When Ice And Lightning Align - Snowbarry

Chapter 6: Smithereens

Barry stepped into the room, an uneasy feeling washing over his body as he looked over the unconscious woman. "Cait..." He whispered as he grazed his fingertips against hers. He set the bouquet of flowers down on the edge of her bed and pulled a chair up next to the bed. 

"All of this is your fault." He hears a voice call to him before he can take a seat and he swivels, seeing 'Ronnie Raymond' standing in the corner of the room. Barry tried not to think about it, about all the most grim parts of what had happened. About how the only reason she got hurt was because Sionis knew who he was. But every time he did think about it, it felt like the weight of it would crush him. So he kept running, like he always had. But no matter how much he ran, it felt like the darkness was swallowing the light, draining his spirit until there wasn't going to be anything left. But he couldn't ignore it, not when all the people he had failed over the years constantly reminded him of his failures.

"Leave me alone." Barry says, slamming his eyes shut and collecting his thoughts. He waits a few moments and when he doesn't hear them he lets his shoulders release the tension they've built up. Then, he reopens his eyes and 'Ronnie' is still there, but so is 'H.R', 'Eddie' and  'Oliver Queen', all staring at him silently, scrutinizing him with every movement of their eyes.

"Run Barry, Run." He hears a whisper, and he recognizes the voice straight away. That man that ruined so much of his life, he couldn't possibly be the cause of this too. How could one man cause so much damage to a person? Barry speeds off, landing at the docks of the city, leaning over the railing.

He cant seem to find his breath as he watches the waves crash back and forth, and he hears the pitter patter of footsteps but he assumes it's just another soul wanting to look at the beautiful sight. "Such a pleasure to see the great Barry Allen suffering." He heard another phantom say in Harrison Wells' voice. Even with that voice, he knew it was him. Only Thawne could speak in that tone. He looks behind him, and sees 'Harry Wells', only he knows its just a disguise. He knows his mannerisms, how he talks in a calm whisper that gets under his skin.

"I know it's you Thawne."  Barry declares as he turns back to watch the crashing waves. "You've been every voice inside my head haven't you?" He lowers his head when he hears slow clapping behind him followed by a chuckle.

"I had you for awhile there, huh?" The illusion says, but this time he isnt disguised as a Wells or a person from his past, he's in his own body, and it feels weird to see Eobard's actual face after seeing Wells for so long. "I know, kind of odd without the Wells face, eh? Thought I'd discard it for a little while. Just us, face to face, sound good?"

"Why aren't you trying to kill me?" Barry cuts to the point.

He chuckles. "Soon." He says calmly as he looks out across the waves of water crashing into each other. "I want to enjoy this. Seeing you suffer just as much as everyone else has. Then I'll kill you, and your family." Barry scoffs at his brazen nature. "I'm playing a much bigger game here Barry, and you'll know what it is in due time."

"So your just a voice in my head? No body? What did crisis do you?"

"I wish I knew Flash, I wish I knew. A ll know is I have been stuck in your hell of a speedforce since the crisis on infinte earths, and now I finally have my means to escape." He speaks.

"I must be losing my mind." Barry muttered as he turned away, walking away from the water.

"Were all a little insane aren't we?" Thawne smirks. "How is Doctor Snow? Think she'll make it? Of course not that it's a bother to you, you've got your own problems." Barry brings his hands up to his hair, pulling at the strands before letting out an exhausted sigh. The corner of Thawne's lips form into a smirk. "I hate you so much."

"Why? Why do you hate me so much! Why did you do all of this to me, kill my mother, send my father to prison, torture me and my family, why!"

"I was young and fooled by the history books. You were my hero, my idol, much like Nora." He says. "I wanted to be just like the Flash, I became obsessed with you, I needed to be you! So I recreated the incident that turned you into the Flash, and it worked. In time, I came to realize you were a false hero, just a man who happened to be struck by lightning. I eventually created my own speed force, and became your greatest enemy, as Mr. Ramone coined it, The Reverse Flash! Rival to the savior of Central City. I became better than you."

Barry continued to stare forward into the distance, letting his words sink in. "How am I the savior of Central City?" He inquired quietly, his voice cracking at the words as he spoke them. "What the hell have I saved? I almost destroyed the city because I didn't want you to go back to the future. My mother and father died because I wasn't fast enough to save them. I can't protect my friends or family! Hell, I'm not even the fastest man alive! There's always some faster speedster out there waiting to wreck havoc on the city because of me! I have caused every bad thing that has ever happened to this city, I might as well just hang up the cowl."

The tension between them was thick, but they never met eyes, not once. The speedsters continued to stand in silence before Barry shifted uncomfortably. "Do you ever think about if things were different between us? If you didn't hate me."

"What's the point, what's done is done." Thawne says. "The past cant be changed without ruining everything else."

"When has that ever stopped you?" Barry criticizes.

He laughs before taking a few steps so he is standing in front of Barry, finally locking eyes with the man. "Because, I don't want to change this. I want to kill you and make you suffer, that's all this is. That's all this ever will be Barry. Hatred."

"Then I'll stop you." Barry scolds. "Like always."

"And if so, ill be back." Thawne snaps back. "Like always." He doesn't run off with a flash of crimson lightning, no he just disappears into thin air. Barry doesn't even make a move, he doesn't matter right now, there is someone far more important he needs to see.

Barry is at the hospital in a second, walking through the hallways until he enters her room. As he takes a seat, he takes Caitlin's hand into his own and holds it close to him. "I don't know if either of you can hear me, I don't know what's happening, but I want you both to know that I need you. I'm falling apart." Barry let out a few tears. "You held me together, helped me understand everything. Now I'm losing my mind. I can't live without you... Please come back to me."

He gently placed her hand down, unaware a spark of lightning travels from his index finger to her hand. As he sits back he notices her hand twitch slightly and he gazes in disbelief. He stands to his feet as her eyes flutter open. "Barry..." She called out in a low whisper as she tries to find her voice.

"Your awake." He whispers in disbelief, a giant smile growing across his face. "Your okay!" Barry exclaims and bends down to hug her tightly. "I was so worried." Caitlin rose to a sitting position and she feels a strange sensation run throughout her body but she shakes it off as Barry's eyes catch hers.

"I..." She trailed off, hesitant to say what say was about to. She looks over at the man once again, with his eyes filled with so much adoration and concern, and she thinks she might explode. "I love you." She finally says. It feels like a thousand tons if pressure is lifted off her chest.  Barry is so shocked, his eyes widen, and his smile grows as Caitlin bites at her lip nervously.

"I love you too, Cait." Barry announces, and Caitlin let's out an anxious breath. Then, there is silence as the two search for the words they cannot seem to find. Barry looked up to her, taking another moment to muster up some courage before he started leaning his head down toward hers. Caitlin couldn't help but smile into the kiss as their lips moved passionately.

A few blissful days had passed since the confession at the hospital. Him and Iris were officially getting a divorce, Caitlin was safe, and he couldn't happier. But as he reveled in the current bliss of his life, the dread was still lurking in his back of his mind. This was the calm before the storm, and the storm was coming. He turned his frame to look at the figure looming in the dark corner of the cortex. Thawne smirked back at him as he leaned against the wall, a spark of crimson lightning flashing through his eyes.