After seeing to Kara getting settled in with Clark and Alura in the Fortress, Barry and Cisco returned to Central City. While Cisco headed for the Cortex, Barry made his way to the Speed Lab with the hope that the frustration he was hiding would lessen with a run. He had told Caitlin that helping Kara at Star Labs was impossible. He had told Clark that if he remained at the Fortress it would only disrupt Kara’s recovery. But knowing those facts and accepting them were two very different revelations. As Barry lost himself in his powers, he didn’t realize that he was running even faster than he ever had. Seconds passed him by while he thought about his life up until this point.
As he continued his run, Kara was at the forefront of his mind. Barry knew the speed lab by instinct and could run it with his eyes closed. In one split second he blinked and failed to notice the breach opening up. With his momentum propelling him forward, Barry sped through the portal before he could stop himself. On the other side of the breach, the hero’s foot hit a large rock, knocking him off balance and sending him careening through the air before landing face first in the dirt. He slid a few feet as his kinetic energy abated.
Right as the breach opened a woman was flying overhead and quickly glanced down to see the man in the red suit emerge before face planting in the land below her. She had been through enough alien invasions and attacks recently to last two lifetimes. While the man seemed to be injured, she wasn’t taking any chances and landed, but kept her guard up.
Barry was slowly coming to after his hard landing and began crawling forward. After a few paces across the dirt with his hands he grabbed hold of something that felt far different than the rocky terrain. As he lifted his head, he found himself holding onto a pair of blue boots and as his eyes traveled further upward, he saw a white body suit, a red cape and a very annoyed looking blonde that bore a striking resemblance to his wife.
“Easy there, red. You might want to take your hands off my boots and get up, slowly.”
The inflection in the woman’s voice left Barry little room for doubt that she meant business. Still reeling from his landing, he got to his feet but not without difficulty. As his equilibrium returned he could really take in the woman standing before him. To his eyes she still looked a lot like his Kara, but also older, more world weary.
“Kara…?”
“Nuh-uh. You don’t get to ask the questions. First thing, you tell me who you are, and then we’ll get to the how and why you know my name.”
Knowing that the only way he could get his questions answered was to answer hers first, Barry began to speak. He also figured the best way to explain everything was to start at the moment he became the hero.
“Three years ago I was working in my lab the night of the particle accelerator explosion. A bolt of lightning shattered the glass of my window and dispersed multiple chemicals all over my body. I was in a coma for nine months when…”
“Spare me the long drawn out tale. Just tell me who you are.”
“I’m the Flash.”
“The who; now?”
“You’ve never heard of me?”
“Can’t say that I have, why the Flash? You do realize how that name sounds right?”
Barry let out an exasperated sigh; Kara had told him how Ms. Grant had questioned his superhero name in the exact same manner. Knowing that the process would move quicker, he pulled his mask off and revealed his face.
“I’m Barry Allen.”
“Still doesn’t ring a bell. How did you get here? And don’t tell me it was through that blue portal thing.”
“Actually it was. I don’t know how it…”
“Hold on a second…”
This other Kara held up a finger and put her other hand to her ear. Barry knew she was listening to something or someone but could only wait and listen as she spoke again.
“Yeah, I found the source of the energy surge you detected. A man in a red suit came through it.”
There was a pause as the conversation from the blonde stopped. Barry could only surmise that whoever she was talking to was asking her a question. He was proven correct when she spoke again.
“Describe the suit? What for…never-mind. It’s a red suit, yellow or gold belt around his waist. And a white circle with a…”
“Lightning bolt across the circle.”
In seconds a man was standing next to the blonde woman and he appeared to be wearing a similar uniform to her. Blue pants and boots, a white shirt with a wide collar and a blue head covering with a red mask attached. He had arrived and all Barry felt was a rush of wind.
“Max…you know how much I hate it when you do that!”
“I’m sorry Kara, but when you began describing his suit, I knew I had to see this for myself. Greetings Flash. Welcome to Earth-2.”
“Wait…wait a minute. I’ve been to Earth-2. That Earth is the home of Harrison Wells and his daughter Jesse Wells. And Zoom.”
“You don’t know much about the multiverse, do you Flash? I bet you even think you’re from Earth-1.”
“Am I not from Earth-1?”
“We’ll get to that later. I believe introductions are in order. You’ve already met Power Girl. My name is Max Mercury.”
“Max Mercury…? Jay Garrick told me about you. Said you were from his Earth…which I guess really isn’t Earth-3…”
“No that’s Earth-3. But it’s not his original Earth. You have so much to learn, Barry.”
“How do you know my name?”
“I know everything about every speedster who has existed, or exists now. For instance, until Jay arrived on Earth-3, everything was the opposite of what you know. People you might know as heroes were villains, and the villains were heroes. The multiverse is in a constant state of flux. And it will continue to be until the Crisis occurs.”
“You know about the Crisis?”
“As I said Barry, I know...”
“Everything about every speedster. What do you know about the Crisis?”
“Only that you and your wife both have a part to play.”
“Kara? There was nothing about Kara having a part to play in the article Iris writes about me!"
While Barry and Max were arguing, Power Girl was getting overly annoyed about being left out of the conversation. She was about to interject when she heard her name mentioned by Barry again.
“All right, slow down there a minute Barry. This Kara you’re married to, I’m guessing she’s the reason you knew my name? Do I look that much like her?”
“Yes…just a bit older and more…”
“More mature?”
“I was going to say world-weary. Not as optimistic as my Kara.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you face alien invasion after alien invasion and then the world begins to blame you for everything that goes wrong, especially after the world’s greatest hero dies trying to stop it. Then you’re left with no family whatsoever.”
Barry gave this Kara a questioning look, understanding her loss but not how she can be so cynical. He hopes that whatever happens next with the Worldkillers and the Crisis that his Kara never lets things like this get her down.
“I don’t want your sympathy Barry. Tell me something, how long has your Kara been a superhero?”
“Why?”
“Just answer the question.”
“My Kara…Kara Zor-El Danvers-Allen has been Supergirl just over two years. She’s one of the last Kryptonians.”
“One of…well I am the last. When the Joker came from Gotham he killed everyone at the Daily Planet. My cousin lost everyone but me. His wife, his son, everyone. Kal was grief-stricken. But through all of that, he tried to remain optimistic, to keep hope alive. Then Darkseid came.”
A tear began to roll down this Kara’s cheek as she thought back to that final battle. The Justice Society came back together and were swatted away like bothersome insects. They were all broken and battered with only her and Superman still standing.
“So what happened?”
“What happened; Barry? Kal and I were fighting the tyrant’s enforcers. The Female Furies separated us before their Master showed up…”
“Darkseid?”
“Yes. Kal was being overwhelmed by the four of them, barely holding his own. I was alone when a towering presence appeared behind me. His very shadow appeared to blot out the sun. And he knew who I was.”
Max placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder, hoping to comfort her while also being a concentrated effort to get her to stop talking, but she just shrugged him off and continued. Her voice cracked as she started recounting the events that transpired next.
“I know who you are Kara Zor-L. Destiny was supposed to bring you to me. You would have had armies to command, a legion from my world. Prophecy demanded a Kryptonian by my side.”
“Those were his words. Darkseid’s voice was like thunder and death combined. I threw a punch; he backhanded me across the pavement. I got back up to try again and was once again thrown like a rag doll. I was nothing compared to him physically. So I tried to use my other powers. He laughed off my arctic breath and his Omega Breams overwhelmed my heat vision. I fell to the ground, exhausted and terrified like I’d never been before.”
Kara has to pause as the next moments of the battle are seared in to her mind like a scar that will never truly heal. Barry has a questioning and sorrowful look on his face, almost as if he’s both begging her to stop and continue at the same time.
“As I struggled to my feet, Darkseid once again powered up his Omega beams. I could feel my end coming. In the split second I thought I was going to die; Kal broke free from the Furies and landed in between me and the villain. He unleashed a furious blast of heat vision that collided with the Omega beams. I could only watch in horror as a Boom Tube opened. My cousin and Darkseid were pulled through. Kal’s final words to me were good-bye Kara.”
“Then you don’t know for sure that Superman is dead. Kara…”
“NO BARRY! Kal is gone. This was five years ago. Darkseid took my cousin to Apokolips. If Kal was alive, he would have found his way back by now.”
With that final statement, Kara took to the skies, flying away before any more could be said. When she was out of sight, Max turned his attention back to Barry who had tears gathering in his eyes.
“Don’t worry about Kara, Barry. She will be fine. Right now we need to get you back to your Earth. You’re needed there.”
“How do you intend to do that, Max? You haven’t even told me how you got to this Earth.”
“The same way you did. Running beyond sound, running beyond light. I pushed the limits of speed in an effort to enter the Speed Force. Every previous time I tried, I was bounced through time. But something different happened on my last attempt.”
“What?”
“As it always had, the Speed Force denied me entry and sent me not when I needed to go, but where. I was sent here, to help you.”
“I didn’t know the Speed Force could deny anyone entry. I’ve been on the inside.”
“It can, if your power isn’t derived from the Speed Force.”
“Then how…”
“A story for another time. Let’s get you home, because I believe that if we work together we can recreate the breach that brought you here.”
In a matter of minutes, both Barry and Max were running at their top speeds, the former outpacing his companion quickly. Max was amazed with the speeds Barry was reaching and couldn’t help but marvel when his companion passed him in their circle of the fields. Soon enough they both had to accept the inevitable that a breach wasn’t going to open and came to a stop.
“It…it didn’t work…why?”
“I don’t know Barry. But I’m sure we can figure it out. We just need a little more time.”
“Time…and this is going to sound strange coming from me…but time isn’t something I have a lot of, Max. My wife currently thinks she’s twelve years old…we have the problem of the Worldkillers to deal with and…”
“Barry, just calm down. Clearly you were sent here for a reason, like I was. When we figure that out, we’ll get you home.”
Barry sighed and ran off; being calm was the last thing he thought he could be capable of at the moment. He knew Max was only trying to help, but platitudes and assurances were the last thing he wanted to listen to. During his run, he unexpectedly caught up to Power Girl who was sitting on an outcropping.
“Took you long enough to get here Speedy.”
“Power Girl, I promise I wasn’t following you…I just…
“Shut up. I knew you’d come this way, and that you’d find me. Max…he means well but sometimes…”
“Yeah. Look, about back there and what was said…”
“Forget about it Barry. Heat of the moment. To be honest…when I saw the portal, I had hoped it was my cousin finally coming back.”
“Look Kara, I get that, I really do. But I also don’t think you should give up hope so easily. My Kara has a cousin just like you do…”
“You mean did.”
“No, I mean do. I’ve seen the things Superman is capable of and if for one second I ever let myself or my Kara believe he was really gone forever…”
“Then he would be. Is that what you’re trying to say, Barry?”
“Not to put too fine a point on it, but yes. As long as your Kal is in your memories and you hold onto the things he taught you about being a hero, then he will always live on in the good you do.”
Kara looked to Barry as he finished speaking. Ever since the war with Darkseid five years ago and the loss of Kal, she had forgotten what it was like to hope. But with one speech, a speech Kal himself might have made, Kara felt something stir inside her. She felt optimistic again. Maybe Barry was here for a reason, just like Max.
“So Kara…have to say it feels weird to call you that. I mean I know it’s your name but…”
“You can’t help thinking about your wife when you say it. It’s okay Barry. I think we can be friends so you can call me Karen.”
“Karen? Close enough to Kara that it works. So what do you do on this Earth, Karen?”
“I’m a computer programmer. And we better go find Max. He’s probably already working on some sort of interdimensional extrapolator or some other thing to get you home.”
“What did you say?”
“Get you home…?”
“No about an…”
“Interdimensional extrapolator? It was the most scientific thing I could come up with. Why?”
“Nothing, it’s just that my friend Cisco had an idea for the exact same thing. He was still working on it.”
“Well Barry, maybe you and Max can build one. But I think we’ve spent enough time talking. We should really get going.”
“Yeah…yeah you’re right.”
Karen took to flight as Barry quickly ran after her. Not knowing his way around this Earth, he didn’t hit his full speed as he needed her to take the lead. While the pair was en-route to the J.S.A. headquarters, a boom tube was opening in downtown Metropolis. Through it came an army of Parademons who immediately began attacking the city. Behind them was a lone figure clad in black armor with an intimidating helmet covering his face. He flew to the top of a building and watched. The demons were meant to weaken the city before he opened a new tube for his Master to arrive.