harry was giving him. "Uh look, I… uh we… need your help."

"With what?"

"Oh, just the yearly psychopathic speedster hunting Barry's ass." Cisco surmised. "You know, the usual."

"Yeah, I'd be happy to help you guys out!" Jesse said happily.

"Great!" Cisco clapped his hands together. "You coming Harry?"

"Of course, I am. You think I'm going to leave my daughter alone with you two, especially young West over here think again."

"Um, hello. I'm right here." Wally argued.

"Great, now hold on to your lunches, we have two more stops to make before we return to Earth Prime." Cisco began to concentrate and open a new breach.

"Earth-Prime? Since when is that a thing?" Wells asked

"Since Jay told us our Earth is the center of the Multiverse. Ergo Earth-Prime."


Earth-Prime S.T.A.R. Labs Caitlin's Lab

While the rest of the team was gathering their forces Barry, Caitlin and Ben were in Caitlin's lab. Ben sat in a machine with his head hooked up to dozens of wires.

"You sure you want to do this?" Caitlin asked. "There are other ways."

"No. I have to do this." Ben said "I have to know why I am blacking out. And I want it to stop."

Caitlin did not like this plan at all, but she went along with it because Ben had inherited his father's pigheadedness. "Ok… But I am not fine with this for the record."

"Alright, are you ready Ben?" Barry asked as he finished strapping his son into the chair.

Ben opened his mouth and Barry inserted a mouth guard to prevent Ben from biting his tongue

"We're ready in Three… two… one…" Caitlin slowly counted down before turning the machine on. Amongst the three of them Caitlin was against this plan.

Ben grunted in pain as a small electrical charge surged through his body. He felt pain and began to drift into a memory and his body went limp.

Caitlin and Barry watched Ben go limp and Dr. Snow immediately made a move to check on her son but Barry held her back. "No, wait Cait! Please… we have to see this through." Ben began to convulse against his restraints. Seeing him struggle hurt Caitlin emotionally.

"Barry, I can't stand idly by and watch him suffer like this!"

"I know Cait, but please Ben is strong. He'll get through this. And no matter what happens in his mind, we will be there for him." Barry gently rubber her arm calming her down.


November 21, 2020

When Ben opened his eyes, he was lost in a memory, one where he was a little kid. He looked to be about five years old which meant he was actually two.

"Ben" Ben turned around to see His dad standing in the doorway.

"DADDY!" Little Ben ran across the room at high speed and embraced his father in a tight hug. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too Best buddy." Barry wrapped his arms around his tiny son. "But I want to know, how could you miss me? I've only been gone for what? Ten minutes?"

"It felt like forever!"

"Barry? Are you home?" Ben and Barry turned towards the stairs to see Caitlin slowly making her way down them, right hand on the railing while her left rested on her slightly swollen belly.

"Hey Cait." Barry picked up Ben and went over to his wife taking her right hand and guiding her down the rest of the steps before embracing her.

"So, how was your day?" Caitlin asked her husband.

"Oh, you know. It was OK. Got a lot better once I got home."

"Mommy, when's my little brother going to be here?" Ben asked tugging on her sleeve.

Caitlin gave her baby boy a curious look before smiling. "How do you know it will be a boy?"

Ben smiled brightly. "I just know!"

"Well, maybe it'll be a little girl, and you will have a baby sister instead." Barry teased.

Ben pouted and shook his head. "Nope! Baby brother!"

Ben's world began to blur and shift and soon he was lost in a new memory, one that he did not recognize.

In this new dream he was running around what must have been Central City. Yellow lightning cascaded off of him as he ran around the city. One thing Ben noticed was that he was not the only Speedster running around. There were dozens of other speedsters running around each one of them had a different color of lightning. Some had red, some had blue, other still had pink, green, and even other thing he noticed what the white suit he was wearing, it was very different than the suit he usually wore. It was almost exactly like his father's except it was white. It was spooky similar to Godspeed's suit, though there were differences.

One speedster came up next to him cloaked in red lightning. "R... run..." He whispered before screaming in agony. Ben looked over his shoulder to see Speed Demon driving a large scythe through his body.

The Black speedster was billowing crimson flames and black lightning. He seemed to relish in the murder of another speedster as he absorbed his Speed Force.

"NO!" Ben screamed as he took a swipe at Speed Demon.

The Black speedster moved out of the way easily and grabbed Ben by the throat. Out of the corner of his eye Ben noticed a large screen with a news report. He cared little about the information, instead he focused on the date.


May 12 2030

"Why do you hate me?" Ben yelled at the monster. "We could have been partners! Heroes even! Even better than my dad!"

Speed Demon charged Ben with remarkable speed forcing the young Flash to move out of the way and initiate a chase between the two of them. Their fight was fast and brutal with Ben able to bring Speed Demon to his knees for the first time ever. Ben thrust a vibrating hand towards Speed Demon's stomach piercing through him. The black speedster grabbed Ben's wrist tightly holding the hand firmly in place in his stomach as crimson lightning formed a blade around his right hand. Ben's eye widened in horror as Speed Demon swung his arm down.

Ben roared in pain, both in his dream and in reality, as Speed Demon sliced his right arm off. The Young speedster collapsed to his knees Blood poured from the remaining stump halfway down his bicep.

"Go ahead… kill me…" Ben groaned

Speed Demon stood over him stalking him like a predator before crouching to his level. He clutched Ben's face with a clawed glove. Ben mustered up some strength and spat blood into Speed Demon's flaming face. it sizzled and boiled on contact but otherwise showed no indication that it affected him.

"You'll never win… This city will never turn against me… They will never flock to you."


Present Time

Barry and Caitlin watched as Ben dreamed and convulsed before screaming. They did whatever they could to minimalize the quasi-seizures until suddenly Ben went completely still and quiet.

"Is he…?" Caitlin started to ask but she was suddenly cut off by a yelp when Ben jolted awake and gasped for air startling Barry and Caitlin.

The young speedster's left arm shot to his right bicep just feeling the other arm to make sure what he saw wasn't real. "Ben!" Immediately they started to unhook him from the machine.

"Are you OK? What did you see? Do you remember anything?" Caitlin was firing off questions at a mile a minute.

Ben looked from his mother to his father before shaking his head. "Nothing… can't remember anything…"

"What do you mean you can't remember anything?" Barry asked.

"I mean I remember my life up to 2024, but the next five years are mostly a blur. I can't remember anything between 2024 and 2029 before Speed Demon arrived!" Ben buried his head in his hands out of frustration. Something was wrong with his mind, removing his memories of the last five years of his life and there was nothing he nor his parents could do about it.

"There is one thing I'm trying to figure out but I can't…"

"What is it?" Barry asked

Ben said clutching his head. "I remember him killing you, mom…" Caitlin's brown eyes widened slightly. Last she heard, they all had a wonderful life and here he was telling her that she was going to be murdered.

"I… I'm going to be murdered?" Caitlin asked terrified.

"I don't know Caitlin… Half my brain is saying we live a long happy life and the other is saying you die shortly after I am born." Caitlin felt Barry's hand intertwin with her own giving her some form of comfort.

"Who kills Caitlin in your memories?" Barry asked on behalf of his girlfriend.

"I don't know… I can't remember his face or even his name! For all I know 'he' might actually be a 'she!' There's still the possibility that I could be wrong about her whole murder." Ben punched the wall in frustration. "There's the chance that Godspeed might just steal your speed Caitlin and we all end up living that happy life! But that does not explain why Speed Demon thinks I killed his brother!" Ben slid to his knees clutching his fist as Barry and Caitlin slid onto the floor next to him.

This ordeal with both Speed Demon and Godspeed was going to be excruciatingly difficult on all of them. Barry turned to Caitlin, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Don't worry Ben… No body's going to hurt Caitlin. I promise you. I will not let anyone harm her.

"And I won't lose my speed to Godspeed." Caitlin gently rubbed her hand in circles on Ben's back. "Nothing will ever tear us apart."


Earth-3 Central City

In the Earth-3 version of Central City Jay Garrick was running around protecting the civilians of his beloved city. Right now, he was off to the park to stop one of his more persistent enemies Thorn.

The woman before him, Rhosyn 'Rose' Forrest, held out her arms and large tendrils of vines covered in thorns erupted from the ground. Thrusting them forward the vines tried to skewer the older Flash but the man in the helmet easily maneuvered around the vines. "How many times are we going to do this dance Flash?"

"Until you stop breaking out of Prison Rose." Jay said taking the helmet off his head. He wound up and threw his helmet like a Frisbee or rather a flying Buzzsaw. The helmet, almost like it had a mind of its own sliced through the vines before Jay caught it harmlessly in his hand.

Thorn was about to unleash another when she was thrown aside by streaks of yellow lightning. The evil meta-human looked up to see two young speedsters standing between her and the Flash.

She looked past them to Jay and chuckled. "I didn't know it was 'Take Your Kids to Work Day'. Tell me who are you two supposed to be?"

"Name's Kid Flash."

"And I'm Jesse Quick."

"Cute" Thorn mocked "The more for me to-" She was suddenly cut off by Jay scooping her up and slapping a pair of power dampening cuffs on her before zooming her into the back of a nearby police cruiser.

"I had this under control." Jay said to the two younger speedsters. If he were being honest he liked these two a lot more than he liked Barry. The Flash of Earth-1, despite all of his heroics, made a lot of mistakes and abused his powers.

"We know." Wally said. "We're just here because we need your help."

"What is it this time?" Jay asked. "Has Barry managed to tick off another Deity?"

"Well… It's more like the Devil." Jesse said.


Earth-Prime Star City Mayor's Office

Mayor Oliver Queen sat at his desk doing his usual business of running his city when his phone rang.

"Mr. Mayor, I have a call incoming from an Iris West-Thawne. She said she has urgent business to discuss with you." Oliver looked up slightly confused.

"Uh OK, put her through."

"Oliver, Hi!" Iris' peppiness caught him off guard.

"Hello Mrs. West-Thawne, what can the mayor of Star City do for you today?"

"Uh… Oliver, I told you before you can call me Iris. But this is about Barry, Oliver. He needs your help."

Oliver took in a breath. "Uh, who's Barry?" he asked.

"Oliver, this isn't funny. We need your help here in Central City."

"Look Mrs. West-Thawne-"

"Look Iris, I don't know who you are or what you are trying to pull, but I am a very busy man. I'm sorry but I cannot help you."

"Oliver wait-" Oliver hung up the phone and ran a hand through his short hair. Just who was that woman who called him? Who was this Barry?

" Sir, your wife is on line one." His secretary said.

"Thank you, Felicity, I'll take the call right now." Oliver smiled as he picked up the phone. "Laurel, how's my beautiful wife doing today?"


Central City Iris and Eddie's Home

Iris just stared at her phone completely dumbfounded. First when she called Felicity the blond IT girl acted like she hadn't the foggiest clue who she was so she asked to be patched through to Oliver. Much to her shock he also acted like he didn't know who either her or Barry were.

"You OK Iris?" Eddie asked his wife.

"I just talked to Oliver and Felicity… they acted like they had no clue who any of us are."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean it was strange, like they never met us in the first place." Iris ran a hand through her hair. What the hell was going? "We have to tell Barry. Something is happening in Star City."

"OK… we'll tell the rest of the team that something's happening. They have to know. I sent out the message."

"Did Sara and the rest of them get it?"

"Only time will tell if the Legends get it or not."


S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin's Lab

Diving back into his labyrinth of memories Ben searched for anything that may give him a clue about the five years of his life that have been obscured. When he first arrived in this time he could still remember those events, but now they were fading, some of them were being replaced by memories he didn't recognize others just faded into the nothingness.

Sweat poured down his forehead as he came out of another memory.

"Ben… please you have to stop…" Caitlin pleaded.

"No…" Ben vigorously shook his head. "My memories are fading… I need to know why…"

"Ben!" Ben looked to Barry. "Stop… we're accomplishing nothing."

"Do you even know what this is like Dad?" Ben screamed. "Do you know what it's like to have your life systematically erased and replaced with something you've never experienced? Up until yesterday I was completely fine but within twenty-four hours I have lost about five years' worth of memories!"

"Actually, I do know what it's like to lose memories." Barry said calmly getting both Ben and Caitlin's attention. Barry then realized he never quite told anyone his reasoning for resetting Flashpoint.

"A little over a year ago, I went back in time and saved my mother from being murdered." Barry leaned against Caitlin's desk. "For three months, I lived in a fantasy world where both my parents were alive, but it wasn't the life I wanted." Barry turned to Caitlin. "Eventually I began to lose my memories of my original timeline. Before I could completely forget about who I was I…" Barry paused and Ben noticed the lump in his throat. Barry desperately trying to hold back his sadness. "I had to let my worst enemy murder my mother all over again…"

Caitlin was quite surprised. Barry had never really gone into details about Flashpoint, mainly because none of them wanted to know, but she had figured that the only way to undo Flashpoint was to let Nora die again.

"So, you're saying I'm losing my memories because I'm changing my own timeline?" Ben asked.

"I'm saying, you may be losing them because of me."

Ben actually chuckled a little. "Really? You're the reason my memories are all bombyliid? Wouldn't I have had to exist in Flashpoint to be affected as such?"

Barry turned from Ben and looked into Caitlin's eyes. "The thing is Ben… I think you did exist in Flashpoint." Ben followed Barry's gaze to Caitlin.

"You mean…" Caitlin couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. "We might have been…"

"I won't say it unless you're absolutely sure…" Barry knew of the repercussions of telling people about their Flashpoint lives, heck or even telling them of their pre-Flashpoint lives. "I don't even know if it is true myself…"

Caitlin wiped away a stray tear she didn't know was there. "It's ok Barry…"

"My Flashpoint self… prior to me 'waking up'… he… he made mistakes… I think… before I reset the timeline… you were already there… And now, as a consequence of the choice I made… you're experiencing a life you shouldn't be experiencing."

Ben gripped the edge of the nearest table before turning to Barry. "I don't want to have this 'Other Life' in this other life I am being tortured and mutilated… I don't want it."


Earth-38 National City

While Jesse and Wally were off recruiting Jay Cisco and Harry made their way to Earth-38, the home of Supergirl, Superman Martian Manhunter, Miss Martian, Mon El, and Guardian.

"Alright, where are we Cisco?" Harry asked as he observed their surroundings. It was a quaint apartment, brightly colored.

"Earth-38" Cisco said. "We're here to pick up-" They both immediately turned when they heard the door click and open.

"Honestly Alex I am super happy for you and Maggie. You guys are perfect for each other."

"I know… Maggie makes me feel-" Alex then noticed the two men standing in Kara's living room.

"Cisco! And H.R!" Kara said happily as she hugged Cisco.

"I'm not that idiot H.R., I'm Wells." Harry said. Kara offered her hand for him to shake but Harry just ignored it and just adjusted the plasma rifle on his shoulder.

Right… so Alex, this is my friend Cisco, he's from another Earth. The same one that Barry is from."

Alex gave cisco a smile as she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"So, uh what can we do for you? Is Barry in trouble? Is Caitlin?"

"What? Uh, no… it's kind of a long story."

"Well, we've got time, right?" Kara turned to Alex. "It's not like we have any alien invasions going on right?"

"Oh, don't worry, it's not an alien invasion this time." Cisco said "It'll make more sense if you come with us."

"Uh no way!" They turned to Alex. "I am not letting my sister go to another dimension without backup."

"But Alex~" Kara whined. "They need our help!"

Alex looked at her adoptive sister and sighed in defeat. "I cannot talk you out of this, can I?" Kara shook her head. "Fine, but you are not going alone."

"What? No! No, no, no, no, no! No!" Kara wagged a finger at her adoptive sister. "I am not going to let my adoptive sister jump across dimensions!"

"Really? And what's going to stop me?"

"National City need's you guys to keep it safe while I'm away."

"Then at least let J'onn come with you." Alex argued

"Hey!" The sisters turned to Harry and Cisco. "Sorry, but we are kind of on a Clock here."

"Ugh… fine. Alex Call J'onn. Tell him I could use his help."


Earth-Prime S.T.A.R. Labs Cortex

Barry, Caitlin and Ben stood in the Cortex waiting for the rest of the team. The three of them just stood in silence, none of them really knowing what to say. The ordeal with Ben diving into his own memories had yielded little to no results in a source for the lapsing memories. The only lead they had was potentially Flashpoint was catching up to Ben, writing over his memories.

Barry made his way over to Ben. He wanted to talk to him but he could not find the right words. He reached out for his son but the universe had other ideas. The alarms went off, drawing their attention to the screen.

"There's a meta-human attack down town. I don't know what it is but it looks like a big one." Caitlin said as she slid into a chair at the main consol.

"Is it another one of Godspeed's speedsters?" Ben asked.

"I don't know." Caitlin replied honestly.

In a flash of red and yellow Barry and Ben were in their suits. "Caitlin, stay here till everyone gets back. Ben, you're with me."

"What? I am going out there with you!" Caitlin fired back.

Barry placed his hand on Caitlin's shoulder. "Cait… this isn't another speedster. Ben and I can handle this ourselves. We still need eyes here covering us while we are out there."

"Fine… go." She ordered and in a flash of yellow lightning Caitlin watched as her two boys ran off to save the city.

"Caitlin?" Almost as soon as they ran out Iris and Eddie had reentered the Cortex. "Where are Barry and Ben going?" Iris asked.

"There's a meta-human causing trouble down town."

"OK… but we have bigger problems than a meta-human attack." Iris said somberly.

"What's wrong? Has something happened in Star City?"

"That is precisely the Problem." Eddie spoke up for his wife. "Oliver and most likely his team, they are acting like they don't know any of us."


Down Town Central City

Barry and Ben arrived on the scene of a rampaging Meta-Human as the reports said and within moments they had rounded up him up despite how easy it was for them to take him out. The Meta had the ability to produce razor sharp spikes from his body. Barry was pretty sure if Cisco were involved they would be calling him Sea Urchin or maybe even Spike.

"Well, that was easy." Barry said to his son as they stood over the unconscious Meta.

"I don't get it Flash, why are we letting the police cart him away?"

"Because he was abusing his powers." Barry explained. "Look around us. He's damaged a lot of property and hurt several people."

"Still, I think we should run him through the system." Ben pulled out his future computer as Cisco dubbed it and ran a facial recognition on the unconscious man. "He's not in any of my recorded criminal systems."

"Then who is he?"

"Hector Peyote." Ben said. "From New Mexico, member of a traveling Mariachi Band with his friends. Has a wife, no kids oh and get this" Ben showed his dad the file.

"It says he's"

"Not a meta-human." Ben finished.

"OK, so how did a regular human become a meta-human?" Barry asked.

Ben moved in a flash and an instant later he was holding a small test tube of blood. "I have an Idea but we'll have to have Caitlin run some tests on the blood."

With that the two speedsters ran back to S.T.A.R. Labs unaware of the plot they had stumbled upon.


Atop a Skyscraper in Central City

Later that night, Godspeed stood atop the tallest building in all of the Gem Cities, he had gotten the message alright so here he was, waiting for Speed Demon to come for him.

There was a flash of crimson light and out of a Speed Force Portal jumped Speed Demon.

Slowly Godspeed turned around to gaze upon the Speedster who had been a thorn in his side for a long time. "Hello, little brother."

Speed Demon said nothing. He held out his right hand and formed a large scythe out of pure Speed Force Energy. The large blade glowed red and for a moment Godspeed saw faces emerge from the mass of energy. Each was composed of the same Speed Force energy but each was screaming in agony, the horrifying thing was that Godspeed recognized several of the faces, they were of members of the Speed Legion, including XLR8 and the Tempest Twins, that Speed Demon killed and absorbed. Readying his scythe, Speed Demon charged Godspeed.


This is the end of the chapter

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