Earth 1, Central City/Star City
''You knew we'd have to deal with this sooner or later'' Iris pointed out.
She was right, Barry admitted to himself. It had been inevitable that young Barry would begin dating at some point. Now he did have a girlfriend, albeit a bit of a long distance one. He'd met Saffron James when his school year had gone to a science fair. They'd been communicating electronically in the five weeks since then and now young Barry had got permission from Iris and HR to show her round the official part of STAR Labs.
If she was part of young Barry's life, at least for the time being, the other Barry was going to have to meet her - which would involve quite a bit of explaining.
''It's hardly as if she's going to know about other Earths'' the older Barry began, then stopped short at the look on his younger doppelganger's face. ''What?''
''I told her weeks ago'' young Barry confessed. ''She wants to visit Greenworld one day. She wants to go to where I came from as well, but I told her she wouldn't like it.''
It was all the older Barry could do not to explode. Young Barry so often seemed unable to see beyond the end of nose - telling all this to a girl he barely knew when the authorities were hunting people from other Earths.
''Were you any different when you were in your teens?'' Iris pointed out. That thought didn't exactly help.
Half-reluctantly, he'd taken the chance of this tour around the labs to meet this Saffron. Most of the Flash team had. He had to admit, despite the circumstances, he was quite impressed by young Barry's choice - or maybe that should be his taste. She was attractive, intelligent and she took the existence of other Earths, doppelgangers etc completely in her stride. She was also genuinely fond of young Barry, which put the older Barry more at ease.
There was something about her that was familiar - and was a bit like an itch he couldn't scratch - until it happened to emerge that she was the niece of Dinah Drake the Star City police captain, who was also a friend of Oliver and Laurel.
X
Oliver.
Oliver had come to see him, wrestling with a decision and needing to talk it over with someone outside his own team. To take up the offer of going into the A.R.G.I.S. fold or not?
It was a question that Barry himself had been addressing, sine the passing of the Anti-Vigilante Laws. There were clauses in that which could equally apply to meta-humans.
''Anyone who's different'' Killer Frost remarked.
Barry had had a long talk with Joe on the subject of what to do in the face of the new Laws.
''Stay put'' had been the essence of Joe's advice. Barry and the others wouldn't be suited to A.R.G.U.S., an organisation that was too ready to get its hands dirty, in his opinion.
He turned out to be right - a group of ill-intentioned meta-humans banded together for a crime spree plus general mayhem. Joe, together with others of the same mind, pushed the argument that good meta-humans had the best chance of defeating the bad ones. With a few pockets of grumbling, it was accepted. For now.
X
''Who are they?'' Vandal Savage wanted to know. Although the idea of meta-human villains was a good one, he hadn't set it up. Someone else was taking a hand in the game.
X
''It's a test'' Mallam told Persusis. Matching meta-humans against each other would enable him to evaluate their potential as allies - or enemies. Plus, he found gladiatorial contests entertaining.
X
Oliver, having talked it over with Barry, concluded that the Arrow team faced a quite different situation from the Flash's.
''They can't really be labelled vigilantes'' he told the assembled group, in a meeting at the bunker. Felicity was there - but only on a 'loaned' basis. Diggle, he knew, would be happier focussing on his role in A.R.G.U.S. for the time being at least. Evelyn had already switched over.
They'd all had time to think it over. Now he wanted to know what they thought about the idea of merging into A.R.G.U.S.
'It would still be very much my team'' hr emphasised.
Laurel was the first to speak. ''I've decided to take leave of absence'' she began. ''There are two other Canaries now and I think I'd more use staying on as Assistant D.A.'' Although she didn't say so, staying near Adrian had been a deciding factor in her decision.
Diggle gave a straight forward consent to the move.
Thea and Roy went into a huddle to talk about it, emerging a few minutes later to jointly say ''Yes.''
Curtis and Rene looked at each other, both undecided, but for different reasons. Sometimes A.R.G.U.S. crossed lines that Curtis thought shouldn't be crossed. Rene was not keen on government authorities and all that went with that.
''It'll be my team, my rules - unless it's hers'' Oliver added, when Felicity nudged him in the ribs.
In the end, the last two agreed. For now.