Remember 3x21? Good episode. Very fun, really. Well, you're getting a different version of it, starting from this chapter.
Leave a review after reading, please.
Special thanks to Steve993, Superior Tennyson, Ella, NeoTyson, TheLifeStruggleIsREAL, jessicabiggs16, and Guest for reviewing the previous chapter.
Hours have past since Barry revealed to Team Flash who Savitar is. Everyone couldn't say a word because they find it hard to believe that someone as sweet and noble as Barry Allen would ever become someone as twisted and ruthless as Savitar.
"I don't understand," said Joe, still looking as shocked as he was a few hours ago. "How can Savitar be you?"
"He's not me," said Barry. "Well, not of this timeline."
"He's you, but all the worst parts of you," said Cisco. "It's like Star Trek when the transporter splits Kirk into good Kirk and bad Kirk." He looks at H.R. and says, "Please tell me you have Star Trek on your Earth."
"Voyager," replied H.R.
"I hate spin-offs," commented Cisco.
"You said you made Savitar," said Joe to Barry. "How?"
"That night when my mother was murdered. He was there," said Barry. "When I created Flashpoint, I erased his future. A future where mom and dad were alive, where the real Harrison Wells was his mentor, where he and Iris were married," explained Barry.
"Okay, but he's pinning that blame on himself, like, literally," said H.R., confused.
"If his future is erased, how does he still exist?" asked Wally.
"He's a time remnant," answered Barry. "He saw what's become of 2024. Those who survived rejected him because he was a duplicate. He got worse and now... here we are."
"Why did he take Crystal?" asked Jesse.
"He wants me to become like him. The only way he can do that is by getting rid of the one person who can help me," said Barry.
"So, you're saying that if Crystal lives, she helps you become your happy, cheery self again, and you never become Savitar, therefore erasing him from existence?" asked Cisco.
"No, he will still live even if I don't become him," said Barry.
"But you said he has your memories," said Cisco. "How can he still exist if you won't become him?"
"He's from an alternate timeline, but he's still me from the future. The only thing he inherits from me is my memories, nothing more," explained Barry.
"Man, time travel," said Cisco, feeling like an average person in science class.
"H.R., you need to tell Tracy to get started on the trap," said Barry.
"I'll try," said H.R.
"And be sure to tell her about... Savitar," said Barry.
"On it," said H.R., leaving the room.
"If Savitar is a version of Barry from the future and he remembers everything Barry does, how are we ever gonna come up with a plan to stop him?" wondered Wally.
Everyone in the room was silent. They had no answer to Wally's question. But Barry wasn't worried about how to defeat Savitar. He was worried about Crystal.
Back at the warehouse in Central City, Crystal was still sitting in a corner, tied up. Savitar, meanwhile, was trying to repair his suit. Apparently, the lightning strikes he and Barry threw at each other caused some damage to his armor.
"I don't understand. Why am I here?" asked Crystal. "I've done you no wrong."
"How long are you going to keep playing this game?" asked Savitar, smirking.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" yelled Crystal.
Savitar zooms towards Crystal, startling her. He leans closer and looks at her closely. The fear on Crystal's face was evident, but it didn't look like she was faking it. Savitar knew Caitlin Snow was not afraid of him, but the woman in front of him was.
"You shouldn't have used your powers on Lisa, or I wouldn't be almost 100% sure right now," said Savitar. "I know you are Caitlin Snow, but something's happened since I was gone. The world thinks your dead, but you're right here. Yet, you don't seem to know who you are. You hit your head or something?"
"You're insane," growled Crystal, glaring at her captor.
"Oh, there's that sharp tongue I remember," said Savitar with a grin.
"Caitlin Snow was a sick, deranged lost soul. I may not be a saint myself, but I cannot be her," said Crystal.
"Amnesia or not, it doesn't matter. You're gonna die, and I'm gonna make sure Barry watches," said Savitar. "No one but Caitlin Snow understands more how much Barry will suffer seeing someone he cares about taken away from him in front of his eyes."
"What did he ever do to you?" asked Crystal.
"He destroyed my future," answered Savitar. "So, I will destroy his. And your death is the perfect start. I could just do it right after I finish my suit, but history needs to happen the way it should be. October 23rd. That's when you die. That's when Barry Allen will hold your lifeless body in his arms. It's the day he starts his journey to become... me."
"He would never become you," said Crystal.
"But I am him," said Savitar. "He just needs a push. You're first. After that, maybe I'll go after Joe next. Maybe Wally. Or Jesse. Cisco. H.R. Oliver Queen. There's so many people I can take away from him."
"I'm gonna say this again. You're insane," said Crystal. "And I have the PhD to backup my claims."
"If I'm insane, it's only because Barry Allen destroyed my life," said Savitar. "Make yourself at home. You've got a long month before you're dead for real."
While Savitar continues repairing his suit, Crystal tried to struggle out of the ropes. She had just witnessed Barry Allen at his worst. She could not let the Barry Allen of now to become the monster who is holding her hostage.
It was almost midnight. Barry was instructed to stay in the medical bay until morning so his shoulder can heal. While everyone went home, Joe stayed with him. Given what his son just witnessed tonight, Joe thinks Barry could use some company. He sits down next to the bed and watches Barry stare into space.
"What was he like?" asked Joe, referring to Savitar.
"Broken," answered Barry.
"Losing everyone he cared about, being treated like he's just a fake... that must've been difficult for him," said Joe, starting to feel sympathy for the man behind the metal suit. "I still can't believe he's you."
"He said it was like looking in a mirror, and he's right," said Barry. "I saw it in his eyes. He was clearly in pain. I've seen that in myself."
"You're not him, Barry. You're too good to be him," said Joe.
"But it's in me," said Barry. "That power. That pain. That's where Savitar comes from. From loss. It's all my fault."
"You're doing it again, Barry," said Joe. "Blaming yourself for Flashpoint. All of us understand why you did it."
"That's no excuse for the lives I ruined," said Barry. "I thought I hurt Cisco and Caitlin the most, but what I did to them is only a fraction of what I did to Savitar."
"Barry, you have to stop blaming yourself for all of this," said Joe.
"That's what Crystal said," said Barry. "It's just hard to do it when I know that I'm the reason for everything that's happened the past two years. There's no getting around it."
"Savitar is just a lost, angry soul, but we can stop him," said Joe.
"But how?" asked Barry. "He calls himself a god, and he is one. Any speedster can be a god. It wouldn't take much. What am I gonna have to become to stop him?"
"You can't seriously be thinking about crossing the line, Bar," said Joe. "Your refusal to cross it is what makes you the Flash."
"Tell me, Joe. Do you think I can go on for the rest of my life without stumbling upon that one moment I have to cross the line?" questioned Barry.
Joe sighs, not knowing what else to say.
"Get some rest," said Joe. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight," said Barry as he watched Joe leave.
The next morning, Barry's shoulder was almost completely healed. He was allowed to get off of bed. Just before Barry can leave the medical bay, Cisco barges in with a smile on his face. He had an idea and started babbling on whether or not it's a good or bad idea, but he really wanted to show it to Barry.
In the main lab, there was a device attached to a chair. It almost looked like a hair dryer that a hairdresser uses at the salon.
"You want to give me a perm?" joked Barry.
"It's not for your hair, Steel Magnolia. It's for your brain," said Cisco. "I want to stop you from making new memories."
"What are you talking about?" asked Jesse.
"Savitar knows everything we're gonna do because he remembers doing it. He's a future Barry," reminded Cisco. "So, what if Barry can't remember what we're doing now?"
"You wanna mess with his brain?" guessed Joe, worried.
"Just a little bit," said Cisco, doing the "tiny bit" gesture. "It's a minimal procedure. It'll still be the same Barry you know and love, except he just won't be able to retain new information."
"And this is the part where you explain the science," guessed Joe.
Cisco points to the left side of his head and says, "This is the part of your brain that retains new information before sending it to the cortex to be stored forever, so what if we block that chain with a magnetic disruption?"
"Barry doesn't get new memories, Savitar can't figure what we're gonna do next... Genius, Francesco," said H.R., tapping his drumsticks together happily.
Cisco bows like a gentleman, flattered.
"Which means Savitar can't be two steps ahead of us anymore," said Wally with a smile.
"If this works, we'll put him one step behind," said Jesse, also smiling.
"Beautiful. Cause and effect," said Cisco, confident and proud.
Joe looks at Barry and asks, "What do you think, Bar? Do you wanna go through with this?"
Barry nods. "Let's do it."
"Wait, wasn't Caitlin the expert on brains?" asked Joe, now even more concerned about the attempted experiment.
"Well, she's... not here anymore," said Cisco sadly. "And our resident PhD, who also happens to be a brain expert, has been kidnapped by a madman from the future. So, this is something we'll have to do by ourselves."
"I trust you," said Barry.
Barry sits down on the chair. Cisco adjusts the disruptor and assures his friend that he won't feel a thing. This, however, doesn't stop everyone in the room from worrying.
"Okay, ready for zapping," said Cisco.
"Can we not call it zapping?" replied Joe, still worried about his son and the outcome of the test.
"Ready to... activate," said Cisco, trying to make Joe more comfortable. "In three... two... one..."
Cisco presses the activation switch on the tablet connected to the device. The blue lights of the magnetic disruptor lights up as it does its work with Barry's brain. Barry started seeing his most cherished memories. Those with his parents. Those with Iris. Those with his friends. Suddenly, they just fade away. After ten seconds, Cisco turns off the device.
Barry remained sitting on the chair, except he had a blank expression on his face.
"How are you feeling?" asked Jesse.
"I feel fine," said Barry.
Everyone in the room started to smile with relief.
"See, he's fine," said Cisco, feeling proud of himself once again.
However, Barry was acting strange. He was looking at everyone with the same blank look.
"Uh, B.A.?" asked H.R., wanting to know if Barry was okay.
"Bar?" asked Joe.
"Barry?" asked Wally.
"Uh, who's Barry?" asked Barry, confused.
Cisco puts his chin on his tablet and says, "Not fine."
Barry looks at everyone again. This time, he looked confused. "Who are all of you?"
Meanwhile, at the warehouse, Crystal found a broken pipe with a sharp point. She scoots her way there and uses the pipe to cut her ropes. After she frees her hands, she unties the ropes on her legs. She started to look for a way out quietly. When she turned a corner, she saw Savitar's suit. She quickly hid behind a wall, hoping he didn't see her.
She peers around the corner and looks at Savitar again. He was just kneeling. She didn't know if he was brooding, thinking, or both.
She wanted to leave him, but a small part of her was urging her to stay. She's seen how broken Savitar is and that was the same pain she saw in Barry's eyes. She felt the need to help him.
"Why am I like this?" she questioned herself.
She slowly walks towards Savitar.
"Um, hello?" she asked, knocking on his helmet.
Suddenly, Savitar grabs Crystal by the throat and holds her against the wall.
"What are you doing?" asked Crystal, trying to pry the metal limb off her neck.
"Who are you?!" yelled Savitar.
Crystal's eyebrows scrunched with confusion.
"What is wrong with you?" asked Crystal.
Savitar turns his head, staring into space. "Who am I?!"
At Mercury Labs...
"What's going on? Seriously, who are you guys?" asked a still-confused Barry.
"Barry, calm down," said Jesse.
"Who's Barry?" asked Barry again, still sounding confused.
"Cisco!" shouted Joe.
"Slight miscalculation," said Cisco, trying to reassure Joe.
"'Slight' wouldn't be the word I'd use," said Joe, raising his voice again.
"Where the hell am I? Is this a dentist's office?" asked Barry.
"No. No. This is Mercury Labs," said Wally.
"Mercu... Labs...? A laboratory?" asked Barry, getting off the chair. "Were you guys experimenting on me?"
"No one is ex... well, technically, yes, but it was consensual," replied Jesse.
"Not helping," said Wally.
Barry puts both of his hands on his head, anxious and confused. "Why can't I remember anything? Why can't I remember my name?"
"Your name is Barry," said Joe.
"My name's not Barry..." Barry reaches into his pocket and finds a wallet. He finds a driver's license. "My name is... Bartholomew Henry Allen. That is not a good name."
Jesse sighs. "Look, Barry..."
"Are you sure I don't go by 'Bart'?" asked Barry. "'Bart' feels more natural to me. Can we go with 'Bart'?"
"'Bart' is kinda cool," said Wally.
"Not helping," said Jesse, mimicking Wally's tone from earlier.
Cisco approaches Barry carefully and says, "Okay, let's just get you back in the chair..."
"No. No. No," said Barry, trying to distance himself from Cisco. "I'm not getting back on the chair. How do I know that you didn't kidnap me here to do some weird brain surgery on me? Or maybe you're like those criminals who trick people into hotel rooms to steal their kidneys?" He looks down at where his kidneys are. "Do I still have my kidneys?"
"We don't any kidneys," said H.R.
Wally and Jesse couldn't help but snicker. For some reason, they find Barry's babbling amusing. They stopped when Joe glares at them.
"Look, B.A., calm down," said H.R.
"B.A.?" questioned Barry.
Cisco, Wally, Jesse, and H.R. continue to approach Barry slowly with caution.
"Look, Barry, just relax and let us help you," said Cisco.
"Oh, no. No way," said Barry, backing towards a wall.
Cornered with no way out, Barry decides to make a run for it. He avoids every person in his way until he runs out of the lab. To everyone's surprise, he just Yeahlike a normal person.
"Okay, that's weird," said Jesse.
"Yeah, he's messed up in the head," said Wally.
"No, I meant he just ran out of here like a normal person," said Jesse. "Doesn't he know he has super speed?"
"Cisco, what happened?" Joe demanded an answer.
Cisco checks Barry's brain results after the experiment on his tablet.
"There is no sign of any permanent structural damage," said Cisco.
"Then why is he acting like he doesn't know us?" asked H.R.
"Amnesia," realized Cisco. "He has an amnesia. I've seen this before on TV. He has amnesia."
"And his speed?" wondered Wally.
"Maybe we didn't take account for Barry's increased neural velocity, due to his super speed?" replied Jesse.
"Well, he just bolted out of here without leaving a trail of lightning, so it's safe to say he doesn't remember he has powers," said H.R.
"Can't you just flip a switch? Undo it?" asked Joe.
"I'll get right on it," said Cisco.
"Meanwhile, we have an amnesiac on the loose," said Jesse.
"Don't worry. We'll get him back," said Wally.
"H.R., you need to check on Tracy," said Jesse. "We need that device finished ASAP."
Jesse and Wally left the lab to look for Barry.
After exiting Mercury Labs, Barry started running, not knowing where to go. He was feeling scared as he looked all around him. Needing to get away from everything, he calls for a cab. One cab stops in front of him. When he opened the door, he saw someone already sitting inside.
"Barry?" It was Crystal.
"I prefer 'Bart'," said Barry. "But who are you? How do you know me?"
Crystal's mouth hangs open, confused by Barry's response.
Wally and Jesse, running like regular people, catch up to Barry. Barry once again steps back, trying to stay away from the two speedsters.
"Crystal?" Jesse and Wally said at the same time, surprised to see her.
"Hi," greeted Crystal, waving.
"You escaped?" asked Wally.
"Yeah," answered Crystal. "What's going on with Barry?"
Barry, Wally, Jesse, and Crystal and looked at each other. Barry was scared, Wally and Jesse were still surprised to see Crystal, and Crystal was confused.
I'm gonna have to end this here. Don't worry. Barry's amnesiac adventure will continue in the next chapter.