What the Hell? (Book 4 Arrow/SPN Crossover)

The Harsh Reality

“Are you insane?” Barry shouted at Cynthia while he carried her down the streets of Starling, dodging traffic and people as headed to the closest wilderness area he could find. He figured the chances of too many people having been killed in the forest was a lot less than in Starling or Central. “Why did you do that? They were just talking to you!”

“Who the hell are you?” Cynthia snapped. “Where are we?”

She was still blindfolded and netted, “In the mountains.”

“What? The mountains? They're hours away from Starling. Oh, shit. You're him.”

“Yeah,"

“You saved me?” An irony filled laugh accompanied her question. “From them? That's rich.”

He spotted a lake with an island in the middle that was quickly approaching and changed course. Running on water, don't know if I'll ever not find this cool. In less than a second he was across the lake and setting her down on the beach of the island. “You call your ghosts I'll take you somewhere else. I can keep this up all day.”

“So?”

“Cynthia, you said that you can get all this amazing information. Why not use all of that for something good? Solving unsolved murders, stopping criminals, something other than selling what you do to the highest bidder?”

“Really?” She scoffed, “Have you told the cops who you are and that you want to help? Last time I checked you were running around in a mask.”

“Well, okay, you have a point, but still.”

“Still what Streak?”

“It's Flash now,” Barry corrected.

“Whatever. First off, just exactly how am I supposed to approach the police? Hmm? Hey, I talk to ghosts and can tell you everything you need to know. Secondly, what I do pays better. Third, what makes you think I give a damn about solving murders?”

“You said the ghosts were your friends,” Barry answered, “If you're talking to ones who’ve been killed you should want to help them.”

“Why? It works better for me if they're pissed off. Makes them stronger. The reason I want to kill those hunters is because I feel it every time they take out one of the spirits. It hurts like hell.”

The water started lapping higher onto the beach, a high pitched wail began circling around them and the temperature dropped. Barry went to pick her up but something pushed him from behind and his face hit the dirt as a monstrous force started to crush him.

“Look jackass, I was in a coma for three weeks after that accident, I lost my job, my apartment, everything. I had crap insurance and the only member of my family left hated me. She told them to pull the plug, they did and that's when I woke up. I heard them, the spirits, I felt them and realized what I could do. I came back from the dead stronger, better and with something that's made me more money in the last year than I've ever made in my entire life.”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the blindfold get ripped off Cynthia's face by some invisible force and the netting come loose. She stood up and kicked him in the ribs. “Turns out some divers died just off shore. No one knew where to look for them when they got caught in a storm, same will happen to you.” Fog started swirling around her as the air was slowly pushed from his lungs and his ribs started to crack.

Dean was right, he knew. He just knew. I can't do it, I can't kill her. I have to take her back. He concentrated on moving the molecules in his body so fast the force couldn't hold him, he slipped away and punched Cynthia, knocking her out cold then picked her up. He ran across the lake to an empty dock, set her down and called Oliver.

“Where the hell are you?” Oliver demanded.

"I had to talk to her and I figured getting her out of there would give you guys time to clear out.”

“Well?”

He felt like he was somehow failing Oliver by not being able to do what needed to be done. “Dean was right, but...I.”

Oliver's voice immediately went from harsh to understanding, “It's fine. Sam's injured, we're patching him up. Is she still with you?”

“Yeah, I knocked her out. She summoned something from the lake, some dead diver. She wouldn't listen.”

“Hold on,”

Barry heard Oliver ask Dean what their next move should be. He couldn't quite make out Dean's reply but Oliver's next words told him everything he needed to know.

“Bring her here, we'll deal with the rest.”

“Is that safe?”

“Dean will be outside, he'll handle it. Get going.” Oliver hung up.

How can I do this? Why is everyone else that got hit with the Dark Matter so twisted and I'm not? I'm taking her to her death. Who am I to make that call? What she said, what she can do. Is her life worth the risk? What she attacked me with, if I was a normal person I would have died. She wanted to kill me, kill Sam and Dean. If I let her go, how many lives could she take? Dean was right, what he said, live and death every damn day. I guess I just hadn't realized it yet. The costume, the powers, I got carried away. It's not a game and I need to stop acting like it is.

He picked her up and took the straightest route to the club he could. He didn't bother to go around buildings, he just went up one side and down the other.

Dean was standing next to the Impala with the trunk open and no expression on his face when he got there. “Stick her in there.”

Barry looked down and saw a pile of blankets covering the floor of the trunk. “Here?”

“Just do it,” Dean ordered.

Barry set her down, Dean pulled out a gun with a silencer on the end and put the barrel against Cynthia's head. “You may want to take off right about now.” A hint of compassion weaved it's way through Dean's words.

“No.” This is part of saving people, Joe's had to make this call, so have all the cops I work with. So has Oliver. I can't run from this, no matter how many times I break the sound barrier.

Dean didn't reply. Barry's eyes were glued to the gun. He saw the moment Dean squeezed the trigger, saw the impact of the bullet and watched as Dean pulled the gun away and covered her up. He pulled his eyes away from the trunk as Dean closed the lid and looked at him. Dean's eyes, they're so empty. Like Oliver's can be. Is that where I'll be in a few years?

Dean didn't break eye contact with him and Barry got the feeling that Dean was trying to tell him something much more important then what he actually said, “Oliver told me a good place to take her,” his voice had gone cold again. “I'll call the cops after I do and report her body so she gets taken care of. They're still patching up Sam. I'll be back in a few.” He got in the car leaving Barry alone with the enormity of what he'd just seen. He heard footsteps and looked towards the door. Felicity stood there, holding the door open for him.

“Flash?”

“I need to leave. I'm sorry.” He turned and ran. When he got back to Central City he flew through STAR labs, changed back into his clothes and called the man that had always been there for him “Joe?”

“Yeah Barry.”

“I need to talk, please.” 

 “Sure thing.”