Chapter 3: Central City Chaos

In Central City, Iris West was making her way to work at Picture News. Trying to write about anything that would keep her busy, the problem being the only thing that people were talking about involved the Flash, in which the whole team knows is gone. Thinking back on the conversation, the whole team did not take very well when they heard from Wally who told them Barry was leaving for undetermined amount of time.

"Wally, what do you mean that Barry is not coming back? We are his team, I know that we hurt him, and he felt betrayed by all of us, but you cannot tell me that he wanted to leave! Barry loves Central City!"

The anger raging in her eyes as she lost her cool at the thought that Barry wanted nothing to do with them especially her.

"Iris as much as I hate to tell you and everyone else in this room is that all of you hurt Barry. So much so that he needs some time away from everyone to clear his head. He is going to be safe in Starling City where he will be with the Queen family and Felicity. He will be fine, for now all of you need to look at how to take Barry's feelings into account."

Being pulled from her thoughts with a distant horn honking up ahead she saw the entrance to her work and greeted with the chaos of the work at the newspaper. Trying to come up with different topics that the people will want to hear about, but the reality is the news coverage has always been connected to the Flash. The elephant in the room has been for the past week that without the Flash every other topic seems irrelevant. This made no one more nervous than that of Iris. She was hired for her success in the capturing of the many of the Flash's adventures. If there was much more time without the Flash, the Iris knew that she may be fired from her position. Instead of focusing in on the what ifs or the despair of the effects she has had on Barry, the refocus on her own work a new topic hoping to avoid the troubles that may soon come upon the ripple effect that was apparent in the betrayal. Iris just wanted to forget about everything, wanting nothing more than that of a return to peace, prior to the life of metahumans and danger, a life that was normal.

Caitlin and Cisco have been trying to avoid the outside world as much as they could, the fact that the world around them was in such turmoil. The fact that they were here in Star labs while the life of the matter being that they were just distracting themselves. The reality was that this investing themselves into the work of Star labs was not what they should have been doing, the last thing that they wanted to do was see the problem in locking up Barry. Cisco coming up with new tech, and Caitlin in the maintaining of the facility. The eeriness of the empty quietness of the building was quite a troubling scenario in which they seemed to be holding out from anyone else. The friend that they had been so thoroughly apart of, was now gone. It all seemed lost, the reality being that they hurt Barry in a way that would be hard to forgot for both of them. Finally leaving her lab and making her way to find Cisco tinkering with suit upgrades for Barry. This altering of tech in this new suit is the only connection he had to his friend who was currently 600 miles away from them.

"Cisco, you have to stop avoiding everything. I now know the fact that we hurt him is going to take time, but in order to properly forgive him we are going to have to forgive ourselves."

"I know that I have been distant, it's just that if I had been there for Barry maybe he wouldn't have left. So now I know if I could make this suit as advanced as possible then maybe we won't have to worry when he does come back. I guess I thought of this as a sort of an apology, but really I was only hiding from myself."

"I know Cisco. I miss him too, but the fact is we have to be ready for whenever Barry does come back to show him how much we love and trust him."

Being toward from their conversation at the sound of alarms going off at the desk, confused at what could possibly be setting off their internal alarms. Cisco rushing to his computer being followed closely by Caitlin they investigated the alarm and noted that something had gone catastrophically wrong.

"What is it Cisco?"

"Well last time before Barry left, he had a facial recognition software update sent in from Felicity from anyone who could possibly be a threat between Central City and Starling City and we got two confirmations."

"Well, who are they?"

"No one good, It looks like its… Eobard Thawne and Malcolm Merlin." The grim look on the two friends had a worried look although Caitlin had a more quizzical expression.

"Cisco, who is Malcolm Merlin?"

"He is the only other archer who could beat Oliver. He is sort of like the reverse Green Arrow or more so, a Dark Arrow."

In downtown Central City, Wally and Iris were walking back home after catching a movie and enjoying the calm and cool fall evening were enjoying each other's company. The darkness of the night contrasting with the bright night lights of all of the buildings as they made their way away from the theater and into the many different sidewalks.

"So, how have you been since you have been filling in for Barry. I hope that you don't feel like you have been so overwhelmed with everything."

"I mean I am not happy that I have to fill in Barry's place because of what you guys did, but this has been good, its not like there is any imminent threats coming our way."

After his joking reply, they saw a man in black standing before them. Before Wally even had time to react, he was shot with an arrow that sent him to the ground and was slowly, but surely losing consciousness. Iris worried about Wally went down to try and make sure that he was okay.

"Wally, are you okay?"

Then turning in rage to confront the man in black, just standing there and taking in the scene of the anguish that Iris was in. instead of breaking down, Iris decided to take matters into her own hands.

"I am going to kill you whoever you are!"

"You free to try and stop me Iris West. But you cannot stop me."

"How do you know my name? I have never seen you before."

"Your right, I was sent by a mutual friend, Eobard Thawne. He sent me here to kill you so give me your best shot."

Iris then in her anger at learning that this man was working for Thawne ran up to throw punch that Iris threw with all her might only to miss and feeling instant pain. Looking down to see a arrow stabbed into her chest.

"When we start to takeover this city, there will be chaos. The Central City you know and love will slowly be taken over and destroyed to ash. We will kill everyone you love and in the end kill your dear friend Barry Allen once he knows this city has failed him. Consider this your blessing to be released from any further punishment. You will have died in honorable death Iris West although you lacked any real skill to beat me. I am Malcolm Merlin the Dark Arrow" Taking off his mask to confirm the reality of this being Malcolm Merlin the man who all in Central City thought was dead was in fact still apart of this world wreaking havoc and now has instilled chaos into Central City as he walked away in the darkness of the night.

Iris then in her labored breathing fell to the ground, with Merlin now gone a tear shed down her cheek as she knew she would not be alive much longer. The sorrow for bleeding into her soul that she would die unable to forgive Barry in person. As she continued to labor as it became harder and harder with each breath. At that moment Wally woke up disorientated for a moment then seeing his sister dying rushed over to her.

"Iris! You are going to be okay."

"Wally. It is going to be okay; I just need you to do something for me."

"Of course, Iris. What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to tell Barry…I forgive him… and tell… him… I… have always… loved him…" dying with her last breath leaving Wally to hold the body of the sister he had just started to reconnect with. He was willing to keep a promise, but first he wanted to kill the man responsible for killing Iris in cold blood.