DC || The Flash || DC || The Flash || Legacy of a Speedster || The Flash || DC || The Flash || DC
Title: The Flash: Legacy of a Speedster
Fandom: DC Comics / Arrowverse
Disclaimer: All rights concerning the Arrowverse reserved to Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, all rights for the comics reserved to DC. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: character death, hurt/comfort, fluff, m/f, polyamory (m/m/m)
Pairings: Henry/Nora, Harrison/Libby, Mick/Len/Barry
DC Characters: Bartholomew 'Barry' Allen, Henry Jay Garrick, Nora Allen, Wallace 'Wally' West, Iris West, Joe West, Harrison Wells, Elizabeth 'Libby' Chambers, Jesse Chambers Wells, Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, Leonard Snart, Mick Rory, Jefferson Pierce, Alvin Pierce
Summary: When he was twenty-five, Jay Garrick gained super-speed in a freak accident at university. He uses his new powers to become a hero, become the first Flash and fight crime alongside his closest friends. Until a villain kills his wife and frames him for the murder. He was supposed to teach his son Barry how to be a speedster, instead he goes to prison. Now it's up to his former partner Harrison Wells to teach Barry.
The Flash
Legacy of a Speedster
At age nineteen, Henry Garrick started going by his middle name, Jay. It seemed easier, because there were two other Henrys in his class at college and he just didn't quite mind.
And at age twenty five, Jay Garrick started going by the Flash.
It all started with Jay's college friends, Elizabeth Chambers and Harrison Wells. At first, Jay had thought Harry was just a mad scientist – the fun kind. That his ideas were simply theoretical in nature, crazy ideas to laugh at and talk over when they met at a bar. A particle accelerator.
That was, until Harry actually built a miniature prototype of it at their school. Jay and Libby had been there with him, wanting to drag Harry out of his lab to go and get some beers with them.
"No, no, no! You have to look at it first!" exclaimed Harry in excitement.
He rushed over toward some control panel to show them something, stumbling over his own two feet. Libby heaved a fond sigh and turned to look at Jay, who simply shook his head.
"Okay, buddy. Whatever it is, make it quick. There's a cold beer with my name on it out there."
"If you take too long here, I will be going home and you will be sleeping on the couch, Harrison," warned Libby, her arms crossed. "Because I know this. This leads to five more hours of science."
"No, I promise. I just have to show you," assured Harry.
That was the last clear memory Jay had before the explosion. How exactly it had happened, what had happened, he didn't know. He could still hear Libby's scream though and the pain as the wall caved in and the ceiling came down on them. Everything turned black for a while. When he came back to it, his ears were ringing, his head was aching and he could see Libby struggling to climb out of the rubble, screaming for Harrison. Once he was able to free himself, Jay joined her.
"Man, Harry, that is the last time I'll indulge in your science," grunted Jay. "You scared me."
Him and Libby carefully dragged Harry out from beneath the remains of the outside wall. That was when they noticed the large hole behind them and the people outside screaming. The three friends made it out and into safety, but were terrified to see the extend of the damage. The explosion had completely destroyed the entire room and torn off parts of the rooms next to it, causing enough structural damage to make part of the building cave in above them, including huge junks of concrete and stones that had fallen onto the sidewalk. Though still in shock himself, Jay found himself walking toward a screaming, panicked looking man.
"My son! My son, he was running ahead, he was... We are just visiting here. The game. The baseball game. I thought it would be good, he seemed so happy. He is... Where is he?"
"The game, right. Yeah. You from Freeland then?" Jay tried to sound soothing, getting the man's attention. "Your son, how old is he? What's his name? I'll help you look for him."
"Jefferson. His name is Jefferson," replied the man. "He's six years old. Please, I have to find him."
A kid was in danger and it didn't matter that Jay's ears were still ringing, he was going to help this man find his son. Jay ran off, toward the rubble on the sidewalk and street. The thing was, when he ran, it felt like time slowed down around him and suddenly, he was beneath the rubble, as though he had just walked through it. Only months later would he learn that if he concentrated hard enough, he could phase through solid objects with their newly gained speed. In this case, it had been pure adrenaline and luck. The broken wall-pieces had fallen to form a tent over the boy, leaving him mostly unharmed aside from some scratches. Jay quickly crouched down.
"Hey there, kiddo," Jay couched slightly. "You must be Jefferson, right?"
"Y... Yes, sir," the little boy stared up at him in surprise.
"Your dad's worried for you. How about we get out of here?" suggested Jay, gathering the kid up.
The boy was too weak to push the stones above them out of the way, but stemming his back against them, Jay managed to carefully push at least the smaller one off and allow the both of them to crawl out. Jefferson's dad was standing next to them with tears in his eyes.
"There you go, sir," Jay smiled as he handed the child over.
That was it. That was the very first life Jay Garrick had saved after he got his powers, weeks before he ever became the Flash, decades before the Justice League would come to be.
/1980\
"This looks ridiculous," complained Harry as he turned over.
"I think it suits you. Your bum's looking cute in it," Libby smirked.
Jay rolled his eyes at them, regarding his own, red uniform. Libby had made those for them. Their own clothes didn't do well with the speed. Something Jay had realized in utter mortification when testing the limits of his abilities. Speed was what the three of them had gained. Whatever had happened, whatever had gone wrong, it had accelerated the three of them. The impact of the explosion had given them the ability to access inhuman speed. While Harry quickly became obsessed with studying them – getting to the bottom of their abilities, testing their limits – Jay saw this as a gift to do good. He wanted to use it to help others. That seemed like a good way to see the limitations of their powers, Harry decided. Libby was the one to voice that they definitely couldn't go out as they were; people would want to figure out where their powers came from and they'd endanger their friends and families with it too. So she designed them uniforms. Costumes. To hide their identities, and made of a material that could withstand the force of the speed.
"Names," stated Jay suddenly. "We need names too. We can't call each other Harry, Jay and Libby. People at the university would quickly figure out it's the three of us."
Harry's outfit was yellow and red – a red shirt and yellow pants. Both tight-fitted, better for running. Libby wore yellow pants and a blue shirt. Jay's was a red shirt and blue pants. Blue, red, yellow. She'd color-cooridinated them. Though Jay felt like something was missing about his suit.
"Johnny Quick," offered Harry after a beat.
"Johnny Quick?" echoed Libby with a frown. "Your name is Harrison."
"Exactly. Everyone will be looking for a John or Jonathan then. Not a Harrison."
"Mh..." Libby tilted her head thoughtful. "I was thinking about something more epic for myself. Something with, I don't know, justice or liberty or something."
"What do you think about the Flash?" asked Jay eagerly.
He was holding up a newspaper, the front-page covering how Jay had stopped a bank-robbery. A hero arrived in a flash!, was what it claimed, the picture above the headline a blur that was indistinguishable, thanks to the speed in which Jay had entered and acted.
"Sure, just take a random word from the newspaper, Garrick," Harry heaved a sigh.
"The Flash, Johnny Quick and... Lady Justice?" Jay looked at Libby who shook her head vehemently. "Okay, still a work-in-progress on that one then. But, I think we can make this work."
/1985\
Jay Garrick was in love. Madly, deeply in love, in a manner he had never experienced before.
"God, you're insufferable, Garrick," commented Harry unimpressed.
"Shush, I think it's cute," Libby grinned, swatting at her fiance's arm.
"She is amazing," whispered Jay with a heavy, deep sigh. "She is so beautiful... When she smiles..."
Harry groaned, rubbing his forehead. "That you even found the time to meet someone."
"I mean, he did meet her on campus," Libby chuckled.
"Yes, yes, wonderful. Can we concentrate on the now? The debriefing?" requested Harry.
"You're such a grump, love," Libby pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
"I'm just focused," argued Harry. "We managed to round up most of the enhanced bad guys. Most. But not all of them and it's already been five years, you know..."
Jay hummed in agreement. The explosion five years ago had sent a ripple through the city and the three of them were not the only ones affected by it. Many people had developed abilities. Some just lived their lives, trying not to draw attention, but the majority used their powers for their own gain. Robbing banks, hurting people. As the ones responsible for the explosion, the three of them donned their superhero identities to right these wrongs. But five years later and they were still at it, helping the city even beyond the criminals affected by the explosion. They had become heroes. Super heroes, as they were called nowadays. It was a lot of responsibility and pressure.
"It has been five years and we're not going to find the solution tonight either," stated Libby. "Let's call it a night, get ready. I don't want to keep Jay's girlfriend waiting."
Harry threw her a glare. They always did this, sitting around, running through what went right and wrong after a mission. Harry wanted all the data at all times; wanted to improve them, their technique. He also wanted to gather all the information on the enhanced humans – metas, as he had come to call them. The scientist was trying to break down why only some people were affected and why they were affected in different ways, developing different powers. His theory on why the three of them were the same was because they were at the center of the explosion.
"For the record, I'm still not a fan of telling her the truth," stated Harry with a glare.
"I love her, Harry," Jay looked at him seriously. "I love her deeply. I think she's the one. Imagine going home to Libby and having to lie to her about all of this."
Harry's face softened at that and he heaved a sigh. "It's dangerous telling her..."
"I want to ask her to move in together and I can't continue lying to her when I ask for that kind of commitment," argued Jay. "I literally couldn't, because how can I explain running off and disappearing every single time the Flash shows up."
The three of them walked out of the lab together, heading to Nora's place. Nora Allen. Jay had run into her at the coffee-shop on campus and just one smile from her and he had forgotten his own name. After that, he came back there, hoping to see her again. On the second run-in, he got to learn her name. By the third time, he got her phone-number. By now, he was head over heels in love.
"Ah. So the three of you could make it on time. I'm surprised," Nora smiled teasingly as she opened the door for them. "Come inside, it's biting cold outside tonight."
"Nora," Libby pulled her into a hug, kissing cheeks left and right.
The four of them had a lot of double-dates with each other, but the longer this relationship went on, the worse Jay felt about lying to her. He'd been pushing Harry for weeks now to make him agree. This wasn't just Jay's secret, after all. All three of them had to agree. Finally, he had worn Harry down. Jay knew, deep in his heart, that they could trust Nora with this. Because he also knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
"It smells wonderful, Nora," offered Harry with a polite smile.
The guy was so awkward. Sometimes, Jay wondered how he had managed to make Libby fall for him in the first place. With a smile did Jay head toward the kitchen to help and set the table.
"You seem tense, Henry," whispered Nora as she approached him from behind.
"Ah. Yes. Well. There was something I wanted to talk to you about. I'm just... trying to figure out how to exactly put it, you know. And I'm nervous about your reaction," admitted Jay.
It was strange, Henry was his first name. There was a time when everyone had called him Henry, but he'd grown so used to being called Jay since entering college. Now, when she called him Henry, it nearly felt like a pet-name. The way she'd say it, the warmth to her voice.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me," Nora gave him a meaningful look.
Okay. Okay, he could do this. He was the Flash, for crying out loud, he ran into burning buildings and caught bullets out of mid-air. He could tell his girlfriend that he did those things. Right?
"I am..." Jay faltered. "I'm the... I'm..."
Nora turned toward him, eyebrows raised and a patient look on her face. Libby in the background chuckled and Harry groaned, clearly annoyed with his flustered state. Both weren't helpful.
"The Flash," blurted Jay out. "I'm the Flash."
Slowly did Nora nod, a small smile on her lips. Where was her reaction? Rage, that he had lied to her? Surprise? Worry? Something, anything. She just smiled at him warmly, melting his heart.
"I'm sorry, am I supposed to act surprised?" Nora raised one eyebrow at him. "I'm a cop, Henry. I would be very bad at my job if I couldn't figure out the obvious clues. The day before meta-humans started running around Central City, Harry's lab exploded. There are three speedsters out there and the three of you have been my prime suspects. Because of the explosion and your fishy behavior. You're so bad at lying, darling. All the excuses for where you were whenever Team Flash is out there, saving the day. At first, I dismissed it, but the more it piled up..."
"...Right," Jay cleared his throat. "So you're not... mad, or something?"
"I understand why you didn't tell me right away," said Nora in a gentle voice. "It's a pretty big... and pretty dangerous... secret. And I'm... Thank you, for trusting me enough to tell me."
"Of course I trust you. I love you," Jay flushed, even more so at the look she gave him.
Her smile warmed as she leaned in to kiss him. "I love you too, Henry Jay Garrick."
/1989\
"You can't be serious, Jay!" Harry screamed, angry and frustrated.
He threw his hands up in the air, stalking up to him, a glare on his face. Jay's jaw set and he averted his eyes. Guilt overwhelmed him, because he understood why Harry was angry. He might have been as angry if the roles were reversed. After taking a deep breath, he raised his head to look at Harry.
"I am serious, Harrison," stated Jay firmly. "All the metas are in prison by now. We help out the police with things the police can largely handle themselves. Our job is dangerous."
"You're giving up. You're giving the team up," Harry glared at him in anger.
"Harry-" Libby's voice was gentle as she reached to grab his arm.
"No," Harry shook her grip loose, glaring at his wife. "Why aren't you angry? He's leaving us."
"He's doing it for his child," whispered Libby. "It's no longer just Jay and Nora."
"I can't... Over the past months, I've hesitated, Harry," admitted Jay, no longer able to look at his best friend. "Running into that burning building last month, I paused. I thought about Nora, about the baby, about missing my son's birth. About him growing up without a dad. I can't... This way, I am a danger to you and others who rely on me. I know I can't do this job anymore, because Barry is all I can think of and I can't... I have to stop being the Flash if I want to be a good father."
"Damn it, Jay-" Harry's fists next to his body were shaking.
His argument was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. All three turned toward it in surprise, as though it had pulled them out of their argument and back to reality. Sluggishly did Jay pick up the phone to see who could be calling and bothering them right now.
"Jay! Jay, it's Joe. We're in the hospital. Nora's water broke, I drove her."
Jay's eyes widened and he nearly dropped the phone. "I'll be there in a flash."
Before the other two speedsters could say anything, Jay was out of his and Nora's apartment. It didn't take him long to find his wife's partner, Officer Joe West. The man was much more than just her partner, he was her best friend. On the daily, they relied on each other out there, having each other's backs. As soon as Joe spotted him, he pulled Jay into a brief hug.
"You're always late, Garrick," Joe grunted. "It took forever to reach you. Come on."
Jay had been on a mission, a final mission, with Libby and Harry and afterward, the argument had kept them busy for over an hour. He let Joe lead the way, dazed by the prospect of meeting his son. In the hospital room was Nora, sweaty and exhausted but smiling.
"There's someone I want you to meet, Henry," whispered Nora.
She was holding a bundle. A tiny bundle. His hands were shaking as he reached for it, pushing the blue blanket away enough to reveal a chubby, little face. His son. Their son. Jay's breath caught in his throat as he stared into those large, innocent eyes. He was absolutely perfect.
"Bartholomew Henry Allen," announced Nora with a smile.
"He looks like he's going to cause a lot of trouble," commented Joe. "Like mother, like son."
"Oh, don't you dare," Nora huffed, swatting at her partner. "He's going to be a good boy."
"The best boy," agreed Jay as he tickled his son's cheek. "Isn't that right, Barry?"
/1993\
"Mommy," Barry tugged on his mom's shirt. "What's wrong?"
His eyes were glued to Harrison Wells, pacing up and down tensely. Nora smiled as she picked up her son to place him on her lap. They were at the hospital, waiting for Libby to get out of surgery. C-section. Harry was driving himself up and down the wall. Only four years ago, he hadn't been able to grasp how Jay could possibly worry this much and center his life around someone who wasn't even born yet, but standing here, waiting for news on his wife and unborn daughter...
"Uncle Harry's just very excited to meet his daughter," explained Nora.
Barry wiggled his little nose. He was so precious. A perfect little angel. Smiling, she leaned in to kiss his cheek, causing him to giggle. Jay stepped up to his best friend, resting a calming hand on Harry's shoulder and making him stop pace. Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle had kept up the good work, even after the Flash had retired. Rumors had been running wild if the Flash was dead. Now, once the pregnancy started showing, Liberty Belle had stepped back from the hero-work too. Jay couldn't let Harry do it all alone, so despite his own resolves, he took up the costume once more, so Johnny Quick and the Flash could protect Central City together once more. It had mended their frayed relationship, and so had the pregnancy itself. The farther along Libby got, the more Harry understood what it meant to love someone he couldn't meet yet and worrying about her future.
"She's going to be amazing, Harry," promised Jay calmly. "You and me both know it. After all, she's Libby's kid. How could she be anything but a fighter, mh?"
"Jesse," whispered Harry, his eyes wandering. "We finally picked a name."
"Jesse? I like it," Nora smiled at him before turning to Barry. "What do you say?"
"It's okay," Barry nodded. "I'll protect her!"
Harry turned toward him, blinking repeatedly before smiling. "Really his father's son, huh?"
Jay puffed out his chest proudly at that, elbowing Harry. "Don't worry, I'll share my wisdom with you and teach you all about fatherhood, Harry."
/1996\
Barry's best friend in the whole entire world was Iris West. His mom and her dad were partners, they worked together at the police department, arresting bad guys and helping people. She'd often stay over at Barry's, so Barry's dad could watch over both children when Nora and Joe were at work. Barry didn't understand it entirely yet, but Iris' mom had problems. Right now, the adults were even more worried about her than usual, because she was pregnant. Iris was super excited about meeting her baby brother and Barry was looking forward to another boy in their group too. Between Iris and Jesse, Barry was very outnumbered. Though Jesse was super tiny and way younger than Barry and Iris, so she was still pretty boring to hang out with. Mostly, she'd just trail after them like a lost puppy, admiring Barry.
"They're so adorable," commented Libby amused.
Uncle Harry and Auntie Libby were over with Jesse right now. While Barry didn't understand everything going on, he saw more than his parents gave him credit for. He heard them whisper with each other, he heard them talk about a bad man. He startled when Iris nudged him.
"Dad and aunt Nora have been best friends for a long time, right?" asked Iris.
"Ye—eah?" Barry blinked as he turned toward his best friend.
"Promise we'll also always be best friends," demanded Iris, chest puffed out and eyes determined.
She held up a pinkie and Barry quickly linked pinkies with her, grinning. "Promise! We'll always be best friends, like dad and uncle Harry and like mom and your dad!"
"You two are gonna be partners in... something one day," Jay chuckled as he ruffled their hair.
Barry blinked confused. He knew that aunt Libby liked to tease and pretend plan their wedding because Barry and Iris were so close. But he didn't really understand that. Iris was his best friend? That didn't mean he wanted her as his wife. Having a wife seemed weird to him. His parents claimed that was because he was still so young, but he didn't know about that...
"Crime!" exclaimed Jesse, throwing her hands up. "Partners in crime!"
"Let's hope it's not that," Jay laughed at that.
/2000\
The world seemed to stop when Barry Allen was ten and Jesse was seven. It was a gruesome sight and Joe's stomach turned. He hadn't thrown up at a crime-scene in years, but this was different. This was his friend. Seeing a stranger mutilated was one thing, but Nora... Nora...
It was a massacre, really. Nora and Libby were dead. Harry so close to it, they nearly called it. The murderer must have thought him dead too. Right now, he was in the hospital, surgeons doing their best to save his life. Dead. Nora was dead, the kindest person Joe knew was gone.
"Henry Jay Allen... You're... under arrest for the murder of Nora Thompson Allen and Elizabeth Chambers," Joe's voice was rough from throwing up earlier. "You... have the right to remain silent... Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law."
"Barry," Jay interrupted him and turned to look at Joe with haunted eyes. "Please, Joe. Please, watch over my son. Make sure he doesn't go into the system, you have to-"
"I'll keep Nora's son safe," promised Joe with hard eyes.
The hardness was betrayed by the tears prickling in his eyes. He didn't want to believe this. He couldn't believe this. Jay was a good guy, how often had Joe gone out with him for drinks. Left his own children with Jay. He'd seen Jay and Nora together, always thought they were deeply in love. He couldn't compute the thought of Jay killing Nora, killing Libby, trying to kill Harry. It made no sense. The current theory was that it was a lover's spat – Nora having an affair with Harry and Jay losing it. It wasn't sound, not to Joe, but he had no better explanation either. All evidence pointed at Jay as the murderer, his prints, the blood on him. Joe's stomach turned at the thought of Barry and Jesse. How was he even going to begin to explain this to the children...?
/2001\
Even months after his mother's death, the world still made little sense to Barry. He'd moved in with the Wests. Iris understood. Not everything, but she understood what it was like to lose your mom. Hers had died giving birth to her little brother Wally. Now, it were just Joe, Iris, Barry and Wally. Because Nora was dead and Jay was in prison for her murder.
"Barry?" Wally sat down right in front of Barry, staring at him with large eyes. "Play?"
Wally didn't understand anything yet. He was only five years old. All he understood was that now, Barry was his brother, because Barry lived with them now. And Wally liked having a big brother, even if he didn't understand why Barry was so sad, or where aunt Nora and uncle Jay were.
"I don't wanna," whispered Barry with a frown. "Go play with Iris, kay?"
Wally frowned at him, lower lip quivering. Before the pout could turn into anything more did Barry get up and walk toward Joe's office. They weren't supposed to be in here, but Barry knew that Joe kept his work in there. Including his investigations on Barry's mom. The case was closed, Jay was in prison for it, but Joe kept it in his desk. Like he didn't entirely believe it either.
"What are you doing in here?" asked Joe sternly as he entered the office.
"I wanna investigate!" declared Barry with a firm glare, squaring his shoulders. "Dad didn't kill mom! I know he didn't! There's no way! I will find the real murderer!"
"Bar..." Joe sighed and knelt down next to the boy, resting a gentle hand on his head. "I know you want to believe that and I wish... But there is no evidence for that."
"You just haven't found it yet!" exclaimed Barry angrily. "But I will!"
He ran out of the room, so quickly that Joe nearly missed it by blinking. He knew the boy was fast, but lately, he seemed to be going extremely fast. Maybe that was just in Joe's head. He was pretty overworked. Being a single dad of three, his job and the private investigations into the death of Nora and Libby. Not that those investigations led to anything. There was nothing to be found. When he got off the floor, he caught sight of the open file. A picture of Harry, in the hospital, after his surgery. They'd managed to save his life, but his spinal cord had been severed.
"One more shot," whispered Joe softly to himself. "For Barry's sake..."
He grabbed his keys and left his office. Before heading out, he called their neighbor, a kind elderly lady who was retired and always watched the kids when Joe had to go to work. She was happy to come over, loving the company and the opportunity to spoil the children since her own grandchildren lived four states over. With a deep sigh did Joe start his car and head toward STAR Labs. Harry and Libby had founded this place, had been so proud of it. Joe remembered the charity galas him and Francine had attended here, remembered how often him and Nora had come there to drop off the kids. While Iris wasn't that much into science, she still found the place fascinating.
"Harrison?" Joe called out into the large building.
After Libby's death, the place had slowly turned into a ghost town. Nowadays, Harry was the only one to be found here. The man practically lived there, unable to go back to the home he had shared with Libby. Everything was haunted with her memory and Joe knew that.
"Joe. What can I do for you?" Harry appeared around the corner.
His wheelchair stopped in front of Joe and the man glared up at him. His eyes were so broken, dark bags beneath them, scruff on his face. He'd lost his wife, the usage of his legs, now his company because he was in no mental or emotional state to keep it going.
"I just... I was wondering if you..." Joe looked away from him. "If you remember anything at all about that night. You were the only survivor. I want to.. I can't believe that Jay..."
The detectives in charge of the case had already questioned Harry, after he got out of surgery, but Harry claimed to have no memories of anything. Though he too was adamant that Jay didn't do it. Silence stretched between them as Harry turned around his wheelchair. After a moment did Joe follow him, unsure if the man was trying to evade him or wanted him to follow.
"I know it must be hard to talk about that night, but Barry..." Joe trailed off, thinking about how to put this. "He's so angry at me. He thinks that I should have found the real killer. I..."
"There's no way you could find the real killer," stated Harry as they reached the end of the hall.
Joe frowned confused as Harry lifted a hand to press against the wall. It lit up and the next second, a round small camera appeared above it. Harry removed his glasses to let it scan his eyes.
"Did you ever put it together?" asked Harry curiously. "That Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle disappeared after L... Libby died? That the Flash retired just as Barry was born?"
The wall opened up and behind it, a secret room that took Joe's breath away. Three large glass-cases, in them mannequins that wore the costumes of the Flash, Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle. Weapons, computer screens, white boards. One stood out, having details from the case attached to it. It seemed Harry was doing the same as Joe; investigating this murder.
"Y... You... But... that'd mean Jay is... the Flash," whispered Joe stunned.
"He was. Until Barry was born. He still helped out whenever me and Libby needed him though," replied Harry, his voice rough. "And now... Well, now the Flash is in prison, with those we put there. Guess his identity being a secret is a blessing now."
"I'm not... I..." Joe blinked repeatedly as he approached the costumes.
"Jay didn't kill Nora and Libby. A villain did," explained Harry. "I just... haven't figured out their identity or motif yet, aside from... wanting to get rid of us. Me and Libby were over at the Allens' to talk to Nora about Barry, because she's been noticing some changes in the boy. He's been getting faster. Not just in the sense that a boy who trains a lot might improve. Her concern was that Barry might be a speedster, like his father. We were talking when... a yellow flash is all I remember. I didn't even make out his face, I had no time to access the speed-force myself-"
"Speed-force?" echoed Joe confused, turning from the costumes away toward Harry.
"It's what I call the... source of our power. The speed," Harry waved him off. "It's how we can be faster than light. If I'm in it myself, I can see everything in slow-motion and I would be able to see other speedsters at regular speed, so to say. But he came out of nowhere, I had no time. Before I could even... he broke my back. Broke me. The last thing I saw before passing out was Libby..."
"You... can't say that in court without outing all three of your secrets," whispered Joe.
"Exactly," Harry sighed, sounding so tired.
"Wait. Barry," Joe shook his head. "I mean, the speed. I've been noticing that too. It seems like he appears out of nowhere lately or just... disappears. I thought I've just been so sleep-deprived, I'm not paying enough attention, but do you really think that..."
"I don't know," admitted Harry. "We've never had this before. Meta-humans having children. We don't know if these mutations can be passed down. But... keep an eye on Barry and if it increases, call me. I'm watching Jesse closely too."
"I will," Joe nodded as he was led out of the secret room.
"And Joe," Harry looked up at him one last time as they reached the gate. "Keep me updated on anything you find. And I'll return that favor. But... whoever it was, they were a speedster too."
/2004\
It was in the winter of an exciting year that Barry truly accessed his speed for the first time.
He'd grown up on the comics about the Flash, admiring Central City's hero, but he was little more than fiction to Barry, existing on colorful comic pages. But this year had brought forth heroes. Real, graspable heroes who were active right now and not long in the past, before his birth.
Superman, who could fly and who would reassure people with one smile of his.
Wonder Woman with her strength and awesomeness and Aquaman who could control the ocean.
The long-rumored Batman seemed to have a sidekick now, a boy going by Robin.
There were heroes now. Right now. Real, actual heroes, all over the United States, and Barry grew excited. He kept talking with Iris, Wally and Jesse about it, about how amazing this could be. Their city was known for its heroes too and if there were others with powers, what if they had powers too? Iris was doubtful about it but supportive of his excitement, while Wally happily ran after his big brother with a towel tied around his neck, pretending to be a hero.
"We have to approach this scientifically," argued Jesse.
Even at eleven years old, it was easy to see that she was the daughter of two scientists. So the four of them sat down and made a list of powers, based on the heroes they had seen – flight, laser-eyes, invulnerability, talking to fishes, controlling water, running really fast. While most tests were easy and had come up with no results, flight had landed Barry in the hospital, with a loud scolding from both Joe and Harry. It took agonizingly long for Barry's broken leg to heal.
"This is your own fault," commented Harry dryly. "You shouldn't have jumped off the house's roof without putting at least a mattress down to catch you. You're fourteen, Barry. Use your brain."
Barry grumbled as he held onto the handles of the treadmill. After months with the cast, he needed physical therapy and uncle Harry had offered the STAR Labs facilities for it. Regaining the muscles in his leg from not having used it at all. Every day, he came here and increased his training.
"You're fast," commented Harry slowly, his eyes on Barry's legs.
"Think I could be like the Flash?" asked Barry excitedly.
The look on uncle Harry's face was haunted and wary. "Is... that really so important to you?"
"Mh?" Barry blinked confused, looking at the doctor.
"I thought you children were just playing around," stated Harry. "Everyone is so excited about these new heroes. Jesse got herself a Wonder Woman costume."
"Iris did too, for Halloween," Barry grinned. "But it's not just about that."
"Then what is it about?" asked Harry, turning the speed on the treadmill up.
"If I were a hero, I could protect those I love," stated Barry, the grin on his lips dying as he stared ahead and started running faster. "Mom... aunt Libby... Iris and Wally lost their mom too. People keep dying and if I could be fast enough, strong enough, I could help... I could..."
Harry watched in amazement as Barry ran with ease even on the highest setting. "If... this is really important to you, I have a couple of tests that I would like to run on you."
Barry looked confused at him but nodded. "Didn't think you'd want to. You're always way too busy with work to play around, uncle Harry..."
"If we do this, we do this right and it is not 'playing around'," stated Harry seriously.
/2006\
It had been a lot to digest, learning that his father was the Flash, that his uncle Harry was Johnny Quick and his aunt Libby had been Liberty Belle. Learning that he was a speedster like his father. Uncle Harry had shown him the Flash Room, had told him everything, after realizing that Barry was a speedster like them. Ever since, uncle Harry had been training him. Teaching him to use his powers, how to run, how to access the speed-force.
"I'm ready," Barry groaned as he walked in circles in the Wells living room.
"You're a child," countered Harry unimpressed. "You're only sixteen, Barry."
"But you taught me everything! I'm ready," argued Barry frustrated.
"When you're eighteen, you're old enough to make your own decisions. But what we've been doing..." Harry paused and rubbed his face. "We haven't told either of your fathers yet and they would both have my hide if they even knew I've been training you, Barry. Do you honestly think that Jay or Joe would let you just... run out there, risk your own life?"
Barry made a face at that. "But I could do good. I could help people."
"You could get yourself killed," Harry's voice was definite. "Yes, I've been training you, yes, you've been doing good, but... No, Barry. You're not ready for it. Take it from someone who's been in this wheelchair for years and lost his wife because of a villain. You're not ready."
Barry paused, swallowing hard. He knew how dangerous the job was. He wasn't a stupid kid who thought being a hero was just picking kittens out of trees. His mother had died because of this and his dad was still in prison, framed by a still unidentified villain. He knew.
/2008\
"I can't believe you've kept this from me," Joe's glare bore a hole into Barry's head.
"I wanted to train. I thought you wouldn't let me," said Barry. "I know that's weak, but... This is mine. And I know that being a speedster is... I know what happened to aunt Libby and uncle Harry and... and to mom, because she was married to dad, but... It's who I am too."
He lifted his head and held Joe's gaze firmly. His adopted father wavered, sighing. He rested a hand on Barry's shoulder, squeezing it tightly. They were in STAR Labs. It was the day after Barry's eighteenth birthday. Harry had promised him, when he was eighteen, he could make his own decisions and he planned on doing so. But for that, he had to come out to Joe. He couldn't tell Jay – conversations at the prison were monitored and he couldn't risk this secret coming out. But he had to tell Joe and if he told Joe, he had to tell Iris. She was his best friend, his sister.
"This is so much," whispered Iris in awe, circling him. "The color's a bit extreme."
"I... wanted it red, like dad's," admitted Barry with a blush.
He'd designed his own suit two years ago already. All red, with the lightning bolt on the chest – smaller than the one his father wore on his suit, but enough to be reminiscent of the original Flash costume. His father wore a slightly tacky helmet with it and he incorporated the design into his cowl. Covering his face, because he didn't really trust showing his face, even with the speed.
"Are you sure you want to take over your father's legacy?" asked Joe concerned.
"Central City used to have heroes. Now that the world is getting more heroes... I think that Central City deserves to get their hero back," declared Barry, back straight. "I'm the Flash."
/2009\
Barry had only been the Flash for very few months, so far he was mostly just called 'the Blur' by the newspapers. Not really accepted as a hero just yet, by the time the Justice League came together.
He saw it on the news, the clones of Superman and Wonder Woman attacking Metropolis. He was just some newbie, he wasn't Batman or Aquaman. He was still learning how to be a hero, he was barely above a vigilante, really. But he also couldn't sit back and watch it happen.
So he used his speed to run to Metropolis and tied up a couple of clones without being noticed. He didn't slow down once during it, not letting himself be seen, but wanting to be useful.
For a second – or more like the tiniest fraction of a second – he stood in front of Superman in complete awe, looking at the man's perfectly chiseled chin and startlingly blue eyes and oh.
Oh, Barry was definitely gay. He shook his head and quickly returned to the task at hand. Tying up dangerous Super and Wonder clones, not concentrating on the gay freak-out. It wasn't a new thing, after all. He might have had a crush or two before at high school. But looking at Superman close up? Ooof. That could turn a man gay or, you know, make a gay man realize he was gay.
Now he just needed to set his eyes on maybe a more obtainable target than Superman (besides, he was 95% sure that Superman was actually romantically involved with Wonder Woman).
Surely there was a completely normal, nice guy out there who would also totally understand that he was doubling as a red-spandex-wearing speedster to protect Central City. Totally out there somewhere, waiting for Barry to meet him and fall in love.
/2010\
It started with an armed robbery. Leonard Snart. He had done a lot of robberies, art and jewels, high target prices. He did his research, he was well-prepared. Impressive. Also, that voice. No, wait, that was wrong, not focusing on that. Snart was a criminal, Barry had to arrest him.
But Leonard Snart was so much more than just a criminal. He was absolutely brilliant and charming too. He worked so diligently that he had evaded arrest so far. He was also really handsome and clearly, judging by his crush on Superman, Barry had a thing for older guys with strong jawlines.
"Snart is really slippery," Barry groaned as he sank into a chair.
"I'm... sorry, Barry," Cisco sounded guilty.
Barry turned his swirly chair to glare at Cisco, even if it was half-hearted. Cisco Ramon was the newest member of STAR Labs, he'd started out as Harry's intern but he was really brilliant. Ever since Harry had started training Barry, he'd also started taking care of STAR Labs again. But among the many scientists working at STAR Labs, only two had made the inner circle. Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow. They needed more back-up, Iris was his woman in the chair, but Iris wasn't a scientist. Especially in studying meta-genes – an old passion of Harry's that was reignited by Barry's speed.
He liked them, it had been so easy to become friends with them, but they were still finding their footing with each other. Uncle Harry, his sister Iris, they were family, they were a well-oiled machine because he'd known them all his life. But these were new people, they still needed to find their place among the team and Barry needed to find out how he worked with them.
And now Cisco had helped Harry build something, something that was dangerous to Barry. A Cold Gun, that had somehow made its way into Snart's hands. A weapon cold enough to slow down a speedster. Like the murderer of his mother. Barry understood, after all this speedster had killed Harry's wife, but knowing that a weapon existed that could slow him down...
"I know why you did it, I just... don't appreciate that you guys kept it a secret from me."
"It wasn't fully worked out yet and..." Harry paused, arms crossed over his chest. "I don't want you to use it. I don't want you to be motivated by revenge. I never want you to take a life."
"But it's okay if you would do it, uncle Harry?" asked Barry with an actual glare this time.
"Maybe we should focus on Snart right now," suggested Caitlin to break the tension between them. "There's been a sighting of him at the museum."
Barry quickly ran off, eager. Eager to arrest Snart, not to meet the handsome thief. Eager to get away from that conversation too, perhaps. He ended up cornering Snart in a train. Aside from the goggles that went with the Cold Gun, he was wearing a blue parker with a fur rim, which looked more adorable than badass, if Barry had to be honest, but he should also not think of criminals as adorable, so there was that. There was a strange thrill to facing Snart. So far, everything Barry had done had been regular crimes, smaller scale. Snart, his team, his big-time heists, it felt bigger.
"There is nowhere to run," declared Barry as he came to a full-stop in front of Snart.
So far, he had also never faced a criminal before. He managed to tie them up and leave them for the cops. Yes, people knew who he was – he had taken the time to make a show of himself as the Flash, but pictures or even video evidence of him were incredibly rare. He never stood still long enough. But for Snart, he took the time. He wanted to face off with the other.
"I didn't see you before," there was something nearly appreciative in Snart's voice.
It threw Barry off a bit. Surely he was only imagining that, right? There was no way the thief was flirting with him, was there? Instead, he offered Snart his broadest grin, fueled by adrenaline.
"If you wanted to get away, you should have taken something faster than a train."
"That's if I wanted to get away," Snart smirked, this time really looking like he was flirting. "I've seen your weakness. At the armored car, then at the theater. See, while you're busy saving everybody, I'll be saving myself..."
And just like that, he aimed the Cold Gun down at the ground, freezing the train and derailing it. He yelled a Good luck with that at Barry before jumping out of the moving train, leaving Barry to save every single person inside the derailing train and suddenly, he found himself mad.
"Pretty fast, kid," complimented Snart as he approached Barry afterward, Barry laying hurt on the ground. "But not fast enough. Thank you."
The ice hit Barry, pinning him to the ground, leaving him at the thief's mercy. "For what?"
"You forced me to up my game. Not only with this gun, but with how I think about this job. It's been... educational," Snart smirked at him again and that smirk did things to Barry.
Things it shouldn't, especially not at a moment like this. Where was his mind, really?
"Drop it," Cisco's voice was hard and when Barry actually looked past the thief, he saw Cisco holding a bigger gun. "This is a prototype Cold Gun. Four times the size, four times the power."
Behind Cisco stood Iris and Caitlin, carrying the large container that went with the prototype.
"I was wondering who you were talking to," said Snart, his eyes not leaving Barry.
"Hey. Unless you want a taste of your own medicine, I'd back the hell up," warned Cisco.
Finally did Snart turn toward Cisco to regard him, nearly bored. "Your hands are shaking. You never killed anyone."
"There's a first time for everything, Captain Cold," there was a warning to Cisco's voice.
Snart, who had turned his attention back toward Barry, his eyes intense, started to smirk. The smirk spread slowly, delighted. Barry found that expression far too attractive on the thief...
"I will shoot you," warned Cisco.
"You win, kid," Snart lifted his gun, no longer aiming at Barry. "I'll see you around."
"Hey, leave the diamond!" called Cisco after the thief as Snart turned around to leave.
"Don't push your luck," warned Snart unimpressed as he headed back.
How was this man so cool? So untouched by all of this. So composed and in control.
"I can't believe he managed to derail a train," muttered Iris, looking around.
"I just..." Barry swallowed hard. "He's... a hard man to pin down."
"Maybe, and that's just a suggestion, you should banter less with him and arrest him more," suggested Caitlin as she examined his frost-bite. "You're the Flash, you could have sped around him, taken the gun and tied him up, if you wanted to. Instead of facing off with him."
"I think it's cute how he's flirty-bantering with a thief," commented Iris teasingly.
"F... Flirty? That's not flirty! We just talk!" Barry sat up straighter, his cheeks heating up.
"Of course, Barry," Cisco sounded slightly amused by him, though his eyes were unsure.
Barry forced a smile as he rested a hand on Cisco's shoulder, trying to signal that they were good.
/2011\
Someone broke into a warehouse and didn't steal anything and Barry had no idea what it meant, until he realized that the steel door had been frozen and broken. But it still made no sense. Why would he break in and not steal anything? What was Snart thinking...?
A trap. It must have been a trap for the Flash. Why, that was the question still unanswered. Still, for now, they had to work on protecting the cops from Snart's Cold Gun. He'd seen the effect of what the gun could do to a regular person and he couldn't allow his dad to be in the cross-fire, or any innocent cop. So Harry, Cisco and Caitlin worked hard to help improve the police's protection.
And though the shields proved good against the Cold Gun, what no one had anticipated was for Snart to bring a partner – a counterpart to himself. Mick Rory, wielding a Heat Gun. Heat Wave.
Clearly Snart wanted Barry's attention and he could no longer ignore it. He had thought with the improved shields, the cops could take Snart. Had thought that removing himself from the equation was the best thing to do, because his stupid crush on Snart made capturing him harder.
He got Barry's attention when he abducted Caitlin and airing a video to demand a meeting with the Flash in exchange for Caitlin's safety. What in the world was he up to, why would he do this?
The plan was simple enough. The Heat Gun and the Cold Gun were so strong, if they hit each other, they would cancel the other out. So Barry had to run, faster than ice and fire, and trick the two criminals into aiming at each other. Mick Rory was an instinctual guy, who loved fire, loved the chaos and destruction and it showed in his behavior.
It was striking, just how much those two were each other's opposites. Not just by their weapons of choice. Snart was calm and calculating, running scenarios before acting. Rory was impulsive and quick on his feet, acting on instincts. Somehow, it fascinated Barry. So did Rory's tall, broad and muscular figure, but he tried not to think about that; his crush on Snart was bad enough.
In the end, the secret to winning wasn't speed though, because they couldn't follow him when he was fast. He had to slow down to let them aim at him, running past them until their streams crossed and they knocked each other off their feet, leaving them to be arrested by Joe.
/2012\
Snart and Rory had broken out the moment they got captured. For some reason, they became a fixture in Barry's life. Stealing things and always drawing Barry's attention. It was confusing and flattering, in a way it made him nearly feel courted, the way Snart wanted him to look at the thief. The partners were no longer alone either; they'd gathered a band of Rogues. Strong villains working with various gadgets to make the fight more equal – the Black Siren with her voice-modulator, Snart's sister Lisa with her Gold Gun. The thing was, Snart's MO changed slowly.
Nobody got hurt. Anyone put in danger, Barry saved in time. But that wasn't all; it felt as though Snart was calculating for it, for him to save them and giving him enough time to do so. No more casualties. That, on top of their meetings, the way they talked with each other...
"What do you want?" asked Barry frustrated the next time he cornered them. "Are you just... mocking me with these challenges? Showing off that you can get out of any sticky situation?"
"Why? Maybe we enjoy your company, Flash," Snart gave him that flirtatious smirk again.
"Stop that," Barry glared. "My team's already making enough fun of me for flirting with you."
Snart winked at him. "And here I thought you hadn't caught on with that."
"W... What...?" Barry paused, staring at them in confusion.
Mick and Leonard exchanged a look before both lowered their weapons and turned to look at him with matching manic smirks. It was Leonard who tapped the side of his head, suggesting for Barry to turn off communication. That was unsafe. Ridiculous. He couldn't be talking to criminals and turning off communication with his team. But he also definitely could not be having this conversation with his sister in his ear, that was just way too embarrassing.
"So I find you very interesting, Flash," Leonard approached him with a teasing smirk. "That's why I brought my partner in to meet you. To show him how... interesting... you are..."
"...The way you say 'partner'..." Barry's eyes trailed over to look at Mick.
"Partners," Mick grunted with a nod. "All the definitions you can think of, Red."
"Okay, okay, okay. Wait. So you're saying the two of you... are... together... and are... flirting with me. On purpose. Intentionally," Barry blinked repeatedly. "But you can see the part where I'm a hero and you're both criminals and I'm trying to arrest you, right?"
"Foreplay," Leonard waved a dismissive hand, his smirk growing.
Barry's cheeks reddened and his heart raced. This was ridiculous, impossible. His crush on them – them, not just Snart, because Barry was weak and ridiculous too, apparently – was already bad enough, but they had been flirting with him? That was a thing that actually happened?
"A date," demanded Barry, his chin held up high and eyes narrowed.
"...What?" Snart looked surprised, thrown off his game, for the first time.
"An actual, proper date. I'm not going to have crime sprees as foreplay and just do..." Barry flushed. "I'm not that kind of guy. If you're serious, then show me. Romance me."
"You know how much I love a challenge, Flash," Leonard's smirk returned, pleased.
/2013\
It happened unexpectedly. Maybe they should have expected it. It had happened the last time Harry had tried something like this. Back when it had given Harry, Libby and Jay their powers. On a greater scale, it was even more dangerous. But in the end, this was what STAR Labs had always been meant to be, what Harry and Libby had worked for. The secret to understanding their own meta-powers and the secret to finding the man who had killed Libby laid within this.
And even though Harry had taken precautions, even though he had worked closely with Cisco and Caitlin on this, it didn't go as planned. On the day they celebrated the particle accelerator, it exploded. The explosion tore down STAR Labs, the building coming down on its guests. Barry, in his Flash get up, worked as fast as he could to evacuate the building, to save everyone.
But the explosion had affected the weather. A storm was brewing over STAR Labs and just as Barry had meant to return to his family, lightning hit. Bright lightning and then just darkness.
Joe's scream tore through the night as he ran toward Barry's collapsed form, Iris right behind him. He gathered the collapsed hero in his arms, aware of the danger the gathered public could pose.
"Get in the car, Detective West," instructed Snart urgently.
Joe whirled around, startled to see Snart and Rory in their fancy (stolen) car. "Sorry we're late."
"Go. I'll check on the others, I'll bring them to the house," instructed Iris, her eyes on her brother.
Joe never approved of Barry's lovers, thought that Barry could do better, that they were criminals, that they were too old for Barry. In this moment, as Rory got out of the car and helped Joe carry Barry into the car and when Snart drove them off fast, he was grateful.
"What happened?" wanted Snart to know, checking through the rear-view mirror.
"The... The accelerator exploded," Joe's voice was shaking. "Barry went to... help."
"Course he did. Reckless little hero," Mick grumbled, glaring down at his unconscious boyfriend.
"And the explosion did this?" asked Snart with a doubtful look on his face.
"No.. He... He was hit by lightning," Joe sounded as startled as he felt.
"Leave it up to Barry, who goes up against meta humans and armed criminals, to be taken out by lightning," Snart's voice was shaking, betraying his quippy words.
Whatever Joe may think of Snart and Rory, he knew they loved Barry deeply. It was the only reason he allowed all of this. He knew how Barry felt about them and he knew they returned his feelings, knew they were watching out for him. Knew it'd break Barry's heart to arrest them.
"He has healing powers. Why's he not awake?" asked Mick tensely.
"I don't know. I don't..." Joe frowned. "Harry will know. They'll meet us at my place."
Snart grunted in confirmation, heading to the West home as fast as he could without drawing attention; the last thing they needed was to be pulled over by cops. How would Joe even begin to explain driving with two wanted criminals and an unconscious Flash...?
"I'll take him," it was a declaration, not a question, as Mick picked Barry up.
He carried the unconscious hero into the house after Joe unlocked the door. They got him onto the couch and carefully peeled off the mask at least. Snart ran gentle fingers through his hair.
/break\
Renovations on STAR Labs were going slow, but the team – with the help of the Rogues – had managed to salvage the Flash Room and worked outward from that. Barry was kept at the lab for observation, with the scientists hovering about, waiting for him to wake up again. They all wished that Barry's coma was the biggest of their problems, but the explosion had left Central City in disarray – granting a large number of people powers.
Among them, both Jesse and Wally. They'd been the closest to the explosion, the West family being with the Wells family to congratulate Harry. It wasn't a surprise that Jesse developed speed, being the child of not one but two speedsters, but Wally, it felt like fate. Between trying to figure out how to wake Barry and training both Wally and Jesse (who took it very bad that they had been kept in the dark about everything so far). Especially with the uptake of new meta-criminals, Central City needed the Flash. While the kids trained, Leonard and Mick stepped up.
"If you call me a hero one more time, I will freeze you solid, Ramon," warned Leonard.
It was their lover's legacy. Barry was out and the city was in actual danger. Just robberies? Mick and Leonard would have turned a blind eye. But these metas? The police weren't equipped for it and Barry... They knew what Barry would do. Cisco grinned broadly at Leonard, knowing it was an empty threat, knowing right now they were a team.
"How's it coming along, kids?" asked Mick annoyed as he sat down next to his husband.
Both of them turned toward the two newbie speedsters. Wally hadn't felt comfortable taking his big brother's costume, instead he inverted the colors – yellow, with red accents. Jesse's costume was red to go along with Wally, but the style was reminiscent of her mother's.
"Quick and the Flash are ready for duty," announced Jesse with the smallest grin.
"Looking good," Snart offered a small smirk, knowing how much Barry would have loved this.
"I don't like that," whispered Wally, looking down at his hands. "I'm not the Flash."
"Listen here, kid," Mick grunted as he got up to walk over to Wally, resting a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're not Barry. But you are the Flash right now. Because the Flash is what Central City needs. So while your brother's not here, be what he can't be."
Leonard smiled softly at that, trying to hide the expression. Mick wasn't very talkative, or mushy, but he knew how much Barry loved his siblings. Wally raised his eyes to look at Mick unsure.
"It's not forever," added Leonard. "Think of it as filling in, until your brother wakes up."
His eyes wandered over to Barry's bed, to Barry's eerily still form. Iris sat next to him. It was rare to find her anywhere but at her brother's side. Seeing him like that was so disturbing. He always moved, never sat still. Leonard swallowed, startling a little when Mick sat down next to him again and took his hand, squeezing it. Mick wasn't one for public displays of affection either, but this was getting to them both. No. Looking around the room, Leonard knew it got to them all.
"Okay," whispered Wally, his voice growing firmer. "Until Barry wakes up, I'm the Flash."
~*~ The End ~*~
Author's note: My relationship to the CW Flash show is very complicated, but there are many things about it that I cherry-picked because I liked them.
Among them, the concept that Henry Allen was Jay Garrick in an alternate reality. I wanted to play with that, have Barry's dad be the first Flash. Also incorporating Jesse Quick's comic parents with the show's Harrison Wells was fun. I loved Wells, specially the first Wells and Jesse's dad Wells, so I figured why not keep Wells as Wells. No Reverse Flash pretending to be Wells.
Now, I know this one only cut briefly into the Mick/Lenny/Barry of it all, but that's because the next story is going to be Flash centric too, specifically Rogues centric - and it's going to feature much more of their relationship ;)
