Hope & Love - SuperFlash [1]

Chapter 25

Barry peered up from the papers that lay astray on his desk as he heard footsteps approaching, and he peered up, watching as a man in a hoodie stepped up to his desk. Barry rose from his seat and extended his hand out and the man accepted it with a smile. He looked Barry directly in the eye and winked at him, Barry immediately let go of his hand and stared in disbelief. He was staring directly at the man who had killed eleven officers a week ago. The almost-perfect copy of himself with a twisted sense of reality.

The aberration slowly looked around the lab, taking in the detail of the room and Barry eyed him carefully, although he tried not to show it. "It's just like I remember it." Barry stood up and he saw the crackle of lightning in his eyes before he waved his finger at Barry. The two circled each other as the aberration continued to look around the lab, an odd sense of calmness washing over him for once as he remembered all the memories this place held.

The aberration came to a stop, hands coming to rest on a pillar in the room, fingertips grazing the scratches and dents in the material as his lips curved upward in a small smile. This is where it all began, with a single strike of lightning that changed Barry Allen's life forever.

His hand stills, a strand of crimson lightning twisting around his finger before Red Death suddenly bolted off in a storm of lightning. Barry followed quickly after, his suit forming around him as he slid his flash ring on.

They came to a stop in a cemetery, rain pouring down vehemently. The aberration rose his head as Barry stepped towards him, the loose strands of thread matted against his skin alongside his hair. Barry immediately recognized this plot of land, and it was only affirmed as Red Death turned towards Barry, allowing the headstones of Nora and Henry Allen into view.

"I thought I should pay my respects." Barry charged forward and Red Death sidestepped before slamming him down and pulling his cowl off forcefully. He grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head up, forcing him to look at the grave of his mother. "Thawne may have took your mother and Zoom may have took your father but you haven't seen anything yet. Kara, Caitlin, Cisco, Ralph, Joe, Cecile, Little Baby Jenna."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Barry seethed, breaking free of his grasp and slamming him into the ground, putting his elbow on his throat to keep him down. "They were your family too!" Barry raised his fist above his head before slamming it back into the aberrations face repeatedly.

The aberration shoved him off and unloaded a flurry of hits all over his body. Barry's knees buckled and he collapsed. Red Death then punched him so hard, he turned and his face hit the gravestone. His face was burning and his lip was busted open, blood was dripping from his nose.

The next thing he saw was lightning before he found himself at the top floor of the Central City Police Department, without his mask on. The speedster was holding him up in the air much like Zoom had done years before. "Barry Allen... Is the Flash!" Red Death exclaimed before he sped into a news room that was being broadcasted and slammed Barry on the table where all the city could see who the Flash really was. "Central City you idolize a false hero. Barry Allen is no hero, no god. I am a god. I... Am Red Death!"

Joe dropped his coffee mug as he watched the events unfold on the television. "Joe? Honey, what's wrong?" He heard Cecile behind him before her voice audibly caught in her throat.

"Central City... Bow down to your new savior!" The aberration continued. "And say goodbye to the Flash!"