Absolute Zero

I Will Never Be You

No.

It was a word that should have been screamed in rage. If only he could have yelled it from the top of his lungs. But his voice was frozen, his throat closed in silence. The simple, two lettered word ricocheted off of every wall of Barry's brain, echoing back to him again and again. Over and over. It was all he heard over his ragged breathing that was increasing to raged hyperventilating with each fraction of a second that passed.

The speed force in Barry's veins doesn't just yell at him to move, to do something, it roars like a caged animal wanting to be set free.

No. Nononononono.

Zoom, Jay—Jay, doesn't utter a single word as he lets Henry's lifeless body drop to the floor of Barry's living room. The same room in which his mother died. What a filthy, dirty trick to play on someone. Jay knows this as he smirks at Barry, seeing the rage flare up in his forest green eyes like setting fire to already dead branches. Barry is so enraged that his breathing is hitched through gritted teeth, his fists are clenched so tightly at his sides that his nails dig into his palms hard enough to draw blood. Barry is a living, breathing grenade and it takes one thing that Jay does to set him off.

Jay laughs, a deep menancing laugh that finally makes Barry move. The scarlet speedster crashes into Zoom with all the strength he has and slams him into the wall, cracking the plaster and causing dust from the ceiling to shower around both of them.

"What. Have. You. Done." Barry growls and it doesn't seem like his voice that's saying these words. This voice is far too deep and threatening to be his own, surely.

Jay shakes his head and easily switches their positions so that now Barry is smashed into the wall with Jay's hand crushing his throat. Barry gasps for air but the motion is useless. The air swirls in his throat like chalk dust, unable to reach his lungs and provide relief.

"Poor Barry Allen," Zoom raises his fist in the air, taunting Barry, "No mother," He punches Barry in the face and blood dribbles down his chin, "No father," Zoom tightens his grip on Barry's throat even harder, causing the other speedster to wheeze with efforts to get air to his lungs, "Left with nothing." Zoom growls and let's the words drip icily from his tounge. He cracks his fist into Barry's jaw, hearing a satisfying crunch followed by a weakened gasp of pain.

"Now you're me." Jay whispers and his black eyes sparkle as he raises his vibrating hand and forces it into the skin just below Barry's rib cage on his left side.

"Let the darkness out Barry. You can't cage it any longer. Let. It. Out."

Blood coats Jay's hand but he keeps pushing deeper and deeper, the look of pain on Barry's face delighting him. He releases his iron grip on Barry's throat so that he can let a tormented scream tear through his teeth. Jay rips his hand out, letting the speedster fall to the floor, struggling for breath.

Barry's entire body shudders with agony. His vision is blurred red due to pain and anger. He gasps for air as he collapses onto his knees, finding himself kneeling before Zoom. He grits his teeth and sucks in a breath, forcing himself to stand and face his father's killer. The room swoops and sways but he manages to make eye contact with the horrible, inhuman monster that has ruined his life.

What Barry really wants to say is fuck you, but he actually says something far better than that. He spits blood in Zoom's face and mutters a sentence that is laced with hurt and hate.

"I—will never—ever become you."

Jay's eyes flash with an emotion Barry doesn't get to figure out because he grips Barry's arm so hard that he shatters it before throwing him into a wall across the room. The plaster forms multiple cracks as the scarlet speedster crumples to the floor once more.

"You're not the hero everybody seems to think you are. You never were." Zoom growls lowly before disappearing from the room altogether.

Barry lays there, teetering on the edge of unconsiousness, thinking about the words Zoom had said.

"Let the darkness out Barry. You can't cage it any longer. Let. It. Out."

Everything he had was gone. His family: dead. His heart was cracked and on the verge of breaking. Loving and caring about everyone didn't work anymore. It made him weak. It caused him to get hurt. It held him back.

"Let. It. Out."

"I—will never—ever become you."

But he did.

Barry thinks of this now as growls tear up his throat as he stares at Zoom once more. He had the nerve to show up here just as Barry was finding himself again. Barry knows damn well that his father is not dead, that it was just an illusion due to the use of Earth two Henry. Zoom's intention was to have Barry suffer, and his plan had worked until now. The pieces are fitting together and Barry cannot let Zoom fake him out like that again. Now they're at Barry's home court, Earth one, and he plans to win this fucking game.

"Barry Allen? Back so soon? Oh, but the darker version of you was much more sensible." Zoom fake pouts as he and Barry face eachother.

"You said you wouldn't become me, yet you did. You killed and you enjoyed it. Forget all of this, Barry. You'll only get hurt in the end. Join me and we can make this world realize that feeling and caring about people is all a mistake. This world could be so much stronger if everyone just learned to let go." Zoom taunts, causing Barry to waver.

Iris looks at the two speedsters with chills coursing down her back. Her eyes are frozen open in fear and shock.

This fight has to end sometime. But the main question is still yet to be answered: which side will be victorious?

SO THERE WE HAVE IT FOLKS: FINALLY A NEW CHAPTER. ALSO WE FOUND OUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO POOR BARRY TO MAKE HIM SO DARK AND RAWR. HOPE Y'ALL LIKED IT I'M VVVV SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT.