At the same time Barry was getting struck by lightning in Central City, in the Middle East, Lieutenant Iris West was currently leading her Marine squadron the War Dogs on a routine rescue op to recover hostages being held by a local insurgent cell. Their intel came a source who'd recently contacted their commanding officer General Wade Eiling, telling him about how the insurgents had taken innocent women and children hostage and they were being sent in to take out the insurgents and free the hostages, which was why they were currently surveying a compound that appeared to be some kind of factory, since according to their intel, the prisoners were the families of men the insurgents were forcing to fight for them and they were making their families work building weapons for them.
"Alright team, this is a standard rescue op. We infiltrate quietly, get the prisoners out and then we out the facility to prevent any more weapons from being assembled for the enemy. Am I clear?" Iris asked her unit, who all nodded back to her and she grinned, since after the past two years serving together, they were a finely tuned machine and she was their leader.
"Okay then, let's do it." Iris said, right as her second in command and closest friend, not to mention the only other woman on her team, Corporal Gabriella Gomez, put a hand on her arm.
"I don't like this Iris. Something about this mission doesn't feel right to me. It's too easy. I'm not seeing any guards on the perimeter." Gabriella said as she checked their equipment again.
"I know, but that's why you're here in a sniper position to watch our backs. Anything goes wrong, you send word and we get the hell out of there." Iris said and Gabriella smiled.
"Always. I'll always have your back." Gabriella said.
"I know. Now everyone, get in position and let's move out." Iris said to her unit as they fanned out and took positions.
While she'd sent Gabriella to serve as a lookout and sniper for their unit, Iris led the rest of them into the compound, only to find it abandoned.
"I don't like the look of this boss." one of her subordinates said and Iris nodded.
"Stay close and search for any signs of a struggle. Dogs 5 and 6, cover our exit in the event we need to bolt." Iris said and her troops nodded as they got into position, only for the doors to slam shut.
"Shit, it's a trap. Get the doors open now." Iris shouted as she ran towards the doors and her troops followed as she pulled out a knife to try and pry the doors open.
"Lieutenant, we don't have time for that. We need to blow the doors off." Dog 4 said.
"With what explosives? Dog 2, this pack leader, do you read me?" Iris asked over the comms as she continued trying to pry the door open, since she could hear the beeping that clearly indicated some kind of countdown and she just prayed she'd be able to get them out of here before it went off.
"Copy, what's going on, pack leader?" Gabriella asked her.
"You were right, it's a trap, we're sealed in and I hear a timer going off. See if you can find a way to get us out of here from the outside." Iris said.
"Copy that." Gabriella said.
"What should we do?" Dog 3 asked.
"See if you can locate and disarm the explosives." Iris said, since Dog 3 was their resident bomb defuser.
"Yes ma'am." Dog 3 said.
"Dogs 4 and 5, go with him and provide cover. Dogs 6 and 7, stay here and see if you can help me with these doors. Dog 2 is going to try and get it open from the outside." Iris said and all her troops nodded as they moved to split up.
Then the next thing Iris knew, it was too late as she heard a large bang and as the building blew up with her and nearly her whole unit inside.
Gabriella rushed towards the building as fast as she could, only to have to take cover as the building blew up.
"NO!" Gabriella shouted as she watched her entire unit get blown up and not caring about the dangers, she ran straight into the blaze to see if there was any chance that any members of her unit had survived.
But all she saw at first were the bodies of her fellow soldiers, her friends, scattered around the building, all of them being too hot for her touch, but she could tell that they were dead. Or at least that's what she thought when she heard someone groan.
"Iris." Gabriella said as she rushed to her friend's side to find Iris barely conscious, but alive.
"Set up." was all Iris could say before she passed out, but Gabriella got the gist. This whole mission was a setup, but she'd worry about that later. Right now, her priority was to keep Iris alive as she began to administer some basic first aid while calling in a medical evac.