The Man in Yellow
"This ability to travel through time revealed a truth. My fate was to become your greatest enemy. I was never going to be The Flash, so I became the reverse of everything that you were. The more people you saved, the more you were loved, the more I had to take from you." ~Eobard Thawne
~Central City, afternoon in a popular gourmet pizza restaurant,
"Congrats slugger, I'm glad you had a wonderful trip to Gotham City and meeting the great Bruce Wayne who not only offered to pay for your schooling but to take you under his wing and mentor you is a huge honor. You must have really impressed him, for him to take such a shine to you." Henry Allen said to Barry Allen.
"Thank you, but more importantly and why I wanted to take you out to lunch is I just wanted to tell you guys I'm very lucky to be your son." Barry tells his parents as they each start to eat the last slices on their plate.
"Enough of that I want to here about this girl you meet in Gotham that has stolen your heart. What was her name again? Cara-"
"Kara." Barry corrected respectfully.
"So when do we get to meet her?" Nora asked, giving Barry a sly smile.
"Soon, I hope." Barry trailed off with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"What about that girl from your econ class? What was her name again…" Henry paused to think.
"Iris West." Barry replied.
"Yes, that's it! I thought you had a date with her or something?" Henry inquired.
"Yeah, but then the thing with Bruce Wayne and while I was in Gotham I met Kara and one thing led to another." Barry told them, smiling and making intersecting hand motions. The Allen Family smiled at each other enjoying their late afternoon lunch with each other.
Barry took a bite of his Pizza looking up at the T.V. in the corner to see a news report on a mysterious Supergirl stopping an armed freeway chase with automatic weapons being fired upon the innocent people in traffic as the police gave chase. The report went on to say this Supergirl disarmed the criminals but then picked up their getaway suv and dropped them and the weapons in front of the police station before flying off into the sky. Barry smiled, he wanted the world to see her as he saw her. The embodiment of Hope.
It was a bittersweet moment for Barry for as nice and wonderful as it was, this was potentially the last time he would see his parents again before they all died tomorrow during the fight with Zod. As much as Barry hated the idea of taking a break and peeling away from Bruce and the Batcave. In the end, Bruce was right. He needed this break and this time with his parents for they were not guaranteed a day after tomorrow. So, for Barry every moment counted, he lived in the moment, and treated the day as if it was his last.
"We are so proud of you Barry and the person you're becoming." Nora told him, reaching out and holding Barry's hand.
"Amen to that." Henry added resting his hand on top of theirs.
A man dressed in black dress shoes, brown slacks, a thin long brown blazer, with a yellow checkered shirt with the top few buttons unbutton. This Man in Yellow sat back in the corner watching the Allen Family enjoy their lunch with a look of animosity toward them and hate burning in his deep blue eyes as they glared at Barry Allen.
The man watched as Barry offered to pay for the lunch and even insisted. Then, as they exited the building after the bill was paid they hugged each other and bid farewell. Henry opened the door for Nora and they got in the car and drove away. The man watched as it took everything in Barry's will to hold back the wave of emotion he was feeling as he watched them drive away. For a moment Barry was overcome by rage toward Zod and what was going to happen tomorrow. Barry disappeared around the corner and took off in a streak of blue lighting racing around the city stopping in an alley hunched over screaming silently in his head.
Then there was a flash of red lighting that appeared before him. Barry opened his eyes and stood up straight looking at the individual wearing black shoes, brown slacks, brown long thin blazer, the checkered yellow shirt, his blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Barry turned around and then back at the man in confusion.
"Looks like someone is about to have a bad day, unfortunately for you Barry Allen it's about to get worse." the Man in Yellow said with a distorted voice and glowing red eyes before they changed back to the deep blue. Barry backed up alarmed and freaked out.
"Who the hell are you?" Barry demanded in rage.
"The reverse of everything you are." the Man in Yellow replied.
"What do you want?" Barry demanded.
"What I have always wanted to destroy your life." the Man in Yellow smiled wickedly.
"What?" Barry gave a dark look to the Man in Yellow.
"I think I'll start by killing your girlfriend. What was her name…oh yes! Kara-"
Before the Man in Yellow could finish Barry used his speed to slam him against the wall of the alley holding up his hand, vibrating it to run through the Man in Yellow but stopped at his chest. The Man in Yellow smiled, grabbing Barry's hand itching it toward his chest with an evil smile. Barry just stared at him with a dark look.
"Do it, Flash. Be a murder!" the Man in Yellow commanded.
Barry gave the man a sick look letting him go backing up slowly. Barry knew this man was dangerous, he knew about his feelings for Kara, he knew about his speed, and he was the Flash. But who was he? And why didn't he show up last time in Flashpoint. There were so many unanswered questions Barry needed to know more before making a horrific choice. Killing Zod was one thing, but killing a man he didn't know didn't sit right with Barry.
"So predictable as always." the Man in Yellow gloated.
"SHUT UP!" Barry yelled blue lighting sparking off his body. The Man in Yellow smiled seeing he touched a nerve.
"Oh Flash, we are going to have the most wonderful day together." the Man in Yellow said in a mocking tone with an evil smile. Barry looked absolutely horrified.
A few minutes later at a local dive bar the two men sit at a small polished wooden table with a nice foamy golden beer. Barry sat uncomfortably and on guard not taking his eyes off the Man in Yellow who raised the glass of bear to him for a toast. The Man in Yellow looked disappointed when Barry did not return the toast.
"To us!" the Man in Yellow said in a happy tone glaring at Barry.
"Not thirsty?" he asked, lowering his glass while drinking and letting out a sweet moan savoring the flavor and the moment sitting the glass down pointing at it saying "Now that's a good beer." he told Barry.
"You seemed tense, I know you're underage, but you really should try it. After all it's not like you're going to make it to your 21st birthday anyway right?" The Man in Yellow laughed gesturing at the cup.
"Please just tell me what you want." Barry demanded in a dark voice.
"To enjoy this very special day. I mean maybe this is some sort of cosmic gift. A chance to torture you one last time before I end your existence and move on to another Flash in another universe till I find my way home again." the Man in Yellow answered. Barry stared at him realizing what he was.
"You're a speedster from another timeline or universe…the Older Barry…you're from his timeline, his universe." Barry put it together. The Man in Yellow smiled nodding his head pointing at Barry with a look of pride on his face.
"You always were smart but not smart enough to save yourself this time. You see there are only two ways this plays out. One is to kill me and hope you and the Justice League can win against the Kryptonians tomorrow." the Man in Yellow told him.
"And the second option?" Barry inquired.
"You let me live and I'll be there tomorrow to stop you from running back in time when you witness your friends die again. Then when I kill you and Zod makes the Earth as new Krypton I'll escape into the Speed Force and go to another timeline, another universe hunting you down and killing every single version of you until I find my way home and kill the Flash of my timeline." the man said with sadistic glee. Barry was at a loss for words.
"We both know you wont kill me, so it looks like I already won." the Man in Yellow told him with a smile leaning back in his chair.
"How did the parental reunion go today? Did it feel good to have them care for you one last time, something mine and many other Barry's across the multiverse will never know. Did you feel loved? Do you enjoy having a family?" the Man in Yellow asked. Barry sat there in defiant silence.
"What?" the Man in Yellow asked, annoyed by Barry's silence.
"You know one of the perks of this timeline? Big belly Burger. There are no cows where I come from." the Man in Yellow said making pointless conversation while he studied Barry's body language. He could tell Barry wanted to ask him something but refused to ask.
"But you don't care about that, You have questions, go ahead…" the Man in Yellow told him.
"What is your name?" Barry asked.
"Thawne. Eobard…Thawne." Thawne answered.
"Thawne?" Barry gave him a distrusting look.
"Since the day I was born." Thawne replied.
"And when was that?" Barry wondered outloud.
"About 136 years from now give or take." Thawne answered.
"This isn't what you want to know. Go on, ask it Barry." Thawne ordered.
"Why are you doing all this to me?" Barry asked.
"Because I hate you. Not you now, you years from now." Thawne told him.
"In the future?" Barry inquired.
"In MY future. Yes, were enemies, rivals, opposites, reverses of one another." Thawne explained.
"What? Why are we enemies?" Barry wanted to know.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is neither of us was strong enough to beat the other. Until I learned your secret. I learned your name…Barry Allen." Thawne explained.
"Finally, I knew how to defeat you once and for all. Travel back in time and kill you as a child. Wipe you from the face of the earth." Thawne said with an evil smile. Barry looked horrified and disgusted shifting uncomfortably in his chair.
"It was you? You killed mom!" Barry said in a low dark voice slamming his fist on the table leaning forward. This caught the attention of some of the patrons who looked over at the men but Thawne waved them off looking back at an enraged Barry across the table.
"Yes, but then you, future you, followed me back or so I thought. Turns out he was the younger version of my Flash who didn't know it at the time that I killed his mother back then. He thought he could save her by adding that can of tomato sauce to the cart to prevent Henry Allen from going to the store that night. So instead of killing Nora Allen I let Barry foolishly think he saved his mom to see what would happen and boom we had Flashpoint, we have you. A Barry Allen who not only shouldn't exist but was never meant to become The Flash. At last I had a future where the Flash didn't exist" Thawne smiled evilly.
"Then future you reset the timeline and escape the death of this world. I was so mad…But then I thought, what if you were to suffer a tragedy so horrible, so traumatic your child self could never recover? You would not become the Flash, so when future you went back in time and put all the tomato cans on the top shelf. I went back and stabbed your mother in the heart…again." Thawne explained. Barry's face was sick with anger, hatred, and rage toward Thawne.
"I thought I was free. Finally able to return to a future without The Flash. Only to realize in traveling back I lost my way home. When future you reset the timelines I got knocked out of the Chronodom. I lost my ability to harness the Speed Force. Without it I was stuck here with limited speed left. Stranded in this doomed timeline unable to return to my own and the only way back was The Flash." Thawne explained. Thawne watched Barry work everything out in his head. Then the look of realization and epiphany hit Barry.
"Oh my god…it was you Thawne…you're the reason Bruce remembers Flashpoint…" Barry was beginning to understand as everything fell into place in his head.
"Yes! The only way back was The Flash, but The Flash was gone, so with what speed I had left I ran back seconds before Batman died, before the erasure hit, and I lost my powers. I saved him to bring him back here so he could recreate The Flash in you!" Thawne revealed.
"Why?" Barry asked.
"Because I need you to get fast and the only way for you to do that was to be untied with them when you see them die tomorrow it will be all the mottovation you need to run back in time and rupture the space-time barrier to create a stable wormhole in which I can return home to my time and finish what I started and that is to kill you…future you." Thawne explained.
"Why would I ever help you?" Barry said in a disgusted voice leaning back in his chair crossing his arms smiling.
"Because Barry Allen, if you give me what I want I'm going to give you what you want." Thawne said with an evil smile. Barry uncrossed his arms leaning forward slightly.
"The secret to defeating Zod and thus saving Batman, Supergirl, and your entire world from imminent destruction." Thawne said with a wicked smile.
"You can save Kara, you can prevent Bruce's death and be the savior of this timeline, this world." Thawne told Barry.
"You can have the Allen Family, The Justice League, the future with Kara. All you have to do is help me get home so I can finally kill the Future Flash." Thawne said in a dark voice. Barry couldn't believe what he was hearing or considering as he shook his head no.
"No…No…I don't believe you!" Barry said in a distorted voice. He would do anything to save his world but this? Could he make that choice? Doom another timeline and another version of himself with this madman just to save his own?
"I want to kill you right now!" Barry said in a dark tone.
"I know that rage, I use to feel that rage everytime I looked upon you as I watched you run back in time in vain trying to save them and beat the Krytptonains." Thawne told him.
"And now, somehow, I know what Bruce and Henry feel when they look at you with pride…with love." Thawne told him in a loving and caring voice. Barry was deeply disturbed and felt utter revulsion when Thawne told him that.
"No! Don't you ever say that to me!" Barry said in a low dark and distorted voice. Thawne saw Barry's lighting start to flicker and turn purple as his rage started to corrupt his connection to the Speed Force.
"I know you're upset, but I'm giving you a chance. A chance to undo all the evil the Future Flash has done. After all, did you not die to save him? And how were you repaid? He left you dead in the Speed Force and ran back in time to undo "His" mistake and wipe your entire timeline from existence. You owe him nothing. He abandoned YOU! He gave up on YOU!" Thawne said with a dark voice and glowing red eyes.
"Don't you want that chance to save Batman, Supergirl, and your world?" Thawne asked one last time as Barry clenched his fist on the table with his eyes glowing with purple lighting sparking around them…