From the Ashes

by ARROWGAMER

Both Barry Allen and Oliver Queen have lost people they love. But now, they have lost everything. One will leave behind his alter ego, the other will become something else, something darker. And from the ashes of his former self, someone else will be born, someone willing to do anything to protect those he loves. But the question is... how far is he willing to go to protect them?

11. Broken Promises Part 3

Here it is, the final chapter. I know, I was supposed to post this yesterday, but it wasn't quite finished yet, and I decided to add a couple more scenes, and it needed to be polished. But here it is, now, the finale. Man, I hope you like it. As you see, it is huge. More than 30000 words on it's own. Yes, this too, got out of hand, what can I say?

To Dineriis: I'm glad you weren't dissapointed. I was actually worried that Oliver's death wouldn't be liked (I mean, nobody likes that Oliver died, but... you get my point, I hope) so I'm glad to see that you liked it, and that it hit your heart, that was what I was going for with that scene. As I said, Oliver's death will be touched upon a lot in this chapter, and it will be important for the characters. As for Wally, yes, I assure you it will be a very... interesting conversation, you'll see.

As in the previous half, here's a WARNING: There will be a lot of tears in this chapter, from both the characters, and possibly, you. Well... probably not as much as in the first one... or maybe yes, who knows...

So... I think that's all I have to say. I won't entertain any longer, so... on with the final chapter!

Chapter 11 ''Broken Promises Part 3''

Barry came to a halt inside the warehouse, letting go of Laurel. A couple seconds later, Reign and Frost appeared as well, while he walked towards the work station, using it a support.

''What the hell was that out there?'' Laurel asked angrily, looking for answers. Barry gave her none as he took several breaths and closed his eyes, not even turning to any of them. His head was aching a lot right now, something not particularly common in a speedster, considering their powers.

''We had them. We had them and you made us fall back. Why?'' Laurel continued to question, and Barry figured that he wouldn't get her off his back unless he gave her an answer.

''Are you questioning me?'' Barry asked, trying to sound threatening, but he wasn't really feeling very intimidating at the moment. Rather, he felt tired and weak and vulnerable.

''Yes, I am'' Laurel retorted it. Barry considered showing her some good old 'persuasion' like the one he had shown Frost, but he wasn't really feeling it right now. Like he had said, he wasn't feeling very intimidating. So instead, he sighed and tried to talk his way out of this.

''And don't lie to me. I saw your eyes were red, and I saw your face. I saw how it looked back there, how it still does'' Laurel pushed, clearly making sure she got the truth, though Barry was sure she already knew the true answer, or at least imagined it. All that pushing, it made Barry get defensive again.

''Well, maybe I'm not really feeling like answering your questions right now'' Barry said, still not turning to them.

''And why is that, because you killed Oliver? Does it really hurts you that much that you killed your former 'mentor'? I thought they were our enemies. If we do this every time one of them dies, we'll never win this. I bet they wouldn't show us the same courtesy if one of us died'' Laurel reproached him. And while it was true that they probably wouldn't call off an attack and retreat if a member of his team died, well… hell, he probably wouldn't mourn them either. If anything, maybe Frost, considering she was the only one he had a more personal connection with, and had been the only one to join him out of her own initiative. But the thing was, Oliver and the rest, they weren't his enemies, not really, they were just in his way, and he never intended for any of them to die, or even hurting them badly, quite the contrary in fact. But now, Cisco had lost his hands, Wally was paralyzed, and Oliver was dead. God, it hurt him to even think about that.

''I thought you'd be more hurt about his death. In this world, he had a Laurel, and he loved her. You're gonna tell me you didn't loved an Oliver back on your Earth? Or maybe this is just your way of coping with the death of yet another Oliver Queen'' Barry questioned her, finally turning to her. It seemed like his words had an effect on Laurel, seeing as she remained silent and looked away, her lips closed in a tight line. 'Well, at least that got her to shut up' Barry thought slightly bitterly. He returned to his old position, standing over the work station and putting his hands in it as support.

''I have to agree with Black Siren. We could have ended them. We should have. After their escape, it would have served as a message'' Reign joined in as well, prompting Barry to sigh again. He really wasn't in the mood for this, and it was getting annoying.

''You too, Reign?'' Barry asked in exasperation.

''You know, I'm beginning to think you don't have the guts to impart the way of justice you preach. Clearly, you care more about these people that you let on. That can't do. They are in our way, and they must be terminated swiftly. Something you clearly are not capable of. Maybe you aren't the most adequate one to lead this team, after all'' Reign threatened. Her words did get under Barry's skin. He was getting tired of hearing their bullshit, and now Reign was questioning his leadership? He turned to her with a deep frown on his face.

''Is that a threat?'' Barry asked, walking closer to her, Reign doing the same as she mirrored his frown.

''Maybe it is'' She retorted, both of them now standing in front of each other, locked in an angry staring match. Sensing the tension in the room, Frost decided to intervene for the first time since they arrived.

''Okay, maybe we should all calm down and take a deep breath. Clearly, we're all a bit hotheaded. And nobody likes that much heat, now, do you?'' Frost added her own pun at the end for lightness sake, as she got between the two. She may be a cold blooded killer, but she preferred if her team didn't rip each other to shreds, especially now. After a few more seconds of angry staring, they both looked away. Reign took a few steps back, while Barry walked towards the work station once again.

''She's right. There's no point in arguing over it. What's done is done. There's no going back. We can't change the past'' Barry said. Well, truth is, he could. But he shouldn't, the consequences would be too big. He couldn't simply go back to the past and change everything… as much as he wanted to right now.

''What now then? What's next?'' Laurel asked in a slightly softer tone after a few brief seconds of silence.

''Just… do whatever. You're free, take the night off. Do as you like'' Barry waved them off, not really caring for what they did, as long as he was left alone.

''And the directives?'' Reign asked.

''We'll talk about that tomorrow'' Barry said, barely sparing them a glance over his shoulder. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of footsteps, and the door to the basement open, before it closed again. For a second, he thought he was alone, until he heard Frost's voice.

''They're right, you know. I know Oliver's death hurt you, that much is obvious, but…'' Frost was interrupted by Barry, who definitely was not feeling like having this talk. He realized, there were a lot of things he wasn't feeling like doing right now. To be honest, it didn't surprised him.

''Not now, Frost'' Barry said lowly, but loud enough for her to hear. They stayed in silence for a few seconds, until Frost spoke again.

''Okay, in that case, I'll leave you alone. We'll be here in the morning then'' She said simply, before walking away and leaving the warehouse. Finally, he was alone. Barry took a few deep breaths, trying to contain what was coming, but he knew it was of no use. It wasn't long before he let out a scream of anger as he hit the work station with both of his fists, and another when he pushed all the tools in it to the floor, before punching it again. And he let out another, a very long one as he sped to one of the concrete walls of the warehouse, punching it repeatedly until there was a sizeable hole in it. His team could probably hear him from the outside, if they hadn't gotten too far yet. He didn't cared. He could feel his legs shaking under his weight. He stopped hitting the wall and looked at his hands. His gloves were torn apart, and his knuckles were bleeding, adding even more blood to the one from Oliver, which was starting to dry off. It hurt a lot, but he deserved it. Besides, it wasn't like it wouldn't be back as new in a matter of hours. He could already feel the tears burning in his eyes. He let out a final scream as he hit his head against the wall once, before he slipped to his knees, his head still against the wall. It suddenly felt a lot lighter, and he was pretty sure it was bleeding, but he didn't cared. He had also promised Oliver that he would stop this, all of this. But he could really do it? Just leave all of this behind? What was he supposed to do? Maybe this was all madness, maybe he did should stop it, but… he wasn't sure if he had the strength to do that. As tears once more started to run across his face, he recalled the events that led to the death of Oliver. He had somehow managed to channel his power and destroy the nanites inside him, angered by his defeat, and with that anger, with that power, he had hit Oliver, repeatedly, too much. Thing is, at no point did his eyes glowed red, at no point his voice changed. He was completely in control of his anger, which meant Oliver's death was completely on him. It had been his fault, he had killed his friend, his brother. Maybe… maybe he was the villain of this story. And as Barry continued to cry in the dark of the warehouse, that's when he realized, truly realized, he was alone. Maybe too alone. Completely and utterly, alone.

---

Barry came to a halt in the roof of a building from where he had a perfect view of it. He wasn't sure why he had come here in the first place, but he supposed maybe that hit to the head was starting to affect him far too much. From here, he could see H.R in a building across from his, a rifle in his hands, afraid, but hopeful as always that they could win, and he could see his past self, carrying the burden of a future he believed he could avoid. A future that was just a few seconds away from happening, a future that he now knew no matter how hard he tried, would always come to pass. His past self didn't knew that yet, but he would soon, very soon. For this was the night that started it all, the night that truly set him in the path he was on now. The night he lost his world. The night Iris died.

He saw his past self use the Speed Force bazooka to try and trap Savitar inside the Speed Force, to no avail, as unbeknownst to them until that moment, the Philosophers Stone protected him from its effects. He saw Savitar speed to Iris and stand menacingly behind her, as his past self pleaded with him to stop this. Looking back now, he realized how foolish that was. Just another sign of weakness. He should have tried to speed at Savitar immediately, instead of wasting time talking. It would have been a long shot, but it was better than pleading. He should have known that there was no pleading with a monster.

As he saw the events unfold, he felt that temptation, that growing desire inside him to change things, to make everything different. It would be so easy, and then everything would change. Cisco would have his hands back, Wally wouldn't be paralyzed… Oliver would be alive. Everything would be okay. Except, he had no way of knowing that for sure. Messing with time was a dangerous thing, and just like his mother's death, this could be a fixed point in time. If he changed it, the consequences could be far reaching and, as much as it hurt him to say it, there was no telling if Iris wouldn't still die not much later down the way for whichever reason. It scared him, the thought that Iris was fated to die, one way or another, and that there was nothing he could do to stop it. But it was a possibility. And as much as he wanted to… that was a risk he couldn't take.

''You lose, Flash'' He heard Savitar say as he pulled out his blade. Those words that haunted him so much, the words that still plagued his nightmares most of the time, the words that all of this started with.

So he stayed, completely rigid, as his past self's pleadings were useless, as Savitar's blade was aimed at Iris's back, as his past self ran at them, but wasn't fast enough, as Savitar plunged the blade through Iris's back, as Iris's face lost her light, as Savitar left Infantino Street at superspeed, and as his past self grabbed Iris before she fell to the floor, falling to his knees and begging her to wake up, to no avail. A single tear fell down his face.

''I'm sorry, Iris. I'm so sorry'' He said, as he grabbed the edge of the roof, while more tears flowed down his face. He looked at the scene once more, at H.R's crushed and guilty face, and at Joe's shocked and defeated one, like he still couldn't believe it, that they had lost. And at his past self, whose cries and sobs could be heard almost from where he was, as he cradled Iris's limp body. A silent goodbye weighed in him as he looked at Iris, a small, sad smile appearing on Barry's face, before he returned to his time, ready to continue crying alone, in the dark.

---

Oliver's funeral took place the next morning, most of the arrangements done overnight, and it was silent for the most part. Barely any words were exchanged, everyone too immersed in their own thoughts and grief. But even those who were still making some sort of small talk fell silent when Quentin arrived, accompanied by William. The young boy had lost so much, and now, he had lost the last family he had left. His face was down, and it didn't take a detective to know he had been crying a lot, even without seeing his very likely red eyes. As soon as she spotted them, Sara walked up to them, her face giving away the sadness she felt.

''Dad'' She said as she took off her sunglasses, which she wore no doubt to hide her puffy eyes, while she came up to him and hugged him, Quentin doing the same. He could practically feel the pain emanating from his daughter, and so he hugged her as hard as he could, letting her know that she had a shoulder to cry on with him. Soon, they broke the hug, and exchanged a sad look before Sara turned to William and kneeled in front of him.

''Hey, William, my name is Sara, I'm Quentin's daughter. I… I was a good friend of your dad, I've known him since we were kids. He uh… he really loves…loved you… Though I guess you already know that. Just… I'm mostly out of town, but I'll be staying around for a while. If you ever want to talk to someone, I'm here, okay?'' Sara said, trying to mask the sadness in her voice, and failing at it. She briefly thought about gently grabbing his arm or putting an arm on his shoulder, but decided not to. He didn't knew her that well and… well, she supposed he could probably use his space. He barely spared her a glance, but he did gave her a small nod, so she took that as a win.

''Okay, then'' She said, giving a small nod of her own, before getting up and walking with them towards the rest. As everyone took their places around the grave, Roy walked up to William, who was right besides Sara, her father besides her.

''Hey, William. Do you remember me? I'm Roy, I visited you and your dad shortly before you left Star City'' Roy said, as William seemed to try and recall, before giving a nod, meaning he remembered him. He didn't said anything, though, he hadn't said anything since he had arrived. In fact, according to what Quentin had told Sara as they walked towards the rest, he hadn't said a word since he found out his father had died. Even in the short time they spent together, it was clear to everyone that they had created a tremendously strong bond of father and son.

Roy looked for something in his back pocket, and once he found it, he took it and showed it to William, who seemed to be confused as to what it was. It was the Hozen, the same one he had given Oliver barely minutes before his death. He had found it in Oliver's back pocket of his suit after seeing him put it there. 'Looks like, in a way, I did had to accept a no for answer at the end' Roy thought grimly. That didn't meant he intended to keep it, though. There were others who should have it now.

''This is a Hozen. It symbolizes reconnection. Your father found it on Lian Yu years ago, and then he gave it to your sister, who gave it to me, then I… she gave it back to me'' Roy made a small pause, ignoring the fact that no, Thea hadn't gave it back to him, rather, it had been recovered from her body by A.R.G.U.S, but William didn't need to know that. ''And… then I gave it to your father before… before he passed. He uh, he told me that he thought about passing it on to you, someday. But now… well, I guess he would have wanted you to have it'' Roy said, still holding the Hozen in front of William. The boy looked at it for a few more seconds before taking it with him. Once it was in his hands, he continued to stare at it.

''Why?'' He asked after a few seconds had passed, the first word he spoke ever since he got the news, which earned everyone's attention.

''Why what?'' Roy asked, confused like everyone else. William gave a small, almost unnoticeable sigh before explaining.

''Why did Barry do this? I don't understand. What did my father ever do to him?'' William asked, his eyes remaining fixated in the Hozen. Before Roy could find an answer, Sara took the lead.

''Nothing. But Barry is a bad person, a bad man. And bad people do bad things, like this'' Sara said.

''But he was a hero. The Flash. He was a good person. Why did he changed, what happened?'' William asked, still not understanding. Sara gently put a hand on William's shoulder, slowly trying to break through his barriers in order to comfort him.

''Life happened, in a way. He lost someone he loved, and it hurt him, a lot. That is part of what changed him. Which caused Barry to go the wrong way. To go bad, even if he doesn't sees it'' Sara explained to William the best he could. It was more complicated than that, but the whole story would probably be a lot to take in, especially for him.

''But… but he and my father were friends. I saw it myself. Why did he do this to him then?'' William asked, momentarily taking his eyes off the Hozen and looking up at Sara, who gave him a sad smile before looking away and shaking her head, sighing.

''Believe me, William, Barry is nobody's friend, not anymore. And certainly not your father's'' Sara said, a trace of venom in her voice that went unnoticed by William, who seemed to consider her words for a moment, before returning to look at the Hozen. Sara looked down at him and decided to take her chances and slip an arm around William's shoulders. Sara sensed his small flinch, but he didn't pushed her away as she brought him closer to her.

''I'll carry it with me. Always'' William said as he looked towards the Hozen. His gaze, now determined, moved towards his father's grave and remained fixated in it, while holding the Hozen with a strong grip.

Kara, who was standing nearby listening to their conversation, found herself inclined to agree with everything Sara said.

''So… does anyone wants to say a few words?'' Ray asked, after a brief moment of silence.

''I… I don't really know what to say'' Roy said, at a loss for words. Sara remained silent. Clearly, she didn't wanted to have that role, even if she did had something to say.

''Me neither'' Lyla agreed with Roy.

''Words seem… meaningless'' Kara said, not knowing what to say either. Finally, it was Quentin who spoke up.

''In that case, I'll be the one to say something'' Quentin said, before walking towards Oliver's grave and standing behind it, while the rest stood in front of it. He took a deep breath, and gave his eulogy.

''It's no secret that, when he was younger, I was not fond of Oliver Queen. For reasons I won't say right now, I did not approve of his relationship with one of my daughters, nor did I approved of him, as a person. But… when he came back from that island, he was different, he returned a changed man. He had grown, and from that playboy kid I used to know, nothing was left, even if he tried to make it seem otherwise at first. And because of that, my first impression of him remained, for a while. But it wasn't long before he started proving me wrong. It wasn't long before I realized how wrong I was, and slowly but surely, he started to earn my respect and my friendship. And as the years went on, as our friendship grew stronger, I had the chance to see him grow even more as a person, to become a good and respectable man, who genuinely wanted the best for this city, and for his family, despite, or maybe because, all that he had endured. He went through a journey like no other, and thanks to it, he inspired an army of heroes, an army that became a family. And today, I am proud to say that Oliver Queen was like a son to me. Oliver, wherever you are, just know, that you not only saved this city, but you saved me. You saved all of us'' Quentin finished, taking a deep breath to calm himself and stop himself from crying. He saw some, like Sara, doing the same, while others didn't bothered to stop the tears from coming out.

Kara, for one, was doing her best not to cry and stay composed, with her sister right beside her and holding her hand. The effort and concentration caused her superhearing to slip up for a moment, a small moment that was enough for her to pick another heartbeat nearby somewhere behind them, watching them with enough discretion as to not be seen, most likely. And it was an abnormally fast heartbeat. She turned around and gazed towards a tree that stood in the direction she had heard the heartbeat, a perfect hiding spot for their stalker. There was no one there, though. However, Kara could have sworn she saw a streak of red lightning leaving the scene.

---

Killer Frost finished putting the tools back in the work table just in time for Barry to appear inside the warehouse, drawing the trio's attention.

''Where were you? We got here half an hour ago and you weren't here. Half an hour I used for, mind you, clean the mess you made last night'' Killer Frost said, noticing how he was in civilian clothes.

''I was out. Unlike what you may think, I don't spend all day in here'' That was a lie if Frost had ever heard one. Unlike Black Siren and Reign, who had only been on the team for the past couple days, she had been a part of it for the past three weeks, and she knew for a fact that when Barry wasn't out patrolling or finding ways to fulfill the directives, he was in here brooding or coming up with new plans. She also noticed how he was wearing all black. She didn't commented on it, though. She knew better than to question him, especially after what happened last night. However, she couldn't shake the fear that his loyalties were wavering, and that could not do. That better not be the case.

''Okay, we gave you the night for you to do whatever you wanted, but now it's time to work. What's next?'' Laurel asked while sitting on one of the chairs. Barry decided not to comment that it had been HIM who had given THEM the night off, and instead, answered her question.

''Now, we work on completing the second and third directives'' Barry said after a brief moment that in truth was more like an eternity for the speedster. An eternity he used to consider what to do. He didn't wanted to break Oliver's promise, but… he couldn't just forget about this. But he had to do something, and there was no middle ground here. So for the moment, he decided he would continue to work on completing the directives. He wasn't entirely happy about it, but it wouldn't exactly break Oliver's promise, as long as he didn't used them, and in the meantime, he could think and come up with a final decision.

''About that. The machine you want to create, we have what we need to make it, but… we're no engineers and we don't even have a clue on how to make it'' Frost said, while Barry took one of the metallic boxes that looked more like a briefcase from the floor and put it in a table.

''We'll get to that shortly. First, it's time for the second directive to come into play'' He said, as his hand started vibrating, while the rest of the team got closer to see what was inside the briefcase/box. He inserted it inside the briefcase, and vibrated at the right frequency to break the electronic lock from the box. A couple sparks jumped in the air, causing them to back away, but it worked. The briefcase had been opened. Barry slowly moved the superior part upwards, revealing the contents of the box.

''Is that… the Philosopher's Stone?!'' Frost asked in surprise, while Barry nodded.

''After I killed Savitar, we found the stone sitting in the grass where Savitar's body was. It must have fallen in there when his body disappeared from existence. I left it in the custody of A.R.G.U.S and it remained there, until now'' Barry explained as he took it from the box/briefcase, feeling the power emanating from it as soon as his fingers made contact with it.

''Interesting. But how is that supposed to help us in achieving the second directive?'' Frost asked, as Barry moved with the stone towards an empty spot of the warehouse.

''You'll see. The Philosopher's Stone has many, many uses'' Barry said as he came to a stop, the rest of the team stopping with him. He then slowly raised the stone in front of him, holding it with both hands, and concentrated.

''You might want to step back. Just in case'' Barry said, and all three did as told. Barry closed his eyes, and soon, electricity started running through his body, dancing through his arms and reaching the stone, powering it. It started to light up, and little sparks of electricity came out of it, as a small earthquake shook the building.

''What's going on?!'' Laurel asked, nervous.

''I'd like to know that too'' Reign said, though she seemed less fazed than the other two.

''Barry!'' Frost called for him, but got no response. He remained focused as some kind of white matter started to come out of the stone, starting to take a strange, but oddly familiar shape in front of him. Then, much to Frost's surprise, the stone started to burn, but strangely, Barry's hands were completely intact. It was soon followed by pieces of the stone itself, which started to organize it selves following the white matter's odd shape as a guideline. It was weird, though, because it didn't looked like the stone itself was being decomposed, it was still completely intact. Soon, the pieces of the stone had taken the shape of the white matter. The pieces, while close to each other, were still separated, but Frost could see what it would look like when they fused together. Was that…?

Suddenly, Barry's eyes opened, lightning dancing in them, before a literal lightning came through the roof and impacted the pieces, causing a flash of light that blinded them, immediately followed by the thundering sound, almost like an explosion, and an abnormally strong shockwave for a lightning strike that sent all of them flying back to the floor, including Barry.

The first thing Barry noticed when he opened his eyes was the huge hole in the roof. It must have been caused by the lightning strike. Well, that was great, now they had to fix that as well. Still, it wasn't a priority right now. The second thing he noticed was something hot in one of his hands. When he looked down to it, he saw that it was the Philosopher's Stone, which was quite literally, smoking hot. But… he felt no pain. It was weird, he could tell it was hot, hot enough to hurt him, in fact his hand was even red, but it didn't. Clearly, the stone had a lot of weird properties, not all of which he completely understood. And the third thing he noticed, was the second directive bowing in front of him, in all of its glory. Fulfilled.

''You know, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind when you said the second directive was a suit of armor to protect and empower you. But… I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This one has always fit you after all'' Frost said as they all got up and Barry walked towards his creation, still exuding smoke from the lightning strike.

''That it has'' Barry said as he put his hand in the head of the armor, once again feeling no pain despite the fact that it was very hot. And once again, he attributed it to the strange properties of the Philosopher's Stone, and by extensions, its creations. In any case, it didn't mattered though. What mattered was that the second directive had been completed. Bowing in front of him, was Savitar's armor. His armor now.

''Wow, I gotta admit, it does looks… cool'' Laurel said in amazement.

''Yes, I… agree'' Reign agreed, though she didn't seemed too happy to admit it.

Barry had to admit, it definitely did. But it still needed some adjustments, like Savitar had no doubt done to his own. And first, he had to give some instructions to his team.

''It does. But now, let's get to work in the third directive'' Barry said, walking towards the work table and leaving the Philosopher's Stone in it, the tools previously above it having fallen to the floor again from the shockwave.

''Ugh, great, now I have to put everything back in its place again'' Frost complained in annoyance.

''Don't worry, Frost, I'll take care of it myself later'' He said as he made a small eye roll, before taking an empty sheet of paper and a pencil. He seemed to think something over in his head, before he started drawing, erasing things every few seconds only to draw something else in its place. In the span of around ten seconds, he had finished drawing what looked like some schematics, which he handed over to Frost.

''There you go'' He said as he handed the schematics to her.

''What is this?'' Frost asked as she looked it over.

''Those are the schematics for the machine. The third directive. You three will be working in making it'' Barry said, ignoring the faces of his team.

''Us?! But… we aren't engineers. We aren't capable of it'' Frost said.

''The schematics explain everything you need to know. And besides, you were a bioengineer, you must have at least an idea of how to do this'' Before Frost could argue that no, she definitely did not learn how to make a machine like this in college, Reign stepped in, aggressive as always.

''I joined you to defeat Supergirl and to help impart justice in this world as well, not to create some machine'' Reign said.

''This machine is what will help us impart that justice in the world. And believe me, when it's on, it's going to draw a lot of attention, including Supergirl's. You'll get your second round there'' Barry retorted, to which Reign seemed to comply, to an extent. She still did not looked pleased, though.

''And what will you be doing?'' Laurel asked, angry as well.

''I will be working on the suit'' Barry said as he walked back towards it. ''It may have been created, but it's still not ready, it needs adjustments. Adjustments I will be making for the next few hours while you work in the machine. If you need help with anything, I'll be in the other room'' Barry said, pointing to another in the warehouse where he would be working in the machine. Frost and Laurel sighed and Reign grunted, but none of them complained anymore. Good, at least that was done. He may not have said it, but he trusted them to make a good work. The machine wasn't even that complicated to do anyways, at least not with the extremely detailed schematics he had made.

As he looked back towards the suit, though, Barry felt doubt cloud him again. Could he really keep doing this, after the promise he had made to Oliver? What if the conclusion he had reached about how this didn't exactly broke Oliver's promise was just an excuse? An excuse to keep on doing this. Would he find another one when it came down to the moment of choice, of whether to use this directives or not, or whether to carry on with the mission or forget about it? If he did, if he found an excuse and kept on doing this, what would that make of him? A hypocrite, a liar…a monster? Barry was well aware that the things he had done for the past few weeks were far from good, but he knew he had been doing them for a greater good. Now, he wasn't so sure. This greater good had caused Cisco to lose his hands, Wally to get paralyzed and Oliver to die. Was it really worth it? Was this really, not the good one, but the right thing to do? And what if it wasn't? In a way, that would make him the villain here. The thought scared him. Despite the things he had done, which he knew were far from good, Barry saw himself as a hero, simply one that wasn't afraid to do what was necessary. In a way, the best kind of hero. But was he really? After all that happened, was he really a hero? Barry feared that he wasn't. Barry feared that what he really was… was a monster. That was truly what scared him the most.

Barry shook his head and pushed those thoughts away. There was no time for thinking. He would think about it when the time for making a choice came, not a second earlier. For now, he had work to get done.

---

Their entrance to the Bunker had been much quieter than the night before. Unlike then, there wasn't really a reason to be excited now, all the contrary, in fact. They had lost their leader, their inspiration, the first amongst them. How were they supposed to keep going? Sara had an answer for that.

''Listen, guys, this past few days, they've been far from easy. We've lost a lot, and the morale is low'' Sara sighed before continuing. ''But we have to keep going. We cannot give up now. We have to keep fighting. We owe it to all those innocent people with powers that right now are afraid of what The Streak could do to them. To every single person who has lost someone to him. To all those who've suffered to his hands or his team's. And to Oliver. It's what he would have wanted us to do. To keep on fighting. Protecting this world. As his legacy. And that is what we're going to do'' Sara finished as she looked at the faces of her teammates who nodded to her, their spirits somewhat lifted by her speech.

''And the first thing to do that, is selecting a new leader. I'm listening to suggestions'' Sara said, much to everyone's confusion. She raised an eyebrow when no one spoke up.

''But… shouldn't you be the one to lead us? I mean, Sara, you're literally the captain of a time traveling ship, you're probably the most qualified one'' Alex said, everyone agreeing with her, but Sara denied by shaking her head.

''Yes, but I don't think I'm the most adequate one to lead us here. We need someone who has at least some experience with leadership and with being a superhero, but also, someone who knows Barry, who knows how he thinks, and what he might be planning. Which is why, seeing as no one else has any suggestions… I propose Kara'' Sara said, and suddenly all eyes turned to the Girl of Steel, who had been silent so far.

''Wh… Wha… What? Wait, me? Why?'' Kara asked in surprise, her eyes widened.

''Well, from what your sister has told me, you've doing this 'hero thing' for a couple years, and you work with a government agency on your Earth and with its leader, so even if you've never lead, you might have experience by seeing others do it. Right?'' Sara asked. When had Sara even talked to Alex anyways? Huh, maybe it was in the way to Star City.

''Well, yes, b…'' Before Kara could say anything else she was interrupted by Sara.

''And besides Cisco, Harry and H.R, you're probably the one who knows Barry the best. But they can't… well, they…'' Sara tried to find a soft way to put it, but continued to fail until Cisco stopped her.

''No point in embellishing it, Sara. None of us three can be in the field… not anymore, at least'' Cisco said grimly, his head hanging down.

''…Well, yes, and it would be for the best if the leader is also in the field. And, no offense guys, but Jax, you're too rash and impulsive, and Stein, you aren't really cut out for leadership'' Sara said, to which Stein nodded, not offended, and while Jax made a very small groan, he didn't complained.

''So, that's why you're the best choice'' Sara finished, though it sounded like she still had something left to say. Kara sighed. She wasn't sure she was ready for this.

''Yes, I get that, but…'' She started saying, but was stopped once more by Sara loudly sighing and walking in front of her.

''Kara, listen to me, because those are not the only reasons. More than all of that, we need someone who can inspire us, who can give us hope. Oliver gave us that because he had been the first of us, and we knew that he had gone through a lot, and came out stronger after it. But you… you can do it by being who you are, optimistic, hopeful and strong. You're a symbol of light, Kara, and we could all use that light now'' Sara said truthfully. Kara was surprised for a second, shocked by Sara's words, but she was pulled out of it by Alex, who put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. Kara looked to her and saw her nod, sporting a reassuring smile on her face. Feeling a wave of confidence, Kara smiled back before turning back to Sara nodding determinately. She walked in front of everyone, Sara taking her place beside her sister. Truth was, she did not felt like any of those things right now, and especially not inspiring, but she would do this nonetheless. It was her duty, they were all counting on her, and she would not fail them. Not like she had failed Oliver.

Sara, on the other hand, was well aware that she hadn't told all the truth. Yes, she meant every single word she had said to Kara, but that wasn't all there was to it. Under other circumstances, she might have indeed been leading this team. She wasn't about to say that to Kara, of course, that would only serve to diminish her confidence, something they could not allow right now. Because truth was, she knew she was the most qualified person to lead this team, or rather, maybe a day ago she would have been, but not now. Now, she couldn't. She simply couldn't. Her mind wasn't in the right place, not after… after Oliver's death. She knew, rather than felt, that she was not fit to lead this team in whatever it was that might come next. Because all she wanted to do right now, was curl up in a dark corner and cry. In fact, the only reason she wasn't doing that right now, was because she was… 'compartmentalizing', like Oliver liked to do. And she knew Kara wasn't much better than her, but she had not known Oliver for as long as she had, and she hadn't been through hell alongside him. Kara may not be much better than her, but she did was at least a little better. That would have to be enough, and if leaving the leadership to someone else at this time made her a bad person, then so be it. She'd done plenty of bad things in her life anyways, this would just be another one to add to the list.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of Kara taking a deep breath, who used the small moment to formulate any ideas, before she spoke.

''Okay, guys, uh… um, Sara, you said that Barry might be planning something. Any theories on what it might be?'' Kara asked, a bit nervous by all of this.

''Well… it was actually Oliver who believed that. But it makes sense. For some reason, Barry took Ray's dwarf star matrix, the power source of his suit. Oliver believed that the only reason he would do that would be to power up some kind of machine'' Sara explained.

''Yeah, that would have made sense. A dwarf star matrix is an extremely powerful source of energy'' Ray added.

''Well then, what kind of machine could he be wanting to make?'' Kara pondered.

''No idea. But… at the funeral, Lyla told me that at the same time A.R.G.U.S attacked S.T.A.R Labs, Reign breached into A.R.G.U.S. It might have something to do with that'' Sara told them, to everyone's surprises.

''Well, did she stole anything?'' Kara asked in surprise.

''Mostly raw material. Steel, wires, and a few small artifacts that are usually hard to come by in your usual science lab. It's likely he's planning to use it to make whatever this machine might be. But that's not all, according to Lyla, she also took something else, some kind of artifact called the Philosopher's Stone?'' Sara asked, and immediately Cisco made a small gasp of surprise.

''The Philosopher's Stone?'' Cisco asked, to be sure that he heard it right.

''Yeah. Actually, she said you would know what it is'' Sara said.

''Well, knowing what it is exactly might be an overstatement. We know that it is literally a very old stone, made of calcified Speed Force energy. As such, it can do extraordinary things. Savitar used it for quite a while. In fact, had it not been because of it… we might have been able to stop him and save Iris'' A small, tense pause weighed in the entire base. ''But that doesn't matters now. What matters now is that if Barry has it, then that's bad. As far as we know, it doesn't has any mass destructing powers, but we should still be careful. Who knows what Barry might want to do with it?'' Cisco said, and everyone nodded. This was not good.

''And there's still the matter of the machine. Who knows what it could be for exactly?'' Alex said, the same thought going through everyone's heads.

''Well, considering that Barry's target is to kill every single metahuman, it's probably something related to it. Maybe the Philosopher's Stone could help him with that. But whatever it is, it is sure to draw attention once it's on… and leave an energy mark for a satellite to pick up. And unless it has a global effect, he would most likely use it in Central City, considering that's where he has been fighting crime for the past three years'' Kara said, reaching a conclusion in her head. She almost directs to Cisco, but then she remembered that… well, he wasn't really in a position to type anything in a computer, so instead she directed to Ray.

''Ray, is there any way you could monitor Central City and look for abnormal energy amounts in the city?''

''Well, I think I could get inside Central City's traffic camera grid and things like that, but monitoring the entire city like that… I don't know'' Ray said sheepishly. Monitoring an entire city the way Kara wanted wasn't so simple, and just entering into the camera grid would take some effort. While he did knew how to hack, he was far away from Felicity and Cisco's leagues.

''Actually, the S.T.A.R Labs satellite could help with that. It could easily monitor the city and its surroundings looking for abnormal energy marks. As long as A.R.G.U.S hasn't messed with it, that is. I could tell you how to get in, Ray'' Cisco turned to Ray, who nodded.

''Works for me'' He said, and they both turned to Kara, waiting for an answer. It took her a moment to realize that. This kind of attention was definitively hard to get used to.

''Okay, you guys do that. The rest of you… uh, get to training. When Barry uses whatever this machine might be, we'll confront him and his team, and we'll have to be ready'' Kara said, as everyone nodded and got to do as ordered. Sara in particular, smiled proudly. She knew Kara had it in her.

As they all moved to do their tasks, however, Kara noticed someone was missing. Or rather, two people were missing.

''Hey guys, were are Harry and H.R?'' As if on cue, the elevator doors opened, revealing Harry-who Kara noticed had an interdimensional extrapolator in his hand- and H.R, but they weren't alone.

''We're here, everyone. And we brought reinforcements'' H.R said, and they both stepped to the sides to reveal who they brought with them. Jesse Wells and Jay Garrick.

Kara smiled. She didn't knew these people, but if Harry and H.R had brought them here, then they could be trusted. And with their help, Barry was going to have an even harder time beating them.

---

Barry had spent the last few hours working on the suit, making adjustments and preparing it for the coming battle. Before he had even created it, back when he first had the idea, he thought about making a few changes so that it wouldn't be as similar to Savitar's. He didn't saw the need for that now. The armor was perfect as it was. Barry's face winced when a ray of light hit his face. Through the windows of the warehouse he could see how the last rays of sun were starting to fade. He had been working all day on this. Frost and the rest had asked him to help with a couple things a while back, but it wasn't much and they seemed to be doing well. In fact, they hadn't called for him in a couple hours, which could only mean that everything was going smoothly. He had briefly considered getting Tracy Brand to help them, but obviously, she would be less than thrilled to do so, and if she somehow found a way to communicate with the heroes, that would only complicate things further. His team seemed to be doing well on their own, anyways.

However, as much as Barry had tried to focus on work, his mind couldn't help but drift towards the promise he had made Oliver and the decision he would have to take soon. Eventually, he stopped trying to push it away, and decided to think about it as he worked. And finally, he had reached a conclusion.

He was done making excuses. He was a monster. Every time he called himself a hero, every time he said he was doing for his family, and for his city, every time he said he was still the Barry they knew, he was just lying to himself. And he was done doing that. Yes, Cisco had lost his hands because of him, Wally was paralyzed because of him, and Oliver was dead because of him. And so many others too. Yes, Kara and the rest, they were the true heroes, and yes, he was the villain of this story… But that didn't meant he would stop. Because he could see it clearly now, what this world needed wasn't heroes who could inspire hope and good in people, who could inspire them to be better. No, what this world needed was someone ruthless, cold, calculating. Someone who could inspire fear in them. What this world needed, was a monster. A monster working for the greater good. A monster who believes that the end justifies the means. He would be that monster. Even if it meant breaking Oliver's promise, it wouldn't be the first one he broke, and it wouldn't probably wouldn't be the last. Even if it meant hurting his old family and friends in the process. Because they weren't his family anymore, he had lost them, they would always be against him, which meant he had to deal with them, once and for all. Even if he couldn't protect them, he could still protect his city, and the entire world. And at the end, they wouldn't thank him, no one would, but it didn't mattered, because the world would be better because of what he had done. No, he wasn't The Flash, and he wasn't a hero. Yes, he was The Streak, and he was a monster. A monster working for the greater good. A monster who knows that the end justifies the means. And he would win this war, no matter the cost. For the greater good.

''The machine is finished. It looks functional, and we followed your instructions to the letter, so it should work perfectly. All that's left is putting the Philosopher's Stone in place'' Frost said, coming into the room.

''Good'' Barry said simply with his hands behind his back, without turning to her.

''Barry, listen, I know you're hurting because of Oliver's death, and it wouldn't surprise me if you're hesitating about this, but…'' Frost was interrupting when Barry raised a hand. To her surprise, it didn't started vibrating.

''No need, Frost. I've made my peace with it'' Barry said, much to her surprise.

''You have?'' Frost asked, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice, and probably failing at it.

''I have'' Barry said, finally turning to her. Frost could tell, there was something different in him. Physically, he was the same, but… there was something in his stare, in his eyes. They looked… she wouldn't say murderous, but rather hardened, prepared, angry. Determined. She liked it.

''Good. What's our next step then?'' Frost said as she nodded, unable to keep the smirk out of her face. Barry turned back to his suit, which was hanging from a few chains connected to the ceiling, the work table having been moved here in order for him to work. He sped inside it, cutting the chains with vibrating hands, before he did. The boots of the suit made contact with the floor, and the armor's lights blinked white for a second, blue for a couple more, until finally, they turned red. The color of The Streak.

''Finally, all the directives have been completed. All that's left is putting the last two into play. Now, we prepare for the final battle. This ends tonight, and I mean it this time'' The Streak said through his new modulated voice, which hid his voice even more, before walking to the other room, Frost following close behind. When Reign and Siren turned to him, they were surprised to see him in his new attire.

''Whoa, that looks sick''

''Impressive''

''Get ready. Train, spare, do whatever you think you must do in order to be prepared. I'll take the suit for a couple of test runs. We leave in an hour'' The Streak said, before speeding away in a trail of white lightning, leaving behind a statement. The final showdown was almost here.

---

Most of the team was getting some rest now, after spending most of the day training and getting ready for the coming fights. Cisco and Ray had taken a hold of the S.T.A.R Labs satellite in the Bunker, which luckily hadn't been manipulated by A.R.G.U.S, and so far nothing unusual had appeared. Energy concentrations were as they should be in every place of the city and its surroundings. If Barry had a plan, he wasn't executing it just yet. Jesse and Jay had gotten acquainted with those they didn't knew, and while the old speedster had stayed there, Jesse had gone to Central City to see how Wally was doing.

Sara was away from the rest, leaning over a metal column, looking at the salmon ladder, until Roy arrived.

''He always did loved that thing, didn't he?'' Roy asked, walking to her side.

''He did'' Sara said fondly. He did always looked good doing it too.

''How you doing?'' Roy asked her.

''I'm… hanging in there'' Sara said simply, though she supposed Roy knew what she meant. Most of them would. They were all 'hanging in there' now, especially the two of them.

''Yeah, I can imagine'' Roy said with a sigh. They stayed in silence for a few more moments until Sara spoke.

''Listen, Roy, if you came here to give me a pep talk or something, I'm really not in the mood for one, okay?'' Sara said, to which Roy let out a very small smile and shook his head.

''No, not at all. But I figured you could use some company'' Roy said, to which Sara nodded. She supposed that was okay.

''You know, I think… I think before he died, Oliver was thinking about trying things out with you again. If you wanted, of course'' Roy told her, much to Sara's surprise, who looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed.

''Really? What makes you think that?'' Sara asked him, and Roy explained.

''It's just… last night when we arrived here, after you talked to him and left to your mat, he stood staring at you for almost an entire minute, I'm surprised you didn't noticed. And he had this longing look on his face, one that I recognize very well. So I walked up to him with a smirk and this look that pretty much told him I noticed he was staring at you, and he didn't even denied, so yeah, I think he was considering getting back with you. It's a possibility'' Roy explained, much to Sara's surprise.

''Hmm, is that so? I'm not sure how we would have made it work, seeing as I'm the captain of a time travelling ship and he had William to take care of, but… but I think I would have liked that'' Sara said, and Roy smiled and nodded.

''How's your dad, by the way?'' Roy asked after a couple more seconds of silence.

''Well, he's trying to be strong for me and William, but I can tell he's hurting almost as much as I am'' Sara said, to which Roy nodded.

''William… Poor kid, he's lost so much, and now the only thing he had left, the father he was starting to connect with, he loses him too. It's not fair, no kid should ever go through that''

''No, no kid should. But then again, life is not fair, is it?'' Sara said grimly.

''No, I guess it isn't. Do you know who's going to take care of him now?'' Roy asked.

''Dad says it will probably go to his last living relatives, his grandparents on his mother's side. They live on the other side of the country, so he'll be staying from all of this'' Sara said, to Roy's surprise, though he quickly recovered and nodded.

''That's probably for the best. There are too many memories for him here and in Keystone, even in Central too'' Roy said, to which Sara nodded in agreement.

''Hey, Sara, I wanted to ask you… Barry's down two people, and we just got two more with us. He's going to go down, but… when we have him, what are we going to do with him?'' Roy asked, to which Sara's brows furrowed and she looked at him for a moment before looking away.

''We're going to put him on a cell, of course'' Sara said simply, and Roy failed to keep the surprise out of his face. He didn't expected that. She turned to him again with a knowing look, before looking away again.

''Believe me, there is nothing I'd want more right now than to kill him. But… it's not what Oliver would have wanted. No matter what he did, Oliver wouldn't have wanted me to kill Barry, he wouldn't have wanted me to kill anyone, especially not for him. So I won't, no matter how much I want to. I won't disgrace Oliver's memory like that'' Sara said, as Roy took it all in and nodded. ''But we are going to beat him, and we're going to lock him up. For Oliver''

''For Oliver'' Roy said, before realizing something. He let out a small chuckle at the realization.

''Well, would you look at that. Turns out it was you who ended up giving me a pep talk'' Roy said, to which Sara let out a small chuckle of her own.

''Oh, so you admit you were trying to give me a pep talk?'' Sara asked with a smile. Roy hummed, trying to find a response.

''Hmm, maybe'' They both laughed together at that. It weren't big laughs or full of joy, but they were real, and that was enough. Roy was glad to see Sara had lighted up a bit. He may not have given her a pep talk like he intended, but at least her spirits had been lifted a bit. He considered that a win in his book.

In the middle of the Bunker, Cisco sat in a chair, not paying much attention to the monitors, but rather waiting for an alert. His solitude was interrupted by Jay walking up to him. Ugh, he really didn't wanted to talk to Jay of all people. He understood that they needed as much help as possible, but he didn't wanted to be around the man.

''Hey there, kid. Can I talk to you for a minute?'' Jay asked, and Cisco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was hard to be mad at this guy.

''Uh, yeah. Sure thing, Jay'' Cisco said, trying not to let any sarcasm or bitterness in his voice. Jay sighed, before leaning back on the table in front of Cisco.

''I just… I wanted to say I'm sorry. For not coming with you here when you guys needed me. I don't know if me being here would have changed much, but I should have tried either way. I'm really sorry'' Jay said truthfully. He was aware that they could have used his help when Cisco first came looking for him a few weeks back, and he wished he could change his decision, seeing what that caused.

''Jay, it's okay. I get it, you were busy, you had your own world to save. Us heroes have many responsibilities, I get it'' Cisco said, hoping this would end quickly.

''No, that's no excuse. I should have been here. And I can tell you're mad at me because I wasn't. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, just…'' He was interrupted by Cisco, who seemed to be angry. Fine, Jay wanted to know what he really thought, he would.

''No, Jay, there's nothing you can do to make it up to me, to any of us'' Cisco said, making sure not to yell. He wasn't in the mood to cause a scene. ''Oh, you know what? There actually is. Why don't you go back in time and tell your past self to not be so selfish, and help a friend in need. Oh, that's right, you can't, because it would mess with our precious timeline, wouldn't it?'' Cisco finished, breathing heavily by the end. Jay looked down this time, without anything.

''You know, you were the most important part of our plan. Not only are you a speedster like him, older and with more experience, but you have the face of Barry's dad, for God's Sake! It was granted he would listen to you. But no, you were too busy saving the world from The Trickster, weren't you? Well now because of that, we're in a mess of epic proportions. Barry's gone for good and we've all suffered because of it. Except you!'' Cisco said, almost yelling by the end. He caught himself and looked around to see if anyone was looking to them. No one was, which meant that either they hadn't heard him or they had, but they didn't really mind.

Cisco sighed heavily, he really needed to get that off his chest. But now, looking at Jay whose face was hanging down in shame, he felt guilty. Maybe he had been too rough on him.

''I… I'm sorry. That was probably too much. It's just, we've lost so much this past few weeks, we're all so stressed. And really, I get it, the people of Earth-3 needed you too, you couldn't just leave them'' Cisco said, and Jay could tell he meant it this time.

''I'm glad you do, but believe me, if I could go back and change things with no consequences, I would. I would tell my past self to stop being so selfish, and help a friend in need'' Jay said truthfully, to which Cisco nodded gratefully.

''No, you weren't selfish, you've never been, I was just… mad, and I didn't knew what I was saying. But you're definitely not selfish, and I perfectly understand that you had to stay on Earth-3. It's your duty, after all. I'm sorry again, for all I said. It's just, I wish things were like before. There was always a bad guy lurking around, but… we were together. Team Flash was together and happy, we were a family. Now that family is lost'' Cisco finished grimly. He looked down until Jay put a hand in his shoulder, making him look up to the man.

''Kid, take it from someone who has lived his fair share of life. Even when life looks the darkest, when it feels like we've hit rock bottom, things will always look up. There is always calm after a storm. And no matter how long this storm is, it will end, and calm will follow. All we need to have is hope. Hope that the storm will end, and that things will be better once it does. As long as we have hope, we can always keep going'' Jay said, and his words caused Cisco to tear up a bit.

''I'm not very hopeful lately, Jay''

''That's understandable, and that's what all these people are for. Maybe all of you have hit rock bottom now, but you are together, and you can help each other. You may have lost a family, but you still have this one'' Jay finished, to which Cisco got up and hugged him as best as he could, Jay hugging back. They broke the hug a few seconds later, and Jay nodded at him.

''You're a good man, Cisco'' Jay said, and Cisco nodded in return.

''So are you, Jay. Thank you'' Cisco said, and Jay nodded again. He was glad they were on good terms again.

Sitting on a chair over the elevator, H.R stayed silently until Harry, his doppelganger of all people, arrived with another chair and sat beside him, much to his surprise.

''Uh, you wanted something?'' H.R asked, knowing that Harry was usually a straight to business guy. Also, Harry wasn't very fond of him.

''Yes, I wanted to talk to you'' Harry said, surprising H.R even more. Why would Harry want to talk to him, of all people?

''You wanted to talk… to me?'' He asked.

''Yes, to you. You look down, you don't usually look down. What's on your mind?'' Harry asked. Yep, a straight to business guy, like H.R said.

''I don't think I'm the only who looks down here'' H.R said, looking around.

''Yes, but all the others who look really down are talking between them or someone else is talking to them. Well, except for Kara, but I'll leave that to her sister. And you're my doppelganger, so I suppose that makes me the most qualified person to give you a pep talk'' Harry explained quickly, and H.R supposed he had a point. It was true, expect for Kara-for the moment, at least- everyone else who looked really down were talking between them.

''You came here to give me a pep talk?'' H.R asked. He didn't expected that from his doppelganger.

''I did. Now talk'' Harry prompted again, earning a sigh from H.R, but finally, he spoke.

''It's just… I feel like every time I come here, things always get worse. And I always can't help but think I could, should have done more. I came here thinking I could make things better. But clearly, I was wrong, once again. It just makes me feel so useless. And I guess, in a way, I am, compared to all the other Wells that have been on Earth-1'' H.R explained, but Harry shook his head.

''H.R, you may not be a genius, but you are still helpful. I heard the stories, from Cisco. Your idea about the museum, even if it never saw the light of day, it was good. Hiding in plain sight, that's smart. And you were the first to train Wally. Thanks to that, he got his chance to shine and become a hero. Had it not been for you, who knows if he would have ever become Kid Flash in the first place''

''For all the good it did. Now he's in hospital bed, paralyzed. Joe was right when he worried about Wally going out in the field… Iris was'' H.R said grimly.

''No, H.R, what happened to Wally isn't on you. He was a hero, and he's grateful for all the help you gave him in order to become one. We all are. What happened to him was awful, but it wasn't because of you'' Harry assured him, but H.R didn't looked much better.

''It should have been me'' H.R said, to Harry's confusion.

''What?''

''It should have been me instead of Iris. Things would be better, much…'' H.R started saying, but was interrupted by Harry.

''No, don't talk like that. Don't. We don't trade lives. Things would not be better if it had been you. You think we wouldn't have mourned you, that we wouldn't have cried you? We would have, just as much as we did when Iris died. Her death is not on you, what Barry is doing is not on you, that's on him, not on anyone else. We have to accept that Iris is gone, and that it wasn't anyone's fault but Savitar's. You didn't plunged the blade into her heart, it was him, and he paid for what he did'' Harry said, now holding H.R by the shoulders.

''You are a cherished member of this team. We all care about you, H.R. I admit, when I first saw you, when I first met you, I wasn't fond of you, even less after I learned that you weren't a genius. But you brought a different kind of help to Team Flash, you brought unorthodox ideas, things that a genius like myself would never think of, would never even imagine. Because genius see the world in numbers, you see it in colors and letters. You brought happiness to Team Flash, in a time where stress threatened to overcome them. Like I said, for a long time, I wasn't fond of you, but during this past few weeks, working closely with you, I can see that you are worth it. Today, I tell you that you have earned your place in this team, and that you are worthy of being a Wells'' Harry said, looking intently at H.R, who was looking down. But when he looked to Harry again, it was with a smile on his face.

''That's kind of pretentious…'' H.R said, causing Harry to raise one of his eyebrows in annoyance at his joke. ''…But I'll take it'' To this, Harry let out the smallest of smiles, and nodded to him. He patted his doppelganger on the shoulder, and turned to look at the rest of the Bunker.

''Thank you, Harry'' H.R said, turning to the rest of the Bunker as well.

''Sure thing, H.R'' Harry said. He was glad to see that H.R had his light back.

''You know, I always knew you were just a softie on the inside'' H.R joked, but Harry didn't commented on it. At least H.R was back to his old self. And by the way, this time was as good as any other to tell him about something that had been on his mind lately.

''When all this is over, there is a few people that I'd like to introduce you to'' Harry said, earning H.R's curiosity.

''Who are they?'' He asked.

''Oh, you haven't met them. Though they'll be familiar, in an odd way, I guess. They're… peculiar, to say the least. But you'll like them. We formed a small group actually, to help each other. We call ourselves the Council of Wells'' Harry said as he turned back to H.R, a smile on his face.

Kara stood in front of the mannequins, looking at Oliver's suit. There were others there, but this was one that wouldn't be used again. It was funny, when she had arrived on Earth-1, she had wanted to, besides help Barry, to just get a break from everything that was going on Earth-38. Now, her problems there seemed to pale in comparison to the ones she had here. She had spent most of the day training with Alex, and Sara too. They had both shown her a few techniques that would help her in the future. Because she fully intended to win her next fight against Reign. She would not lose again. She would beat her, and she would beat Barry too if she had to. And she wouldn't hold back. She had done that enough.

''Hey'' A voice behind her said. She turned to see it belonged to Alex.

''Hey'' Kara said, giving her a small smile, trying to ease her sister's worries which she knew very well were there.

''Do you want to talk?'' Alex asked, coming to her side. Kara winced internally. Of course she wanted to 'talk'.

''Not really'' Kara said, sighing.

''Kara, please, talk to me. I'm your sister, I can help you. Let me tell you, leadership is not easy, it's stressful, and it can be good to vent'' Alex told her. Kara knew her sister was right, but she was not in the mood for that now.

''Alex, please…'' Kara was interrupted by Alex.

''Okay, if you don't want to talk, don't. But I'm not leaving your side until you do'' Alex told her. Kara sighed again. Well, she supposed she could talk a little bit. She continued to look at the green suit, now with a hole in the place where the stomach should be located, as she spoke.

''I feel like I failed him. Like… I was so caught up with thinking that Barry could be saved, that at the end, he started to believe that too, and look at what it costed him. Now he'll never get to see his son again, see him grow. He'll never… never get a chance to live his life'' Kara said, tears starting to come out of her eyes.

''Kara, it's okay. It was his choice, he choose to believe that Barry could be saved, and I'm sure that even at the end, he continued to believe that, and didn't regretted it. He was at peace with his choices, and you should be too'' Alex said, putting a hand in her sister's shoulder, who stayed silent for a while, tears running down her face.

''Did you know I convinced him of putting the suit again? I mean, I told him that it would be okay no matter what he did, but in a way, I guess that's what pushed him towards it. It's my fault, Alex, it's my fault he's dead now'' Kara said, more tears leaking out. Alex put her other hand in Kara's other shoulder and turned her sister towards her, looking her straight in the eye.

''Kara, listen to me well. Oliver Queen was a warrior, and a hero, and the time I knew him was enough for me to see that he never gave up when it came to protecting the innocent and those who loved, that he wouldn't stop fighting injustice, that he would always strive to save as many as he could from evil. And if you tell me that he wasn't sure if he should put on the suit, I tell you that no matter what you had told him, or even if you didn't tell him anything, he would have put on the suit again. Because that's just who he was, a hero. And that's just how he died, and at peace. He wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over this, because it was his choice, and I'm sure if it came down to it, he would choose the same thing, all over again. So don't put the blame in you. Mourn him, yes, that's okay, but don't blame yourself for something that was not your fault. He wouldn't have wanted you to'' Alex said, before hugging her sister with strength that Kara felt could rival that of a kryptonian. It felt good getting this off her chest. She was grateful for Alex's words, and maybe, just maybe, she was starting to believe in them. They stayed like that until Alex heard Kara's sobs calm down, and only then did they broke the hug. Still, Alex's hands remained in her sister's shoulders.

''What are you going to do with Barry when you see him?'' Alex asked. Her sister was grieving, and people in grief could do stupid things. She wanted to make sure her sister wasn't going to do anything she might regret later.

''I don't know. But I'm not holding back against him, not anymore. And I'm done talking'' Kara said firmly, which sparked Alex's worries again.

''But… you aren't going to… to…'' She trailed off, not sure how to say it without her sister possibly getting mad at her.

''Kill him? Of course not. Even if I wanted to now, I don't think I could. But hurt him badly? Maybe. He heals fast anyways. Not like it will do him much good. Once he's beaten, I'm putting him in a cell, and he's staying there for good. Where he belongs'' Kara said, almost bitterly. Alex's worries weren't entirely gone yet. She knew saying it was one thing, but out there, in the heat of the battlefield, who knows what she might do, especially because it was very obvious her sister was pissed at Barry. She had her reasons, of course, but still. Alex would have to keep an eye on her out there. But for now, she nodded, released her grip on her sister's shoulders, and instead engulfed her in a side hug, Kara doing the same with her. They stayed looking at Oliver's suit in silence, at each other's sides. Because while Alex said she would not leave her sister's side unless she talked to her, truth was, she would never leave her side, no matter what.

Their small moment of peace was interrupted when an alarm blared in the monitors in the center of the Bunker, making everyone rush to it.

''What is it?'' Kara asked, and Cisco quickly explained.

''We're getting absurdly high energy readings from a hill in the outskirts of Central City. There shouldn't be any readings there, let alone this high'' He explained.

''Could it be Barry's machine?'' She asked.

''Most likely'' Cisco said, but then H.R noticed something.

''Wait, that hill… doesn't it looks familiar, Francisco?'' H.R asked, pointing to it.

''What do you mean?'' Cisco asked as he looked at the screen, trying to see the resemblance. ''Wait, yeah, it does. Actually, is that… Yeah, that's definitely Barry'' Cisco said, to the other's confusion, except H.R.

''How can you be so sure?'' Kara asked.

''Because… because that's the same hill where he fought Savitar months ago, the night Iris died. That is where he killed Savitar. That was the place that set him on the path he is now'' Cisco explained.

''Of course. He's going to finish the plan he has in a place that hold symbolism to him. It doesn't surprises me'' Sara said.

''Well, whatever his plan is, we're going to stop him, so Harry, call Jesse, tell her to wait for us to arrive and then meet us there'' Kara said, and Harry nodded, putting a communicator in his ear and calling Jessie. Kara turned to the rest and took a deep breath. Truth was, she had always wanted to say this.

''The rest of you… Suit Up!''

---

A few minutes earlier

Jesse, having changed to civilian clothes, walked through the halls of the hospital, looking for Wally's room. When her dad had went to Earth-2 to ask for her help, she had not taken the news well. Maybe if she had been here with him, things would have been different. She could have protected him, saved him from this Cicada guy. But she hadn't, and that was on her. She had agreed that she would not even try to find and fight Barry and his team, no matter what happened or who she might come across. If she did saw them, she was to inform the rest of the team through her comms, and avoid Barry and the rest until they arrived. Jesse could barely believe that Barry had fallen so low, but she supposed loss could do that to you. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she lost someone the same way.

'The receptionist said it was 27A, fourth floor' She thought. Currently, she was in 12A. When she rounded a corner, she saw both Joe and Cecile sitting on waiting chairs. That must have meant the room was right there. She walked up to them, and it wasn't long before they noticed her. They both walked up to her, and to her surprise, Joe hugged her.

''Jesse, it's good to see you, girl'' Joe greeted as they broke the hug.

''You too, Joe. And Cecile, it's good to see you too'' Jesse said, exchanging a slightly shorter hug with her.

''You too, Jesse'' Cecile greeted her as well.

''What are you doing here? I thought you were on Earth-2'' Joe asked, confused. Truth was, he looked like a mess. His eyes were red, no doubt from crying and his clothes were disheveled. She couldn't imagine how it must felt to lose all three sons, all in different ways, and she certainly didn't wanted to.

''I was, but my dad came to get me to help against Barry. And he uh… he told me about what happened to Wally'' Jesse said, and Joe's face turned slightly sadder just at the mention of the name.

''How is he?'' Jesse asked. When Joe didn't looked capable of even answering, Cecile talked for him, but not before sighing.

''He's suffering from paralysis all over his vertical spine. Cicada's dagger impacted a single spot, but apparently it let out very small shockwaves that cracked several spots of his spine. As if that wasn't enough, the dark matter from the dagger flooded his system, stopping his superspeed from giving him a quick recovery. That's what A.R.G.U.S said. What the doctors here tell us, is that it's a wonder he's alive in the first place, and that there is a chance he might never recover from this condition… many patients don't'' Cecile finished grimly. Joe looked away for a moment and passed a hand over his face, probably to clean the tears.

''Oh'' Jesse said simply, not sure what else to say.

''Yeah'' Joe said, turning to them again. They stood in silence, not sure of what to say, until Jesse spoke up again.

''By the way, I should probably tell you. Back in Star City, last night, Oliver…'' Jesse said, but Joe held up a hand, interrupting her.

''Yeah, we already know. Your dad called'' Joe explained.

''He and I… we had our disagreements, but his heart was in the right place. He was a good man. At least he can rest now, and wherever he is, he's with all the people he lost'' Joe said truthfully, and both Cecile and Jesse nodded. They stayed in silence for a couple seconds, until Jesse spoke again.

''Um, do you mind if I come in, or…?'' Jesse trailed off, not sure if they'd let her. A nurse might be treating him, or maybe they wouldn't even want her nearby him after their breakup. But instead, they both stepped to the side, letting her pass. She wasn't even sure why she doubted in the first place. Joe and Cecile would never deny her like that.

''Oh, yeah, go right ahead. He's sleeping right now, though. The doctors dosed him with sedatives, so he has been for a while. The doctors say it might help with the recovery, especially so soon after the incident. If he was awake, he could probably hear you''

''That's okay. Thank you'' Jesse said, walking towards the room.

''No need, kid. We know you really care about him'' Joe said, to which Jesse smiled and nodded gratefully, before entering the room.

Seeing Wally lying like this, it was strange. If it weren't for the stiff position, and all the medical and monitoring equipment, she'd probably think he was sleeping. Well, actually, he was. But even if he was awake, he wouldn't be able to move anyways. She slowly moved towards his bed and sat on a chair besides it. She looked at him for a moment, before taking his hand. She wondered if he could feel that. Granted, she didn't knew much about paralysis, but she made a mental note of researching about it as soon as she could. She took a deep breath, and started talking.

''Hey, Wally. I know you can't really hear me now, but I still want to say this, especially since I'm not sure if I can wait until you're awake. I wish I had been here, maybe… maybe I could have changed something. Maybe things would have been different, I could have protected you. I should have been here. But I wasn't, and I'm sorry. The guy who did this to you, apparently he's dead, we think Barry killed him, surely for what he did to you. Obviously, that doesn't excuses all the things he's done, nor does it means he's less guilty of doing this to you. He's as much to blame as that Cicada guy, because he recruited him in the first place. We haven't catched him yet, but we're working on it. We think he has some kind of machine that should leave huge energy readings, and Cisco and Ray are using the S.T.A.R Labs satellite to pick them up, so as soon as he starts it, we'll go after him. Oh, by the way, I don't know if Joe or Cecile told you this, but… Oliver died. Yeah, I never really knew him, from what I've heard, he seemed like a good guy. A hero. A shame what happened to him. And that's on Barry too. But we are going to catch him. As soon as he starts that machine, we'll find him, and then, we're going to beat him. You'll see. And maybe, once this is all over, and you get back on your feet -because you will get back on your feet, and nobody can tell me otherwise-, maybe… we could talk about our relationship. If you want to, that is. Truth is, I've missed you, and with all this, it just showed that I really care about you, more than just as a friend. We could find a way around the fact that we live in different universes. I don't know, maybe I'll pass by the weekends or something like that. We could talk it over when, and not if, when you get back in shape. I'll be waiting'' Jesse said, leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. She looked at his face and smiled. He looked so peaceful.

Suddenly, an earthquake shook the building, making everything tremble and bringing down furniture. Jesse walked over to the window, and saw from the distance, a single lightning coming from far away, just out of the city. Weird thing was, it looked like it was coming from the ground and to the sky, rather than the other way around.

Suddenly, her comm beeped, and she put it in her ear, hoping someone could explain her what was going on.

''Guys, are you there?'' She asked.

''Jesse, it's me, your dad. Barry's making his play'' Harry told her. That explained the earthquakes and the lightning.

''Yeah, I guess that explains the earthquakes and the lightning'' Jesse told him.

''What?'' He asked, confused.

''Whatever this machine is, it's causing earthquakes all over the city, and there's a single lightning bolt in the outside of it. It's weird, though, it's not ending'' Jesse said.

''That must be where the machine is located. As for the earthquakes, well, whatever Barry's planning, looks like it's more destructive than we thought. But listen to me, Jesse, the rest of the team is about to head there. They should be there in a couple minutes. Do not go alone, wait for them, okay? They'll call you when they're close. Do you hear me, Jesse, don't go alone'' Harry said firmly, and Jesse had to hold back a groan. She couldn't deny she was tempted to not waste more time and go there on her own, but she wasn't stupid, she knew that would be suicidal, especially if Barry wasn't alone.

''I know, dad, I won't. Don't worry, I'll wait for them'' Jesse said, walking out of the room.

''Okay then. Suit up, and wait for their call'' Harry said as Jesse came out of the room, giving one last look to Wally, before walking away. Soon, she was met by both Joe and Cecile, who were about to enter the room.

''Jesse, is Wally okay?'' Joe asked, to which the girl quickly nodded.

''He's fine, don't worry. You might want to stay with him, though, just in case. As for the earthquakes, it's Barry, he's making his play. And we're going to stop him, once and for all''

''His play? But what is it?'' Joe asked.

''We're not sure yet, but we'll find out soon enough. Stay here with Wally, if everything goes well, this will all be over soon'' Jesse said, before looking around to be make sure no one else was watching, and sped off. They had a job to do.

---

Not long after, the entire team stood, suited up, ready to go. Kara figured she should give a speech, but before she did, she had something to talk to Sara about.

''Hey, Sara, can I ask something of you?'' She said, walking over to the White Canary.

''Sure thing. What is it?'' Sara prompted her to tell her.

''Well, um… I know you said that I should be the leader, but… thing is, I'm not sure how well I could lead out there in the field, and I'd prefer not to risk it, so I was wondering if you could take charge when we're out there?'' Kara asked nervously.

''You mean like a field leader?'' Sara asked.

''Yeah, something like that'' Kara said, and Sara considered it. Well, truth was, she had already made her choice. It was the least she could do, especially after putting the leadership in Kara by surprise. She owed Kara that much, to her, and to Oliver too.

''Yeah, sure thing. I can do that'' She confirmed, to which Kara let out a breath of relief.

''Okay then, great. I should probably go give a speech or something…'' Kara trailed off looking at the rest, waiting for orders.

''Yeah. Don't worry, boss, you got it'' Sara said, to which Kara gave her a grateful nod, appreciating the confidence boost, before walking in front of everyone. She took a deep breath, and prepared to give a speech.

''This is it, everyone. This is the final battle. Barry is making his move and whatever it is, it's affecting all of Central City and we have to stop him. He thinks he's saving the people from the metahumans, but we know better. He is the real danger, he and his team. They will not stop, but we will make them stop. Don't hold back against them. They are all our enemies. And we have to save Central City and his people from him. For every single person who lives there, and is in danger right now. For all those metahumans afraid of what he could do to them, for those that we couldn't save, and for those that we have saved. For all those who've lost something to him, whatever it is'' She finished her speech, though she felt like she was missing something.

''For Oliver'' Sara said. That's what it was missing.

''For Oliver'' Kara repeated.

''For Oliver!'' Everyone said, ready to fight, and to honor his legacy. Kara nodded to them, and walked towards the elevator, her team of heroes following.

''Let's do this''

---

No more than ten minutes later, the team, including Jessie who had been contacted when they were nearby, arrived at the scene, those who didn't possessed powers being carried by both Supergirl and The Flash of Earth-3.

''Stand down. Stop this, for your own good!'' Supergirl yelled firmly at the villains who turned to them, Alex Danvers, White Canary, Jay Garrick, Jesse Quick, Firestorm and Arsenal moving besides her. They were all surprised to see someone wearing some strange armor, especially those who recognized it.

''Is that… Savitar's armor?!'' Cisco asked in surprise, seeing everything through the cameras in the heroes' suits alongside the rest of the geek squad.

''Looks that way. And seeing as he's nowhere else to be seen, I'm guessing Barry's the one inside it'' Jesse figured.

''But it was destroyed, how does he has it?'' H.R asked.

''Like the place I chose for this? It's symbolic for me, I'm sure Cisco or H.R already told you why'' The Streak told them in a modulated voice.

''Barry? Is that you inside the armor?'' Kara asked just to be sure, fists closed and ready for a fight.

''It is me. Surprised to see me wearing this? Let's just say the Philosopher's Stone has many uses'' Barry said, as Killer Frost, Black Siren, and Reign stood beside him.

''Why would he wear that?'' Cisco asked through the comms.

''Why are you wearing it? I figured you'd hate Savitar after what he did to you'' Jesse said.

''Oh, believe me, I do. Savitar was many things, almost none of them good, but I do have to admit, he knew how to dress'' Barry explained, to their surprises. The old Barry would have never even granted him that. Then again, the old Barry was long gone now.

''I'm surprised to see you two here, by the way. Jesse, Jay, it's been a while'' Barry said.

''Barry, I didn't have the chance to talk to you before, and I wish I could change that, but I can't, so I'll do it now. This isn't who you are, kid. You're not some murderer, you're The Flash, and you'll always be, son. Remember that'' Jay pleaded.

''Don't call me 'son'! You're not my father, never have been, just like I'm not The Flash, not anymore. What I am is The Streak''

''You're right, I'm not your father. But tell me, is this what he would have wanted for you?'' Jay asked.

''You don't know what he would have wanted, you didn't knew him!'' The Streak yelled at him.

''No, which is why I'm asking you. Is this what he would have wanted, what either of your parents would have wanted?'' Jay asked again.

''I… I…'' Barry trailed off, because he didn't knew what they would have wanted. What would they want?

''There's your answer. Forget about this, kid, stop it, all of it, come back to the light'' Jay offered, and Barry was silent for a second, but soon he shook his head.

''No, Jay. This isn't about them. This is about the future of the world. A future I intent to shape'' The Streak said, though he couldn't deny that inside him, the doubt still remained. But this wasn't the time to think about this. This was the end, and he needed to be focused.

''Oh yeah? And how does that machine helps you with that?'' Kara asked.

''Ah yes, I'm sure you have your own theories, don't you? But I'll clear it up for you. What this machine is going to do…'' The Streak pointed towards the machine, a box like artifact reminiscent of a miniature lunar module of around four feet tall, with a lightning rod in the top from where lightning was pouring, rather than landing.

''… is kill every single metahuman in the city'' The Streak revealed, much to the heroes' shock.

''As we speak, it is gathering energy from Ray's dwarf star matrix, and in a matter of a few minutes, it will unleash an explosion all throughout the city, that will kill all the metahumans in it'' He continued to explain.

''So that's why he needed my suit's power source'' Ray realized, just as everybody else. He had to stay back in the Bunker, due to the fact that he had no energy source for his suit.

''And why is it causing those storms and the earthquakes?'' Kara said, looking to the city. In the minutes that had taken them to reach the city, to the earthquakes have been added strange storms, reminiscent of those that struck the city when Barry went into the Speed Force and later, during Cisco's first attempt to get him out.

''Well, I may have forgotten to mention this, but this suit was not the only reason for which I needed the Philosopher's Stone. I also needed it for the machine. It's inside it right now. You see, while Ray's dwarf star matrix acts as the main power source, the Philosopher's Stone will act as a catalyst. As you know, the Stone can take away the powers from metahumans, but in this case, it will be more lethal, and in a bigger scale. If it weren't for it, though, the explosion would be unchained, uncontrollable, instead of killing only the metahumans, it could kill every single person in the city. As it is right now, excluding the metahumans, the rest of the city will feel effects similar to the first particle accelerator explosion. Some sections of the city may suffer shutdowns, and excluding the metahumans, the rest of the population will only feel a shockwave of varying strength. But in order to do that, the Stone must connect with the Speed Force and draw power of it, causing it to become unstable due to the massive amount of power the Stone takes while acting as a catalyst. The intricacies of the machine as a whole are much more complicated than that, but I won't entertain you with the details. The clock is ticking, after all'' The Streak finished mockingly.

''But those earthquakes, that storm, it's causing chaos all over the city. Not just metahumans will be killed, but even those without powers will suffer from the chaos'' Kara said, more than anything to see if Barry understood. No matter what he had done, a part of her still hoped that Barry hadn't thought of this.

''Collateral damage. Unfortunate, but necessary. It's better than killing the entire city, or letting metahumans roam free. In the long term, that would only cause more deaths'' Barry said, much to Kara's disappointment.

''Barry… you really have fallen low. Not even Oliver's death would make you see what you're doing is wrong, would it?'' Kara said, to which The Streak let out a small chuckle.

''Actually, it did. It made me realize that what I was doing was awful, and evil. But in this case, it's a necessary evil. Believe it or not, it gave me the strength I needed. Had it not been because of it, I don't doubt I would've spent weeks trying to find a way to contain the Speed Force when I turned on the machine, in order to avoid the storms and the earthquakes. I may have even tried to find a way to only strip the metahumans from their powers, rather than kill them, if I was feeling generous. But now I see that would only serve to waste time. If I do this, they will fear me. And fear is the most powerful weapon of all. And once we're done here, we'll continue over the entire world. Everyone will fear us, yes, but there will be peace. We will create a utopia, free of crime, of war, of death. What I'm doing is evil, yes, but it is for the greater good. The end justifies the means''

''No, Barry, Oliver's death didn't made you realize that. What Oliver's death did, was break your connection to us, and to the person you used to be. I see now, there is nothing left of that person. And we're going to stop this new one. You will not win. So this is your last chance, for all of you. Stand down, or we will make you'' Kara said firmly. While he didn't commented on it, Barry realized that it looked like Kara had finally given up on him. He couldn't really blame her, but it was better. It would be easier this way.

''Never'' Reign said.

''You think you can just threaten us to do so. We beat you once, we'll do it again'' Black Siren continued.

''You are the ones who will lose, and this time, it will be for good'' Frost finished.

''See? They are loyal to me, just like you're loyal to truth, justice and the American way. But that's enough talking, and that's not what you came here to do, is it?'' The Streak asked, getting ready for the inevitable fight.

''So be it then. This ends tonight. You guys ready?'' Supergirl asked, taking a deep breath.

''For sure. I've been waiting for this for a while'' Arsenal said.

''Definitely'' Jesse Quick confirmed.

''Yeah, this old man is ready for a race'' The Flash of Earth-3 told them.

'Could you please tell Ms. Danvers I'm ready too, Jefferson?' Stein said to Jax.

''Me and Grey were born ready'' Firestorm said.

''I'm with you, Kara. Always'' Alex assured her.

''We're ready, Supergirl'' White Canary told her. Kara turned to her and gave her a nod, which Sara returned. 'Guess it's time to take the lead' Sara supposed.

''Let's do this'' Supergirl said, and they started marching forwards, the opposing team mirroring.

''Jesse, Flash, you take The Streak. Supergirl, Reign is yours'' White Canary gave the first batch of orders. Soon, The Streak sped away in a blur of white lightning, Jesse Quick and The Flash following. Almost immediately after, Reign took into the night sky, Supergirl doing the same. Killer Frost and Black Siren were left protecting the machine.

''Firestorm, Arsenal, you handle Killer Frost. Alex, you and I will take Black Siren. Okay everyone, attack!'' White Canary said, as both sides charged at each other, and clashed. The fate of Central City and its people were on their hands. The final battle had begun.

---

On the hospital, there was panic all over. The main power source had been lost, and right now the building was running on the backup generators. If those were lost too, many patients could lose their lives. On top of that, some computers and monitoring equipment was acting strangely, literally exploding, and some even letting out sparks. It was almost like if the storm -which was already strange, seeing as how there was a tremendous lightning intensity, and some of them had strange colors, like yellow and orange- was messing with the equipment. So far, only computers in offices or the reception were suffering, but if it started happening to the monitoring equipment from the patients, they could be harmed, or worse.

As this mess happened, Joe looked through the window of Wally's room. In the distance, he could see a single lightning bolt that came from the ground, rather than towards it. He could also swear he saw lighting trails from speedsters around the same area. Whatever Barry's play was, it was probably happening there. And Wally was in danger because of it. He had to do something. He couldn't just stand here and do nothing, not when his son's life was in danger. He would not lose him too. And so he turned towards Cecile and held her by the shoulders, getting her attention.

''Cecile, listen to me, stay with Wally. I'm going out'' Joe said, doing his best to mask his desperation and fear.

''What?! Joe, where are you going? It's dangerous out there. Heck, it's dangerous here too'' Cecile said, panic seeping into her voice.

''I know, I know, and Wally's in danger too because of it. I think I know where Barry's plan, whatever it is, is happening. I'm going there and see if there's anything I can do to help'' Joe said, already walking away, but Cecile took a hold of his arm and stopped him.

''Joe, no! That's crazy, you'll get yourself killed. Let the heroes handle it'' Cecile said, still holding by his arm.

''The heroes lost once, they can lose again. I can't risk that, I have to try something. Especially with Wally's life on the line'' Joe said, shaking away Cecile's hand.

''But Joe…'' Cecile started saying, but she was interrupted when Joe put both of his hands in her shoulder, and looked at her straight in the eye.

''Cecile, I have to do this. It's my duty, both as a cop, and as father, especially as a father. God knows I have failed enough as one. Iris died, and Barry… Barry probably won't even see me again. But I still have Wally, no matter what condition he's in now. I can't lose him too. I can't fail him'' Joe said, tears threatening to come out.

''Joe, you didn't fail them. You did the best you could. You were the best father they could have asked for. What has happened to them isn't your fault'' Cecile assured him, allowing her own tears to come out.

''Maybe. But I still have to do this. For Wally's safety. It's what a good father would do'' Joe said, and Cecile, even if still in panic, nodded.

''Okay then, go. Do what you have to do'' Cecile said, and Joe nodded, pushing back his tears, before trying to move away, but Cecile grabbed him by the shoulders before he could move away. ''Wait, before you go, there's something I have to tell you'' Cecile took a deep breath, before saying what she had been waiting to say for a while.

''You ARE a good father. And you will be again'' Cecile said simply, and for a moment Joe didn't understood, but suddenly it clicked. He stayed in shock for a few seconds, but this time he couldn't keep the tears away from his face.

''I'm going to be a dad?'' He asked, still not fully recovering from hearing the news, tears running down his face as he gently took a hold of Cecile's face.

''Yeah. I'm pregnant, Joe. So you better don't die out there. This baby needs a father as much as he needs a mother'' Cecile said firmly, to which Joe remained in shock for a few more seconds, before he finally recovered.

''I won't, you'll see. I'll come back to you, both of you. I swear'' Joe said, before kissing her. They broke the kiss a few seconds later, and Joe started walking back, out of the room.

''Everything's going to be okay. I'll be back soon. Stay with Wally'' Joe said, giving her another smile and a nod before he left the room, walking through the hallways of which some lights failed, as earthquakes continued to shook the building and running doctors and nurses passed by him, while he looked for the exit. Checking his jacket, he wished he had his service gun with him. Whatever was going on in that hill in the distance, it definitely wasn't pretty.

---

The Streak, Jesse Quick and The Flash raced through hills and forests nearby the machine, trading punches every few seconds. But both Jesse and Jay knew that Barry was simply allowing them to reach him. He was faster than both of them and if he wanted to, he could easily outrun them both.

''Jay, we can't catch up to him. He's too fast'' Jesse said, both of them still running after him.

''Yeah, which means we're going to have to outsmart him'' Jay said, quickly devising a plan in his head.

''And how are we supposed to do that?''

''Stop chasing him. Let him come to us'' Jay told her, and they both did so.

The Streak looked behind him and saw that both speedsters had stopped running after him. He came to a halt and looked. Soon, he saw several blurry figures of his foes.

''Time mirages. Really?'' He said, before speeding at them, looking for the right one, a tasked that proved surprisingly hard due to the fact it was nighttime, and there were trees all around, blocking his view. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by two punches to either side of his face, followed by several punches to the chest, and both Jesse and Jay finished by racing back, gaining momentum and speeding up at him, hitting hard in the chest. Luckily, his armor absorbed most of the impact, though he was still sent back, but he pulled out his blades and used them to stay grounded, barely sliding back a few feet.

''Not bad. But if you really want to beat me, you'll have to do better than that'' The Streak said.

''Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from'' Jesse said.

''Is that so? Show me then'' He said before speeding away, once more being followed by Jesse and Flash.

Meanwhile, in the skies, Supergirl and Reign battled, trading punches and heat vision. At the moment, they were currently engaged in a heat vision match, neither side looking victorious over the other, though Kara seemed to be struggling more. Realizing they were at a tie, Reign cut the match short and flied away at superspeed, avoiding the heat vision Kara continued to throw at her. Eventually, Reign escaped from her sights and lost her, but Kara knew she was nearby, though the fact that her dark clothes helped her meddle in with the night sky didn't helped. So focusing her superhearing, she searched for changes in the current of air, until she found them, right behind her. She ducked away just in time to avoid Reign's charge at her, and followed by flying towards Reign, fists at front, but the kryptonian in dark clothes caught them before they hit her. The fight turned into a struggle of strength, both sides equally matched. Seeing as neither side gained advantage over the other, they both pushed away, before Reign flew away, directly towards the city. Kara sighed. 'That's not going to be a good terrain for a fight' She thought. The lightning strikes would complicate things, and if they fought at the ground, they would have to add the earthquakes to that. But no doubt, that was Reign's plan. With some luck, it would backfire, but right now, Kara had no other choice than to follow her.

Back down in the ground, Firestorm and Arsenal fought against Killer Frost, who created a frost wall to protect herself from the two arrows Arsenal shot at her. But the wall was easily melted by Firestorm's powers, who launched a beam of fire at it. Killer Frost quickly shot an ice blast to each of them which impacted Firestorm, but Arsenal managed to dodge it and shoot an explosive arrow at Frost's feet, sending her flying back a few feet.

''Listen, one of you has to go disable the machine, or every metahuman in Central City, plus a few others, will die'' Harry said through the comms, reminding them of the looming danger.

''Roy, go to the machine. Let Firestorm handle Frost'' Sara said while she and Alex traded punches with Black Siren. Roy looked at Frost, who was already getting up, and then to Firestorm.

''Go! We got this'' Firestorm said, already shooting at Frost. Arsenal ran towards the machine, ducking a couple ice blasts from Frost in the way, but soon, all of her attention was being taken by Firestorm.

Meanwhile, the speedsters continued their chase all over the place. The Streak suddenly stopped running and crouched to avoid any hits from Jesse or Jay, who, seeing this, came to a halt a few feet in front of him, a chance he took to speed up at them. Knowing than trying to outrun him would be a losing race, the speedsters allowed him to come at them, and dodged his punches, circling him at superspeed and trying to attack him from behind, the rest of the world in slow motion for them. They managed to connect a couple punches thanks to their speed, but they were not strong enough to have an effect on The Streak, who quickly turned around and hit Jay on the face, sending him to the floor, before trying to hit Jesse as well, but she ducked down in time thanks to her superspeed and followed with a fast uppercut to Barry's face, making him stumble back a couple steps, before she sped up at him and tried to punch him again, but he caught her fist and immediately started to apply pressure, Jesse's face wincing in pain. Seeing this, Jay got up at superspeed and tried to connect a punch, but The Streak saw him coming and sped a few feet away.

''You okay, girl?'' Jay asked Jesse, who nodded, while Barry sped away.

''Common, we have to keep chasing him'' Jesse said before speeding up with Jay, resuming the chase.

Nearby the machine, Alex Danvers and White Canary fought against Black Siren. The Earth-2 doppelganger of Laurel Lance threw a punch at her sister, but the former assassin easily caught it and pushed her back, where she almost meets a punch from Alex, but she dodged by ducking down and connected a punch with Alex's stomach, making her stumble back. Laurel took this chance to throw a kick to Sara's face, but she caught it right before it hit her face, and taking advantage of her sudden vulnerability, Alex followed up with a kick of her own to Laurel's stomach at the same time Sara pushed back the Laurel's leg, sending her to the floor. However, the Siren managed to roll it off and end up in a crouching position.

''That all got you, sis? I'm disappointed'' Sara said, earning a growl from Laurel, who charged at them again.

Over the city, Supergirl chased Reign, close on her heels, as she tried to avoid the lightning strikes. But their speeds were evenly matched, and she was wasting too much time trying to caught her, so instead, she decided to use a similar tactic to the one Reign had used before. Instead of continuing to chase Reign, Kara went right and hid behind a building, not losing sight of Reign thanks to her x-ray vision, who quickly noticed her persecutor was nowhere to be seen and stopped flying fast in order to instead float in place. Not giving her any time to find her with her own x-ray vision, Kara quickly circled around the building and flied towards her from behind, but Reign must have heard her like she had done before, because she quickly turned towards her and tried to punch her. Kara, however, managed to duck before using the momentum to fly back a bit, and then charge towards Reign, landing a strong hit on her face that sent her literally flying back a couple dozen feet.

''I don't know who you are or what you want, but I'm going to beat you, lock you up on Earth-38, and then we're going to get some answers'' Supergirl said, knowing that the other kryptonian would be able to hear her with her superhearing.

''We shall see, Supergirl, we shall see'' Reign said, before flying towards her, Supergirl doing the same. Their fists connected with each other in the middle, the impacts strong enough to cause a sonic boom that broke more than just a few windows, and send both of them flying back. However, Reign recovered faster than Supergirl, and took this chance to fly towards the kryptonian and hit her hard in the face, sending her flying back, before once more speeding up at her, now grabbing her by the cape, spinning her, and throw her crashing into a building. Now on the floor, Kara's recovery wasn't made easy by the fact that the earthquakes shook everything around her and made her even dizzier. As she tried to get on her feet, Reign landed in front of Kara, and walked towards her.

''You don't know who I am. But I am not alone. Once you're defeated, I will explain everything to you… before I kill you'' Reign said as she walked towards Supergirl, who was now on her feet, though she was still tumbling and dizzy. She tried to land a hit on Reign, but the kryptonian caught it, grabbed her by the shoulder, and flied them both up, using Supergirl as a shield from the floors, until they reached the roof, where Reign threw Kara to the floor while she floated above her.

''The superiority is clearly mine'' Reign said, floating towards Kara as she spit some blood out of her mouth. ''You cannot defeat me, and soon, The Streak's plan will be fulfilled. You will…'' Reign couldn't finish her sentence, as in that same moment, a lightning strike hit her, causing her to let out a scream of pain and fall to the floor, barely conscious. Kara couldn't help but grin. Looks like Reign's plan had backfired. Good, it seemed like luck was on her side this time. That's what she gets from trying to deliver her villain monologue now. The bad guys should really know better than that. After a few seconds, Kara managed to pull herself to her feet, and walked towards Reign, who was still in pain in the floor. She grabbed her by the cape, and flew both of them back towards the hill where the main battle was taking place. If she didn't wanted to get by a lightning strike like Reign, she had to get out of the city, as soon as possible.

Over the machine, Roy had reached it, but there was one problem.

''Guys, I'm pulling the switch, but the machine is not turning off'' Roy said, and was met with several yells of 'WHAT?!' through the comms, causing him to wince.

''You really think we were just going to let you disable it like that? Once it's on, it can't be turned off again'' Frost yelled at him, having heard what he said. Luckily, Firestorm was in her way to Roy, which meant she couldn't get to him.

''What do I do?'' He asked.

''Uh, okay, you're gonna have to disable it manually. But you have to hurry'' Cisco said.

''Can't Supergirl just tore this thing apart?'' Roy asked.

''She's busy fighting Reign'' H.R explained.

''Besides, the machine has already started gathering energy. If she destroys it, it might still explode, we can't risk it'' Harry continued.

''We really need a name for that thing. We can't just keep calling it 'the machine'. Oh, I got it, what about the Catalyst? You know, because of the Stone that acts as one so that not everyone dies horribly'' Cisco consulted with the others, who seemed to be considering it except for Harry, who let out a groan of annoyance.

''Seriously, now?'' He asked.

''I like it'' H.R said.

''Yeah, it's good'' Ray agreed.

''Guys!'' Roy said loudly, getting their attention back to the matter at hand.

''Oh, right. Okay, try to find an opening plaque or something like that'' Cisco said, and Roy looked for one until he found it, crouching to be at its level.

''Okay, I see one'' He said through the comms.

''Open it with one of your arrows, but be careful. We don't want that thing blowing up on you'' Cisco said, as Roy took an explosive arrow from his quiver, took a couple steps back, and shot it against it. The explosion was enough for the plaque to loosen up, barely holding, and Roy tore it apart with his hands.

''Dude, I told you to be careful! How's that careful?'' Cisco said through the comms, panicking.

''Hey, this things aren't as… 'explosive' as people think they are. Besides, what was I supposed to do, it's not like I have a screwdriver arrow in my quiver'' Roy said, to which Cisco sighed.

''Okay, whatever. You have a camera in your suit, right? It's in your chest, and we need to see the inside, so… you know, puff it out and stay like that'' Cisco said, to which Roy let out a small groan, but did as told, while the scientists discussed how to turn off the machine.

Nearby, Firestorm and Killer Frost continued their fight, throwing fire and ice blasts respectively at each other.

''You know, I was much fonder of the last person who shared a body with Dr. Stein'' Killer Frost said, as she shoot an ice blast at Firestorm who was in the air, but he managed to dodge it, and threw a ball of fire at her.

''Yeah, it has sense, seeing as he was your husband and all that'' Firestorm said while Frost rolled and avoided the ball, before raising another ice wall to protect herself.

'I would appreciate it if you don't provoke her, Jefferson' Stein said.

''What? I'm just stating a fact'' Jax said as he once more melted the ice wall with fire, but as soon as he did, Frost shot an ice blast at them, hitting and sending them to the floor, but not before Firestorm shot a ball of fire to her feet, sending her flying back as well. They got up at the same time, and their fight continued.

Close to them, Alex, Sara, and Laurel fought as well. Sara tried to hit Laurel with her batons, but she dodged and was met with a punch from Alex, which she managed to catch and then followed with a kick to her stomach, making the agent tumble back. She's almost met with a baton to her face, but she dodged it and tried to hit Sara, who caught her fist and punched her in the face.

''Sara, move!'' Alex yelled, and quickly Sara did so. Laurel was met with the sight of Alex's gun aiming at her, hitting her three times, and sending her to the floor. The bullets were non-lethal, but they still hurt like hell. Doing her best, Laurel managed to get up.

''I'd stay down if I were you, Laurel'' Sara said while walking closer to her, as Laurel did her best to hide the pain in her stomach and chest. She would not lose again.

''Yeah, you should listen to your sister'' Alex said, moving forwards as well, grip still tight in the gun.

''You bitch'' Laurel said to Alex, earning a frown from the other woman.

''Fine then, you asked for it'' Sara said, going to hit her with her baton, but she caught it and pushed Sara away. Then, she unleashed her Siren's Scream on Alex, sending her flying back a few meters, and into unconsciousness. Then, she turned to her sister, who seemed to be looking at Alex to make sure she wasn't badly injured, though it didn't looked that way.

''Seems like you're all alone now, sis. Still think you can handle me?'' Laurel asked, as Sara got back in a fighting stance.

''You bet'' Sara said, before the sisters charged at each other again.

Elsewhere, The Streak and his two persecutors continued their chase, both of them at each of his sides, ready to hit him at the same time as soon as he slowed down. Looking back to them, The Streak realized this, and he wasn't going to give them that chance. He went as fast as he could, gaining advantage over them, enough for him to pull out both of his blades and cut two trees in one swift move, the trees falling down in front of the two speedsters. Seeing this, Jesse stopped for a moment, the tree falling right in front of her, while Jay slipped underneath and continued the chase. 'Heh, he may be an old man, but he still has some moves' Barry thought at seeing this, before coming to a halt. As soon as he did, Jay did as well, and using the charge generated from the run, threw a lightning bolt at Barry, who managed to avoid it by ducking down just in time, and it instead hit a tree, starting a fire that quickly spread.

''Wow, really Jay? Starting a fire? That's not very heroic of you now, is it?'' Barry mocked, but before the fire could spread further, Jesse started running around it, in order to stop the fire.

''Stay with him. I got this'' Jesse said through the comms, and Jay nodded, only to remember that she couldn't see him. He still didn't got used to these things. Getting back into focus, The Flash sped at The Streak, who sped up at him as well. They both jumped at each other, The Flash's hit connecting with The Streak's helmet, but The Streak's punch didn't connected in return, because The Flash vibrated right before he was hit, and the punch went right through him, before them both landed on the floor again.

''Wow, nicely done, Jay. You know, before we start fighting again, let me tell you, I really hate having to do this, especially seeing your face'' Barry admitted, and Jay took this momentary break in fighting to try and get to him again.

''Then don't. Forget about this, and stand down. I know I'm not your father, but I promise you, I'll be there for you'' Jay asked of him, but Barry once again denied.

''No, Jay. I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do. The mission comes first, even over you, no matter how you look like'' The Streak said, before speeding up at him, Jay doing the same. But before Barry could hit him, Jay ducked down, and got behind him. The Streak turned around quickly, only to be met with the Flash's helmet hitting his face, denting his mask, as very small fragments of it went flying through the air.

''Ouch. Really Jay, the helmet?'' The Streak said, passing a hand over the jaw of his mask before Jay sped up at him again, but this time, The Streak didn't sped at him, and instead, allowed Jay to come at him. Right before he reached him, The Streak moved his arm at superspeed, and grabbed Jay by the neck, vibrating at the right frequency so that Jay couldn't escape from his grip.

''You won't be slipping away again'' The Streak said, before he heard someone speed up at him from behind, and turned around just in time to grab Jesse by the neck, and now, he held them both in the air now in front of him.

''You know, it would be so easy, to kill you both right now. I would just have to pull out my blades, and that would be it for you. But why would I do that? You're not my family, not anymore, but I still won't kill you. You should be grateful for that. I have no reason to keep you alive, after all. Consider this a service to you'' He said, before slamming their faces hard against the trees, knocking them unconscious. He let them fall to the floor, and looked at their unconscious forms for a second.

''Two down. Let's see whose left now'' The Streak said, before speeding away.

Meanwhile, in the air, Supergirl flied with Reign through the air, and once she reached the area of battle nearby the machine, used the momentum from the flight and threw Reign to the floor, who landed with a loud crash, while Kara landed in front of the crash site swiftly. The smoke from the crash soon dissipated, and it showed a stunned and disoriented Reign who was tumbling in her step. Kara walked up to her, and punched her hard in the face, sending her to the floor, though still conscious. She grabbed her by the neck and turned her face to her.

''Now let's take off that mask'' She said, before ripping it away to reveal… Samantha?! She hadn't really expected to know who was behind the mask, but this definitely surprised her.

''Samantha?! Wh… Wha… What are you doing here? You have powers? Why are you using them against me? I… I don't understand…'' Kara trailed off in shock, confused, but Reign didn't answered any of her questions and rather shot heat vision at her. Kara was fast enough to react, and counter with her own heat vision. Seeing as Reign was already weakened, it didn't costed her much to win the match, blinding the other kryptonian for a moment, before punching her once again, although with certain hesitation. At least this time, the punch knocked her out cold. Kara let go of her and allowed her unconscious form to fall to the floor, as she stood looking at it for a moment, confused and surprised before shaking her head and walking away. She would deal with this later, but for now, they still had a battle to fight.

Meanwhile, over the 'Catalyst', Roy grew impatient as the scientists continued to look for a way to disable the Catalyst safely.

''Guys? You got any solutions for me?'' Roy asked hurriedly, knowing every second they wasted was a second close to hundreds, if not thousands, of people dying.

''Uh, right, we think that if you cut the right wire, the 'Catalyst' might turn off without exploding and killing everyone'' Cisco explained.

''Can't I just take out the Philosopher's Stone and be done with it?'' Roy asked as he looked inside the 'Catalyst'. Other than wiring, there wasn't much. Only a circular metal thing inside it that let out a red light, which he supposed was the dwarf star matrix, and what he imagined was the Philosopher's Stone levitating above it, a white light and a couple sparks coming out of it.

''NO! At this point, we don't know what that might do. It might be just as bad as destroying the machine. We can't risk it'' Harry explained.

''Okay then, so cutting wires it is. Like in the movies'' Roy said somewhat optimistically, to which there was a small silence on the other end for a second.

''Yeah… like in the movies'' Ray said, trying to sound calm, though in reality he was terrified.

''Okay, listen carefully now. Basically, each of those wires has a certain function in the 'Catalyst'. Be it give energy to the power source, or other things. There's no time to list them all. If you cut the wrong one, the one giving energy to the wrong thing, that thing could blow up and you could all die. Which is why you have to get the right one'' Ray explained.

''Okay, but how do I one which one's the right one? There's tons of colors here. In the movies there are only two'' Roy said with frustration in his voice.

''Yeah, you have a point there. But, after careful consideration, we think that the one you should cut so that everyone lives… is the blue one'' Cisco said, as Roy pulled out an arrow from his quiver.

''The blue one, you sure?'' Roy asked, moving the arrow towards it.

''Well, not a hundred percent, but…'' Cisco said, panic in his voice, before H.R interrupted him.

''What Cisco means is that yes, he is sure. That is the right wire. No reason to panic now, Roy'' H.R said, calming Roy, who was trying to stop the trembling in his hand.

''Okay, okay, if you say so. The blue one it is then. Let's hope you're right'' Roy said, moving the arrow towards, taking a deep breath… and cutting it. Roy let out a breath of relief as he saw that nothing happened. Problem was, nothing happened! The Catalyst was still on.

''Uh, guys, nothing happened, literally! The Catalyst is still on'' Roy said.

''What? Dammit. It must have been powering a non-vital component'' Cisco said in exasperation.

''Well, it does is better than the alternative'' H.R said, all of them doing their bests to calm down.

''Okay, okay, give us another second then, Roy. And keep puffing out your chest'' Cisco said, as they all got to thinking.

''Hurry up, guys'' Roy said, panic starting to seep into his voice.

Suddenly, Barry came to a halt in the main area of battle, where he saw Killer Frost fighting Firestorm, and Black Siren fighting White Canary. But more importantly, he saw Arsenal looking for a way to disable the machine. Now, he couldn't let that happen. He was about to speed up at him, but before he could, a strong punch sent him flying back to the floor. He quickly got up and was met with the sight of Supergirl, standing menacingly in his way to Roy.

''I'm not letting you get to him'' Supergirl warned him. The Streak imagined this must have meant Reign failed. What a disappointment.

''That's what you think'' The Streak said, before speeding up and trying to get past her, but the kryptonian got on his way again and pushed him back towards the floor, before he quickly got up again.

''Last chance, Barry. Stand down!'' Kara threatened, closing her fists as Barry got ready for another fight. Looks like he had a new target now.

''Not a chance'' He said before speeding up at her, Kara doing the same. They clashed in the middle, with Kara grabbing his fists. But surprisingly, she found that it was costing her more than it should to keep them in her hold.

''Surprised? This suit enhances my strength some serious levels. It doesn't quite matches the maximum strength a kryptonian might have, but it does the trick'' The Streak told her, as he pushed his arms back and made Kara stumble towards him, before hitting her in the face, sending her tumbling back.

''Strong enough so that you can actually feel the punches, too'' He said, before speeding up at her again, but this time Kara managed to land a strong punch in his gut right before he hit her, sending him slamming hard towards a tree, and falling to his knees. However, he got up just in time to speed away and avoid Kara's fist at superspeed, which connected with the tree instead, leaving a hole that didn't quite reached the other side in it. Barry didn't waste any time, and sped up at her right as she turned around, hitting her at superspeed several times in the face and stomach. Though dizzy from the hits, Kara eventually managed to catch his left fist right before it hit her shoulder. Seeing this, Barry pulled out his blade, but it flattened and broke as soon as it made contact with Kara's skin.

''You do remember that I'm stronger than steel, right?'' Kara asked, before grabbing what was left of the blade and ripping it away, then punching him hard in the face, sending him back to the floor while she took to the sky, floating a couple dozen feet above the floor. Barry barely had time to get up, because as soon as he did, he already had to avoid Kara's heat vision. As he did this, he generated enough charge to throw lightning at the kryptonian, but she managed to avoid it at superspeed. Seeing this, The Streak went for another solution. He sped up a tree that was reasonably width and tall, got on Kara's height and jumped at her, too fast for her to avoid him. He managed to grab her, and both started falling towards the floor. However, Kara started flying, and positioned herself so that Barry would be thrashed across the ground once they reached floor level. Realizing her intention, Barry let go of her, and allowed himself to fall to the floor. Fortunately for him, they were almost at ground level, which meant the fall didn't even hurt. He got up just as Kara landed in front of him.

''You say the people who might die from the storm and the earthquakes are collateral damage. But don't you remember than Joe, Cecile and Wally, who, might I remind you is paralytic because of what one of the members of your team did, are there as well? They might be 'collateral damage' too'' Kara told him, but Barry didn't answered, engulfed in the realization.

''What? No wait, I…'' Barry trailed off. He… he had been so caught up with his plan and thinking if he should go along with it or not, that he forgot Joe, Cecile and Wally might suffer because of it. How could he have been so stupid? Hearing his words, Kara realized what it meant.

''You… you didn't even thought about that, didn't you? You were so caught up with your plan and Oliver's death that you completely forgot about them. You clearly didn't think this through'' Kara said, as Barry continued to think about what this meant. No… he couldn't stop this, they had already started, they were too close to finishing this, if they stopped now, they might not get another chance, especially with the heroes so close on their heels and knowing what their plan was now. He couldn't stop, not even if he wanted to. All he could do was hope that they wouldn't be harmed.

''Well, don't expect any pity from me. I've given you more than enough of that'' Supergirl said, to which The Streak let out a roar of anger and speed up at her, but she managed to dodge and instead of punching him, she sped up at a tree, and using her strength, ripped the trunk from it. She then turned back to Barry, and swung the tree at him, but the speedster slipped below it, then above it when she swung again, before he came to a halt in front of her, seemingly allowing her to hit him. She slammed the tree against the floor, but he vibrated and it went right through him. Before she could grab it again, Barry sped up at her and grabbed her, but she started floating, spinning them both backwards, and kicked him in the stomach, sending him to the ground, but he managed to pull himself with his face towards the ground and used the claws in his hands to slide off the fall. Huh, looks like they did worked for more than just slashing people. Supergirl landed in front of him, and they both stared at each other for a second before clashing again.

Not too far, Killer Frost and Firestorm continued their fight, the latter flying while the former remained on the floor. Frost shot an ice blast at him, but he dodged and shot a fire ball at her, sending her to the ground. Once more Frost tried to get up, but it was costing her a lot though, she wasn't sure for how long more she could keep on fighting. Eventually, however, she managed to, just as she saw Firestorm land a few feet in front of her. She fired an ice beam at him, but he countered with his own fire beam. Fire and Ice clashed in the middle, the grass below a strange combination between burned and frozen. The match remained even for a while, before Frost started to feel herself weaken and the fire beam gained ground. Slowly but surely, the fire gained terrain and the ice lost it, until it reached her and it sent her crashing back to the ground, losing the match. Firestorm, on the other hand, bent down and took a few deep breaths, recovering from the effort.

'Jefferson, we have to split' Stein said, much to Jax's surprise.

''What? You crazy, Grey? This place is dangerous, you can't roam around like that in the middle of the fight'' Jax told him.

'Please, Jefferson, I have to talk to Caitlin. Maybe I can get to her. She could even help us find a way to disable the Catalyst' Stein said.

''No, Grey, it's too risky. You can talk to her when she's in a cell. Besides, Roy and the geek squad are already working on way to disable it. We don't need her help''

'But they're having trouble with it. She must at least seen how the Catalyst was built. She could tell us how to disable it'

''And what if she tries to double-cross us? Tells us to do the wrong thing and the entire machine blows up and we all die'' Jax tried to reason with him.

'That's the point of getting to her. Please, Jefferson, trust me on this. Please' Stein pleaded with Jax, who considered for a moment, before sighing. Suddenly, they were back to being two.

''Okay, Grey, I'll trust you, but be careful. I'll be right behind you'' Jax told him, and Stein nodded.

''Thank you, Jefferson'' Stein said, before walking towards Frost, who was still conscious, but weak and still on the ground. The older man kneeled besides her and held her by the back of her head.

''Caitlin, dear, it's me. It's Martin'' Stein said, Jax standing behind him. Frost seemed to look around, trying to gain a bearing of her surroundings, before looking at Stein.

''You know… it was really bad idea for you two split right now'' Frost said, before trying to blast them both, but she didn't have the strength for it. She did managed to push herself away from Stein, though.

''Just listen to me, dear. I know that the old Caitlin is still in there, somewhere. Come back to us…'' Stein was interrupted by Frost, who didn't let him say anything else.

''I'm not Caitlin anymore, Stein. I'm Killer Frost, that's all I am, all I will continue to be'' Frost said firmly, despite her exhaustion.

''No, Caitlin. You are so much more than just 'Killer Frost'. I know that more than anyone. You are a person capable of love, who cares so much for human life, who would hate to hurt even a fly. This is not who you are, Caitlin, and if… if Ronnie was here, he would tell you the same thing. He wouldn't want you to go down this way. So please, don't. Help us, tell us how to disable the machine. It's what I would like, and it's what Ronnie would have wanted'' Stein pleaded with Frost, whose looked down.

''I…I… I don't know… I'' Frost struggled with herself, her hair slowly starting to return to its natural color, which earned a smile from Stein and a breath of relief from Jax as Caitlin's lips returned left the blue tint and returned to its natural color. However, it suddenly stopped changing, and Frost let out a cold breath before looking back to Stein, whose smile diminished.

''Ronnie isn't here, Dr. Stein. Nothing will change that. I am Killer Frost, and I am loyal to Barry'' She said, before shooting an ice blast at both Jax and Stein, sending them flying back before they fell to the ground, both of them unconscious. She slowly got up, trying to shake the doubt out of her head. Maybe… maybe a good kill could help with that.

''You were so nice to me, Dr. Stein. And I appreciate you not giving up on trying to bring the old Caitlin back, even if I don't want to. Which is why I won't kill you. Ronnie's replacement, though, now that's a different story'' She said as she walked up to Jax unconscious form. She raised her hands and prepared to finish him, but she hesitated, her hands trembling. Ronnie… he wouldn't have wanted her to do this, would he?

She couldn't reach a decision as suddenly an arrow was shot at her feet, and she didn't had time to get away before it exploded, sending her back to the ground, unconscious this time. From the distance, Roy watched her for a moment, making sure that she stayed down this time.

''I don't think so, Frosty'' He said, seeing that she was down for good now.

At the same time, the two sisters fought each other, the fight evenly matched. Laurel tried to land a punch on Sara, but she dodged it and hit Laurel in the ribs with one of her batons, before hitting her with her elbow over the stomach, making her tumble back. Sara didn't gave her any breathing room and tried to hit her with one of her batons, but Laurel caught it and pushed it towards her, taking it from her sister. Fortunately, Sara was able to maintain her footing and stepped back, seeing as she had now lost one of her weapons. They rounded each other in silence, before they charged, hitting and blocking each other with the batons. Eventually, Sara sensed Laurel's moves getting slow, not being able to keep up with her, and the Canary took that chance to hit her in one of her legs with the baton, before following up with a kick to her stomach, making the Siren tumble back and fall in one of her knees. However, the Black Siren quickly got up, but instead of running up at her, she unleashed her Siren's Scream at Sara, but the latter reacted fast and countered with her own Canary Cry, much to the former's surprise. She had thought Sara didn't used a Canary Cry. The surprise was enough for her concentration to falter, and the White Canary's Canary Cry easily overwhelmed the Black Siren's Siren Scream, sending her crashing back to the ground, conscious still, but definitely defeated now.

''I… I thought you…'' Laurel trailed off, too weak to say anything, as Sara walked up to her.

''Oh, that Canary Cry you mean? A little something I found in the Bunker. I asked the geek squad if it still worked, and turns out it did, perfectly. Figured I should use it so that it was a fair fight'' Sara said as she picked up her other baton and stood over Laurel.

''It belonged to my sister, my real one. She was a hero, unlike you. As for you… not much left to say except, night night, sis'' Sara said, before kicking her in the face, knocking her out cold.

The Streak sighed as he blocked another punch from Supergirl and sped away, Kara following close behind, as Barry avoided her heat vision that she shot from time to time. He was having a hard time keeping up with her. Even with his enhanced strength thanks to his suit and the protection it offered, she still had a plethora of other powers to use. He was pretty sure his suit was already dented and damaged over the back, mask and probably the shoulders and the stomach too. He had to put an end to this, now.

The golden opportunity came in the way of Alex Danvers just beginning to recover consciousness, Sara walking up to her to see if she was okay. Seeing this, Barry sped up to them, knocking out Sara in the way, before grabbing Alex and speeding away. He was pretty sure Kara was forcing herself to go even faster now. No surprise there, really. He considered keeping Alex was a hostage, but suddenly, something told him not to, to do better. Just like that, Barry realized what he had to do. He was the villain, after all. He would show Kara what true pain meant, like he had suffered. The one that had turned him into this.

He came to a halt in the hill nearby the machine, but just far enough for Roy not to notice him. The unconscious forms of his allies and foes laid across the terrain, as he held Alex in a chokehold by the neck with his left arm in order to stop her from escaping, his bigger form towering behind her thanks to his suit. Kara landed in front of him, just a few feet away, and her face sported a much different expression. She was afraid, and she was going to plead.

''Barry, don't do this, please. You don't have to do this. Let her go, please'' Kara said, holding her hands in front of her, almost in a surrendering gesture, as she slowly walked towards them.

''Don't move! But tell me, why should I keep her alive? She is of no use to me. And killing her would break you. I would win'' The Streak said, as Kara visibly swallowed. She was terrified. He could also hear Alex's almost silent sobs. She was trying not to show any weakness, for Kara, rather than for herself, but clearly, it wasn't working.

''No, no, just please, listen to me. I'll go, we'll all go, if you let her go, I'll take everyone and we'll let you do whatever you want. We'll leave, me and Alex, we'll go back to Earth-38 and we'll never come back'' Kara tried to reason with him.

''I doubt that. As soon as I let her go, you'll speed at me and attack me with everything you've got. I know because I was a hero too, Kara. I know how you think. I've been in your shoes'' The Streak countered, her grip on Alex's neck tightening just a little bit more.

''Barry, please…'' Kara's pleadings were interrupted by her sister, who managed to say something despite Barry's hold in her neck.

''Kara, it's okay, really. I… I'll always love you. And I'll always be with you. El Mayarah'' Alex said, and to this, Kara couldn't hold back her tears.

''No, wait! I'll do anything, Barry, whatever you want. You name it, just please, don't hurt her. I beg you, let her go. I can't lose her… not her too'' Kara pleaded with him, almost falling to her knees. The whole scene, it was eerily familiar to Barry, but he couldn't think of that, right now. Barry had to admit, though, the whole scene was heartbreaking. He felt tempted to let Alex go, but he wouldn't. He tried to push the doubt away from his mind, and focus. He was a monster, and this is what a monster did.

''Kara, you should know by now, there is no pleading with a monster'' He said, before pulling out the blade of his right arm, and pushing his arm back, Alex's sobs becoming louder and mingling with Kara's own, as he continued to push the doubt and uncertainty out of his mind, the task becoming harder every second.

''You lose, Supergirl'' He said, before letting go of Alex's neck, right before he pushed his arm forwards, directed at Alex's back, Kara's yell of 'NO!' filling his ears. But suddenly, it slowed down, until he couldn't hear it anymore. He looked at her, and saw that she was unmoving, frozen as she flew towards him in the air, Alex too. He looked down at his blade and saw that he had stopped moving it forwards, just barely millimeters away from connecting with Alex. He had stopped moving it. Suddenly, he felt the strain in his mind and body. He had done this somehow, he had unconsciously slowed down the word, completely. Everything was still, except for him. It was… calm, peaceful. Even with the strain on his mind from doing this, he felt it was easier to think like this. And so, instead of finding a way to stop it, or pushing the blade forwards, he didn't moved a muscle as he thought.

Why had he entered this world? Was it due to stress, uncertainty? As much as he didn't wanted to admit it, he did was stressed, the uncertainty of doing this, of taking someone's life, the sister of someone he had once considered one of his closest allies and friends. Doing this, it would break her, the realization that she had failed, that she had not been fast enough, that she had lost, it would do that to her. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. He realized why this scene looked so familiar, why all of this did. It was almost a perfect recreation of the night he had lost Iris, except he was on a different role. He was the executor. For all of his talk about how he hated Savitar because of what he had taken from him, because of the path he had set him on, here he was, on his shoes, while Kara did the exact same thing he had done that night, which seemed like an eternity ago. Suddenly, he realized exactly what Savitar's last words to him, the ones he had spoken in this very same hill, as the first rays of sun appeared, meant. 'Told you I'd see the dawn again'. And if he did this, if he killed Alex, he would see it again, as him. He was right, they were one and the same, all he had to do was kill Iris, and it had set on this path. But he knew it wasn't all Savitar's fault. This was on him as well. He had allowed himself to become… this. He had not become the wretch of a man his future self was, but instead, he had something else. The question was, did he really wanted to be this? This… this monster, who would stop at nothing to win, to fulfill his mission, no matter the cost? His mission, at the end of it, if he completed it, if he created the utopia he so much wanted, even if by fear, he would reign supreme, everyone would fear him, everyone would do as he said, even if he didn't wanted them to. He would be… a god. Just like Savitar wanted. But was it what he wanted? And what about those who had come before, those he had lost? What would they want for him, for everyone? In this moment of peace, of… of clarity, the answer came easily, person by person. This was not what his parents wanted for him, and they would be so disappointed in him, so sad, if they saw him like this, having become the killer his father never was, and revealing it to the world. This isn't what Eddie sacrificed himself for, Barry had failed to protect Iris, yes, but Eddie wouldn't have wanted him to beat himself up for it, to become this, because of it. Ronnie had died protecting the world, saving lives, including that of the woman he loved, and in return, Barry had allowed her to become a cold blooded killer, had encouraged her to, even if that wasn't Ronnie would have wanted for her, or even for him. Oliver… Oliver had never wanted him to do any of this, he had pleaded so much with him to stop, and he hadn't, and instead, he had killed Oliver, his actions had killed him, and yet on Oliver's last minutes, he had gathered the strength necessary to ask Barry to promise him that he would stop this, this… madness, and Barry had promised him that he would, and yet, he had no honored that promise, he had broken the promise he had made to his brother in everything but blood. If Oliver could see him now, he would be so, so disappointed. He did not deserve to call himself his brother. And Iris… Iris. The one he had wondered for so long, what would she have wanted him to do? But he saw it now, he knew, and he understood why he hadn't seen it. Because he had been hurt, and in pain, in grief, and that is why he hadn't allowed himself to see it. Why he had allowed himself to become this, and Oliver's death had only enforced that, made him take it even further. Because even if the Speed Force had washed away part of the pain, he had never, not truly, gotten over her death. He had never learned to move on. But now… he saw it now, in this moment when everything was clear to him. This mission, the directives, it may have been in order to protect his friends, but in doing so, all he had done was hurt them, just like he was doing right now with his city. This mission was not worth it, not over the lives of his friends, or the people in his city. They hated him now, rightfully, but he would not give them any more reasons for it. He would not be The Streak, not anymore. He was a monster, yes… but he did not want to be one, not anymore. Because he saw it now.

This is not what Iris would have wanted.

He allowed the world around him to return to a normal pace, as he moved the blade away from Alex, and pushed her away, completely safe, just in time for Kara to reach him. And she was pissed. She grabbed him, ripped the blade from his arm, and as she remained floating, what followed next was a plethora of punches, as she destroyed and ripped apart the armor protecting him, even shooting heat vision at his chest, which thankfully did not reached his skin, but it did burned out the lightning bolt symbol on the armor. She pushed him back so far that he almost reached the machine, getting Roy's attention. Finally, as he stood dizzy and stunned from all the hits, her feet returned to the ground and she finished him by unleashing the full power of her heat vision over him, all while letting out a yell of anger. The heat vision fully impacted him in the right side of his mask, melting it and reaching his face. Strangely, it did not hurt. But he did felt the tremendous heat burn his face, and he felt how it pushed him back, until thankfully, it stopped. But the exhaustion and the tiredness, combined with the dizziness from the hits were too much, and as the red lights of the suit blinked off, he fell down to the floor, unconscious.

Kara took deep breaths as she recovered energy after her outrage. Suddenly, she was hugged hard. Immediately she knew who it was, and hugged back with as much strength she could muster without hurting her sister.

''I'm here, I'm here. And I'm not leaving you, not now, not ever'' Alex whispered, tracing circles over her back.

''You were ready for it'' Kara said, tears on her face.

''Because as long as it protecting you, I will always be ready for it. But I didn't. I don't know why he didn't do it, but it doesn't matters. I'm here, and I'm staying by your side, always'' Alex assured her, and they stayed like that for a couple seconds, before they broke the hug, and Kara walked towards Barry's unconscious form. However, what she saw horrified her.

Barry's right side of his face was completely burned, and it would definitely leave a scar that she doubted even superspeed could heal. She could imagine how it would look like, and she did not liked it. She had heard the stories about Savitar, about how the right side of his face had been completely burned, and he had a horrible scar on his face. And Barry would have it too. Because of her. She was the one who made him that scar. In a way, she created Savitar.

Kara stepped back horrified, as her sister came to her side to see what got her like this. She was surprised too, when she saw Barry's face, but Kara doubted she knew what it meant, what it could mean. Kara felt guilt settle over her. In her outrage, her control over her powers had slipped and her heat vision had been too hot, too strong. And because of it, she had created a monster. What had she done?

Suddenly, an ice blast sent her sister to the ground, before she was encased in ice almost completely except for her head. Before Roy could do anything, he was encased almost completely in ice as well. Kara turned to see Killer Frost walking calmly towards her, and she was about to shoot her heat vision when Frost pulled something from a pocket in her suit. Something green. Immediately, Kara's heat vision failed her and she felt weakened, her knees buckling under her weight.

''Frost? Where did you get that?'' Barry said, having recovered consciousness just now.

''Oh, this little thing? While you were oh so busy working on your suit, we finished the machine a little bit earlier than we told you. I could almost feel your loyalties wavering, and just in case, I wanted a little reassurance, which is why I took the interdimensional extrapolator that we stole from S.T.A.R Labs and me and Reign paid a little visit to Earth-38, to the D.E.O to be more specific. Don't worry, Supergirl, it was just in and out at superspeed. I doubt the agents even noticed Reign taking the kryptonite'' Frost said as she materialized a shard of ice over her hand, hollow on the tip, where she collocated the small shard of kryptonite, a perfect fit, while Kara fell to her knees, too weak to defend herself.

''Please… no…'' Kara struggled to say, before Frost kicked her in the chest, making her fall to the floor.

''Frost… don't… hurt her'' Barry managed to say, but he was ignored. He tried to move, but with his armor being completely shut off, it was little more than dead weight all over him, and he was too weak to vibrate out of it.

''You know, I don't really know why you don't killed her sister. You could have, you're faster than Supergirl, so I'm guessing something stopped you. Maybe a little bit of goodness is still on you? In that case, I guess it was a good thing I brought this with me. But don't worry, I'll finish them all off for you'' Frost said, as Barry tried and failed to get out of his armor. Almost the entire right side was torn off, but there were still some pieces left, and he couldn't move either of his arms to get them off.

''Get away from her, you bitch!'' Alex yelled at her, but she was powerless to do anything.

''Hmm, with that attitude, I think not'' Frost said, before she kicked Kara in the stomach, who thrashed in pain on the floor.

''Frost, if you touch her I'll… I'll…'' Barry said weakly, but he was interrupted by Frost, who was tired of listening to his threats. She had gotten enough of that.

''You'll what? Because there's not much you can do like that. Geez, and I was even starting to believe in your cause. But it's clear to me now, you will never do what has to be done. You will never become in what you must in order to fulfill your precious mission, because you're too weak. So I'll do it for you. I am the boss now. And my policy is… show no mercy'' Frost said as she continued to kick and hurt Kara.

Suddenly, Barry caught someone from the corner of his eye. What that… Joe? What was he doing here? Oh boy, that was not good. If she saw him, he would be a dead man.

''Joe, Joe. Come here'' Barry said low enough for Frost, who had his back to him, not to hear him. Fortunately, Joe heard him, and walked towards him.

''Oh my God, Barry'' Joe said in shock at seeing Barry's face.

''I know, I know, but listen, you have to get me out of here. I can stop Frost, but if she sees you, you're a dead man'' Barry said, as Joe kneeled in front of him, but he could see the doubt in his face.

''I… I don't know, I… I shouldn't…'' Joe trailed off, not sure of what to do.

''Joe please, I… I broke my promise to you. The one I made that day on the field, after I saved you from the samuroid. I told you I would never let anyone hurt you, ever again, but at the end, I was the one who hurt you. I see that now. And I'm sorry, believe me, I am. But right now, you have to trust me, just this once. If not for me, at least for Kara's sake. If we don't stop Frost, she'll die'' Barry pleaded with his father, who looked back to Frost, still hurting Kara, before looking to Barry. He sighed, before reaching a decision.

''Okay, okay, I'll pull you out of this'' Joe said, before he started ripping off the pieces from the armor that were on Barry's way. Luckily, most of them were already barely hanging due to Kara's hits, so it didn't costed him much to rip them off. Soon, all the pieces that stopped Barry from coming out of the suit were off, and with the help of Joe, he slid off of it, the older man holding him by his back.

''Thank you, Joe'' Barry said, looking him in the eye. There was something different on them now, Joe realized. They looked like they used to. Even after he had returned from the Speed Force, Barry's eyes were… empty, emotionless. It had taken him far too long to notice, he should have listened to his instincts that something was wrong, then maybe things would have been different. And after they found out that Barry was The Man in the Black Suit, they looked angry and hurt. But now… now they looked truthful and grateful. Like before. Joe smiled to him, and nodded, before Barry's attention went towards Frost, and he scowled. Joe noticed he looked angry now, almost like when he was The Streak, but at least this time it wasn't directed to the wrong people. Joe only hoped he would control himself now.

Killer Frost was holding Kara by the neck of her suit, the shard of kryptonite right in front of her, as she prepared to stab her with it. Barry wasn't about to let that happen. Lightning danced in his eyes, before he sped at them, oblivious as to how some parts of his lightning trail were back to orange, and caught Frost's arm before she could stab Kara, holding it in place, much to Frost's surprise.

''I told you not to hurt her'' He said, before he punched her hard on the stomach, sending her flying back to the ground, unconscious once again. He took the kryptonite at superspeed, and put it at a safe distance away from Kara, though not too far so that it could be collected by the team. He then came to a halt and kneeled besides Kara, cradling her in his arms as she recovered.

''Hey, it's okay, you're good now. The kryptonite's away and Frost is down. You're safe'' Barry assured her, as Kara squinted his eyes at him.

''Barry?'' Kara asked, surprised at seeing him.

''Yeah, it's me. I'm probably one of the last persons you expected would save you, huh?'' Barry asked with a chuckle.

''Your face…'' Kara trailed off, raising a hand to touch the right side of his face. Barry took her hand with one of his own and didn't let her touch it.

''Yeah, I'm guessing it doesn't looks good. What can I say, it happens. Doesn't hurts, though, but I deserve it, anyways'' Before either of them could say anything else, Barry heard someone move behind him and he saw Firestorm melting the ice from Roy, then doing the same with Alex, who shuddered for a moment, before being helped to her feet by Firestorm, and immediately running up to Kara. Before Barry could move, he was hit in the back by Sara. Strangely, it didn't hurt. In fact, he realized just now that he hadn't felt pain, physical pain, not a single time during all of the fight, not even when Kara burned his face. It must have had something to do with the Philosopher's Stone. When he used it to create the armor, it must have granted him this, somehow. While it came in handy, Barry couldn't really say it felt like a gift. Especially because every pain he felt, he probably deserved.

''Move away. Now'' Sara warned him, and Barry did as told, while Alex checked on Kara and helped her to her feet. Firestorm, in the meantime, put metahuman cuffs on Frost.

''On your knees'' Sara ordered, and Barry did as told, putting his hands behind his head. Just like in the movies. Sara then proceeded to cuff him with metahuman cuffs, while Jesse and Jay arrived, and did the same with Laurel and Reign, the latter being cuffed with special red sun generator cuffs made by the geek squad during the past few hours.

''Guys, not to be pessimistic, but there is still the matter of the Catalyst, and I don't think we have much time left, judging by the sounds it's making'' Roy said, pointing to the machine, whose humming sound was much louder now.

''Ray, Cisco, Wellses, what do you got?'' Sara asked through the comms.

''Okay, so, we think… it may be the yellow one'' Cisco said.

''You think?'' Roy asked.

''Yeah, well, there are never a hundred percent guarantees when it comes to these things, but we're pretty sure it's the yellow one, yeah'' Cisco said, trying not to sound terrified, but in the inside, he definitely was.

''Just do it, Roy. That thing might explode any second now'' Harry reminded them, to which Roy let out a sigh.

''Okay then, the yellow one it is then'' He said, getting an arrow from his quiver. Barry, who heard what Roy said, immediately panicked and stopped them.

''No, wait! It's not the yellow one, don't cut that one'' Barry said, only to be smacked in the head by Sara.

''Shut it, Barry''

''No, you have to listen to me! If you cut the yellow one, it will explode'' Barry insisted, to which Sara sighed.

''Okay then, you built the machine, so tell us, which one do we cut?'' Sara asked him. Barry seemed to think it over for a moment, before giving her an answer.

''There should be a red one. Cut that one. It will deactivate the machine'' Barry assured them, but Sara didn't seemed very convinced.

''Okay then, and why should we trust you anything you say?'' Sara asked.

''Because I made the schematics for the machine, and I made sure everything was correct after it was built. And because I don't want any of you to die, too'' Barry said, to which Sara let out a humorless chuckle.

''Yeah, forgive me if that's not much reassurance'' Sara said sarcastically.

''I trust him'' Kara stepped in, much to everyone's surprises, including Barry.

''What?'' Sara asked, confused.

''He saved my life. He could have let Frost kill me easily. Why would he do that only to let the explosion kill me because he told you the wrong wire?'' Kara explained her reasons, but Sara remained skeptical.

''Well, maybe he knows you're probably the only one who could survive that explosion'' Sara countered, but Kara denied with her head.

''No. I know he's telling the truth. I can't tell when a speedster is lying because their heartbeats are too fast for me, but in this case, I know he isn't lying. I just know it'' Kara said, and Sara was about to counter by saying than that didn't sounded very reassuring, but Joe spoke first.

''I trust him too. I think he's telling the truth. I saw it in his eyes, we can trust him'' Joe assured them, much to the rest's surprises.

''And I vouch for him too'' Jay said, looking to Barry, and nodding to him, the young speedster nodding in return. Barry had to admit, he was grateful for their trust, even if he didn't felt like he deserved it. At least in this case, it was for a good cause.

''Guys, could it be the red one?'' Sara asked through her comms.

''Uh, it could be. That was actually our fourth choice, if you didn't died by the second or third wire'' Cisco told them.

''Sara? It's up to you'' Roy said, the place suddenly almost completely silent, except for the humming of the machine and the sounds of lighting in the distance. Sara seemed to consider it for a few seconds, before she reached a decision.

''Okay… cut the red one, Roy'' Sara said, as everyone remained still, without moving a muscle. Roy nodded, and pointed the arrow towards it.

''Just so we're clear, if it isn't the red one and we all die, I'll find you in Hell and fucking kill you again, got it?'' Roy said to Barry, who nodded. It was fair enough.

Roy took a deep breath, as he tried to stop the trembling in his hands, before holding the wire in place with his left hand and slowly position the arrow correctly. He held his breath, and cut it.

For a second, nothing happened, but then, the humming stopped and the lights from inside the Catalyst went off, before the lightning bolt coming from the lightning rod in the top disappeared as sparks came out of it, and the Philosopher's Stone stopped levitating and fell above the dwarf star matrix. On the distance, the Speed Force storm came to an end, and not a single more lightning bolt fell. Everyone let out a simultaneous breath of relief. It worked. They had won.

''We… We did it. It worked. We won'' Roy said, letting the arrow on his hand fall to the floor, a small smile appearing in his face. The rest of them, including those at the Bunker, let out small laughs or smiled as Roy, even exchanging hugs, happy that they had won. Even Barry allowed a small smile in his face. It was over. There was no going back. He had willingly put an end to this mission. And he was happy because of it.

''Grey, just so you know, we are never separating in the middle of a battle'' Jax said to Stein, both having split now that the battle was over.

''I'm going to have to take you up on that, Jefferson'' Stein agreed with him, while Joe's phone ringed. He took it and saw it was Cecile calling him.

''Honey, are you all right?'' Joe asked.

''Oh my God, Joe, you're alright, thank God! Yeah, I'm alright. Me and Wally are alright. And I think the baby is too'' Cecile told him, to which Joe let out another breath of relief.

''But others weren't so lucky. There are few injured, I think there are a couple in critical state. They probably won't make it'' Cecile told him, to which Joe's smile diminished. They had won, but some lives were still lost.

''Yeah, I can imagine'' Joe said, looking to Barry, who looked at him too. Joe didn't have to say anything, he knew why his smile had diminished. If it had been Wally or Cecile, he would be crying by now, which meant… other had been lost. His supposed 'collateral damage'. He didn't saw it as necessary now, neither did he saw it as collateral damage.

''What about you? I'm guessing you won, seeing as how the earthquakes and the storm ended'' Cecile asked.

''Uh, yeah, yeah, we won. No loses either. We got them'' Joe told her.

''And what about Barry?'' Cecile asked.

''Oh, yeah, we got him too. He's cuffed too'' Joe told her.

''I'm sorry, Joe. I know how much you loved him. It must be so hard for you'' Cecile said, imagining Joe wouldn't be comfortable seeing his son in cuffs.

''Yeah, well, on the bright side, at least I think he realized what he's doing is wrong. There's hope for him yet'' Joe told her, looking to him.

''Oh, really? That's great then. Maybe… maybe one day we'll all get to be a family again. Somehow'' Cecile said, trying to cheer him up.

''Yeah… maybe'' Joe said, looking at Barry, who looked at him again. They smiled at each other, and for a moment, Joe felt like everything was right again.

''Well, I'll see you soon, then. Don't take too long''

''Yeah, see you soon, honey'' Joe said, before hanging up.

''So, what now?'' Jax asked, once the euphoria from the victory passed.

''Now, we dismantle that thing'' Sara pointed to the Catalyst. ''And we lock these up. All of them'' She added, looking pointedly at Barry.

''You may have helped us, but you still did a lot of bad things, and you have to pay for them'' Sara told him, a bit of bitterness seeping into her voice, but Barry nodded, ready for whatever would come his way.

At hearing this, though, Kara's smile diminished a bit. Barry did awful things, yes, but she had seen that he regretted them, she knew that. Had it not been for him, they might have all died. Heck, she would have died, at the hands of Frost. Who knows what would happen to him in prison? He would probably be locked up and left in a dark cell, alone, without even letting visitors come see him. She didn't wanted that for him. She had told that to Alex once, and she would make truth of it now, no matter what the rest said. She took a breath, before walking forwards.

''So, where are we taking them?'' She asked, trying not to sound suspicious.

''Well, the best place would be A.R.G.U.S. Reign can stay there too until you guys think it's time to go to Earth-38. I don't think they have red sun generators there, but those cuffs should do the trick in the meantime'' Sara told her.

''Okay then, A.R.G.U.S is in Star City, right? I can take them there. Just let Lyla know that I'm passing by, just in case. Who am I taking with me?'' Kara asked.

''Uh, you can take Reign. Jesse, Jay, and Firestorm can take the other three'' Sara told her.

''Nah, no need. I'll take Barry with me too'' Kara said, probably a bit too cheerful for her own good. She made a point of not looking to Alex so that she wouldn't see her crinkle.

''Uh, okay then. Go ahead'' Sara said. There was something weird about the way Kara was acting, like too cheerful. But Sara shrugged it off with a sigh. She was probably just excited from their victory, and Kara was usually cheerful like that.

''Good then'' Kara said, speeding to Reign and grabbing her before grabbing Barry as well, and flying away, leaving the rest of the team waiting to be picked up, all of them still feeling the relief. The final battle was over and this time, they had won.

---

It wasn't long before Kara took a different route instead, landing in a building in Central City. She left Reign in the floor and let go of Barry, who was confused as to what she was doing, just like the guys at the Bunker, who were seeing her through the camera in her suit that also served as a tracker.

''Uh, Kara, that's not the A.R.G.U.S building. You're still in Central City, actually'' Cisco told her, but Kara ignored him and took the comms out of her ear, tossing them to the floor.

''Kara, what are you doing?'' Barry asked, still not understanding. Kara grabbed him by the shoulders and looked at him straight in the eye.

''I'm getting you out of here. We're going to Earth-38. Turn around'' Kara told him, meaning to take him out of his cuffs.

''Kara, no. I have to do this. I deserve it'' Barry told her, refusing to turn around.

''I don't care if you deserve it or not, Barry. You helped us. Had it not been for you, we might have all died. And I know you regret the things you did. You've suffered enough because of it''

''Kara, that's not how justice works. I have to do my sentence, however long it is, it doesn't matters if I regret what I did. And believe me, I haven't suffered enough. My face doesn't even hurts'' Barry told her as he pointed to his face, which luckily wasn't bleeding much.

''It really doesn't hurts?'' Kara asked.

''No, nothing does actually. It started ever since I used the Philosopher's Stone to create the suit. I guess it granted me that too. Funny, Savitar looked for this for so long, and it was right in front of him all along. Then again, I don't feel like I deserve it, nor do I want it'' Barry told her.

''Maybe we'll find a way to return to normal in the D.E.O, if you want. All you have to do is come with me'' Kara reasoned with him, but Barry shook his head.

''Kara, no. I have to do this. I've awful things, Kara, like Sara said, I need to pay for them'' Barry said, but Kara wasn't having any of it.

''Maybe, but not in A.R.G.U.S, if you go there, they'll lock you up and you will never see the light of day again. They may not even let anyone visit you. I don't want that for you'' Kara said.

''It may not be that bad. And even if it is, I deserve it. Kara, I…'' Barry was interrupted by Kara, who wasn't going to listen to another word of it.

''No, Barry, listen to me. This past few weeks, they've been so stressing, but I never lost my faith in you. And when you killed Oliver, accidentally, I… I lost it. And because of it, I lost myself. I felt so… so tired, so weak, and… and angry too. But then… then I did this to you, and I guess, I let out all my anger in you. And then you saved my life, and that's when I realized that even at our lowest, a person can always be better. You can be better. And I hate what I did to you, but I can't change it, as much as I want to. What I can do is make it up to you. So, at least, let me do that for you. For both of us, please'' Kara said, and Barry seemed to consider it.

''I… I… okay then, Kara. I'll go with you'' Barry said, and Kara smiled.

''I'm glad. Now, can you turn around?'' Kara asked, and Barry did as told, before she used her heat vision to take off the cuffs.

''There you go. By the way, do you knew who Reign was before you recruited her?'' Kara asked him.

''Not really, I don't know who she is now actually. I saw her, she was one of my memories from the Speed Force. I just ran around National City on your Earth until she caught up to me. Only have one of those left now. Memories, I mean. Not sure what it means, though, and in any case, I have a feeling it won't happen in a long time'' Barry told her, to which Kara furrowed her brows.

''What is it?'' Kara asked.

''It's just… a woman, maybe early twenties or so, blonde, green eyes. She seems to be introducing herself to me, but I don't remember what she says. No idea who she is. She does looks familiar, though… in a strange way, I think'' Barry said, and Kara pushed away the odd feeling she felt in her chest. Now wasn't the time for that.

''Why did you asked anyways?'' Barry asked, returning the conversation to the unconscious kryptonian.

''About Reign? Oh, I'll tell you about it when we get to Earth-38. Now, stay here, I'll go look for Alex. She always has an interdimensional extrapolator with her to communicate with J'onn. I'll get her, deal with the rest, bring her here, and then we'll leave. Okay?''

''Okay'' Barry assured her.

''Promise me you won't leave'' Kara asked him.

''Kara…''

''Please, Barry, promise me'' Kara once again asked him to. He sighed, before giving her an answer.

''Okay. I promise you, I won't leave'' Barry promised her, earning a smile from Kara.

''Thank you. Stay here then, I'll be back soon'' Kara said as Barry returned her smile, before she flew away. Once she did, Barry's smile slowly diminished, though.

---

Kara landed back in the former area of battle, where she was met with several angry faces. Luckily, Jesse, Jay and Firestorm weren't there, which meant they had left for A.R.G.U.S.

''What do you think you're doing?'' Sara asked sternly.

''I'm bringing him with me'' Kara replied firmly.

''Why?'' Sara asked.

''I don't want him at A.R.G.U.S. Who knows what they'll do to him there? I'm not risking it''

''Kara, the people at A.R.G.U.S aren't some mass murderers or crazed scientists that will experiment on him. He will be treated accordingly'' Sara told her, but Kara shaked her head.

''Yeah, I can imagine. Put in a cell, never seeing the light of day, not even allowing anyone to see him. He's not going to get that'' Kara said, remaining firmly. Over the corner of his eye, she could swear she saw Joe smile and nod at her. She couldn't imagine how it would feel knowing that your son was going to be locked up for the rest of his life. It didn't really surprised Kara that he was grateful for her doing this.

''So what, you're just gonna leave him roam free on Earth-38?'' Sara asked.

''I won't. He'll be on a cell at the D.E.O, but it will be better than whatever A.R.G.U.S has for him'' Kara lied, doing her best to sound convincing. From this angle, Alex could perfectly see her crinkle, but if she noticed it, she didn't said anything.

''That's not enough reassurance. How do I know you're telling the truth?'' Sara asked.

''You can come to Earth-38 with us, and you can see how he ends up in a cell'' Kara told her. Even if she did accepted, they could just let him go after she left.

''And what's to say you won't release him as soon as I'm gone?'' Sara asked, to which Kara was left without answer. Well, she really didn't knew what to say now.

''Sara's right, Kara. It's best if he stays at A.R.G.U.S. They can watch him better there'' Alex told her, gently grabbing her arm.

''No, he's coming with me, end of the discussion. And that's enough. I'll be back tomorrow to help with the repairs in the city. We'll see you then'' Kara said, before grabbing Alex, and flying away, leaving Sara and Roy alone.

''So, what now then?'' Roy asked, and Sara shrugged.

''There's nothing we can do. Jesse and Jay are taking Laurel and Frost to A.R.G.U.S, and Firestorm is with them, just in case. Even if they turn back now, it will be too late'' Sara said, resigned.

''So that's it then, we're just going to give up like that?'' Roy asked, and Sara sighed.

''Move on, Roy. It's the only thing we can do. Just imagine he's locked up at A.R.G.U.S or the D.E.O. From what I know, they're pretty much the same. It's not like we'll ever see him again, anyways. The world keeps going, and it won't stop, for anyone or anything. Move on, that's what we have to do'' Sara said, before sitting on the grass.

''So… I'm going to go back to Central City, check up on Wally and Cecile. You guys are going to stay here?'' Joe asked, already starting to walk away.

''Yeah, I'm staying. Roy?'' Sara asked, looking at the younger man.

''Uh yeah, I'm going to stay too'' Roy said.

''Okay then'' Joe said, nodding to them.

''We'll pass by tomorrow to see Wally and help with what we can. You know, damage control. We'll see you then'' Sara assured him, to which Joe nodded, and walked away, leaving Sara and Roy alone. They stayed in silence for a moment, before Sara spoke.

''It's beautiful here, with the stars in the sky. Maybe Oliver is looking up at us from there. Maybe he thinks this is for the best. Maybe he doesn't wants us to beat ourselves up over it. There is no way to know for sure, but that's what I'll think'' Sara said, looking up at the sky, before Roy sighed and took a seat beside her.

''Yeah, maybe they all are. Oliver, Thea, Diggle, Laurel, Felicity, the newbies too, Dinah and Rene, right?'' Roy asked.

''Yeah, Nyssa too, Tommy, maybe even Iris. She was a good person, it was a shame what happened to her. Maybe if she hadn't died, things would be different'' Sara said.

''Yeah, maybe she's up there too. And they're all watching out for us'' Roy agreed, a smile seeping into her face, as Sara nodded.

''Hey, by the way, if you want to, there might be a spot for you on the Waverider. You know, time traveling ship that usually messes up for the better?'' Sara told him, a small smile on her face, as Roy chuckled.

''You know, I might just take you up on that'' Roy said while Sara laughed, before they both continued to look at the sky, in silence.

---

Jesse and Jay came to a halt while Firestorm landed nearby them, a squad of A.R.G.U.S agents led by Lyla already ready waiting for them.

''There you go. Two evil metahumans coming right up'' Jesse said as they turned the still unconscious Laurel and Frost to the A.R.G.U.S, as Lyla walked up to them.

''Where's Barry? And Reign?'' Lyla asked.

''Yeah, about that, we got some bad news…'' Jesse trailed off sheepishly, and Jay finished for her.

''Apparently, Supergirl is taking them to Earth-38'' Jay explained, much to Lyla's surprise.

''What?'' She asked, just to make sure she heard alright.

''Yeah. She said she was locking both of them up, though'' Firestorm said, to which Lyla sighed.

''She shouldn't have done that. This is a matter of national security, I don't even know how I'm going to explain it to the President, how she is going to tell the world'' Lyla said, already thinking of ways to do that.

''Well, at least they're still going to be locked up'' Firestorm said optimistically.

''I'll believe it when I see it'' Lyla said before sighing again. ''On the bright side, at least we know this threat is over. You did well, all of you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see how I explain this to the President'' Lyla said, immediately turning around and walking away, the remaining A.R.G.U.S agents that hadn't left with the prisoners trailing after her, leaving Jesse, Jay and Firestorm alone.

''So, what do we do now?'' Firestorm asked.

''Well, me and Jesse should back to Central City to go pick Sara and Roy, and take them to the Bunker. But you can already go there directly, if you want'' Jay told Firestorm, who nodded.

''Hear that Grey? Let's split, we're walking there, like normal people'' Firestorm said, and a second later, they were back to being two again.

''I'll be staying in Central City tonight, though. To check on Wally and see if there's anything I can help with'' Jesse told them.

''In that case, I'll be staying there too. Help with the repairs and see how the kid is doing'' Jay said, to which Jax and Stein nodded.

''We'll see you tomorrow then'' Stein said, before the speedsters nodded, and they left in two trails of lighting.

''You know they were just slowing down to keep up with us the whole time, right? They could have arrived here much faster than us'' Jax said, to which Stein looked at him.

''I thought it was implied, Jefferson'' Stein said, earning a chuckle from the younger man.

''Whatever, let's get moving'' Jax said, and they both started walking away.

''Hey, Grey, uh… I'm really sorry, by the way'' Jax said, confusing Stein.

''For what?'' The older man asked.

''I know you really wanted to get Caitlin back. I'm sorry'' Jax told him truthfully.

''Oh… thank you, Jefferson. I appreciate it. But… I still have hope that maybe one day, she will realize that the things she did were wrong, and become Caitlin again'' Stein told him, to which Jax nodded.

''Yeah. Maybe one day'' He agreed, before Stein stopped.

''Grey, you okay?'' Jax asked, worried.

''There is something I have to tell you, Jefferson. I talked with Harry and Cisco about me wanting to retire, and they told me that they could find a way for us to split for good. They will start working on it tomorrow, and if they make it work, something they're really confident on, I won't be returning to the Waverider. I will probably go back to say goodbye, but that's it. I'll be retiring with my family'' Stein said, not sure how Jax would take this, but after a moment, the younger man smiled at him.

''That's great, Grey. I'm happy for you. And actually… this whole thing, it's been making me think and… I'll think I'll be staying in Central City too'' Jax told him, much to Stein's surprise.

''But… Jefferson, you don't have to, we can find a way for you to…'' Stein said, but Jax interrupted him.

''No, Grey, I want to stay, with you. It took me realize, but… you're like the father I've never had, Grey. My home is with you, wherever that may be'' Jax said, and Stein smiled, a warmth filling his chest, before patting Jax in the shoulder.

''Well, to me, you're like the son I never knew I wanted. And I'll be more than happy to have you close in Central City. You can stay with us for a while if you need to. At least until you can find an apartment'' Stein told him, to which Jax smiled and nodded, patting him in the back of his shoulder.

''Thank you, Grey. Really. Now, let's keep moving. And we're eating something on the way over to the Bunker, 'cause I'm starving'' Jax said, to which Stein laughed. He was at peace now, like he had never been before.

---

Cisco sighed as he moved his chair away from the computer and turned to look at Harry, H.R and Ray.

''So, that's it, uh?'' He asked, more to himself than anything, but he still got an answer.

''Yep'' H.R said simply, and Harry followed.

''Doesn't really feel like a win, does it?'' Harry asked, to which Cisco shook his head.

''No. I mean, the first five minutes, it did. We had just won, after all. But now, looking back at all we lost… no, it doesn't'' Cisco said, and Bunker suddenly went quiet, no one saying a word.

''Is it wrong that I'm a bit happy that Barry didn't get locked up? I mean, I know he should be, but, I don't know… I can't help but feel a small bit of relief, despite the things he did'' Cisco said guiltily.

''He might still get locked up in Earth-38'' Harry said, and Cisco tilted his head a bit.

''Maybe'' He said simply, to which Ray put a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at the man.

''Hey, it's okay. I understand, feeling like you should hate someone, but not really. It's understandable, and… well, it might be a bit wrong in this case, seeing all the things that Barry did, but like I said, it's understandable. Barry was your best friend and you were his teammate for years. Besides, it's not like we can help it'' Ray told him, and Cisco nodded, taking it all in.

''Thanks, Ray. I… I do hope he gets somewhat of a happy ending. That we all do'' Cisco said, and the rest nodded.

''There is always hope, Cisco, for all of us. Even for you, I mean, besides you, there's are two more geniuses here plus a guy that serves as moral support. Maybe we can work something out for you?'' H.R asked to the other two, waving towards where Cisco's hands should be.

''Yeah… yeah, maybe we can make something for you'' Harry considered it, and Ray agreed.

''Yeah. The Waverider lost most of its cell tissue regeneration functionalities after the last time we crashed, we couldn't really find a way to fix it, but hey, you could still get robohands. How cool is that?'' Ray asked excitedly, trying to cheer Cisco up, who let out a small smile and nodded.

''Yeah, I guess it is. Won't be able to vibe anymore, but it's something. You're right, H.R, there is always hope'' Cisco said, smiling solemnly to the man.

''Of course there is. And we'll always have each other, no matter what or who we've lost. We're family, after all'' H.R said, and all the other three smiled and nodded. They were all one big family now. They stayed like that, making small chat, as they waited for the others to arrive. And for the rest of the night they spent in the Bunker, all of their problems just seemed to wash away. That was what family was for, after all.

---

When Kara landed in the building with Alex, and before her sister could argue with her about decision to bring Barry to Earth-38, she realized they were only met by Reign's unconscious form, and Barry was nowhere to be seen. A feeling of dread suddenly overcame her.

''No, no, no, no, no. Where is he?'' Kara asked more to herself than anything as she looked around.

''Kara, look at this'' Alex said, signaling to a piece of written paper that had been put in the floor with a pencil. Alex took it and gave it to her, and immediately Kara started reading it, already knowing what this meant.

'Dear Kara

Right now, I'm probably well away. I'm sorry, but I can't go with you to Earth-38. Like I said, I don't deserve it. And I know I'm probably breaking your promise, but what's another one to add to all the ones I've broken? Don't worry, though, I won't be thinking of ways to exterminate the metahuman population or something like that. I regret the things I did, really. In a way, you helped me see that, and I'm grateful for the fact that you didn't gave up on me. If it makes you feel any better, I'm not going to turn myself in to A.R.G.U.S, more for you than for me. There's a lot of things I'm not sure of yet, a lot of uncertainty in me, and I need to sort those things out, alone, whether I like it or not. As my penance. You probably won't see me again. I'd like to see you again, but… I can't. Like I said, it's my penance. Please, don't try to find me. I do have to ask one thing of you: Don't lose your light. You are an amazing person, Kara, full of hope and love. That's part of what makes you so amazing. Don't lose those things, Kara, not like I did, no matter what. You're better, stronger than that. We both know it. Goodbye, Kara.

From your Super Friend, Barry

P.S: If you ever pass by Oliver's grave, tell him… tell him I'm sorry

Kara's tears stained the paper as she finished reading it, and her sister quickly walked up to her and hugged her, Kara hugging her as hard as she could without hurting her in return as she cried, her sobs filling the silence in the otherwise almost perpetually quiet place. Now, she had lost Barry too. At least knowing that he was out there somewhere, safe, was some comfort. In a way, she understood why he was doing this, but it didn't made it much easier, though. She loved him, and she was going to miss him so much. But just like there was hurt and pain, there is also a will. A will to make truth of the last thing he asked of her. She was Kara Danvers, just as much as she was Supergirl. There wasn't one without the other. And she would never lose her light, her hope, her love. No matter what. Never. For Barry.

---

The TV turned dark once more, and now Wally was sure it was shutdown dark. He looked down, processing all that he had seen.

''And so, ends the war. With sadness, heartache, and broken promises. So, what do you think?'' The Speed Force asked him. Wally wasn't sure what to say. What was there left to say?

''I… We… We did this?'' Wally asked, not sure how to accept that.

''You did. Your actions led to this'' The Speed Force explained has Wally tried to process it.

''So, this is all our fault. Cisco losing his hands, Caitlin turning into Killer Frost, Oliver's death. It's on us'' Wally said. He couldn't help but notice how most of the ones who suffered were those who had been involved in bringing Barry back. He supposed it was poetic, in a way. Not that he knew much about poetry, for that matter.

''I am afraid it is, young runner'' The Speed Force said, while Wally tried to focus on the bright side. The goods things. There weren't many of them, but there were one or two.

''Hey, at least I'll have a little brother or sister. That's good. It will be good, for all of us. Me, Joe, Cecile. They'll be great parents. And Jesse… it's nice knowing that she cares so much about me. Cisco won't get to vibe anymore, but at least he'll get hands again… sort of. Stein and Jax are going to be happy. Oliver got to reconnect with everyone, and Barry realized his mistakes too'' Wally said, glad to know that he had a chance with her when he recovered. That is, if he recovered. Honestly, he was afraid to even ask the question.

''Yes, at least something good came of all of this. That is a good way of seeing it'' The Speed Force said, and it sounded proud. Wally was glad it felt like that. Suddenly, it frowned for a moment, before its face returned to normal, and got up from her seat.

''What is it?'' Wally asked, suddenly afraid.

''It is time, young runner. In a matter of minutes, you will be waking up. Your time inside the Speed Force has prolonged the time you have slept by a few hours, but now you have to wake up. It will not be easy for you, waking up and not being able to move. However, it will get better. Jay Garrick is a wise man. There is always calm after a storm'' The Speed Force told him as it moved to the end of his bed, but it's words did not eased Wally's worries. He dreaded the moment he woke up without being able to move. Well, at least he got a heads up.

''So… what now then?'' Wally asked, getting up as well, enjoying this small moments where he could still move.

''What do you mean? This is the end, young runner. This story ends here. There is nothing left to tell'' The Speed Force said.

''No, I mean. What will happen to them now?'' Wally asked, eager to know what will happen to his friends.

''Ah, but that is future knowledge, young runner. There is not much I can tell you. I can tell you this, though. They will all move on, in their own ways. They will continue to honor the memory of those who they lost, and they will find happiness, to some extent. To some, it will take longer than to others, and there will be more sadness and pain in their ways, but they will find it. This story is over, but theirs is not yet. Most of them still have many challenges ahead of them'' The Speed Force told him. Well, that was definitely cryptic. But he understood why it had to be like that. At least they would all be happy, somehow.

''And I can also tell you that you will regain the movement of your body again. It will take time, but you will'' The Speed Force said, a smile appearing on her face.

''Really?'' Wally asked, happiness in his voice.

''Indeed'' The Speed Force confirmed, and Wally laughed happily. He would move again, one day. It might take time, but it was a better situation than the one he was in five minutes ago. Jay was right. There was always calm after a storm.

''Now, tell me, which lesson did you learned from all of this?'' The Speed Force asked, and Wally suddenly got confused. What lesson did he learned? What did the Speed Force meant?

''What lesson did I learned?'' Wally asked, confused, and the Speed Force nodded.

''Yes, that is the question'' The Speed Force said, and Wally thought about it. What lesson did he learned? He couldn't just say that he had learned not to mess with The Speed Force, that was definitely not the answer it was looking for. So instead, he thought about the past few months. This had been a journey about pain, about loss, about recovery, about love. So what lesson had he learned?

''I… I learned that… that bad things will happen, whether we like it or not. And there is nothing wrong to fight against them, but… but they might still happen, no matter what we do, no matter how much we want it otherwise. But we do not have to face the pain they cause alone. We have family, friends, who will be there for us, no matter what. And together, that pain, that burden, it lessens. And I learned… that there is always hope. That there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. That no matter how bad things get, they will get better. That is something we always have to remember'' Wally said truthfully, and The Speed Force smiled, and nodded.

''I am glad you found a lesson in this. I hope you make truth of it in the future'' The Speed Force said as it slowly started walking out of the room, while Wally nodded. He would make truth of that lesson, not only for him, but for others too. And when he recovered his movement, no matter how long it would take him, he would honor the memories and legacies of all the people who lost their lives during this past few weeks. Every metahuman Barry killed, Oliver, and all those people who lost their lives due to the earthquakes and the Speed Force… storm… Wait a minute. The Speed Force storm… Why would the Speed Force…?

''Wait'' Wally said, and the Speed Force stopped in its trails, but didn't turned to him.

''You… you said that… That you could only create The Speed Force storms when you were unstable, so the Philosopher's Stone made you unstable, but that was something you could do, not something that always happened when you were unstable, right? So… why did you made it there? I don't understand?'' Wally asked, but the Speed Force didn't answered, barely looked at him over its shoulder with a small smile on its face, allowing Wally to formulate the answer by himself. And when he did, he could barely believe it.

''That… that was all bullshit, wasn't it?! All the explanation about you creating the Speed Force storms and the earthquakes only when you were unstable, all those things you said, that was all a lie, wasn't it? Why?!'' Wally asked in anger, as The Speed Force's smile grew.

''Not all of it'' It said simply, once more allowing Wally to find the answer by himself, as gears turned in his head.

''You… you wanted Barry out of the Speed Force. You knew what it would mean for the world, for us, but you didn't cared. You knew what we were planning to do, but you wanted it to happen. That's why you didn't stopped us, why you didn't send time wraiths after us before we used the Speed Force Bazooka. And it's the same reason why you didn't even bothered to send the Black Flash after Barry when he escaped, because you wanted him out. But why?'' Wally asked, not understanding why it would allow Barry to escape, despite the damage it might cause. He made a single blinking of his eyes, and suddenly, instead of his mother, Nora Allen stood in front of him, having turned to him now.

''What I can say? Every mother has a favorite child, and I am no exception. I saw what Cisco and you were trying to do, and I thought 'Why not?' Besides, believe it or not, Barry still has a role to play, he still has one last sacrifice to make in the future'' The Speed Force explained, as Wally realized that the Speed Force had been the only one who really got what it wanted. It had been the true winner in all of this.

''You… you're a monster. You're evil. You just focus on achieving whatever agenda you have, without caring for the consequences. You're as much to blame for all of this like me, Cisco and Caitlin. Maybe even more!'' Wally reproached it in anger. He had not expected this, at all. At least it meant that this wasn't completely on them, but it didn't made it much better. He wasn't sure how to handle this truth.

''Believe me, I am not evil. But like a wise man once said, if God is all good, he cannot be all powerful, and if he is all powerful, he cannot be all good'' The Speed Force, and Wally huffed.

''You're no god'' Wally said, anger and bitterness seeping into his voice.

''No, I am more. Hmm, and it seems your time is up. Do not worry, you will come to terms with the truth eventually, you will accept it. But now, it is time to wake up. Goodbye, Wally West'' The Speed Force said, before it made a motion with its hands as if waving him off, ignoring Wally's yell of 'No!', and suddenly, the room and the embodiment of the Speed Force dematerialized, and Wally found himself falling in an endless pit of darkness, until a great sense of exhaustion overcame him, forcing him to involuntarily closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was lying in a bed in the same room, but now the lights were on, and he was surrounded by the faces of his family.

---

Right now, Barry was feeling really grateful for the fact that he couldn't really feel any pain. He had come to his old apartment, now collecting dust once again. After the raid, some things had been taken away, but most had remained in its place. Barry supposed Joe had something to do with it. He doubted the raid of a self-proclaimed killer would be as clean and careful like this. Joe had probably organized everything himself once it was over. Barry winced as he finished collocating the bandages over the right side of his face, an unconscious reaction rather than because he felt actual pain. Fortunately, there was also a first aid kit in the bathroom, which he didn't doubted using to somehow patch his injuries. He may not be able to feel pain, but he was sure that he was still capable of dying by blood loss. He would probably have to look for a doctor too, at least a shady one, considering his own antecedents. His speed healing, while it probably wouldn't be able to make the scar it would leave disappear, helped in healing the injury too. Barry sighed as he took one last look at himself in the mirror. He had taken different traits from each of his greatest enemies in order to form the persona of The Streak. He had taken the Negative Speed Force from the Reverse Flash and the fear he inspired on enemies from Zoom. But at the end, the one he was closest to becoming was Savitar. In a way, he always had been, but now, he was closer than ever to becoming like him. Physically, he would even look like him once his injuries healed and only the scar remained. He wasn't looking forward to it.

Finally, Barry walked out of the bathroom and looked around the silent apartment. There was some furniture on the floor from the earthquakes, but it had held out pretty good in general. He had so many good memories here. Of another life, a better one. And the life he could've had, with Iris, starting a family. They would be happy, like his doppelganger in the Earth he had recruited Cicada from had been. He wished he could have that life. But he couldn't, and so the best he could do would be to cherish those memories, rather than corrupt them, like he had done before.

Barry walked towards the window of the apartment, and looked at the city below. The people were afraid, and he understood why. This past few weeks had been so hard for them. In a way, it was ironic, he had started this, not only his mission as The Streak, but his mission as The Flash, in order to protect them. And at the end, that's the least he had done. If only he could make it up to them, to all the people that suffered because of him. Then again, the best way to do that would be probably be by leaving, and never returning again. Barry then looked to the horizon, where the first rays of sun from the dawn were starting to come out, and he smiled. It was beautiful. Like he had told Kara, there was a lot of uncertainty on him, but he was sure of this. Savitar would not get to see this dawn, or any other, if he had something to say about it. And he definitely did.

Barry looked at the horizon for a few more minutes, before giving another glance at the city he loved so much, and turning back towards the apartment, picking up his backpack and a couple small bags. It had everything he would need in wherever it was he would go. He hadn't chosen a place yet, but he would make it far away from here. The further, the better. He thought about going to another Earth, but that would probably raise too many complications, so he decided to stay here. Besides, he had made a promise to Oliver. He would take care of William, even if it was from the distance. And he also wanted to keep up with his family and friends, at least those who were still on Earth-1. Even if he couldn't see them face to face, not only because it would be dangerous, but because he didn't deserved it, social media was definitely a good way of keeping up. He couldn't do that in another Earth.

Finally, Barry took the facial transmogrifier in case he needed it to hide his face, and no doubt he would definitely have to do that at some point. He had taken it from S.T.A.R Labs after he left the top of that building not too long ago, when Kara had almost begged him to come to Earth-38 with her. He had been temped, very much, and he even hesitated when he left. He could have made a new life for himself there, be happy… maybe be happy with Kara, if she wanted that. But that wasn't for him. And what he had told Kara in that letter for her had been the truth. He only hoped that she wouldn't lose her light, like he had asked her too. But he couldn't go with her, it didn't mattered if he wanted to. So instead he checked that he wasn't forgetting anything, before he took the keys of his apartment and opened the door, giving one last look at the place where he had once hoped to live a new life. He wouldn't get that chance now, but he would never forget the memories that he formed in this place. He would never forget the memories he formed in this city. He would certainly miss them, all the memories, all the places, all the friends and family he had formed over the years. But this was something he had to do. And as he smiled one last time at this place, as he walked out and closed the door behind him, as he sped away in search of a new life, a new beginning, with new challenges ahead of him, he thought about it all, about all the memories. They weren't entirely happy, because just like there was happiness and love, there was pain and sadness, but it didn't mattered, because like a good friend -a brother, one might say- had once said, it was full.

And so ends From the Ashes... well, not exactly, there is still the epilogue left, but that one should come soon. Maybe tomorrow or on Monday. It won't be too long though, I'd say just a few thousand words, 5000 thousand words tops, probably. I really hope you liked this chapter, which, as you can tell, was huge, even being the second - sorry, third- part. And especially, I hope you liked the ending. I know it might be controversial that Barry wasn't locked up, believe me, I struggled with it, but this was the ending I always envisioned even before I started writing the story, and so it's the one I went for. Halfway through the chapter I realized how controversial and possibly bad it could be and I almost go for another ending where Barry was locked up, but I decided to stay with this one, because I really didn't wanted to betray the original vision I had for this. If you really want to see the other ending though, let me know and I might -keyword, MIGHT- do it. Other than the final scene of this chapter, and the epilogue, It wouldn't be too different, just eliminate a couple scenes, change the final scenes a bit, and that would be it.

So yeah, I think that's all I have to say, for now at least. I'll talk a bit more in the epilogue, but for now, this is it. Once more, I hope you really liked this chapter, and I'll see you in the epilogue. Until then :)