"I thought it was time for them to know, for everyone to know who was the one who was saving Central City."
A crowd gathered in front of the memorial that had been set up. A sea of black clothes amongst the otherwise bright day. There wasn't a smiling face in the crowd. Captain Singh, Joe, Iris, Cisco, Caitlin, and Henry stood at the front of the group, staring in front of the smiling image of Barry from one of the videos. The last image of him smiling only the way Barry Allen could.
And they felt peace.
Oliver Queen stood to the far aside of the memorial, not wanting to take too much attention away from what was really important. A fallen friend and hero. He stood with his hands clasped in front of him, a stoic expression as he studied the picture before him. A picture of a man that held so much hope and blind faith for everyone that it amazed him. When they first met, Barry even stood up to Oliver, more so than anyone else ever had and over the years Barry had certainly become more like his brother than a friend.
He had lost so many people over the years but, somehow, this one hurt the most. Maybe because he understood how young Barry still was. How much life and happiness he still had left to experience. How much of it he still had to share.
Oliver felt grateful he was one of those people it had been shared with.
He slowly started to smile.
"Not because I'm looking for the glamour and the fame. But that I think everyone needs to know that even people like me can be a hero. Every young boy, girl, man, woman…it doesn't take superpowers to be a hero."
One by one the crowd walked forward to place a single flower at the foot of the memorial, moving around his closest friends and family to do so, giving them small nods of condolence. And yet each of them were smiling because they had the pleasure of knowing the man they had lost.
"It just takes a heart, love, friendship…and knowing that the more you cherish those things the more you can spread it around. And maybe, just maybe, you'll live long enough to see that change grow wings and take flight."
Even as the words from Barry's last tape played over the crowd, played across the news outlets, played across the radio, Central City was shocked and grieving.
Because no one in Central City thought that when they'd bury the Flash they'd essentially bury a kid.
And his name was Barry Allen.
THE END
A/N: Thank you so much everyone, I hope you enjoyed it. I hope it wasn't too depressing. And I hope the ending was just as hope filled as the rest was kind of dark. Who knows what would happen if Barry ended up dying (though now I'm wondering how the show will actually end). I hope it resonated with you in some way.
Cheers,
-Riles