Part 7

Inside the speed force

Barry sat in the room watching the images the speed force was showing him.

"Barry do you know why you are being shown this?" asked the speed force in the form of his mother.

"Not really."

"That is the reason you are here. Yes it was important to save Iris's life. But not at the expense of other people. When Thawne, in the form of Harrison Wells brought you to Star labs after you were hit by lighting and given your gift. Caitlin Snow was only hanging on by a very thin thread."

"I don't understand."

"Just watch."

Barry watched as an image of Caitlin played before him. In her hand he could see a bottle of pills. He watched as she opened it and pored a bunch into her hand. More then what could be a safe dose. She was about to shove the pills into her mouth when her phone rang. She put the pills back in the bottle as she answered. She talked for a minute hung up grabbed her coat and purse as she left the apartment.

"Cait was going to kill herself?"

"She was at least thinking about it. Barry you coming into Caitlin's life saved it. Your enemies if you look back have targeted Caitlin more then anyone else in your life."

"I know. Cait has suffered so much because of me."

"Barry, Caitlin has stood by you through everything. But as soon as Iris showed you the least bit of interest beyond friendship you weather it was unintentional or not pushed her away. But she was always there to put you back together when you were broken. Not just physically. When Blackout took the electricity the runs through you. Do you remember what she told you?"

"That with or without my speed I was still me."

"Oliver Queen was right to say that the lighting bolt chose you. Barry even if Thawne had never killed your mother you were always destined to become the Flash."

"How do I make things right with her?"

"That is not a question we can answer. But you have all the time in the universe to figure it out. You will remain imprisoned here until Caitlin decides that you can go free."

"Ok."

Caitlin walked into the house she grew up in with her mother. It had been a long time since she had been here. It hadn't felt like home in a very long time.

"You haven't changed anything."

"I saw no reason to. Caitlin, there is something that we need to talk about. I am not sure how you are going to react to what I have to tell you." Said Carla

"What is it mom?"

"Come sit down."

Carla opened the laptop sitting on the coffee table and booted it up. She then logged into a secure video feed.

"Before I show you this you should know that I was not completely honest when it comes to these powers of yours. They aren't from the particle accelerator explosion. Your father was experimenting with a form of cryogenic therapy to try and cure his ALS. He tried it on himself."

"It didn't work is that why he died?"

"Actually it did work. But it made him a meta human. But unlike your friends, he didn't just get a meta gene. It caused a mental break. He also developed a duel personality a very dangerous one. So he made the decision to fake his death. He is currently in a self imposed isolation at a decommissioned Tannhouser site in the arctic. I am sorry we lied to you."

"So dad is alive. But what does this have to do with my powers?"

"He worked more on the treatment he used on himself. He worked on it because when he did some tests on you. He found that you carry the genetic marker for ALS. He used it on you."

"So you are telling me that my father used me to experiment on?"

"Yes. You started to exhibit a duel personality. But I found someone who was able to blend your two personalities together before the one your father named Khoine became to strong. I thought I had also found a way to permanently lock away your powers. I guess I was wrong."

"Mom, I think if I hadn't experienced so much emotional trauma since the particle accelerator explosion it might have worked. I figured out that like a lot of metas my powers are tied to my emotions. For example when Barry is happy he is able to do more with his powers then when he is angry."

"When you were here before especially when Nigel tried to keep you against your will you were plenty angry in a way that scared me. How did you get it under control?"

"By not bottling up until it explodes any more. Mom, I am not happy you kept all this from me. But I can understand why you did. Dad left to protect us didn't he?"

"Yes. Caitlin, if you want to see your father I have accessed the security feed from the site on my laptop. I will also give you access if you want from your own laptop. Or any of the computers at Star labs. I am sure between you, your friends and myself we might be able to cure your father."

"I would need to see his research."

"I will give it to you."

"Thanks mom. But I am only here for a couple days. There is someone I need to help. But I won't be reachable while I do. At least not by you."

"Where are you going another planet?"

"More like a different dimension."

"Wait so you are saying that the multiverse is real."

"Yes."

"You also have away to travel through the multiverse?"

"Cisco can open breaches but he developed tech that can also do that when programed with the proper frequency for where you want to go."

"That is amazing. Promise me that you will be careful."

"I promise mom. I thought about it. I don't want to see dad if he really has become a monster."

"While you are away will you let me analyze your DNA? Now that it has completed the mutation process I might be able to use it to bring your dad back."

"Sure if you think it will it's fine."

"Thank you honey."

Caitlin let her mom take some of her blood. Two days later Caitlin returned to her apartment and pulled out the exstrapalater from the drawer she hid it in. She hit the button and a breach and jumped through.