totally meta

chapter 48

At the small, intimate wedding ceremony, Henry and Dr. Harris exchanged vows in front of their closest friends and family. The day felt surreal to Henry—standing there in a simple black tuxedo, looking at Dr. Harris, who was stunning in her sleek white gown, her face glowing with happiness. After all they'd been through, the ups and downs of their strange and dangerous lives, they were finally married. As they sealed their vows with a kiss, the crowd erupted in applause, but Henry's heart was thudding for more than just the excitement of the moment.

Right after the ceremony, as Henry and Dr. Harris shared their first moments as husband and wife, Mara approached them with a serious look on her face.

"Congratulations," Mara said, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "But we need to talk."

Henry's heart sank a little. This couldn't be good. Dr. Harris, ever the pragmatic one, put a comforting hand on his arm.

"What's going on, Mara?" she asked.

Mara sighed. "I've been running every test I could think of on the other Henry, and I can finally confirm: he's telling the truth. His DNA matches Henry's exactly in every single way—right down to the last strand. The only difference? He doesn't have the metahuman gene. So, he's definitely not a shapeshifter."

Henry frowned. "So, he's... me, but from another Earth?"

Mara nodded. "Yeah. I know it sounds insane, but alternate Earths exist. I've researched them for years. And this Henry has been through hell on Earth-2, dealing with a powerful being called Zoran. From what I've gathered, Zoran is a very powerful demon who somehow became a metahuman on Earth-2. His ultimate goal is to destroy all worlds with a Flash in them."

"Why?" Dr. Harris asked, her voice low but urgent. "Why the Flash specifically?"

Mara's face tightened. "Because, according to the lore, the Flash is the only one who can send Zoran back to hell. The powers you have, Henry—Zoran sees them as a threat to his survival. He doesn't want peace between metas and regular people, because once they start working together, it makes his plans harder to carry out."

Dr. Harris's grip on Henry's arm tightened, as if she could protect him from this growing darkness. "So, Zoran wants to end all versions of the Flash across the multiverse. That's why the alternate Henry is here—he's trying to stop it."

Mara nodded. "Exactly. And there's more. You remember the angelic metahuman we fought? The one with the wings?"

"Hard to forget," Henry muttered, recalling the battle in the church and how they barely survived.

"Well," Mara said, glancing around as if to ensure no one else was listening, "she's not just a metahuman. She's an actual angel. I've run tests on her as well, and everything points to the fact that she's divine—an angel in the form of a metahuman. She was sent here for a reason, likely to prepare for the upcoming apocalypse. It's further proof that the end might be coming, but it also means that not all hope is lost."

Dr. Harris exchanged a look with Henry. "What do we do now?"

Mara straightened, her face resolute. "We need to question her—find out what she knows about Zoran and what's really happening. If the apocalypse is near, we need to understand what we're dealing with. Because if metahumans and regular people can work together, like alternate Henry  said is already starting to happen, we might have a chance to stop it."

Henry, still reeling from the news, nodded. "Then let's talk to her. We need answers." He glanced at Dr. Harris, squeezing her hand. "But first... I guess our honeymoon will have to wait."

Dr. Harris smirked. "Saving the world always comes first, right?"

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To be continued