Post by C_Miller on Oct 16, 2011 13:43:54 GMT -5
Ultimate Flash #8
Requiem
Barry sighed as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He looked essentially as he did fifteen years ago when he first donned the costume, but something was different. He was older, more experienced. He had seen he world. His eyes especially reflected that. Looking at the mirror, his new world weathered look was more apparent. “Barry?” Iris’s reflection in the mirror came up behind him. “I didn’t think you liked mirrors.”
Barry chuckled. “Yeah, Mirror Master ruined that one for me.”
She threaded her arms through his and brought them up to his shoulders to wrap him in a tight embrace with her head against him. “Like Captain Cold ruined ice?”
“Something like that.” He craned his neck around and touched his face to the side of her head. He lightly kissed her on the temple.
The pair stayed in that position for a little while, savoring the presence of each other. The feel of his toned muscles against her touch and the smell of her shampoo that filled his nostrils.
“Umm… Barry, there’s something you should see down stairs.” Jay told him hesitantly as he walked into the room, clearly reluctant to ruin the moment that Barry and Iris were sharing.
Barry nodded and began to make his way downstairs. Iris attempted to follow, but Jay stopped her. “I don’t think you should come down, Iris. Why don’t you go check on your kids in the guest room? They’re bound to be getting mighty restless.”
Jay gave her a look that told her to trust him. “I think they’re fine, but you’re right, Jay.” Barry let go of her hand that he had in a bit of a death grip at this point and she hung back.
The two Flashes continued to walk to the main hall where they saw Captain Cold in full costume standing in the doorway. “You gonna let me in, Garrick? Or am I going to have to fight my way in?”
“Cold…”
Captain Cold gave him a smug smile. “Evening, Flash. Or should I say, Barry Allen.”
Barry’s eyes grew wide in shock. He sped towards the man in the blue parka, grabbed him and threw him against the wall. “What are you talking about? What do you know?” He screamed in Captain Cold’s face, disregarding Jay’s calls for him to stop.
“I looked up the house where that damn thing is eatin’ the city. It was Barry Allen’s. A guy outside in a costume like yers is callin’ himself the Reverse Flash. Put two an’ two t’gether.” Captain Cold spoke softly, but with a confidence that infuriated Barry to no end. Cold flashed him a winning smile. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
The Flash brought his arm up as if ready to hit Captain Cold, but his arm shook with rage as he brought it back down to his side. He set Captain Cold down softly. “Look, Flash, the media is already trying to take the story. It’s the talk of the town.”
Barry’s insides twisted, but it wasn’t the time to worry about it. That would come later. “What are you doing here, Cold?”
“Heh.” Cold chuckled. “You think I like my city being turned into some mad man’s wonderland?” He put his hands up and shook his head. “I read about Thawyne back in the 90s. I may rough up a person here and there an’ sure I steal, kidnap a Congressman or Senator for ransom money on occasion, but I ain’t nothing like Eobard Thawyne.”
The Flash’s eyes remained even keel, but he couldn’t help but agree with the man he considered the leader of his Rogue’s Gallery. The two rivals stared at each other as if to sum the other one up, neither one giving an inch. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I thought it was obvious. I’m here ta help.”
“What’s in it for you.”
Captain Cold snickered. “Nothin’. Let me tell ya, When I proposed that we come help ya, it didn’t go over too well. Goddamn Scudder tried to kick me out. Luckily my left-hook still works.”
“Did any one else come?”
Cold shook his head in defeat. “Nah. Pied Piper offered, but he couldn’ta helped. He’s just a kid.”
“And what do you think you’re going to do? This guy who’s dressed like me has all of my powers with out the restraint. There’s a good chance he could wish you out of reality by just looking at you. The odds are against me, much less you.” The Flash exclaimed while pacing the room.
All Captain Cold did was smile. “Sounds like fun.” That stopped Barry in his tracks. He peered at Captain Cold curiously. Maybe he had underestimated him; maybe there was something more to him.
“Okay. You’re in. But stay out of my way.”
Cold threw up his hands in concession. “Wouldn’t dream of it, buddy. Wouldn’t dream of it.”
After about an hour of planning, Barry Allen, Jay Garrick and Captain Cold decided that it was time to head back to Central City to meet with Thawyne. Throwing caution to the wind, Iris, Wally, Danielle and Blaine all came downstairs to see their husband, uncle and father off. “Um… I think I’ll go step outside.” Captain Cold excused himself and Jay took Joan into the kitchen to say his own goodbye.
First, Barry went over to his two children and hugged them both at the same time. When he pulled back, he saw tears beginning to form in both of their eyes. “Oh, Dani, Blaine. Don’t cry. I’ll be back before you even realize I’m gone. I can do that.” Barry winked, which caused Danielle to laugh through her tears. Blaine just continued to cry. He was still too young to understand the idea of putting on a brave face. He did understand the direness of the situation, which was something. He kissed both of them on the forehead as he whispered ‘I love you’ into both of their ears and let go of them.
He next walked over to Wally who was now on eye level with him. “Wally, never forget how proud I am of you and the man you have become. I’ve always thought of you as more than a nephew and I always will. Never forget that.” Wally nodded forcefully as he tried to hide his true feelings from his cousins. He extended his hand out for Barry to shake, but he disregarded it and brought him into a tight hug. “I love you, Wally. Take care of them.” He whispered in his ear.
Finally, he settled on Iris who took both of his hands into hers. They both opened up their mouths to speak several times, but weren’t able to form words. Nothing could possibly describe what they were feeling at this moment. So they did what words could not express. They moved closer and kissed one another as if it was the last time they ever would. Before they parted, they breathed their love to each other against the other’s lips and wordlessly they separated and she let Barry go towards the door.
Once outside, he let a tear roll down his cheek before he threw his mask on. “Okay, boys. Let’s go. Jay, let Cold ride in your wake. He’d only slow me down.” With that, the two Speedsters tapped into the Speed Force and they were off. The path from Jay’s house to his was a path that Barry was used to, but for some reason it felt different today. It weighed greater on him and it felt like it took hours to reach his home… or what was left of it.
About a half-mile from Barry’s house they came upon one of the reality fissures that Thawyne had created. The trio tapped out of the Speed Force and examined it briefly. “Jay, what are your thoughts?”
Jay shook his head. “I’m a chemistry professor. I have no idea.”
“The Man with the Golden Mask said that I have the ability to close these… I just wish he told me how.” Just then, a large troll-like creature that wore a loincloth and carried a large club came out of the fissure.
Barry got into his runner’s stance, prepared to tap into the Speed Force, but before he could, Captain Cold shot it with his Cold Gun, freezing it in a block of ice. He subsequently hit it with the butt of his gun and it shattered. “You can thank me later.” Cold blew across the barrel of his gun and holstered it with that smile that Barry was growing to hate so much.
Barry looked long and hard at the fissure and then began to vibrate his arm at lightning fast speeds. He slowly moved his arm towards the fissure and the second he connected with it, it began to shrink and before too long it disappeared.
“That was too easy.” Captain Cold emoted.
Before Barry could respond, the group was alerted by screams coming from the direction of Barry’s house. Barry and Jay tapped into the Speed Force and took off with Cold riding shotgun.
When they arrived outside Barry’s house they saw pandemonium. More of those trolls were roaming around terrorizing people and destroying adjacent houses, but there were also futuristic soldiers, ancient soldiers, modern soldiers and an assortment of superheroes, monsters and other creatures creating destruction and mayhem in his neighborhood. And of course there was the reality fissure that was growing bigger by the second.
Captain Cold quickly went to town on the things that had come out of the fissure while Barry and Jay looked around in shock and horror. Of course they spotted Professor Zoom in front of Barry’s house watching the scene with glee. “AH! Allen! Good of you to join us!”
Barry took off in Thawyne’s direction and landed a punch right across his jaw. “Wonderful… now that you got that out of your system… race ya.”
Thawyne took off and Barry took off after him. This wasn’t the first time that he had raced Thawyne out of malice, but he surely hoped it would be his last. Barry worked hard as he tried to dodge parts of Central City as they went into Keystone and then out into the countryside. Barry blinked and he saw the “Welcome to Nevada” sign in his peripheral vision. He blinked again and he took his first step into the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.
“I can do this all day, Allen!”
The Flash began to close the gap between him and Professor Zoom. After a few seconds, Barry reached out and grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to help him keep pace. “Well, Thawyne. It just so happens, I was born to run.” He knew it was cheesy the second he said it, but he was never one for cool comebacks. Iris told him it just wasn’t in his blood.
After a minute or so they reached Singapore and Thawyne stopped to which Barry followed suit. “The offer still stands, Allen. It’s yours if you want it.” His breath was labored and he sounded frantic. He was surprised that Barry could keep up with him.
“You wish, Thawyne.” He rushed him and landed another punch on him, but this time was in his gut, which sent him flying. After he had stopped sliding, he had landed two miles from his original spot and to his dismay; Barry was standing there waiting for him. “Had enough?”
Professor Zoom let out a scream and took off running in a western direction. Barry let out a victorious smile and chased him. This time they were running side-by-side through the countryside and various city streets. They tried to push each other into various buildings and hazards to little success and before long they were pulling into Central City again.
Once they came around to Barry’s house, Barry let out a scream, “COLD, JAY! NOW!” Barry threw both of his hands on Thawyne as Jay ran towards him and wrapped his torso in his arms. They both used their arms to suck out his speed little by little. It was a tremendous stress on the pair of speedsters, as they had never taken the speed of anything that powerful before. As he saw this, Captain Cold pulled his gun up and turned it towards Thawyne and opened fire. Just as the cold stream was about to hit Professor Zoom the two Flashes let go and the stream hit him, stealing the rest of his speed.
Barry and Jay both smiled to each other as they panted hard to catch their breath from their positions on the street. “Now to close this damn thing…” Jay laughed as he stood up and extended hand to Barry to help him up.
“Can’t let you do that.” They all looked over at the spot where the block of ice that contained Thawyne fell and they were shocked to see Thawyne standing triumphantly on top of it.
Captain Cold looked up in horror at the man in the yellow Flash costume. “My gun… it steals kinetic energy… you shouldn’t…”
“Hmm, well I guess you should probably have that checked.” Professor Zoom formed a tornado with his arms and sent it towards Cold, which knocked him into a tree several houses away.
Jay moved between Thawyne and Barry. “We can’t let you do this!”
Thawyne smiled with a sinister toothy grin towards the speedster who wore a winged helmet “You were always Zoom’s favorite, Jay.” He rushed towards Jay and backhanded him, sending him flying. He then sped towards Barry with his arms out stretched in front of him. Once he reached him, he wrapped his long fingers around Barry’s neck and brought him to the ground. “YOU’RE DONE, ALLEN! I WILL DRAG YOU TO HELL AND YOU CAN SEE YOUR NO GOOD WHORE OF A PARTNER AGAIN! THE ONE I KILLED! AND THEN ONE BY ONE I’LL BRING YOUR NO GOOD FAMILY TO YOU ONE BY ONE! DON’T YOU TEMPT ME!”
“HEY! Stay away from my partner!” Before he could look to see who said that, Thawyne felt a fist collide with his jaw and shatter the bone. Soon another person sped up at pulled him off of Barry.
Barry opened his eyes and saw Jessie along with a bunch of others in a variety of costumes that looked to be based off his. “Jess? Max?”
Max winked at Barry who was still on the street with Jessie who was cradling him. “Bart…” he waved his hands around at the devastation around them with the different creatures terrorizing the people of Central City. “These are things you can hit.” Bart smiled and began to use his powers to defend the city with the rest of the Guardians of Flashpoint who followed suit.
“Barry, are you okay, is anything broken. Oh my god, you look terrible.” She cried as she held her mentor close.
Barry reached up and touched her shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been in worse than this… much worse.” She smiled because she knew he was telling the truth. She had been there for each one.
Max walked up to the pair and knelt down to be on their level. “Barry… it’s good to see you again. It’s been too long.”
“Max…” Barry gasped. “I thought… I thought you were dead.”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Not while you still need me.” Barry nodded and let both Max and Jessie help him to his feet. When they let go he stumbled, but quickly regained his footing. “Barry, you need to close this. Everything depends on it. This is Flashpoint.”
“What’s Flashpoint?” Barry asked lazily.
“Flashpoint is the beginning and the end. Literally everything that is, has been or ever will be happens because of this very moment. You closing this ‘reality fissure’ as you call it.” Max reached out and placed his arm on Barry’s shoulder. “I put all of my faith in you fifteen years ago and now this is where you get to prove me right. Everything you’ve ever done has been working towards this moment.”
Barry took a step back and Jessie grabbed him around the waist to help keep his balance. “Barry, you okay?” She asked with concern. He simply nodded in reply. Max, what?”
Max only looked meaningfully at Barry. “Jesse…” Barry spoke sadly. You’ve been a great partner and if you choose to be The Flash one day, these cities will be lucky to have you. But don’t forget the most important thing about being a hero. Before you can take on another identity, you have to learn how to be Jessica Garrick.”
“Barry, what are you saying?”
He lifted his arm and shook his head violently. “Jess, let me speak. I had Iris and then my kids and your father and then you to keep me grounded. To slow me down. To give me humanity. You need to find what I found.”
“Sweet, Allen… real sweet.” Barry swiftly kicked Thawyne on his freshly healed jaw with the heel of his boot.
“I said it before my house, but tell everyone how much I love them and how I’m doing this for them. I’m doing this for everyone. He reached out and softly touched her cheek and brushed away the tears that had started to form. “Goodbye, Jessie. It’s been fun.”
With that he lifted up Thawyne and threw him over his shoulder. Barry began to steal Thawyne’s speed again and let it flow through his very fibers and let it take over him. With that he began to run around the anomaly in a circle. “Why… why are you doing this? You could have been a God… there’s no hope… for you now.” Thawyne spoke weakly.
“Th-There’s hope… There is always hope…” Barry began to feel the fissure rip at his core and start to tear him apart. “Time to save the world! Time… back in time… Do what you have to… we must save the world.” He looked down at his hands and saw that his gloves and disintegrated and his fingers were beginning to wither away. Rather than stop, he just kept pushing himself faster. He looked over at the fissure and it had gotten noticeably smaller. “… We must save the world…”
With that there was a massive shock wave, as if he were at ground zero of a nuclear attack and the fissure closed with in itself. He quickly fell to his knees and face planted in the dirt. He braced himself for the weight of Thawyne on top of him, but it never came, just his costume. Then before he could think another thought, everything went black.
***
Barry Allen woke up to the sound of the ocean and seagulls chirping and the smell of the ocean breeze tickling his nose. He began to open his eyes and saw the brilliant blue cloudless sky above him with the shade of a palm tree covering him. “Good morning, Barry. I didn’t think you’d ever get up. Then again, I suppose that’s your prerogative now.” Max Mercury stated with a whimsical touch to his voice.
“What?” Barry asked in confusion.
Max sighed in defeat. “I have to be the barer of bad news, but… you’re dead. Well, at least to put it in layman’s terms.”
“Did we close the fissure?” Barry asked franticly to which Max quickly nodded affirmatively to. “What about the Twin Cities?”
“Exactly how you left them.”
“My family?”
“Besides mourning for you, they are in a perfect bill of health.”
“Jessie?”
“I don’t want to spoil everything now.”
Barry stared gravely at Max. “What about Thawyne?”
Max nodded. “He’s dead too, but in a much more traditional sense.”
Barry knew that there was no joy to be taken in a man’s death, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pleasure at hearing of Thawyne’s demise. He was then met with a wave of realization that took him aback. After he stumbled back, he found a rock to sit on and keep his balance. “I’m dead…”
“I’m so sorry, Barry. If I hadn’t thought that there was a chance that we could change history, change what was supposed to happen, I never would have called you. But you were a hero, the best the world has ever seen. Your sacrifice will be legendary.” Max sat down next to him and wrapped him into an embrace.
Barry watched as a crab moved across the sand and buried itself into the earth. “What happened? Who were those people that were with you and Jessie? Why did I know what I had to do?”
“You’ve come a long way from when we first met on this island. Dare I say you ended up believe it without me saying it? You knew what you had to do because you were the chosen one.”
That was not answer that Barry wanted, but it was all the same. He couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. “And those people you came with?”
“I called them the Guardians of Flashpoint. They were champions of the Speed Force from other possible futures and realities. They helped more than I thought they would, but they were an insurance policy if you couldn’t live up to your role. Most of them made it back to where they belong… but for some reason Impulse elected to stay behind. Probably the most grown up thing he’s ever done.”
With that Max Mercury stood up and created a vortex out of a lightning bolt. “Barry, I’m sorry to say that you will not be spending your after life here. At least not exactly here.”
“Heaven… or hell?”
“I’ve been around since the beginning and my one wish is that it were in such two dimensional terms… the enacting of Flashpoint does have its downsides. Go through there and you will find your true destiny… and I guarantee with that, you will see your family again.”
Barry didn’t need to be told twice he stood up and walked towards the vortex. “Max, thank you for taking a chance on me. It’s been a hell of a ride.” He walked totally through the vortex and he was gone, leaving Max alone on the island.
After a few moments of Max alone as he watched the water, the lightning bolt creature named Zoom materialized next to him. “Oh, Max. How did it feel to lie to him?”
“I didn’t lie.”
“A lie by omission is still a lie, you taught me that one.”
Max clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth. “I… I suppose I did. You know as well as I do that he needs to go there for everything to happen.”
“Ah how history repeats itself. I just thought you’d show a bit more compassion, seeing as you went through exactly the same thing and how long did you have to wait to see them again?” Zoom sneered.
Max closed his eyes and sighed. “A long time.” He said under his breath.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“A LONG TIME, GOD DAMMIT.” He screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the trees to shake and the ocean to tremble. “It… it just feels good now to not know what’s going to happen next. I’ve known what’s going to happen for close to 14 billion years… you begin to appreciate ignorance after that…”
This would normally be when Zoom disappeared to leave Max with his thoughts, but he remained there to watch the ocean with Max. After nearly an hour Max broke the silence. “You know, now that Flashpoint’s over and we don’t have to worry about corrupting the timeline, perhaps we could go back to using our real names… Thawyne.”
Zoom winced at the sound of that. “I never want to hear that name again… Allen.”
The End
Requiem
Barry sighed as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He looked essentially as he did fifteen years ago when he first donned the costume, but something was different. He was older, more experienced. He had seen he world. His eyes especially reflected that. Looking at the mirror, his new world weathered look was more apparent. “Barry?” Iris’s reflection in the mirror came up behind him. “I didn’t think you liked mirrors.”
Barry chuckled. “Yeah, Mirror Master ruined that one for me.”
She threaded her arms through his and brought them up to his shoulders to wrap him in a tight embrace with her head against him. “Like Captain Cold ruined ice?”
“Something like that.” He craned his neck around and touched his face to the side of her head. He lightly kissed her on the temple.
The pair stayed in that position for a little while, savoring the presence of each other. The feel of his toned muscles against her touch and the smell of her shampoo that filled his nostrils.
“Umm… Barry, there’s something you should see down stairs.” Jay told him hesitantly as he walked into the room, clearly reluctant to ruin the moment that Barry and Iris were sharing.
Barry nodded and began to make his way downstairs. Iris attempted to follow, but Jay stopped her. “I don’t think you should come down, Iris. Why don’t you go check on your kids in the guest room? They’re bound to be getting mighty restless.”
Jay gave her a look that told her to trust him. “I think they’re fine, but you’re right, Jay.” Barry let go of her hand that he had in a bit of a death grip at this point and she hung back.
The two Flashes continued to walk to the main hall where they saw Captain Cold in full costume standing in the doorway. “You gonna let me in, Garrick? Or am I going to have to fight my way in?”
“Cold…”
Captain Cold gave him a smug smile. “Evening, Flash. Or should I say, Barry Allen.”
Barry’s eyes grew wide in shock. He sped towards the man in the blue parka, grabbed him and threw him against the wall. “What are you talking about? What do you know?” He screamed in Captain Cold’s face, disregarding Jay’s calls for him to stop.
“I looked up the house where that damn thing is eatin’ the city. It was Barry Allen’s. A guy outside in a costume like yers is callin’ himself the Reverse Flash. Put two an’ two t’gether.” Captain Cold spoke softly, but with a confidence that infuriated Barry to no end. Cold flashed him a winning smile. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
The Flash brought his arm up as if ready to hit Captain Cold, but his arm shook with rage as he brought it back down to his side. He set Captain Cold down softly. “Look, Flash, the media is already trying to take the story. It’s the talk of the town.”
Barry’s insides twisted, but it wasn’t the time to worry about it. That would come later. “What are you doing here, Cold?”
“Heh.” Cold chuckled. “You think I like my city being turned into some mad man’s wonderland?” He put his hands up and shook his head. “I read about Thawyne back in the 90s. I may rough up a person here and there an’ sure I steal, kidnap a Congressman or Senator for ransom money on occasion, but I ain’t nothing like Eobard Thawyne.”
The Flash’s eyes remained even keel, but he couldn’t help but agree with the man he considered the leader of his Rogue’s Gallery. The two rivals stared at each other as if to sum the other one up, neither one giving an inch. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I thought it was obvious. I’m here ta help.”
“What’s in it for you.”
Captain Cold snickered. “Nothin’. Let me tell ya, When I proposed that we come help ya, it didn’t go over too well. Goddamn Scudder tried to kick me out. Luckily my left-hook still works.”
“Did any one else come?”
Cold shook his head in defeat. “Nah. Pied Piper offered, but he couldn’ta helped. He’s just a kid.”
“And what do you think you’re going to do? This guy who’s dressed like me has all of my powers with out the restraint. There’s a good chance he could wish you out of reality by just looking at you. The odds are against me, much less you.” The Flash exclaimed while pacing the room.
All Captain Cold did was smile. “Sounds like fun.” That stopped Barry in his tracks. He peered at Captain Cold curiously. Maybe he had underestimated him; maybe there was something more to him.
“Okay. You’re in. But stay out of my way.”
Cold threw up his hands in concession. “Wouldn’t dream of it, buddy. Wouldn’t dream of it.”
After about an hour of planning, Barry Allen, Jay Garrick and Captain Cold decided that it was time to head back to Central City to meet with Thawyne. Throwing caution to the wind, Iris, Wally, Danielle and Blaine all came downstairs to see their husband, uncle and father off. “Um… I think I’ll go step outside.” Captain Cold excused himself and Jay took Joan into the kitchen to say his own goodbye.
First, Barry went over to his two children and hugged them both at the same time. When he pulled back, he saw tears beginning to form in both of their eyes. “Oh, Dani, Blaine. Don’t cry. I’ll be back before you even realize I’m gone. I can do that.” Barry winked, which caused Danielle to laugh through her tears. Blaine just continued to cry. He was still too young to understand the idea of putting on a brave face. He did understand the direness of the situation, which was something. He kissed both of them on the forehead as he whispered ‘I love you’ into both of their ears and let go of them.
He next walked over to Wally who was now on eye level with him. “Wally, never forget how proud I am of you and the man you have become. I’ve always thought of you as more than a nephew and I always will. Never forget that.” Wally nodded forcefully as he tried to hide his true feelings from his cousins. He extended his hand out for Barry to shake, but he disregarded it and brought him into a tight hug. “I love you, Wally. Take care of them.” He whispered in his ear.
Finally, he settled on Iris who took both of his hands into hers. They both opened up their mouths to speak several times, but weren’t able to form words. Nothing could possibly describe what they were feeling at this moment. So they did what words could not express. They moved closer and kissed one another as if it was the last time they ever would. Before they parted, they breathed their love to each other against the other’s lips and wordlessly they separated and she let Barry go towards the door.
Once outside, he let a tear roll down his cheek before he threw his mask on. “Okay, boys. Let’s go. Jay, let Cold ride in your wake. He’d only slow me down.” With that, the two Speedsters tapped into the Speed Force and they were off. The path from Jay’s house to his was a path that Barry was used to, but for some reason it felt different today. It weighed greater on him and it felt like it took hours to reach his home… or what was left of it.
About a half-mile from Barry’s house they came upon one of the reality fissures that Thawyne had created. The trio tapped out of the Speed Force and examined it briefly. “Jay, what are your thoughts?”
Jay shook his head. “I’m a chemistry professor. I have no idea.”
“The Man with the Golden Mask said that I have the ability to close these… I just wish he told me how.” Just then, a large troll-like creature that wore a loincloth and carried a large club came out of the fissure.
Barry got into his runner’s stance, prepared to tap into the Speed Force, but before he could, Captain Cold shot it with his Cold Gun, freezing it in a block of ice. He subsequently hit it with the butt of his gun and it shattered. “You can thank me later.” Cold blew across the barrel of his gun and holstered it with that smile that Barry was growing to hate so much.
Barry looked long and hard at the fissure and then began to vibrate his arm at lightning fast speeds. He slowly moved his arm towards the fissure and the second he connected with it, it began to shrink and before too long it disappeared.
“That was too easy.” Captain Cold emoted.
Before Barry could respond, the group was alerted by screams coming from the direction of Barry’s house. Barry and Jay tapped into the Speed Force and took off with Cold riding shotgun.
When they arrived outside Barry’s house they saw pandemonium. More of those trolls were roaming around terrorizing people and destroying adjacent houses, but there were also futuristic soldiers, ancient soldiers, modern soldiers and an assortment of superheroes, monsters and other creatures creating destruction and mayhem in his neighborhood. And of course there was the reality fissure that was growing bigger by the second.
Captain Cold quickly went to town on the things that had come out of the fissure while Barry and Jay looked around in shock and horror. Of course they spotted Professor Zoom in front of Barry’s house watching the scene with glee. “AH! Allen! Good of you to join us!”
Barry took off in Thawyne’s direction and landed a punch right across his jaw. “Wonderful… now that you got that out of your system… race ya.”
Thawyne took off and Barry took off after him. This wasn’t the first time that he had raced Thawyne out of malice, but he surely hoped it would be his last. Barry worked hard as he tried to dodge parts of Central City as they went into Keystone and then out into the countryside. Barry blinked and he saw the “Welcome to Nevada” sign in his peripheral vision. He blinked again and he took his first step into the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.
“I can do this all day, Allen!”
The Flash began to close the gap between him and Professor Zoom. After a few seconds, Barry reached out and grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to help him keep pace. “Well, Thawyne. It just so happens, I was born to run.” He knew it was cheesy the second he said it, but he was never one for cool comebacks. Iris told him it just wasn’t in his blood.
After a minute or so they reached Singapore and Thawyne stopped to which Barry followed suit. “The offer still stands, Allen. It’s yours if you want it.” His breath was labored and he sounded frantic. He was surprised that Barry could keep up with him.
“You wish, Thawyne.” He rushed him and landed another punch on him, but this time was in his gut, which sent him flying. After he had stopped sliding, he had landed two miles from his original spot and to his dismay; Barry was standing there waiting for him. “Had enough?”
Professor Zoom let out a scream and took off running in a western direction. Barry let out a victorious smile and chased him. This time they were running side-by-side through the countryside and various city streets. They tried to push each other into various buildings and hazards to little success and before long they were pulling into Central City again.
Once they came around to Barry’s house, Barry let out a scream, “COLD, JAY! NOW!” Barry threw both of his hands on Thawyne as Jay ran towards him and wrapped his torso in his arms. They both used their arms to suck out his speed little by little. It was a tremendous stress on the pair of speedsters, as they had never taken the speed of anything that powerful before. As he saw this, Captain Cold pulled his gun up and turned it towards Thawyne and opened fire. Just as the cold stream was about to hit Professor Zoom the two Flashes let go and the stream hit him, stealing the rest of his speed.
Barry and Jay both smiled to each other as they panted hard to catch their breath from their positions on the street. “Now to close this damn thing…” Jay laughed as he stood up and extended hand to Barry to help him up.
“Can’t let you do that.” They all looked over at the spot where the block of ice that contained Thawyne fell and they were shocked to see Thawyne standing triumphantly on top of it.
Captain Cold looked up in horror at the man in the yellow Flash costume. “My gun… it steals kinetic energy… you shouldn’t…”
“Hmm, well I guess you should probably have that checked.” Professor Zoom formed a tornado with his arms and sent it towards Cold, which knocked him into a tree several houses away.
Jay moved between Thawyne and Barry. “We can’t let you do this!”
Thawyne smiled with a sinister toothy grin towards the speedster who wore a winged helmet “You were always Zoom’s favorite, Jay.” He rushed towards Jay and backhanded him, sending him flying. He then sped towards Barry with his arms out stretched in front of him. Once he reached him, he wrapped his long fingers around Barry’s neck and brought him to the ground. “YOU’RE DONE, ALLEN! I WILL DRAG YOU TO HELL AND YOU CAN SEE YOUR NO GOOD WHORE OF A PARTNER AGAIN! THE ONE I KILLED! AND THEN ONE BY ONE I’LL BRING YOUR NO GOOD FAMILY TO YOU ONE BY ONE! DON’T YOU TEMPT ME!”
“HEY! Stay away from my partner!” Before he could look to see who said that, Thawyne felt a fist collide with his jaw and shatter the bone. Soon another person sped up at pulled him off of Barry.
Barry opened his eyes and saw Jessie along with a bunch of others in a variety of costumes that looked to be based off his. “Jess? Max?”
Max winked at Barry who was still on the street with Jessie who was cradling him. “Bart…” he waved his hands around at the devastation around them with the different creatures terrorizing the people of Central City. “These are things you can hit.” Bart smiled and began to use his powers to defend the city with the rest of the Guardians of Flashpoint who followed suit.
“Barry, are you okay, is anything broken. Oh my god, you look terrible.” She cried as she held her mentor close.
Barry reached up and touched her shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been in worse than this… much worse.” She smiled because she knew he was telling the truth. She had been there for each one.
Max walked up to the pair and knelt down to be on their level. “Barry… it’s good to see you again. It’s been too long.”
“Max…” Barry gasped. “I thought… I thought you were dead.”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Not while you still need me.” Barry nodded and let both Max and Jessie help him to his feet. When they let go he stumbled, but quickly regained his footing. “Barry, you need to close this. Everything depends on it. This is Flashpoint.”
“What’s Flashpoint?” Barry asked lazily.
“Flashpoint is the beginning and the end. Literally everything that is, has been or ever will be happens because of this very moment. You closing this ‘reality fissure’ as you call it.” Max reached out and placed his arm on Barry’s shoulder. “I put all of my faith in you fifteen years ago and now this is where you get to prove me right. Everything you’ve ever done has been working towards this moment.”
Barry took a step back and Jessie grabbed him around the waist to help keep his balance. “Barry, you okay?” She asked with concern. He simply nodded in reply. Max, what?”
Max only looked meaningfully at Barry. “Jesse…” Barry spoke sadly. You’ve been a great partner and if you choose to be The Flash one day, these cities will be lucky to have you. But don’t forget the most important thing about being a hero. Before you can take on another identity, you have to learn how to be Jessica Garrick.”
“Barry, what are you saying?”
He lifted his arm and shook his head violently. “Jess, let me speak. I had Iris and then my kids and your father and then you to keep me grounded. To slow me down. To give me humanity. You need to find what I found.”
“Sweet, Allen… real sweet.” Barry swiftly kicked Thawyne on his freshly healed jaw with the heel of his boot.
“I said it before my house, but tell everyone how much I love them and how I’m doing this for them. I’m doing this for everyone. He reached out and softly touched her cheek and brushed away the tears that had started to form. “Goodbye, Jessie. It’s been fun.”
With that he lifted up Thawyne and threw him over his shoulder. Barry began to steal Thawyne’s speed again and let it flow through his very fibers and let it take over him. With that he began to run around the anomaly in a circle. “Why… why are you doing this? You could have been a God… there’s no hope… for you now.” Thawyne spoke weakly.
“Th-There’s hope… There is always hope…” Barry began to feel the fissure rip at his core and start to tear him apart. “Time to save the world! Time… back in time… Do what you have to… we must save the world.” He looked down at his hands and saw that his gloves and disintegrated and his fingers were beginning to wither away. Rather than stop, he just kept pushing himself faster. He looked over at the fissure and it had gotten noticeably smaller. “… We must save the world…”
With that there was a massive shock wave, as if he were at ground zero of a nuclear attack and the fissure closed with in itself. He quickly fell to his knees and face planted in the dirt. He braced himself for the weight of Thawyne on top of him, but it never came, just his costume. Then before he could think another thought, everything went black.
***
Barry Allen woke up to the sound of the ocean and seagulls chirping and the smell of the ocean breeze tickling his nose. He began to open his eyes and saw the brilliant blue cloudless sky above him with the shade of a palm tree covering him. “Good morning, Barry. I didn’t think you’d ever get up. Then again, I suppose that’s your prerogative now.” Max Mercury stated with a whimsical touch to his voice.
“What?” Barry asked in confusion.
Max sighed in defeat. “I have to be the barer of bad news, but… you’re dead. Well, at least to put it in layman’s terms.”
“Did we close the fissure?” Barry asked franticly to which Max quickly nodded affirmatively to. “What about the Twin Cities?”
“Exactly how you left them.”
“My family?”
“Besides mourning for you, they are in a perfect bill of health.”
“Jessie?”
“I don’t want to spoil everything now.”
Barry stared gravely at Max. “What about Thawyne?”
Max nodded. “He’s dead too, but in a much more traditional sense.”
Barry knew that there was no joy to be taken in a man’s death, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pleasure at hearing of Thawyne’s demise. He was then met with a wave of realization that took him aback. After he stumbled back, he found a rock to sit on and keep his balance. “I’m dead…”
“I’m so sorry, Barry. If I hadn’t thought that there was a chance that we could change history, change what was supposed to happen, I never would have called you. But you were a hero, the best the world has ever seen. Your sacrifice will be legendary.” Max sat down next to him and wrapped him into an embrace.
Barry watched as a crab moved across the sand and buried itself into the earth. “What happened? Who were those people that were with you and Jessie? Why did I know what I had to do?”
“You’ve come a long way from when we first met on this island. Dare I say you ended up believe it without me saying it? You knew what you had to do because you were the chosen one.”
That was not answer that Barry wanted, but it was all the same. He couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. “And those people you came with?”
“I called them the Guardians of Flashpoint. They were champions of the Speed Force from other possible futures and realities. They helped more than I thought they would, but they were an insurance policy if you couldn’t live up to your role. Most of them made it back to where they belong… but for some reason Impulse elected to stay behind. Probably the most grown up thing he’s ever done.”
With that Max Mercury stood up and created a vortex out of a lightning bolt. “Barry, I’m sorry to say that you will not be spending your after life here. At least not exactly here.”
“Heaven… or hell?”
“I’ve been around since the beginning and my one wish is that it were in such two dimensional terms… the enacting of Flashpoint does have its downsides. Go through there and you will find your true destiny… and I guarantee with that, you will see your family again.”
Barry didn’t need to be told twice he stood up and walked towards the vortex. “Max, thank you for taking a chance on me. It’s been a hell of a ride.” He walked totally through the vortex and he was gone, leaving Max alone on the island.
After a few moments of Max alone as he watched the water, the lightning bolt creature named Zoom materialized next to him. “Oh, Max. How did it feel to lie to him?”
“I didn’t lie.”
“A lie by omission is still a lie, you taught me that one.”
Max clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth. “I… I suppose I did. You know as well as I do that he needs to go there for everything to happen.”
“Ah how history repeats itself. I just thought you’d show a bit more compassion, seeing as you went through exactly the same thing and how long did you have to wait to see them again?” Zoom sneered.
Max closed his eyes and sighed. “A long time.” He said under his breath.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“A LONG TIME, GOD DAMMIT.” He screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the trees to shake and the ocean to tremble. “It… it just feels good now to not know what’s going to happen next. I’ve known what’s going to happen for close to 14 billion years… you begin to appreciate ignorance after that…”
This would normally be when Zoom disappeared to leave Max with his thoughts, but he remained there to watch the ocean with Max. After nearly an hour Max broke the silence. “You know, now that Flashpoint’s over and we don’t have to worry about corrupting the timeline, perhaps we could go back to using our real names… Thawyne.”
Zoom winced at the sound of that. “I never want to hear that name again… Allen.”
The End