ONE HOUR LATER
Barry shifted the joystick pushing the Saturn V rocket to the left, drifting through space on the far side of the moon. He reached above him, activating the intercom system before speaking. "Passengers of this ship, prepare for a bumpy ride. Ten seconds from now, we will be entering the sub-path, which will take us out of Limbo, and into the Megniverse," He pressed on the joystick, watching as Harry Wells flipped a switch, igniting the last booster. "Five, four, three, two...one!"
The ship was suddenly developed in green light as it was slingshotted through space and time. The first thing that caught his eyes was the large mountain that lay in the vast darkness. The green path ended as the rocket was sent into the main Path. "Skyland," Barry told Harry as the mountain escaped from their view.
Before they could even blink, the rocket was struck by a large beam of energy, sending the rocket spiraling out of control. "Allen, what's going on?!" Harry asked.
"The Source is feeding itself into the Multiverse! We're trapped in one of the rays, or the umbilical cord so to speak!" Barry shouted. As soon as he finished speaking, the rocket collided with the Speed Force Wall at Mach 1000, most of the energy colliding with Barry while another bolt moved to the back, into the cargo bay. The rocket now sat in empty space, the blue marble that was Earth barely visible in the distance.
"Allen, you ok? You took the brunt of that energy," Harry said.
"Yeah. Yeah. I feel great actually," Barry said, before turning and leaving the seat. He made his way into the cargo bay, where he found Eddie Thawne laying on the ground, several others surrounding him in worry. "He's going to be fine," Barry reached down, tapping Eddie's forehead as the old detective stirred awake.
"What the hell?" Eddie asked inrudioucly. Barry grinned, before turning to the others, who also seemed confused. He stepped forward, "What your feeling is normal. We're back on Earth Prime. What you're feeling is the absorption of your current aiua. Your Earth-Prime aiua and Limbo aiua are fusing. All of the memories, personalities, etc are combining.
"Allen, we're getting a signal from...the UNSC...Infinity," Harry Wells said as a gigantic ship suddenly came out of light speed in front of them. "Should...I...answer?"
"I'll do it," He pressed the comms, before speaking into it. "Good evening Captain Del Rio, this is Admiral Allen of the UNSC, requesting permission to come on board," Barry waited for several minutes as murmering and discussion was heard on the other side.
"This is Captain Laskey of the UNSC Infinity. You have permission to enter," Barry frowned at this, not remembering anything about Laskey becoming Captain this early. He moved the ship into one of the hundreds of bays in the Infinity, the rocket skidding to a stop as the group recovered. "Ok, let's move,"
He moved forward, pulling open the rocket side door only to find an army of Spartan IV's aiming their MA5D's at him. In the forefront of the army was none other than John 117 himself, his Magnum aimed at Barry's head. "Barry Allen, you took something from me,"
"I know," Barry jumped from the rocket, before pulling a chain out of his pocket. His suit suddenly appeared on his body, as he spoke to Cortana. "Our time together is spent Cortana. Don't worry about your little...problem. You'll live a long and happy life," Barry placed the chip in the back of his cowl, uploading Cortana into it, before pulling it out. "I didn't mean to take her this long. She was dying, and her software was degrading. I knew her future, and it wasn't a...healthy one," He grabbed John's wrist, placing the chip in the spartan's hand before turning to Laskey. "How long were we gone?"
"Gone? You're in a coma down Earth-side. You went off radar, and was found in your office. It's been about a year since you fell into that coma. It's September 30th, 2013, and now you're showing up in deep space on a Saturn V rocket. What the hell is going on?" Laskey asked.
"Damn," Barry said, his mind filling blanks regarding his Earth-bound whereabouts the past year. "I was sucked into another dimension known as Limbo, where dead souls live before drifting to the afterlife. I helped everyone escape through secret tears in the Multiverse, before being spat out here,"
"You know, if I hadn't been on the job for as long as I have, I would call bullshit. However, ever since you told the UNSC, IF, and Alterra you were the Flash, we figured stuff like this would happen," Laskey said. "So, what are you gonna do now?"
"Probably go back to Central City, do some hero, fighting bad guy stuff," Barry said. "So, if you don't mind, we're going to leave now," Barry snapped his fingers...to no effect. He did it again. Again. Again. Nothing happened. "No. No. No...no,"
"What's happening Gideon?!" Barry asked as he continued to snap his fingers. She waited a moment, before sadly answering. "I am sorry to inform you Mr. Allen, but your connection to the 5th Dimension has been terminated by an outside force. Unfortunately, your connections to the Forces are all that remains," Barry stared at his hands in shock, before turning around, and jumping back into the rocket.
ONE HOUR LATER
Barry Allen and the Limbo residence sat in one of the UNSC Frigates. The UNSC Andraste was a small frigate that could carry at least a thousand people, one of the smaller ships the UNSC Infinity carried. Barry sat in the front of the cargo bay in sadness, the loss of his powers severely affecting him. He had had them for over a year, and he had gotten so used to them to the point he couldn't live without them. Now he would continue to be just The Flash and nothing more.
Unless...he received his powers by touching the Source Wall. If he went there again, and touched the wall, he could receive more powers. No. Barry couldn't do that, not now. The Monitor's did this for a reason, he knew it. He would just have to continue life as the Flash, and Barry Allen. Barry reached into his utility belt, pulling out a ring before placing it on his finger.
"All units, we will be descending in three minutes," The pilot announced over the comms. Minutes later, Barry felt as the ship landed on solid ground. Without hesitating, he moved over to the hangar bay door, pressing the button that opened the hangar doors. "Dad. Nora...let's go home," Barry grabbed their hands, before speeding away from the ship.
THIRTY SECONDS LATER; ALLEN MANSION
Barry sped Nora and Henry into the Allen mansion, where he saw Iris West, Kara Danvers, Diana Prince, and Patty Spivot silently reading books on the couch. "Uh, hey. I'm home," Barry announced. The four women turned immediately at the sound of his voice, all of them jumping with joy as they pulled him into a group hug, each exchanging a large kiss with him before backing away. Barry turned to Henry and Nora, who both looked confused by the greetings. "Um, Dad...Nora...these are my...partners," He said awkwardly.
"Uh...partners? As in...you're all...dating?" Henry asked, just as confused and awkward as Barry, Nora, and the others.
"Um...no. Polygyny. The practice in which one man is in a...marital relationship with more than one...female," Barry said as he rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Um, dad...this is Iris West, Patty Spivot, Diana Prince, and Kara Danvers. Everyone, this is my dad Henry Allen. Everyone, this is my...daughter. Nora...West-Allen," Barry said.
"Wait...she's our kid?" Iris asked. "I'm assuming from the future…"
"Sort of. From the future, but from the original timeline, the one I'm originally from," Barry said. "She was erased from the timeline there, and sent to Limbo, where I was the past nine months. Someone took me there. For me, we were there for only around six hours, but apparently the time difference is larger here," Barry said.
"Barry...I have something I need to tell you," Kara said, grabbing his arm before moving away from the group. "Umm...you know we spent the night together a week before you disappeared. Well...it's been over a year, and…" Kara trailed off as Barry went wide-eyed.
"Oh my god. You were pregnant," Barry said, obviously noting that her stomach was the size it had always been, leaving no hint of a pregnancy. Kara nodded, pulling him into a hug as the two grinned. "Boy? Girl? Twins? When? Where?" Barry asked at once.
"Calm down. We had an in-home birth...three months ago," Kara said. "There were...three. Connor, Lizzie, and Bartholemew, or Bart," Barry grinned at the names, a tear falling down his face. In the original timeline, Iris was lost to Savitar in 2029, leaving Barry with no one. Kara had lost Mon-El to a Worldkiller, and so they found each other consoling one another. After a few weeks, they started dating, and after two years, were married. They never had kids, and before they could discover the possibility, Kevin Pierce had murdered her in cold blood.
"Where are they?" Barry asked.
"Over at my mom's for the weekend, we can go there soon," Kara said. Barry nodded, and the two made their way back over to the group. "Everyone...Barry and I have to announce something," Kara said to Henry and Nora, before motioning to Barry for support.
"Wait...are you pregnant?!" Nora asked. "I'm gonna have a sister! Wait...no. Dad just got back...after a year. You've already had her!" Nora exclaimed in excitement as Barry and Kara grinned. "Wait, is she here, when can I go see her?"
"Them, actually. Triplets. Two boys, and one girl," Barry said. "Connor, Lizzie, and Bartholemew,"
"Awww," Nora said in adoration as she pulled Kara away to talk about something. Barry turned to Henry, who had tears in his eyes. "Hey...dad...are you ok? I know it's a lot,"said Barry, placing a hand on his father's shoulder.
"Yes. I'm fine. More than fine," Henry said. "I'm a grandfather…oh if only your mother was here. She would love being a grandmother,"
"Yeah...she would have," Barry said. The two pulled each other into a hug, each tearful as they drowned each other in happiness, joy, sadness, and guilt. "I love you dad,"
"I love you too, Slugger," Henry replied, pulling away from the hug. "Come on...let's head back to the group,"
CENTRAL CITY
The Flash sped through Central City at five thousand miles per hour, or Mach 15.7, his white lightning lighting up the night sky as he ran. It had been so long since he had just ran. No teleportation, no god-like powers, just running. He had visited his three children, and had had the pleasure of meeting Eliza Danvers for the first time, as well as reuniting with Alex Danvers, who was excited to be an aunt.
Barry had then gone to STAR Labs, where he reconnected with Harrison Wells, Tess Wells, Jesse Wells of this Earth, Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow, Ronnie Raymond, Jax Jackson, Martin Stein, now Wally West, Joe West, Ralph Dibney, Hartley Rathaway, Leonard Snart, and Ryan Choi. The timeline was unaffected by his journey to Limbo, but the past nine months had been eventful.
Harrison Wells, Tess Morgan, and Jesse Wells had returned to the Central City STAR Labs from Paris, where they had moved after the accelerator's activation the previous year. The explosion had occurred, but with Wally, Clark, Kara, and several others help, the building was repaired, cleared of all hazardous substances, and opened to the public. The accelerator was activated once again two months after the explosion, and was a success.
Ronnie had returned from a business trip, assigned by Wells, to Spain several months after Barry's disappearance/coma. Jax and Stein had returned from Pittsburgh as the full fledged hero known as Firestorm. Wally had been struck by the explosion, making him the new hero known as Kid Flash. Ralph had been affected, becoming the hero Elongated Man. Hartley had returned from his probation, entering Team Flash as Pied Piper. Leonard had been captured by Wally, and became the hero Citizen Cold. While Ryan Choi was not an official part of the team, he helped as much as he could from Ivy Town, Massachusetts.
He wasn't focusing on anything in particular, seeing as his intelligence level dropped from 20 to 7, labeled 'Super-Intelligence' by the Coluan race. The loss of his Omniscience had taken a toll on his mental abilities, forcing him to stay in Flashtime for at least a day, or fifty-two minutes in real time, before his brain rewired to handle his lower intelligence.
Barry still had amazing abilities, space-time mimicry, atomic manipulation, and the ability to construct things from energy, all available through the Speed Force. He could slow things down through the Still Force. Telepathy and Telekinesis through the Sage Force. Land manipulation, gravity manipulation, density and mass shifting, as well as manipulating his muscle mass and invulnerability through the Strength Force. Access to the timestream through the Forever Force, which allowed him to change time without consequence. The Force Force, which gave him access to Star Wars' Force. And finally the Life Force, which allowed him to manipulate and/or create life.
His outlook and knowledge of the universe had evolved however, seeing as a full map of the Multiverse was available in his mind. Barry's mind was so occupied by thoughts that he ran directly into a wall, breaking through it, and into a jewelry store. "OH MY GOD!" Someone shouted in fear before they recognized his year 6 suit. "Oh my god, Flash. Are you ok? Where have you been?" A young lady asked as she helped him up. She looked to be in her late teens, her brunette hair tied up in a ponytail as she carried a small blue bag. She wore a blue long sleeved shirt, with black yoga pants and blue tennis shoes.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm good," Barry said, his invulnerability being something he had to get used to as a normal mortal. "Sorry for uh," He motioned to the cappuccino she had been carrying, which he had knocked into the floor.
"Oh, no, you're good," She said, blushing slightly, probably because she was talking to the Flash. Barry shook his head before speeding away, returning seconds later with another cappuccino. "Oh, you really didn't have to," She said, her blushing growing slightly.
"No problem. As for that last question, well...I've had some stuff happening lately, so I haven't been able to do hero stuff lately. Good thing Kid Flash is around though," Barry said. "Umm...what's your name?"
"Oh, it's Allison...Allison Bishop," Alison said, her fair and mixed skin seemingly pulling at Barry. She was a very attractive woman, her tight clothing pulling men's gazes from all around the jewelry store. Being the hero he was, he resisted the urge to look, so he stamped a smile on his face, and nodded. "It's good to meet you Allison. As you know, I'm the Flash,"
"Who doesn't know you're the Flash?" Allison asked incredulously as she brushed her fingers over the lightning bolt on his chest. She seemed lost in the bolt itself before shaking her head in realization, realizing she had been staring. Her blush grew even more as she nervously backed away. "Sorry, uh...it's just. I'm a big fan. I've read all of your comics, and even have a section of my wardrobe dedicated to you," Alison said, producing a laugh from Barry.
The Flash reached into his utility belt, before pulling out a card. He handed it to her, before explaining. "They're associates of mine at STAR Labs. Stop by if you want some of those comics signed," She nodded, and nervously and excitedly ran out of the store. He grinned to himself, turning to run away before something caught his eye. The Baker's Drug Store. The name seemed to stick out to him, but the people walking out of the store verified his hunch. The Baker family. Andrew, Olivia, and Hannah Baker.
"Thirteen Reasons Why," Barry whispered to himself. It must have been one of the universes that had merged with Earth Prime. He sped forward, following their car at low speeds, before coming to a stop in front of their home minutes later. He stayed out of sight as the sun lowered. We watched through the windows as Andy and Olivia Baker went to bed. He heard rustling from inside the bushes, and moved over to investigate.
There he found a young man wearing a sweater-shirt and khakis with a camera wrapped around his neck. His black hair melted with the darkness as he silently took pictures of Hannah Baker through her bedroom window. Barry marched forward in his Flash suit, snapping the camera out of Tyler Down's hands. "Woah! What the -" Tyler stopped at the sight of The Flash, his mouth hanging open in awe as the window slung open.
"Tyler? Flash?! What the hell is going on here?" Hannah Baker asked as she peered out the window. Tyler looked at Barry mortified, before Barry explained. "I'm sorry for disrupting your night Ms. But this young man has been taking photos of you through your window,"
"What?!" Hannah asked Tyler. Barry entered Flashtime, tapping away on the camera as he deleted every photo on it of Hannah. He threw it back to Tyler, before speeding the kid several blocks away. He returned seconds later outside of Hannah's window, peering in to find her crying. "Are you ok ma'am?" Barry asked, his vocal cords vibrating as he phased through the wall, taking a seat next to the sophomore student.
"Why do you care? You have other things to deal with I'm...sure," Hannah replied in between sobs, her head in her hands.
"I'm not a god you know. I'm just a guy, with cool skills, tech, and powers...trying to make a difference. So...tell me what's wrong. School? Guys? Both?" Barry asked, producing a dry laugh from Hannah.
"Y-Yeah. Both. First this...this photo went out...of me and my underwear. E-Everyone called me a slut...a whore...a witch. Then...then a...someone I thought was a friend, made this stupid list. It drove my best friend and I apart, and only strengthened the rumor. Helmet...Clay, isn't helping. He means well, but…" She trailed off, as she hung her head.
"No. No. Keep going," Barry said.
"Umm...well. Clay is sweet, and kind, and awkward and all, but...he's too awkward to the point he can come off as mean or a bully," Hannah said. Anyway...after that stupid list, this...this asshole grabbed my ass in a convenience store. Then this asshole published a poem of mine, only strengthening the rumor. Oh, and my dad was having an affair. Only adding to the stress"
"Wow," Barry said. "What school do you go to?"
"McKinley. It's just a forty minute bus ride from here," Hannah said. "Why? Are you gonna come and kick their asses?"
"No. No. I'm not legally allowed to do that. No, I have a friend of a friend that goes to McKinley. I think his name is Bart...no...Bartholomew...no...right! Barry. Barry Allen. He's kind of tall, brown hair, green eyes, kind of nerdy. You'll see him when you see him. I'll talk to him, and see if he can help," Barry patted her shoulder, before standing up. For the second time that day, he pulled a card out of his utility belt, and handed it to Hannah. "Call me if you get into any trouble. If any guys harass you, talk to Barry, or myself,"
"T-Thank you. How can I repay you?" Hannah asked.
"Be good to Clay. Something tells me he truly does mean well," The Flash flashed her a grin, pun very much intended, before speeding away, a smile creeping on Hannah's face as she stood up. Someone really did care...and he was a superhero.
ALLEN ENTERPRISES
"Gideon, activate log," Barry Allen said as he sat in his desk located high above Central City. "I've checked the records, and verified. Jake Puckerman, Kitty Wilde, Artie Abrams, Unique Adams, Blaine Anderson, Tina Cohen-Chang, Sam Evans, Ryder Lynn, Brittany Pierce, Bryce Walker, Tyler Down, Montgomery de la Cruz, Jeff Atkins, Alex Standall, Justin Foley, Tony Padilla, Sheri Holland, Skye Miller, Jessica Davis, Zach Dempsey, Clay Jensen, Hannah Baker, Jack Shepard, Connor Shepard, Talia Shepard, Carter Noel, Alice Dynast, Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski, Allison Argent, Isaac Lehey, Jackson whittemore, Lydia Martin, Malia Tate, Mason Hewitt, Brett Talbrot, Cora Hale, Hayden Romero, and Allison Bishop would be attending McKinley High, which is now performing as a regular high school, tailored more to the arts than sports,"
Some were part of the New Directions, some were part of the 13 Reasons Why univers, some were part of the Teen Wolf universe, and...Allison Bishop. The special case. Barry hadn't known she existed in the original timeline, and he was excited to learn more about her. "Hannah called STAR not too long after I left to thank me for the help. She seemed really appreciative that someone actually cared about her this time. She won't die this time, I swear it," said Barry.
"Allison called earlier as well, setting up an appointment with Cisco so I, or The Flash, could sign her comic books. Apparently while I was gone, some comic book publishers named National Comics had made drafts for my fight against The Joker, my first battle ever in this timeline. Cisco bought the rights to the Flash under Allen Enterprises, and green-lit production for more comics," Barry said.
"The galaxy has been silent regarding large scale crisis'. Mars, Venus, Mercury, Ceres, and Andromeda settlements are all well and accounted for. It seems life will resume as normal until Crisis, which will take place anywhere from 2017 to 2024. The accelerator exploded two years earlier than normal, and Crisis always occurs five years later. Wait...Gideon. Show me the future,"
The head of Gideon nodded as he activated his terminal. In her place, now sat a newspaper that headlined 'FLASH MISSING! VANISHES IN CRISIS!' The material inside the newspaper was different however. It read:
'FLASH MISSING! VANISHES IN CRISIS!' by Iris West-Allen; Thursday, May 15th 2019
'After an extreme street battle with the Reverse-Flash, Zoom, Savitar, and the Red Death, our city's very own Scarlet Speedster disappeared in an explosion of light. The cause of the fight is currently unknown. According to witnesses, The Flash, with help from the Green Arrow, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Iron Man, and Ender Wiggin, began fighting the four speedsters around midnight last night. The sky took on a deep crimson color as the ensuing battle created the most destruction this city has seen since The Flash first arrived in Central City.
Several trucks were caught in the fray, spilling their contents into the street. Power outages swept nearly seventy city blocks, between 4th street and Adams Avenue. Twenty-seven of those blocks still remain without power. All of the buildings in the area were evacuated by the CCPD, with help from Spider-Man, Kid Flash, and the Elongated Man.
According to reports, as The Flash and Reverse-Flash battled with each other between two overturned tanker trucks, the lightning emanating from the speedsters threatened to ignite spilled oil leaking from one of the trucks. The smoke from the truck's engine made it difficult to see, but it appeared at one point they were having a very heated conversation before continuing the fight. Then, suddenly, The Flash sped after Reverse-Flash and the two vanished leaving the other heroes behind behind.
An eyewitness who watched the battle from her apartment building before being evacuated said, "It was hard to see, but The Flash and Reverse-Flash were zipping up and down Main Avenue and then there was a whole bunch of lightning, and then nothing. It was weird." Other witnesses describe a similar phenomenon: a blinding light followed by darkness as the sky returned to black. And as the red skies reverted, it took only a moment to realize The Flash and the Reverse-Flash were gone without a trace.
Central City Chief of Police, Joe West gave a press conference in the wee hours of the morning stating, "We don't have many details now. What we do know tonight is Central City's greatest protector vanished in a flash. I only hope he returns just as quickly." A sentiment shared by all who call this great city home.'
"The future has altered greatly since your first travel through time Mr. Allen," Gideon said. "Do you wish for me to inform you if any other changes arise?"
"Yes. Of course. Something tells me that this Crisis will be much worse than the previous one," Barry said. "Gideon, start production of the Nextel and Dyneema suit. Label it 'Flash Suit: Version 19'," Barry said as the diagram of a suit suddenly appeared over his terminal. "How long Gideon?"
"Five hours, Mr. Allen," Gideon replied.
"Good, make the ring too. Wouldn't hurt to have it for school tomorrow," Barry said before placing the ring into the large suit holder that he had replicated from Thawne's Time Vault. "Goodnight Gideon,"
"Goodnight Mr. Allen,"
SOMEWHERE
The form of Barry Allen could be visibly seen from a large distance, the man standing in a small clearing of a forest as he hummed to himself. But this wasn't Barry Allen, no. This was an imposter, a fake, and he proudly admitted it...to himself. To others, he was just the good ol' Barry Allen, the kid who became an Admiral in three different military corporations by the time he was thirteen.
He stood up as quick as the eye could blink, before speeding away from the campsite in a blur of white lightning, identical to the real Barry's. "Jacob, give me everything you can regarding this...McKinley High School," The doppelganger said as he ran through the countryside.
"William McKinley High School opened in 1956 in Central City, serving fifty-five years as a normal highschool. This past school year, it tested out as a Performing Arts school, but was quickly converted back to a normal high school. Beware, several heroes reside inside of McKinley High. Including The Flash, Shazam, Captain Zoom, Concussion, Ace, Marksman, and Daravia. I recommend caution Father,"
"I will remember your caution," The imposter said as he sped down a random highway, passing a sign that clearly said 'Welcome to Central City'. He moved in and out of buildings, glass shattering as he passed before coming to a skidding stop just outside of the school itself. "Keep me posted, Jacob. Oh, and...prepare the calvary,"
