Second Chances: Flash - Rough Draft

Chapter 1

Okay, time for the rewrite to begin. Just a heads up, this version of the story will be WestAllen, but I will also be pulling a few new details from the comics, trying to merge those details from the show, along with a few new changes that are completely original. Hope you guys like it.

Also, who else thinks that Team Flash should've let Thawne die? I know I do, since while I see where Joe was coming from, I think that Thawne deserved to be wiped from reality once and for all.

The last thing Barry Allen remembered before blacking out was really just flashes. Voices in his head, his own, Sara's and Oliver's. That one really stuck with him as he remembered the last words Oliver had told him before he died. One last bit of mentorly wisdom. Dying was the easy part, the dead are at peace. The real heroes are the ones who keep on living. And that made him remember being at the dawn of time with the other paragons and after triggering a new big bang and watching the universe be reborn, Barry remembered kneeling next to Sara over the dead body of Oliver Queen. Oliver was the true hero, not him. It didn't seem fair that even though they'd both been destined to die during Crisis, even though Barry had found a way to survive, it wasn't fair that Oliver hadn't. But he swore to himself that he would keep on fighting to honor Oliver's memory. Or he would once he woke up. Though where he'd be when that happened, he had no idea.

However, that question was quickly answered when he heard the sounds of Lady Gaga's poker face nearby and he smiled, since of course, Cisco would never allow him to wake up to any other song, since that tipped him off that he was back at Star Labs somehow that he chose not to question.

However, when he woke up, he was surprised to find the medbay empty.

"What the hell?" Barry asked, wondering where everyone was.

"Calm yourself Barry Allen." a familiar voice said and Barry turned to see Mar Novu standing there.

"What the hell are you doing here and how are you even alive?" Barry asked.

"The same way everyone else is. When you restarted the universe, you restored me to life, along with everyone else." Novu said.

"And let me guess, your cosmic powers allowed you to retain your memories of the old world." Barry asked and Novu nodded in agreement.

"That is correct." Novu said.

"So, why the hell are you here?" Barry asked.

"To inform you of the changes made in this new world. One in particular." Novu said.

"And that would be?" Barry asked.

"This is no longer the year 2020." Novu said.

"So, what year is it?" Barry asked.

"2012." Novu said.

"Wait, then that means Oliver." Barry said and Novu nodded with a smile.

"Yes, not only is Oliver Queen still alive, but like the paragons, with the exception of Lex Luthor, who's memories I've already erased to protect the identities of all the other heroes, including yours, Mr. Queen remembers the old world." Novu said and Barry grinned, since that was such a weight off his shoulders, knowing that Oliver was still alive.

"Something tells me that being in 2012 isn't an accident or that today is the day that the paragons suddenly wake up on this earth. There's something significant happening today isn't there?" Barry asked and Novu nodded.

"Since Oliver Queen was the one who actually lit the spark that reignited the universe, he sent himself and the paragons back to the day his journey towards becoming the Spectre truly began." Novu said and Barry quickly understood what that meant.

"Today's the day Oliver returns home Lian Yu isn't it?" Barry asked and Novu nodded.

"Makes sense. Oliver coming home is basically what led to the beginning of what some people call the age of heroes. Sure both Batman and Superman have existed for years already, but it wasn't until first the Hood and then the Arrow came along that other heroes began to emerge. Oliver inspired a generation, including me. Most of the current heroes, Spartan, Black Canary, Arsenal, Speedy, White Canary, Atom, hell, even the Flash, wouldn't exist without the Green Arrow being born first." Barry said, since Oliver had been the one to inspire him to put on that cowl and carry his emblem like a badge of honor.

"Indeed." Novu agreed.

"But what's going on here?" Barry asked and Novu smiled.

"One of the changes in this timeline is that the Star Labs particle accelerator explosion happened at an earlier point in time and you just woke up from your coma. However, your speed is still at the same level that it was during the Crisis." Novu said.

"As in, after Oliver unlocked my potential?" Barry asked and Novu nodded.

"Yes however, I do think that you should be certain that there were no side effects of him giving you his spectre energy, since that energy was not meant for those of the land of the living to carry. There could be very dangerous side effects and not only on you, but on the speed force itself." Novu said and Barry nodded, since Oliver did warn him that taking in Spectre energy was very dangerous.

"But wait, why bring us back to the beginning?" Barry asked.

"My guess is that it's because Oliver Queen wanted a chance to correct his mistakes and in doing so, he ended up giving the rest of you a chance to do the same." Novu said.

"Makes sense. Especially since now that means that I have a chance to save so many people. My dad, Eddie, Ronnie, Stein." Barry said as he just continued thinking of all the people he could save.

"I can see the look on your face and I both know that there is one death that cannot be changed, since it has already happened in this reality." Novu said and Barry nodded.

"My mom. And I've made my peace with the fact that I can't save her, I learned my lesson about that. But a part of me can't help but wonder why that couldn't have been changed like everything else was." Barry said, since the one thing he'd always wanted more than anything else was to have his mother back, but it appeared that some things were unchangeable.

"Because doing so would change who you are. Every single one of the paragons has had a defining experience in their lives that made them the person they are today and for you, that was your mother's death. If it's changed, you will not be the person who became the paragon of love." Novu explained and Barry nodded, since that did make sense.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Barry asked.

"Nothing that giving you the memories of your counterpart can't solve." Novu said as he waved his hand and Barry fell back into his unconscious state as the new memories flooded his mind.