Like A Bolt of Lightning
A Flash/X-Files Crossover
Third in the Aliens Among Us Series
By DavidB226Morris
Summary: Barry Allen has spent the last four months in hiding. While he was gone, the world changed. Persuaded to return by his friends from STAR Labs and Star City, he meets up with Mulder and Scully to join the new task force. It is not long before a crime at home may have links to the X-Files and the new conspiracy. Can The Fastest Man Alive stop a threat that can't die?
Disclaimer: Barry Allen, Cisco, Joe West and everybody else from The Flash are a DC Comics/Greg Berlanti Joint. Up to a point, they did a good job with them. So I'm going to take over from here. Expect to see quite a few people from Team Arrow and Team Supergirl in this series as the crossover's net widens. Mulder, Scully and some characters you may not have heard of yet belong to Chris Carter and his group. Given the last two revivals, I don't think he and his colleagues are in any position to object to how I'm holding them.
Timeline:
There is no 'Flashpoint' in this universe. Partly because it fits the storyline I'm working on, but mostly because I'm pretty sure that's where every single problem in The Flash – and by extension, Berlanti's vision for them – went to hell. I have an alternative theory for Barry's actions which I intend to go into great detail in the Prologue which, in all candor, I could see Barry doing just as easily as in the real world. Consider this, like everything else I've written so far, an alternative Season 3.
The action takes place immediately after the events in Not All Green Men are Little. The world I'm getting our heroes is complicated, I admit, but in all candor, anyone who even tried to make sense of the mythology of The X-Files the longer it was on the air, knows that not even the writers could make sense of it in the long run. So I can't be doing a worse job that what we saw in 'The Truth'.
I would appreciate reviews, early and often.
Here we go.
PROLOGUE
TIERRA DEL FUEGO
Felicity Smoak has known Barry Allen for nearly three years, from the day he'd come to Star City, a CSI certain of The Arrow's true identity to the week she'd spent by his bedside, certain he would never awake from his coma to the time she'd spent with him in Central City after he had taken the role of The Flash. But in all time, she had never seen her friend's eyes filled with so much pain and anguish as she was right now.
It was understandable. Ever since she'd known him, Barry's full focus had been proving his father was innocent of his mother's murder and freeing him from prison. Now his father was dead, at the hands of a monster he'd set loose. No wonder he'd wanted to disappear, and ever since he'd defeated Zoom, he had.
Felicity knew that her choice of words was critical. If she said the wrong thing, Barry would disappear and despite the best efforts of STAR LABS, they might not find him for months.
"I'm sorry about your father," she said.
"You know, I'm so tired of hearing that," he said raggedly. "In some form or other, I've been hearing my whole life."
Felicity was now truly alarmed – Oliver at his lowest had never sounded this full of angst. Maybe he should've come here instead of her. "You don't have to carry this alone," she said carefully.
"Actually, I do," Barry said dully. "I have to be alone now. It's the only thing stopping me from doing something crazy."
Felicity thought about mentioning that after The Reckoning, Oliver had done exactly what Barry had done – gone into hiding on a remote island for several months, forcing Felicity to track him down. What stopped her was the fact that Oliver had no superpowers, and that considering how dark his mood was on the good day, he could've done something far more dangerous.
So she changed tactics. "What were you thinking of doing?" she asked slowly.
"Last year, when Reverse Flash offered to let me change the timeline so that my mother was never murdered, I had a chance to get everything I ever wanted. To let her live." Barry said. "I chose not too. And then Eddie and Robbie ended up dead as a result. The minute Zoom was gone, I thought about doing exactly that."
There were a whole lot of questions that Felicity wanted to ask. She went with the one she considered the most important. "Why didn't you?"
"Because it would've been wrong. It would've been putting my personal needs ahead of everything else. Last time we created a wormhole, I did nothing and the planet could've been destroyed anyway. I couldn't do it again." Barry swallowed. "My father wouldn't have wanted that."
"You did the right thing." Felicity said simply.
"But what did I get for it?" Barry howled. "Dad's gone! And I couldn't stop it. I'm the Fastest Man Alive! And I wasn't fast enough! A hero wouldn't let his father die…wouldn't sacrifice his friends for his quest."
Felicity walked up to Barry slowly. She knew if he wanted to get away from her, he could've done it a dozen times by now. Still, she approached him like a hunter trying to catch an animal, knowing at the first rustle of a bush, they'll run for cover.
Finally she got close to her friend, and put her arms around him. "You know, you sound exactly like him," she whispered in his ear.
Barry didn't need her to clarify the statement. "How does he carry it?"
"Well, until fairly recently, his preferred method was to push anyone away who might try to help him," she reminded him. "It wasn't an approach that we particularly approved of. Maybe that's the reason he thought you could be better than him."
"And running away is any better?" Barry asked.
Felicity didn't answer right away. "Your friends wanted to find you. They didn't give up. And that's what you have to remember. You have people who care about you no matter what."
Barry didn't exactly fall apart sobbing. But he did stay still in Felicity's arms for a very long time. Which had to mean a lot, coming from the Flash.
"In some ways, you are better than Oliver," she said softly. "I've known him for four years, and he still doesn't like hugs."
That got the laugh she'd been looking for. It was choked with a sob, but it was still a laugh.
"Are they mad at me?" he asked carefully.
"I'd say they're more worried than angry," Felicity said. "Joe's been having trouble getting a good night sleep, and Iris is still upset you never showed up for your date, but they understand that there are special circumstances involved."
Barry seemed a little more in control of himself. "And the city? Has it fallen apart?"
"Wally's been doing the best he could." Felicity hedged. "He's not you, but they've been holding their own. It helps that no major crime boss or metahuman has shown up to take their place."
"Are you just trying to make me feel better?" Barry asked.
"Well, yeah," she admitted. "But in all honesty, Cisco and Caitlin were able to scour the globe looking for you the last few months because it has been quiet. For whatever reason, the villains tend to take the summer off in Star City; maybe they do the same thing everywhere."
Barry seemed more in control of himself then he had in a while. "Well, I guess I should get back there. I've got a hell of an apology tour to make."
"You do, but I think it would better if you took a more traditional method of transportation."
Barry looked at Felicity oddly. "What's up?"
"I know you've been, for all intents and purposes in the middle of nowhere for the last few months, but while you were mourning, the world's changed again." Felicity now sounded more solemn. "That's the other reason I'm here. "
When Barry had been Kara Danvers earlier that year, he'd been understandably a little thrown. Like everyone else in the world. He'd been aware of what was happening in Metropolis the last few years, but unlike what was going on in Star City, he had been convinced that there was a scientific explanation. Even after the explosion at STAR Labs, he'd been convinced that Superman was some kind of early example of a metahuman – maybe the victim of a different kind of experiment.
Despite everything that had happened to Barry the last few years, his opinions on the subject of life on other planets had always been one of those things that he was on the fence about. He knew the universe was a lot older than Earth. Therefore if there was intelligent life elsewhere in it, wouldn't they have paid us a visit by now?
Then while coming back from his alternate universe excursion, he'd run into Supergirl. And he had to reset his entire way of thinking. It was easier for him to do than it was with Oliver – he was exhibit A of just how weird the world could be – but it still threw him.
When he'd gotten back to Central City, he'd had a couple of extended conversation with Joe and Iris about it.
"You know, I've had a couple of conversations with the Metropolis PD two years ago," Joe said. "I was still getting my head around what had happened to you, and I wanted to see if there was any possibility that Superman was something paranormal instead of the rumors that he was, you know, extraterrestrial."
"You didn't believe it?" Barry said doubtfully. He looked at Iris. "You told me Lois Lane was one of your idols."
"She broke more than her share of glass ceilings. But I have to tell you, every time she had an exclusive with Superman, I seriously wondered if she was on drugs." Iris admitted. "Even after the Flash came around, I was still having trouble getting my head around it. Maybe I was more your daughter than I thought."
"Alien life seemed closer to anything from some of those sci-fi movies we watched when you were kids," Joe told them. "Granted it seemed more The Day The Earth Stood Still than War of the Worlds, but still it was kind of hard to fathom. Two years ago. I did some checking about a month afterwards."
"So what's the Metropolis PDs official reaction?" Barry asked.
"Well, half of them say their jobs have gotten a lot easier ever since The Man of Steel showed up there." Joe told them. "A lot of the minor criminals have gone underground, and it's freed up a lot of them to do more long term investigations on some of the more serious criminals that don't quite rank."
"Like The Wire's third season," Barry said. "What does the other half think?"
"A lot of them either still don't trust him or think he could be dangerous." Joe said bluntly. "Some of them think that he's good for the disasters and some of the more threatening villains that have surfaced, but not all the minor problems that were there three years ago. Others think he's indirectly responsible for a lot of the crime there, because every villain and his grandson want to take on Superman."
"Well, I can't exactly argue with that position, considering there's definitely been a ripple effect here," Barry admitted.
"And there is a very concerted minority who think he's actively dangerous." Joe said. "One cop actually told me, he's waiting for the day the guy gets bored fighting crime and starts doing some of his own. And then how are we going to stop him?
"Do you think that's possible?" Barry asked.
"I've read some of Lane's stories." Iris reminded him. "Every so often, you hear he gets what she calls a 'mood swing' and does some serious damage to a lot of the city. The fact that he fixes it up later doesn't do much to win hearts and minds."
Barry remembered what Kara had told him about the DEO and why it had been founded in the first place. Maybe they had some nuclear option for her in case she had a 'mood swing.'
Later on, he had a longer discussion with Iris. "So what was she like?"
"Weird at first," Barry admitted. "I don't usually have encounters with super-infused being where they're not openly trying to kill me. I have to say she was very polite."
"Well, you did save her life. It would have been ungrateful for her." Iris said with a smile.
"She's got complexes of her own. I could tell that right away," Barry said slowly. "I can't imagine what its like to have all that power and still not feel you can measure up to your cousin. She's got a surrogate family, like me, and she's got a fairly loyal bunch of friends."
"And she's got Cat Grant in her corner, which is no small thing," Iris said softly. "Hell, she's a bigger idol to me than Lois Lane, considering everything she's managed to accomplish." She paused. "Her secret identity…"
Barry considered. "I'm not sure I should share it yet," he said carefully. "I don't know much about a code, but Oliver was really pissed when he found out I knew who he was. She's definitely a lot mellower than that, but she's still got a lot more to lose. I haven't even told Cisco and Caitlin yet."
He had expected Iris to be angry about withholding. Instead she shrugged. "If you're ever in a situation where you two meet up again, maybe she'll be a little more trustworthy. But that actually wasn't what I was going to ask."
Barry considered this. "What was it?"
"Remember when I was at that convention in Gotham City last year?"
"How could I forget?" Barry said. "I was terrified the Joker was going to show up and throw one of his parties."
"You and me both," Iris admitted. "Anyway, I asked a couple of reporters if they had any idea who that Batman was. Some said they had theories, but they would never print them. Gotham may be a madhouse, but a lot of them remember what it was like before. So with that in mind, do you think Cat Grant knows Supergirl's real identity but is trying to keep her safe the only way she can?"
Barry had actually given that a fair amount of thought ever since their brief meeting. He knew what Kara believed, but that didn't mean it was true. "I think she may have a good idea," he said carefully. "Part of it may be she wants to keep her creation from being revealed to the world, but if she doesn't know directly, she may be trying to narrow it down. I mean, Lois Lane must have some idea who Superman really is. The guy isn't even wearing a mask."
"Well, from the footage I've seen from Catco, neither does she," Iris reminded him. "And to be honest, I think it's more a little reckless. You and Oliver wear masks and take a lot of precautions to keep your identities hidden. At some point, a good reporter is going to stop starting at the cape and tights and realize who she and her cousin are."
The idea had occurred to Barry as well. Kara was apparently doing a very good job hiding in plain sight, but there was no way it could hold up. And frankly, he was less concerned about a journalist finding out her true identity then some villain with access to kryptonite.
"If I see her again, I'll raise the issue," he said sincerely.
"Well, it really could come up some day," Iris reminded him with a smile. "After all, it's not like it would take either of you that long to drop in on the other."
Now it looked like that might be about happen sooner rather than later, thought not even in a mind that could handle metahumans and aliens was he quite ready to handle this possibility.
"You've seen these files for yourself?" he asked Felicity as they drove back to the airstrip.
"I've actually seen a couple of artifacts that are pretty unsettling," she told him. "But I'm trying my hardest to keep that at the back of mind, because the invasion is far more relevant."
Barry took this in. "I met with some the people in the DEO. They didn't seem to know anything about this."
"That's because they didn't know anything. And your new friend Kara, she's just as pissed as we are about being kept in the dark." Felicity said grimly.
"You know, I have this vague memory in the back of my mind of a Dana Scully," Barry told her. "She was a pioneer in the world of forensic pathology. I may have read a couple of papers she published."
"That actually makes sense," she said. "According to her and Mulder, their biggest support system their first stint in the Bureau was mainly among the techies like us. You know, people who could believe the science and superstition that was their middle ground." She paused. "Of course, even a few years ago, I still probably wouldn't have believed in their areas of expertise."
"And now, of course, all of us can believe all too easily," Barry thought to himself. "How's Oliver taking it?"
"Which part: that there's a force of extraterrestrials working with our government to take over the planet or that there's a girl who's smaller than me who can kick his ass without breaking a sweat?" Felicity asked.
Barry actually smiled at that. "Hey, she nearly beat me in a foot race, and I'm still getting over that."
"You took it a lot better than him."
"I'm pretty sure she was holding back."
"I never hold back."
Felicity jumped a little. "We told you how unsettled we were when someone does something like that," she said, almost in a scold.
"I'm still getting used to it." Kara Danvers looked at him. "Hey there, Fastest Man Alive."
"Hey there, Girl of Steel," Barry smiled back. "I should've known meeting you would get us into all sorts of trouble."
"To be fair, I didn't know about this particular problem," Kara admitted. "Which considering I am an alien, says a lot about just how hidden this particular problem was."
Barry got out of the car and turned serious. "Just how big a problem is this?"
Kara and Felicity exchanged glances. "Big. I've gone toe to toe with a couple of these beings and I could barely fight them."
"How's Oliver dealing with this?" Barry asked. "Felicity kind of dodged the question."
"To be fair, it is a lot to take in, even for a hero like him and your team," Kara told him. "But this conspiracy, they made a real mistake when they targeted his family. "
Barry winced. "No one ever seems to get that part," he said slowly.
"I'm sorry about your father, by the way," Kara said sincerely. "Mine was lost to a different conspiracy a long time ago. We're still not sure if he's dead or alive, but I do understand at least some of what you're going through."
.Barry turned back to Felicity. "Cisco and Caitlin? How pissed are they, really?"
"They were worried." Felicity paused. "And they had good reason to be worried. While you were gone, the paper changed."
She told him what they had seen a few weeks earlier. Barry was now puzzled. "Two years from now. There any concrete proof that they'll be here this soon?"
"There wasn't any concrete proof you were going to vanish in a crisis," Felicity reminded him. "You know better than all of us how unstable the timeline can be."
"I've gone through the files from top to bottom," Kara said. "Mulder and Scully never had a clear idea of a timetable. Mulder in particular kept hearing things like: 'The date is set,' but never got a clue when. It was moved at least three times. As you can tell, the invasion hasn't happened." She heaved a sigh. "Yet."
Barry took this in. "Do Mulder and Scully know who I really am?"
"They knew that Oliver was really the Arrow," Felicity admitted. "And according to Kara, Mulder's profile of Supergirl had everything but a forwarding address. My guess is they know, but are being polite about it. That said, Oliver trusts them, and you know how hard that is for him."
"I honestly don't think they care about secret identities," Kara added. "Both of them admitted they probably could've done their job a lot easier had no one known who they really were. If you and your friends let them in, I think they'll be just as careful as everyone else."
"They'll have to be," Barry said. "How exactly is this going to work?"
"To find that out, we're going to have to get back to Central City," Felicity told them. "Mulder and Scully have spent the last few days in DC trying to get things set up to meet with you. According to them, they went to Oliver first because they thought he'd serve as a good field general. But they agree that the best place to operate out of is STAR Labs."
Barry raised an eyebrow. "You know how many times we've been infiltrated?"
"Hey, the DEOs supposed to be the most secure facility in the country and we keep getting invaded," Kara said.
"Do you know how many times our hideout has been destroyed?" Felicity countered. "Honestly, none of them care about that part of their safety. To quote Mulder: 'I spent the better part of a decade working out of a storage closet in the FBI basement. Anything's an improvement."
"Well, then I guess we'd better get back there." Barry looked at Kara. "Care for a rematch?"
"Yes, but not today," Kara gestured toward the airfield. "We're flying back."
"You want to ride coach?" Barry said dubiously.
"We're flying on Queen Consolidated," Felicity said.
"Do you know how rarely I get to use a corporate jet?" Kara said.
"Um, you can actually fly." Barry reminded her.
"I may be an alien, but I still want private perks as much as the next girl," Kara said with a smile.
Felicity shook her head. "Maybe she has been on this planet too long."
