WARNING: The flashback involving the Hulk has domestic, physical abuse depicted in it. I wanted to say this in case this may hit close to home for some readers, or that it may just be an uncomfortable subject for anyone.

Central City, Missouri

October 7, 1997

"NO! NO! GET BARRY OUT OF HERE!" Nora Allen yelled at the top of her lungs, as she kneeled in the kitchen, with some…being…zooming its way around her in a circle.

It was the middle of the night, and the Allens were living in a small house that mostly had green, brown, and dark blue walls around it. 11-year old Barry just stood there, in the living room, his eyes wide and his skin indistinguishable from that of a ghost's. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His mother, a blonde green-eyed woman looking to be in her late 30s, just kneeled there; his father, Henry Allen, a brown-haired man with a sharp chin and an average physique, held a knife in his hand, unsure of what to do. He couldn't defend his wife, for she was being endangered by way of a force he couldn't understand.

And since he couldn't understand it, Barry certainly didn't realize what was going on. The whole family was in their pajamas, with Barry in particular wearing blue pants and a red shirt that bore the lightning bolt of Jay Garrick, the Flash. And the Flash was the closest anyone could think of to compare this being to, as it continued to zoom around Nora. However, not only had the Flash retired ages ago, but Jay Garrick would never, ever do anything like this.

"Nora! Don't worry! It'll all be alright!" Henry shouted as he inched his way closer to the zooming man.

"Don't worry about me! Get our son out of here! NOW!"

Henry hyperventilated, his eyes the size of dinner plates. Any attempt to be a hero would be futile. And she was right; they had to get Barry out of there. Henry had no way to fight this being, so all he could do was get their son out of there.

"Alright, Barry, let's go!" Henry shouted out, and he tried to pull Barry away.

Barry, who had just been standing there in silence, finally broke said silence. "But what about mom?!"

"Get out of here!"

"WHAT ABOUT MOM?!"

"RUN, BARRY, RUN!"

Now tears were beginning to form in the young boy's eyes. His mother couldn't die. She couldn't. She had to turn out okay, and Barry had to know that before leaving the house.

But then, the man stopped circling around Nora and zoomed up to Barry, grabbing the boy by his shirt. He seemed to vibrating, so all Barry saw was yellow…with red eyes. Red, soulless eyes that had no pupils in them. Barry was both tearing up and sweating due to the stress, and his heart was pounding like crazy. He then extended his left arm, and began to vibrate that hand in some weird motion.

"You! You stay away from Barry!" Nora shouted from behind, while Henry himself looked ready to tackle the man.

The man said nothing. All he did was let out what looked to be a grin, before taking the knife that Henry had in his hand at super speed and walking towards Nora with it.

"Barry, get out of here, now!"

As much as Barry didn't want to leave the house, he truly had no choice, and so he ran out of the house as fast as he could, tears forming in his eyes. He ran, and he ran, and he ran as fast as he could, away from the house, until he was at the corner of the neighborhood.

It was a good minute or so, and police cars began to arrive at the scene; no doubt, someone had called the cops on what was going on. Barry just collapsed onto the ground, but then he snapped out of it, realizing that he had to make sure his mother was okay.

He was confused as all hell when he got back to the house, and he saw the cops arresting his father.

"Wait! No! He didn't do anything wrong!" Barry tried to yell at the cops, but they just continued to drag his dad away.

One of the cops in the house realized that Barry was there and went to escort him out of the scene, grabbing Barry by his hand and trying to get him away from the scene. Barry yelled, and he screamed, and he even resorted to a curse word he had once heard his father say, but it was no use.

But right before that cop dragged Barry away, the young boy could see his mother, laying there on the ground, in a puddle of blood.

Los Alamos, New Mexico

November 4, 1989

A 12-year old Bruce Banner felt a harsh sting to the cheek when his father, Brian Banner, punched him right in that spot, knocking him down to the ground. His father, back in this time, had dark brown hair with pure white temples, and he looked to be in his mid-40s, with a rugged face and a firm mustache. He was in relatively good shape, as well – and he had a look of pure hatred and rage on his face.

"So, you really thought you could just escape like that, couldn't you?" Brian said with his teeth gritted, as he kept his right hand in a fist.

The Banners lived in a relatively poor house down in the south part of town, due to Brian losing his job and them being unable to afford their previous house, which was average-sized and middle-class. They were in the living room, which was an ugly peach color, and there was a worn-down TV right next to them, along with a coffee table and a worn-out purple couch.

"Dad," Bruce said in a whimper as he tried to get up. "I-I-I'm sorry,"

"DON'T GIVE ANY OF THAT, YOU GODDAMN FREAK!" Brian snapped back as he punched his son in the stomach, and then when Bruce kneeled to the ground in pain, he kicked Bruce in the stomach. Then he angrily grabbed him by the neck and thrusted him head-first into the carpet.

"Even for how out of place you are, son, I still tried to provide for you and your whore of a mom! And yet you two repay me by trying to escape the house when you think I'm napping?! That does it!"

"You leave my goddamn son alone right now, Brian!" A lady yelled at him, and Brian turned around to see his wife, Rebecca Banner. She was also in her forties, though she had aged better than Brian had. She had auburn hair and green eyes, and she was slightly on the chubbier side, but it wasn't that obvious. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes bulged out of her eyes.

"How could you do this to me, Rebecca?! How could you betray me?!"

"You have no right to talk about loyalty, after the hell you have put me and Bruce through!"

"Well, look at him! He is a complete freak, and you know it! You know it, and you're just too afraid to admit it!"

After that point, Brian shoved Rebecca away, sending her down to the ground as well.

Bruce gasped. "No! Please! Stop hurting mom!"

Brian snarled. "And just what do you think you can do about it?! You may be a super smart little monster, but you've got nothing on strength, boy, and don't you ever forget that!"

He walked up to his son again and grabbed him by his shirt. "You hear that?! You cannot do nothing against me!"

Rebecca got up and now the horror was gone from her face, replaced with narrow eyes and gritted teeth. "LET! GO! OF HIM!"

"That does it! I have had enough of you! Of both of you!" Brian yelled, and then he grabbed his wife by the shoulders.

Rebecca struggled to break free from Brian's grip, but to that, Brian merely slammed her against their solid walls four times, while Bruce could only watch. And then…he had to watch as his mother fell to the ground, lifeless.

Brian actually stood there in silence for a few moments, looking to be shocked. "…Shit, didn't mean to kill you, Rebecca," but then he turned over to Bruce and his glare returned. "Don't you say a word about this, or I'll kill you as well. And with you, it won't be an accident."

But Bruce had enough of his father. Despite his injuries, he got up with all his strength and grabbed his father's pocket knife from the coffee table and charged towards him with it, stabbing him in the leg with it.

His father yelled in pain. "Gah! Jesus, son, what the –"

But then Bruce, who was fuming at this point, began to push the knife further and further, and his father continued to yell in pain, until the latter managed to punch his son in the nose, sending him a few feet away.

But Brian had trouble getting up due to the knife in his leg, and Bruce seized the opportunity to grab the phone and call the cops, with tears flowing in his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keystone City, Kansas

Present Day

Barry was now at Iron Heights Penitentiary; it was not a gothic-like location like Arkham Asylum, but is 19th Century roots hadn't exactly gone away, as the bricks that formed the building looked to be very old. This provided a stark contrast with the tables and windows in the visiting part of the prison, which all looked to be shiny and brand new. But Barry wasn't paying any mind to that. He just needed to talk to his dad.

Henry Allen was now sporting grey hair and a 5 o'clock shadow, and he was in a prison orange suit, and he bore a look of concern on his face as Barry barely resisted the urge to cry.

"Son, what's wrong? What happened?" Henry said, his voice matching the concern on his face.

"…I fought him. I fought the man who killed Mom."

Henry was agape at this.

"My whole life, I have been thinking of this man. And what he did. I wanted to bring him to justice, and I wanted to know why he grabbed me like that, and killed my mom. And then I finally got a chance to face him, as…well, you know…and I didn't stand a chance. He kicked my ass good, Dad. I'm so sorry."

"Barry, why are you apologizing?"

Barry looked down, unable to make eye contact with Henry. "Bringing him in is the key to getting you out of there. But he's still on loose, and….you're….still in here."

Henry was now looking down himself, meaning the two Allens were not making eye contact with one another. But Henry looked back up at Barry.

"Look, Barry, I know what you're thinking. You think you've failed me, that I'm disappointed in you. So know that I am not anywhere close to that, son."

Barry was still tearing up. "I-I don't understand -"

"Look, Barry, I appreciate you trying to get me out of jail, but I've never wanted you to obsess over me. From what I've heard, this 'Reverse-Flash' figure can't be found by anyone, so he's probably waiting for his next move, and when he strikes, he strikes. Barry, don't fret over things you can't control. Just prepare yourself. That's the best thing you can do."

Barry sniffed and took a deep breath. "Damnit, you're right. I'm sorry, Dad."

Henry smiled. "Don't be, Barry. You were caught off guard, and there was nothing you can do. I'll be fine."

When Henry said that, Barry bit his lip as paranoia consumed his mind. What if the Reverse-Flash's next move was to come here to Iron Heights and make Barry watch as he killed his father before his eyes? Was he waiting for Barry to eventually get off guard to surprise him with a such move? With his in mind, Henry was wrong: He may be fine at the moment, but he was in potentially a lot of danger.

But Barry didn't want to ruin the moment. So instead of saying anything more, he placed his hand on the window, and Henry placed his hand on the window as well, directly against Barry's hand. Henry let out a reassuring smile, and Barry responded with an uneasy one.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Barry walked out of Iron Heights with a defeated look on his face, and just shook his head in defeat, with his hands in his hoodie pocket.

"Barry," he heard a familiar voice call out, and he looked to his left to see Hal and Carol a few feet away from him. He was surprised by this, as he was not expecting to see either of them.

They walked up to each other. "How are you holding up?" Carol asked as she embraced her slightly shorter friend and patted his back a few times, to which Barry hugged her back.

"I…I really don't know what to make of all of this."

"Well, we're here for you. Whenever the Reverse-Flash makes his face known, we will be here to fight him alongside you."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it, but…I may have to do this on my own."

Hal let out an 'hmm'. "Barry, come on…"

Barry didn't respond to that, for he wasn't sure how to respond. Now that Hal reminded him that Jay Garrick had pretty much saved his ass the first time the Reverse-Flash arrived…he couldn't ignore it. He just couldn't. As much as Barry wanted to face the Reverse-Flash alone, Hal and Carol's assistance might not be such a terrible idea.

His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar-looking man in an red baseball cap, shades, and a pure black ensemble looked at them, then began speed walking away. Carol and Hal also noticed the man, and Hal groaned.

"Damnit, it's Bruce."

Carol looked at Hal with a raised eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"Just the way he looked at us and is now hurrying his way along. Also, Bruce has a baseball cap just like that in his quarters."

The three all walked up to the man, and while he fastened his walk speed, Hal caught him by placing his hand on his shoulder and moving him until the gamma scientist was facing the pilot.

"Bruce, what the hell are you doing?" Hal asked with a minor glare on his face.

"C'mon, leave me be. I just saw on the news that they have a lead towards my dad being around these parts, so I used to the teleporter to bring myself here, and now I'm going to search the city for him."

"Well, you shouldn't be here," Hal replied, lowering his voice considerably. "For one thing, your identity is public, and your name isn't Clark Kent, so someone here might recognize you as Bruce Banner. For another thing, I don't know how you snuck out of the Tower, but you weren't going to get far even if we weren't here."

And right as Hal said that, Zatanna and Janet both walked up to Bruce from the opposite direction, both in civilian clothing, and Bruce just placed his fingers onto his nose.

"Hey there, Bruce," Zatanna said, her arms crossed as she walked alongside Jan. "Clark, Tony, and your fellow Bruce are not at all happy that you snuck out of the Tower, and have sent us to come bring you back."

"Well, I'm not coming back!" Bruce yelled, which did cause a few heads to turn, though those people just walked away and minded their own business.

"Come on, Doctor Ban – Bruce, you know it's for the best. For you and for us."

"No, it's not what's best for me, actually. Do you have any idea what a living hell that man made my life?"

Barry placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Look, Banner, I get it -"

Bruce turned his attention from Jan to Barry, and got up in his face. "No! At least you parents had a loving marriage! At least your dad was actually a decent person! At least your dad didn't actually commit the crime!"

Carol and Hal both damn near snarled and got ready to fight, both because Bruce was up in Barry's face and because some green veins were popping out of his forehead and neck, but Barry placed his hand in front of both of them before he replied, "All of that is true, but what happened to me on that night has haunted me every time I go to sleep for every night that has followed. Let's not get in a contest over who had it worse, Bruce. You did. But we have to focus on making things right."

Bruce looked down at the ground, sighing. "…You're right. I'm sorry for getting in your face that. We do need to focus on making it all right. Justice. We need to seek justice for our mothers."

Then all of a sudden, some people began running away from something, and all six Vanguardians were baffled by what was going on. Then Jan got out her phone and checked the news.

"Oh, no…he's back. Well, no…they both are."

Barry's phone vibrated, and when he pulled it out, he saw that he got a text from Joan Garrick. It read, 'Reverse-Flash attacked us! Jay's leg is busted! HE'S COMING FOR YOU!'

When Barry looked up, he saw that it took nanoseconds for Bruce to turn into the Hulk and let out a deafening roar before jumping hundreds of feet in air. And following this, streaks of red lightning could be seen nearby, indicating the Reverse-Flash's return.

Zatanna looked at Hal and Carol. "Yeah, we're gonna contact the Vanguard and go chase the Hulk."

"We and Barry will deal with the Reverse-Flash," Carol replied, to which Zatanna nodded before she and Jan left to deal with the Hulk, leaving Hal, Carol, and Barry to deal with the Reverse-Flash.

Given how this speedster was now in Keystone City, Barry's stomach dropped. His father was indeed in danger.