Those Seconds Were Years (Sequel to Fastest Men Alive)

The Beginning of the End Part 2 (unedited)

Barry's POV

I run with Johanna in my arms. She doesn't fight against me. Maybe she realizes what she has done, maybe she's tired. I feel my heart sink. I had dreams of this day, the day she would come back. She would hug me and smile and everything would be okay and we would all be happy. Life would be perfect, like honey.

However, this day doesn't taste so sweet. It's bitter and sad. There are no smiles. There is only destruction around us. 

I look to my right arm as I hold Johanna. She stares at the floor as it speeds away as I move. I look over at Darwin who looks like he might be sick.

I maneuver through the battle, hoping someone will notice me, someone will save us, tell us what to do. A familiar yellow streak comes beside me.

"Get out of town, I'll meet up with you on the outskirts!" Eobard yells. He then vanishes as quick as he appeared. I run full speed to the outskirts. I stop and let both Johanna and Darwin down. We are in a row of trees. The smell of smoke fills my nose. I can hear the bombs in the distance.  Johanna sits on the ground, cross legged and unaware. Darwin is on his hands and knees beside her.

"Give her the serum." I say to Darwin. He nods and reaches his hand in his pocket. I feel a wind and turn to see Eobard Thawne.

"We don't have much time." He speaks, his voice is normal. I nod, trying to pretend like I know what is going on. I turn back to Darwin who is searching through his pockets.

"Darwin?" I ask. He looks up at me frantically. I see the horror in his eyes.

"I-I lost it."

"What?!" Eobard becomes angry. He steps forward. He had been covered up in the shade before, but now the yellow of his suit gleams in what is left of the sunshine. Johanna looks up. Eobard doesn't notice.

"I didn't mean to!" Darwin yells back. I look at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Johanna is still staring at Eobard.

"This is your fault Darwin, we needed it, or she can't go back!" Eobard growls. Johanna shifts in the grass as she gets up. I become tense. She stares at Eobard. Her eyes searching for his.

Eobard and Darwin begin to fight further but I don't hear them. I only watch Johanna watch Eobard. After a few moments she steps forward towards Eobard, who is still in argument.

"Eobard." I firmly speak. Eobard turns and looks at Johanna. She takes another step and holds up her hand. She touches his face and then narrows her eyes. She seems to remember him. Eobard holds up his hands and brings them to his head. He takes off his mask. The moment Johanna sees him she holds her hand to her face. She lets out a small gasp before falling to her knees. Eobard catches her and holds her up.

"Never mind Darwin, this will do." Eobard speaks. He looks to me and nods. "To Central City." 

He speeds away with Johanna in his arms. I sigh and grab Darwin and run as fast as my legs will take me.

It only takes a short time to get there, only moments. But it takes hours for me. My head is spinning and I feel as though I have missed so much. 

I guess I've missed too much.

I stop running and find myself in front of S.T.A.R. Labs. it looks the same. There is nobody here though. Maybe they knew what was going to happen and didn't want to get mixed up in it all. I run inside with Darwin and right to the particle accelerator. Eobard holds Johanna up as she cries. 

"Shh it's okay, you can fix this." Eobard whispers. I nearly die of shock. I've never seen Eobard care so much for anyone but himself. He hugs her tight before looking to me.

"I'm taking her back, you and Darwin have to release the particles in the air." He speaks firmly and then runs into the particle accelerator. I look to Darwin. I rush him over to the main control.

"Set it up, I'll be right back." I nod and run into the particle accelerator. I come upon Johanna wiping her tears and Eobard pulling his mask back on. He looks over to me, he looks to her and moves away, leaving us alone.

"Johanna?" I ask. She looks up at me. Her green brown eyes look into mine.

"Barry." She smiles. I can see and hear the pain behind the smile. She opens her arms and hugs me. I feel her breath on my neck.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper.

"You never have to apologize to me for anything." She whispers back. "This was all my fault, I brought back Eobard and let myself get sucked up by the wormhole. Which was foolish." 

I let out a small laugh as I hold back the tears. She lets me go.

"When are you going?" 

"As in when in time?"

I nod. She thinks for a moment.

"Right before I go through the wormhole. I don't know how I'll bring myself to let Eddie and Eobard to...die." She becomes quiet. I grab her shoulder gently.

"You can fix this, all of this." I smile reassuringly.

"Then I have to be selfless and I'm not sure if I can be."

"Sometimes we have to make the tough decisions, even the toughest one of them all." I say. She looks up. "Letting go of the one we love."

She looks at me. I can tell she knows what I am talking about. She opens her mouth but a sudden alarm stops her.

"Hey guys! We have some company!" Darwin says frantically into the intercom. Eobard runs up to Johanna and I.

"Barry, stall for as long as you can. Darwin, start it up!" Eobard yells and grabs Johanna.

"Wait." She says. She hugs me tight.

"Ill see you soon." She smiles. Eobard grabs her and runs. I run back to Darwin with a small smile forming on my face.

This won't be the last time I see her. I'm sure of that.

Johanna's POV

I feel my happiness drain as Eobard runs with me in his arms. I know I will have to let him die, I will have to let him go. I feel more tears come to my eyes. I can't cry anymore, it hurts to cry now. I nestle my head into his chest and feel a sudden rush as the singularity is created. Eobard runs through and I can hear and see images rush past us. I see a man in a grey blue suit with blue lightning. I see Harrison Wells. I see a man wearing a strange aquatic suit.

 I feel the rush end as I let out a breath. I blink and realize we are in the particle accelerator of S.T.A.R. Labs. Eobard lets me down and I look around. I see myself hiding as Barry breaks through the glass of Eobard's time sphere. I watch myself stand. Eobard runs in front of me and grabs past me. She yelps but he covers her mouth. He looks back at me and runs. He grabs both of me and runs into the singularity created by Cisco in the past. 

We soon stop and we are in the slightly burning Central City. The fires are out and a thin smoke is in the air. I can't imagine there is much damage.  I see S.T.A.R. labs just in front of us. Eobard runs inside and I watch as Barry watches me go through the singularity. Eobard drops my past self behind Barry. Barry looks around in shock but he can't do anything because Eobard runs. 

"Close your eyes." Eobard whispers. "I have to fix this."

I close my eyes. I hold on to him tightly.

I feel a rush. I don't open them for a long time. How can we fix all of this? Won't it all be one giant paradox? Why didn't we think this through? I feel my body slip in and out of consciousnesses.

"Eobard can I open my eyes now?"

"No. Not yet." I hear him say. I feel his lips on my cheek. "I'm sorry." 

I am just about to open my eyes but I feel a sharp pain hit my head and everything goes black.