Everything Comes With A Price

12| How To Save A Speedster

Third Pov:

The struggling figure of Barry had made his way back to the warehouse. When Merlyn saw what Barry looked like; tears streaming down his face, eyes red, his face mixed in confusion; Merlyn had to start over.

All that work, one whole year, to break down the strong-willed speedster, was wasted. No matter, though. This was why they had implanted trigger words. One was to incapacitate Barry if he turned on them. Another was to torture him, and the final one was to bring back El Bariq fully, locking Barry away in the process.

Merlyn lightly whispered two of the words. Barry's face changed as his eyes closed, his form slumped forward about to crash onto the floor, but Merlyn caught him. Merlyn moved Barry's form over to the cot, laying the speedster down.

Barry's face was changing and twitching as he was unconscious. Merlyn was used to it because Barry was facing memories that would pull him straight back into the El Bariq persona. Merlyn had to do it once before, and he'd hoped he'd never have to do it again, that Barry had given in all the way. He was wrong.

Every hero that Merlyn had come across and fought had had a strong will, but Barry... Barry's was even stronger. And his friends, his friends seemed to be the reason why he managed to pull through, fighting back against El Bariq.

Merlyn had seen something off for a couple of weeks now, he'd figured El Bariq was adjusting, but now, he thought that maybe that had been some of Barry. Merlyn knew that Barry was probably smart enough to know what would happen if he hesitated.

Merlyn should have watched the speedster more closely. Barry had been doing so well, but all Merlyn could do now was wait.

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Barry's (El Bariq) POV:

Confusion and... Pain? That's what I was feeling right now. My world was a solid black.

Merlyn had somehow incapacitated me, which was fine. My head was in too much pain to care. I was thinking about what my former friends had said, the emotions in their voices as they talked. They sounded so thankful and caring, but I was being pulled in two different directions. The El Bariq side of me was begging me to tune it out, and then attack. Meanwhile, the Barry side of me was pushing forward, gaining strength, and trying to pull me back to the light.

In the end, I couldn't stand the confusion, so I rushed away, leaving my mask and weapons on the ground. Sadly, the darkness didn't last long.

Light flowed into my senses, bringing me through my mind into my memories. Not just any memories, mind you, certain memories of pain and hurt. The times when I had felt so close to the dark. I had wanted to act right then and there, but I was always stopped. I was never able to save anyone. People had died for me. My mom, Ronnie, Eddie, my daughter Nora. The pain was unbearable.

Voices floated through as I viewed every one of the memories. They were talking to me, criticizing me.

You're not strong enough as Barry!

The Flash is not a hero, he is the reason so many people have died!

All of these deaths could have been prevented if you had never become the Flash!