Hey, everybody. I'm back.
This chapter may not be as good as the last one, but it will feature a confrontation I'm sure you have all been hoping for, though I'm sure it won't be as epic as you imagined.
Also, the winners of the vote for godparents of Nora and Stephen will be announced in this chapter.
Let's get to it.
Chapter 5- Back Home
Natasha continues to examine Vision's wound, trying to get a good idea of how bad it is.
"Where are they? We need to leave," Sam asks out loud.
"Be patient, Sam. I think we can afford to give them a little time to themselves," Natasha without looking at him.
Right then, before Sam can say anything more, the team can hear somebody land outside the Quinjet. A moment later, Barry and Wanda walk in, with Barry holding Nora and Wanda holding Stephen. The pure joy on Barry's face makes them all smile.
"How'd he react?" Natasha asks Wanda.
Wanda beams. "As I expected," she replies, bringing smiles to everybody's faces.
Barry then looks at Wanda. She looks back at him and nods. Barry then looks at his teammates, who are looking at him curiously.
"Wanda and I had a discussion while we were in her apartment...regarding godparents. She told me she hadn't wanted to choose until she could talk to me about it. We had a talk, and we made a decision," Barry says. He then looks at Steve and says, "Steve, Wanda and I would be honored if you would agree to be Nora's godfather."
Steve smiles broadly. "It would be my genuine pleasure," he says.
Wanda then looks at Natasha and says, "And Nat, would you be Stephen's godmother?"
Natasha beams at the thought. She quickly replies, "Yes, I will. Now, let me hold my new godson." Wanda laughs a bit before handing Stephen to Natasha, who smiles down at him.
"Who are your other choices? Clint, maybe?" Sam asks.
"No, not Clint. He's already going to basically be their grandpa. No, we planned on asking my friend Caitlin to be Nora's godmother and Cisco to be Stephen's godfather," Barry explains.
Natasha raises an eyebrow. "I have to be a godparent to this kid with Ramon?" she asks sarcastically.
"Hey! He's been my best friend for years! Be nice!" Barry says with a smirk. Natasha laughs cheerfully in response.
Steve smiles. From what he's heard, Caitlin would make a good godmother.
"Alright. We need to get going. We can't stay here," Steve says. Everyone nods.
Sam sits down in the pilot's seat and revs up the engines. Within a minute, the Quinjet is in the air and turning towards the west.
"So, where are we heading?" Barry asks as he tickles Nora, making her giggle.
"Home," Steve responds.
(A few hours later)
It's late afternoon in New York. Rhodey has been waiting patiently for the team to return. Unfortunately, he's having to deal with someone who has grown to dislike over the last few years.
He's standing the conference room, watching a hologram of Secretary Ross and some of his aides.
"Still no word from Vision, then?" Ross demands.
"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh," Rhodey responds.
"On a stolen Quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals," Ross adds.
"You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that. Right, sir?" RHodey responds harshly.
"OMG, Rhodes. Your talent for horse**** rivals my own," Ross says snidely.
"You know, if it weren't for those Accords, Vision would've been right here," Rhodey snaps back.
Ross stands up and walks around the table so he's closer to Rhodey and says, "I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel."
Rhodey glares at Ross and says, "Yeah. And I'm pretty sure I paid for that."
"You having second thoughts?" Ross asks.
"Not anymore," Rhodey responds right as there's the sound of an opening door. Both Rhodey and Ross turn to see Steve and Barry walking into the room, followed by Nat and Sam, the latter supporting Vision. Wanda follows, Nora and Stephen clutched in her arms, but keeping behind Vision and Sam to stay out of Ross' sight.
Ross glares. Not only at the sight of the fugitive Avengers, but the fact that Barry is among them. "Mr. Allen," he says with barely concealed anger.
"Ross," Barry responds icily.
"You dared to come back to this world. Even after what I told you would happen if you did?" Ross demands.
"Yes, because what's going on is bigger than your petty grudge against me Ross. I hate you, Ross. You threw me in prison because apparently being disliked by you is an imprisonable offence. You threw my wife in prison in inhumane conditions. I want so badly to show you what I think of you, but I can't. Earth is under attack, and she just lost one of her best defenders. So I'm here to fight and defend this world. You try and pursue me because of your stupid grudge, I'll fight you too," Barry growls.
"And we stand by him," Steve adds.
Ross glares at Barry with fury before looking at Rhodey and ordering him, "Arrest them."
"All over it," Rhodey responds before raising his hand and deactivating the hologram. Right as he does, Ross looks back at Barry, glaring at him furiously.
"Well, that's a court-martial," Rhodey says. He then smiles at all his former teammates and says, "It's good to see you all again."
Steve smiles and comes over to Rhodey a quick hug. Natasha follows him and gives Rhodey a hug too.
Rhodey then looks at Barry and says, "Good to see you're back, Barry. And congrats on the marriage."
"Thanks, Rhodey," Barry responds, no longer holding his part in the Civil War against Rhodey.
Rhodey looks over at where Sam and Vision are, right as Wanda walks into view. His eyes widen as he sees Nora and Stephen.
"When did this happen?" he asks.
"I got pregnant soon after Steve broke us out of the Raft. They're 16 months old," Wanda says proudly.
Rhodey stands there, very surprised. Then, he starts to smile. "Well, then. Congratulations to you both."
Barry and Wanda both nod appreciatively. Right then, they hear somebody call out, "Hey, guys."
Everybody turns, and, to their surprise, see Bruce walking into the room. "Yeah, I'm back," he says awkwardly.
Everybody looks at him in surprise. Finally, Steve says, "It's good to see you again, Bruce."
"You too, Cap. But we need to talk now," Bruce says urgently.
The team gathers in another room off of the conference room. Banner describes Thanos and his plan, as well as the attack on the Statesman.
"Were there any survivors?" Barry asks.
"None. We were powerless against him. Even the Hulk couldn't beat Thanos. And his followers, his Children he called them, were very strong. Thor, Heimdall, and a new friend of ours named Oliver Queen, a guy who calls himself the Green Arrow, tried to stand up to them, but they were all beaten," Banner explains sadly.
Barry shoots to his feet, stunned. "WHAT?! Did you say Oliver Queen?!" he shouts. Banner looks at him, taken aback. The others look surprised too, remembering when Barry told them about Oliver.
"Yeah. Why?" Banner asks, a little unnerved by Barry's response.
"Oliver Queen is my friend. My mentor. I'm from another Earth, Earth-1, and so is he. We both got pulled into the vortex that brought me to this Earth," Barry explains.
Recognition flashes across Banner's face. "You're Barry Allen?" he asks.
"Yes. He told you about me?" Barry asks.
"He did. He spoke highly of you. And I'm truly sorry, Barry. But the last I saw him, he had been beaten by one of Thanos' Children, and looked half dead. And I feel confident he couldn't have survived. Thanos would've destroyed the ship as he left, and nobody could've survived that. I'm sorry, Mr. Allen, but your friend is gone," Banner says.
Barry just stares at Banner, stunned. He stumbles back and collapses into his chair. After all he knows Oliver has been through, he finds it hard to imagine that Oliver could be dead. He's already lost so many people. Now Oliver?
Everybody looks at Barry with sympathy. Steve ends up being the one to break the silence.
"Barry, I know what you're feeling better than anyone. And there will be time to mourn later. Right now we need to focus on Thanos, and these two aliens that attacked Wanda and Vision," Steve says gently. Barry looks at Steve for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Sam pulls up a hologram of Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive. Wanda briefly explains the two's abilities and fighting styles.
"Well, we gotta assume they're coming back, right?" Rhodey asks.
"And they can clearly find us," Wanda adds as she lightly bounces Nora on her knee.
"We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?" Banner asks.
Natasha looks up from Stephen and says, "After the whole Accords situation, he decided he didnt want to put his family through him being a fugitive. He went over to Earth-1 with Barry."
Banner sighs a bit before he says, "Look. Thanos has the biggest army in the universe. And he is not gonna stop until he gets...Vision's stone."
"Well, then we have to protect it," Barry says.
"No, we have to destroy it," Vision pipes up. Everyone looks at him. He looks back at them before saying, "I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head. About its nature. But also its composition." He then turns to Wanda and walks towards her a few steps as he says, "I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something very similar to it's own signature, then perhaps...its molecular integrity could fail."
Wanda looks appalled as she realizes what Vision is saying. "And you with it! I'm not going to kill you, Vision!"
"Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it," Vision says.
"I don't care. I wasn't going to abandon you earlier. I'm not going to kill you now!" Wanda says firmly.
"Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him," Vision persists.
"But it should. We don't trade lives, Vision," Steve speaks up.
Vision turns to Steve and asks, "Captain, 70 years ago you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? Tell me, why is this any different?"
Banner speaks up. "Because, you might have a choice. Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. JARVIS. Ultron. Tony. Me. The Stone. All of them mixed together. All of them learning from one another."
"So you're saying Vision is more than just the Stone?" Barry questions.
"What I'm saying is that if we remove the Stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts," Banner explains.
"Can we do that?" Natasha asks.
"I probably could, but not here with the time that we have. I'd need help," Banner responds.
"Well, you'd better find some help fast. Ross isn't gonna let you guys just come back. Especially not Barry," Rhodey says.
Steve looks up and says, "I know somewhere." He then pauses for asking, "How do you all feel about taking a trip to Wakanda?"
The team discusses this for a moment, then agrees. The team quickly files out, but Barry doesn't move. Wanda, seeing he's troubled, remains behind and walks over to him.
"Babe?" she asks.
Barry looks at her for a moment, then softly replies, "For so long, I almost thought Oliver was invincible. He was one of my best friends. He was like my mentor. Now he's gone."
Wanda looks at him sympathetically. She then hands Nora to him, which immediately puts a smile on his face.
"Looks like I've found out how to cheer you up from anything," Wanda teases. Barry chuckles as he looks down at his daughter.
Suddenly, a thought comes to him. He looks at Wanda and says, "Do you think it's safe to take Nora and Stephen to Wakanda? Thanos is going to be coming after us again, and I doubt it's just gonna be those two aliens again."
Wanda's expression shifts quickly into one of concern. "You are right," she mutters.
"You think Scott could watch them?" Barry asks.
"He's under house arrest. If we sent Nora and Stephen to him, word would get back to Ross," Wanda points out.
Barry sits there for another second, then looks back at Wanda. "How about I take them back to Earth-1? Clint and the others can protect them, and I think it's fair that Cisco and Caitlin get to meet their godchildren. Once things are done here, I can go get them."
Wanda looks hesitant for a moment, then nods in agreement. "That's a good idea. Let's do it," she says.
Barry nods before standing up and carrying Nora into the other room. "Hey, Nat! Give Stephen to Sam," he calls to Natasha.
Everyone looks confused. "Why?" Natasha asks.
"Because. Me and Sam are gonna take Nora and Stephen to Earth-1. Just to keep them safe until this is resolved," Barry explains.
"Are you sure, Barry?" Natasha asks.
"Yes, Nat," Barry answers. Natasha caves and relinquishes Stephen to Sam. Barry holds out a baby carrier to Sam, who buckles Stephen in as Barry buckles Nora into a second carrier.
Steve tosses his extrapolator to Barry. Barry nods his thanks and says, "We'll be back in a few minutes." He then activates the extrapolator and opens a breach, which he and Sam carefully walk through.
A moment later, the two emerge into the Cortex. Clint is gone, but Joe, Iris, Caitlin, and Cisco are all there. They turn towards the breach at the sound of it opening. Their shock at seeing Barry and Sam is quickly overwhelmed by the shock of seeing Nora and Stephen in their carriers, with Stephen fast asleep.
Silence reigns for a moment before Joe sputters, "B-B-Barry. Who...what...?"
Barry smiles softly. "Everybody. I want you to meet my son and daughter," he says.
Its quiet for a few more moments before Cisco blurts out, "When did Wanda have kids?!"
"Apparently, she got pregnant right after our wedding. She gave birth on New Year's Day last year, so they're 16 months old now," Barry explains.
"Nobody came to tell you?" Iris asks.
"No. They didn't want to distract me," Barry says.
"Why are you bringing them here?" Caitlin asks.
"Because. Some major **** is about to go down on Earth-99. Me and Wanda decided we wanted our children out of harm's way, and the best way to do that was to bring them here," Barry says.
He then holds up Nora a little bit so they can see her better, and says, "This is Nora Caitlin Allen."
Caitlin stumbles back in shock. "You named her after me?" she asks, stunned.
"Wanda did. She felt it went nicely with Nora, and remembered how highly I spoke about you to her. Oh, and, if you wouldn't mind, we'd like you to be her godmother," Barry says with a smile.
Caitlin looks like she's about to pass out. "Really?" she asks in a voice so high it's almost a squeak. Barry just nods.
It takes a few moments before Caitlin manages to get out, "Sure!"
Barry grins as he hands Nora over to Caitlin. Caitlin looks down at her, and is instantly captivated. Joe and Cisco are also starting at her, so everybody misses the look of jealousy that comes over Iris' face.
Barry then takes Stephen's carrier and hands it to Joe. Joe looks down at him and beams.
"His name is Stephen Pietro Allen. After Captain America and Wanda's twin brother," Barry says. He then looks at Cisco and says, "And Wanda and I would like you to be his godfather."
Cisco looks surprised. Barry smiles and says, "I did tell you when I had kids that you could be godfather, didn't I?"
Cisco laughs before saying, "I'd be honored."
Barry smiles. Then, Caitlin asks, "Wait. Who are their other godparents?"
"Captain America is Nora's godfather. And Natasha is Stephen's godmother," Barry explains. Since Barry had told all of them about the Avengers, they weren't confused as to who he was talking about.
"Barry, we can't stay," Sam says urgently.
Barry nods at him, then faces his team as he says, "Watch over them until this is resolved. I'll be back to get them later." He then gives Nora and Stephen each a quick kiss on the forehead before he turns away, opens a breach with the extrapolator, and he and Sam walk through it.
Caitlin, Cisco, and Joe quickly leave the Cortex, excited to show the rest of the team the two newest additions to Team Flash. In their excitement, they don't realize that Iris hasn't followed them.
In the Cortex, tears of anger and hurt roll down Iris' face. She knew it was a fool's hope that Barry might not see Wanda while back on Earth-99, and she may yet get him back. Now, knowing that he has not only reunited with Wanda, but that he also has two children, she knows that Barry will never come back to her.
And, I'll end there.
I hope you like what I did with the chapter. I promise this will not be the last confrontation between Ross and Barry.
As for the winners of the godparents vote. Several people said I should do split godparents, so I decided to do that. Steve won overall for godfather, though Cisco came close. Natasha, Caitlin, and Kara all tied actually. I knew I was gonna have Caitlin be Nora's godmother, thanks to her middle name being Caitlin, and eventually I decided on Natasha. Kara will kinda be like their aunt a bit.
Obviously, Iris is upset her hope was shattered. She is not gonna be pleasant about the twins being there.
Next chapter will be up in a few days. Until then, please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. And stay tuned!