A/N: Welcome to part 1 of my brand new Total War series, this is Total War: The Flash. You can find the official summary of the entire series in my profile (don't worry it's short and it's at the bottom of the page, you'll find it quickly). But basically, this is going to be a crossover series with the Arrowverse, MCU, Fox X-Men (I'll specify which timeline and versions when I get there) and quite a lot of other DC/Marvel characters, groups, and lore that will be included.

This story, in particular, is pretty much going to be Arrowverse-focused (with some DC comics characters joining in on the fun). The second will be Avengers and X-Men focused and the rest will have both of these verses together.

This particular story is pretty much going to be a different version of the "Invasion!" crossover with the Dominators, so regarding shows like The Flash, LoT, Arrow, and Supergirl, every episode/season up until that crossover is canon. I will be diverging a lot from canon due to story reasons, but I will do my best to clear up any and all complications.

While this is going to be a Arrowverse/DC crossover, as you can infer from the title, it's going to be Barry-centric for the most part. Speaking of which, as I mentioned, everything up until the beginning of the "Invasion!" crossover is canon, so 3x07 and all its events have happened. This starts exactly two days after the events of The Flash 3x07.

Now enough yapping, without further ado, I present to you…Total War: The Flash

TIME I DID THIS ON MY OWN

Earth 1

Central City

November 24th, 2016

A 27-year-old Barry Allen sat by himself as he stared blankly and aimlessly, lost in thoughts and daydreams. His mind, moving at super speed like the rest of his body and life, filled itself with sounds, memories, and moments that fueled his daydreams and thoughts. His mother's soft voice, his father's laugh, Cisco's jokes and pop culture references, Caitlin's smile, Joe's wise words, so much of it. He could almost see it, almost feel it…as if he was there. He could imagine it right now. The living room and dining table of the WestAllen household filled with everyone: his parents, Joe, Iris, Wally, Caitlin, Cisco, Jesse, Harry, even H.R. and Oliver, Kara too. He wondered what it would've been like as he daydreamed.

The West household was full of Barry's closest family, friends, and loved ones. Caitlin and Cisco were sharing martinis and science puns, Iris and Wally were bickering over the littlest things like all siblings do, Oliver and Kara shared their own family stories and seemed to be enjoying it. Joe, Harry, and Henry were all relaxing with their beers and sharing stories of their fatherhood years. Jesse was with H.R. as the two spoke about her Earth 3 adventures. And all the while, Barry had been sitting at the end of a dining table, watching all his loved ones in the living room, enjoying their company the way he enjoyed theirs. On his right, his mother Nora Allen sat by a chair as she cut some pieces of cake for her and her son.

"And a slice of chocolate ice cream cake for my beautiful boy at the end of the table…" Nora said with a soft smile.

Barry chuckled as he graciously accepted. "Thanks Mom…"

Nora nodded. "So…how's work?"

Barry leaned forward as he crossed his arms, letting them rest on the table. "Yeah, it's been a roller coaster but working at the labs with Dr. Wells and Dr. McGee has been amazing. No matter how busy it gets, it always feels wonderful and I could never get bored there."

Nora smiled. "You always were a scientist who reached for the impossible…and then you became the impossible."

Barry tilted his head briefly as his right hand clung to his left shoulder, his right arm diagonally across his chest. "Yeah…that bolt of lightning just struck me and I became the Flash."

Nora shook her head softly. "No, my beautiful boy…that bolt of lightning chose you and it isn't what made you the Flash…" She then gently pointed to her own heart. "This. Your heart. Your choice with that power you were given…that was what made you the Flash. You made yourself, Barry. You made who you are. Our destinies, our lives, our fates are and must be forged by us Barry. Our own choices, our freedoms, our liberties…and our hearts. That's what makes us who we are and who we're meant to be."

Barry nodded as he took in his understanding of his mother's words.

"You know I really don't think I could do this without you, Mom…" Barry said.

Nora smiled softly. "Yes you can, my beautiful boy."

Barry shook his head. "Well, I don't want to."

Nora smiled sadly. "That's the thing, Barry…"

And suddenly, all the voices and people around him faded away. In the blink of an eye, Barry found himself sitting in a void of darkness alone and lost as his mother's words echoed one last time.

"You already have…"

"Barry?"

Wally's voice snapped the twenty-seven-year-old out of his thoughts as he stood up and met his gaze.

"Yeah…" Barry whispered.

"The rest of the team is ready…" Wally said as he gestured to the hallway. "You said you were calling a meeting. We're ready for you."

Barry nodded as he looked off to the side briefly. "Right, right…go, I'll be there in a second."

Wally nodded back as he turned and left, his shadow and footsteps waning and disappearing in the hallway as he returned to the cortex, where the rest of Team Flash awaited Barry. He stood alone in the cortex as he looked at the direction of the entrance to the hallway from the speed lab. In the corner of his eye, he could see his father. Henry Allen. Barry kept a stoic reaction. It was just a hallucination, a hallucinogenic image of his father.

"Are you sure you want to do this, slugger?" Henry asked.

"What choice do I have?" Barry responded.

"We always have a choice, son." Henry said, approaching with two steps.

Barry sighed. "You're right. Mom's right. We do have a choice. This is the one I'm making. It's better this way. It has to be."

The hallucinogenic image of his father faded and faded away until he was gone. Barry inhaled a deeper breath before exhaling and heading towards the cortex. As he walked through the hallways, he couldn't help but remember two years of moments with his team. Waking up after he was struck by lightning, his night out with Caitlin, all his moments with Cisco, being raised by Joe, all those moments of Team Flash. His team had done much for him and he did just as much for them. Flashpoint, a fault of his own, had ruined what Barry had with them. The death of Cisco's brother deteriorated his friendship with Barry, Caitlin's Killer Frost side made him concerned for losing his other best friend, Joe and Iris' deteriorated relationship felt like a split in the family. Flashpoint had created changes and caused a broken reality and a broken world and it was all his fault. From the beginning, his loved ones had suffered because of his own connection with them. He couldn't let it go on any longer. Not when he could do something about it. And he was going to do something. Barry entered the cortex as he walked towards the computers and stood before the place where his suit was presented on a dummy.

"Thank you all for coming," Barry began. "I've called this meeting because there's something about this team I'd like to address…"

Cisco avoided eye contact with Barry, Iris and Joe simply listened to him, H.R. held his drum sticks as he kept his arms folded over his chest as he traded glances with Wally., Caitlin looked down with a hint of guilt due to her actions yesterday, even if they were at the hands of her alter ego Killer Frost.

"So…what's going on?" Joe asked. "What is it?"

"Ever since Flashpoint…" Barry began. "Ever since I…screwed up…this team has been falling apart. And that's on me. I know I hurt most of you. You've lost family, you've lost relationships…even feel like you're starting to lose yourself…" He glanced at Cisco, Iris and Joe, and Caitlin, respectively, as he said this. "All of it is on me. Not just Flashpoint and this, but all your pain. All your suffering from Thawne, Zoom, every other person we've fought, and now this…Savitar. Ever since I started this, every one of you has been in danger and been hurt…by me, by my actions. And I don't want to let that go on any longer. Being the Flash, stopping whatever crazed maniac comes this way, protecting this city, protecting all of you…that's my responsibility. You've all helped me tremendously and you've helped this way…but it can't be like that anymore…"

Barry had anticipated the looks of confusion, surprise, and shock from his fellow teammates. Out of all of them, Caitlin was the first and only to speak.

"What exactly are you saying?" She asked.

Barry sighed as he decided to simply give it to them straight. "It's time I did this on my own. Permanently. I have the skills and the resources to manage being the Flash on my own and I'm not going to put any of you in harm's way just because I need your help…I'm sorry but this is for the best."

"W-what - so that's it, BA?" H.R. asked. "Team Flash? After two years, just - just like that?"

"Barr, you can't do this on your own, son." Joe pleaded.

"I can try…" Barry replied. "Besides, like I said, I won't do this with all of you…not when I've hurt you, not when I'm only going to hurt and endanger you. You've all gone above and beyond, but…now it's time for you to move on. Go home. Start a new chapter. Live a life. A better one outside of this. You deserve it. You all still have the distress signals to me. If you need me for any emergency, I'll be there. Just call me and I'll be there."

No one knew what to say. Normally, they would have argued and fought back to try to convince Barry. To change his mind. Now, they couldn't. Not after Flashpoint and what it brought upon all of them. No matter how much any of them wanted or didn't want to admit it, they knew Barry was right. This was it. Barry thought to themself. It had all started in this very room. And now…it would end here. Team Flash. Gone in a flash. He wasn't unused to being alone…he just wasn't used to not having an escape from it. As Barry awaited their next reactions, Cisco stood up quietly as he slowly walked over to Barry with an exhausted and saddened look on his face.

Cisco slowly nodded his head. "I'm sorry…"

Barry shook his head. "Don't…you have nothing to be sorry for. I do. I'm sorry…for taking your brother from you."

Cisco gulped a lump down his throat. "Guess he's not the only brother I'm losing. Besides, I'm still sorry for being a jerk to you."

An arrow struck Barry's heart upon hearing those words from his best friend as he nodded. "You've been a good friend, Cisco. The best I could've ever asked for. You were there at the beginning and now…" Barry held out a hand to Cisco for a handshake. "You get to see how it ends."

Cisco accepted as the two shook hands and nodded. It was all they could and would do. He turned around with a look of defeat as he left the cortex and then the facility. Iris followed as Joe took one last look at his adopted son.

"You still coming home?" Joe asked hopefully.

Barry cleared his throat. "I uh…I think it's best if I just crash here at STAR Labs for a while…just need to figure myself out…and I just need some space, Joe."

"You can't do this alone, son, you already tried." Joe pleadingly argued.

"Well, I'll just have to try harder…" Barry responded.

Joe didn't want to argue as he nodded and left. H.R. agreed to stay over with Wally and the West's as the two of them left as well. Now, it was just Barry and Caitlin left in the cortex as he approached his best friend.

"I'm sorry," Caitlin said immediately. "I know that this is because of me, because I lost control of Frost-"

Barry shook his head. "No, no…it's not your fault. Don't think that. This - this is on me. I did this."

Caitlin sighed. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

Barry nodded regretfully. "The worst part is that if I'd done this sooner…maybe less of you would've been hurt."

"You know…working with you has been the best thing to ever happen to me," Caitlin said tearfully. "And if I could do it all over again, knowing where I'd end up…I wouldn't change a thing."

Tears swelled in Barry's eyes as swallowed a lump within his throat, briefly looking down. "You know if our night at that stupid little bar taught me anything, it's that you should consider a musical career."

Caitlin let out a heartful laugh as tears dropped from her eyes. "Yeah, well, the last time you brought that up, you said I was a better singer than Taylor Swift."

"That too, I guess…" Barry chuckled back as the two calmed down after a few moments. "So, where are you gonna go?"

"Back to my job at Mercury Labs," Caitlin said. "Dr. McGee offered to have me back at any time and I guess I could really use it now."

Barry nodded. "They're gonna be gaining one of the best scientists and people I know."

Caitlin smiled softly. "What about you? You don't have a job anymore, you can't just…be the Flash 24/7."

"There's still the STAR Labs stock and this facility…" Barry replied. "Plus, Thawne signed off all of Wells' properties and money to me when he was pretending to be him…I was thinking of restarting and opening STAR Labs back up, but I'll figure it out."

She nodded. "You always do."

Barry smiled kindly. After a few seconds, the two quickly jumped at each other with a hug as Barry briefly lifted her off the ground during their embrace. Their embrace lasted a good few seconds before they let each other go. Caitlin backed away as she gulped and nodded.

"Take care of yourself, Barry." She whispered for one last time before disappearing not just from the cortex but from Barry's life.

Barry took one last sigh as everyone left, making him the last and only one in STAR Labs. His mission had begun with so many by his side and there to help, now it would carry on without them. He would carry on by himself.

It had been two hours since the team was dismantled. Barry remained in S.T.A.R. Labs and in the cortex. It felt like he had nowhere else to go. After everything that happened, he couldn't find himself to go home and be around Joe, Iris, and Wally. He couldn't even go to the precinct considering that he had to resign in order to protect Caitlin's identity. He would've done it again in a heartbeat, but nevertheless, it didn't change the fact that he was on his own and practically jobless. He'd live off of the S.T.A.R. Labs facility for as long as he could. This facility and being the Flash was all he had. At least that's how it felt. Barry leaned back in his chair as he sat behind the main desk of the cortex and thought to himself. He felt his phone vibrate as he let it go on for several moments before it stopped. He looked through it as he saw notifications he expected. Several missed calls from Joe and Iris. He sighed before tossing the phone away to the end of the desk's surface.

Suddenly, a computer notification caused Barry to jump as he typed on the keyboards and saw footage of an active breach in the breach room.

Barry frowned in confusion. "What the fu-"

He sighed and cut himself off as he sped out of the cortex in a flash of orange lightning before arriving in the breach room. A certain older, middle-aged man and a younger woman in her low-mid twenties jumped out the breach as it closed behind them. Barry recognized them instantly.

"Harry? Jesse?" Barry asked.

Both of them were visibly injured as bruises and cuts decorated their faces, arms, and parts of their body slightly exposed by the amount of tears on their clothes. While they both suffered injuries, Jesse's were significantly worse as she was unconscious and leaning on a limping Harry Wells.

"Allen…" Harry gasped desperately. "My daughter…help…"

Barry rushed forward as he carried Jesse in his arms, one under her back, the other under her buckled knees. He rushed the both of them to the medical room.

"Her injuries are bad but I've stitched up the wounds," Barry explained as he and Harry sat on opposite sides of the medical bed an unconscious Jesse rested on. "She's stable and her speed healing will take care of the rest. She'll be fine."

Harry nodded gratefully. "Thank you…speaking of which, where'd you learn to stitch? I've never seen you do it so well."

Barry briefly lifted some medical books to the middle-aged scientist. "Been doing some light-reading. Surprisingly, these books could probably get you through half of medical school."

"Where's Snow? Ramon? The others?" Harry asked. "Team Flash?"

Barry cleared his throat. "Harry, there - there is no Team Flash anymore."

The immediate frown from Harry was anticipated. "What?"

Barry sighed as he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I split up the team. They've all left. Caitlin's gone back to her job at Mercury Labs, Cisco's gonna be doing…god–knows-what, Joe's still at the precinct as usual, Iris and Wally live with him."

"Split up?" Harry said, struggling to follow Barry's explanation. "What - like a band? Like the Beatles?"

"I just felt that it was best that we…" Barry motioned with his hands, struggling even within himself to entirely explain it. "That they live their own lives far and away from all this. From me. From…The Flash."

Harry shook his head and sighed before standing up as he approached Barry. "Well, you gotta get them back. You gotta call them, you have to call that…archer guy-"

Barry frowned. "Oliver Queen?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Harry said. "You have to call the others, call him, call Jay, call everyone you can and get them together."

"Slow down-" Barry tried to say.

"No, you have to - you have to call everyone-"

"Harry, calm down-"

"Allen, you need to call everyone, and you need to do it now, not tomorrow, not later-"

"Wells," Barry said firmly, trying to speak sense to the scientist through his fritz. "Calm down, talk to me. What happened to you and Jesse? What the hell is going on?"

Harry sighed. "We - we were attacked at S.T.A.R. Labs back on our Earth…"

Barry nodded slowly as he acknowledged Harry's words. "Okay, okay, you say you two were attacked. By who? What exactly is going on? Why do I need to call everyone?"

"Grodd," Harry said finally as Barry's eyes grew large, his face falling seriously. "Grodd and his army-"

"Army?" Barry questioned in disbelief.

"He has an army of other gorillas, massive and telepathic like him…" Harry explained. "They lived in a territory they called Gorilla City. Then…some aliens called the Dominators, they invaded Earth - Earth 2 - them and the gorilla army, they just…they took over everything. Within days - hours - they militarized and expanded over every continent on the planet. Every human military and government fell apart and was destroyed."

"Earth 2 was…taken over?" Barry asked.

Harry gulped and nodded. "Jesse and I barely made it out of our STAR Labs alive…we destroyed as much of the breaching technology as we could, but Allen…they are coming here. To this Earth. Maybe or maybe not today, maybe or maybe tomorrow, but they are coming. You have to be ready, you need to call in every ally, every friend or favor, you need to call them, and you have to be ready."

"Why?" Barry asked. "Why are they coming here? These…Dominators, this gorilla army…why are they coming here?"

"Because…" Harry said slowly. "It's part of a war…Allen the entire multiverse is at war and these Dominators and gorilla armies coming for this Earth…it's just one battle out of countless across universes."

"I don't understand," Barry said. "The multiverse is at war. With who?"

"Savitar," Harry explained as Barry's eyes grew large. "Savitar and the dark multiverse. Allen, look, I'll explain as much as I can but right now, you have to be ready. Take this-" Harry handed Barry a knife, the grip was firm and strong and the blade was a sharp metal that could cut through air itself. The knife was a dark black color as Barry held it by the grip as he looked at Harry. "You'll need it. Don't trust anyone - and I mean anyone - with this. It's yours. Right now, you need to be ready for the Dominators and Grodd's army and you need to defend, not just this city, but this entire damn planet. When it's over, I'll explain everything. Even if you survive this, Allen…it'll just be the beginning."

As Barry held the knife, looking at Harry in a mix of shock and disbelief, he thought to himself and wondered. Harry went back to his daughter's bedside as Barry turned around and wandered off into the cortex. Gorilla Grodd with an entire army of telepathic gorillas like him and a race of aliens on their way to Earth One? How would they attack? When would they come? Could Barry stop it? Even with the help of Oliver and the others? As a sea of questions, thoughts, and concerns raced through the young speedster's mind, he couldn't help but think to himself.

"What am I gonna do?" Barry whispered.

Universe 1

Elsewhere in the Solar System

"We have entered the Solar System of planet Earth," Brainiac, the collector of worlds and lord of intellect claimed as he sat in the throne of his colossal, metallic, skull-shaped ship. "Set immediate course for Earth, prepare our weapons and technological systems."

Near the edge of the solar system, it flew as several dominator ships flew behind it, holding millions to billions of Dominators. In his own ship, which led the others, Brainiac watched the view of the Sun and the other planets as the coalition of ships flew together.

"What is the status of Gorilla Grodd and his army?" Brainiac asked.

"They are ready for battle and will meet us once we land, sire." A Dominator responded in its native language.

"And how long until we arrive on planet Earth?"

"By the human time frame, twelve hours, nineteen minutes, and twenty-nine seconds."

"Very well," Brainiac said with a satisfied, small smile. "Prepare the breaching technology. Send in Grodd and his army to Earth 1 once we arrive and then…we shall retrieve the asset: Barry Allen."

A/N: As I'm sure you know, the next chapter will be the Braniac, the Dominators', and Gorilla Grodd's assault on Earth 1. This story might be a bit lengthy (both in terms of the chapters' lengths and the amount of chapters) but I don't see it being more than thirty chapters (though I cannot promise this).

To any comic fans, yes the Dark Multiverse will be in this, however, Savitar will be the head leader of it. I'm still including the Dark Knights and most of the Dark Multiverse lore, but it is very likely going to be different here for story purposes.

While this story is officially labeled an Arrowverse story (specifically in the Flash fandom), there will be other DC characters joining in.

One more thing regarding Barry and Team Flash, WestAllen is not happening here and isn't (nor will it ever be) canon to this story. I have my reasons, but overall it's a terrible ship and isn't happening (don't argue with me on this please, I don't have the energy to fight a bunch of WestAllen and/or Iris West trolls). Let's just say the two of them broke up after Henry Allen died and Barry decided not to try for them anymore. That's it.

Anyways, leave a review if you liked this chapter and wanna see the rest of the story and