The Danvers Residence, Midvale, 1800 hours.
Supergirl was flying through the air while she thought back to what she had just seen, a son being reunited with his mother; it was a son from another Earth, but a son nevertheless. She had bitter sweet memories of her own as she thought about her own parents; the blonde then placed a hand on her chest while flying and felt the necklace under her costume; the last gift she would ever receive from her birth mother before Krypton exploded. Kara loved her cousin, and she was meant to protect him when they landed on Earth… but now, he didn't need her… the roles had reversed with Superman coming over to the Danvers' home to visit her every so often.
He was doing all he could, as well as the Danvers', to make sure that she was doing fine and acclimating to Earth. As Supergirl flew over the small city of Midvale below, she headed for the outskirts, specifically the cliffs that were facing the ocean, before starting her descent to the surface. All she had now was Eliza Danvers, her foster mother. After what she heard from Barry about her adopted father, she was wondering if she should go back on the promise that she and Alex made each other, that they won't tell Eliza anything until Alex and Hank, J'onn in disguise, found Project CADMUS and retrieved Jeremiah.
'Barry has had no reason to lie to me,' thought Supergirl as she landed outside the home that was miles away from the nearest neighbour; it was something that Eliza preferred, a way to have her own privacy when she's not keeping herself busy teaching at Midvale College. Kara landed on the grass outside the front door while hearing the lapping waves of the ocean from behind the house before she walked up the wooden stairs, and onto the porch. She then rang the doorbell, and with her hearing, heard the oven door in the kitchen close before footsteps were walking towards the door.
"Kara?" asked Eliza as she opened the door and saw her foster daughter standing out on the porch in her costume. Smiling, the older woman then stepped back to let Kara into the house, with her closing the door behind Kara who then quickly turned and hugged Eliza tightly.
"Hi," Eliza said with a smile as Kara held her tight, but not too tight, while resting her head on the older woman's shoulder, "everything all right?"
"Can't I just come home and hug my foster mom?" asked Kara while still hugging Eliza who chuckled.
"Of course you can," Eliza replied with a grin as Kara stepped back, "I saw you with the… what is it that Cat's calling him? Oh, the Blur… he's heading back home? Or he's already back home?"
"He's going to be here for a little while," said Kara as she looked at the confused look on her mother's face, "it's a long story that's not really for me to tell, but he's a good man who came by to help me and… and he did. He's staying here for a little while and… and I know I lied during the interview but there are reasons why I had to lie."
"What's going on?" asked Eliza as Kara realized that she needed to give at least some information to her mother.
"Can we sit down over pie?" asked Kara with a hopeful smile.
"Pecan?" asked Eliza as Kara nodded her head in excitement.
"Get changed," replied a smiling Eliza, "then you tell me what's going on."
The West Household, at that same time.
No one in the West clan could believe what was happening as they watched the man in the red suit, who was now kneeling on the floor while still hugging Nora whose body was wracked with sobs. They saw the man claiming to be Barry Allen with his eyes closed while holding on to Nora. Joe was close by, still in disbelief over what the man claiming to be Barry just revealed.
'He said he's from another Earth,' thought Joe to himself as he finally took another step forward and reached out for Barry's shoulder as the other West's looked on, however he didn't know what he could say to him, or to Nora, 'what would anyone say when they hear a story like that? Nora said that he looks just like his grandfather, I've never met the man so I can't tell; and Nora's been through so much already. But the way he's been looking at her, the way he spoke about his mother… is it possible that he really is… this is so confusing?'
"Barry?" asked Iris as she took a step forward as the young man opened his eyes while Nora held him tight and placed her head on his shoulder while crying, "are you…?"
"HI, Iris," said Barry as his voice broke slightly, and then looked at the others, "Wally, Mrs. West."
"You…. You know all of us?" asked Francine as her arm was now holding on to Wally for support.
"Joe and Iris took me in," said Barry as he and Nora parted, the two of them looking at each other before Barry stood up, and then helped Nora up, "but I haven't met you Mrs. West, and… and I met Wally much later."
"Oh," said both Francine and Wally while they had their eyebrows narrowed at Barry; wondering what he meant.
"The Flash," said Nora as she brushed her fingers against the lightning emblem on Barry's chest, and then looked up at her son's eyes, "you said you're from another Earth? how?"
"And you said that you… if you really are, Barry," said iris, "you lived with me and dad, but you didn't say anything about Wally or…"
"Iris," said Francine who wanted to know the answer to that question that her daughter was about to ask, but believed that this wasn't the right place of time to ask it, "this isn't the time to question… just be happy."
"So how fast can you run?" asked Wally excitedly, followed by numerous other questions that Barry tuned out as he looked at the alternate version of his mother smiling back at him. He took in her face before noting that she looked just as she did they day she died, save for her hair colour becoming a lighter shade; but the biggest difference was in her eyes. Barry could see the happiness transferring from her smile to her eyes before they hugged each other again.
"Ummm, Joe," said Francine as she looked at her friend who pulled in her grown son, who arrived from another Earth, again, "you better cancel that… you know… tell that person that we.."
"Oh," said Joe as he remembered the blind date, and panicked before he headed for a phone, "I need to call Charlie, and… well, I'll come up with an excuse."
"Sorry," said Barry as he pulled back out of the house and looked at Nora, and then at the others, "I didn't think that you'd have other plans or…"
"No," said everyone together as Joe picked up the phone and started dealing.
"How long can you stay, Barry?" asked Francine.
"My friend saw something coming to attack Supergirl in a few days," said Barry as Nora held on to both of his hands, not wanting to let go, "and.."
"What do you mean saw?" asked Wally.
"He has the power to see through dimensions," said Barry, "he gets these vibes, and he got one about Supergirl, and I came here to help her. I need her help to fight an enemy of mine, another speedster whose been terrorizing his own Earth and…"
"You've been to other Earth's?" asked Iris before she looked around for something, "oh I've got to write a report on this and… and can you imagine getting a scoop on the Flash and.."
"No one can know about me coming from another Earth, Iris," said Barry, "if someone.. the military or even STAR Labs tries to open up the dimensional barrier, then it could be dangerous. Or what if they try to find out about me and try to recreate another speedster here? they can't find out that I'm from another Earth, or who I am, or how I got my powers."
"But…" said Iris as Joe interrupted her while holding the phone to his ear as the other line kept on ringing, saying that Barry was right.
"This is a celebration," said Francine who was about to head to the kitchen when she noticed the look on Nora's face, a sad look that Barry noticed as well.
"You never answered the question, Barry. What happens after Supergirl helps you fight and defeat this enemy of yours?" asked Nora softly, and with fear that she's not going to like the answer.
"I did something that caused fifty two breaches to open on my Earth to what we call Earth-Two, the home of this enemy.. Zoom," said Barry, "he's after my speed, mom. He wants my speed as a cure for a disease he has, but I know once he's cured then he'll terrorize even more people. We trapped him in his Earth by closing all the breaches. But I was guilty about leaving Earth-Two to Zoom's terror, and there are two people from Earth-Two stuck on my Earth. I've been training to get faster and faster against him. When Cisco got the vibe, he called me and told me what he saw, and then I ran all the way to this Earth. Breaking through the dimensional barrier caused a ripple effect that caused the cracks to open up just a little bit. Not enough for Zoom to go through, but when I go back again, the ripple effect will completely open all the breaches and Zoom will come through to my Earth. When he does come… we'll be fighting and I need Supergirl's help on my Earth. Then after I bring her back here, I have to head back to my Earth and close the breaches again… which means that I can't come here, ever again."
Nora closed her eyes while shaking her head. At the same time Joe put a hand on Nora's shoulder's which were trembling, while Barry placed his gloved hands on her cheeks.
"I never knew you were alive until I checked the internet and saw a picture of you," said Barry gently, "would… would you come with me to my Earth?"
Nora looked into her son's eyes and knew that the offer was genuine. Barry would take her back with him, to a place where Henry was still alive, a place where Barry was still alive. Nora looked at the stunned looks on Joe's face, and then at Francine, Iris and Wally before looking at Barry again.
And nodded her head as Barry laughed before he hugged Nora tight.
"I want to know everything about you, Barry," whispered Nora into his ear, "about your life, your friends, everything."
"I'll tell you," Barry replied while Joe said that he couldn't tell her anything yet, at least not in that suit. Barry blushed when he said that the money from his universe probably wouldn't work here, so a friend he met when he arrived to this Earth helped him to get some clothes, which he had burnt on the way to helping Supergirl the first time. It was then that he remembered the clothes he loaned from Winn, Barry stopped talking and then told Nora that he'll be back in a few minutes.
Nora nodded her head before Barry ran out of the West house with a trail of lightning behind him, a gust of wind in his wake that made Nora's hair fly back before she turned to face Joe and the others with her hand over her mouth.
"It's Barry," said Nora as Francine walked over to her friend and hugged her tight, "it's Barry."
"There's one thing I'd like to know, though," said Joe as he picked up the case file for the Allen murders, and flipped through them before looking up at Nora, "how were Barry and Henry murdered. I mean, I know I can't get this to Captain Singh and tell him that we've gotten some information from a dead boy from another Earth. But I… I guess it's more for our own closure; it's got to be better to know how it happened."
"Yeah," said Nora as Francine placed an arm around her shoulders.
"Going to another Earth," said Francine giving a small smile at her friend.
"I.. I know I should have discussed it with you guys…" said Nora hesitating slightly at whether she made the right decision in accepting Barry's offer. She told Joe and Francine that they, Iris, and Wally had made her welcome as a part of their family, and she didn't want them to think that she was being ungrateful, "you guys saved my life."
"We know you weren't happy, Aunt Nora," said Iris as Joe and Francine nodded their heads, with Joe placing a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Which was why we tried to set you up with someone," said Joe as Nora smiled, "but you have a second chance with Henry and Barry, and I think you should take it."
"Me too," said Francine, before saying that she was going to get dinner started; that this was going to be a proper celebration. Joe said that he need to go back to the precinct and check-in with his partner, Eddie. At the mention of his name while Joe's back was to Iris, Nora noticed the look that she shared with Wally who nudged her elbow before whispering something to her. Nora just let it go as something probably to do with Joe's partner, and felt that it wasn't her business to ask.
It was a few minutes later, while Nora was helping Francine with dinner that she heard a sound in the distance. Running to the door, Nora opened it to see Barry in the civilian clothes that he had gotten earlier that day from Winn; clothes he left in the 'Super-cave' before heading out to meet Joe for the first time. With a backpack he 'borrowed' slung over his shoulder, Barry just smiled at his mom before she stepped back, grabbed his hand, and led him into the house.
The Danvers Residence, 1830 hours.
Eliza Danvers was still looking at her foster daughter, her mouth hanging, in shock after what she had heard about the man, the Flash, who arrived from another Earth to help her beat Livewire and Silver Banshee. Eliza knew that Kara was hiding some things, particularly who the Flash really was and how he got his abilities, but her brain was still going on overdrive as she thought about the speed needed to punch through the dimensional barrier, and then arrive on another Earth.
'This 'Flash' is living proof of the Multi-verse theory,' thought Eliza to herself as she looked at Kara who was asking her what she thought about the Flash, which led to an answer by Eliza, "wow!"
"I know," said Kara as she ate her second pie, "when we went to eat and…"
"A date?" asked Eliza as she arched an eyebrow upwards while folding her arms over her chest and sitting back.
"Not a date, mom," said Kara as she grinned at Eliza after taking another bite of the pie, "I mean just two people with similar situations going for some donuts; I mean we both have powers, a secret identity, and… and he's the first superhuman I met who's not trying to kill me, and who knows what it's like to be… I mean… to be like me."
Eliza nodded her head as Kara took another bite of pie. She understood what Kara meant while remembering how the younger woman was lonely for the first few months even though she had her, Alex, Jeremiah, and even Superman. However, Superman.. who would visit occasionally to check-in on Kara, was encouraging the young woman to be closer to her sister, and to make friends at school. He told her about his life in Smallville, before admitting that while their situations were very different; Superman had been essentially an Earther since he was a toddler, while Kara had lost her friends as a young girl and was now being forced to make new friends and social connections.
"It's going to be hard, Kara," said Superman who visited her in the disguise of Clark Kent, "but you'll find your way here. I want you to live your life, the Danvers' want you to live your life. Have fun, Kara."
However, despite an exterior change in the young woman as she started to get closer to Alex and made some friends at school, Eliza knew that Kara still felt lonely. Even when she got the job at Catco two years ago and met Winn, she still felt lonely. The happiest that Eliza had seen Kara was the day that the older woman got worried for her adopted daughter; it was the day that Supergirl was revealed to the world.
'She's happy though,' thought Eliza as they continued talking about the Flash, 'but she's hiding something… I can feel she's hiding something else.'
Project CADMUS, Lab 616; at that same time; a hundred miles from Midvale.
Jeremiah's mind was flooded with images of death and destruction being caused by Superman and Supergirl. Images that had just overrode the regular input he was supposed to receive by Indigo. The energy that she fired at the computers and the servers rapidly bombarded Jeremiah's mind with a simulated future. Quickly overriding all he had learned, while making him hate Kryptonians.
A future that he saw as very, very real.
He saw the planet burning, he saw bodies on the streets while Superman and Supergirl were standing on a pile of bones, their eyes glowing as they glared at screaming humans. His hands clenched into fists when he saw Superman and Supergirl use their heat vision to murder the people around them.
He could hear their screams as he pushed against his restraints before his eyes snapped open and he screamed. Jeremiah tore the restraints off his hands and feet before stepping onto the floor. He arched his back and a roar came out instead of a scream before he leaned forward and tore the table he was lying on off the floor, and then swung it around and destroyed the computers and the servers. He then looked at the thick steel door in front of him when he heard shouts outside. Grinning, Jeremiah walked over to the door before punching it right in the middle. He watched the door fly off its hinges and crushed soldiers, the steel door crushing them, against the far wall.
"Humanity is weak," said a blue figure with red hair in Jeremiah's mind as he grabbed his head and screamed, "they fall to the feet of gods who'll eventually destroy them. Your role is to save the humans from themselves. The people here want to protect Superman and Supergirl, they spread their disease and the humans are in their thrall. Kill Superman and Supergirl, kill any and all Kryptonians for they will become gods as well, kill those who protect them… be their doomsday. Free the human race."
Jeremiah roared again just as he was shot by a multitude of weapons in the hallway. His body twitched as one bullet hit him after another, the creature that he had become just shrugging it off, the weapon fire just ricocheting off his body. While the soldiers were reloading the weapons as the klaxons throughout the base started to blare, Jeremiah smiled as his eyes turned black.
No one knew what hit them.
All the soldiers heard was the sound of a snap, and then everything went dark.
Thirty minutes; that's how long it took for Jeremiah to kill a majority of the base personnel while making his way to the surface of the complex. Nothing worked on stopping him; not even Kryptonite bullets that CADMUS held in store.
Nothing worked to stop him as Jeremiah walked out of a hanger and into the setting sun of a day that had just gotten much, much worse. Jeremiah looked at the blood on his hands before he looked at the setting sun again and smiled. He had an image of a house in his mind, a house near a cliff where he would stand and watch the ocean in the distance. He turned around in this vision and saw a woman walk out of the door, she was blonde and older than the dark haired little girl next to her, and then he 'saw' the one in a white dress and blonde hair.
"Ka… ra," said Jeremiah in a deep voice as he rolled his hands into fists, "save… Eli…za, save… Al.. ex. I… save…"
Jeremiah then roared as his eyes turned a deep black before he ran. He was running at super speed before he jumped high into the air. He then came down to the road and ran again, before jumping high up in to the air, his momentum pushing him forward. The being that was supposed to be Jeremiah continued his combination of running and jumping, soon passing over a bus that was now forty miles away from Midvale. It was a sight that many of the occupants facing the form of the jumping Jeremiah gasped at while wondering if it was another being like Supergirl that seemed to come out of nowhere.
There were two people in the bus however, who looked at the figure, and then each other in worry. The blonde haired woman, and the boy could tell from the general direction of the creature that it was heading towards Midvale; it was something that elicited worry in the eyes of the blonde woman.
Her suspicions were confirmed when the boy, really J'onn in disguise, said that he felt a darkness at the back of his mind when the creature jumped past them.
"You okay to fly?" asked the blonde haired Alex.
"Yes," said J'onn, "but we must leave this bus."
"I got an idea," smiled Alex.
TBC.