Chapter 21: Racer
Barry ran as quickly as he could, ignoring the images that were playing before him, the Speedforce really had a poor sense of timing. It always had. Something Thawne had said had triggered a memory. Before he'd disappeared, Wally had been confused and upset, he'd broken up with Linda Park over something or the other and he'd looked as if he was going to go into a spiral. Barry had tried to comfort him, had tried to be there for him, but it hadn't worked, and now well, now he was beginning to think he knew why. He came out of the Speedforce right where he'd last seen Wally. 227th Street in Coast City. He stopped at the end of the street, remembering the horrible words they'd said to one another, and then ran forward, stopping when he saw her.
"Iris!" He exclaimed. His wife was lying right in front of where Wally had thrown that bolt of lightning at him all those years ago. Her eyes were open, but her hands were tied and her mouth was gagged. Barry looked around and closed his eyes, he couldn't sense any threats, there were no bombs or anything nearby. He opened his eyes and ran toward Iris, removing the ties that bound her and removing the gag. "Iris, are you okay? Where've you been? What happened?" He asked as quickly as he could.
Iris looked at him and there was fear in her eyes. "Barry watch out!" She yelled.
"What?" Barry asked, but before Iris could respond he was knocked off his feet, and then he was picked up and thrown against the wall.
A blur was looking at him, and he felt fear, everything in his body was screaming that this was wrong. "You cannot stop him. The King is coming." The blur raised their hand, it was vibrating, Barry felt as if he was about to puke, and then just as quickly as he had come, the blur disappeared and Barry slumped to the ground.
He blinked and pushed himself up, Iris was getting up now as well, they met halfway. Barry hugged her tight and whispered. "I've been so worried!"
"I know." Iris whispered into his chest.
Barry pulled back and looked at her. "Let's get you the fuck away from here."
Iris smiled, and got into his arms as he sped away. That he was still shaken by his encounter with that mysterious speedster, he didn't say, that would be something for another time, and another place. He'd heard stories about such a speedster but he'd never thought he'd meet them. Within a few moments they were in the Hall of Justice. He stopped and allowed Iris to step down.
"Iris!" Diana said coming to embrace her.
"Where did you find her?" Clark asked clapping him on the back.
"Where I last met Wally." Barry said.
"How did you think to look for her there?" Bruce asked.
"A conversation with Eobard Thawne." Barry said.
Clark nodded, and said. "Iris, you don't mind if Dr Silas checks over you do you?"
Barry looked at his wife and she shook her head. "No, of course." Iris made her way to the medbay where Dr Silas, the resident doctor for the League was waiting. Barry followed and stood at the doorway, watching over her. She seemed okay, there were no outward signs of trauma, but she had been gone for almost a month, and all because he hadn't thought to look where they'd last lost someone they both loved. He kicked himself for that, he should have known.
"What did Thawne say?" Bruce asked, Barry didn't know how he'd done that, appeared next to him without him hearing, but he'd long since accepted that that was something the Batman could do.
"He said he'd not taken Iris, that he'd not left the Speedforce, and he was right, he hadn't. But he also said something else." Barry said.
"And what was that?" Bruce asked.
"In the world where he comes from, both Iris and Lois were kidnapped by Lord, and that started off a chain of events that led to us becoming the protectors of the world." Barry said. "Kind of strange don't you think? Lois is dead, but Iris is still kidnapped and we're on our way to becoming protectors."
Bruce said nothing for a moment and then. "Perhaps, but I wouldn't let Thawne get into your head, Barry, you know what he is."
Barry nodded, and was about to respond when Iris came to the doorway with Dr Silas. Barry took off his mask and asked. "Well?"
"No outward signs of trauma, and it doesn't seem as though there's any internal damage. I would recommend that Mrs West-Allen take a few days rest and then see how it goes from there." Dr Silas said.
"Okay." Iris said. She took Barry's hand then and looked at him as if to tell him she was truly okay. He was just so relieved that she was with him, and not dead, that he wanted to whisk her away to their home and never leave.
As if sensing that, Clark spoke. "I know you're tired, Iris, and I know you want to go home, but I have a few questions."
Barry turned around and looked at Clark. "Come on, Clark, can't this wait?"
"It's fine, Barry." Iris said, Barry turned and saw that she was looking at him like that, saying she wanted to do her duty, and nothing he said would stop her.
Barry sighed. "Fine."
"Have a seat." Clark said, and as if by magic the sofa appeared. Barry and Iris both sat down, and Clark took another couch, and then asked. "Where were you taken to, do you know?"
Iris shook her head. "I don't know where I was taken. All I know was that it was a dark room, and that there were guards outside my door who would sometimes come in and bring me food."
"And do you know what they looked like?" Clark asked.
"One of them had dark brown hair and a beard. He had a scar above his right eye. The other one was shorter, broader and had green eyes." Iris said.
"Okay." Clark responded.
"And what about the people who questioned you?" Bruce asked then.
Iris shook her head. "I never saw their faces, there was always some sort of mist around them when they spoke to me."
Barry looked at Bruce then and knew the other man was thinking the same thing as him. If there was a mist, then they were magic users, and if they were magic users, Constantine probably knew who they were. "What did they ask you?" Barry asked then.
"If I knew anything about Maxwell Lord, other than what Dr McGee had told me. If I knew anything about something named Operation Dynamo. I said no. They then asked me if I knew about what happened to you in something called Crisis." Iris said.
"Something happens to me?" Barry asked surprised.
"Yes, they said something happened to you during this thing called Crisis, and apparently I would know about it." Iris replied.
"Which of course you didn't know." Barry said. He didn't even know what this Crisis thing was, or why anyone would be interested in him.
"But they knew that Barry was the Flash?" Bruce asked.
"Yes." Iris said. "They told me if I tried to deny it, I'd be killed, so I didn't say anything."
"Shit." Barry said.
Barry saw Clark and Bruce exchange a look, but he didn't say anything then, he'd let them handle this. As Iris yawned he knew he was making the right call. "Right, we're going to go to one of the bunkers. If you need me, you know where I'll be." Barry said, he helped Iris up, shifted slightly as she got into his arms and then ran.
