The Flash Armageddon Part 16 Doctor Strange traverses the Astral Plane as he flew over towards the quarantined S.T.A.R Labs to check on the now former Flash HQ.
Much to Doctor Strange's surprise, the CCDBS team was still keeping the building under lockdown trying to work under the extreme radioactive conditions. But they weren't alone.
"The Power is spiking sir" said a CCDBS agent.
"It's like the particle accelerator just turned itself on" said the CCDBS Captain.
"Not exactly" said Despero.
"Oh no." said Doctor Strange as he hid.
"I may have given it a little push." said Despero.
Despero then uses his third eye to control all of the CCDBS agents present getting them all to attack each other. Despero then moves a chess piece forward as he then says,
"Checkmate"
"What is he doing?" Asked Strange.
Despero then walks over to the exposed panel and absorbs the energy.
"WITH THIS POWER, NO MIND WILL SHUT ITS DOORS ON ME! Not even you SORCERER!!" shouts Despero as he figures out Strange's Astral form was nearby.
"I gotta get out of here" Strange as he quickly heads to Chester's garage.
Chester along with Cecile, Caitlin, Bruce and Topp, were hard at work until Doctor Strange's Astral form comes to surprise them.
"Is that a ghost?!" asked Chester.
"Yes and no but listen. I used Astral Projection to find Despero and he just activated the Particle Accelerator and got stronger than ever." said Doctor Strange.
"Why would Despero turn on the Particle Accelerator?" Asked Chester.
"He's into alternative energy? Who cares?" Asked Topp annoyed.
"Listen the last thing he said was, No mind will shut its doors on him. Meaning his telepathy has grown harder to fight. He's gonna find Barry sooner rather than later if we don't stop him!" said Strange.
"He's right. We need to do this. Fire it up Caitlin." said Cecile.
Caitlin fires up a machine that would link Cecile and Topp's psychic link to find Barry to put it on the screen they had. The footage shows The Hall of Justice as Barry was still in the process of having his powers removed by Monica and Jefferson.
"I can see Flash. He's with Jefferson Pierce and Monica? Where are they?" Asked Caitlin.
"The Hall of Justice. We took refuge there as Barry invoked the Injustice Protocol to have his powers removed by a teammate in case any of them would go Rogue." Explained Doctor Strange.
"What about Nat and the others?" Asked Bruce.
"Carol and Natasha had the idea to think of a more temporary way to remove his powers so they went to San Francisco to the Pyms." said Doctor Strange.
"Why would Barry want to have his powers gone?" Asked Caitlin.
"Because he believes he's going insane. This was probably a contingency plan made in place a long time ago after the crisis. Quite clever actually." said Strange.
"It's like what The Avengers had with me whenever the Hulk would lose control. But instead it's for everyone on the team." said Bruce.
"Exactly yeah." adds Strange.
Cecile and Topp were closing in on Barry as they got intercepted by Despero.
"You should be proud of your power. Now open your minds to me" said Despero.
Doctor Strange forged Tao Mandalas as he sees Despero behind them.
"Leave is alone!" said Cecile.
"Uh guys? Who are they talking too?" Asked Chester.
"It's Despero. He must be here." said Caitlin.
"Despero, we've come to bargain" said Strange.
Topp then used her powers to shake the room causing vertigo.
"Dylan what are you doing?" Asked Cecile.
"Don't worry. Causing a little vertigo. Easy trick" said Topp as Chester, Bruce and Caitlin fall to the ground.
"Okay big boy. How about a little Quid Pro Quo?" Asked Topp.
"I let you inside my head to find Flash and we go kill him together." she offered.
"What makes you think I came to bargain?" Asked Despero.
"Because you don't have any other options at this point. Let us deal with The Flash and you leave this planet. Never come back." said Doctor Strange.
"Okay. How about I let you peak inside my mind for free and we'll call it even?" Topp offered.
Despero gets into her mind but causes brutal agonizing pain in the process as she slams her head on the table with blood coming out of her.
"I can't feel her anymore. What did you do?" Asked Cecile.
"Well I looked inside her mind. I could only partially reconstruct The Flash's location. The other half must be in yours" Explained Despero.
"Not on my watch!" said Strange as he conjured whips to restrain him.
Despero then quickly snapped himself free.
"You're running out of tricks Sorcerer. Either I'll look into your mind or her's. I'll find the Flash regardless. Your call" said Despero.
"Go. Protect Barry at all costs. I'll handle it from here." said Cecile.
Strange hesitates but ultimately agrees as he returns his Astral form to his physical form back at the Hall of Justice as he awakes.
"Doc?" Asked Peter.
"It's Despero. I was trying to track him down and he turned on the particle accelerator and then he found Cecile and the others. He's gotten stronger with his telepathic abilities and I couldn't stop him" said Strange.
"How long do we have?" Asked Peter.
Strange then looks at Barry as he's still having his connection severed from The Speed Force.
"Not long" said Strange.
Barry falls to his knees as Monica and Jefferson take a break.
"Alright, maybe we should take a break." said Jefferson.
"No we have to finish before Despero finds me" said Barry.
"We're gonna kill you at this rate, Barry. We need to take five." said Monica.
"Who the hell's Despero?" Asked Jefferson.
Barry catches his breath as Jefferson goes to help him up.
"If you're keeping something important from me, I suggest you remedy it." said Jefferson.
"He's from the future. He says that ten years from now, I'm gonna destroy the world." Explained Barry.
"You believe him?" Asked Jefferson.
Barry nods his head yes.
"Do you remember what we said when we first met during Crisis? We're not quitters. You can change your future just like you did back then." said Jefferson.
"That's what I'm trying to do. If I can get rid of my speed, I can keep Despero's future from happening." Explained Barry.
"And what will this Despero do if you don't?" Asked Jefferson.
"He's gonna kill me" said Barry.
"And we're not gonna let that happen. Look I don't know you guys all that well, but I'll be damned if I'll let some goddamn alien dictate who lives and dies in order to save the world. You know what? The Parker kid was right. He shouldn't have to keep busting his ass to protect YOU and your loved ones just for you to quit like this. Yet here he is leading us to stop Despero from killing you even if it means putting HIS life on the line." Explained Monica.
"You think that wasn't important to mention?" Asked Jefferson.
"I knew if I told you that ymyou would go after Despero but I need you to follow the Injustice Protocols." said Barry.
Jefferson walks away upset of the critical information Barry withheld.
"I'm not acting out of fear. I'm trying to do the right thing" argued Barry.
"And this is the right thing? Permanently stripping your powers when there's a chance Despero could be wrong and in the process leaving Central City without a hero? Without The Flash?" Asked Peter.
"And I thought I was too but I wasn't and you weren't either. You're just afraid of becoming this man that Despero says you are" said Jefferson.
"I've already hurt people! I'm already a liability!" shouts Barry.
"No! What you are is a hero! Doesn't that mean something?" Asked Jefferson.
"I've seen what happens. What I end up doing it's going to happen! Getting rid of my speed is the only way I can save the world!DAMMIT JEFFERSON! IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY TOO. ALL OF YOUR FAMILIES!" shouts Barry.
"I suggest you keep my family out of this" said Jefferson.
"After everything we've done today after everything I've told you, you're just giving up!" shouts Barry.
"ENOUGH! WE ARE NOT GIVING UP! I'm not letting you or anyone else quit! Not today. Not tomorrow. After everything I've been through to protect you. THIS IS HOW YOU RETURN THE FAVOR BARRY??!" shouts Peter.
"I'M DOING WHAT HAS TO BE DONE PARKER!!!" shouts Barry
"No. No you're not. You're putting your head in the sand. Giving up like a coward! In the past 24 hours I'VE DONE WHAT YOU COULDN'T DO IN A DAY BETTER THAN YOU EVER DID YOUR ENTIRE LIFE AS THE FLASH! I kept your loved ones safe. And I took a bullet for them. While they took a bull for you." said Peter.
Barry then charges up his speed force as it was time for a fight.
"Barry. You need to think very carefully right now." said Jefferson.
Peter activates his integrated web shooters as the magic runes conjure around his forearms.
"I'm asking you to save the world and you won't even LISTEN!" shouts Barry as he throws a lightning bolt.
Spider-Man then with his reflexes leaps and dodges the bolt as everyone else takes the hit.
Strange conjures his Tao Mandalas, Monica powers up and Jefferson puts on his mask.
"You're gonna hear me now. Because one way or another you're gonna help me finish this." Barry threatened.