A/N: So I've finalized my plans for this first story and I'm going to give a brief description of it. This Dark Dimension arc is gonna last until maybe chapter 25-ish, give or take. Then, after that, there's gonna be another arc, which I will reveal later. As you all know, the beginning of this story takes place when Barry and the Avengers (in April of 2016 on Earth 14) are being "confronted" by Charles and the X-Men (again, for them, it's the version from the X-Men: Apocalypse/Dark Phoenix with everything up until the end of Apocalypse canon to Earth 14 and moved up a few years to match with this story).
With that in mind, the story, for rather obvious reasons, is going to end about a few days after Barry and the Avengers arrive at the Xavier Mansion. Oh, and if anyone needs like
JAINA/BARRY
Jaina remained by Barry's bedside as she held his right hand while he laid asleep. He was cleaned and healed, free from the wounds, dried blood, and dirt that had covered him before. Where his left hand used to be on the stump of his left arm, a movable and flexible, Uru prosthetic had replaced his old limb. His breathing was slow, calm, and leveled, whatever he was dreaming or thinking must have put him at ease. Part of her was curious as to what it was that he dreamed of, the other part forced her to restrain herself, keep the boundary between reality and dream normal. And not to interfere within Barry's own dreams. Suddenly, Barry let out an exhale as he shifted in his bed, his eyes peeled open as he blinked repeatedly. The calm look on his face sank into a look of confusion and then a level of disappointment. He forced himself up as he groaned, Jaina helping him sit up straight.
"Easy, easy," she warned him. "Your wounds are healed but the prosthetic is still setting in."
"Prosthetic?" Barry frowned in confusion before he turned his head to the direction of his left hand, holding it close to his face as he turned it.
Jaina watched as Barry eyed the hand carefully, pulling off the black glove that covered it as a silver, metallic-styled hand was revealed under it. Barry moved the fingers of it on his own as he clenched and unclenched his hand into a fist. After a few moments, he even began phasing as the prosthetic managed to stay perfectly intact, even being able to generate Barry's orange, speed force lightning.
"How did…" Barry tried to ask.
"Uru metal is exceedingly adaptable," Jaina explained. "Several myths and legends often had it that it could even adapt to a speedster's abilities but…I've never seen it until now."
Barry nodded his head as he laid his hand down. "Yeah, it's…it's good, I suppose."
Jaina frowned, finding herself displeased with Barry's reaction, a far cry from what she expected it to be. "What is it? You don't seem very happy."
Barry sighed as his right elbow rested on his knee, his head leaning on his right hand. "You wouldn't understand."
Jaina sighed as she kneeled in front of Barry, gently lifting his chin up with her fingers as their eyes met, the both of them gazing at one another. "Try me, Barry Allen. Make me understand."
The silence between the pair was relatively brief before Barry finally let out a string of words from his lips. "Who am I now?"
Jaina found herself in a whirlpool of confusion, completely taken back by what Barry had said. Of every possible thing she imagined him saying, this wasn't what she imagined. She knew what he said and what he was going to say would lead her through the complex web of emotional and mental damage that he was suffering through. But how? What was it? Who am I now? What did he mean? Where was he going with his words? Jaina couldn't help but grow more concerned, intrigued, and curious about Barry, her three feelings towards him mixed in a complex web of her own gallery.
"Who am I now?" Barry repeated. "The hand that I once had is gone. The hand that I used to uncover the tarp on my mother's body, the hand where I held my father's body in his last moments. Where I held the hands of my friends, of every girl I ever thought I loved. The same hand I used to run and punch with. It wasn't just a limb, it was part of me. Part of who I was. I came here, lost and ripped away from my world. I became the only thing I could cling onto in order to remember the ones I loved and my home world. Now, even my hand's been taken from me, the person I once was is…deteriorating. I'm losing myself…assuming that I already haven't. You can replace that limb, the hand, and the fingers. But that part of me, that…essence of who I was…it's lost forever. I'm lost forever."
Barry remained silent as he once again let his head fall, looking down as an exasperated sigh escaped his lips. Jaina found herself holding his hands with Barry returning a comfortable grip.
"You say that you feel you've lost yourself," Jaina said as her hand went up to Barry's face, caressing his hair and the side of his head. "What if you stayed with me and my father? We could help you. You help us create the new world we seek to make. And we can help you find yourself again. Come with me. My father wants to speak with you."
Barry slipped on a shirt as Jaina led him down the stairs of the Dark Dimension's sanctum. Kaecilius was awaiting the two as they arrived.
"You're awake," Kaecilius declared, his voice and face remaining welcome and stoic at the same time. "I trust you're more than well-rested."
Barry nodded. "So what now? What do I owe you for this? What's the catch?"
"There isn't one," Kaecilius stated simply.
Barry frowned. "I don't follow."
"What happens now, Barry Allen, is entirely your decision," Kaecilius said. "You can return to your world and should you choose to do so, you must never speak of me, my daughter, my fellow Zealots, or even of this place to anyone whatsoever. Should you choose to stay…you can be a part of something greater, a part of our mission, but you would have to completely surrender yourself to us."
The doors to the sanctum opened as Barry looked out to them while Kaecilius continued.
"Go back to the real world for as much time as you need," Kaecilius declared. "Make your decision and when you're ready, return to us."
Barry briefly glanced at Kaecilius and then to Jaina for a brief moment, the two of them gazing at their features, both of them unknowingly concerned that it would be the last time they'd get to do so. Barry slowly turned his head away as orange lightning coursed through his body before he disappeared from the sanctum.
"You know he'll come back," Jaina said once he was gone, addressing her father. "It was never his choice, was it?"
"It was and it is," Kaecilius said, a hint of a smirk on his face. "I already know which one he's going to make. He is…predictable like that. All broken men are. He'll return soon."
And he was right, as Jaina went on to discover, supposedly. In what seemed to feel like a few hours, Jaina found Barry standing outside her quarters as he awaited her. She didn't even know or realize how long it had been since he left. In a dimension transcendent of life, death, and time, it was impossible to know. The two stood silently at the door of her room as Jaina eyed him carefully.
"Are you staying?" she finally asked.
Barry nodded his head. "Y-yeah…I am. I've made my choice."
Jaina nodded back as she smirked. "Well then, let's get to training. You have a lot to learn, Barry Allen."
Barry remained serious. "I suppose I do."
Barry ran through the Dark Dimension at his full speed, moving faster than anything that resided within it. He closed his eyes as he focused on his destination, letting his speed course through his body, his power guiding him until suddenly, a portal opened in front of him before he ran through. He kept moving as he found himself moving through a pool of blue, energy-fueled space, he could hear countless voices and see countless visions from across the multiverse.
"You were everything I wanted to be! And you just…threw it away!"
"But you're right. Something is…the matter."
"With great power…comes great responsibility."
"Miles, the hardest thing about this job is…you can't always save everybody."
"The moment I believe that is the moment I stop trying."
And then…it was his mother's voice heard as one line echoed repeatedly and endlessly for all he could hear.
"I loved you first."
"I loved you first."
"I loved you first."
The voices and visions finally ceased to a halt as a portal opened on the other side. Barry ran through as he came to a halt, the portal closing behind him in an instant as he looked around. He found himself standing inside a place that looked much like the sanctum in the Dark Dimension. A look of confusion ran over Barry as a sort of sense went off in his head, a ringing sound that seemed to warn him of something. Barry turned around, a whole one-eighty degrees just in time to catch an arrow before he tossed it aside, seeing Clint standing a few feet away. A look of relief washed over Clint as the archer lowered his bow, relaxing his arm on the bowstring.
"Nice entrance, kid." Clint said with a sarcastic smirk.
"Believe it or not, you're actually not the first guy to try and pull that stunt with me." Barry shot back.
Instantly, multiple people entered the area from the grand staircase as Barry could see the others, everyone up there: Matt, Tony with his daughter, Laura, Clint's children, Steve, Logan, Natasha, Wanda, Thor, Banner, Bucky, Sam, Rhodey, and Frank. Logan and Matt instantly ran up towards Barry as they rushed him.
"You okay, kid?" Logan asked immediately as he placed a hand on Barry's shoulder.
"I'll live," Barry said, letting out a brief scoff.
"You know you gave us a real scare there," Matt joked as a brief smile flashed across his face.
Barry released a chuckle from himself as he spoke sarcastically. "Oh, I'm flattered."
Matt briefly chuckled back.
"Barry, your hand…" Sam said as everyone glanced at Barry.
He took off the glove on his left hand, revealing the Uru, metallic prosthetic that had replaced it. The looks of shock and empathy were rather predictable as Barry could see it upon everyone's face. Even Logan and Frank, who were typically the most stoic ones, were somewhat surprised and concerned. From the look of it, Matt, with his own senses, could even detect Barry's hand being replaced by his prosthetic. Barry briefly moved away from Logan and Matt as he saw Thor, Wanda, Bucky, and Bruce. None of them were able to completely look at Barry, who wasn't surprised. Did he blame any of them? For what had happened to him? For losing his hand and nearly his own life? No. Perhaps not. Part of him wanted to but ultimately, he couldn't find it in himself to hold any hatred against them. As usual, it was all directed towards Thawne, the sole man responsible for everything that had happened so far. Barry decided to put his newer thoughts to rest as he looked at the four of them.
"How're you guys doing?" Barry asked, his words surprisingly genuine, even for him. "I'm assuming the effects from…whatever control Thawne had on you are worn off."
"They did," Steve said, answering for the four of them. "And whatever speed force energy that Banner and Bucky had…it was brief. Effects wore off permanently a few hours ago."
Barry nodded as he briefly eyed Steve before turning back to Wanda, Bucky, Banner, and Thor in confusion. "Wait, where's Vision?"
"Destroyed," Tony answered. "Thawne pulled the Mind Stone out of his head."
"He must've phased it out of him," Barry sighed.
"However he did it," Tony continued as he held a sleeping Morgan in his arms. "It left Vision destroyed. He's just…a pile of scrapped, Vibranium metal now."
"About what happened to you…" Wanda said slowly as Barry turned and faced her, along with the other three. "I…I'm sorry, I never meant to-"
"It's okay," Barry assured as he placed a hand on Wanda's shoulder, looking at her before looking at all four of them.
"I'm truly and sincerely sorry, Allen," Thor said. "I hope you can forgive me. Forgive us."
Barry shook his head. "There's nothing to forgive. What happened…to all of you, to all of us, it was Thawne. Him, Ward, and Hydra. It's on them and we're going to stop them. No matter what. We're all here. Now we just…have to find Coulson and the others, find them, they're out there somewhere."
"Barry, there's no use…" Matt tried to say, hoping to reason with his friend.
Barry walked up to Matt as the two stood a couple feet away from one another. "We can't just leave them wherever they are. Thawne and Ward could have all of them hostage for all we know."
"They're good as gone, kid," Frank proclaimed. "You heard Murdock, it's no use. Never was."
"We don't know that," Barry said as he stood at the center, looking and glancing at everybody. "None of you do. Are we really just going to leave them behind?"
"Barry, they're gone…" Matt said sternly as the two faced each other once more. "Thawne, Ward, Hydra…they killed them. It's over for them."
"You would really believe their word with something like this?" Barry demanded as he and Matt stood tall. "Damn it, Matt, you're man of God. Have some faith for Christ sake."
"Barry, there is a fine line between having faith and losing yourself to denial."
"We've already lost so many people, goddammit!"
"AND WE'RE GOING TO LOSE MORE!"
Matt's voice boomed across the entire sanctum as everyone, even Barry, fell into silence. A silence that seemed to last for a few, intense moments as Matt's heavy breathing was the only audible sound.
"Look, I get it," Matt claimed as his tone sank normally. "You want to save everyone, you always have, but the truth is you can't, Barry."
"I-" Barry tried to say.
"You can't," Matt interrupted sternly. "Barry…the worst about this job, about this life: you can't save everyone. Innocent people, people you know and love, they're going to die. You can't save all of them. Believe me, I have tried…sometimes, the more you keep trying to save everyone, the closer you get to saving no one. We've all lost so many of us and the truth is we're going to lose more."
"But shouldn't we at least try?" Barry half-pleaded.
"Barry, we can try all we want, hell, we can try a million times," Matt sighed. "It won't matter. We can't save everyone. We can't have it all. There are costs, there are falls. But…but…if we can save some people, if we can save even at least one life, just that one…then it has to be worth it. Maybe we can't save all of them but that doesn't mean we have to ignore the fact that we can save some of them."
Barry sighs. "Maybe…but I'm still going to try…" Barry stood in the center as he looked to his fellow friends and teammates. "I'm not gonna stand by and just let people die. If I can save all of you and…countless others, I'm going to try. Maybe I'll fail, maybe I won't…at least I'll know."
"Wise words from the both of you," Barry turned just in time to see a bald-headed woman in a sort of yellow uniform standing at the mid-level of the stairs between the first and second floor. "We need to have a rather serious discussion about your recent whereabouts, Mr. Allen. I believe you might be the key to winning an incoming but costly war."
It took only moments for Barry to be introduced to the Ancient One, Stephen Strange, Mordo, and Wong. He and the Avengers had thankfully found some sanctuary within the London sanctum, which was not only shielded from runners but even connected to other shielded sanctums as well as Kamar Taj. After several more moments, Barry had explained to the Ancient One, Strange, the Avengers, and the others about everything that had happened since his fight with Thawne. Meeting Jaina, Kaecilius, the Zealots, the choice that Kaecilius gave him, and then Barry returning here.
"He allowed you to leave?" the Ancient One asked, seemingly shocked and taken back. "Willingly?"
Barry nodded. "Yeah."
"And they healed you? Replaced your limb?" Strange inquired.
"It's exactly like I said." Barry replied.
"Why?" Steve asked. "If these people serve this…"
"Dormammu," Wong answered.
Steve sighed. "Right, Dormammu…if they serve this Dormammu, why heal Barry? What is he to them?"
"Kaecilius believes that Mr. Allen will turn out to be the best of them all," Mordo claimed.
"And that he will be the key to the spreading of the Dark Dimension," the Ancient One added. "Allowing it to conquer the multiverse and possibly…more."
"We can stop Kaecilius, Jaina, and the Zealots," Barry said. "I can lure them out of the Dark Dimension and bring them here, we finish them off, it's over."
"It isn't that simple, I'm afraid," the Ancient One replied. "There's still the threat of Dormammu, who at the moment is far more powerful than anyone in this room…even you, Mr. Allen."
Barry crunched his eyebrows in brief confusion. "What exactly would you have me do?"
"Return to Kaecilius," the Ancient One instructed. "Tell him you've decided to join your own forces with the Dark Dimension. Learn all and whatever you can about Dormammu. His strengths, his weaknesses, his plans, anything, and report all of it to us."
"Wait a minute," Sam interrupted. "You want him to spy for you."
"Makes sense," Natasha argued with a shrug. "He's got their trust, this might be the only chance we've got."
"If he gets made," Rhodey argued back. "And this…Dormammu guy goes after him, what's to say he won't get killed?"
"No offense, Rhodey, but you have a better plan?" Barry sighed.
"You can't seriously be considering this, kid," Logan urged. "You realize the danger you're putting yourself in? You could get killed."
"If I had ten bucks for every time I heard something like that, I could probably buy a whole planet." Barry shot back.
"This is serious, Barry," Steve explained.
"So am I," Barry replied. "Steve…almost everyone in this room has nearly laid down their life to save countless others. You nearly laid down your own life to save a majority of the planet from destruction. Tell me how this is any different."
"Because we can't trade lives, kid," Clint added. "You do this, you put yourself at risk, you could die. And without you, we don't stand a remote chance against anything out there. Whether it's the Dark Dimension or the runners."
"I won't get made," Barry said. "Even if the risk of it is high, I have to do it. What other choice do we even have?"
"Barry, you once told us that you always tried to find another way," Matt said. "You sure you can't do that now?"
"Matt…" Barry said with a sigh. "Every problem has a solution, some are just less acceptable to us than others. You can't throw it all away because you don't like the risks or the outcome. Hell, you…you told me that the worst part about this life is that we can't always save everybody. But this time, we can. I can. Not just our world but the entire multiverse, an infinite amount of worlds, trillions of lives are at risk if the Dark Dimension bleeds out. You told me that if we could save even one life, it would have to be worth it. Matt, this time…we can save countless lives. It has to be worth it," Barry stood in the center as he looked out to his new friends and teammates. "If we don't do this…if we give up on a chance to save countless lives because of the risk, because of me? Then the new world we want to build, the one we're looking for…it'd be long gone. It wouldn't matter. This…this has to matter. To me, to you, to all of us. It has to."
"You say this…full aware of the risk you hold on yourself?" the Ancient One questioned.
Barry let out a brief scoff. "I stopped caring about what happens to me a long time ago. Being on this earth hasn't changed that."
"Very well," the Ancient One said. "Best of luck to you, Barry Allen. Report back to us as soon as you have any new information, but not if it holds too much risk. You will get caught, but in this circumstance, it is best to delay the inevitable."
Barry nodded.
He turned to Matt as the two stood a few feet apart from one another.
"You take care of yourself, alright?" Matt said. "No showing off this time."
Barry let out a brief chuckle. "This coming from the guy who calls himself Daredevil."
"Yeah, but…" Matt tried to say, pushing through a brief chuckle as he fell into seriousness. "I mean it. Just…be careful. Last thing anyone here needs to lose someone else and the last thing I need is to lose another friend."
Barry and Matt found themselves wrapping their arms around each other as their heads were next to one another. The hug between the two lasted a few moments before they separated as Matt gave Barry a good grip on the shoulder and a nod. Barry stood back as he turned to Logan.
"You still sure you wanna do this?" Logan asked.
"Yeah," Barry said. "You know, out of everyone, you were the first one I met here. You gave me the one thing I needed from the moment I got here."
"What's that?" Logan wondered.
"A friend." Barry replied.
Logan turned his head away as he patted Barry's shoulder. "Just be careful, kid."
Barry nodded back. He went to Sam and Rhodey as he shook hands with the both of them, being wished good luck on his journey. Everyone else had done the same. He found himself coming across Tony, who approached him with an awakened Morgan in his arms. The infant baby released some squirms.
Tony glanced at Barry as Morgan squirmed. "Pretty sure that translates to 'don't get yourself killed, dumbass'."
Barry smiled briefly. "I'm flattered."
With one arm, Tony carried Morgan as he quickly extended his right hand to Barry. "Allen."
"Stark," Barry replied as he shook Tony's hand. "When this is over…she's gonna see the sunshine on a brand-new world."
"Maybe even get to grow up in one," Tony added as Barry nodded back.
Steve then approached Barry as the pair shook hands. "If anything at all goes wrong, you come back here the second it happens."
"I will." Barry replied.
"Take care of yourself, man of speed," Thor said, grinning as he patted Barry's shoulder. "Of all the warriors I've ever met, you perhaps might just be one of the bravest and boldest."
"Huh…thank you," Barry wasn't entirely sure what else to say.
"I don't know you too well, kid…" Bucky said, his tone coming off apologetically. "But you've got balls, I'll give you that."
Wanda was the last one to approach him as her arms were crossed. "Be careful."
Barry held two fingers to his head as he extended them forward in salute form. "I will. Look, between the two of us, you're probably the most dangerous one here. While I'm gone, you look after them for me, alright? And don't worry, you're amazing. You'll figure something out."
Wanda briefly smiled and let out a chuckle. "I'll keep it in mind."
Barry released a deep exhale as he turned to everyone. "I'll be back soon."
With that, he ran off from the sanctum in a trail of orange lightning, returning to the Dark Dimension as soon as possible.
Barry and Jaina stood next to each other as several Zealots surrounded them, Kaecilius standing in front of the two.
"Are you ready to begin?" Kaecilius asked.
Barry nodded. "I am."
"Well then…let us begin."
A/N: The Dark Dimension arc isn't particularly going to take up too many chapters. I'm thinking it'll probably just end around chapter 25, as I mentioned before. I'm not sure yet but I guess we'll see. This arc is mostly going to be surrounding Barry, so the incoming chapters we get here are either gonna be chapters conjoined chapters with two POVs (one of them being Barry's POV as we saw with this chapter) or just a plain Barry POV chapter.