Timeless Love (FlashxReader)

Chapter 33

"Come on," Barry spoke up, his hand reaching out and holding Y/N's. "I'm sure you're tired from all that running, I'll take you home," he told her.

Y/N nodded, "Yeah," she smiled sadly. "Home sounds nice."

Y/N suddenly felt regret for telling the Monitor that she would give her life. Barry was completely unknowing of the situation, he had no idea what Y/N had agreed to do. Y/N loved Barry more than anything in this world, how was she supposed to leave him?

"I'll be back in a minute, Oliver," Barry added before he sped back through the breach, leaving Oliver alone with the Monitor. 

Oliver had noticed something was off with Y/N, she had tears in her eyes. He recognized the look on her face, he had seen many times before, it was an expression of self-sacrifice.

"What did she agree to do?" Oliver asked, turning to face the Monitor.

"Y/N is a true hero, she offered to give her life to minimize the destruction that will occur when you and the others face the coming evil."

Oliver shook his head, "No," he countered. "She is not dying for us." Oliver couldn't stand to lose a friend, he couldn't stand to see Barry lose his wife, never.

The Monitor sighed, "Y/N has already agreed. A true hero's sacrifice is required."

"Then take me," Oliver offered. "Y/N doesn't deserve to die..."

"Y/N is a true hero, you aren't-"

"Oh really?" Oliver questioned. "I heard Y/N and Barry talking about her experience with Clockwork, she said that a true hero requires true loss. I've lost my father, I've lost friends, I've lost family, and most importantly I've lost a part of myself...if that's not true loss than I don't know what is..."

The Monitor contemplated the thought for a moment, "What makes you so sure that you can take her place?"

"Because she doesn't deserve this, she is the light in the dark. No matter how many evils we have faced she has always had our backs, even when she was faced with impossible odds, she had always persevered. You want a life? Take mine..."

"Are you prepared to give your life?"

"Take my life," Oliver repeated. "When the time comes, and I know it will...take my life. But you let the others live, they will show you what true heroes look like. True heroes, like Y/N and Barry, they can inspire people, they can be a beacon of hope..."

"You are aware of the sacrifice you are making?" the Monitor questioned once more. 

Oliver nodded, "I am, I know what the cost is...and I'm willing to pay it..."

The Monitor agreed, "The deed is done, and when the time comes, you know what will happen."

"One other thing," Oliver added. "Whatever you told Y/N, I don't care, but the whole part about her sacrificing herself, I'm assuming there is a way you can make her not remember it?" he guessed.

The Monitor nodded, "This is the last favor I will grant you," he told Oliver. "Y/N will remember meeting me, but she will have no memory of sacrificing her own life."

Oliver nodded, "Good."

Oliver didn't want Y/N or Barry to have to go through any pain following the aftermath of John Deegan, the Monitor, and Clockwork. This was now Oliver's burden to carry...

C E N T R A L     C I T Y

Barry, Y/N, and Oliver had all returned about an hour ago. Kara and Clark had returned home to Earth-38 a few minutes ago. Y/N was seated beside Barry on the desk at the opening of the Cortex, Oliver sat in a chair beside Cisco.

Currently, Barry, Oliver, and Y/N were talking to Cisco.

"Wait!" Cisco interrupted. "I bought into the altered reality nonsense. And I thought you were Barry," he said in disbelief as he looked at Oliver.

Oliver nodded, "And you also thought that I was married to Y/N," he added.

Cisco rolled his eyes, "How?" he questioned.

Y/N shrugged, "We weren't acting like we were married and you offered to counsel us," she teased.

Cisco's jaw dropped, "How do I not remember any of this?"

Caitlin let out a soft laugh, "It's okay Cisco, no one remembers any of it," she assured him as she and Julian left S.T.A.R. Labs for the night.

"I should be getting back to Star City," Oliver added as he too left.

"Honestly, I kind of wished you remembered it, seeing Oliver try to control superspeed was pretty funny," Y/N teased Cisco as she and Barry left.

"Wait!" Cisco shouted. "How funny?" he asked.

"Let's just say I kicked his ass," Barry mentioned before he and Y/N sped away.

Y/N and Barry sped into their apartment laughing, "Did you see his face?" Y/N asked.

Barry nodded, his arm slung around her shoulders as they headed upstairs, "Yeah," he chuckled. "What took you so long in the timestream?" Barry asked, turning slightly serious as Y/N tossed on one of his sweatshirts before crawling into bed.

Y/N sighed, "For starters, I never found Clockwork. I realized how long I was gone, and when I tried to get back I couldn't, I was stuck in the timestream."

"How is that even possible?" Barry wondered.

"The Monitor was keeping me there, he showed me memories from my past and taunted me with images of Thawne before he finally revealed himself," she explained.

"Did the Monitor tell you why he did that?" Barry asked as he laid down under the covers beside Y/N.

Y/N nodded, "He said he was testing the team, and now he had to test the individuals. He wanted to see if I was strong enough to face this coming evil alone since I was a true hero."

"Are you? Strong enough?" Barry asked.

Y/N shook her head, "He never told me, you and Oliver arrived before he could tell me."

Y/N had no memory of offering to sacrifice herself, Oliver had taken her place, and no one knew, but they would...one day...

Barry wrapped his arm around Y/N as they settled in for the night, "That's all over now," he told Y/N as he kissed her temple.

Y/N nodded, resting her head against his chest, "I know, and I'm glad it is," she mentioned.

Only the two speedsters didn't know the true power of the coming evil that they would face. They did not know the death and destruction this villain would leave in their path...it truly would be a Crisis on Infinite Earths...