OUT OF TIME , barry allen✔️

29. Pulling the trigger

I spread out my arms, standing between the man I loved and the man I secretly feared, both wearing the same face. "We can handle this, okay? Please." I said, looking to Savitar, who just shook his head and smirked. "No, we can't. And you know that. Now where is she?" He asked and I swallowed. "Either already dead or still waiting for me to come get her." I said and Savitar stepped forward.

"You're bluffing." He said and I got my phone out of my pocket and dialed a number. "Put a bullet in her stomach." I said and then I heard a gunshot and a scream that came from the other side. Savitar's expression changed. I smirked and then added. "Next time I call, kill her." I said and then hung up.

"What is it that you want, Zoe?" He asked and I looked back to Barry and nodded at him. I saw the uncertainty in his eyes but after he left, I sighed and turned back to Savitar. "I want you to leave my family alone. And I will do whatever it takes, okay? The funny thing is... Mania knows what Storm knows but no Storm, no Mania. And you will be in the dark soon too when Barry is gonna stop showing up."

For a moment I could see that he knew everything I said was the truth but then he smiled again. "You can't beat her, Zoe. And you can't hurt me while I look like the person you love. I will get Mania back. If it takes for me to start killing your loved ones, I will happily do so." He said before he raced off, leaving me in the middle of street in the middle of the night. Then I felt a fresh breeze of wind in my face when Barry sped infront of me. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?" He instantly asked and examinated me before he embraced me in a tight hug. "I'm fine, Bar-" I said and smiled about his concern. "I love you." He whispered and then pulled away from me. I looked up into his eyes and smiled widely. "I love you, too." I whispered and two minutes after, he swept me off my feet and sped us back to Star Labs.

I was back on my feet when I entered the cortex. "Cora?" I asked confused as I saw the woman standing next to Nora. "So, Barry and you finally got together and now I come here and see you have a daughter?" She asked seriously and then chuckled lightly. "Time travel is... weird." I said and then Cora walked over to me and hugged me. "Hey." I whispered in a low voice. Then we pulled away from eachother.

"I missed you." She said. "How's Team Arrow?" Cisco asked and Cora and I turned to face Team Flash. "Good. I think I heard Oliver laugh the other day." Cora said and chuckled. The team shortly laughed before Nora said, "You- you worked with the Green Arrow? Schway!" She exclaimed.

"Guys!" Iris shouted as she entered the cortex. "Savitar found Mania. They're-" We all turned to the reporter and she was cut off by the blue lightning that dashed into the main room of Star Labs. Savitar, in his suit, was carrying the unconscious Mania in his arms.

He put her down infront of us on the floor and got out of his suit. Then his eyes locked with mine and then he sped forward, now holding me in a chokehold. "Bring her back!" He yelled into my face and I flinched. "N-no. I'd rather die." I choked out. "As you-" He didn't get the chance to finish as someone interrupted him with something that made him let me go. I immediately began to cough as the air was back in my lungs. Nora helped me up and I tried to keep her hidden behind me.

Iris got closer to the desk and then pulled up a gun from underneath it and aimed for Savitar. I looked back to Nora and her green eyes flickered silver before Savitar groaned and then clutched his hand to his stomach. Iris was no longer holding the gun but she was, as we all were, confused as to what happened. As I looked around I saw Nora standing by Iris, with the gun in her hands. "What did you do?" Barry asked our daughter. "I pulled the trigger." She said and sounded like she was in trance.

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"Zoe?" I heard Iris asking in the hall as I held the device that Cisco gave me a few days ago. "Zoe?" Iris asked again as she stood in the doorframe in Cisco's workshop. "Hey, are you okay?" The woman asked and I shook my head. "No. If I let Storm back in my head, then Mania also comes back. I- I don't know what to do. Iris, I don't want to live without Storm." I whispered. "I don't think I can live without her." I added slowly and Iris walked over to me, putting an arm around my shoulder. "Then don't. The plan still stands and as long as Barry and you are down with it, it will be okay." She said and I bit my bottom lip nervously. "I can't just stand by and Barry is... Barry." I said and Iris nodded. "I know. But this has to work." She said and I sighed.

Iris and I went back into the cortex and I looked over to Savitar as he was kneeling over Mania. "It's ironic. You say you're not me, but the way you'd immediately go to great lengths to protect Mania clearly says otherwise." Barry said and Savitar got up and turned around to him. "Don't confuse partnership for love." Savitar said and I bit my lip again before I breathed out shakily.

"Guys, can you give us a moment?" I asked and looked at Team Flash. They all hesitantly left the cortex and left Savitar and me alone. "I won't hurt you in any way, and you know that. Just tell me the truth now. And I promise that when the inevitable fight comes, I won't stand in your way."

Something in his eyes changed and he stepped infront of me. "You know." He whispered. I slowly put my hand on his burnt cheek and nodded. "I understand." I whispered. He closed his eyes and tilted his head. "You know and you don't desert me. Why?" He asked. "You know everything he does. You know why." I slowly and quietly said.

I kept my eyes on him as I stepped back. "Does she know?" I asked and he softly shook his head. I put Cisco's device that was still in my hand on my forehead and sighed. I felt that Storm was back due to the warm and home like feeling that was coming back and spreading through my body. When I turned around, Savitar and Mania were gone. "Never ever do that again! Are we clear?" Storm exclaimed and I couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad you're back." I said and heard a soft chuckle in my head. "Yeah, me too." She sighed.

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A/N:

I have some big plans for the whole Savitar/Mania storyline coming up and I really hope it works out the way I want it to💌

- Jolina