Justice on all Earths (Green Arrow The Flash Supergirl Fanfic)

Episode One: United is not an Option [Part 6]

Central City, USA, Earth-1. October 2016.

Hours later, Iris, Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry were gathered at STAR Labs. Wally wasn't there, as he was in Coast City investigating a potential internship opportunity. Joe wanted to be there, but couldn't because CCPD was getting swamped with calls from people wondering about The Flash's reappearance. There was no criminal activity, though. The day that a speedster hero returns tends to be the day that crime in that city takes a break.

Iris had suggested having the reunion with Barry at CC Jitters, but everyone quickly realized that such a public place wasn't good for a conversation about the secret identity of The Flash. However, Barry had run and gotten the whole crew mochas, lattes, and "The Flash"es to make up for it.

And so, everyone was gathered in one of the side rooms of the Cortex. Barry was recounting what had happened; but he wasn't telling the truth. In his version of events, he had tried to run back in time to create the time remnant that had been sacrificed to stop Zoom. He claimed that he had succeeded, and that a remnant had been created; but for some reason, when he tried to run back, he'd ended up in October. This was a lie. Barry had created the time remnant during the battle itself.

As Barry was talking, he didn't notice that everyone was uncomfortable. He was explaining the story in a very lively and joke-y way, confusing everyone. None of them could understand why Barry was acting like this.

Barry was acting this way to cover up his feelings of disappointment and sorrow. He had traveled through time to save his mother, then succeeded against all odds; only to inexplicably wake up five months after the date he'd traveled from with a mysterious ring and with his actions undone. It was excruciating – being able to change time, yet to have the option of saving his mother ripped away after supposedly succeeding – and the way Barry was dealing with it was by playing the whole experience off and pretending like nothing was wrong.

However, Iris knew Barry well enough to know that something was wrong. As she sat there, listening to his story, she knew she couldn't just overlook what was happening.

"And so, I woke up in my apartment this morning, really confused, of course. Eventually, I realized what month I was in, and tried to run back to May, but I can't time travel for some reason. I tried several times, and actually made it into the Speed Force, but I always get delivered back to here no matter what." Barry took the Flash ring off of his finger and held it out. "I woke up with this ring. It looks like Thawne's, and I haven't been able to activate it, so I don't know what it does."

Barry began to recap, "And so that's the story, that's what happened. Sorry if I worried anybody," he shrugged.

Now that Barry was done talking, there was silence. Cisco and Caitlin just looked at one another, confused. When the silence dragged on, Barry himself even looked slightly confuse. Iris simply sat there with slightly squinted eyes staring at Barry. She was also annoyed with him. She took a sip of her "Flash" and continued staring silently at Barry. He didn't notice.

"So . . . that's it?" Cisco asked, finally breaking the silence. "That's the Emmy-winning saga of why Barry Allen bailed on his friends for five months?"

"What?" Barry exclaimed.

Caitlin looked at Cisco with wide (and alarmed) eyes, then looked at Barry. "What I think Cisco's trying to say, Barry, is—"

Iris interrupted everybody. "Can I talk to Barry alone for a few minutes?"

Barry looked at Iris, slightly confused.

"What?" Caitlin asked.

"Now, please." Iris said. It was slightly more of a demand then a question.