I really had no idea how I was going to make the trial any different, but I guess I could just shake a few minor things up. Enjoy.
Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.
I'd like to thank the following users for the most recent reviews: vaguilera.1, lupo95gxd, Aragorn II Elessar, Guest, CallMeMiles, jose03
To lupo95gxd: Yup, the irony. The Lance Sisters' history with Oliver, oh that's messy. And now both Earth-1 Sara and Earth-2 Laurel are carrying a torch for Leonard Snart. It's like the Lance sisters, even from different earths, are destined to fall for the same guy.
To CallMeMiles: Well, the reason Kara didn't say "I'm sorry, Barry" or something is because unlike Barry, she was expecting to win her battle and see him at midnight. Barry, on the other hand, was willing to surrender himself at the cost of that midnight meeting.
To jose03: I think this story will have more than 70 chapters, but less than 100. That's all I can tell for now. Oh, and just like I said to CallMeMiles, Kara didn't apologize to Barry because, unlike Barry, Kara was confident she will make it through Christmas Eve. Barry, on the other hand, just surrendered and let himself get arrested.
"You can't handle the truth!" - Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, A Few Good Men
In the pocket dimension that now belonged to a society of sinister individuals, Caitlin Snow (a.k.a. Killer Frost) walked up to the hi-tech monitor to record the latest entry in her audio journal. Ever since she took control of this lab, she's been digitally recording her journal entries and saving them in the computer's database. During her five-month self-exile from Team Flash, she used an old-fashioned tape recorder to journalize her thoughts. She still kept the tapes containing her previous entries. She just thought it would help if she had a backup storage for her audio journal.
Accessing the "voice record" function on the monitor, Killer Frost enters her next journey entry.
"Journal Entry 09-11," Killer Frost started. "Revisiting the events of Christmas Eve. Barry Allen, secretly the hero known as The Flash, was arrested for the murder of Clifford DeVoe, a.k.a. The Thinker. Despite being released on bail, he is under house arrest and is about to be put on trial for his crime. A crime that he was framed for. As mentioned in Journal Entry 08-99, Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. Reverse Flash, is the one who committed the murder with the intent to frame Barry. It is important that he is found guilty and sentenced to Iron Heights. If he is to be detained, then that will give me more time to finalize the prerequisites of my plans. That would mean that Central City will be deprived of their hero. Team Flash will be in that state of struggle they suffered through in the five months Barry was in the Speed Force. And I... I just... I only intend to..."
Killer Frost froze. Ironic, isn't it? She stops recording and stores the recording in the file called "Who Am I?" where her audio journal is.
A tear escapes Killer Frost's eye. She knew why and didn't know why at the same time. Here she is, just recording her latest journal entry and now she's shedding a tear. After a sniffle, the tear raining down her cheek froze and shattered.
She then decided to record another entry. Her finger hovered over the record button for an awfully long time. After wondering why she froze, she pushed the button and spoke.
"Barry, if you're hearing this..."
It was time for the trial of Barry Allen. District attorney Anton Slater will be the prosecutor of this case. Cecile Horton will be representing Barry as his lawyer. The other members of Team Flash - Iris, Wally, Caitlin, Cisco, and Joe - were present for the trial. Right now, Barry just sits on the defendant's desk waiting for the inevitable, which is him getting locked up.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, to understand what I'm about to say, I need you to do one thing. I need you to believe in the impossible," Slater started. "As children, we're told that the police are here to protect us. We're told that our tax dollars go toward training them to be champions of the city, but for some of us, it still seems impossible that a police investigator, one of Central City's finest, could betray that trust. And even worse, under the guise of upholding the law to commit the most heinous act that one person can carry out against another. That is exactly what Barry Allen did."
Caitlin's stoic expression changed slightly due to being aware of the true culprit of the murder. But she tried to hide her guilty face with concern, concern for Barry.
"Now, the prosecution will prove beyond any doubt that he stood among us a wolf in sheep's clothing," Slater continued. "But here's the thing. Barry Allen wears a mask."
Barry knew it was wrong to laugh on the inside, but it's funny how Slater was so right with his words yet the context behind his words were false.
"He used his connection to the law, his experience as a police investigator, especially as a crime scene technician, to stalk a beloved professor, husband, and murdered Clifford DeVoe in cold blood," Slate finished.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ FLASH ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Cisco, Caitlin, Joe, and Wally left the courtroom when they heard the news of a meta who caused all the people in a bank to collapse as if they were poisoned. While they were gone, Captain Singh arrived at the courthouse to testify against Barry.
"Do I need to repeat the question?" Slater asked.
"No, I heard it," said Singh. "The person standing over Clifford DeVoe's body was Barry Allen."
"No further questions, your honor," Slate said, satisfied.
Slater sits back down on his desk while Cecile steps up to the witness box to question Singh.
"Captain Singh, you stated that you interviewed Barry Allen five years ago for the job of CSI. I wonder, what was your first impression on him?" Cecile started.
"He was young, had half the experience of everyone else I interviewed," Singh answered.
"Why'd you hire him?" asked Cecile.
"It was really something he said in the interview. Everyone always talks about going after the criminals, the guilty, but Allen said he wanted to help the victims, the innocents," said Singh. "I thought Central City deserved someone like that. Allen is one of the good ones."
"One of the good ones," Cecile repeated with a smile, satisfied and confident the jury will ponder about this. "No further questions, your honor."
Cecile returns to her desk, still smiling. Slater, however, stood up to ask Singh more questions.
"Would you cover for Mr. Allen if you had to?" asked Slater.
"No, of course not," said Singh.
Slater reviews his notes on the defendant. "It says here that he took a five-month sabbatical to the Czech Republic. Did he get approval from you first?"
"Not exactly," said Singh. "He said it was for something personal. I'm sure he had a good reason."
"It also says here that he was late 72 times in the past 2 years," Slate read. "You never asked him why?"
"No," Singh answered. "Because regardless of what time he came, he always did his job."
Both Slate and the jury shot questioning looks at Singh for this answer.
"It's almost like he has this secret life," Slater theorized. "In spite of all these infractions, you never thought to discipline him?"
"What are you suggesting?" Singh asked accusingly.
"That whether you realize it or not, you've been covering the ugly truth about Mr. Allen for years," said Slater.
"That is not true," Singh said firmly.
"Is it true that he was targeting Mr. DeVoe? Yes or no?" Slater asked.
Singh had to answer. "Yes, which is why I granted DeVoe the restraining order and told Allen to stay away."
This was not looking good for Barry. Not good, at all. Singh really didn't want Barry behind bars, guilty or not, but he had to tell the whole truth. The look of worry was all over Singh's face.
The judge ordered for a one-hour break. Cecile stayed in the courtroom with Barry and Iris to discuss their next strategy. Barry refuses to testify because if he were to be asked about the "motives behind the murder" and "what he does in his spare time," then he would have to lie since the people can't know he's The Flash.
"If I testify, I have to lie. I commit perjury, I become exactly who they think I am," said Barry.
"Then don't lie. Tell them the truth," Cecile suggested. "Tell everyone you're The Flash."
Barry chuckles as if Cecile just told a joke and then shakes his head in refusal.
"Barry, if the court knows that you're The Flash, you can explain everything and they'll believe you," said Cecile. "Prosecution's gonna wrap up soon. I need your answer now. Tell the city you're The Flash."
Barry still looks like he doesn't want to agree to this plan. Instead of verbally explaining his reason why he refuses to agree to this, he stands up and looks outside the window. He stares at the skies above, as if he was expecting someone.
"Why is he so against this?" Cecile wondered.
"It's not your fault, Cecile," said Iris. "He's been waiting for a certain someone since Christmas."
"Supergirl," Cecile guessed. "Joe told me everything about what's been going on between her and Barry."
"They were supposed to meet on Christmas Eve at midnight. Barry turned himself over to the police before he could," said Iris. "But Kara never showed up."
Cecile looks at Barry with so much sympathy. As if facing a life sentence isn't hard enough for him, he's been waiting for Kara, someone he's clearly very in love with, since Christmas. He had hoped she would visit so he could explain why he didn't meet with her. But she hasn't come visited. Barry may be surrendering to his fate, but he wanted Kara to be there to say goodbye before he goes to prison. Why hasn't she come?
Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin was heading to the cortex to share with Harry and Cisco what she found out about the poisoned people that were found unconscious in the bank. She stopped just outside the cortex to think. Here she is looking for a meta while Barry is about to be imprisoned for life. Then again, Barry in prison is what she wanted. Trying to focus on the objective, she walks into the cortex.
"This is all we got?" Harry questioned, looking at the blurry footage of the meta from the bank. "This isn't a lot to go on."
"I know, okay? We're lucky we even got this footage. For some reason, all the security cameras were fried," Cisco explained.
"Hey, guys," Caitlin called. "I was just at the hospital going over the medical records of everyone who was at the bank, and I know why they passed out."
Just as Caitlin was about to show them the medical records, Wally (dressed as Kid Flash) zoomed back into the lab, causing all of the papers to fly around the room. Caitlin shoots a scolding look at Wally and gestures to the papers, which are the medical records. Understanding, Wally uses his super speed to grab all of the scattered papers and returns them to Caitlin.
"Okay, so the police couldn't find anything and I searched the area around the bank for any signs of a meta who could make people faint," said Wally. "Not that I wanted any innocents to get poisoned or anything... it's just with the blurry security footage, I didn't have a lot of options. I mean, all who suffered from this meta's powers can be cured, right? Am I a bad person for thinking like this?"
"Necessary evil, Kid Flash. I know the feeling," said Caitlin.
"I just feel like a kid," said Wally.
"Snow," Harry called. "The people at the bank, why did they pass out?"
Caitlin explained. "They all suffered from fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain, skin rashes..."
"So, everyone ate a bad burrito?" Cisco joked, confused.
"No. Radiation poisoning," Caitlin corrected.
"That's why the security cameras are fried," Harry realized, remembering the blurry footage.
"We have to find this guy before he poisons the whole city," said Caitlin.
"Yeah, or worse," Harry said.
"Worse how? What do you mean?" asked Wally.
"If this meta can cause these levels of radiation in these patients, that means this meta has a similar makeup to a nuclear bomb," Harry explained.
"So, like, enough to blow us all up?" Cisco guessed. "What are we talking here?"
"The fallout from a nuclear explosion could be catastrophic," Caitlin realized.
Cisco then comes up with a nickname for the meta. He says, "Fallout."
"Cool name," Wally replied.
"Terrible power," Cisco added.
"Ramon, satellites, now," Harry ordered.
Back in the courtroom, it was time for the deceased's wife Marlize DeVoe to testify against Barry Allen. Marlize seemed very sad. Barry, Iris, and Cecile can't tell if she's faking it or not. Clifford DeVoe is dead and she should be sad, yet something about the look on her face tells them that there's more to it than just grief.
"Mrs. DeVoe, when did you first meet Mr. Allen?" asked Slater.
"Mr. Allen showed up at my house two months ago, claiming to be investigating one of Clifford's former colleagues," Marlize answered. Her voice cracked due to grief and sadness. "We assured him that we had no information to assist him, but Mr. Allen persisted and continued to question my husband."
"And what prompted the restraining order?" asked Slater.
"My husband has... had... advancing ALS," said Marlize. "I was alone with Clifford most of the time, but something about Mr. Allen's aggressive manner made me feel unsafe so we went to the authorities. We thought the complaint would dissuade Mr. Allen, but it didn't..."
Joe and Ralph returned after having staked out Marlize's house. They found some evidence that might prove that Marlize is the one who killed Clifford. That's Team Flash's #1 theory right now. Joe and Ralph gave the evidence to Cecile.
"When did you last see your husband?" asked Slater.
"It was Christmas," Marlize answered, tears building up in her eyes. "Clifford wanted to confront Mr. Allen. He had hoped that the holiday spirit would help Mr. Allen to be convinced to let us be." Her voice continued to crack as she was closer to crying. "I begged him not to go. But even with his disability, Clifford insisted that it was his job as my husband to protect us, to protect me. He didn't want to live in fear, so..." She started sobbing. "He left and I-I-I wish I could've stopped him and stepped and tell him not to do it... but I let him go."
Marlize cried and cried with actual tears. Iris, Joe, and Ralph look at her with disbelief, still believing it's all an act. Slater sympathetically gives Marlize a napkin to wipe her tears with. The jury seemed moved by her statement. Slater sits down while Cecile advances to use the evidence that Joe and Ralph provided her. It was a recorder that recorded a conversation between Joe, Ralph, and (judging by the sound of the recording) a store employee. She played it for the jury.
"... a man in a wheelchair ordered a set of knives," said the employee.
"Did he look like this?" Joe asked, which means that he showed a picture of Clifford DeVoe. "His name is Clifford DeVoe."
"Yeah, that's the guy," said the employee. "Heard about what happened to him on the news. Poor guy."
"Ooh, busted," Ralph said.
The recording stopped. Now it was getting really suspicious. Cecile turned to Marlize to question her.
"So, let's review the facts. Your husband bought a set of kitchen knives. Barry Allen received a Christmas gift of an incomplete set of knives without any names indicating the person who gifted him said knives. And it just so happens that your husband was killed by the same knife. I don't think that's a coincidence," said Cecile. "Tell me, Mrs. DeVoe. Did you and your husband gift these knives to Barry Allen?"
"I... N-No," Marlize answered. "If we did, Clifford must've done it without me knowing. It was... it was probably his first attempt at trying to dissuade Mr. Allen."
"You sound unsure," Cecile assumed, considering Marlize didn't now how to answer at first. "What if you did know that he bought these knives as a gift for Barry Allen and you weren't fond of that idea? What if you two had a fight that pushed you over the edge?"
"I loved Clifford. My heart will always belong to him," Marlize insisted.
"But doesn't it concern you that your husband was murdered by a gift that he gave to Barry Allen himself and he didn't even tell you about the gift?" Cecile persisted.
"It was Mr. Allen's choice to use the knife as a weapon. It's not my fault or Clifford's," said Marlize.
Cecile ran out of questions and returned to the defendant's desk. Slater smiles triumphantly since the evidence against Marlize failed. Marlize walked out of the courtroom to grieve on her own.
"Okay, that did not go well," Cecile said to her client. "What's your decision, Barry?"
"I'm not gonna do it," said Barry, refusing to tell anyone that he's The Flash.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ FLASH ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Marlize leaves the courtroom, still crying. Iris, frustrated by Marlize's supposed acting, decided to pursue her and interrogate her herself. Joe was worried, but decided to let his daughter handle this herself. She's a strong woman, he knew.
"Marlize," Iris called.
"Ms. West, I don't think it's appropriate for the two of us to be seen talking," said Marlize, still crying.
"Oh, please. Nobody is watching, so you can drop that ridiculous act already," Iris said, exasperated.
Marlize turns around and faces Iris with the tears still raining down her eyes. She seemed offended that Iris thought her grief and sorrow is a ruse.
"You think I am faking my grief?" Marlize accused. "Clifford is... was... my husband. I did everything for him, and now he's gone. Gone! Dead! My husband is dead!"
"Even if you're not the one who killed him, you're involved somehow," Iris accused. "What did you do?"
"I did nothing. My husband was taken from me and I couldn't do anything to stop it," Marlize said sadly. "I couldn't because..."
Marlize paused.
"Because what?" asked Iris, demanding an answer.
"Never mind. It's not important," said Marlize.
"Marlize, if the tears you shed back there were real, if you really didn't kill your husband, then don't you want whoever killed him to be brought to justice?" asked Iris.
"Of course I do," Marlize replied. "But I can't do anything."
"Marlize, you know who killed your husband," Iris knew. "Who did it?"
Marlize wipes the tears from her face and says, "I supposed it doesn't matter if I tell you. I'm dead either way."
"What are you talking about?" asked Iris.
Marlize answered. "Clifford wasn't just planning against you and your team. He was also investigating a secret sect that was plotting against him and your team. They're the ones who killed him. They're watching me. They're forcing me to cooperate. They must know I am speaking to you now."
"Do you have any names?" asked Iris.
"I do, but there's a problem," said Marlize. "Neither Clifford nor I know who their leader is. That's why he was killed. He was outsmarted. He never found out who."
"We'll find out for you," Iris offered. "But, Marlize, please, if you really want justice for your husband, you have to give me names."
"Very well," Marlize agreed. "But know this, Ms. West, you and your team and the rest of your friends have encountered and conquered threats of incredible danger, but what we're up against now, it's bigger than anything you've ever faced."
"We can handle it," Iris said confidently.
The meta that poisoned the people in the bank, nicknamed Fallout, is currently walking down the road glowing green, which means his radiation levels are spiking. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he's hurting people unintentionally with his powers. Singh and some cops showed up to stop him, but they too started to get poisoned when they came too close. A yellow streak zoomed in and took the cops far away from Fallout. It was Kid Flash.
"Kid Flash? You have to help me," Fallout begged.
"Wait, you mean you didn't mean to hurt them?" asked Kid Flash.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," said Fallout. "I don't know what's happening to me."
"You have meta powers, pal. Dangerous ones, I might add," said Kid Flash. "Let's just calm down so your radioactivity doesn't..."
Kid Flash didn't feel so good all of a sudden. He takes off his glove and sees that his hand is starting to show signs of radioactive poisoning. He was too close to Fallout, he's getting exposed to his radioactivity.
"Guys, I feel sick," said Kid Flash.
Another speedster showed up at the scene. It was The Flash. Cisco, Caitlin, Harry, and Wally called him for help once they located Fallout. He managed to get out of the courtroom since he's legally out on bail, but he had to finish fast so he can get back to his trial.
"Kid Flash, are you okay?" asked Flash.
"Wait, don't get too close," Kid Flash warned.
Too late. Flash started suffering the same illness that Kid Flash was suffering from thanks to Fallout's radioactive field.
"7500 rads," Caitlin said worriedly over the comms.
"Barry, you and Wally can't get too close to him. The radiation he's emitting is too hot for you both to self-heal," said Harry.
"Not helping and helping at the same time," Wally commented.
Fallout, in his futile attempt to stop himself from glowing, accidentally fires a radiation blast at Flash, sending him flying a couple dozen feet and poisoning him more. Kid Flash quickly ran to his mentor to see if he was okay.
"I can't stop this," Fallout said, scared and desperate.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ FLASH ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Caitlin, Cisco, and Harry were monitoring the mission from S.T.A.R. Labs. The readings on Barry and Wally's suits are screaming with radioactive poisoning. If they don't stop Fallout soon, both speedsters will suffer even more.
"We need to cool him down," said Cisco, hoping it's a solution.
Harry snaps his fingers upon coming up with an idea. He points at the biochemist, who is Caitlin, who just happens to have the powers they need.
"Oh, right," Caitlin remembered.
"Well, go on. Turn into Killer Frost," Cisco begged.
"That's not how it works. I can't just snap my fingers and make her appear. It only happens when I'm scared or angry," Caitlin lied, but convincingly using an annoyed tone.
"Oh, good Lord... CAITLIN!" Harry and Cisco shouted.
"This city is about to explode," Cisco reminded her. "Everyone and everything you love... the birds, the trees, the fish, the puppies... puppies are going down because you didn't wanna..."
"SHOW UP FOR WORK!" Harry and Cisco yelled at the same time.
Harry and Cisco were clearly trying to stress Caitlin into releasing Killer Frost. It doesn't work like that, but Caitlin had to pretend to make it look like it did. She grabs her icy blue jacket and joins Cisco through a breach that will take them straight to Fallout.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ FLASH ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Vibe and Killer Frost arrived at the road where Fallout is. Kid Flash was still too busy making sure Flash is okay, so the two scientists have to take care of the bus meta themselves.
"Is this business or a social call?" Killer Frost joked. Seeing Fallout, she says, "Business, I see."
Killer Frost fires an ice beam at Fallout, freezing him completely so he can be cooled down to prevent him for poisoning other people. Vibe smiles triumphantly just as Flash and Kid Flash get back on their feet. Unfortunately, Fallout was melting the ice off of him with his radiation.
"You son of a radioactive particle," Killer Frost cursed.
Fallout's attempt to shield himself with his arms resulted in him accidentally firing another radiation blast. It was heading straight for Killer Frost. Killer Frost reacted in time to create an ice shield to protect herself. It didn't work, but at least the shield reduced the impact of the blast. She lied unconscious for five seconds before waking up again.
"Are you okay?" asked Flash.
"That guy blasted his radioactive energy at me. I'm anything but okay," Killer Frost said bitterly, feeling ticked. "I'm gonna shatter him."
"Whoa, whoa, no killing. What is wrong with you?" Vibe disapproved.
"Well, you got any better ideas?" Killer Frost questioned.
Killer Frost continues trying to freeze Fallout. It wasn't working well, but at least she was cooling him down. All that's left now is come up with an idea to stop Fallout.
Vibe taps into his earpiece and says, "What if I breach him?"
"No, if you push him into a breach, he could explode," said Harry.
"And Fallout's fallout would kill us all," Vibe added half-jokingly.
"You think?" Harry replied sarcastically.
"What if I create a vacuum around him?" Flash suggested. "That way, even if he does explode, at least we can contain the blast."
"Great idea," Kid Flash said.
"Well, whatever you gotta do, do it fast. Fallout is at 6000 rads and slowly rising. Killer Frost's powers aren't gonna work for long," said Harry.
"If you guys would let go of my leash, I can make his rad count lower," said Killer Frost.
Killer Frost stops using her powers so Flash can do his thing. He started running circles around Fallout as fast as he can, creating a vacuum to contain his radioactivity. Unfortunately, while it's working, Flash is being further poisoned from behind too close to the meta.
"The vacuum is containing his energy, but he's getting stronger," said Flash.
"Don't worry," said Kid Flash.
Kid Flash started running circles around Fallout alongside Flash. The younger speedster looked at his mentor with a smile on his face. They're partners after all and partners stick together, even at the risk of being poisoned.
"I got your back," said Kid Flash.
Flash smiled as he ran faster. Kid Flash did as well, although not as fast as Flash.
"Allen, Kid West, I don't know how long you two can take this much radiation," Harry warned.
"I don't have a choice," said Flash.
"We're gonna keep running, Harry, no matter what," Kid Flash said determinedly.
"8,000 rads," said Harry.
Even with two speedsters, Fallout's radioactive energy is getting stronger. It's only a matter of time until he releases a deadly radioactive blast.
"9,000" said Harry. Ten seconds later, he says, "10,000 rads. Critical mass."
"Can I try freezing him again?" asked Killer Frost. "I won't kill him, if that'll make you guys happy."
"Harry, tell me you have another plan?" Vibe pleaded.
"Uh... Earth-15. Earth-15 is a dead earth. Breach Fallout's there, now!" Harry said.
Vibe opens a breach to Earth-15 above the vacuum created by the speedsters. Fallout's radioactive energy went into the breach. Soon enough, Fallout temporarily ran out of juice and passed out. Flash and Kid Flash stopped running. Their skins were still poisoned, but they were okay.
"Oh, man. You guys did it," Vibe said happily. "Flash and Kid Flash, you guys saved the day."
Suddenly, Killer Frost fired another ice blast at Fallout, freezing him from head to toe. Flash, Kid Flash, and Vibe stare at the ice-powered meta with a "Are you serious?" look.
"Just in case," said Killer Frost, shrugging her shoulders.
The day is saved. Fallout is neutralized and delivered to Tracy Brand to keep him contained. Unfortunately, Barry's trial didn't work out as well as the mission. Due to the evidence against him and his refusal to tell the truth about his superhero identity, he is found guilty and sentenced to prison. Before he could be taken to Iron Heights, he is asked by someone to meet him in a meeting room.
Joe and Iris shield him from reporters so he can go to the meeting room without having to be forced to answer questions.
The person who wanted to see him had a familiar face, hidden under a black cap and a pair of shades.
"Harry?" Barry asked curiously.
The man who appears to be Harrison Wells takes off his cap and glasses and looks at Barry with that sinister smile on his face.
"Not exactly," he said.
Barry quickly realized who it is. "Thawne."
Eobard nodded.
"How did you even get in here?" asked Barry
"That's not important," said Eobard. "We're here to talk about your unfortunate fate."
"You're the one who killed DeVoe," Barry realized.
Eobard's evil smirk confirmed his guess.
"Why?" asked Barry.
"Clifford DeVoe may have been destined to be one of your greatest enemies, but as we both know already, you can always change the future," said Eobard. "For years, it has always been you and me at each other's throats, Barry. Always. We're the two sides of the same coin. Reverses of each other. No one is allowed to make your life miserable but me."
"So you killed DeVoe to get rid of the competition?" Barry asked sarcastically.
"That, and so you would finally know what it's like to feel trapped," said Eobard. "I spent fifteen years trapped here in the past, growing more impatient every day for the time I could get back to my time. Now, it's time for you to wait, only the difference is that you're never gonna escape your prison. I made sure of that."
"I guess you haven't lost your touch," Barry replied, slightly mocking him.
"Actually, Barry, it wasn't exactly my plan. It was DeVoe's," Harry revealed. "He was the one who Amunet Black planned to sell Dominic Lance to. He planned to us him as a new host for his consciousness. I just stopped him from doing that and borrowed his plan."
"Always one step ahead, huh?" Barry questioned mockingly.
"And that is how it's always going to be," Eobard bragged, if still talking softly but menacingly.
"So, this is your master plan? To keep my locked up?" Barry asked. "I expected better. Being locked up won't be as atrocious as you're hoping it would be for."
"Oh, no, Barry. This is only the beginning," said Eobard. "Whether you find a way out or not, I have more in mind for you... and your team."
"Leave them alone," Barry said slightly angrily.
"I will, for now," said Eobard. "But remember this, Barry. While you're behind bars, wallowing in defeat, I'll be free to do whatever I want. If you think you can remain brave by willingly serving a lifetime in prison, then you're not brave at all."
"My team will stop you," Barry said confidently. "We beat you before, we can do it again. You always lose to me, right? Isn't that how all of our fights end in the future? Then it doesn't matter whether I'm in prison or not. Me and my team, we'll stop you."
"Good luck in prison, Barry," Eobard said casually. "You'll need it."
Eobard walks out of the room, leaving Barry to think about their little talk. Eobard's right. Without Barry, his greatest enemy will be free to harm his loved ones and he can't do anything about it because he doesn't want to fight his sentence. Barry can only hope that his friends and family can overcome whatever Eobard throws at them. They're not helpless, he knows that. Wally has his speed. Caitlin and Cisco have their powers. Harry has his brains. Joe has his toughness as a cop. Iris has her determination. He hopes, he knows all of that combined can help them move on without him.
Just as he was about to leave the room, someone else walked in. It was Caitlin.
"Hey," Caitlin greeted.
"Hey," Barry greeted. "What are you doing here?"
"I... I wanted to say goodbye," said Caitlin. "Or were you expecting Kara?"
Barry hanged his head in sadness to due to the mention of that name.
"If you want, I can ask Cisco to go to Earth-38 and check on her," Caitlin suggested.
"No," said Barry. "She's already got enough problems on her Earth. Let her find out about what happened to me on her own."
"I'm sorry she didn't come here for you," Caitlin said sympathetically.
"I'm sure she had a good reason," said Barry.
"Did you really think you guys could make it work?" asked Caitlin.
"Honestly, neither of us really know," said Barry. "But we still wanted to see each other. We didn't. And now, looks like it can never really work."
"You're not gonna stay in prison forever, Barry," said Caitlin. "One of these days, you'll be free."
"But until then, if that ever happens, I need you and the others to be strong. Take care of each other. Fight for each other," said Barry. "Promise me you'll do that."
"Anything, Barry," Caitlin promised.
Caitlin hugs Barry, who hugs her back. A deceitful smirk shows on Caitlin's face, one that Barry can't see. Unbeknownst to him, he is hugging the person who is the very reason he is going to be locked up away from his family. He thinks he's hugging a friend who he loves very much (romantically, to be specific) and trusts very much.
After the hug, Caitlin kisses Barry on the lips. Barry was surprised, but accepted it without hesitation.
"I'm sorry," Caitlin apologized. "It's just... if this is really it..."
"I know," said Barry. "I love you, too."
"I know," said Caitlin. "You asked for me, to free you from the Speed Force. I can never forget that."
Later that day, Killer Frost returns to her pocket dimension to record the latest entry of her audio journal. She reviews everything that has happened first, via the news, needing the time to absorb the success she felt after everything that she has accomplished today. Once she was done basking, she proceeds to her recording.
"Journal Entry 09-12," she started. "The trial was a success, for me. Barry is condemned to Iron Heights. The Flash, meanwhile, was just honored at CCPD for saving the city from the bus meta Neil Borman, a.k.a. Fallout. Another nickname chosen by Cisco Ramon. Eobard Thawne, as expected, revealed himself as the true culprit behind Clifford DeVoe's murder to Barry. Good. Barry accepted his punishment and would no doubt face his imprisonment like it's no big deal, but the discovery of Thawne's involvement in The Thinker's death should inject some fear into him, fear that I want him to feel. As for Marlize DeVoe, she did exactly as we told her to do and passed herself off as the grieving widow who had no involvement in her husband's murder, and I must say she did so very convincingly. Definitely an Oscar-worthy performance. Unfortunately, she chose to reveal to Iris West about everything Clifford DeVoe knows about my team. It may be a cause for alarm, but Team Flash will never know that I am the one pulling the strings. They think of Caitlin Snow as too good and too kind to ever be a part of something odious. Their faith in me, it will be their doom."
I pondered for so long on what I should change about the trial, but in the end, I decided that I still needed Barry to be in prison. I just had to shake a few things up, like Marlize was truly a grieving widow instead of faking it like she did in the show. Also, I hated that Killer Frost was basically useless against Fallout. Even if she isn't the one who could stop him, I didn't want her just lying down unconscious for the entire fight.
So, what do you think?