Lightning Strikes Twice ›› Barry Allen [1]

19- Savitar Strikes Back

"You don't scare me Savitar!" I take threatening steps towards the Speed god's host, Julian. "You can do whatever you want with me. Just let them be!"

"You know I can't do that," Savitar growls, standing up in Julian's form. He looks from me to Barry. "Despite your feeble efforts to change the future. You can't, because I am the future, Flash. Barry, you've suffered more than anyone. You've endured pain your whole life. Your mother. Your father. Trust me, you'll never get over this. "

Barry takes off Julian's headset, disconnecting his connection with the villain.

"Good chat, was it?" Julian asks, back from his blackout.

We walk back into The Cortex. 
"I don't know if I can take another one of those chats," HR says. "Is anyone else with me?"
"So, other than Savitar scaring the bajeezus out of us, did we actually learn anything?" Cisco questions, looking at all of us.
"Other than he's focused on either me or Iris dying? Look, I don't know about you, but I haven't crossed anything off my bucket list yet." I said, trying to keep the mood lightened, whatever of it is left.

"He asked if we thought we'd gotten rid of the Philosopher's Stone," Barry states. "Maybe there's another piece, or..."

"It was just part of the Stone?" Joe guesses.

"Exactly."

"Its possible that the Cult of Savitar has it," I suggest.

"That's what I was thinking," Barry acknowledges my idea.


                    ***
"Wally, listen to me," I grab Kid Flash by the shoulders. "You can not let Savitar get the best of you. He is manipulating you."
"I won't let him."
"How can you be sure?"
"I won't, Sky."
"Wally--"
"No, stop. Just stop."
"I have seen some of the strongest people I know be--"
"I'm not one of them... I got to go."
Wally leaves me.
I stand there for a moment, quiet as can be. Then I hear footsteps enter the Speed Lab, and turn around. "Hey."

"How're you doing?" Barry asks. "I know that..."

"I'm...okay. I guess. Wally's a little unfocused, and I'm debating with myself if I die, or Iris does."

"Me too."

"I've always thought about what its like to die. I've had near death experiences, and its not that bad..."

"No, Sky. You can't think like that," Barry grips my wrist.

"There is no way around this, Barry. I'm not risking Iris's life. I rather risk my own."

"I'm not letting you," he says sternly.

"I know you aren't." My voice is neutral as I look him in the eyes. "But we are fighting a battle. And in battles there a casualties."


                    ***
"Aw, guys, you need to count me out on this," HR says. "Because I didn't bring an endless supplies of boxes to this planet."

"What does that mean?" I glance at him, as the others follow Julian.

"Oh, I think you know what that means," HR replies.

"Actually, I don't. But I'm guessing its not good."

"You will beg for mercy, Flash," Savitar rasps, "and you will get none."
Barry pulls the plug.

"Good talk," I say sarcastically.

"Did it work?" Caitlin asks.

"Yeah, we got a hit," Cisco responds. "its just that, that hit was all of Central City."

"Couldn't we pin point a location?" Barry questions.

"I think we could be a bit more precise, but we'll have to give it the ol' Metahuman try."

"The ol' Metahuman try?" I flick my gaze over to Vibe.

"Don't judge me," Cisco says.

"So, we're vibing, aren't we Crisco?" I tease him.

"You mean, I'm vibing. Not you."
 
"In the end, I'm the one who takes the fatal blow."

"Tu shay," Cisco replies. "But my jobs harder."



"I can't see anything," Cisco removes his Vibe goggles.
"Let me see those," HR takes them. He smacks the goggles on the table.
"Stop that." Cisco gets up from his chair, and takes them back. "What are you doing?"
I try to suppress a laugh.
"Seeing if they work. What are you seeing?" HR asks.
"Just...white flashes."
"White flashes?"
"Yeah, its like Savitar's speeding through a storm."
"Its not a storm," Barry walks in. "Its the Speed Force."

We all look at him.
"He's in the Speed Force, that's why only speedsters can see him," Cisco realizes.
I clear my throat loudly.
"And Skye," Cisco adds.
"That's still a mystery why that is," HR notes. "Also, why is Savitar hiding in the Speed Force?"
"He's not hiding," Joe said.
"That's where the future you trapped him," Julian says to Barry.
"That's right."
"That's why he's only around for a few moments at a time, is because the Speed Force just sucks him back in," HR points out.

"But he has the Stone with him," Caitlin murmurs.
"Not all of it," I said.
"He can't come out if he doesn't have the whole stone," Barry says.

"Guys," Jesse runs in. "Wally went after Savitar. He started hallucinating. Thinking he was talking to his mom."
"But that's not her, that's Savitar," Julian confirms.
"I told him not to let that thing get the best of him," I mumble.
"He said he was going to get rid of Savitar, and he sped off," Jesse explains.

Barry looks back at us. I can tell what he's thinking.
I teleport into The Cortex, and grab the box. I open it. No stone. "Oh no."
Barry's right next to me. "Its gone."
"That means Wally took it," Joe says.
"If Savitar gets a hold of that stone," Iris trails off.
"He'll escape for sure," Julian finishes.
"I can't find him, he turned off the suit tracker," Cisco said from the computer.
"I'll find him," I promise.


                    ***
I teleport, and am somehow able to get to Wally's location.
"Barry, he's here. He's-- Oh my God."
Kid flash is getting pulled into a breach. It leads to The Speed Force. 
Barry comes in a bolt of light. He stands there, shocked.

"Help me, Barry!" Wally screams.
The Scarlet Speedster is frozen in place.

"Barry!" I shout, filled with panic. "Barry, snap out of it! We have to save Wally!!!"
I race after the yellow speedster, and teleport out to him.
The rocket sound of the breach, and Wally's screams fill my ears.
I try to grab a hold of him, but he fades from my grasp, along with the breach. "NO! WALLY!"
I tumble into empty air, and land into the pavement. I haul myself to my feet, a few seconds after.

I rub the scrape on my jaw, from the tar.
I stare as Barry picks up the a piece of Wally's suit. The piece is singed, like it were set of fire, and left behind is the emblem.

"B-Barry, how..?" I was going to ask, how could he just stand there, and not do anything.
But I can't even finish the thought.
I'm in a daze, and on the verge of denial.

I stiffen as a blue light forms,and a metallic hand claws its way out of a newly opened breach.

Its like a horror movie. Savitar's the monster, and we're his victims.
Barry backs up, stunned. Savitar drops onto the ground, as if he were resurrected.
"I'm free!!!!" The villain roars.

I swear my heart stopped beating altogether.

"W-Where's Wally?" Barry asks, finally finding his voice. "What just happened to him?"

I know the answer. He got sucked into the Speed Force, but I don't say anything. I have mixed feelings, the need to attack Savitar and the need to grief for Wally.

"Like the Greek myth of Atlas--" Savitar growls.
Dread creeps into me. I know the story of Atlas, and I know where this going.
"--in holding up the sky. Wally has taken my place. And I love a good myth."

"Took your place?" Barry's still registering.
"After Flashpoint, you gave me the idea to turn Wally into Kid Flash to take my place in the Speed Force. His youth and ego were my allies. So blinded my his fame and speed, he didn't know he was walking into my trap."
As the armored speedster continues to talk a volcano of anger is bubbling inside me.

"How do I get him out?"
"Wally's gone. Suffering in in an endless void for all eternity."
"HOW DO I GET HIM OUT!?" Barry yells.

I give into my rage, and charge at Savitar. I electrocute him with lightning. He snarls and growls like a mad  grizzly bear.
"I won't hurt let you hurt anyone else!" I shout.
"No, just you."
Then with another roar, Savitar slams a hand into my chest. The momentum snaps me back. Turning the lights out on me.

My eyes come open. I grope for my mask, but its nowhere. My suit is stained with blood.
"How am I not dead?" I look up. I glance around the medical area at STAR Labs.
I find myself looking at Joe, Iris, Julian, Cisco, Jesse, HR and Caitlin standing around Barry who's laying on a cot.

Iris looks at me, there are wet mark from tears down her face. "Barry was able to stop Savitar from killing you. But Savitar didn't say how to get Wally..." She stops, and her lip trembles.

I use the wall I'm propped up against to help me up. "Everything will be alright." I feel like I'm making an empty promise.
 "I wish that were true," Iris murmurs.
"I'll see what I can do," Cisco whispers.
"Joe...Joe, I'm sorry," Barry says, a tear rolls down his cheek.
"Its not your fault," Joe said, clutching the piece of Wally's suit. "Is he suffering? Is he in pain?'
Jesse takes in a shuddering breath, and walks out. HR follows her.

I stagger, touching my wounds, from Savitar. Caitlin grabs a hold on my arm. "Easy, Sky. You're not healed."
"I deserve this injury. I could've grabbed Wally," I choke out. "I-I could've saved him."
"Don't blame yourself," Caitlin says sympathetically.
"One will suffer a fate worse than death," Cisco recalls, from Savitar's prophecy.

"What are going to do?" Joe asks.
Barry opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.
"I can't lose Wally, Barry." Joe leaves too.
"I'm sorry," Barry whispers to Iris. She, like her dad, exits. Leaving Caitlin, Julian, Cisco and I with Barry.
"I gotta go fix this," Cisco says quietly.
"See you soon," Julian adds, and both of them depart.

"I'm sorry," Caitlin said. She sounds close to tears. "I shouldn't have taken the Stone. I was scared."
"I know," Barry says. "Believe me, I know. Fear makes us do a lot of stuff we shouldn't."
"Fear is a natural thing. Most of the time we can't control it," I tell him gently.
"But my fear is the reason for all of this."

I sigh, and blink away tears.
I feel guilty. Its no one's fault. It really isn't. Except for Savitar.
We're getting Wally back. If people can get into the Speed Force, then they can get out.
And we're going to find a way to save Wally.






Author's Note: I think I cried a little when Wally got sucked into the Speed Force. I was on the verge of thinking he died.
I am also certain that what lies in the Speed Force is going to serve lots of heart attacks. For me, anyway. So far, Eddie's there, possibly Laurel, and Robbie. (12 March 2017)
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Byeeeee!    ~SHIELD-Avenger