A/N: Here I am, back with another chapter. By the way, in this timeline, please ignore that Joe ever adopted Barry. I'll explain who adopted Barry later in the story. Hint: It's someone related to the comic book I took inspiration from.

Two Years Earlier

September 10, 2014

China

Barry Allen walked down the halls of the prison as he had been for the past five months. He had disguised himself as a prison, that way he would be in prison. For the past five months, he had gone off-grid. He didn't want to but he had to, ever since he woke up from the five-month coma the particle accelerator put him in, Barry discovered that he speed and dangerous abilities. He was always afraid that someone would get hurt because of what he could do and so, in order to ensure that no one would suffer for his mistakes, Barry went off grid and he disappeared. It pained Barry to leave but he had to, to protect the people closest to him. Even if it meant doing something he didn't want to. Barry continued walking through the halls as he exited the prison building and entered the outer area of the prison.

The ground was covered in mud, the skies were ruled by dark, grey clouds. Barry looked around the area, looking through his long, black silky hair. Originally, it had been brown and short but in the past five months, it had grown. Barry kept walking beside the aisle in the line of prisoners when suddenly, a prisoner stepped in front of Barry, blocking him instantly.

"Well, if it isn't the great Goldface." Barry said sarcastically.

"Now, I take you to school, son." Goldface said grimly.

Goldface threw a punch at Barry's jaw as Barry fell onto his right. Goldface grabbed Barry by his hair as he pulled him up..

"I've told you before, I own this place and I own you too." Goldface said.

Barry spat at Goldface as the thug threw a left hook at Barry, knocking him onto the ground. Barry spat blood as he wiped some from his mouth, he got onto his feet as he glared at Goldface, meeting the thug eye-to-eye.

"Now, listen to me and listen to me very carefully, kid..." Goldface said softly as Barry stared angrily at the thug. "...until you get out of these place, I own you and you're stuck with me, understood?"

Barry smirked.

"It's funny?" Goldface asked.

"No, it's just that you don't seem to understand." Barry said as Goldface seemed confused. "I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me."

Before Goldface could do anything, Barry threw a punch to his face, knocking Goldface down. Barry grabbed Goldface by the shoulders as he slammed down on the ground as hard as he could, knocking Goldface unconscious. Barry then looked up and saw many of Goldface's men, all of whom looked at with wary and suspicious looks. Barry simply stood still.

"Before we start, does anyone want to get out?" Barry asked, waiting for the explosion.

Suddenly, the men all charged at Barry, who removed his jacket and charged at the hoard of men. The hoard grabbed knocking onto the ground as they all began hitting and punching him repeatedly. Barry felt his blood boil, with each hit, anger grew and grew until it exploded. Barry jumped up to his feet, knocking two men down. He then charged forward, breaking the hoard apart. Barry, alongside some of the men from the hoard, fell down the muddy hillside as many other prisoners in the yard began to spectate the upcoming fight. Barry slid down the muddy hillside before falling face-flat on the muddy ground, he got onto his feet as he clenched his fists and held them up in a fighting position. He angrily glared at the hoard of men that awaited him.

Then, the fight began. Two men charged at him but Barry stretched his arms outwards as he hit their necks, the men fell to the ground, groaning in pain as Barry charged at the rest of the men from the hoard. He fought through four more men punching and kicking them, breaking and cracking the bones of others. Eventually, Barry was able to tackle through and take down six more men. Barry tackled the last man to the ground as he repeatedly began punching him, over and over when suddenly, a gunshot was heard. Barry turned around to see four armed Chinese guards. Two of the guards grabbed Barry's arms as they forcefully pulled him.

"You go in isolation." one of the guards said, his English was poor but it was understandable.

"Why?" Barry asked gravely.

"Protection." the guard replied.

"I don't need protection." Barry argued.

"Not for you, for them." the guard said, jerking his head to all the injured men Barry had beaten.

Eventually, the guards took Barry to the big isolation cell as they threw him inside.

"Get in!" one of the guards said as they forcefully shoved Barry inside before locking the door.

Barry slowly got onto his feet, he could've escaped the cell. Hell, he could've escaped the entire prison. He could've simply phased through the door and ran out of the prison, back in the fight, Barry could've used his speed to knock down all those men but he didn't. No one could know his secret, that, and Barry needed to learn to manage without his speed. The second he used his powers, they would've become crutches, and that was the last thing he needed. Barry sat beside the small window of light, thinking to himself. About everything, all the people he left behind after he woke up. May, Coulson, Simmons, Fitz, Caitlin, Cisco, Skye. Especially Skye. Barry felt an emotional hole widen in his chest at the thought of leaving Skye. He didn't want to, he only left to protect her, but still, a part of him wished he could stay with her, that he could've been with her. Barry couldn't help but think of his moment with Skye all those months ago.

December 10, 2013

11:44 p.m.

S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and scientist Barry Allen was walking through the halls of the plane known as The Bus. Barry stopped in his tracks as he saw the beautiful night sky through the windows, he stared in awe, trying to smile but he couldn't. Not with all the pain that had entered his life, the death of his mother all those years, his father being imprisoned, his father dying, Coulson's kidnapping. Coulson. Barry wondered how Coulson was, if the man was okay. Coulson was more than just the team leader to Barry, he was, in many ways, a father to him. Barry was never direct about, he never wanted anyone to get close to him. The people that had were gone or even dead. Still though, Coulson was his family. As as Ward, Caitlin, Cisco, May, Fitz, Simmons and Skye, especially Skye. Barry's thoughts were cut off as heard a person sniffing, someone had been...crying. Barry turned to his right as he walked up the hallway and stopped just outside Skye's room. Barry knocked on the door as he opened it, seeing Skye, who was sitting on her bed, with teary eyes.

"Skye, are you okay?" Barry asked softly.

"I'm fine." Skye said quickly in a stiff voice as she wiped her tears, her cheeks still wet from crying. "I was...I was just..."

Skye trailed off as Barry sat beside her on her bed. Skye's became watery, tears began pouring out again.

"Skye, it's okay." Barry said in the same soft tone.

Then, the dam broke as Skye immediately burst into tears. She threw herself onto Barry, wrapping her arms around him as she buried her head in his chest and began bawling. Barry hugged Skye back, stroking her hair, comforting her as best as he could.

"Shh, it's okay." Barry whispered.

"It's not okay." Skye said, her voice muffled by Barry's shirt. "Coulson's taken and Mike's dead. Ace has to go on without his dad and when I told him...when I told him...the look on his face..."

Barry could only imagine, losing a parent at young age, especially Ace's, he knew what that was like. Ace was like Barry all over again, watching his parent getting murdered in front of him.

"Barry." Skye whispered.

"Yeah." Barry replied.

"Could you stay with me?" Skye asked. "Just for a while?"

"Yeah, as long as you want." Barry said.

Barry sat next to Skye on bed as the hacker leaned her head on Barry's chest, her hair trickling down his body. There was a moment of silence between both Barry and Skye until the young hacker finally spoke again.

"Barry." Skye whispered again.

"Yeah, Skye, what is it?" Barry asked the hacker.

"I love you." Skye confessed. "Not as a friend, real love."

"I love you too, Skye." Barry replied.

Then, Skye threw herself onto Barry as her lips crashed with his. Barry returned the kiss with equal favor. The kiss started soft but quickly turned aggressive as both Barry and Skye fought for dominance while kissing one another. Without breaking off the kiss, Barry locked Skye's door as he turned his focus back to her. Skye pushed Barry against the wall, pulling off his shirt as Barry carried Skye to her bed where they continued kissing.

20 Minutes Later

Skye rolled off the top of Barry's body and onto her side of bed as she and Barry breathed heavily, covering themselves in the sheets and blankets.

"That was..." Skye began, regaining her breath. "...amazing."

"Yeah." Barry said. "Funny, I've never slept with a girl before."

"Really?" Skye asked. "Well, for a rookie, you're a real professional."

"Thanks?" Barry said sheepishly, making Skye giggle.

Barry turned the side as Skye did the same, the two made eye contact with another as Barry cupped Skye's cheek with his hand. Skye wrapped her arms around Barry's neck.

"I should probably get going." Barry said, reluctantly getting up when Skye's arm stopped him.

"Please don't leave me." Skye whimpered.

Barry got back into bed, gazing into Skye's eyes as he lightly smiled.

"I don't mind spending the night over here." Barry said.

"Finally, I've reformed you from your geeky scientist behavior." Skye said sarcastically as Barry gave a confused look.

"Geeky scientist behavior?" Barry asked as Skye chuckled. "I mean, I guess I'm excited about the Particle Accelerator test tomorrow."

"Yeah, less talking, more kissing." Skye replied.

Skye kissed Barry repeatedly as Barry returned the favor, savoring his moment with the woman of his dreams while being completely unaware of the fate that awaited him the next day.

End Flashback

Barry lightly smiled at the memory of his moment with Skye but his smile quickly died out into a frown. Barry missed Skye, he missed her so much and he longed for her. He wanted to abandon his mission, to return to her so badly but he couldn't, he would only bring danger to her and that was the last thing he wanted. However, if Barry had mastered and controlled his powers, he wouldn't pose much of a threat and maybe then, he could return to Skye and have his time with her. In order to do that, he would have to learn to control his power and he would have to start now.

"Are you so desperate to fight criminals that you'll lock yourself up to take them on one at a time, even when you have extraordinary powers?" a middle-eastern voice echoed through the isolation cell as Barry looked over and saw a bearded man in a suit, standing a few feet from him.

"Actually there were...fifteen of them." Barry pointed out, looking down at the floor while avoiding eye contact with the man.

"I counted fourteen, Mr. Allen." the man said as Barry's eyes grew large before he looked up at the man.

"How do you know who I am?" Barry asked.

"Oh please..." the man sighed, stepping forward. "...the world is too small for a man with power such as yours to disappear no matter how far he or she chooses to sink. Though I must say, you've sunk lower than most."

"Thanks, I've been practicing." Barry said sarcastically. "Now, who are you?"

"My name is merely Ducard but I speak for Ra's Al Ghul..." the man said. "...a man greatly feared by the criminal underworld. A man who can offer you a path."

"Why would I need a path?" Barry asked. "I'm perfectly fine right here."

"Of course you are." Ducard said. "Someone such as yourself is only here by choice. You've been exploring criminal fraternity but whatever your original intentions, you've become truly lost."

Barry looked up at Ducard, taking his words into account.

"And what path can this...Ra's Al Ghul offer me?" Barry asked.

"The path of a man who shares his hatred and disgust of evil and wishes to serve true and real justice." Ducard answered. "The path of the League of Assassins."

Barry scoffed. "You're vigilantes."

"Oh no, Mr. Allen." Ducard said. "A vigilante is merely a man lost in his own scramble for his own gratification and revenge. He can be locked up, silenced, destroyed or even ignored..."

Barry began taking into account Ducard's words as Ducard bent his knees, kneeling in front of Barry as he continued with his words.

"...but if you make yourself more than just a man, if you make yourself a part of something bigger, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then no one, nothing can stop you. And then, you become something much, much more than a man."

"And what would that be?" Barry asked.

"A legend, Mr. Allen." Ducard replied. "A legend."

Ducard got onto his feet and turned around, heading for the door as he spoke.

"Tomorrow, you will be released." Ducard said. "If you're bored of brawling with thieve and you wish to achieve something...there is a rare blue flower, one that grows on the eastern slopes. Pick one of these flowers. If you can carry it, to the top of the mountain of Nanda Parbat, you may find what it is you were looking for in the first place."

Ducard turned to leave but was stopped by Barry's voice.

"And what would that be?" Barry asked as Ducard turned to face him.

"Well, only you can know that, Mr. Allen." Ducard said.

Ducard then left through the door as Barry looked down, thinking about what the man had said. Was he right? Had he truly been so lost in his desire for isolation that he sunk deeper than he wished? Had he really lost his way? Barry nodded his head, Ducard's words echoing through his head as he accepted something he couldn't in a long time. It was time to rise from the darkness, it was time to escape. It was time to make the climb.

A/N: I know much isn't happening but the next chapter should begin Barry's training, both with and without speed. I know a lot of these lines are from the Batman Begins movie, yeah, I kinda stole them, so just so you know, I did base this chapter on the opening of the movie. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review and tell me what you think.