I always imagined a different infinite crisis, one where Barry was the sole survivor. This is my story on how it would have gone and well.. that lead to the monstrosity that you see in front of you. About 13k words, several months of writing and editing. It's not perfect but I hope you like it.
My name is Barry Allen and if you're unlucky enough to see me in your world, then you must know how sorry I am. I truly wish that it was under better circumstances but I'm afraid there isn't much time left for your world...
During my travels, I've been associated with so many names and I've gone to so many worlds and in spite of all that... My presence only serves as a warning to its inhabitants. No matter what language they spoke off, what stories they told, they only recognized me as a harbinger of the end. The herald of the destroyer.
I wish I could tell you otherwise but there is no stopping the devastation that is coming. It is... inevitable.
Central City - Earth 616
"Why are the skies turning red Cisco?!" Wally frantically asked, his speed carrying him into STAR Labs. "It was blue a few seconds ago." He said as he stopped in front of the monitors. "Birds were flying and the sun was out. Are we in the middle of some kind of cosmic event that no one warned me about?"
"Hey West, it's nice to see you too." Cisco snorted as his focus remained glued to his workstation. "The satellites are up Felicity. Tell me you can work your magic from the Arrow Cave." He paused "What do you mean where's Oliver? How should I know where the Green Arrow is? Isn't he your husband? I thought you would have microchipped him after the honeymoon period." A few muffled words echoed out of his headset and Cisco whistled. "Damn girl, do you talk to your mother like that?"
Wally pulled down his cowl and joined Iris and Caitlin in the center of the room. "How bad is it?" He asked, "From Thawne coming back again to the world breaking into pieces."
Iris shook her head but gave her brother a hug anyway. "I don't know how you can be joking Wally but I'm glad you're here. Dad's at home trying to find Grandma Esther's bible. He's convinced that having that book would give us some luck."
"It's going to get a lot worse..." Caitlin muttered, her fingers swiping through the reports on her tablet. "Based on these barometric readings, these drops in atmospheric pressure are unheard off. It's not normal..."
"So it's supernatural?"
"I hope someone's got the Winchester's number!" Cisco shouted, ignoring whatever Felicity was telling him.
"Yes Cisco, Dean and Sam will know what to do about these thunderstorms brewing on top of Central City. Maybe they can shoot at the sky until it stops." Caitlin said, rolling her eyes.
He opened his mouth and then paused, unable to find a scenario to throw back in his best friend's face. "Fine Snow. You win this round." Cisco grunted. "For real Felicity. I'm glad someone understands the value that Dean and Sam bring to the table. Do you want me to breach you over here? I could use a real friend right now."
Wally sighed at their antics. "So what about these storms Caitlin? What's so unnatural about them? Are you detecting black matter in the surrounding areas? Is it the Weather Wizard again?"
"Nothing about the storms themselves actually." Caitlin explained. "Where they're congregating is concerning though." She swiped up on her tablet and pushed the aero map onto the screen. "Usually thunder clouds spread out and cover an entire area and they move along with the wind but not these. They're remaining stationary while other clouds are moving eastward. It's almost like they're drawn there."
Wally's eyes slightly widened and he held his hands up against his chest. "That makes no sense..." His voice trailed off. "I know it's weird but I've been feeling this... pull today... almost if something's calling me as well... There's this urge..." He struggled to find the words to describe his feelings. "It's almost like the speedforce is talking to me... but I don't know what it's trying to say. Maybe I should go into the speedforce again..."
"No!" Everyone in the room shouted. "That is a terrible idea!" Iris yelled, smacking her brother on the back of the head. "Once was enough. We do not need a repeat performance."
"ARGH!" Cisco suddenly screamed and toppled over backwards onto the floor. A tiny speck jumped up into the air before returning back to full size, revealing Ray Palmer. The Atom gave Cisco an apologetic look and offered his hand to help him back up. "Maybe a warning next time Ray." He grumbled.
"Sorry Cisco." Ray sheepishly apologized and then turned towards Wally. "So what's the plan? Felicity sounded the alarm and it looked like we might need all hands on deck for this one."
Wally was grateful for the additional backup and having Ray here was perfect. "We need to identify the cause of these storm clouds and then check to see if the Weather Wizard is behind this."
"He's not." Caitlin answered. "Marlow is still in Iron Heights so it's not him."
"Guys. The storm is growing stronger with each second." Felicity's voice echoed through the speakers. "If we're going to do something about it, we need to do it now. Pretty soon, it's going to be self-sustaining and we won't be able to stop it."
"I'm open to any ideas." Wally stated. "I can try to create a vortex to disperse the clouds or at the very least, slow it down."
"That wouldn't work. You're not fast enough to do that on your own. If it was you and Kara, then maybe." Cisco pointed out before his eyes widened. "What if we threw a bomb at the clouds? Something that can neutralize the electrons flowing in the sky?"
"That's not a bad idea." Ray mused over the idea. "Lightning and thunder, they're nothing but electricity floating in the sky. If we can find some way to contain it..."
"I like the way that you think Ray." Cisco commented, nodding his head. "Where the hell is Oliver anyway? And where are the rest of the legends? Why aren't they here?"
Ray coughed suspiciously while fumbling through a sentence. It was too low for anyone to hear.
"What was that?" Caitlin asked. She was the closest one standing next to Ray. "They what?"
All eyes were now on the solo legend, who nervously laughed. "They uh..." He rubbed the back of his head, hoping to get out of this awkward situation. "... Didn't want to get pulled into another crossover but what do they know? They're missing out on saving the world. You don't need all the legends here when I'm representing them. That has to count for something right?"
Cisco groaned and then leaned against Caitlin's shoulder. She gently patted his back to reassure him. "We're going to get through this. We always have."
"But it was going to be a good day Caitlin. My horoscope promised me that." He looked at her with puppy eyes. "Why would they lie to me?"
While Caitlin was trying to console her friend, Iris was doing another scan of the area. They've already evacuated the surrounding buildings but it was worth doing another check. In case there were stragglers that they missed the first time around.
"Didn't you tell me downtown was clear Wally?"
The resident speedster rushed over and stared at the screen. "I did. I swept through it twice." His eyes stared at the single red dot, unsure of how he could've missed this person during his sweep of the city.
"Don't stand there Wally!" Iris exclaimed. "Move it buddy!"
Without another word, he took off, leaving nothing but a breeze.
Central City - Business District
Wally appeared at the person's last known location. He looked around but he couldn't find any signs of anyone being there. He pressed the emblem on his chest. "I don't see anyone here. Someone talk to me."
"Heat signature shows him at your location Wally." Ray confirmed from his ear piece. "Keep your eyes open, the system still shows someone there."
"Look around. Maybe there's a makeshift shelter nearby." Caitlin chimed in. "Can you take a look at the surrounding buildings?"
"On it." Wally used his speed and searched the nearby buildings. He went floor to floor, building to building and he finally saw a man standing on top of a water tower. He was staring up at the sky, almost as if he was waiting for something to happen.
"Hey man. I'm going to need you to come with me. It's not safe here."
"It's not safe anywhere." The man replied. "It's almost time though. Can't you feel it? You must. You're a part of this. I can feel your connection."
"Look, why don't we talk about this somewhere else. Maybe some place far, far away from here?" Wally urged, slowly walking towards the stranger.
The man turned around, unable to contain the surprise on his face when he saw Wally. "So this world has a Flash too?"
"This world?" Wally asked, "A Flash as well? Look man, I don't know if you bumped your head or you're off your meds but we can't be here. It's too dangerous. Let's go someplace safer and we can talk about whatever you want."
"There's no point. We're already too late."
The way that the man spoke, on how final his words were... he felt goosebumps on his arms. "Are you guys getting this?" Wally whispered. "Do we have an ID on him? He's seriously freaking me out. We dealt with delusional people before but there's something off about this guy."
"Running facial recognition now." Cisco and Felicity both answered. There was a brief pause until Felicity came back. "Got it." She answered, a hint of smugness in her words. "That's Barry Allen and... wait. That's not possible."
"Talk to me Felicity. What do you see?"
"CCPD records indicates that he's deceased." Cisco chimed in. "According to the coroner's report, Barry Allen died five years ago when the particle accelerator exploded. He was struck by lightning that blasted him into a shelf full of chemicals." He paused, mentally gagging at the report. "He... um... he died of chemical burns." Paraphrasing the report for everyone's benefit.
"Got it Cisco." Wally closed the distance between the two of them and he appeared on top of the water tower as well. "Barry? Is that your name?"
The man turned around, his dirty brunette hair and piercing green eyes stared back at him. It was almost as if he knew there was also a camera hidden within the lightning bolt emblem on his chest. "Yeah, that's my name." He sighed and turned back around. "I supposed there was another Barry here. I shouldn't even be surprised. I had wondered what happened to him if you're standing in front of me instead of him." He scrunched his eyebrows. "Is he even still alive?"
"We don't have time for this." Wally muttered, flabbergast by the amount of questions this man was asking. Does he not understand the situation they were in? He sped forward and reached for the stranger's hand but he couldn't grasp them. His hand went right through him. His body couldn't stop in time and he ended up running off the water tower, barely stopping short of the building ledge. "What the hell?" He quickly turned around and looked back, surprised to still see Barry there.
He gritted his teeth and tried again but no matter how many times he tried, the results remained the same. It was almost like the man was phasing himself just as he got close enough. "Okay seriously. What are you?!" Wally asked. It was irritating to say the very least. "How are you doing this? How are you reacting faster than me? I'm the Yellow Blur! The fastest man alive!"
Barry tilted his head in confusion. "The Yellow... Blur? You... don't call yourself Flash?"
Wally tried once more in an attempt to catch the man but he failed like before. Alarm bells started ringing in his head. "You're a speedster."
"So?"
The moment he uttered the word speedster, his team back at STAR Labs were on the move. He could hear Caitlin shouting at Cisco to take preventative measures. Iris was already preparing the containment chamber designed for rogue speedsters like Barry. "What are you doing here then?" He asked, hoping to buy time for his team.
"Admiring the sky." Barry said and then turned back around. Wally saw his chance and phased out of view, a useful skill he picked up from Thawne. He turned invisible and ran towards Barry, hoping to catch him by surprise. If the man was a speedster like him, the moment he phases back, that's when it was over.
His calculations proved correct and Barry phased himself to allow him to harmlessly pass through. What he didn't account for was a breach to open on top of them with Cisco jumping out with meta-dampening cuffs. It was over in a blink of an eye, with the cuffs on Barry, they disappeared back into the breach and were back at STAR Labs.
STAR Labs
"Are you sure it was wise to bring him here?" Ray asked, worried about a possible fallout. He still remembered how difficult it was to deal with a speedster. His own encounter with Thawne left him with an uneasy feeling.
"Relax. He's in the vault. There's no way he's getting out." Cisco calmly explained while chewing on a twizzler. "We tested this with Wally. It's speedster-proof."
"What I don't get is why a speedster would come here? What does he hope to gain?" Iris asked. She continued watching the monitors, unable to wrap her mind around the identity of this man. He was definitely Barry Allen. Their facial recognition system identified 80 nodal points and this man matched them all perfectly. Her reporter instincts wanted to know why he faked his death. What was his endgame?
"I don't get the same gloom and doom feeling that I did with Thawne and Zoom." Caitlin commented, her eyes watching the screen as well. "Perhaps we should just ask him?"
"But he's the last thing that we need right now." Wally said. "Remember the red skies? The dangerous thunderstorms brewing over Central City? I think that takes priority over someone who's not going anywhere. We can deal with him later."
"Yes yes, we haven't forgotten oh fearless leader." Cisco replied before gesturing everyone to follow him into his lab. "While you were out dealing with our next potential problem, Ray and I were building that bomb."
Ray waved to everyone as they entered the room and he held up the small device for them to see. "I think calling this a bomb is a little too much but meet the Lightning Electrical Neutralizer or Lenny for short. All we have to do is take Lenny and throw him as far as we can into the sky."
"And given how frequent and powerful the clouds are, it shouldn't be long before Lenny gets hit. Once activated, it's going to disperse these negative ion charged nanites into the sky..."
"Which would neutralize the current."
"Thus neutralizing our current problem!" Cisco and Ray both finished at the same time. They gave each other a high five to celebrate the moment.
"That's not going to work." Barry spoke up from behind the team.
"Of course it is. Listen Barry. We're the best of the best and there isn't a problem that we can solve, man who should be in the containment chamber." Cisco snorted before everyone's eyes widened. They quickly turned around and saw Barry standing on the other side of the lab, fiddling with Caitlin's tablet.
"Ho-kay. How did you get out and why aren't we dead? Cisco asked while patting himself all over. "Wait, are we actually dead and we don't realize it yet?"
Barry didn't look up as he slowly scrolled through the tablet. "Your metahuman prison doesn't account for a speedster correctly."
"Yes it does." Wally exclaimed, stepping in front of everyone. "And it's not a prison."
"And can you please put down my tablet?" Caitlin asked as well, which drew several looks from everyone. "I really like that tablet." She added.
Barry stared at them before complying and gently placed the tablet back onto the table. "You only accounted for metahumans from this universe but what if my vibrational frequency was on a different spectrum? You had to know that beings from other worlds vibrate at a different frequency."
Cisco opened and closed his mouth as everyone turned their attention towards him. "I forgot to factor in Kara's world..." He sheepishly said. "My bad!" He held his hands up defensively. "In my defense, she never said she had speedsters there..."
"And to answer your second question, you're not dead because I'm not a killer. Even if I was, it wouldn't have mattered anyway because soon enough, this world is ending. No matter what you do, you can't stop what's coming." He sighed and started walking towards them. "Also for the record, holding someone against their will no matter where it is, is still called a prison. From the old French word preson."
"How do you know that?" Caitlin asked, the first one to recover from the initial shock.
Barry stopped and looked at her, amused. "About the prison? I'm pretty sure that word is in the dictionary." He surmised, smiling at her. "I can look it up for you if you want."
"That's not what I meant." She huffed. "I mean about the world ending."
"Oh. it's because she sent me here."
Some time later - Still at STAR Labs, Inside Caitlin's Medical Examination Room
"Are you really from another Earth?"
"Yup."
"How many have you been to?"
"Too many."
"Can you hold still?" Caitlin asked as she tried her best to run a few more tests on Barry. He kept fidgeting and unconsciously moving away from her.
"Sorry." He muttered. "I think this is a little excessive."
"Maybe but a little research never hurt anyone."
"That's probably because they've never been poked and stabbed repeatedly before."
Caitlin rolled her eyes, ignoring his joke. "Can you please hold still? I'm almost done. It's fascinating to see how a speedster like yourself is connected to the speedforce. There's still a lot that we don't know about how it works so I would like to gather as much data as possible."
"Her." Barry corrected. "The speedforce is a her."
"Really?" His clarification caught her by surprise. Her lips slowly turned upwards into an amused smile. "So the mighty speedforce, the power source to all known speedsters, is a woman. I guess even the universe knows that behind every great hero... There's an even greater woman."
He chuckled along with her. It felt different, odd to see her joking with him when they both knew what was coming. Did the people in this world not take threats seriously? They spoke about a few more topics before he had to ask. "Shouldn't you be... you know... out living your final moments? Finding that one thing that you want to do before life stops existing?"
"Shouldn't you?" Caitlin asked, intrigued by his question. "And besides, you haven't met Wally or the rest of the team yet. If there's anyone who can save the day, it'll be us. We saved the world before and we'll do it again."
"You know, I've seen many people like Wally and your team... Heroes in their own right but it didn't matter. In the end, they still fell one by one."
"And you couldn't save them?" She asked. "Is that why you're here? To help us?"
He shook his head. "This isn't my fight Caitlin."
"But what if whatever is coming goes after your world next? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to join forces with us? We can't do it alone and neither can you. Logically speaking, we have a greater chance if we stand together."
"You seem fond of your team... Are they important to you?" He asked, avoiding the question.
She fervently nodded. "We're a family, with all the drama and bonds mixed in all together. Wally and Cisco are like brothers that I never had." She said, speaking fondly of them. "We have Iris who is like the mother of the family and everyone else is like our crazy uncles and aunts..." She smiled at the thought. "This whole team is my family and I... I don't know if I can forgive myself if anything happened to them."
"I understand."
"What about you Barry? Where is home?" She asked, pulling out a stethoscope and lightly pressed it against his chest. His body flinched at the cold metal against his skin but it didn't bother him. He could feel her warm breath against his skin as she leaned in. The fainting scent of coconut coming from her hair, the light aroma of her perfume as it lingered around her. It was intoxicating to say the least.
"Home is..." He paused and broke his gaze on her, suddenly finding the ground more interesting. "It's just another dream." He sighed and jumped up, pulling away from her. "You know, I've been to many worlds. I've seen so many things and met so many people but do you know the one thing that they've all had in common?"
She opened her mouth, intending to say the first thing that came to her mind but when she saw his expression, she promptly closed it. She knew it wasn't something obvious so she shook her head. "No, I can't even begin to imagine. What did those worlds have in common?"
He smiled. "They all had a Caitlin Snow."
Her body stopped moving, shocked to hear the news. He took it as a sign to continue. He moved around the room, his eyes never once leaving hers. "What makes you so special Caitlin?"
There was a warm sensation flowing through her body and she was positive she was blushing from embarrassment right now. "I'm not that special." She mumbled and stared at the floor. "I'm just another scientist in a world of heroes."
"You should stop selling yourself short, Caitlin. I've seen you. Variations of you throughout the multiverse. What makes you a constant? Why is there always a Caitlin Snow with a speedster?"
"What happened to your Caitlin Snow?" She asked, avoiding his questions.
Her question surprised him and he looked away, sighing as he closed his eyes. "I didn't have one." For a moment, she saw beyond his façade and felt his pain behind those words. It was a fleeting moment but she saw it. She managed to get a glimpse of the man behind those green eyes.
After their examination in the Medical Lab, Barry and Caitlin made their way to the Cortex to rejoin her team. She relayed her medical diagnosis to everyone while Barry hung back, opting to remain an observer.
While Wally and Ray were going over the game plan one last time, Cisco gently poked Caitlin on the side. "So what's the deal with Mister Yellow Blue 2.0 over there?"
"Nothing." She said, looking at Barry from the corner of her eyes. "Like I said, he's not an enemy nor is he an ally... Think of him like Switzerland."
Cisco groaned. "Great. So the only time we find a speedster who isn't out to kill us, he's Switzerland? What the frack Caitlin!"
"Guys. We don't need him." Iris said, chiming in as she listened to their conversation. "We've been through so much as a team, hell, we save the world on a yearly basis so this isn't anything new. We have Team Flash, Team Arrow, The Legends and even Supergirl. We got this." The rest of the team nodded along but Caitlin was only half paying attention. It wasn't that she didn't believe Iris... It was more of a gut feeling that's telling her that the worse hasn't begun yet. It was that feeling of the unknown that scared her and from the way that Barry was speaking about the end earlier... She couldn't help but to heed his warning.
"Iris is right." Wally added. "As long as we stick together, we're going to be fine."
"Nice PBS Speech fearless leader!" Cisco joked.
Wally laughed. "Now, where are we with the hot zone in Central City? Why are the skies still red? Did we miss something in our initial investigation?"
"The thunder storms are no longer gathering in one area." Ray confirmed. "But there seems to be a high amount of residual energy in the surrounding area. The computer isn't able to decipher what kind it is."
"Cisco, Ray and myself will head out into the field to get some sample readings. Caitlin, are you okay hanging back?"
"Sure but why me?" She asked.
"Because lover boy over there hasn't stopped staring at you since you left his side." Cisco whispered, snickering as he walked past her.
"If you're not up for it, I can call Joe and see if he can swing by before going back to the precinct. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Wally offered.
"It's fine." She mumbled, looking back at Barry. "I'm sure I can keep an eye on our resident visitor."
Central City - Downtown
"What are these guys?!" Cisco yelled as he took cover behind a concrete pillar. "Are they some kind of ghosts? I hate ghosts! Where's a proton-pack when you need one?"
"I don't know and I don't care!" Oliver grunted, his arm rapidly firing arrows into the air. "I need everyone to stay focused." He finally arrived back in Central City with a mysterious man that he introduced as Jim Corrigan. At first, he couldn't understand the importance of this man but his gut told him Jim was the key. He wanted to go straight to the bunker to reunite with his wife but fate had other plans for him.
"For once, why can't you just bring the life of the party?" Wally teased, running around and shooting lightning bolts. "I miss the old you."
"That's rich coming from you Wally." Oliver retorted. "At least my enemies never tried taking over the world."
"That only happened twice and you know it. It's not even a thing." The speedster argued. "And besides, this isn't my fault. If memory serves, someone screamed for backup when they landed in Central City."
"I did not scream. They caught me off guard and I merely requested backup."
"You screamed dad. We all heard you." Mia said as two of her arrows whizzed over Oliver's head. They made contact with the solid objects near the ghosts and exploded.
"Told ya." Wally smirked and threw two lightning bolts at his own wraith-like enemies. "Man, these things keep on multiplying. Anyone have any ideas on how to stop them?"
A chorus of negative answers echoed through the room. Wally sighed and continued zigzagging through the area.
"If only we had two other people that... you know... didn't stand on the sidelines!" Cisco added.
The ground unexpectedly started shaking and cracks started appearing alongside the building. A loud hissing sound could be heard as more wraiths started coming up from the ground. Cisco was the first to take cover behind Oliver. "Oh my god. This is it." He cried." I still have so much to see. So much to do. I still haven't even upgraded the Arrow Cave yet!"
"We're not calling my bunker that." Oliver snarled as he pulled Cisco back up to his feet.
Jim Corrigan, who stayed on the sidelines observing, suddenly closed his eyes. "He's coming..." He whispered. There was this feeling of uncertainty and only one person could cause this. "... is it time for you to show yourself?" He asked but was greeted with silence. "I guess we have a little longer before you arrive."
A golden beam of light shot down from the sky, blinding everyone in the area. The wraiths continued screeching until they stopped, allowing silence to follow.
"Are-are we dead?" Ray asked. "Did I die again? Oh man, Nate and Sara are going to be so mad."
"No. You're not dead..." An unknown voice answered for him.
"Oh that's great news." Ray cheerfully responded, a sigh of relief escaped from his lips.
"Yet."
"Aw." His face dropped in response as the light slowly dissipated. A man in a golden outfit stepped forward and stared at everyone impassively.
Wally squinted his eyes and recognized the man. "Nash?!" He called out. "What the hell man? You can't just disappear like that! Allegra's going to be so pissed."
"Nash isn't here right now." The man's eyes started glowing. "There is only... Pariah!" He released a burst of energy that blew everyone away, both enemies and allies alike. He turned and saw Jim standing there, unfazed by his attack. "You shouldn't be here."
"Neither should you."
"It's not your time yet."
"My master wills it to be." Pariah raised his hand and effortlessly sent a focused blast of energy towards the man. "Disappear like the grains of sand beneath my boots."
Jim raised his arms to brace for impact but nothing came. There was no pain that followed. "What did..." His words became meaningless as his vision started to fade; his hands phasing in and out of reality.
"Jim!" Oliver shouted, struggling to get back on his feet. "Hang on. I'm coming!"
He merely shook his head in response. "I'll see you soon Oliver." Those were the last words he said before he disappeared.
Pariah smiled as the man vanished before him. He wouldn't be gone for long but he enjoyed every minute of it. His smile lasted for a few seconds before turning his head westward. "He shouldn't be here either..." He muttered and then vanished as well.
"Iris." Wally gasped. "Nash... He was here and then he disappeared. Can you track him?!"
Back at S.T.A.R Labs.
"You should've been there Barry." Iris stated. "It would have made a difference."
"Iris! We don't force people to fight if they don't want to fight! We have to respect his wishes!"
"He's a speedster Caitlin. If he's not going to fight with us then I'm starting to question where his loyalties lie. What if he's a distraction sent here to keep us from looking at the big picture? What if he's the one causing all of this?"
"Don't be absurd, Iris. We can trust Barry. You know as well as I do that if he wanted us dead, we would have been dead."
While they were arguing, Barry tried his best not to eavesdrop but neither one of them was wrong. Iris had every right to be suspicious of him. He was a total stranger, arriving on their Earth with a warning. They couldn't trust him and they shouldn't trust him. He's done this countless times before and failed each time.
Alarms started ringing in the Lab which grabbed everyone's attention. Caitlin and Iris looked confused for a second but Barry was on high alert. "What's going on?" He asked, pointing at the flashing monitors.
The women went off to different areas and started looking at the alerts. "I don't see anything that could have set off the proximity alarms." Iris shouted.
"There's a huge energy spike coming towards us. T minus 10 seconds until impact." Caitlin pointed at her monitors.
Iris pulled out her phone and pressed the panic button, sending an emergency alert to Wally. He might not get here in time but there was one other speedster currently in the vicinity. Her eyes drifted towards Barry. "Do something!" She yelled.
"He's not coming here for you." Barry replied, recognizing this feeling. "Whatever happens... don't move and do not interfere." He said, looking at both of them. "As long as you do that, I promise that you'll be unharmed."
The lab started shaking and a man appeared in front of them. Caitlin felt her body shivering from the overwhelming pressure this man was exerting. Her senses were screaming for her to run but her body wouldn't move. It was almost like her legs were glued to the floor. She looked over and saw Iris reaching for a weapon.
"I don't know who the hell you are but you're trespassing." Iris growled and held up her plasma weapon. "I'm not going to say this again. Leave in one piece or leave in pieces. I don't care which one you choose."
"I am Pariah..." The man said as he lazily stared at the two women. "And you are not needed here." His hand started glowing and then he waved it around in a circular motion.
They finally recognized the intruder as their friend Nash. "Nash! Wait!" They both cried out that it was too late. Pariah stopped and made a fist, causing both women to disappear.
"Where did you send them?" Barry curiously asked. "They could've stayed. They were no threat to you."
"And let them know of the shame and humiliation that you cast onto me?" Pariah snarled and then rushed towards Barry. His hands found themselves around the speedster's throat and slammed him into the wall. His fingers tightened and he relished in pleasure from watching his prey squirm. "You humans are so fragile... so easily broken. Like a piece of glass that can be shattered with even the slightest touch."
Barry struggled for air but he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing. It was exactly what Pariah wanted but he slowly phased his way out. It took a few seconds to change his frequency but he managed to free himself and put some distance between them. "You know you can't kill me. Your master made that explicitly clear or have you forgotten?"
"Your punishment is far from over human. I will enjoy witnessing every last bit of humanity leaving your soul as this world perishes. Just like the others. You'll be begging for the sweet release of death when the time comes but my master won't grant that. No... he will not. You will suffer until the end of your days and only then will my master allow you to die. So until then... Keep on trying. Your futile attempts to save them will make this all that sweeter."
"You don't know us humans at all, Pariah. You or that monster of a master of yours."
"Watch your tongue human. I will not hesitate in breaking you. My master will not mind a few broken bones as long as you're still alive."
"I'll kill the both of you. I swear it."
Pariah roared in anger and sent an energy blast at Barry, sending the speedster into the wall again. The structure groaned from the impact and the cracks widened. "You know what's about to come now that I'm here. Do what you do best, little speedster. Try to save them only to come up short and watch them die like the rest." He teleported over and launched a barrage of attacks against Barry. His fists connected all over, each one heavier than the last. This continued for a few more minutes before he pulled back and stepped away. "I'll see you soon... Flash." His laugh echoed through the lab before disappearing just as a breach opened.
Wally was the first one to speed through, followed by Oliver and the rest of the team. Their weapons raised and poised to strike.
"What the frack happened here?!" Cisco shouted as all eyes went to Barry. Blood dripped down the side of his mouth as he struggled to his feet. He didn't give them an answer. He didn't want to.
Oliver didn't wait for a response as he stormed over, towering over the man that he didn't recognize. "You have some explaining to do."
Caitlin was the last one to walk through the portal, a worried expression on her face as she saw his wounds. "Barry!"
He merely shook his head, holding up his hand to stop her from coming over. "I need... a few minutes..." His words came out raspy and he started coughing. He could feel his body healing already and a part of him was relieved that she wasn't harmed.
"We don't have the luxury of time." Oliver growled but Caitlin pushed past him, rushing to Barry's side. He caught her arm and pulled her back. "Don't Caitlin. You don't know who he is. He could be dangerous."
"Oh damn." Cisco whispered, wincing. "He probably shouldn't have done that."
Caitlin stared at Oliver's hand on her arm and then looked at him. "Please let go Oliver." She politely said but her eyes were warning him that if he doesn't move his hand, he's going to lose it. "Barry's hurt and as the only one around with medical knowledge, it is my responsibility to make sure that his injuries aren't life threatening."
"He's fine." Oliver insisted, digging in his heels to stand his ground. "He's a speedster. His healing factor will kick in and he'll be good as new in no time."
"Let go man. For the love of god, let go!" Cisco wanted to scream. Oliver was a friend and if it came down to it, this was a fight he wasn't going to win. Did he not learn anything from his marriage to Felicity?
The two of them locked eyes and neither one of them was willing to budge. "Dude chill." Wally interrupted, stepping in between them. "Let Caitlin look him over and we can review the footage. It's been recording all this time."
As much as he liked Oliver, he didn't want to see the man, the first vigilante lying on the floor because he crossed Caitlin. She was downright fearsome when she wanted to be.
Oliver sighed but not before he shared a look with Diggle who only shrugged. "Fine but make it quick. As soon as you're done, I have some questions for him." He stormed off and left the two of them alone.
Barry had his back against the wall which was a comfortable position for him. He watched as Caitlin rushed over with her medical kit. It was unnecessary like Oliver said but he didn't let him know that as well.
She opened her kit and took out some supplies, her eyes already examining his wounds. "Are you okay?"
"I will be." He said, wincing as he tried to push through the pain of broken bones.
"You didn't seem surprised to see him."
He tilted his head to get a better look at her. "Am I that easy to read?"
Caitlin gave him a small smile. "We all have our secrets in our line of work. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one here without a secret but whatever your reasons are, I hope they're worth it."
"That's not true, you know."
"I'm sorry?"
"That you're the only one here without a secret. You do have a secret Caitlin Snow." He lowered his voice and smiled. "I know that you're a coffee lover even though you're trying to convince the rest of them that you love tea."
Her eyes widened. "How did you..."
He remained silent but the smile never left his face. She chalked it up to his past experiences with variants of her but she lightly slapped him on his shoulder. "We should get you into the MRI to make sure there aren't any broken bones that may have healed incorrectly."
"There's no need for that." Barry said, his breathing now returning to normal and the pain subsiding. He pushed himself up and stretched. "Most of my bones have been broken at one point or another in my life so I'm going to pass Caitlin. I appreciate your concern but I don't want to be the guy who gave his doctor nightmares."
She rolled her eyes but made a mental note to ask him about his medical history at a later point. "I'm not giving you the clean bill of health yet Barry."
He laughed and noticed that Oliver was now glaring at him. "Does he always do that?" He asked.
She giggled. "It wouldn't be Oliver if he didn't."
"True. I guess all Olivers are built the same way."
They made their way over to where the rest of the group was. With the video now playing on all monitors, the team watched his interactions with Pariah. By the end of the clip, Barry noticed that Oliver wasn't surprised at all. "You know what's about to happen..." He stared at him and then turned his attention to Diggle and Mia. "Weird. The three of you have been chosen. Strange..." He scratched his head. "Why would he choose so many people? Does he believe this is the Earth that has a fighting chance?"
The four of them shared a look of understanding but it left everyone else out. Ray was the first to raise his hand. "Do you mind looping the rest of us in? We're pretty lost here and there's not a lot of context going around."
Oliver sighed. "As you know, I've been..." He paused, trying to find the right word. "... Away on a mission with Mar Novu." Wally was about to chime in when Oliver stopped him. "Yes, the Monitor and I made a deal since our last encounter and I think it's time I told you what really happened Wally..."
"You mean when we Freaky Friday each other."
"Yes... then..." Oliver dryly replied. Mia shot him a quizzical look which he responded with one of his signature, I'll tell you later look.
"He knew that there was a bigger threat coming so we went looking for champions that can rise up and fight. Of course, everyone knows that during this battle, Wally is destined to vanish but we worked out a plan. Gather as many heroes as possible, heroes that are destined for greatness and have them come to this point in time to fight. To make one final stand for Earth. Win and we survive. Lose and we disappear. Past. Present. Future. Everything is on the line."
"And what about Pseudo Yellow Blur over there?" Cisco pointed at Barry. "Is he part of the plan?"
"No." Oliver answered. "Mar Novu and I didn't see him pop up. In fact, he doesn't even know who you are... and he knows everybody." He turned his back and without warning, he quickly turned around and fired off two arrows aimed for Barry.
The projectiles harmlessly whizzed by Ray who flinched and took cover. The rest of the team had mixed reactions. There were some who started to back away, knowing that a fight was about to break out. Others started chastising Oliver for doing something so reckless but Barry found it irritating.
From the moment Oliver turned around, he knew what was going to happen. How could he not? He met other Oliver's on other Earths and they all behave similarly. He expected this sort of thing to happen but what he didn't anticipate was for his daughter to react in the same manner as well.
He guessed it's true about what they say. Like father, like daughter.
He toyed with the idea of playing around with the arrows to allow them to harmlessly pass by him but that was kind of boring. An idea popped into his mind and he decided to remove their kinetic energy. It was simple enough without showing off and the arrows would fall to the ground.
He grinned and then saw Wally looking at him. It looks like their resident speedster was also able to enter FlashTime as well. He gave him a simple wave while walking towards the arrows. A simple touch here. A gentle touch there. Within seconds, he returned to his spot on the wall and exited FlashTime.
Their voices started up again but were quickly silenced when the arrows dropped to the ground, not even traveling half way. He leisurely walked over and picked up the arrows, not bothering to hide the smirk on his face. He handed them back to Oliver. "I don't care if you trust me or not but Mar Novu chose this Earth for a reason. I know you have a plan and there is a threat coming. Focus on that and not on me."
Oliver took the arrows back but a confused look still remained on his face. "How are you still moving? I anticipated you stopping the arrows somehow so I laced them with nanites courtesy of Ray Palmer. These nanites were designed to stop and contain any speedster.
Barry chuckled. "Nanites aren't going to stop me." To prove his point, he started vibrating his entire body and small pockets of black smoke started rising up into the air. "It's not a bad idea though, using nanites to stop a speedster but unless you're hardcoding their genetic makeup against the speedforce, this is like throwing sand at my feet."
Oliver grunted and dropped the arrows back into his quiver. "One wrong move and I swear..."
"You'll put two in my back. I know."
STAR Labs - In the Kitchen
After receiving an update from Ray, Sara decided it was best to come see the situation for herself. Everyone was talking about the end of the world but no one even bothered to talk about their newest speedster. That either meant he wasn't a threat nor was he useful. In any case, her curiosity was peaked and after talking to Cisco, she wandered into the kitchen. She nonchalantly pressed on her ear piece to communicate with Gideon. "Hey Gideon?" She whispered. "What can you tell me about Barry Allen?"
"Nothing that wasn't already in the CCPD files Captain Lance. He's not a time anomaly so I unfortunately don't have a lot of information about him."
"That's not a problem Gideon. Thank you."
She pondered to herself before grabbling a cup of coffee so that she could join the mysterious stranger. She easily slid into the seat across from him and flashed him an easygoing smile. "Hey. I'm Sara."
"I know." Barry smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. He recognized her from his own timeline and they had become best of friends. "What can I do for you Sara Lance?"
If she was surprised, she definitely didn't show it. She gave the stranger a quick once over before taking a sip of her coffee as well. "Nothing. I just wanted to introduce myself to the guy whose been causing such a headache for Oliver."
"Nothing too bad I hope."
"Well it's not Oliver if he doesn't glare at you."
Barry laughed. "So what are you doing here Sara? Are you going to jedi-mind trick me into revealing my secrets?"
"I'm just passing by." She vaguely responded, still unable to get a read on the man. She was trained by assassins, trained in the arts of swordsmanship, archery, stealth and killing by the league for years. They honed her instincts to a fine degree that she could tell if a person was a threat or not just by looking at them. But not him. He was an enigma and that left her feeling uneasy.
"That's not bad I guess. Perhaps next time, you'll be able to join me."
She stood up and smiled. "You know, I might take you up on that offer but if you're looking for some company, I hear that there's a certain doctor who couldn't take her hands off you."
His eyebrows raised slightly and she continued. Now that got his attention. "She's a little shy but I'm sure she wouldn't say no if you asked her."
"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to downplay the effect that her words had on him. He knew who she was talking about but he wasn't going to let her know that.
"Oh nothing." She coyly replied. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."
She was testing him. There was that small twinkle in her eyes that he recognized. That was fine with him. Two can play this game. "Color me intrigued." He took a long sip of his iced coffee, never once breaking eye-contact. "What kind of doctor are we talking about here?"
"You mean you don't recognize the sexy brunette with doeful brown eyes and an ass that won't quit?"
That question caught him off guard and he choked. The cold liquid went up his nose and the burning sensation lasted a few more seconds. He coughed and reached for a napkin but by the time he looked up, she was already gone.
Touche Sara Lance. Touche.
In another part of Central City, near the outskirts of town
Pariah materialized in an abandoned field, looking pleased at the location. The wraiths were circling the sky, every one of them flying in a random direction. He could feel the energy radiating from here and was about to siphon it away when a breach opened up and Wally ran out. His feet skidded along the gravel and stopped, finding himself face to face with the man that was once Nash Wells.
"Nash."
"Pariah."
"Nash." Wally tried once more. "I know you can hear me. Come on man. You gotta snap out of it."
"Be gone you insect. My master is coming." Pariah declared, waving his hand and sending out a blast of energy towards Wally. "You're disturbing my sacred ceremony and for that, you will pay with your life."
Wally's eyes widened and his body reacted. He didn't think, he just moved. With the blast of energy coming at him, his instinct saved him from being thrown. He tried once more to get through to Nash but it wasn't working. He zipped past Pariah and continued running. If Pariah considered himself to be a god, then he would knock that godlike being to the ground and get his friend back. He continued speeding away. 10 miles. 50 miles. 100 miles. He stopped and turned around, running at full speed without holding back.
It took seconds but for him, it felt like an eternity. The moment his fist connected with Pariah's face, he felt every single bone in his hand crack. The force behind the punch was so great it knocked both of them to the ground.
Tears filled his eyes as he tried to stop himself from screaming. It wouldn't look good if he was the only speedster who cried today. Even with his speed healing, pain still rippled through his body and he almost blackout from the initial impact. He groaned and rolled onto his knees, trying to see where Pariah landed.
Pariah then gasped for air, his body lunging straight up from the ground. "What the hell was that for West?!"
"Nash?"
"No. I'm freaking Santa Claus. Why the hell did you punch me?!"
Wally ran over and pulled the man into a bear hug. "I'm so glad that you're back!"
Nash looked down and didn't recognize his outfit. "Can you please tell me what is going on? And why is the sky red? And why am I wearing these strange clothes? The last thing I remember was digging through a cave underneath the city..."
"Oh man. I think you messed up big time but that's okay. We're just glad to have you back." Wally pressed the button on his chest and asked Cisco to breach them back home. He also asked if Caitlin could come check Nash out. That was some punch he took.
Nash stepped through the breach and landed on solid ground, his body still wobbly from earlier. He saw the sea of faces staring at him and he merely waved. Some of them he knew. Others, he heard of by reputation but there was one face he would never forget. His anger flared up and he dove towards Barry, throwing his entire body on top of him. "You! You did this! This all started because of you! They died because of you!" He threw several punches at Barry, who raised his arms to protect himself. "You're nothing but a coward!"
"That's enough Nash!" Oliver roared, stepping in and pulling the man aside. "What are you doing?!" He pushed Nash away and created some space between the two. "I need you to explain yourself. Now!" His tone dared him to object but when he saw nothing from Nash, he turned and glared at Barry. "What about you? What does he mean by that?"
Nash huffed and reminded himself of where he was. Sara watched from the sidelines and saw the conflicted emotions on Barry's face. Her eyes drifted over to Caitlin and noticed that she was watching him as well. Her lips turned upward into a smile. She took the opportunity to step forward. "Easy Oliver. Obviously it had to be something big to get that kind of reaction out of Nash. Now I don't know either one of them so I'm going to go out on a limb here and give Barry a chance to explain himself." She paused and then frowned. "Without your patent death glare please."
"I don't have a death glare." Oliver muttered but relented nonetheless.
Barry saw the look on Caitlin's face and his heart dropped. This was bound to happen. With everyone now looking at him for answers, he felt uneasy. He didn't want the news to come out like this. "This mess.. this whole end of the world thing..." He found himself starting at the beginning. "... It's because of me."
"What. Did. You. Do?" Oliver growled, his hands holding onto two very sharp arrows. "I swear, if the reason why my family is in danger, I will end you."
"It's... I..." He bit his tongue and tried to look away.
"Barry." Caitlin spoke up, her gentle voice urging him to look at her. "Whatever happened, we can fix this."
There she goes again. With that optimistic view of hers. He forced himself to look away, knowing that the few minutes would destroy whatever trust they've built together.
"It's because you didn't die like you were supposed to, you coward!" Nash yelled, pulling himself away from Diggle and marching up to the front of the room. "All of this started because you didn't die on your Earth!"
Everyone gasped at the revelation but Barry didn't react. He felt his anxiety reaching a breaking point and he disappeared from the room.
With Barry gone, everyone now turned to Nash for answers. Caitlin for one grabbed onto his arm and narrowed her eyes. "What did you mean by that?" She dangerously asked.
Nash winced from her nails digging into his skin. "Alright Snow! Let go already!" He shouted, yanking his arm free. "Barry was supposed to perish with everyone in his universe. That was his destiny but because he ran away, he revealed to the Anti-Monitor that there were more universes out there. An infinite amount to be exact and now, he's coming here because Barry's here. If he died like he was supposed to, none of this would have happened! We would have been safe but not anymore." He angrily spat on the ground. "Barry ran away like a coward and because he did, he was cursed to witness the destruction of other worlds."
"That's horrible." Caitlin muttered. "Punished for wanting to survive..."
"What do we do now Nash?" Sara asked. "You and this Pariah shared the same body. Surely you must know what's coming."
"I do." Nash grimly said. "And I'm not going to sugarcoat this. It's going to be difficult because what's coming is unlike anything any of us faced before. I don't blame anyone for running away but if we're going to win, we need to stand together and fight. That's the only way."
"And how is that any different from what Barry did?" Caitlin asked, a feeling of irritation towards the man who just threw Barry under the bus.
"We're not like Barry." Iris stated, speaking for everyone. "No one here is going to run away, not when the fate of our world is on the line. Like Nash said, we're going to do what's necessary to ensure that we win."
"So what's the plan then?" Sara asked.
Wally shrugged and then redirected the question right back at her. "Isn't that why you're here Sara? The captain of a ship whose crew was labeled more dangerous than the time variants themselves? The crew that even the time bureau couldn't even control?"
She opened her mouth to defend her team but then stopped when she realized that Wally was just egging her on. "We did save history numerous times..."
"Then it's settled! Between Oliver and yourself, I couldn't imagine anyone more qualified to lead us into battle. What do you say Captain Lance? Do you think you can lead us to victory?"
Sara rolled her eyes but accepted the nomination for leader. She glanced over at Oliver who merely nodded, a surprised smile on his face. "Fine. Let's get this over with!"
Ray cheered the loudest and stood by her side, the biggest smile on his face.
"You know he called us idiots right?" She whispered to him.
He nodded in response. "I'm sure he said that affectionately but hey, no matter what. We're always going to be your idiots." He then held up his wrist communicator and looked at her expectantly. "Should I get the band together? Maybe it's time we set history instead of changing it."
She had a reply ready but after seeing that look on his face, she changed her mind. "Let's do it Ray."
Roof of S.T.A.R Labs
At times like this, she wished she was a speedster herself. For the better part of the hour, she went around the building looking for Barry. It wasn't until Cisco texted her with his location that she found herself walking up to the roof of the building.
As she pushed through the heavy doors, she saw him leaning against a ledge, staring off into the horizon. She walked up to him and stood there, unsure of what to say to him.
"Hey." Barry said after a few seconds.
"Hey." She responded while mentally kicking herself. She has multiple phDs and the best she could muster was hey?
"I'm sorry Caitlin." He apologized, breaking the ice between them.
"For what?"
"For..." His voice trailed off. There were so many things he wanted to apologize for but he didn't actually know what he should tell her first. He sighed and shook his head. He was frustrated with himself. Nash probably told her everything already so why was he so afraid to tell her the truth? He turned and looked at her. "I'm sorry for bringing this mess to your Earth. If it wasn't for me, your Earth wouldn't be facing this crisis."
"We're going to be fine Barry." Caitlin said, reassuring him. "We faced much worse odds before and they're working on a plan as we speak."
"Don't say that." He shook off his grim tone and turned around, suddenly finding the city interesting. "You have no idea what's going to happen..."
"Then talk to me Barry. I can't even begin to imagine how horrible it must be for you to live through this. Watching universes fall without doing anything to save them..."
"Three hundred and twenty-seven."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"I saw three hundred and twenty-seven worlds fall because I was powerless to save them." He heard her gasping and looked away. He didn't want her pity. He didn't deserve it. "I've never once not tried to save any of them... I've always tried..."
"Barry..."
"No." He firmly answered. "Don't you dare tell me this isn't my fault Caitlin. I've already had this conversation so many times with so many different people that I know how it's going to go. You'll first tell me that I was only one man, taking on a being that's out of my league and it shouldn't fall on my shoulders but you know what? It is my fault. It does fall on my shoulders and it did start with me."
She felt the raw emotional pain in his voice and saw the huge burden that Barry was carrying around. The guilt was eating away at him and it broke her heart. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a soft but firm squeeze. "How many of those conversations were with me? I mean a variation of me?" She asked. "You know, since you told me before that whenever you meet a Flash, you also meet a Caitlin Snow."
He lightly chuckled, appreciating her attempt to change his mood. "Most of them." He replied, turning back around so that he could face her. "You were always very insightful." His lips turned upward into a small smile, his eyes mesmerized by how beautiful she looked right now.
"Then it must be true right Barry? If all the Caitlins that you met on your journey told you the same thing, then isn't that a universal constant?"
"Then it must be true." He muttered, smiling at her. For a moment, he felt the pressure lifted from his shoulders and it was just the two of them on this rooftop, enjoying each other's company. It was a nice feeling but his heart ached knowing how this was going to end.
"Where would you go if you had only one night left Barry?" She asked, curious to know more about him. "Anywhere in the world... there's no limitations."
"I would spend it right here... staring into the night sky... with someone like you."
"That sounds romantic..." She whispered, trying to fight off the blush on her cheeks.
"Hey... Cait... If it was your last night as well, would you like to join me?"
She usually wasn't one for nicknames and was particular on who gives her one but with him... it just felt so natural. The way that it rolled off the tongue. Cait... she repeated his nickname for her. She wouldn't tell him now but she rather liked it. She promised herself that she would tell him after this was over... That way, she would have something to look forward to.
"That's a promise Mr. Allen."
Before their conversation could continue further, the skies suddenly turned black. They felt something ominous and their skin crawled and their stomach dropped. Caitlin's phone vibrated and she quickly read the text. "Cisco wants us back down in the lab." She turned and looked at Barry, her eyes silently asking him if he was going to follow. He nodded and she went back first.
"I'm going to save you this time Caitlin." Barry whispered as he watched her run back downstairs. "I won't let you die again." Electricity surged through his body and cackled in the air. He felt speed running through his veins and without any hesitation, he disappeared from the roof of the building. Leaving nothing but a small gust of wind behind.
Outskirts of Central City - same location where Pariah once were.
It took him a few seconds to make it to the epicenter but when he arrived, he wasn't surprised to see Jim standing there, waiting for him. He spared the man a second look before readying himself. His entire being, straight to his core, told him that this was the spot. Ever since he first encountered the monster, they became linked.
"You know what you must do."
"I know."
"We won't get a second shot at this." Jim grunted and his eyes radiated green with power. "Everything that we sacrifice for. It comes down to this one moment."
"I know!" Barry grumbled. "You don't need to tell me, Jim. I've been preparing for this just as long as you have."
"Do not lecture me Barry. You're not the one who can hear the souls of people who gave their lives for this opportunity."
"Then let's not let their sacrifice be in vain. Everything is here on this Earth. We need to make this count."
The two shared one final look and then Jim closed his eyes. He felt the power of the Specter, the spirit of God's vengeance, begging to be free to do its duty. They met very early in Barry's journey, sheltering together in the speed force whenever the end was near. They were forced to watch helplessly as worlds perished one by one, the spirit of vengeance crying out in agony as it couldn't do its sacred duty.
"He's coming!" Jim yelled as he transferred the eternal green flame of the Specter into Barry. His body dropped to the ground, exhausted from the power transfer.
They spent months perfecting this technique, making sure that Barry was a suitable host. One wrong move and Barry would have died, burned by the spirit itself.
Barry pushed through the burning pain, allowing his healing factor to keep the new power under control. His eyes watched as reality started fracturing right before him and a dark, ominous figure stepped through the cracks.
The monster's dead eyes stared at the two men that greeted him at his ascension, recognizing them immediately. "Run little mice." He bellowed. "Run like you always have."
"I won't run anymore." Barry yelled. "This is the last time you'll ever threaten a universe!"
A breach suddenly opened besides him and this world's heroes appear one by one, ready to fight for their planet.
"So this is what Mar Novu warned me about." Oliver muttered, staring at the towering monster standing before them. "The Anti-Monitor."
"I thought this wasn't your fight Barry." Wally teased, reciting his words back to him.
Barry grunted. "The ghosts weren't my fight. Pariah wasn't my fight but him? He's been my fight."
The Anti-Monitor stared at the heroes, unaffected by their numbers. He had fought heroes before and this time wouldn't be any different. They will fall like ants before his feet, just like time and time again. He lifted his hand and opened his palm, summoning a huge concentrated blast of pure energy. "I will make you beg for death."
As quickly as he declared his intentions, Barry was already one step ahead. He took the opportunity and ran forward, intending on closing the distance and ending the fight as quickly as possible. With the power of the Specter flowing through him, he threw several hard punches, imbued with both Specter and Speedforce energy.
Every time his fists connected, he felt his bones cracking and pain recoiling through him. If it wasn't for his healing factor and the huge power boost from Jim, this wouldn't even be possible so he mustered through it. Throwing punches with everything that he had.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the rest of them gearing up to launch their attacks so he backed off, running back as his feet skidded along the ground. His body was bursting with power, crying to be released but he didn't give in. His concentration alone was keeping everything contained.
He clutched his right hand, tightly compacting the conflicting energies as possible and then ran straight back into the fight. He ducked under the slow moving arrows, sidestepped the beams from Ray's plasma weapons and made contact with the monster's face. A loud sonic boom resulted from the impact. The below caused everyone to shield their eyes and then their attention was on Barry, a few of them were flabbergast. His body rolled against the ground, tears in his eyes as unfathomable pain ripped through his body. At this point, he wasn't even sure if he had a hand anymore.
For the first time in forever, the Anti-monitor felt pain and it wasn't an annoying pain. He actually felt that and as he went to wipe the blood that was dripping down the side of his face, his eyes filled with rage. He stared at the insects standing before him but zeroed in to the insignificant bug that did the most damage. "That hope you have little mouse. I'm going to enjoy crushing it."
His eyes now turned red, beams of energy flying out without hesitation.
"Scatter!" Wally yelled and everyone jumped out of the way.
Ray shrank himself and flew through the air. His eyes watched in amazement as the beams twisted and turned in midair, defying the laws of the universe as they zeroed in on a specific target.
Barry saw this attack many times before so his legs were already moving the moment the attack happened. He sped away from the area, knowing that the beams would follow him to the ends of the Earth.
With Barry gone, the Anti-Monitor passively stared at the remaining heroes, unfazed by them. "I've faced heroes like you before. Kneel before me and I will spare you before I destroy this universe."
Sara twirled her bo-staff and pointed one end at their enemy. "That's big talk from someone who hasn't faced us before. We've gone up against foes much stronger and bigger than us and yet, they still fell. You will not be any different."
"You will know fear." His voice rumbled through the area. "You will know death." He snapped his fingers and Pariah appeared, kneeling besides his master while holding onto some kind of weapon.
"Nash?!" Wally yelled, stepping forward. He was about to run over there when Oliver grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Let me go Oliver!"
"That's not Nash anymore." Oliver pointed out. "Look at his eyes."
Pariah stood up and glared at them. "Silence fools. In mere moments, none of this will matter." He turned towards his master and waited for his cue. The Anti-Monitor nodded and Pariah turned the weapon on.
Ray's in-helmet scanner started beeping like crazy and he landed beside the team. "Uh guys... that weapon that Pariah has... my sensors are going crazy with the amount of energy it's generating." His eyes widened as he continued to read the numbers until his system crashed. "Oh crap."
"No shit Ray. We can sense it from here." Sara retorted and she glanced at Oliver. It didn't take a genius to know just how dangerous it was. They could all feel it.
"Once this goes off, you'll all cease to exist!" Pariah laughed and then stared at Jim. "Except for you, Specter. You and the fool will remain alive, forever standing by our side as you watch these people perish. And just like last time, there will be nothing that you nor that speedster can do!"
"I.. wouldn't.. count on it." Jim grunted and then watched as Barry sped by, the beams still chasing him. This was the moment that they were waiting for.
Barry ran straight towards Pariah and then without hesitation, phased through the weapon. The beams followed suit and collided with the weapon.
Pariah started to laugh. "You don't know what you just did."
"No... Weapon... means.. no... destruction." Barry said while catching his breath. His eyes then widened with the energy from the weapon started to leak out.
"You thought my master's attack would destroy this weapon? Oh how desperate you must be if you were thinking that. It's quite the opposite actually. It is my master's energy that powers this weapon in the first place! All you did was give it a little powerup!"
And there it was. The link that Barry and Jim were looking for. There was no way for them to fight the Anti-Monitor head on. They needed to figure out how to cripple him first. They suspected it was the weapon since whenever it came out, the Anti-Monitor would remain immobile while Pariah acted like a guard. They could never destroy the weapon before but something was different here. There was more power on this Earth than any others.
Barry closed his eyes and searched deep within himself, finding the speed force energy that surged through his body. He needed her one last time to end this nightmare.
Wally suddenly felt his legs go weak and he dropped down to the ground. Diggle noticed first and caught him. "Are you okay Wally?" He asked.
"I'm not sure." He responded. "I'm feeling very weak..." He turned towards Barry to see if he was experiencing the same thing. "It's like the speed force is being drained from me..." His words trailed off when he realized what was happening. "What.. is he... doing?!" He slowly muttered.
While everyone's attention was focused elsewhere, an explosion occurred and a huge energy vortex started forming where the weapon once stood. Pariah found himself in an unfortunate situation as he was slowly getting sucked in. The more he struggled, the more he was losing his footing. He reached out to his master, begging for help. "Master please! Save me."
The Anti-Monitor stared at his servant, not giving him a second glance.
With renewed energy, Barry ran towards Pariah and punched him in the face. The concentrated energy was more than enough to knock him unconscious. "It looks like I have the last laugh Pariah." He threw the unconscious Nash towards Ray who easily caught the man. He turned his attention back to the energy vortex, unaffected by its gravitational pull. His fingers weaved through the air, gently touching upon the massive amount of energy that was leaking out.
He felt another presence coming up from behind him and turned around, surprised to see Oliver slowly inching his way over. As he looked closer, he saw strands of green energy surrounding him. Looks like Jim trusted this man enough to give him a power boost.
"What are you doing?" He loudly asked. "Turn around!"
"You can't take him alone. Let me help you!" Oliver yelled over the roaring winds.
"He was right, you know. I am a coward. If I had the courage to die when I was supposed to, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have discovered the multiverse. This is all my fault Oliver."
"So what? We all make mistakes Barry! We're all here to help! Just don't do anything stupid!"
"This is how it was always supposed to go." Barry said, taking a moment to look at everyone. "You guys needed a fighting chance so I'm going to give it to you. I finally understand why she kept me alive until now... It was all for this."
"I don't understand Barry! What are you trying to say?"
"Tell Caitlin that I'm sorry for breaking my promise."
"Tell her yourself!" Oliver yelled. "You'll see her after this!" He finally reached where Barry was and grabbed onto his shoulders.
"Looks like I won't get to see this world's night sky after all..." Tears fell from his face as he stared at Oliver. He wasn't his world's Green Arrow but there was a sense of kinship. Maybe if things turned out differently, they could have been brothers on this Earth as well. "Remember to tell her Oliver Queen." With his final words, he siphoned the last of the specter's energy from him before throwing him at Cisco.
Taking one last moment to look around, he found himself oddly at peace. Without a second thought, Barry took everything with him. the immeasurable amount of energy from the swirling vortex, the speedforce and the specter. He compressed the three different kinds of energy and ran towards his final destination.
As he got closer with every step, his vision started wavering and things became blurry but that was okay. As long as he could see that monster, it was good enough for him. His heart continued to pound against his chest and a heavy darkness soon fell on him as he ran. His last thoughts were of this Earth... and of her.
Epilogue
For what seemed like an eternity, he discovered warmth once again. It comes and goes and he couldn't understand why. All he wanted was for that warmth to stay in this pitch darkness of a void.
Voices soon came. Probably punishment for his actions but he would never admit defeat. He longed to hear people talking, hers most of all.
Was the afterlife just playing with him? Taunting him with fleeing moments of warmth and human interaction? He supposed he deserved it, for the sins he committed.
Every once in a while, he could hear her voice calling his name but his eyes saw nothing but darkness. Was it the speedforce calling for him to come home? He supposed he would never know.
There it goes again, someone was playing tricks on him but he gave in. Longing does that to a person. He felt his eyes slowly open, expecting to see nothing but darkness but not this time. It was bright and everything was blurry. Does he dare hope that he was finally someplace else?
The voices didn't disappear, only growing louder with each passing second. His vision started to clear up, starting to make out the shapes and figures of people standing in front of him.
Slowly but surely, he was able to recognize their faces. There were some that he didn't know but hers. He could pick her out from a crowd.
"Am... I... dead?" It was raspy and dry but what do you expect from someone who hasn't spoken in forever. "What a... cruel... afterlife..." He coughed a few more times.
He heard her giggle and his heart started to find hope. It offered him an olive branch but he doesn't take it. He learned that the hard way.
"Welcome home Barry." Caitlin softly whispered. She placed her tablet on a nearby table and gently reached for his hands. "You endured a burden that no one should have carried alone. You made the greatest sacrifice a stranger could have made and saving you..." She couldn't keep her emotions in check anymore and her eyes started to tear up. "And saving you... it was the least I could have done."
After all those weeks she spent searching for him, begging Wally to keep a portal into the speed force opened, she finally found him. "You saved my world Barry... You saved me..."
"...Tis... nothing." Barry weakly replied.
"Now please get some rest Barry. I can't have my savior flaking on his promise just because he didn't listen to his doctor's orders."
"Promise?"
She smiled back at him. "You promised me a night with the stars didn't you?"
"I did didn't I... Cait..." He softly answered, closing his eyes contently. "Soon."
The End
Let me know what you guys think.