Earth 4

Regardless of how much he had tried to dismiss it, the threatening presence of the meta was unending, for every time Barry thought he had a moment to breath it would show up, rattling the cage door, as if demanding he care for the twins- quickly. He couldn't fathom what this thing would want with them, but he judged it must have something to do with their parents on whatever Earth they had come from. Was this because of The Flash? Barry himself was no stranger to metas either, but the case in point was that his Donnie and Dawn were not in any danger as far as he could gauge; but these babies, these versions of them- whom couldn't possibly have different parents, that much genetics proved- had been kidnapped and held hostage. The pieces, however slowly, began falling into place. If this was because of The Flash, this situation was still so much more than he could imagine.

He wrapped the babies back up, cleaning and feeding them on an attempted schedule, and reached over to the bottle of medicine. He thanked his lucky stars for his CSI work, for diluting substances and combining ingredients were talents put well to use when using the minimal supplies provided to him to care for their illnesses. Each had a breaking fever- much better than when he had first arrived- and Barry was optimistic that, albeit slow for lack of proper care, the twins would soon be healthy. While he still couldn't understand their prematurity, his priority at the moment would be nursing them until they could get to a hospital.

That begged the question of when that would happen.

As if on cue the meta emerged, grasping its metal claws onto the bars of the cell. A low mechanical growl emanated from the suit, which meant Barry needed to update him on their condition. Barry walked up to the cell door. For a second, he glared at the meta. His blood boiled, not for his situation necessarily but the fact that this thing had dragged these defenseless children into this conflict. Whatever business he had with The Flash, whatever damage this thing was willing to do, if he hadn't surrendered to this thing they likely would have died from illness and malnutrition. It didn't help that they resembled his own children to a tee either. Impartiality was next to impossible.

"Their fevers are breaking," Barry barked, and turned to avoid facing the meta lest he lose control of his emotions. "I need more food and water. Blankets too. There's little point to treating them when they are going to be susceptible to the same things as long as they're here." He couldn't avoid getting his digs in. That, or he was unconsciously appealing to some humanity in the meta that clearly it did not possess. Whatever the case, the meta released the bar door and Barry could see the indents of the claws left where he had been gripping. Barry was right to fear him. This meta was stronger than any he had ever seen. It sped away quickly and returned with the bare minimum of the items he had requested. Barry scoffed. Son of a bitch. He walked over to Dawn and Don and wrapped each up more thoroughly, expecting the meta to zoom out as soon as it had come. Instead he could hear it pacing outside of the cage, rummaging through belongings. With his back turned to him, he figured he didn't have much to lose in trying to get some answers.

"Who are you anyway?" He heard the footsteps cease. "Why do you have these children? What's your end game here?"

Instead of answering, Barry could hear the meta unchaining the lock to the cage door. He turned around and faced the meta. Why hadn't he phased through it like before? He was holding what appeared to be suits, all bearing the same lightning bolt emblem embroidered on the chest. His blood ran cold. This was about The Flash, and apparently, he wasn't the only one.

"I see I have your attention now." The meta laid out the first suit. It was faded and had a mixture of red and blue sequencing. "Jay Garrick was difficult to locate but was quickly terminated." He threw down a black uniform, then another more fitted red one with a bloodied eye mask. "The remnant of Zoom was merely practice. The girl was a challenge." Adding insult to injury, he threw down a yellow suit and topped it with a metal hat sequenced with twin lightning bolts. Trophies. Barry's mouth ran dry and he just stared, wide eyed and terrified. Had he really gone and killed all these versions of The Flash? If so, why? What terrified him the most was the fact that this time, this Flash, was a seemingly different case, for if he wanted him dead he would already have his garb for his collection. What made him go to such great lengths for this Flash? "Their speed is better served with me, as with all insolent 'heroes'. Power is not reserved for the weak." Barry looked back up at the meta, like looking into the eyes of your worst nightmare. If he could do this to so many people, what were two little infants to his ends? He couldn't lie either: he feared for his own life too, and if he would ever get to see his wife and children again. It seemed that anyone that crossed paths with this meta didn't live to pass on the message. "Why are you doing this-?"

Before Barry could blink the meta came within inches of his face. He could feel the cold steel radiating against his own skin. He didn't dare to breath as the red eyes penetrated into his gaze.

"I am the Supreme Being. I am the end of all things. The end to life. Eternity."

Instantly the meta was hovering above Dawn and Donnie. "No!" Barry pleaded, raising his arms as if to try and stop him. "Please- please." The meta glared down at him, and then the children. If Barry didn't know any better, he'd have heard a smile in his voice.

"You are alive to serve the purpose to which I have given you." With the tip of his metal claws he slowly dragged them across the children's swaddles, never taking his eyes off Barry. "You are what separates them from life and death. Remember that."

When he sped away, Barry ran over to the infants, who began to cry. "Shh…" He did his best to cradle both of them at the same time, gently rocking them. His parental instinct inclined him to comfort them, although he wasn't so sure they were the only ones who needed it.