CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The sound of a suitcase being dragged up the flight of stairs outside Sophia's apartment wasn't enough to rouse her from the deep sleep she had been in that Sunday morning. But it seemed that the knock on her door that would follow was just enough to do so.
She groaned, lifting herself off her bed with bleary eyes, doing her best to untangle herself from Barry's long limbs that had been attached to her all night long. The sound of knuckles pressing against the wood of their front door hadn't woken him, or her cat either, and she mused to herself how she was always being disturbed from her sleep.
Looking down at her state of undress, she knew it wouldn't be the wisest idea to answer her door with just one of Barry's pyjama tees and her white lace underwear. Blinking her eyes once more she quickly grabbed her long baby blue robe that was hanging behind the door, pushing her arms through the sleeves as she yawned.
The person knocked once more and the loud noise shocked her, almost making her tumble across a pair of shoes that had been laying in the front hallway of her apartment.
"Coming," She muttered under her breath, doubting that whoever it was could even hear her. Her hand reached out, undoing the dead lock and twisting the key in the knob just underneath it, opening the door to see someone she had not expected.
"Pa? What are you doing here?" Sophia asked in disbelief as she laid her eyes on her father, mouth ajar in shock.
"Can't an old man come and visit his daughter when he wishes?" Arthur Lang teased, a warm smile gracing his lips.
Sophia's shock soon morphed into wild happiness as she leapt forward, grasping her father in a tight hug.
"I missed you so much, my sweet child," Arthur whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She smiled letting go of him before ushering him inside her home, taking his bag and placing it by the front door.
"You certainly surprised me," Sophia said.
"That was kind of the point," Arthur laughed as he took a seat on her couch.
"Tea?"
"You know me too well. Where's your other half?" Her father asked.
"He's sleeping inside. He's had a long week," Sophia said. She hadn't realised how time had flown by. It was already moving into the second week since Barry had lost his powers and Caitlin had been taken from them. The issue remained that even if Sophia went to Earth-2 to rescue Caitlin, she wasn't a match for taking on Zoom on his own turf. She knew he had a multitude of Meta's at his beck and call and it would be impossible to travel there and save their friend without backup. It was essentially a suicide mission. And though she knew in her heart that if it was the last resort, she would do it, she also knew that those around her would make sure it wasn't an option.
She tilted her neck from side to side, stretching out a bit before pouring out two cups of tea, taking it over to the couch and placing it on the table in front atop of a few green patterned coasters that had belonged to her mother.
"I can't believe you're here, you do realise that you've never come to visit me in Central City before right?"
"I know and that's why I figured it was time I came down to visit my daughter and see what her life was like here," Arthur replied. "I like your apartment, it's very homey." His eyes crinkled in mirth as they found the little turtle sleeping in the tank across the room, and her cat that was now lounging next to their feet on the warm carpet.
Sophia's face become serious and she licked her lips nervously, unsure of how to put her next thoughts into words without it being seen as offensive. All the misery and troubles that had been haunting her lately had come crashing down once more, bringing her back to reality.
"Pa, as much as I love this whole surprise, you shouldn't be here. Central City isn't safe right now… Zoom… he's more dangerous than ever, and I can't put you in harm's way by having you here. You're the only family I have left, I can't lose you." She brought the mugs of tea and rested them on the coffee table by the couch, the steam rising from the cups.
"Sweetheart," Arthur began, using a soft and calming voice that he always did when she was a child. She recognised it in an instant, it was the voice he used to get what he wanted, to make her feel safe and calm, like there wasn't a worry in the world. She frowned at him and his eyes crinkled with mirth as they read each other's thoughts. "There's always going to be danger in life, always something or someone out there, but we can't live in the shadows, hiding and cowering in the dark. Sometimes just being here, is enough to show the world that we're fighters."
"Pa, you aren't a fighter. You're my father, my father who recently had a heart attack, whose still recovering from it might I mention. I- I just want you to be safe," Sophia confessed.
"I'm only staying for a few days," Arthur announced, rolling his eyes playfully at his daughter who nudged his arm lovingly. "I actually have a meeting in town for one of my latest business ventures. I figured I would come and visit you for a while as well."
"Well, where are you staying? You can stay here, otherwise Joe has plenty of room at his place," She offered.
"I've organised to stay at a hotel already, it's close to where my meetings are in the city, plus I know that you don't have much room for guests here," Arthur said. "Also I want a chance to catch up with Cecile if possible whilst I'm here."
Sophia was just about to inquire as to how busy his schedule was when Barry stumbled out of their bedroom with tired eyes, and just a pair of boxers on. Barry was red with embarrassment at the sight of Arthur trying to contain his laugher, and Sophia could feel a blush blooming on her cheeks. Barry was quick to mumble an apology, nearly squealing as he ran back inside to change into something more appropriate. The only downside was that Barry didn't have his super speed, so that running just gave them a better view.
"A-Arthur, I didn't expect to see you," Barry apologised, walking back in the room with jeans on and his Star Labs jumper, adorning his bed hair still it seemed.
"It's good to see you too, Barry," Arthur laughed, greeting him with a tight hug. "Though, I do appreciate the new look and seeing less of you," Arthur joked and Sophia wasn't sure who felt more mortified at her father's joke, herself or Barry.
She was sure she was winning in this department.
"Uh, anyone for breakfast at Jitters?" Sophia asked doing her best to diffuse the currently awkward tension. She knew that her father adored Barry, but right now she just felt uncomfortable at what had just happened, and frankly a bit mortified that her father knew what her boyfriend looked like in his boxers. She internally shivered and turned to look at Barry who nodded, pulling out his phone.
"I'm in," Arthur said.
Barry beamed. "I'll call Joe."
A casual grey body-con dress was wrapped around Sophia's body, a copper red leather jacket keeping her warm, and a pair of black boots adorned on her feet. Barry held the door open as they entered Jitters, letting her walk in first, and then her father before following. Sophia's eyes darted around the coffee house until they met Iris who was sitting in the back corner, a table already reserved, with herself, Joe, Wally and Cisco.
Harry and Jesse had taken the day to themselves and Sophia was glad that they were spending some more father/daughter time together. It also meant that there was less to explain to her father about alternate universes and doppelgangers. She wasn't quite ready to divulge that much information. She didn't want the stress of it all making her father worry.
Sophia smiled brightly and waved at Iris, grabbing her father's hand and pulling her towards the table.
"Hey guys," Sophia greeted, tucking a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. It felt weird having her hair hanging out. She had gotten used to having it tied up when she was flying nowadays and at work in a braid of some sort. It felt nice for something a little different.
"Hey Soph," Iris beamed.
"Yo," Cisco was proficient in greetings as per usual.
"I'd like to introduce my father, Arthur Lang," Sophia smiled. "This is Joe West, and his kids, Iris and Wally," Sophia introduced, Arthur giving them all handshakes. "And this is Cisco Ramon, one of my best friends."
"It's lovely to meet all of my daughter's friends. She speaks highly of you all," Arthur spoke.
"Aw shucks, that's too sweet, Soph," Cisco said.
"Have a seat," Joe said.
"It's great to finally meet you Joe, I've heard a lot about you from my daughter and Barry," Arthur said.
"Likewise, I'm happy you were able to make this trip," Joe said. "It's always a pleasure to meet family."
With bright smiles and their hearts warmed for the first time in these past weeks they shared a breakfast, enjoying conversation and old stories, laughing as they all took the morning to relax. They knew that being stressed wasn't always the answer to fixing things and they needed to reenergise before getting back into the game.
After sharing many embarrassing childhood stories of Sophia with her friends, her father had to politely excuse himself to head off to a meeting he had downtown. Sophia offered to take him there but Joe was insistent on giving him a police escort, using it as an excuse to get to know Arthur better as well.
That's how Joe West found himself having an awkward conversation with Sophia's father, a man he had only met a few hours ago.
"So that's the real reason you came to Central City?" Joe asked, eyes glancing over at the man sitting next to him in the car.
"Yes," Arthur sighed. "She's my only daughter, my only family left and I don't want her to get hurt, Joe. I lost her once before," Arthur confessed, eyes filled with sorrow. "I don't think my heart can take it a second time. I'm getting older now, I'm older than you," Arthur laughed. "I just want her to be safe. After what happened with Barry losing his powers, I'm just glad that he's alive. I wonder if the longer this goes on, the casualty list will grow. It is not something I wish to see, you must understand this."
"I do," Joe replied. "Believe me, I do. Every time Barry puts on the suit I wonder if it'll be the last time I see him. I wonder if one of those criminals will get the better of him. But I realised that I can't think like that. I can't let it control my life- control their lives," Joe said, pulling the car up out front of the hotel that Arthur was staying at.
Joe turned to look at him.
"They're both doing incredible things. They are saving lives every day. As their parents we can worry and we can fear for their safety, but ultimately, we have to support them. Because if we don't, if we as their parents don't believe they can do it, that they can make it? Then they won't. Working as a cop for so long I know that doubt… doubt is death."
"You've had a lot of time to think about this then," Arthur spoke.
"Well when you're trying to look after two insanely brave kids like Sophia and Barry as they go out to save the world, you have to."
"I have to thank you for that. For being there for my daughter, for supporting her like you have. And for Barry as well. You've done something that most wouldn't have. You're a good man, Joe West."
"I do it because they're family. We support out family above all else."
"That we do."
"I should be off. I actually do have some meetings in Central City whilst I'm here. It was good talking with you Joe. I feel more at ease about it now. It's been difficult being unable to discuss it with anyone, and from the point of view of a parent."
"I'm glad I could help."
Days had past and Sophia was almost in tears as she waved off her father goodbye. It had been an amazing few days that he had spent with her and it made her realise just how much she had missed him, had missed her family. She knew that she had created a new family in Central City with her friends, Barry and the team at Star Labs, but seeing her father again made her realise how much she had missed her mother.
It was as she was dropping her father off at Central City Airport that she realised it was the anniversary of her mother's death in a few days. She knew that there was no time to go back to Kansas to visit her grave or to be with her father during this time, but she felt like she had to do something.
So that Wednesday, Sophia had taken Barry down to the graveyard in Central City and went to visit her friends that had passed. They laid beautiful tulips, sunflowers and peonies atop of the graves of Eddie Thawne and Ronnie Raymond, paying their respects.
Sophia had then asked Barry if he would like to go and place some flowers by his mother's grave but he had immediately shrunk back into himself and she didn't push it further. She knew that he had told her it had been tough to visit his mother's grave for the funeral, and to this day she still wasn't sure if he had ever been back. It was a sore spot for him, and with his powers gone as well she didn't want to make him feel any worse so she let him be.
Suddenly their week seemed to be drained of the happiness that had burst into their lives only a few days ago. It made her wonder if that was what the rest of her life would feel like, but Barry assured her that once they stopped Zoom, once they ended it all then it wouldn't. Things would go back to normal, and for once, Sophia had hope, she held onto it, gripping it like a lifeline. Because if this was what life would be like, she didn't want any of it. It was far too depressing.
She decided that she needed some more excitement back in her life. So that's where patrol came in.
"Soph, there's a high speed chase heading south on Milton Ave," Cisco called out at her.
"I'm on it."
Shifting like a dart in the night, her body soared, slimline and sleek moving in and out of traffic, her eyes catching the perps quickly. She flew faster, getting ahead of them as they turned down south moving onto an emptier road. She was glad that there was no oncoming traffic and the two perps on motorbikes seemed to be heading exactly where she wanted. She landed, turning around on the road to see them both heading directly towards her, their bright headlights flashing in her eyes uncomfortably.
She smirked, and it felt like time had frozen as the cobalt energy sprouted from her fingertips, forming a large glacier like barrier a few metres in front of her, the two perps not having a chance or enough time to turn out of the way. Their motorbikes came crashing into the barrier incapacitating them in less than a second flat.
Both the man and woman who had been trying to evade Sapphire's tactics groaned audibly from the floor, not even bothering to move off the cold and wet road as they knew they had been bested.
"Like taking candy from a baby," Sophia said to herself, shaking her head with laughter.
Seconds later, Joe and his partner rolled in their police car, escorting the two perps to the CCPD where they would face charges of arson, theft and obstruction of justice.
Sophia flew back to Star Labs where the rest of the team were awaiting her arrival before their meeting, and she had to admit, it did feel amazing kicking ass and cleaning up the streets. It had definitely boosted her morale, and allowed her to be somewhat less stressed for the meeting that would take place. She had briefly touched on the topic of it with Barry a few days ago, but she was definitely not feeling their new plan at all. There had to be another way.
"Talk about a long night," Sophia mused as she walked into the cortex, tossing her domino mask onto the desk and lounging out in a seat, still decked head to toe in her uniform. A coffee was then thrust into her hand, and a kiss pressed to her forehead. She smiled at the scent of coffee wafting through to her nose.
"Thanks love," She whispered, glancing up at Barry who was standing behind her chair.
"Well, now that we're all here, why don't we get started?"
"Go on," Sophia said, taking a sip of her drink.
"I think it's time we discussed properly about rebuilding the particle accelerator to get Barry's speed back," Harry said, and instantly he was met with disapproving stares and voices of protest from not only the West family, but Cisco as well. Sophia remained silent and Barry too was unsure of what to say.
"It's the only way we're going to get Caitlin back," Barry said.
"I told you, I can fly through the breach, and go and get her. I'm more than capable of doing that."
"I know you are, we all know how strong you are. But Zoom, he's faster than you. If we send you in there alone, to an Earth you've never been to, we risk not only putting your life in danger, and Caitlin's in more, but we risk the danger of Central City. You are its only protector at this point in time. We need to get Barry's speed back, it's the only way we all get out of this alive," Harry voiced.
"Yeah, that's what you keep saying. But if we don't try how will we know?" Sophia asked.
"We know because Shadow, your counterpart was slaughtered by Zoom. She was more powerful than you, she was more agile, she was stronger, she didn't have anything left to loose and still, and she was killed by him. I don't want to watch another friend die again. We can't underestimate him," Harry said.
"Look," Joe started, bringing the attention of Harry and the team towards him. "We all saw what that explosion did to this city."
"Not to mention, last time we tried something like that, we blew a hole in the universe and created, like, 50 portals to your Earth," Cisco pointed out.
"Which is exactly how Zoom and his henchmen got here in the first place," Joe finished.
"I told you," Harry said with frustration, "I know how to contain the explosion."
"Are you sure? Because it's something we can't rely on going wrong. You need to be certain that you know how to contain it."
"Yes. I am."
"Really? You know how to contain a dark matter explosion, that last time, just radiated all of Central City? You tried this on your Earth, remember? Didn't go so well."
"And even if you could contain it, I thought you said that Barry couldn't tap into the Speed Force anymore?" Iris asked.
"It wasn't connected the first time he got his powers," Harry clarified.
"He does have a point," Sophia said, rubbing the side of her temples with her fingers as she focused her eyes on the cup of coffee on the desk in front of her in thought.
"Look, I have your Well's data," Harry said. "The Harrison Wells from this Earth, I have his science. I know what chemicals need to be in your body. I know how the lightning needs to bond with the dark matter from the particle accelerator explosion. I can recreate the circumstances to get your speed back. This will work," Harry said. It was silent and when no one replied to his offer he stood up from his seat, pacing around the room, his arms waving in the air. "Your subterfuge, it's not going to last. But more importantly, it's not gonna save Snow. You wanna be ready should Zoom return, if he returns… when he returns. There is only one way to do it and that's by getting your speed back."
"Say Barry goes ahead with this seemingly insane idea. What happens if it doesn't work? What happens to him?"
"It might kill him."
Sophia shook her head, sitting up straight in her seat. She had been open to the idea of trying it, but if this was a possibility, then she wouldn't stand for it. "No, he can't. If this is the outcome if we fail, then it's too much to ask." The tone of her voice was final.
"Soph, we have to try. It's our only option."
"You possibly dying is not our only option," Sophia scoffed, jumping out of her seat to turn around and face him.
"Neither is you! Don't you see, I'm trying to protect you as well?!" Barry yelled, clenching his jaw in frustration.
"Joe! Help me out here," Sophia said, turning to look at him.
"Barry, there are other options, we can't do this, there's just too many risks."
"I have to do this," Barry said. "It's the only way I can get my speed back. It's the only way we save Caitlin and stop Zoom."
"There has to be another way, we can find one, make one, I don't care, but we can't do this. If it doesn't work, don't you understand what that means? That means you die. You, Barry! Not me, not anyone else, you. Don't you care?" Sophia asked with wild eyes, her chest heaving from her rant.
"It's because I care so much," Barry said, eyes softening when he saw how hard she was taking it.
Sophia opened her mouth to reply, but she was at a loss for words. How was it that when she was in danger, or the idea of her being hurt gave him the right to be so protective, so upset, but when it was the other way around, she was left to worry and wonder what would happen next. She bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay, but she could already feel the tired tears forming in her eyes.
"I can't do this right now," Sophia announced softly, stalking out of the cortex, leaving the rest of the team behind, watching in uncertainty and silence as she left.
"Hey," Barry greeted as he walked in.
"Hey, yourself, slugger. You made it."
"Yeah."
"Look at this," Henry said, pointing to the stars in the sky. It was a beautiful night, late but he was glad that Barry could come over for a bit. He brought him out into the back of the small house he was currently renting, settling down two cups of hot chocolate on the deck as they took a seat, enjoying the cool breeze that travelled through the night.
"Sure is a pretty drive up here," Barry said. He had enjoyed the quiet night, the only sound the steady hum of the engine of the car he owned but hadn't used in nearly a year. He had put the windows down, the chilled breeze of the night cooling him off and keeping him sharp until he reached his destination.
"It is that. I can't help but wonder why a speedster needs a car," Henry commented.
"Because I am no longer a speedster," Barry said solemnly, looking down at his hands.
"You've lost your powers?" Henry gasped.
"I gave them up to save Wally, Joe's son. Zoom had him, so it was either give him my speed, or… I couldn't let Wally die."
"No. You couldn't," Henry said, shaking his head. Though he felt sad for his son's loss, he was proud of the man that he had become.
"Now Jay has taken Caitlin, and we have no idea how to save her," Barry said.
"Jay took Caitlin?"
"Jay… it's yeah. Turns out Jay Garrick is not the Flash from Earth-2. He's Zoom."
Henry blinked, trying to absorb all the new information. It had only been a few weeks since he had the chance to communicate with his son and so much had happened. He felt guilty for not being there for him. But then there was that name, that name that sounded oh so familiar. "Garrick?"
"Garrick, yeah. Why?"
"My mom's maiden name."
"Maybe… maybe Wells is right. Maybe I should try to get my powers back."
"How would you do that?"
"By recreating the particle accelerator explosion."
"And get struck by lightning again? That doesn't seem like the safest option, does it?" Henry asked.
"No," Barry said looking down at his hands that were folded in his lap. "Sophia doesn't think so either, we had an argument about it and now she's not talking to me."
"Just give her some time to cool off. She loves you, Barry. She's probably worried that by doing this, you're going to get hurt," Henry said, rubbing soothing circles on his son's back.
"Yeah," Barry sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.
"I've watched you grow ever since you became The Flash, and I am so proud of that man. But ask yourself, do you really need powers in order to be that person?"
"It just feels like every time something good happens in my life, it's taken away," Barry whispered desperate for a solution to his problems.
"Well, maybe it's time we did something about that."
A new day had dawned, and it had seemingly dragged along all the shitty feelings from the previous week along with it.
Sophia had lost a patient at work, spending hours in the room with doctors, nurses and specialists alike trying to save this young life, but no matter how hard they tried, the universe had stolen the victory from their fingers no matter how hard they grasped onto life, trying to save the young child.
She felt numb as she came home that night, flickering the lights on in her empty apartment with what little energy she had left. She hadn't spoken to Barry after their argument and had gone to work with the hopes of escaping all the negativity and worry, only to receive the opposite in return.
She didn't even make it to her bedroom before she collapsed on the floor of her living room, bawling her eyes out. She usually saved this routine after she lost a patient for the shower floor, her tears mixing in with the water, but she was just too exhausted to even care. She didn't know how long she had been laying on the floor, her tears had now dried, but she could feel that her eyes were red from crying and her face, wet with the remnants of her tears.
"Sophia, what happened?" A voice asked her, panic traced throughout it. She didn't have the energy to look up and was glad that whoever it belonged to had come closer, picking her up and bringing her towards the couch, placing her down on the sofa cushions. Her eyes glanced up to see that it was Barry, and that made her even more upset, because it brought up the memory of their argument the day before.
Barry looked at her, brushing a piece of hair behind her cheek. She looked distraught, and she was still dressed in her scrubs from work so he assumed something happened there.
Sophia let out a shaky breath as she sat up further on the couch, kicking off her shoes before wrapping her arms around herself, burying her face into her knees.
"Soph." Barry's soft voice coaxed her out of her huddled position and when he sat down next to her, she curled up into him, burying her face in his chest.
"I lost a patient today… just a little kid... didn't deserve to die… I don't want to lose you either…" Was all he understood from her mumbled words into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her rubbing her back soothingly. He pressed a firm kiss to her forehead, and then one against her temple and her cheek, the touch calming her down a little.
"I'm so sorry, Soph." He rested his head atop her own, unsure of what to say. "It'll be okay. We'll get through this. It's all gonna be okay."
"You look like shit," Cisco blurted out as Sophia walked into the cortex, dark circles under her eyes, her body practically engulfed in an oversized hoodie of Barry's that looked like it had been from his college days. Her feet were snug in warm socks and house slippers, her pyjama pants still on. She had been way too exhausted to even bother changing that morning, and since she flew over, she figured she could just change at Star Labs should she need to. She wasn't in the mood for anything else.
"Thanks, looks like we're twinning today, huh?" She commented with a dry laugh as her eyes ran over her friend who was too dressed in the daggiest clothes he owned, sipping on a milkshake from Big Belly Burger.
"Haven't been able to sleep lately," Cisco said.
"Looks like that's both of us," Sophia replied. "What's been on your mind?"
Cisco then went into detail about how he had been having these weird feelings lately, similar to his vibes. He had been seeing images of his brother lately and it was disconcerting. He hadn't spoken to Dante in a while, and seeing his face whenever he closed his eyes was terrifying, not because it was his brother, but because it seemed as though it was a villain with his brother's face.
"Think it's something real or perhaps just your imagination getting the better of you?" Sophia asked, plopping down in a seat next to him, stealing is drink and taking a long sip.
"I don't know, it could be anything, but the last time I had a feeling like this, Zoom had come back."
"That doesn't make me feel easy."
"Or maybe it's the milkshake, you are lactose intolerant right?" Cisco asked.
"Shit, yeah," Sophia laughed. "It's alright. I'll probably have some cramps later, ugh."
"So you and Barry sort everything out?" Cisco asked curiously. He didn't like to watch his friends fight, especially Sophia and Barry who always seemed to be so put together.
"If by sort things out, you mean, I cried like a baby into his chest whilst clinging onto him like a prayer last night, then yes, we have sorted things out," Sophia said, letting out a sigh and rubbing her eyes. It had been a long night last night, and she had been lucky enough to fall asleep after her crying had exhausted her.
"Ouch, that sounds intense."
"Yeah. I just- if there's the slightest chance it could kill him, I don't want him to do it," Sophia said. "We can find another way. I can't lose him, Cisco." She felt like she was going to cry again so she looked away from her friends gaze, trying to focus on something else to keep her tears at bay.
"I know, Soph."
Sophia was ready to call it a day, not feeling like doing anything at all but perhaps vegetate on her couch and watch old-reruns of power rangers. Just as she was going to pose this idea to Cisco, a personalised panic button had been set off. Sophia's eyes darted to the screen, showing that it was Joe sending out an S.O.S from the CCPD.
"Duty calls."
"Your sister called, checking in when we'd be home," Joe mentioned to Wally as they walked towards his desk at work.
"As in, we need to get going?" Wally laughed.
"You know your sister," Joe said with the shake of his head, a smile on his lips. He placed the police report he had just finished filing into his top drawer, leaving a sticky note on his desk to remind him to get it placed into storage later. He turned back around to see Wally waiting for him and with the jerk of his head, motioned for them to get moving. "Okay, move it. Let's go."
"Do you ever get sick of this job?" Wally asked as they walked out of the office area of the precinct that was still bubbling over with work.
"Being a cop?" Joe shook his head, catching Wally's eye, and he saw a look in his son's eyes that he knew all too well. He had seen that look in Iris and Barry's eyes before, but not only them, he too had that same look as a young man. "Oh, looks like someone inherited the West I-need-to-help-people gene."
"Ever since The Flash and Sapphire saved me, I just…" Wally trailed off. "I don't know if designing cars is what I'm meant to do with my life."
"Well, I'm sure there's something out there that'll satisfy your need for speed and helping people, but until then, you should stick with engineering. It's much safer," Joe laughed. "We should get going before Singh comes up with something for me to do."
Wally nodded, humming in agreement as he pressed the button for the lift. He buried his hands into the pocket of his jeans and turned his head to look at his father, and just then in the corner of his eyes did he see the spark of blue lightning that haunted his dreams.
He went to yell out about the dark villain who had materialised out of nowhere and the red headed scientist who was cowering by his side up on the balcony at the CCPD, but it seemed Joe and the rest of the cops had already watched the scene unfold.
Wally was numb as he watched Joe pull his gun out of his holster, pointing it at the black speedster.
"Zoom!" Joe yelled with wide eyes.
"Hello, old friend," Zoom greeted tauntingly, tilting his head in acknowledgement at Wally who was standing behind Joe.
"Stay away from him!" Joe warned. "Do not move."
"Or what?" Zoom cackled. "You've tried your guns on my once before."
"No! Don't hurt them. Let them go, please," Caitlin pleaded to Zoom who had just run down the stairs, knocking the guns out of the hands of all the cops, punching and hitting some of them til they were left sprawled across the ground like ants, ready to be squished by his boot.
Zoom was now back by her side atop the balcony, his voice booming.
"Tell everyone that this city is mine. Anyone who disobeys me will meet their end."
"All right. Clear out!" Singh ordered, and Zoom watched on in wonder as the people cowered, evacuating the building.
Wally blinked, and Zoom was gone along with Caitlin. Amidst the chaos Wally had barely realised that Sapphire had arrived, and was talking with Joe.
"Zoom, he was here. He had Caitlin with him," Joe told Sophia in a hushed voice. Wally watched as the heroin took a step back with wide eyes, giving him a curt nod before whispering something in reply, and then she was flying out of the room, leaving Wally unsure of what had just happened, and fearful for the future.
"He's got Caitlin, she's here with him," Sophia informed the others. As soon as she was sure that Wally and Joe were safe, she called an emergency meeting at Star Labs.
"Why would he bring her here?"
"To show power," Harry answered. "That's exactly what he did on my Earth."
"What are you talking about?"
"The first thing he did was murder people. Slaughtered a bunch of policemen. Then recruited every meta-human he could find. And those that disobeyed, he killed too."
"Where are the police now?" Barry asked.
"Outside the precinct."
"He'll kill them, Joe. He'll kill them all," Harry warned them.
"Not with Caitlin with him," Joe said. "She talked him out of killing everyone when he took over the CCPD."
"That's what we're gonna rely on? Snow talking him out of it?"
"Joe, you need to get those guys out of there," Sophia said. "Is there somewhere else they can set up?"
"What if they set up at Jitters?" Barry suggested.
"That's a good idea… it's just a block away from the precinct," Joe said. "I'm gonna go get word to Singh, get him to set up a task force at Jitters." Joe left the room in a hurry, his phone already out and dialling the Captain.
"And then what? What happens next?" Cisco asked.
"You saw what Zoom did on my Earth. He will do the exact same thing here." Harry's words were in no way reassuring the tension was high in the room.
"Then I guess it's time for me to suit up and take him out once and for all," Sophia announced standing up.
"You can't do this alone," Barry protested, his body going on high alert. There was no way he could let her face Zoom on her own. It had happened once before already and he was so thankful she had returned to him in one piece. But Barry had seen first-hand what Zoom could do, he wasn't going to risk it.
"I don't really have another option right now, Barry." Sophia ran a hand through her curls nervously, hoping her action would hide the tremor that was in her right hand. She knew that she was more than capable of fighting Zoom, but the thought of facing him still scared her. He was by all means faster than her, but she had to remind herself that she was strong, and the fact that she had dominated their last encounter.
"We need to get your powers back," Harry said to Barry.
"It's too risky," Sophia huffed. She felt like she was a record stuck on repeat.
"And then what?" Barry asked, ignoring Sophia's protest. "What happens next?"
"I don't know yet, but I'm gonna make sure Wally and Jesse are safe," Harry said as he left the room.
Nightfall grew closer and the panic was beginning to settle in. The CCPD had been dead silent, so much so that one would be able to hear a pin drop. Caitlin had been seated on the couch, knees drawn up to her chest for the last two hours. Her stomach was aching for food, and her throat desperate for some water, and though Zoom had offered, she had denied. She didn't want to speak to him, to associate with him in any other way than she had already.
But then, someone had come by to the lab, someone dressed in dark clothes, the leather squeaking as they moved. She had overheard dangerous words and she began to fear for the safety of not only her friends, but the rest of this city. Zoom had put a target on Central City, and Caitlin feared that should chaos break out on the streets, it would be hard to come back from it. She had seen on television how devastating Starling City had become after their attacks, and she hoped that her team was coming up with a plan to stop Zoom, and fast.
"You know they're gonna figure out a way to stop you, right?" Caitlin asked as she watched Hunter pace the floor of Barry's lab at the CCPD where they were currently hiding out in. She hadn't spoken a word since her plea that afternoon for him to spare the lives of the police offers downstairs, surprised that he had even listened to her in the first place.
"Who? Barry? Wells? The police?" Hunter asked with a scoff. "No," He shook his head. "The only one who has come even close enough was Sophia, and that's saying something since I took down her Earth 2 counterpart so easily."
"It was far from easy from what I heard," Caitlin muttered under her breath, but evidently Zoom had heard her.
"And pray tell, what exactly did you hear?" Hunter asked, taking a menacing step towards her. When he watched the fear in her eyes grow and how her feet stumbled behind her, he realised that he had come on too strong. He rolled his eyes with an indignant huff, taking a step back to give her some space. He wanted Caitlin to love him, not fear him. He needed to remind himself to be more careful around her.
"I heard she put up the fight of her life. I heard that she took away some of your speed. She made you weak, and she was very close to killing you. And if I know Sophia, I know that she's head strong and stubborn and I know that she will do anything to protect those that she loves. Barry may not have his powers, and my team might not know what to do. But Sophia, I know her. She'll find a way," Caitlin declared proudly. Her words that were aimed as a weapon towards Zoom had also put her at some ease, giving her hope that Sophia would save the day.
"I admire the faith you have in your friends. But I also pity you for your obvious delusion. No one can stop me. Nobody."
"So what's your plan? You're just gonna kill everyone?"
"No, not everyone."
"Then why are you keeping me here?"
"Cause I don't want to be alone anymore, I want to be with you," Hunter said in a softer tone that sounded almost human like.
"I am never going to be with you."
"You think that you're not like me, but I've seen the darkness inside of you, Caitlin. Just like it was inside Killer Frost," Hunter said, leaning down so he was looking her directly in the eyes. "All you have to do… is unlock it."
Cisco had up and left the cortex whilst the debating went on, saying he was going to catch his brother quickly and make sure he was safe.
Harry had left the room in a hurry to do the same for Jesse, and that left herself with Barry.
"Are you seriously thinking about doing this?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes. I need to. I have to."
"You don't have to. I am here too. With your help and the team, we can stop him. This doesn't mean that you can't help, if that's what this is about?"
"It's not about that. It's about you fighting him out there, on your own. If he's just a millisecond too fast he could kill you, he will kill you. I can't lose you. I lost you once before last year, and it broke me. I couldn't breathe. I-I can't go through that again."
"Bar…"
"Sophia, I can't. I have to do something, I can't just sit here and do nothing. That isn't me, you know that."
"I know, honey, I know." She bit her lip. "But did you ever think about what it would do to me if I lost you? How I would feel? Did you ever think that I can't lose you either, that you're everything I have." She was on the brink of tears again and that made her furious. She blinked away her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know it's stressful. But if you do this and it doesn't work, you're dead. I can't deal with a future without you in it."
"It won't go sideways. I trust Wells. It'll work."
Unbeknownst to them, Joe and Henry were having this very same discussion at the West household.
"Look, let's just wait until Harry gets back and see what happens." Barry moved closer to her, bringing her into his arms. Sophia wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him for dear life.
Cisco was just leaving the bar with his brother after having a little chat that was displeasing at most when a Meta appeared through a breach down the middle of the dark street they were standing on.
"Shit," Cisco cursed under his breath. He pressed down on the breaks of the Star Labs van, and Dante braced for impact as a blast of glowing red energy hit the front of the van, sending the vehicle reeling backwards.
Dante and Cisco jumped out of the van, slightly disoriented from the hit.
"You okay?" Dante asked his brother who nodded.
"Hello, Vibe," A gruff voice spoke, the man's face still hidden by his hood.
"Simmer down, Reaper. We got no beef with you," Cisco said, coughing from the fumes coming from the burnt van.
"Maybe not, but I've got beef with you, Vibe."
"Why does he keep calling you that?" Dante asked.
"I don't know," Cisco replied.
"You killed my brother, so, now, you die."
"Oh my god. You're "Princess Bride"-ing me right now! You must have me mixed up with somebody else, Inigo."
"I don't think so. My brother was Reverb. Remember now?" He taunted, pushing off the hood that once concealed his identity, only to reveal Dante Ramon standing before them.
Holy shit.
"Move!" Cisco yelled, pushing Dante out of the way of a blast that was headed their way. "Get in the van!"
"He looks like…"
"Now!"
"I knew there was something wrong!" Dante yelled as he buckled up back in the van, holding onto the arm rest as the van reeled forward from the speed that Cisco was pushing the engine at. "Every time I see you, we get attacked by lunatics with crazy weapons!"
"No, he's not!" Cisco brought his right hand down, changing gears with lighting speed and pulling the car into reverse. His foot slammed down on the accelerator and the van went zooming backwards, crashing into the reaper as he called him, knocking him down. Once Cisco was sure that their adversary was knocked out he changed into drive and stepped on it.
"Go! Go!" Dante urged.
The tires screeched as Cisco sped away, his eyes glancing nervously into his rear view mirror, unsure of what was to happen next. But he knew that he couldn't lie to his brother any longer. He would probably have to tell him some version of the truth, especially now that he had seen a man with powers, with his own face.
"You want to tell me exactly what you've gotten us into this time?" Sophia asked as Cisco came tumbling back into the cortex.
"He calls himself Rupture. Another meta-human under Zoom's control from my Earth," Harry said.
"Great, so he's bringing more of his friends over," Barry groaned.
"That's what I told you he would do," Harry berated.
"Okay, well, Zoom must've lied to fake-Dante and told him I was the one who killed Reverb, cause dude wants me dead. We got to do something," Cisco said.
"Leave it to me, the rest of you figure out how we're going to get Barry's powers back. Without killing him," Sophia said, putting emphasis on her last few words. "What else do we know about him?"
"He gets his powers from that scythe he wields. Thing's legit too… it almost took half the van with him."
"Right, so if that gives him his power all we need to do is take it away and voila, it'll be an easy take down," Sophia said.
"Right. I'll be in my lab working on it," Harry said, leaving the room.
"I just have to figure out a way to not tell Dante why this psychopath looks exactly like him." Cisco said, typing away on his tablet as he left the room.
"I saw your dad earlier," Sophia said looking over at Barry. She had spoken with Henry in depth about it all, and found that he held just as much fear as she did about the whole situation. "He doesn't want you to do it either."
"I know. I thought having him here would make it easier, but it's just made it harder."
"Look, Barry, I know that I want you to stay here where it's safe, and to let me do all the work, but I know that won't happen. So if you're going to do this, then I'll be there to help, to support you, you just have to come back, come back home, come back to me."
"I will. I promise, that's all I want."
"We can do this. We'll get your speed back, we'll save Caitlin and stop Zoom. And then, then, we can finally rest," Sophia exhaled with a breathy laugh.
"We can go travelling, how about that?" Barry asked, softly brushing a curl out of her eyes, admiring the soft smile on her face. Her cheeks were rosy and flushed from flying around earlier and the colour suited her more than red suited The Flash.
"Mmm, I speak French, but I've never been to Paris."
"Paris sounds good."
"The city of love," Sophia said.
"With you, wherever we are is the city of love," He said, and when she laughed his heart soared with love. He leaned forward capturing her lips in a chaste kiss, his nose nudging hers as he moved in for another one, leaving her breathless as his lips glided over hers in an electric kiss.
"Talk about cheesy," Sophia said as he pulled away.
"But you love it."
"I love you."
"Something's blinking over here," An intern called out, gathering the attention of Joe in the crowded coffee shop.
Joe stumbled over to investigate, sending the intern to alert Captain Singh of the new information. Joe pulled out his phone and dialled Barry's number, hoping that he hadn't done anything stupid in the time that he had left him alone at Star Labs.
Barry picked up in a seconds notice and Joe quickly explained that a signal was coming through.
"It's coming from the CCPD," Joe said, brows furrowed in confusion. They didn't have any of their staff left in the CCPD, so he wasn't sure how it was a possibility, unless Zoom had sent the signal out.
"It's Caitlin," Barry breathed, a sigh of relief and a smile quirking on his lips. "I've got it covered."
Barry was quick in relaying the information to the team. Well as quick as he could be with having to drive down to Star Labs, but he needed to get there to be able to decipher and track the code.
"What about Caitlin?" Harry asked.
"She sent us a message," Barry said, nudging Cisco to the side so he could access it via the computers. "Rupture is gonna attack Jitters tonight."
"We got to move, Barry," Harry said, referring to giving Barry his powers back.
Barry paused, looking at Harry with a blank expression. He had thought it over, he had taken the advice from those around him to heart and he knew that he had to make a choice.
"What are you gonna do, slugger?" Henry asked.
"Look, having The Flash and Sapphire working together is the best way to stop Zoom and all the meta's he's sending over. But, until we know for sure that setting off the accelerator will work, it's too risky. Not just for me, for the entire city." Barry knew it wasn't just his life at risk, if they created more Meta's things would only get worse, and when he glanced over at Sophia he could see the relief settle into her skin immediately and it made him feel better that she wasn't worrying about it anymore.
Sophia exhaled, letting out a breath she hadn't know she had been holding. She had prepared herself for the worst, but her nerves were saved when he said that he wasn't going to do it.
"Yes, but Allen…" Harry protested.
"Stop, Wells. Look, I'm sorry. I've made up my mind," Barry said. "We're just gonna have to figure out how we can best support Sapphire out there tonight."
"It's alright, I got this. You guys are my eyes and ears. We can do it," Sophia said. "It's just Rupture we're facing tonight, not Zoom."
Night had fallen across Central City, the sun replaced by the moon hanging in the sky. The Sapphire Knight flew across her city, eyes focused and calculating. Cisco had given her a good enough description of Rupture, making it clear that he looked something like the Grim Reaper. She had devised plan in her head already. Her flight would be an advantage against him, all she needed to do was get the scythe away from him and he would be defenceless.
Joe alerted her and the team that the officers down at Jitters were ready and prepared for a fight, letting her know that it was time to come down.
Slowly she made her decent, landing firmly on the ground, not wavering in the face of adversary. Sophia stepped into Jitters, and all the chatter fell, leaving silence behind.
"No matter what happens tonight, do not lose faith. We're going to stop this meta-human and then we're going to stop Zoom. I promise each and every one of you that."
"Thank you," A small voice in the back whispered, a young cop by the looks of it. Sapphire gave her a warm smile of encouragement and then turned on her foot, leaving the room, closing the door behind her with the click of a lock.
Sapphire turned around, pulling out the sword that was strapped on her back. The metal glinted in the moonlight, standing out like a beacon of light as she stood there with it drawn in front of her in a defensive position. Sophia didn't have to wait long in the middle of the road for Rupture, something she was glad off. Her eyes were ablaze with colour, watching carefully as he strutted down the street and towards Jitters, his scythe daringly stomping on the ground as he walked over.
Rupture stopped in the middle of the road, close enough for her to hear his words, but far away enough that he would be able to defend himself should he need to.
"The Sapphire Knight? Not who I was expecting, but you'll be a nice warm up," Rupture said, flicking the dark hood of his cape off, and bringing down his scythe with a vengeful blow, a brilliant red erupting from the tip and firing out toward Sapphire.
In one swift movement, Sophia brought her sword up and in front of her protectively, bright blue energy coursing through the metal, creating a barrier. The red blast from Rupture's scythe ignited in a brilliant show of colours when it collided with her sword, erupting in all directions away from Sophia. She brought down her sword when the energy had dissipated, grinning at Rupture's shock. He had clearly not been expecting that of her. She hated sexist pigs.
"I think you might want to re-evaluate your plans for the evening, Rupture. Because it looks like you're going to be having a difficult one."
With a roar of anger, Rupture ran forward, feet pounding on the pavement as he charged towards her, scythe out and ready to swipe at her. Sophia was quicker, flying up above him and out of the way, landing directly behind him. She took his moment of disorientation to direct a blast at his back, the energy flowing out of her hand.
He tumbled to the ground with a grunt, his back scorching from the hit. He braced his hands out in front of him, catching his fall as best as he could, pushing himself back up, turning around and throwing another blast towards her with his scythe.
She twisted her body to the side, angling it just enough to avoid the hit, but the edge of her cape was singed where he had just caught it.
"I'm tired of this," Sapphire growled. Not only was she tired of Rupture, she was tired of this fight, and it made her angry that it had dragged on for so long, that her life had become the war-torn ground upon which Zoom's battles were played.
Eyes glowing bright, and her body ready for a fight, she focused her energy, her eyes burning with heat, shooting out heat vision at his scythe. The metal hook of the scythe began to melt under the heat, travelling throughout the handle and burning Rupture's hand. He cried out in pain, dropping the scythe, the distraction giving her enough time to rush forward in flight, her fist out in front of her, energy surrounding it, and exploding as her closed fist pummelled into Rupture's abdomen, sending his body flying backwards into the street.
Sophia landed on the ground panting, her eyes darting around for any movement, but Rupture was knocked out cold.
The door of Jitter's opened, and the officers of the CCPD slowly crept out, cheering with relief when they saw that Sapphire had defeated the Meta.
"Cisco, we got him!"
"Breaking news coming out of Jitter's coffee shop. CCPN has learned that a meta-human was just apprehended after an altercation with Central City's Sapphire Knight."
Zoom slammed his fist into the screen of the TV, the glass shattering, and plugs sparking from the damage. He was seething with anger. He turned around, stomping towards Caitlin, fury written all across his face.
"You told them Rupture was coming. How? HOW!?"
Caitlin was silent, cringing as his voice boomed, echoing throughout the lab. He then noticed the light beeping from a machine on the desk. Caitlin had re-routed one of their old radios at the CCPD to send out a signal using Morse-code.
"Oh, you… are smart, aren't you? You betrayed me!"
"You said you would spare them," Caitlin said in a small voice.
"I guess… now we're even," Zoom accused in a dark voice, slipping on the hood of his black suit, the speedster's eyes swallowed by darkness.
"Jay, no!" Caitlin pleaded, even reaching out to him if it would get him to stop but it hadn't been enough. He was gone in the blink of an eye.
"My name, is Zoom."
No one knew what had hit them next.
Sapphire had been swept of her feet, literally, landing on her back, her head cracking against the pavement, knocking her out cold. Zoom then rushed into Jitters, attacking each and every one of the police officers there, sparing only Joe and Barry who were hiding towards the back of the room.
He snapped the necks of each and every one of those officers, their bodies falling to the floor of the coffee shop like dominos.
Barry and Joe were shocked when time seemed to start again, bodies dropping around them like flies. Barry cried out in disdain and Zoom took a threatening step towards him. It was in that moment that Barry realised he had been foolish to think that this monster would be stopped without him having his speed. Without The Flash there would be no one fast enough to stop him, no matter how strong or motivated. This wasn't a game of strength or power any longer, it was a game of speed, and they were losing the race.
"No!" Joe yelled, whipping out his gun to fire away at Zoom regardless of whether it would do anything, only to have his weapon snatched from his fingertips and thrown across the room.
"You are only alive because of Caitlin. Try something like this again, and my affection for her won't stop me from killing you, Sophia or the rest of this city!"
Zoom disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Joe and Barry behind to deal with the aftermath of the cruel world that they had been thrust into.
"Sophia," Barry breathed out in worry. He ran out the front doors, his head turning left and right, eyes darting around to find her. It was then that he saw a body laying further up on the road. He didn't waste a second in bolting down the road, running as fast as he could without his speed. He skidded across the ground, kneeling down next to her body.
"Sophia!" He called out her name, bringing one hand to cradle her head, the other with his hand on her neck to find a pulse. "No, no, you can't leave me," He gasped for air When he couldn't, he grabbed her wrist, pressing his fingers hard against her skin, praying to find something. When he felt the thump of blood flowing through her veins, he sagged in relief against her body. He picked her up in his arms, and took her to his car, carefully placing her in the passenger seat, brushing some hair out of her face and then placing a kiss on her forehead. He was still shaking from what had happened, thankful that she had been alright.
She had been knocked out, but she wasn't bleeding and he hoped that she would wake up soon. In the car ride over he called Cisco fill him in, whilst Joe dealt with his entire squadron that had been slaughtered by Zoom.
Bleary-eyed and lethargic beyond measure, Sophia used Barry for support as she walked out of the med-bay and into the cortex where everyone was gathered. Joe looked distressed the most in particular, and Iris was doing her best to comfort him.
"So what's next?" Cisco asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Next, he'll recruit every meta-human he can find, and then force them to do what he wants," Harry said, glowering.
"How many could be left? We defeated most of them, didn't we?" Barry asked.
"No. You're not even close. This… is a list of meta-humans from my Earth. Ones that are known, anyway. The particle accelerator explosion was contained on my Earth."
"That didn't happen here," Sophia said, rubbing her temple.
"Then why wouldn't we know about the other meta-humans here?"
"Because of The Flash…. And now that everyone knows that he's not around… they know that Sapphire is vulnerable. Her partner is incapacitated. They'll start coming out of the woodwork," Harry said, pacing the room.
"We don't know that," Iris chipped in.
"What more do you need? I told you he'd recruit meta-humans. We've seen him do that. I told you he would kill officers. We saw him do that too. What more do you need?"
"Let's do it. I want to do it."
"What?" Sophia asked, turning her head to look at him with an almost lightning speed.
"One of the cops that Zoom killed tonight, he had a son. Same age I was when mom was murdered," Barry explained. "And now, another kid has to grow up without one of their parents because The Flash wasn't there to stop that monster. I let this happen. I need to get my powers back."
The room was tense as Harry and Cisco worked on setting up the machine that they would be using to replicate the explosion exactly how it had been carried out before, and how it affected Barry. Sophia could only sit there, her legs bouncing up off the ground nervously, and Barry was on the other side of the room, conversing with his father.
"So how does this work?" Joe asked Harry, unsure of all of the specifics. All he knew was that they were building out of the machine that they had used to stabilise the breach when it had been opened in the basement of Star Labs.
"It's an abbreviated version of the accelerator evil Wells built, except Harry is isolating the antimatter and dark energy to direct it to Barry instead of the entire city."
"Good. Last thing we need is more meta-humans running around Central City."
"So… Barry just gets in, we turn it on, and that's it?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"No. Not exactly. In addition to recreating what happened with the particle accelerator explosion, we also have to recreate what happened to Barry," Harry said.
"Getting struck by lightning," Sophia said under her breath, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.
"That's right."
"Wait, so how are you gonna do that? It's not even raining outside."
"Well, Ramon, you have the wand," Harry reminded him.
"The one I made for Mark Mardon?" Cisco asked.
"No, the one you built for the Harry Potter convention," Wells scoffed. "Yes, of course, the one you built for Mardon."
"How do you know about the Harry Potter convention?" Cisco asked timidly.
"Because you and Sophia were talking about it like children getting candy for the first time," Harry drawled. "Now, get the wand and get on the roof," He ordered.
"Why the roof?"
Sophia rolled her eyes. She could see where this was going, and all the questions were not doing much to quell her anxieties.
"Because we're gonna need a lightning rod, and that, Ramon, is gonna be you."
Cisco found himself climbing the stairs til he reached the door that led to the rooftop of Star Labs. He couldn't believe that he had never been up there before in all his time working here. He assumed it was for the fact that there wasn't a lift, and only a mountain of stairs, something he wasn't all that eager to trek upon.
He unlocked the door, pushing the latch open and pulling the handle back, blinking his eyes as a great breeze came rushing through the doorway. Step by step he made it up, until he was standing in the middle of the rooftop, the vivid view of Central City before his eyes. The whole city was a lit with bright lights, from tall glass buildings, and the streets down below. It was a warm yellow, the sun having just set, the sky fading into a darker hue of blue as time went on.
"All right, I'm on the roof. Wow. I've never actually been up here before. I think I can see my apartment from here," Cisco mused.
"It really is beautiful. Barry and I go up there all the time," Sophia said through the comm. She was now downstairs in the basement of Star Labs with Barry and the rest of the team. Harry was gathering up a bunch of electrical wires that were at least a few metres long, dumping them on the floor in front of the chair that Barry would be sitting in when the procedure was underway.
"Enough chatter," Harry berated. "We have work to do. Head straight to the satellite, Ramon. When I give you the signal, you're gonna create a lightning storm above you."
"So, I'm just supposed to stand here, in the middle of a lightning storm?" Cisco asked with snark.
"Really, Ramon. Chances of being struck are slim, indeed."
"Yeah, not when you're the one causing it."
"All we need is one lightning bolt to strike the satellite. The satellite circuitry's connected to the breach room. Barry's in the breach room. Just do it."
"Yeah. I'm doing it. Mozart better watch out. Cisco Ramon's about to conduct something nasty," Cisco called out, causing Sophia to smile a little. But then she saw Barry moving to sit down in the chair across the room, and all that fear and anxiety came reeling back in.
She bit her lip, and took a step towards him, watching as Harry put down some clamps on his arms and legs. She wasn't sure if it was to stop him from thrashing or if it was to inject the chemicals in that would factor into giving Barry his speed back.
"You're gonna feel these clamps, but they're necessary."
Barry nodded, glad for the forewarning, but still the pain was there as it pinched his skin.
"You good?" Joe asked.
"Yeah, you?" Barry nodded, giving them his bravest smile. He was the one who wanted to do this, he knew that he needed to do this, but it still scared the living daylights out of him.
"It's gonna work, guys," Barry said, trying to quell their fears, but he could see that his words were not reassuring in anyway.
Sophia took a step towards him, placing one hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a moment, and her heart almost broke. "Are you sure, Barry?"
"Yes. I'll be fine."
"Promise?" Sophia asked, eyes filled with fear.
"Yeah, promise."
She leaned forward, angling his face towards her and pressed her lips to his. It was an agonisingly slow, and heart-aching kiss, as neither of them knew if it would be their last. Sophia pulled away, tears in her eyes and she noticed that he too was sharing the same look in his eye. She pressed one last kiss to his cheek, whispering a soft declaration of love in his ear before pulling away, otherwise, she would never let go.
"Son, you don't have to do this," Henry said.
"Being The Flash… that's the best version of me. If I don't have my speed, I'll never be that person anymore. I have to do this," Barry said with determination.
"Okay. You ready, Allen?" Harry asked, receiving a nod in confirmation.
"All right then, here we go."
"Do you feel that?"
"Yeah, what's happening?" Barry asked. It felt weird, like he was on edge, almost like he was floating.
A loud crash and sequence of beeping noises erupted from the computers. The lights above the chamber Barry was in went out, the back-up generators coming back on, an orange light now above his head. Barry was thrashing in pain, screams escaping his throat as the procedure dragged on.
There was a hard lump in Sophia's throat, and she held onto Iris's hand for support as they practically watched Barry being torn apart.
"Particles are becoming unstable. Ramon, get ready! I'm gonna release the chemicals into his system," Harry yelled through the comm.
"Hold on, Barry," Joe called out.
"God! He's going hydrostatic," Henry exclaimed, looking to Harry in desperation for him to stop.
"Almost there… almost there," Harry said under his breath, waiting for the exact moment.
"Wells!" Cisco yelled.
"Almost there!"
Barry was in pure agony by this point, his eyes clenched shut in an attempt to survive through the pain.
"Ready, Ramon?"
"Now!"
"Expecto Patronum!" Cisco shouted into the night, thrusting the wand into the sky. The storm above him boomed with thunder, the white lightning crackling down violently, through the wand and then down into the basement of Star Labs. "Great Scott! It's working!"
"No!" Sophia cried out, watching the computer, showing that Barry no longer had a heartbeat. When her eyes glanced up at him, she could see what was left of his face was pale, but before she could say anything more, Harry had called out.
"Initiating collision."
Abruptly, there was a burst of bright light that blinded them all for a moment, most bringing their arms up to shield their eyes. When they brought them back down, Sophia ran over to the chamber to see if Barry was alright.
"Barry!"
"It worked! Is everyone okay?" Harry asked, getting up off the floor from where he had been knocked down.
"What happened?" Joe asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Where's Barry? What happened?!" Sophia called out, seeing that the chair was empty. He was gone…
"No! No! What did you do to my son?"
Everyone stood there frozen, watching the empty space that Barry had once been sitting in.
"He's n-not there, he's… gone," Sophia whispered, voice cracking. She stumbled backwards, her brain unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Henry, I-," Harry began, but he was cut off by the distressed voice of a grieving father.
"You thought you could give The Flash his speed back?! Well done. You killed him instead!" Henry stormed out of the room, leaving everyone behind to deal with the aftermath.
Sophia wasn't exactly sure what happened next, only that she remembered collapsing to the floor, Iris coming to her rescue and helping her up to a seat. She felt numb, and dead inside, because Barry was gone. He had promised that he would be fine, that everything would work out in the end, but he was dead, and she felt like she was underwater, drowning with no way out other than down.
A / N – The ending of this chapter was so sad, but it had to happen. Now that I think about it, the ending for the next few chapters are all pretty devo, but we've hit that point in the season.
Thank you for all the new followers/reviewers you always make my day!
Replies:
Guest 1: Thank you so much, I am so glad that you liked it! I'm doing my best to get you guys quality content.
RHatch89: I'm so glad! Here she is again with more action, and just you wait for chapter 23 there's so much it's amazing.
rebelforcauses: THANK YOU. YOU ARE CUTE TOO. I love my little babies.
Riana Chere: I am so glad, and yes it it's so fun to see her take on a more solo role rather than teaming up with Barry like she does most of the time.
Reyna Ramirez: I am so glad that you enjoyed it! I wasn't sure how it would come out but it's good it's been positive.
Guest 2: Thank you so much! Yeah hopefully you guys get the notification for this chapter, ff net has been having a lot of trouble lately.
gossamermouse101: I know i felt really bad for griffin too! I think somewhere in the show towards the end it was sort of lost that this guy was actually just a young kid who was scared, he just wanted to be normal again and not die... so i tried to get that across in the chapter.
Natalie: Thank you for your suggestion! That would be fun for the musical crossover! It's so far away but I'm excited to write it... hopefully next season I can incorporate Kara into my story as well a little bit, at least get an introduction in or something. Thank you for your reviews!
Til next time.
- Heroherondale. x