A/N: Whoaaa, you guys truly are amazing. I wish there was a better word to thanks you for all the comment than ''thank you''. THANKS! As you requested, here's the second part of that short story.
Opening his eyes, the first thing Cisco was aware of was being in this completely bluish and endless stream of lightning and flashes of light, perfectly mimicking the SpeedForce's ambience and sending chills in the young man's spine.
''I sure hope you're hiding your weird fetishes somewhere where I won't stumble into them.'' Said Cisco, trying to lighten the atmosphere. ''Barry?'' He called out, once and then twice. And another time. Maybe he wasn't getting any answer, but the simple fact of hearing his own voice was somehow reassuring. The total silence of that place was just unnerving. Not even this storm was making a single sound. How could Barry's head even be this quiet considering how his brain activity was simply off the chart according to Caitlin?
It really wasn't what Vibe expected when he took the decision to walk inside his friend's head. Not that he really had any expectation going in, other that he hoped Barry wouldn't be too far away from his landing spot. This place looked just as infinite as the real Speed Force universe, where was Cisco supposed to head to now? No matter where he was going, he better start walking if he wanted to find his friend anytime soon.
Striding along, step by step, the engineer couldn't help but feel like even if he was indeed moving, he wasn't really going anywhere in this emptiness.
''Why do I feel like I'm stuck in these Mario 64 endless stairs?'' He chuckled to himself, needing to hear a voice or any other kind of sound in his ears.
Wait, what is an illusion or...? The more he was advancing, the more it looked like his surroundings were changing. From the corner of his eyes, he caught what almost looked like reflections. From both sides, the energy was starting to transform from a void to form some sort of...
''Are these walls?'' Inquired Cisco to himself.
His surroundings were starting to turn into what could be qualified as walls, translucent walls made of pure energy. It almost looked like there was made of glass, glass with a lightning storm still going on inside of the unique material. Soon enough, gradually, these barriers solidified into real, solid, walls. Before he knew it, the engineer found himself in this bluish hallway, with the storm still raging over his head, with a grey door straight ahead.
''Why do I feel like I'm walking into a trap?'' Muttered Cisco as he still kept on going, while listening to the…nothing really. Not even his steps or his increased breathing pace was making a single vibration in the air. Maybe it was because there wasn't any air in a dream?
''Let's find Barry before I lose it.'' He told himself out loud.
Accelerating the pace, he finally reached the door, going for it with a shaking hand and grabbing the knob. As his fingers made contact with the cold metal, Cisco froze. If Barry was trapped in his mind against his will, whatever was hiding behind that door could be dangerous. Caitlin warned him about that and she was right. Taking a pause, Cisco took a shaky breath.
''Come on, Barry is counting on you. Everyone is.'' He told himself, gathering his courage and turning the knob.
Opening the door, he found himself entering a completely white, big and windowless room.
''I'm having some serious Matrix vibes.'' He said to himself, well, except for the fact there wasn't any TV in this place, nor any sitting person in a chair or any piece of furniture for that matter. That and, oh, the fact the walls weren't exactly completely white; they were covered with weird and round shaped symbols. By covered, Cisco meant...covered. These things were everywhere, even on the floor. A sound, the first one since getting inside Barry's head, arrived in Cisco's ears, the sound of someone drawing with a Sharpie marker.
''Barry? He whispered, turning to his left and finally catching a view of the tall and slim figure facing the wall and writing on it. It was him, it was Barry. To see him there, up and around, moving...the emotions formed a lump in the engineer's throat.
''Barry?'' He asked again, a bit louder as he moved closer to his friend. ''I'm here, it's me.''
Worried grew as the speedster didn't react to his voice, at all. All he kept on doing was writing these weirds symbols with his black marker. Hesitantly, finally getting at arm's length from his best friend, Cisco positioned himself on the right of the hero, right in his path, and reached out for Barry's arm that was busy writing. Regaining control of his shaky finger, the engineer reached out and grabbed the arm, trying to catch Barry's attention.
''Barry, look at me. Can you hear what I'm saying?''
Nothing. Without even turning around, Barry kept his mind and movements on his task. Moving another step to his right and then another one, his body finally made contact with his friend's side. Except, instead of turning around like Cisco had hoped for, the speedster simply pushed him, shoved him, aside like Cisco didn't even existed. Feeling his stomach turning upside down in dread, Cisco just stood there in shock. What if Barry really was too far gone? What if, despite being physically back with them, they really did lose him forever? What if Iris was right, what if they made the worst decision of their lives by bringing him back?
''Please, man, look at me.''
Gaining no answer, he growled in frustration and snatched the marker out of Barry's hand, instantly causing a pair of green eyes to look around and stare at him, carefully examining his features. About damn time.
''I know you.'' Stated the speedster, monotonously. It might've been structured like a fact, like an affirmation, but there was no recognition flashing in the green eyes, nor any signs of joy to be reunited with the other person.
Oh gosh, Barry looked so different and not just because of his facial hairs and his different haircut. No, it was the way Barry was staring with empty eye, disconnected from reality, from who he used to be.
''Of course you do. It's me. It's Cisco.'' He difficultly mouthed, swallowing the bile rising in his throat. His friend was really dead.
No answer, no reaction, except for the fact Barry was looking around for another pen or anything else he could write with. ''Come on. Please. Remember.'' Added Cisco, feelings the tears burning his eyes. It was a nightmare. The pain of never knowing what was happening with Barry and if he was ever going to come back was less agonizing than this.
Maybe…plunging his hand in his pocket, Cisco dug out his Vibe goggle and pushed them in Barry's hand, closing his friend's fingers around the item. ''Come on, man. Remember. Please, man.''
His action was enough to distract Barry's attention from his quest and actually stop everything he was doing to look down on the object. For many, many endless seconds, all the hero did was stare numbly at the goggles, before his hands started shaking.
''Ci…Cis..c…co.'' He stuttered, his eyes still locked on the object.
''Yes! Yes it's me. It's Cisco, your friend.'' Instantly answered back the engineer, smiling brightly in joy. Never had his own name sounded so good to his ears.
Barry looked up, hopefully. It lasted just for an instant, because in the next moment, it was already over. Hardening his features and violently shaking his head, Barry backed up and let go of the item that went crashing to the ground.
''Not real, not real. You're dead.'' He shouted, his jaw tensing up.
Wait, what? Dead? Putting one foot in front of the other, Cisco tried to reduce the growing distance between him and his newly reunited friend, carefully approaching him like he would with a frightened deer.
''Calm down, Barry, it's me. I'm real.'' He said, raising his arms and showing both his hands to show his good intention.
''No, you can't. Can't be…not after all these centuries.'' The anger, the disappointment and doubts were all mixing up in the young hero's voice.
Centuries? What? Cisco just stood there, blinking like an idiot as the information was making its way to his brain. He theorized, wondered, if time was passing at a different pace in the universe the speedster got trapped into based on Wally's short, yet long experience in that place. Never in a million years Cisco would've thought a couple of months would be this long. No wonder Barry thought everyone he knew was long dead and bury.
''Man, it's only been 6 months for us. We're all fine, we're all ok. We just miss you. '' Tried again Cisco, softly. What proof did he have of his sayings? None.
''We?'' The confusion was clear in the young man's eyes. After all this time, anyone would be.
''Yeah, we. Iris, Joe, Wally, even Caitlin.''
''Iris.'' Whispered Barry, breathing out. Yeah, he remembered her, he remembered his friends and family. His chest was visibly rising and falling as he was struggling to control his feelings and his breathing. When Barry finally stopped watching his feet to look at his friend again, it was with confusion all over his face: ''Cisco, why are you in the Speedforce?'' He whispered.
''We're in your head, Barry, you're back. You have to come out now. You have to wake up. ''
''In my…''
''In the real world you're back at S.T.A.R, but you're catatonic. It's ok, you can come home now. You have to trust me. Can you do that?''
Clenching and unclenching his fists a couple of times while taking the deepest breath, Barry closed his eyes to gather himself. Trust Cisco? Closing his eyes, Barry saw endless memories of him and his best friend coming back to his mind. Yeah, he could trust Cisco, always had and the engineer never let him down.
''I could…'' He finally said, reopening his eyes as Cisco breathed out of relief. ''No. I can. I'll lose it all, this knowledge.'' Suddenly, protested Barry, showing the wall.
''Listen to me. '' Added Cisco, grabbing a hold of the speedster's shoulder. ''What you're doing right now, it's pushing too much stress on your organs. Come back home with me. All of this information you have here is still going to be in your head. We'll work together to help you access it when you'll need it. Time to go home.''
Going home after all these years. Barry never ever fathered it could become reality.
''Let's go.'' He finally said, with a wide smile as everything was slowly falling around them, turning to white. They were going home, both of them.
A/N: There you go, leave a comment and let me know if you enjoyed this
9 more days to go 'til the premiere, we can do this!