Second Chances: Flash

Chapter 8

Okay before the chapter, I just want to say that we're entering the final lap of the Flash, only three weeks left and if the previous two episodes are any indication, the Flash is going out strong. Oliver's return was handled perfectly and the fact that we finally got to see the long awaited fight between Barry and Thawne, the fight that started the show in a way, perfect. Let's hope the last three episodes are just as good.

Barry's vision was as red as his suit as he and Thawne ran around Central City, once again engaged in their never ending war, their speeds almost literally tearing the streets apart as they continued to clash, though only one of them was concerned about keeping the civilians safe, which was why Thawne had been able to pull ahead of Barry and was now leading him to a place Barry immediately recognized as they arrived at Shark stadium, just like they did the Christmas after Barry had become the Flash in the old reality, but now they were both suited up in much bright suits and they both had much more stable and much stronger connections to their respective speed forces.

"Really, you brought us back here?" Flash asked his enemy as they stood across from each other.

"I'm nostalgic. After all, this is the place where we first met. From your perspective anyways. Don't you remember, all those years ago, on that Christmas Eve, you spent all those years looking for any trace of me and yet I was right in front of you the whole time." Thawne said.

"Save the speech. You really think I want to be nostalgic with you of all people?" Barry asked.

"Well, I thought you'd be happy. After all, it's just like it was the first time around." Thawne said.

"Yeah not quite. I'm not the same kid I was the last time we were here." Barry said, still glaring at Thawne.

"Oh yes I know. You're not that sad, pathetic child who barely knew how to run anymore. Now you're the hero I hate above all others. The man I attempted to stop you from becoming all those years ago." Thawne said.

"How are you even here? There's no way the Monitor would have woken you up to the old reality and he never would've restored your speed. He's a dick, but he's not that much of an idiot." Barry said.

"Honestly, it was luck. While I'll admit that my body was destroyed during crisis, the negative speed force did manage to preserve my consciousness and as soon as you and your fellow paragons gave the universe a reboot, it ejected my consciousness into my counterpart during the particle accelerator explosion. I've spent the past few months getting my bearings and discovering which person I should take from you next. After all, I have to admit, very few things brought me as much satisfaction as killing your mother did. And now you have so many family members for me to choose from." Thawne said.

"Shut up." Barry said.

"Should I take a page from Zoom's book and kill your father? Or maybe I should change things up and go for your stepmom. Or maybe the best option is to finish what I started when I showed up. Get rid of the sister that never should have existed. Make this world a bit closer to the old one." Thawne said.

"I'm warning you now. You touch her again and this time I won't show you any mercy." Barry shouted at him.

"Why do you even care? It's not like she's supposed to exist." Thawne said.

"She's my sister. Of course I care about her? And besides, for all we know, she was supposed to exist in the old multiverse, but you erased her when you killed my mom and let my dad go to prison for it. So who knows, maybe this is the universe correcting that mistake. I have to admit, being an only child, it never felt right to me. I always felt like there was something missing in my life and until now, I thought it was my parents, but it was actually my sister. The sister you robbed me of. But now she exists and there's no way in hell I'm letting you take her away from me." Barry said.

"Wow, your sentimentality still makes me sick. But thank you for telling me which target I should go after next." Thawne said.

"Why the hell are you even doing this?" Barry demanded, since honestly, this was a question he'd been wanting to ask Thawne for years.

"Doing what?" Thawne asked.

"Trying to kill me, destroy my life. You never actually told me what it is that I did to you that warranted you devoting your entire life to destroying mine. You know why I hate you. The least you could do is tell me what the hell I did to you that made you go from wanting to be me to wanting to kill me." Barry asked.

"I suppose it's only fair. You see, 2 centuries from now, we meet for the first time. At least from my perspective. And I'd finally managed to find a way to possess speed greater than anyone else in that time period. And just when I was about to present myself to the world, you showed up, pursuing some stupid case. And while you were there, you dazzled the crowd, after all, you were a living legend, the Flash, appearing from the past. And then you saved the crowd, a crowd that I was meant to save. You stole my greatest moment. And it was at that point that I knew that I had to become faster than you, better than you, I had to become the reverse of you." Thawne said as Barry looked at him incredulously.

"Only a sociopath would respond to something as small as that with that kind of rage." Barry pointed out.

"What you call rage, I call commitment. And that's why my life's work will always be devoted to finding new ways to kill you and everyone you care about." Thawne said.

"Wow, you're even more insane than I thought and that's saying something. You never were a hero Thawne. You're just a big baby, throwing a temper tantrum because he didn't get his way." Barry said.

"You really have the nerve to call me that?" Thawne asked angrily.

"Yep. Now, let's end this." Flash said as electricity surged all around him.

"Gladly." Reverse Flash said as they charged at each other at top speed and began slugging it out at high speeds, moving so fast that all anyone could see was a cyclone of red and yellow lightning surging around the stadium.