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We feel defeated as we head back to the lab. "I can't believe you did this behind my back." Iris scolds us like we're small children.
"You would've tried to stop us." Wally challenges his sister.
"Because it was a waste of time." Iris exclaims.
"How would you know? You didn't put in the work to try and get him back." I yell at her.
"I don't understand. This should've worked." Cisco looks over our calculations. There was no way we were wrong in what we did. It did work for at least a second.
"Or you could've killed us all." Iris chastises us.
"I don't know Iris, I think we were pretty close." Caitlin states to her and Iris turns to face her with a pissed expression on her face.
"I'm sorry we? Where have you been the last six months again?" Iris asks with anger in her voice.
"Hey!" I stand next to Caitlin. "She was only trying to help."
"Look, guys, we need to concentrate on stopping this Samurai who's trying to destroy the city, not on Barry." Iris lectures us.
"Dude, what is your deal?" Cisco is getting pissed now. "It's like you don't even want him back."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Joe gets in between them stopping their fighting. He answers his phone "Cecile, can I call you back in a minute? We're in the middle of something here. What?" Joe looks to us and we all know what this call has to be in reference to.
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"State police picked him up on the 112 outside of Ivy city." Cecile informs us as we follow her through the station.
"That's 300 miles away." Joe exclaims.
"Yeah, one of the cops is a Keystone vet. Recognized him." Cecile explains to us.
"I knew it would work. I knew it." Cisco states with a smile on his face. Cecile stops us in the hall outside one of the interrogation rooms.
"You should prepare yourselves." She warns us and we follow her inside to a bare room with strange writings all over the wall. I see Barry's back t us as he scribbles things.
"Barry?" I call out his name almost not believing this is real. He turns to face us and my heart flutters seeing it's him. Barry is back. "Barry..." He stands up and the man I love is back in my life and I want to run and hug him.
"Nora shouldn't be here." Barry says which confuses us.
"Your mom isn't here, Barry." I correct him. "It's a me...Anna. You're home."
"Your honor, I'm innocent. I didn't do this. I didn't kill anyone. Can you hear the stars singing? Rhyming, chiming, timing every hour, every minute. You said the city was safe, that there was no residual danger, but that's not true. What really happened that night..." Barry continues to ramble on about nothing.
"The city is safe." I assure him. "You saved it. You saved us all." I assure him and for a second it seems like our Barry is back.
"Stars melting like ice cream, dream, gleam." Barry goes to one of the walls. "Nothing seems...Nora shouldn't be here." He keeps rambling and it breaks me seeing him like this.
"I'm guessing this isn't just shock." Joe asks Caitlin.
"Shock results from a drop in blood pressure. This is neurological." She explains to him.
"It's a whole new way of looking at physics." Barry steps back opening his arms wide as he looks at the symbols. "It will change the way we think about everything. From a single atom to an entire galaxy." He exclaims to us with the biggest smile on his face. "God!" He grabs his head and falls to the floor screaming. Joe goes to help but stops. "Stars so loud. Loud, cloud, proud." Barry looks at something on the floor. "Dad and I are both okay. We're gonna be fine." He stands back up. "I'm just not sure I'm like you Oliver."
"We need to get him back to S.T.A.R. Labs now." I order to everyone. Caitlin walks over and sedates Barry so we can transport him safely.
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"What's the diagnosis?" Joe asks now that we're back in the lab and monitoring Barry. "Does he have brain damage or something?"
"He's actually scary healthy." Caitlin informs us. "His neurotransmitters are functioning at five times the normal speed."
"Then what's wrong?" Iris asks.
"I have two theories." Caitlin pulls up a digital scan of Barry's brain activity. "One is that he's suffering from a form of schizophasia. That's where you assign the wrong definitions to words." She explains to us.
"So from his perspective, all that nonsense he's saying makes sense?" Joe asks making sure he's following along.
"It's too bad we don't' have a translator." Wally says.
"No but...we can get one." I state standing up. "Wayne Tech was working on a device that could document languages from all over the world for an anthropological perspective so that we can limit the number of languages that are lost daily."
"Can you get it?"
"Get it, I have it here with me." I lead everyone to the main part of the lab to show them all of the symbols we documented from the station. "If his brain's schizophastic and these symbols represent different words, he could be sending us a message, and we just need the right algorithm to decrypt it." I explain to everyone.
"You said you had two theories. What's the other one?" Iris asks Caitlin.
"We know that the Speed Force exists beyond space and time. To us, Barry was only in there for six months, but to him, it could've been 10,000 years." Our jaws drop as Caitlin says this. "All that time in isolation, it could've caused dementia. That may be all of him that's left." I feel like I want to collapse onto the floor.
"So how do we find out which one it is?" Joe asks Caitlin.
"I could decrease the sedative, wake him up." Caitlin suggest.
"I think I've got the perfect song for that." Cisco declares with a smirk on his face.
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Everyone gathers around Cisco, Caitlin, and I as we try waking Barry with a little Poker Face by Lady Gaga. "Are you sure this is appropriate?" Caitlin asks Cisco.
"Yeah. It's a good luck charm. I mean it worked before." Cisco reminds her.
"Last time, he was in a coma, not a pan-temporal extra dimension." I argue with Cisco.
"Well waking up to Gaga shouldn't seem too freaky. Hey, Barry." He slowly opens his eyes. "Hey. It's me Cisco. AKA Vibe, BKA your BFF. Yeah. Hey buddy." Barry doesn't say anything as he slowly looks around at us. "While you were gone, I made you a new suit. Do you wanna take it out for a spin?" Cisco offers.
"The stars are raining." The pain in my heat returns. "Draining. Paining. Too much. I think maybe later." Barry pushes himself to sit and gets up. "No, thank you. I'm not hungry. He didn't do those things. He didn't hurt my mom. I was there that night. There was a man, plan. No plan. We're gonna need more diapers." Barry continues to mutter.
"Diapers." Cisco chuckles along with Barry as we watch him draw more of those weird symbols on the window. "You keep drawing, buddy. You keep drawing. I'm gonna figure this out."
"Caitlin..." Joe calls out.
"I don't know."
"Guys I need a minute." I call out and they leave Barry and me alone. "A lot has changed since you've been gone. I have a big surprise for you when you come home." I chuckle. "Don't worry I'm not pregnant but I am an Aunt to a very smart, adventurous, and sometimes annoying thirteen-year-old boy. I...I always feared if we couldn't get you back and now here you are." I try to keep myself from crying. "I just...out of all of the possibilities I never thought this would be one. I don't know what I'll do if this is what is left of you. I..." I reach for his hand but Barry starts vibrating and his eyes have lightning in them. He speeds through the lab running into everything. "Guys!" I call out to find Barry crashing into everyone and everything in the lab.
"We have to stop him!" Iris calls out. "Cisco..."
"He's too fast." Cisco says as he can't breach Barry into the pipeline. "I..." A cold blast hits Barry's blur and he knocks to the ground out cold. Caitlin comes out holding Snart's cold gun.
"Expecting someone else?" She asks with a smirk on her face.
"We need to get him in a containment cell before he does that again." Joe orders. The tracker goes off.
"Samurai's back." Caitlin informs us.
"More like Samurai jackass." Cisco complains. "Nope that's a rough draft." Cisco says to Caitlin.
"It hasn't even been a full day yet." Iris reminds us.
"I don't think he cares." I state to her.
"He said he'd level the city if we didn't bring in The Flash." Iris exclaims.
"Well, let's give him what he asked for." Wally says getting up from where Barry crashed into him.
"This is not going to work." I say in denial as Wally goes out pretending to be Barry to fight Samurai.
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Wally like I feared was not enough to convince Samurai that he's The Flash in fact Wally just got himself injured more than anything. "How long till I can get back out there?" Wally asks Caitlin as she treats his wound.
"Wally, he sliced right through your fibula. If you weren't a speedster, I'd be amputating your leg right now." Caitlin explains to him.
"Okay, how long?" Wally asks again.
"Four to five hours?" She answers him.
"We don't have that kinda time." Joe says.
"You know what, I'm fine." Wally assures us and he stands up but instantly groans in pain. I levitate him back down as it's too much pain for him to sit on his own.
"Son, son. You've done everything you can do. Relax." Joe stays with Wally as I need to check on the translator.
"Any luck?" I ask Cisco as he sits at the computer with my translator plugged in.
"No, not yet. The computer keeps telling me it's random gibberish." Cisco exclaims to me.
"Maybe it is." Caitlin joins us.
"No, it's not. Barry's trying to send us a message. I know it." Cisco argues with her. "I mean he spent all this time in the Speed Force. Maybe he knows the answers to life, the universe, and everything." Cisco elaborates.
"So you think all this crazy writing is Barry's way of telling us 42?" Caitlin jokes with us and it feels good to laugh with her again.
"Yes exactly. Have I mentioned how much I miss having you around?" Cisco asks Caitlin. She doesn't say anything but we know this is the family we've missed all these months and it feels damn good to have a portion of it back.
"We're gonna keep working on this...unless you have any ideas?" I ask her.
"Nope, it's all Greek to me." I look up at her with my eyes wide.
"Great Caesar's Ghost." Cisco mumbles. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asks me.
"That this analysis is based on a monoalphabetic substitution cipher, but..."
"What if it's polyalphabetic?" Cisco finishes for me and I nod in agreement. "What if it's like...like Greek?" Cisco runs off his idea out loud.
"The symbols are unique alphabet." I begin typing on the screen needing this to be correct. We need one win right now to get this whole thing moving. The screen starts recognizing the symbols as something other than just gibberish.
"Excelsior!" Cisco yells with excitement.
"What is it?" Iris comes running into the room.
"Cisco and Anna figured it out. They figured out how to crack Barry's code." Caitlin explains to her.
"They did? What does it say?" Iris asks looking at the screen.
"Hold on. It's still loading." I state waiting with anxious breathe for the answer.
"Loading, loading, loading, loading and it says...This house is bitchin." Cisco reads off and my heart sinks.
"What the hell that can't be it." I say in disbelief.
"This house is bitchin. That doesn't sound like Barry." Caitlin comments.
"No." Iris agrees with her.
"No. No, it doesn't. That's cause it's not."
"Damnit!" I yell in frustration.
"Anna!" I ignore people calling my name. I run to the training room and I let out a giant scream where waves of my powers come smashing into the equipment. I feel all the rage I've been keeping in all these months.
"Anna."
"Not now I..." All the air leaves my body as Barry stands in front of me in the new suit that Cisco designed for him.
"H..."
"I...I'm back."
"You're..." I don't even feel my legs moving until I'm suddenly right in front of Barry. "You're here." I mutter out. Barry reaches up and brushes my hair out of my face.
"I'm here. forever mine." Barry leans down and kisses me and everything around us disappears.
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Apparently, Iris played the damsel in distress to hopefully kick start Barry's memories by allowing herself to be taken by the Samurai and it seemed to have done the trick. Now it's time to check Barry to make sure he's our Barry. "Pupils are equally reactive to light. I mean, your vitals are amazing." Caitlin beams with excitement at Barry. "You're in perfect health, even for you. I'd like to take a urine sample to confirm, but everything looks great."
"Man, you love your urine." Cisco comments making us all laugh. Caitlin gives him a look and he laughs nervously. "You love the...the testing of urine. The testing of urine. You know what I meat." Cisco clarifies himself.
"Why do you have to ruin science?" Caitlin asks him and it makes me smile.
"It's good to have you back." Barry says to her.
"Right back at ya." Caitlin smiles at Barry.
"It's good to have you back. How you feeling?" Joe asks Barry.
"I feel great." Barry answers. "Yeah, I feel incredible. I don't know it feels like I've been reborn."
"Mm."
"Well, okay, speedy Jesus." Cisco jokes.
"Seriously, though. I mean, it hurts me to admit it, but you might be the fastest speedster ever." Wally compliments Barry.
"I mean, you were in the Speed Force for six months. Maybe you were soaking up its energy?" Caitlin suggest.
"Maybe. How was everything while I was gone?" Barry asks us.
"Where the hell have you been?!" My eyes widen and all of our attention turns to Damian stomping into the lab. "You force me to come to this horrendous thing you dare to call a school. And then you leave me! It's been hours Anna!"
"Damian..."
"I thought you were supposed to be heroes and yet you're all sitting here doing nothing." Damian continues to complain.
"Come here demon spawn." Cisco places his hands on Damian's shoulders. "Let's talk about manners..."
"Hands off Rapunzel." Damian swats Cisco away.
"Uh...sorry who is he?" Barry interrupts confused.
"Barry, this is my nephew Damian. My brother dropped him off at our place the night you went into the Speed Force. I've been taking care of him these past six months."
"And who's asking huh string bean?" Damian is very aggressive right now.
"Damian this is Barry. My fiancé that..."
"So you're the man my aunt can't stop loving." Damian sizes Barry up. "I don't see anything special."
"Wow, I don't even kno..."
"My aunt is a spectacular person. What makes you think you're worthy of her?"
"Okay, uh...I'll take over babysitting for the night so you two can uh...have a night to yourselves." Cisco offers.
"Thank you, Cisco." I say to him.
"I did not agree to this!" Damian argues.
"Damian this is for one night." I try to reason with him.
"So he's back and I'm kicked out?"
"You're not kicked out. Barry has been trapped in the Speed Force for months now and he has a lot of adjusting to go through." Damian walks up to Barry looking him up and down.
"If I find you have touched my snacks I will personally cut your limbs off and shove it down your throat."
"Okay!" I pull Damian away from Barry. "We don't threaten people anymore." I scold him.
"Let's go Rapunzel. Time for me to kick your ass." Damian snaps at Cisco as he heads for the door.
"I'm beating that child's ass tonight!" Cisco declares as he runs after Damian.
"So...you have a nephew?" Barry asks me. I nod my head.
"He's better when you get to know him. He's just a little..."
"He's a demon's spawn?" Barry asks confused.
"Oh, he very much is." Wally says with a fearful look on his face.
"His mother is Talia al Ghul..."
"The woman who kidnapped us from your apartment and brought us to Oliver's scary island?" Barry asks and I nod my head.
"Which makes his grandfather Ra's al Ghul. The man I killed to take over the League right before I disbanded it." I explain.
"So..."
"Literally demon spawn." I reiterate.
"So...he's living with us."
"Yeah and he's really not that bad. You actually have a better first meeting with him than Cisco did."
"What happened when Cisco met Damian?" Iris asks.
"Cisco was greeted by Damian pointing a sword at his throat." I explain and all of their eyes widen.
"He did..."
"I have lectured him enough on not answering the door with a weapon. He's gotten better. He's just a little angry because I was didn't pick him up due to being so upset about you possibly losing your mind." I explain to Barry.
"So he...he doesn't seem to like me." Barry says.
"Son, that's how he acts to people he does like." Joe assures him. "But he's a decent kid when you get used to his weird...antics."
"So...uh...does this make us parents?" Barry asks.
"NO!" I yell in a way that I didn't mean to. "I mean...we're guardians, not parents. Not my child. Nephew not child." I explain to Barry.
"He's going to love me in no time." Everyone shakes their head at Barry. "Everyone loves me."
"Julian hated you for the longest time." I remind Barry.
"But he eventually learned to like me."
"It was actually more that he liked me." Caitlin corrects Barry.
"Damian is...he's a moody teenager who has been taken from the home he's known and love and forced into something so different. So he's still adjusting." I explain to Barry.
"Will he really rip my limbs off?" Barry asks me.
"I wouldn't test him if that's what you're asking." I pat Barry's chest. "He was born as a trained killer. You kind of don't stand a chance."
Damian will butt heads with Barry and it will be so much fun to write it. Just a heads up thank you for the support in loving these frequent updates for this book, but I probably won't update for a few days so I can devote some time to my other books.