This chapter is dedicated to TheQueenMarian17
You can only see the light in the darkness
Anastasia pov
"Okay, you guys. I'm here.
You got my location?" Barry asked.
"You're good?
You don't need to, like, stretch or something?" Cisco asked.
"No, no, no, I'm good, I'm good."
"Let's take this tachyon enhancer out for a test drive," Cisco said.
"All right.
Hoo, yeah. I feel that." Barry said.
"That is the tachyon device powering up the Speed Force in your cells like a quick charge battery," I explained.
"How do you feel?" Caitlin asked.
"Different."
"Let's see how long it takes you to get back here.
On my count.
Three, two, one.
Go!" Cisco counted. "Dang, this thing got you cruising."
"How fast does he normally go?" Iris asked.
"Not this fast." Caitlin smiled.
"Not even close. Are his vitals okay?" Cisco asked.
"Yeah, they're perfect," Caitlin answered.
"Cool. It's like having a pit stop attached to your chest." Iris added
"Guys, I can go faster," Barry said
"Do it." Cisco smiled.
"I'm... back... how--how long was I gone?"
" Let's put it this way, you just annihilated your old record." Cisco smiled.
"Yeah, you went four times faster than you have ever been," Caitlin added.
"Four times?
That's as..."
"...Fast as Zoom.
Well, faster actually." Harry interrupted Barry.
"Hey, uh, do we think that, um, we can get this thing smaller?
It kind of sucks." Barry handed harry the device.
"If it sucks, then, yeah," Harry answered.
"All right, so now all we have to do is figure out how to get back to Zoom," Barry said
"Yes, uh, just a minor issue.
We closed all the breaches and have no idea how to reopen them." Cisco sighed.
"We don't... Um, Wells?" Barry asked with hope.
"Yeah, I have an idea, Allen.
Let's keep the breaches closed forever.
Forget about the breaches.
Forget about Zoom." Harry crushed Barry's hope."
"Wait, I'm sorry, I thought that you were on board with this," Barry said
"No. No. I said I would help you get faster.
I did not say I would help you give the man who kidnapped my daughter and tortured her a chance to do it again." Harry walked closer to Barry.
"Hey, we are not gonna let that happen," Iris said.
"Oh, you're not gonna let that happen.
Gosh, I wish I'd known that the first time.
You don't understand Zoom is different than us.
Zoom is not tied to anything.
Zoom does not care for anyone." I looked at Caitlin as Harry kept talking.
"I do.
My daughter's out here on this Earth somewhere.
I have to find her. We all have people that we care about.
Zoom will use that against us.
Believe me."
"Maybe we should just leave it be," Caitlin suggested.
"No, no. Look, no. Look, we're... We're not turning our backs on another Earth.
We're not gonna let Zoom get away with everything that he's done." Barry sighed.
"Right now, there is no way to another Earth, Allen.
Let's keep it that way." Harry left with that statement.
"We're getting back to Earth-2.
With or without his help." Barry ordered.
"Let's go to work," Cisco said.
I held the table for a second, the baby's cry, its back, Same time every year.
The dreams are the worst.
I can see there my perfect family with Natalie and Katarina, it's perfect but then I wake up, and then, the nightmare begins.
"Ana? Are you okay?" Cisco asked.
"I'm fine," I said and let go of the table.
We've been here for almost 8 fucking hours, I swear I will kill someone.
"Hey. Wow.
Um, any ideas?" Barry asked as he walked into the cortex.
"Well, the best plan we've come up with so far is to set off a nuclear warhead
next to the city's electrical grid, so..." Cisco sighed
"We're not gonna do that. Um... I think I thought of something though." Barry said.
"Tell me everything that you know about Cisco's doppelganger," Barry told harry
"Reverb." Harry corrected.
"What were Reverb's powers on your Earth?" Barry asked.
"He could tap into the multi-dimensional energies between Earths.
He could see through dimensions.
Find breachers, like Ramon." Harry explained.
"I mean, we... we saw Reverb do more than that though, right?
I mean, we saw him shoot vibrational bursts out of his hands. Really painful ones." Barry said
"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked.
"I... I mean, Reverb could somehow manipulate that multi-dimensional energy." It was Barry's turn to explain.
"What's your point, Allen?" Harry asked.
"My point is... if his powers are linked to the energy that ties together the multi-verse...
if he can manipulate it..." Barry answered.
"...Then he can open a breach to any Earth he wants." Caitlin continued.
"Exactly. And if Reverb could do it..." barry smiled.
"I could do it too," Cisco said with realization.
"Cisco, I think the way back to Earth-2 is you."
"I got nothing," Cisco said as he finally let his hand down.
"Try again, okay?" Barry asked.
"Barry, what if he can't do it because he thinks he can't do it?" Caitlin asked, she has been avoiding me all day.
"He can do it though. You can do it." Barry said and Cisco tried again.
"You... it's gonna work, okay.
Maybe we're just not in the right place." Barry suggested.
"Or maybe I'm just not the right man for the job.
Right? Let's go." Cisco walked backward.
"Cisco..."
"I'm sorry, Barry," Caitlin said and left with him.
"It's gonna work." Barry sighed.
Caitlin and Iris walked into the med-bay where I was working.
"They have a special bond, don't they?" Caitlin asked.
"They sure do," Iris answered.
"Are you okay?" Caitlin asked Iris.
"I don't know what I am...
Last night I was supposed to go on a date.
My first real date since Eddie died.
But at the last second, I couldn't do it."
"Is it because of Eddie, or because of Barry?" Caitlin asked. "I've noticed the way you've been looking at him recently."
"Is it that obvious?" Iris asked
"Only to a woman who's been through the same thing," I answered.
"Everything seems to be telling me that Barry and I are meant to be together.
I mean, on Earth-2 we're married.
In the future, we're supposedly married.
And now that I'm finally ready to move on,
I just wonder if that should be with Barry."
"Everything seems to be pointing in that direction." Caitlin smiled
"Do you believe in destiny, Caitlin? Ana?" Iris asked after a long speech.
"Maybe for you," Caitlin said and I simply smiled.
That laugh again, I looked around hoping to see her, but there is nothing it's always nothing.
"You're all set.
He won't even know it's there." Harry sighed after he put the emblem back.
"'Cause whoever said aesthetics aren't important." Cisco smiled.
"Not me," Harry replied. "Let's go."
"Hey, Cait, I know how hard this is gonna be for you, but we have to stop him," Barry told Caitlin.
"I know, and I want to be supportive.
I just... I can't face Jay.
Or whatever his real name is." Caitlin sighed
"What does that mean?" I asked as I walked closer to them.
"Well, you remember when I was looking for his doppelganger, right?" Caitlin asked
"Yeah. And you couldn't find him." Barry said.
"Because there is no Jay Garrick on this Earth.
His doppelganger's name is Hunter Zolomon." Caitlin explained
"Hunter Zolomon?
Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, why?" Caitlin asked.
"Well, because on my Earth, Hunter Zolomon was a convicted serial killer," Harry explained and showed us a picture of a man and an article on the TV.
"That's Jay?" Caitlin asked.
"No, that is Hunter.
Last public photo of Hunter Zolomon.
Instantly recognizable.
And people from my Earth... on my Earth, serial killers are an anomaly, so a lot of media attention to this.
There was a podcast.
When Hunter was 11, his father killed his mother right in front of him.
His father was sent to prison, Hunter grew up in the foster care system." Harry explained.
"Years later he was convicted on 23 counts of murder?" Barry asked.
"23? That's, like, some real Hannibal Lecter type level." Cisco sighed.
"After the trial, Hunter was sent to the Saint Perez Mental Asylum for the Criminally Insane...
given daily electroshock therapy.
Cure him of his urges and then faded from view." Harry explained.
"Until the night your
particle accelerator exploded," Caitlin added.
"That's right. The dark matter crept into the mental asylum.
I had thought... piping the explosion underground would limit exposure.
I was wrong.
All it did was create an unstoppable monster." Harry sighed.
"He's not unstoppable.
Jay doesn't know that we know
who he is.
He thinks that his past is a secret." Barry said with hope.
"So?" Cisco asked.
"I think I have an idea of how we can stop him." Barry smiled.
"Caitlin, can I talk to you?" I asked and opened the door to an empty room.
"Why do you keep ignoring me? Have I done something?" I asked
"No, no, it's... it's me... yesterday... we-- I... did something that was wrong... and I used you for my own need and I'm sorry." She said with tears.
"You didn't use me, we both did it, together, as one, not two, so there is no need to be mad, now is not the best time, we will talk about it later.
I said and left.
"Are you sure Jay can't get in here?" Iris asked as we walked into the time vault with harry Caitlin and Joe.
"Pretty sure, but just in case." Harry handed Joe a big gun.
"How do you use this?" Joe asked
"All right, so you aim it, and then you pull the trigger." I smiled.
"Smartass." Joe sighed.
"Barry and Cisco are in position," Iris informed.
"Let's hope this thing works," Caitlin said
"That was close," Joe said as we all watched the monitor that showed us Barry and Garrick running.
"Too close," Iris added.
"The tachyon device is working." Caitlin smiled.
"Here they come," Harry said and walked towards the entrance.
"They're here," I informed.
"Get him, Barry," Joe said.
"It's working," Iris informed us.
"What if we could stop Zoom through a vibe somehow?
We could weaponize the goggles..." Cisco started only to be interpreted by Harry.
"Not enough time to weaponize, Ramon."
"Okay, what if we modify the pulse rifle to emit a low-level EMF?" Caitlin asked
"We don't have the equipment to modify the pulse rifles now," I said.
"Then we do another snatch and grab mission," Cisco suggested.
"By the time we scale those cliffs, Zoom could already..." Harry started.
"I need a minute." Joe sighed.
"Barry, are you sure?" Cisco asked. Again.
"I'm sure."
"I mean, we don't even know if he'll be able to hear me." Cisco sighed.
"He'll hear you," Barry confirmed.
Barry handed Cisco the helmet and Cisco put on his goggles, "I see him.
Wally's alive."
"Thank God," Joe whispered.
"Do you see Jay?" Barry asked.
"I see him.
He can sense me.
He'll do it.
Barry will give you his speed." Cisco said.
"Babe..." Joe handed Iris a gun and I took out my cold widow bites.
"Dad?" Wally asked.
"Wally, hold on.
Let him go." Joe ordered.
"We had a deal," Garrick said.
"My speed for Wally's life.
Hand him over, and it's yours." Barry changed his voice.
"You okay?" Joe asked after Garrick threw him on the floor.
"Yeah," Wally replied. "You need to get out of here now."
"Okay,"
"Go fast,"
"Cisco! Ana!" Joe yelled to us and we took Wally out.
"Let's go," I said as we ran out.
"...I'm gonna knock that smug
expression clean off your face," Harry said as I walked into the lab.
"So this was your plan all along, huh?" Barry asked.
"Ever since the skies parted and showed me another world...
with another speedster.
Once I saw you, I came here, figured out what I had to do." Garrick answered.
"How are you still alive?
We saw you die." Iris asked.
"You did."
"So what was that? A speed mirage?" I asked.
"Speed mirage?
Uh, no. Even I'm not that fast.
I knew that I couldn't be on two Earths at the same time, so I went back in time and, uh, met another version of myself." Garrick explained.
"Your time remnant. Like the Reverse-Flash." I said.
"I also knew that the only way to make Barry faster was if you all witnessed your old pal Jay dies," Garrick added.
"When did you decide to do that?" Iris asked.
"Oh, once you closed all the breaches went to Earth-2.
Believe me, getting my time remnant to agree to me murdering him took a bit of convincing.
But once he saw the... well, the genius in my plan, he was all for it." Garrick laughed a bit.
"Who's the man in the iron mask?" Barry asked.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Garrick smiled.
"Why the charade?
Running around dressed like The Flash?" Joe asked.
"To give people hope, Detective."
"Hope?"
"So I could rip it away from them.
It's so fun
pretending to be a hero." Garrick answered.
"You are no hero.
You're nothing but a monster." Caitlin said.
"Barry," Joe said.
"It's all right, Joe," Barry confirmed.
Barry started running on the treadmill slowly he was slowing down, step by step his movements were slower and slower.
"He's slowing down." Caitlin said.
"The Speed Force is leaving his body." Harry explained.
"He's becoming human again." Cisco added.
"Barry, are you okay?" I asked after he fell.
"I'm okay. I'm okay."
"Thank you, Flash." Garrick slammed Barry on the wall.
"Jay, stop.
Please.
If anything you ever said to me was true, or anything we ever shared was real, then please just let him go.
Please.
I know some piece of you did care for me, so if you have any humanity left, then please, let him go." Caitlin cried.
"Caitlin!" Cisco and I yelled after a flash of blue took Caitlin.
That son of a bitch!