Out of Time {Arrowverse A/U}

Chapter Two- Lukas

A blue bolt of lightning flashed through the streets, taking corners at almost a full ninety degree angle until he skidded to a stop in the parking lot of STAR Labs.

The parking lot was full of cars all the way around the building.

"What's going on?" Lukas asked confused as he watched the strangers pile into his old headquarters.

He should've figured twenty forty nine wouldn't have been as it was twenty seven years ago. Naive to think everything would stay the same.

Two clerks stood behind ticket booths as people waited in line to get into the event.

A banner hung over the top of the steps as people walked or instinctively jogged up the stairs.

"Welcome to the Flash Museum"

Lukas bought himself a ticket and got it scanned before stuffing his hands in his pocket and making his way up the stairs following the zoo of people.

He wandered around the exhibits checking everything out from the Hall of Gadgets to the Room of Villains.

Carter's detectives instincts kicked in as he examined the Cosmic Treadmill, he remembered Nora telling him that this was how her, Bart and Godspeed got to the past.

God, that felt like a lifetime ago.

He finally made it to the "Team Flash" exhibit and took a deep breath.

"Cisco Ramon, AKA Vibe. Now, Lead engineer at Argus Cisco Ramon was there at the beginning when the particle accelerator exploded. He accompanied the Flash throughout his missions and even became the Hero known as Vibe, capable of emitting
Vibrational bursts from his body, dimensional awareness, and multiversal travel. He later left Team Flash for an opportunity with A.R.G.U.S after taking the metahuman cure. He later joined Team Flash on many occasions after developing a mechanical suit to imitate his former abilities. He lives on with his wife Kamilla and two children, Dante and Ronnie Ramon."

Lukas smiled and moved on to the next exhibit.

"Dr. Caitlin "Frost" Snow. Another original member of team Flash, Doctor Snow was a distinguished Bio-Engineer at STAR Labs and Mercury Labs. Years after the particle accelerator explosion Caitlin developed a split personality disorder as she found another version of herself living within her. Years later after being affected by Mirror Monarch her cells replicated and creating a new body as Frost was born into Team Flash. Caitlin Snow never remarried after the death of her Husband, Ronald Raymond and is currently continuing her work at Snow Incorporated."

A sharp tug in Lukas's gut pulled him away from reading the rest about his former teammates as he wandered across the room where a large statue of Frost was standing to the left of the large statue of "The Green Arrow." Otherwise known as Oliver Queen.

"Miss ya, kid." Lukas said giving my respect to the late Oliver Queen before he moved onto the statue of Frost.

"In loving memory of Frost
1999-2022
Sister, Daughter, friend, and hero
Central City thanks you.
She is survived by her mother, Dr. Carla Tannhauser, and sister, Dr. Caitlin Snow"

His stomach wrenched into a knot as he read the words over and over again. This wasn't real, couldn't have been real.

If he had been there.

Lukas felt a tear tugged at the side of his eyes as he wiped his nose.

The guilt began to set in.

She had died shortly after Lukas left, he had just seen her yesterday.

Lukas closed my eyes and paid my respects for his fallen friend.

Was this the legacy of Team Flash. A museum, a team disbanded, heroes in graves? Was this his punishment for leaving them?

Lukas felt nothing but sadness, and guilt. Like it was his fault.

"It's not your fault, Luke." A deep voice said from behind him.

Carter turned around to come face to face with John Diggle, The Spartan.

"Digg." Lukas said surprised at the sight of him. He didn't know why he was surprised, it had been twenty seven years. People age when they're not time traveling. "You're."

"Old." He chuckled. "I know." His hair was the same but his war torn eyes from many years in the service and many years of being a hero had taken a toll on him. Sometimes, scars weren't physical. His hair was still shortly buzzed but he had a solid beard growing that was starting to turn grey.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was actually just passing through, A.R.G.U.S business, I try to stop a pay tributes to Oliver wherever he has a statue." Diggle said to Lukas. "I was just as surprised to see you as you were to see me."

Lukas shrugged. "I guess this is where I'm from, where I belong."

"Barry told me everything, he's been waiting for you." Diggle said smiling. "Not everyone can wander through time without breaking the natural law."

"I feel like if I had stayed."

"Don't." Diggle said stopping Lukas from going farther. "It wasn't your fault. You made your choice just as she made hers."

"You understand what I'm feeling."

Diggle nodded as the two friends walked through back through the exhibits together as they talked.

"I lost a lot of men during my tours, some right in front of me, in my arms. Always wondering, why it wasn't me." He said shaking his head. "I wasn't there when Oliver died. Like you, I didn't get to say goodbye to a friend. To family."

"How do you live with that?" Lukas asked him as he stuffed his pockets.

"Not a day goes by that I don't miss him. I hurt at the thought of it everyday, but because of him I get to go home to my wife every night, I have two amazing sons and his daughter is about to be my daughter-in-law. One day you'll wake up, and it won't hurt as much." He said to Lukas as they stopped in front of an exhibit about Lukas.

"The Spiderman, a man bitten by a dark matter infested spider caused by the satellite crash emerged a new hero with that of spider like abilities. Helping Team Flash in the defeat of Cicada as well as taking down a group of metahumans now dubbed as the Sinister Six. He disappeared and returned a year later to once again protect Central against Godspeed and Kraven the Hunter, only to once again disappear. . . This time perhaps never to return. . . Until next time Spiderman."

The poster that the exhibit had been designed around was of Lukas posing as the Spider, half of his suit was black and silver and the other half was his newest suit of red, blue, and white.

"Because Lukas, what is grief if not love persevering?" Diggle said to him smiling as he grabbed Lukas's shoulder.

"Jesus, Diggle. You can't just take dialogue straight from a tv show and act like you made it up. Especially if the show did come out almost thirty years ago."

He started to laugh as the two heroes continued catching up on life.

"Thanks Digg, I really needed that." Lukas said to him as they walked through the parking lot towards Diggle's car.

He held out his hand and they glad shook forearms. "Anything for a fellow mark bearer." He said as Lukas tattoo symbolizing the mark of four instinctively felt warm against his skin.

"What will you do now?" Diggle asked Lukas as he stared back at the Flash Museum.

"I find the others." Lukas said to Diggle. "I need answers, for what happened to the team."

"Come on, man. Cut them some slack. Besides for you, Chester, Allegra, and the speedy children. Everyone's getting old. Can't do this forever." Diggle said.

"I know." Lukas said to him as Diggle opened his truck door. "But answers will ease my consciousness."

"Take care, Lukas." Diggle said closing the door.

"Yeah, you too Digg."