Paralyzer || Barry Allen (The Flash) Fanfiction

Chapter 30: Aftermath

"I. Can't. Hold. It. Much. Longer."

I had been able to gain a slight hold on the black hole just as I'd thought. However, it was still moving too fast, and I knew deep down that I wasn't going to be able to close this myself. The event horizons needed to be merged, and I didn't have the ability to do something as complex as that yet. The only way we could achieve what we needed was through an extreme outburst of energy, and, though I normally might be able to create such a blast, I was drained from simply stabilizing the black hole.

"Hang in there, Haven!" Barry's voice sounded over our headset. "Cisco, what do we do?"

"Uh..." was the only response from the boy back on the ground, and I felt my heart sink. This was a suicide mission. Heck, the whole world was going to end because we couldn't stop this stupid black hole.

Just as soon as I thought things could go nowhere but down, we got a surprise visit. Yet, it didn't necessarily make me feel much better about the safety of our friends.

"Firestorm, what are you doing?" I asked as I watched the merged Ronnie and Professor Stein hover in the center of the singularity.

"We're helping you," Firestorm replied, giving a small smile before the meta's eyes turned away from me and stared straight ahead.

"No, no, no!" Barry yelled out, but it wasn't going to stop the meta from following through with its plan.

Without fear of what may happen, Ronnie and Professor Stein separated, each becoming their own individual selves again while also releasing a blast of energy in the process. An explosion that was powerful enough merge the inner and outer layer of the singularity. An explosion that thrust me into the center of the singularity, my body suspended in limbo almost as if the wormhole was deciding what to do with me.

In that moment I saw two images — the image of the Central City I saw every day... And the other of a place that reminded me of Central City entirely, yet it couldn't possibly be. I knew what my city looked like, and the second image was a pretty close match, but it seemed so... Futuristic. Could the singularity possibly be a time portal leading to the future Central City?

I didn't have enough time to dwell on the concept as the black hole seemed to make up its nonexistent mind. I was thrust out of its grip, tossed back into the world I knew and away from whatever Central City the other image had held. I was free-falling through the sky, and I was heading towards the ground at an alarming rate.

And the ground continued to come closer, and closer, and closer—

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I woke with a jolt, sitting upright in the bed as my chest rose and fell heavily in the silent space. Beads of sweat trickled down my face and strands of hair were sticking to my face. I rested a hand over my heart and felt the delicate organ thumping wildly against my rib cage.

It had been six months since the singularity had threatened to consume the world. Six months since Ronnie had gone missing after he and Stein had separated in the eye of the black hole. Six months since I'd given up fighting crime for a life of normalcy.

Well, at least, as normal as I could get while I was dating the man behind the Flash's mask.

The day after the all the time traveling, nemesis slaying, world saving adventures we'd just gone through, Barry and I had sat down so I could tell him everything I hadn't been able to catch him up on the past couple of weeks. Like, most recently, the restoration of my memories. After that, we'd both agreed to try dating again, and now here we were, six months later and still together.