Second Chances: Flash

Chapter 1

The last thing Barry Allen remembered before blacking out was crouching next to Sara Lance at the dawn of time over Oliver Queen's dying body, both of them mourning the loss of one of their oldest friends, since it didn't feel right to either of them that they got to live, while Oliver had to die for the new world to be born, since despite what Oliver might've said or thought, he was truly the best of them, not him and not Kara. After all, neither of them had inspired a whole age of heroes like Oliver had.

Anyways, the next thing Barry knew, he found himself back in the Monitor's realm, though how that was possible, he didn't know, since he'd watched an Anti-Monitor possessed Lyla killed Novu right before the antimatter wave had hit, but his question was answered when he saw Novu standing in front of him.

"So, I see you're alive again." Barry said.

"Try not to sound so thrilled about that Mr. Allen." Novu said.

"Why should I be thrilled that the man who created the Anti-Monitor in the first place is still alive." Barry pointed out and Novu sighed.

"Fair enough. I know I made a mistake when I attempted to travel to the dawn of time, but I was young and reckless. And unfortunately every version of me in the multiverse was that way." Novu said.

"At least you admit it." Barry acknowledged.

"And I'm aware that the multiverse paid for my mistake." Novu said.

"It wasn't just the multiverse that paid for your mistake. It was Oliver who paid for it the most. Everything that happened is because of you. If you'd just let go of your own damn ego and not done that stupid experiment, than none of this would've happened. Oliver would still be alive and so would so many other people. If it weren't for you, there never would've been an Anti-Monitor, there wouldn't have been a crisis and there wouldn't have been a need for you to give Deegan that damn book and create the Elseworlds, which means that if weren't for you, there would've been no reason for Oliver to make that deal with you to save Kara and I. He's dead because of you. So tell me, why the hell do you deserve to live when it was your mistakes that ruined everything in the first place?" Barry demanded.

"I don't. But I'm not the only one who was brought back. When you brought back the multiverse, you also brought back everyone who died in crisis and even some who died before it. Including Oliver Queen." Novu said, stopping Barry from continuing his tirade.

"I'm sorry what?" Barry asked, thinking he'd misheard.

"It appears that the universe has decided that Oliver Queen's story is not yet done, since when you rebirthed the universe, you also reset it to the date of October 10 2012." Novu said as it took Barry a second to understand the significance of that date.

"The day Oliver returned home from Lian Yu." Barry realized and Novu nodded.

"And as such, Oliver Queen needed to return to the land of the living so that he could fulfill his destiny as a shepherd for the age of heroes. And his destiny is to be one of its greatest." Novu said and Barry couldn't deny that.

"So, he'll be alive. And you mentioned others." Barry said as the full implications of that date caught up to him.

"Yes. You've been given a second chance to not only keep those you love safe, but also to save those you could not save before." Novu said as Barry thought of his list. His father, Eddie, Ronnie, all of the bus metas besides Ralph, Stein and so many others.

"I'm guessing that a lot has changed in this new world, since knowing Oliver, even if it wasn't intentional, he'd still do something to make things more interesting. It won't just be an instant replay of the way things were." Barry said, knowing his brother in all but blood well.