Flashette(Book Three)

9

"Holy...sh- winter wonderland," I commented as I walked into the cortex. HR was putting the finishing touches on the Christmas lights he hung up. The cortex had been covered in lights, garland, and other little Christmas decorations.
"I guess your earth celebrates Christmas the same way," I said.
"Anything else on Savitar?" Barry asked.
"Just that he's a speed God and only you can see him."
"Well we also know that he gets his powers from that stone he uses to create meta's, so if we find it we can stop him," Cisco said before standing and waking towards the computer. In mid step, he stopped. He stared at the entrance of the cortex. I began to be concerned, but he didn't shake it off or anything so I knew he wasn't vibing. He sat down and began typing:
"I have something from Oxford University about the myth of an ancient Hindu weapon. It's called the "Brahmastra". It was a legendary artifact with a lot of incredible powers. Capable of making.....Wait for it!"
"Metahumans.." Barry finished.
"And it looks just like Alchemy's stone," Caitlin said, looking over at Cisco's screen.
"More importantly....Look who wrote this paper...." Cisco said pulling up the report on the screen. The creator......Julian Albert.
"I need answers.." I said before I walked to the exit. I stopped and turned around. "And I'm gonna get some," I said before I sped to CCPD. I greeted Joe on the way up to the lab and chuckled when I noticed what Julian did with it.
"I love what you've done with the place."
"Ah, Chloe....Thought we had a deal...I keep your frosty friends secret and you stay out of my lab."
"What? I can't visit my old workplace from time to time? I just came here for information about that stone Alchemy uses."
"And you came to me because?" Julian asked. I slammed his report on the counter.
"Apparently you know much about it," I replied. "All you need to do is tell me everything you know, and you'll never hear from me again."
"Fine!" He scoffed. "Many years ago, I heard about the "Bahmastra" or "The philosophers stone." It was the first thing that could give people powers...Similar to the accelerator thing. I became obsessed with trying to find it and I did every piece of available research I could. To my parents dismay, I used my future funds to fuel my expedition. I travelled, and didn't end up finding it. After that I came here. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work," Julian said before he turned around.
"In your research, have you come up with the name "Savitar?"" I asked. Julian froze.
"How would you know that name?" Julian asked before turning back around.
"I've done some research on my own."
"All I know is that he was the first person with speed. Now, move on from this...."
"Okay..." I replied before walking out. I decided I'd need some help from an old friend, so Cisco opened a breech, and Barry and I were off.
We sped into the breech, and The Flash and The Trickster were currently having a dilemma. The Trickster was wrapped up in a bomb and it had 3 seconds left. Barry sped in and tied up the Trickster while I disarmed the bomb.
"Nice timing," said Jay.
"No problem," I replied as the cops came to The Trickster away.
"The Flash hit me too hard. I'm seeing double...triple...I'll sue you saucer head! One day, I'll own that helmet. And I'll use it as a candy dish or an ashtray! No wait....A hubcap!" The Trickster trailed on.
"I had that," The Flash said to us.
"That's what we always say. Especially when we didn't have it."
"I'm assuming you didn't come all this way to earth 3 just to take down my trickster."
"There's something we need to discuss....A speedster......Calls himself "Savitar."" With that, we sped right into the breech we came from and back in S.T.A.R Labs.
"So...Savitar...You've grown powerful enough to challenge him."
"You've seen him?" I asked.
"You're the first I know who has. All I know was that he was the first one ever granted speed. With time he became the God of motion. Before Savitar graces an earth with his presence, he sends a predecessor to prepare us for his arrival."
"Alchemy....And what are we preparing for?" I asked.
"A battle....With you...You're threatening his power."
"How do you know all this?" I asked him.
"Legends, speed force myths, rumors. If he's come for you once, he'll be back."
"We'll be ready," I said before we headed upstairs. Barry sped to the library to find any book he could that could give some information. Barry and I both sped read, finding nothing.
"Nothing," I said throwing my last book to the ground. "I've read everything on Hindu mythology, demigods, spirits, anything. Nothing.."
"In my experience, answers come in time. They're not just gonna pop out in an instant," said Jay as he neatly stacked the books.
"Yeah, but we can't just sit back and wait for Alchemy or Savitar to attack."
"You can't worry about what may or may not lie ahead. Besides, it's Christmas. Time to be with the ones you love."
"But Savitar's still out there."
"And all your friends and family are too. Get your head out of the books and be with them while you still can." I nodded and stood up. Barry grabbed my hand and he took me home. There, we got decorating. We sped around the house, hanging up garland, lights, and miniatures. We took our time with the tree though.
"Anther one," I asked Barry as he handed me an ornament. We had gotten finished with the basic ornaments and were now onto our special ones. "I remember this!" I said looking down at the ornament in my hands. It was a picture of Barry and I. In the photo, he was kissing my pregnant belly.
"Beautiful," he said coming from the other side of the tree. "You're getting so big now....But no matter what you think, you're so beautiful." I kissed him and hung the ornament. We continued flashing back to those moments displayed on the ornaments. When we were done, we sat back and looked at our creation.
"It's amazing."
"It really is." Barry had his arm around me and I snuggled into him until there was a knock on my door. I stood up to answer it, only to find Iris standing on our porch.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her as she came in. She took a seat on the smaller couch next to where Barry and I were sitting.
"Not to ruin this moment for you, but I found something you'd want to hear. While you were talking to Jay, I did some digging of my own. Since you found some information on Julian and the stone, I decided to look into it. A few years ago, four scientists were killed in an excavation in India and Julian was the point person."
"He didn't tell us that."
"You said he was obsessed with that stone for years, maybe he's trying to cover something up? Or someone?"
"Possibly Alchemy," I said before I looked at Barry. We said goodbye to Iris before speeding to S.T.A.R Labs.
"Julian lied about the stone. That means he could have lied to about that archaeological dig. I think he found it," I said as I dragged Barry into the cortex.
"You think he's working for Alcemy?" Cisco asked.
"Julian's not answering my calls," Joe said, putting his phone in his pocket.
"Gangs all here, what's going on?" HR asked as he came into the cortex with Wally.
"We think Julian's connected to Alchemy."
"Jay, we got a hit!" Cisco said over the beeping of his computer. "High energy levels coming from the top of the Schults building. That's the stone."
"Ready?" I asked Jay and Barry. They nodded.
"I'm coming too," said Wally.
"No."
"You can't."
"You're not-"
"I'm ready. Go on, HR...Tell them about how fast I am. Tell them about the training."
"Training?" Joe asked, angrily.
"What training?" HR asked. "The vocal training. We're gonna go caroling."
"We'll talk about it later," I said before I sped into my suit and Barry and Jay did the same. We sped to the building and stopped Alchemy's chant.
"It's over, Alchemy!" I yelled. He turned around and Savitar appeared. The stone didn't leave its position.
"Tell me you two can see him!"
"Oh, we see him."
"We have to take them together."
"No, you two take Alchemy. I'll keep Savitar busy. Just get the stone!" Jay said before him and Savitar disappeared.
Barry and I sped around the building, trying to dampen the energy immersing from the stone. I stopped in mid run, and threw a lightning bolt at Alchemy. He flew back, and the stone fell from his hands. The energy around the building disappeared and I grabbed the stone. Barry grabbed a box that was next to Alchemy's feet and I placed it in the box. When all seemed calm, I walked over to Alchemy's body and examined it. He was unconscious, so I took his mask off. I found the crease of it under his hood and pulled it off slowly. I wasn't surprised by who I saw.
"Julian...." I whispered before Barry and I sped him to the pipeline. When he woke, Barry and I were there waiting for him.
"Where am I?" Julian asked as he awoke.
"You're gonna be our guest for a while." Barry and I were in our suits and in the dark.
"You. I didn't know you had your own facility for holding enemies. Can you explain what I'm doing in it?" Julian asked.
"We know you're Alchemy, Julian. Turning innocent people into metahumans, worshiping this....Savitar..."
"That's funny...You think I'm Alchemy? That's completely obsurd," Julian said before I held up the mask. "I've never seen that before in my life."
"I CAUGHT YOU!" I yelled. "I caught you wearing this mask!"
"You're framing me, aren't you? You're tying to set me up. You of all people...The Flashes..." Julian said before we stepped away from the pipeline. "The greatest heroes!!" Julian trailed on as we closed the pipeline doors. Barry and I talked on our way to meet Jay in the medical bay.
"How are you?" I asked as Jay sat up from the med table.
"Good for someone who just got beat up by a myth. You stopped him....Well done...."
"It was great having you out there with us."
"I've never had a sidekick before."
"Us? Sidekicks?" I asked.
"Me being the senior partner.."
"Yup, senior....Citizen..." I said. Jay laughed. He tried to get up, but I put my hand out. "Stay...Get some rest..." I said before we walked to the cortex.
"How's he doing?" Barry asked about Julian.
"From our past experiences, we know that all metahumans have acted like our friends, when they really were heartless bastards."
"If he's really lying, he sure as hell strongly believes in his own lie."
"What do we think about the box?" I asked.
"It's nothing..I've put it through every test, and no results...No readings....Its like the box doesn't even exist...." Cisco said. With no results, I walked toward the exit and pushed the elevator button before I was stopped.
"Hey.."
"Hey, Joe! What's up?" I asked.
"Wally...the whole training thing. Sometimes it feels like his brain goes to sleep and somebody else is behind the wheel...."
"That's it! Thanks!" I said to Joe before patting him on the shoulder and speeding down to the cortex. I got an idea and I followed it. I opened the pipeline door and stood infront of Julian.
"Have you been losing time? Blacking out? Fallen asleep and woken someplace else? Not sure how you got there?"
"No..." He answered back. "I've had enough of your ridiculous theories."
"I'm trying to help you! You need to trust me."
"How can I trust someone in a mask?" Julian asked.
"You're right..." I said before I stepped into the light. I put my fingers to he edge of my mask and pulled it off. I let it dangle behind me.
"I should have known...I should have guessed it....You and Allen both....The unexplained absences...Your passion for meta's...Thumbing your nose at authority...I'm sure you had a good laugh behind my back....Why are you telling me this now?" Julian asked.
"I wish we could have told you sooner...And I do think your Alchemy....You just don't realize it.....Now, let me ask again....Have you been blacking out?" I asked sternly.
"Yes."
"When did it start?" I asked.
"My sister Emma died when I was 20. That really hurt my family. My parents weren't speaking to each other and they wouldn't even stay at the house. One night I was there alone and she came back to me. She stood infront of me, clear as day....I don't know if it were a ghost or a vision, but she looked real."
"What happened then?" I asked.
"She told me about the stone. She told me where to find it and that it would bring us back together. I would do anything to have her back, so that's what I did. I went on an expedition to India. For weeks, I travelled looking for this stone. Eventually, it was found. Next thing I remember after opening the box, I was in a hotel room. I couldn't remember anything prior, and that's when the blackouts started occurring. I ran to America when a report found all the other members of the expedition dead. I thought I was going to get blamed, so I panicked."
"What happens when you blackout? How to the blackouts start?" I asked.
"I hear the voice...."
"Every time you've blacked out, you've become Alchemy."
"That's impossible...Alchemy is a monster that terrorizes people....I can't be...I can't be him.."
"You have to accept what's happening. You were him.." I said before Barry sped into the pipeline.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"It's Cisco's workshop...He opened the box..." Barry said before we sped upstairs to Cisco's workshop. Cisco was frozen, and Savitar was loose. He sped and grabbed Barry and I before bringing us to the speed lab. He continued beating Barry and I up until something else got his attention:
"Hey! Uh...Metal Mouth!" Wally called.
"Wally?" I asked. "Get out of here!"
"I can see him......" He mumbled to himself. "Certainly noone taught you how to play nice with others.." Wally said before he was picked up by Savitar and thrown against me.
"Caitlin...He has to close that box.." I said in my earpiece. Savitar threw us once more, harder than before. He walked along the entrance of the track with his claws dragging along the wall. He got close, and the end was in sight. But relief washed over us and our fears faded away as he disappeared.
"Thanks.." I said to Wally.
"No problem...It was awesome.." Wally replied. Our friends came down to give us a help up, and they took us to the cortex.
"Are you okay?" I asked Cisco.
"Yeah, are you? I'm sorry...I didn't know what happened."
"Since the box is closed, is Savitar gone for good?" Joe asked.
"I don't know...We need to find out....If we can't use the box, Julian might be our only link to Savitar."
"Caitlin was right about this thing. It messes with brainwaves. If that's the case, I've got an idea," Cisco said before he walked out of the cortex. Our whole grouped joined him, and we met him in the speed lab. He had us grab Julian, so we brought him with us.
"What am I doing here?" Julian asked. He was currently tied up in a chair.
"Today when we were fighting Savitar, him and Alchemy had the same voice."
"What does that mean?" Julian asked, nervously.
"I don't think there was is an Alchemy. I think it's Savitar speaking through you."
"He's like a poltergeist....He needs a medium..." Cisco said.
"That would be your role."
"Okay, and what does that mean?" Julian reiterated.
"We think we've found a way to synch your brain to the stone. That way, we can talk directly to Savitar."
"I thought-"
"If you really want to get rid of this and move on, this is the way to go."
"I've never really liked you...Having all your friends here isn't gonna change that." I nodded. "Fine......I'll try it...." Julian said before Cisco hooked him up. Cisco put little receptors on his head:
"You're gonna count backwards from 10."
"1-" Julian spoke before he was unconscious. Cisco snapped infront of him and he was out cold.
"That was quick."
"How long until it works?" Iris asked.
"It could take minutes until-" Caitlin said before she was interrupted. Julian screamed.
"Hello, Chloe" Julian said as he turned to me. "It's been a while....None of you are on your knees.....Its a smart move to bow before a deity."
"You're not God."
"All you need to be God is make people believe you are."
"No one believes in you," said Iris.
"You should, Iris. I hold the power of life and death over all of you."
"How do you know so much about us?" I asked.
"I know everything there is to know about you. I know you better than you know yourselves. I know your fears and your weaknesses. I know your destinies. One shall betray you, one shall fall, and one will suffer a fate far worse than death."
"What do you want from us?" I asked.
"Everything....Everything you took from me, I want it back. I'm gonna take it back and then I'm gonna destroy you."
"Why haven't you already? If you're so powerful, why not do it already? Get it out of the way?"
"You did this to me. Your future selves. Trapped me in eternity, and now the age of my revenge rises. My freedom is at hand. You will feel my wrath. The wrath of Savitar!" He said before I walked up to Julian and ripped the receptors off.
"Did it work?" Julian asked. I nodded and I proceeded upstairs.
"That was....So Scary!" Said HR. "That was truly frightening with the voice and the prophecies....That was so horrifying! I think I'll have a mint tea, a coffee, and a lie down," he said before he went off to the other room, wiping his forehead.
"Do you think what he said was true? About the betrayal and the death?" Caitlin asked.
"It was future Barry. Maybe he does..."
"He doesn't. He's not getting out from where he's trapped," I said, interrupting all their thoughts.
"So how do we stop him?" Joe asked.
"The stone," Jay said as he walked into the cortex from the medical bay.
"Jay's right. The stone is the key to everything. It's how he created metas, it's how he controlled Julian-"
"So if we destroy the stone, Savitar's gone for good?" Iris asked.
"It's impossible to destroy. It's been around forever. There has to be a reason for that," said Julian.
"Why don't we bury it?" Asked Joe.
"So someone can dig it up? That will put us back at square one," I replied.
"There's only one thing we can do with it, and that's throwing it into the speed force. It's an endless void of time and energy...It's perfect!" said Jay.
"But that stone is filled with gravimetric force. I don't think you can run that fast and carry the box at the same time."
"With my help they can," said Jay. "Run as fast as you can and trail behind me. With that, you'll ciphen some of my speed and throw that box as hard as you can into the speed force."
"And this will work?" Joe asked.
"There's only one way to find out," I said before grabbing the box off the table and suiting up. Barry and Jay met me in the pipeline.
"Are you sure you're up for it Jay?" I asked.
"You got it," Jay said, taking the box from my hands.
"Cisco will let us know when we reach optimal speed."
"Ready?" Cisco asked. We nodded. "Go!" He exclaimed before we were off. We sped around the pipeline, building speed with every step. Jay handed me the box when he was ready and I sped around more until Cisco gave me the signal.
"Now, Chloe!" Cisco yelled before I threw the box into the breech. It went in, but I was suddenly not in S.T.A.R Labs anymore. I fell to the ground and got my balance fast. I examined my surroundings and everything seemed normal. That was until I heard a news station. I walked to the nearest bus stop and a screen had been installed. Everything about it was normal except for the date. The date had been 5 months later. Many questions ran through my mind until I heard a scream of a familiar voice. Barry....I thought to myself before speeding to where the sound was coming from.
"NO!! DON'T DO THIS! STOP!" Barry yelled. He was on the opposite side of the sidewalk, and Savitar was on the other. I was about to step in, until I saw that I was already there. I was in Savitar's arms and he had me by the neck.
"Don't do this, please!" Barry begged.
"It's over, Flash!" replied Savitar.
"Chloe.....Please, don't do this.....Take me instead...It's gonna be alright....." Barry pleaded.
"Take care of the kids for me," my other self said to Barry, who was crying. My other self was crying, but I could tell that I was trying to be strong.
"You lose," Savitar said before his claw came out.
"NO!!!" Barry yelled as Savitar stabbed it through my chest. I turned away for a moment. When I turned back, Barry was holding me in his arms.
"Chloe..." He whimpered over my body. He shook my body around in efforts that I would magically come back, but I didn't. My mind was racing over what I just saw and my thoughts were recollected when I was pulled back through a breech. This time, I was in S.T.A.R Labs.
"What the hell was that?" I asked as I pulled my mask off. I let my hair fall and Barry came to my side. I began crying in his shoulder and he turned to face Jay.
"What happened? Where was she? Talk to me, Chlo."
"She was in the future."
"We've never ran to the future. Only the past, but we always come back to the present." I came out from Barry's grasp and wiped my eyes.
"I saw myself....Barry was there too.....I was even there. Savitar killed me......It was 5 months from now....Is that actually gonna happen?" I asked.
"I don't know. You shouldn't have seen that."
"This doesn't make sense to me. We just got rid of the stone....HE SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN THERE!" I yelled as I pounded my fist against the wall. "That's why everything in the time vault must have changed......That's why there was no "Flashette" in that article....That's why.....Because I'm dead....."
"CHLOE!" Jay said sternly.
"I just watched myself die. I watched as Barry tried to save me, but he wasn't fast enough. This has to be my destiny....Think of the future...Our child...Our wedding....Our lives together...."
"What you saw was a possibility of the future. They are endless..." Jay said in hopes to lighten this moment.
"So I'll be cautious. I'll make sure we never go on that street so I can't be taken. So Barry won't be hurt.." I suggested.
"This is why speedsters don't travel through time. You shouldn't know this much about the future....There are infinite universes and every decision made creates an alternative."
"I won't let her die," said Barry.
"The future isn't written yet. You need to focus on the now. Live your life in the present." I looked at Barry in agreement and we bid Jay goodbye.
"What if that really happens?" I asked Barry. "What is our child gonna do? He/she will have to live a life without a mom. That can't happen!" I cried.
"It won't. Remember what Jay said.....The future's not written yet. Besides, I will keep you safe. I won't let that happen to you," Barry said before pulling me into a reassuring hug. When I was ready, we walked up to the cortex to greet the rest of the team.
"What happened? You dissappeared and then-Where's Jay?" Caitlin asked.
"He made his way back home. He wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas.." I answered.
"And the stone..."
"It's lost in the speed force."
"Good."
"I don't knew about you, but I'm not feeling the Christmas spirit thing, after Savitar and everything," said Cisco as he sat back in his chair.
"Christmas is here! C'mon!" Pushed HR. He asked everyone around the room to reconsider, and they eventually all agreed.
"Party at Barry and I's!" I exclaimed. At that moment, Julian stormed from behind us.
"I got it," Caitlin said as she rushed after him. We discussed more holiday plans before heading home. Barry and I set up everything, and the party got started. Everyone had an eggnog battle in the kitchen while I sat in the living room.
"What's wrong?" Barry asked he sat next to me on the couch. He pulled me closer to him. I was still distraught after the whole "traveling to the future" experience I had.
"Nothing....Really-Oh! Look!" I exclaimed as Joe and Cecile were kissing.
"It's about time," said Wally. Barry, Iris, and I said comments in agreement.
"I was waiting for it. The thirst was real."
"We all could see it in your eyes."
"We knew from square one," I finished before turning my attention back to Barry.
"I'm fine....I'll get over it," I said before giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"C'mon....Dad and Cecile did better than that....." Wally said from behind us.
"At least I have someone," I said before Wally held something over Barry and I, and we knew exactly what it was.
"You want better?" I asked Wally as I pulled Barry's collar and pulled him into me. Our lips collided, and we kissed multiple times before breaking.
"On another note, we have a gift for you," Joe said getting us back on track. Cecile had gone to answer a call out front and we handed Wally a big box. We all stood around him anxiously, waiting to see the look on his face. He lifted the box slightly and a grin spread on his face.
"You didn't!" Wally said as he lifted the lid completely off the box. It was a suit.
"Oh yes we did. Welcome to Team Flashes, Kid Flash."
"Is that really gonna be my name?" Wally asked.
"It is," I said before HR yelled.
"KID FLASH!" He yelled. He had too many drinks and we could all tell.
A knock on the door was heard, and I answered it. HR thought it was the police, and I had Barry calm him down. I opened the door, not to the police, but someone I didn't expect.
"Julian!" I said before letting him in.
"After everything that happened, being alone seemed a bit lonely.....Your friend, Caitlin invited me."
"It's all good. Pleasure to have you here."
"And I have something for you. Captain hadn't put in your resignation back, so here," Julian said, handing me an envelope. "If you want to share the lab....You're welcome to."
"Thank you!" I said before I held out my hand to shake. He shook it, and the party began. Caitlin offered Julian eggnog, and he went off into the kitchen. The sounds of Christmas carols were among us, and HR opened the door to carrollers.
"Singing out in the rain," he commented as they continued to sing. I noticed Caitlin took off her cuffs and I walked over to her.
"What are you doing?" I asked as she pointed her hand toward the window. Ice immersed from them and she spoke:
"We at not be able to have the perfect Christmas, but at least we'll have a white one," she said before the rain turned to snow. I felt arms wrap around my waist and I squealed.
"Bar.."
"We still haven't exchanged gifts yet," Barry said before taking my hand and leading me upstairs to his room.
"I remember the first time we slept in here as a couple.....So many good memories in this room.." I saiid before Barry walked me over to the bed and I sat down. He pulled out a box from the top of his closet and placed it on the bed. He found what he was looking for and handed it to me. It was wrapped in heart paper, and I opened it slowly. When I peeled back the last bit of paper, tears filled my eyes. There was a stack of unopened cards. They all had the title: "Open when," on them. I looked through all of them and thanked Barry with a kiss. Next was my present to him. It was a picture that I had taken during Flashpoint. It was of me, Barry, my parents, and his parents. It was taken after we had told them the news about the baby. Ontop of that, I recorded a message from Barry's parents and played it for him. By the end, tears stained his cheeks. I pulled him for a hug, and we sat like that until someone knocked on the door.
"Last gift from the team," Caitlin spoke from the other side of the door. We broke the hug and Barry wiped his eyes. I kissed him and we waited a few minutes before heading downstairs.
We sat on the couch, and a square box was placed on my lap. Barry peeled off the wrapping paper, and I lifted the lid off the box. We both peeled back tissue paper to reveal an upside down photo frame. When we turned it around, we were surprised by what we saw. It was from the ultra sound....When we saw it, we were surprised........We weren't having a baby........
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CLIFFHANGER!!! A lot happened in this chapter, and regular updates of this book will continue Tuesday, January 24th when "The Flash" has it's midseason premiere. Shorts will be continued though. Thank you for everything, and I'll see you in the next chapter! -Flashette1