Flashette(Book Three)

22

One of the final chapters...Only one more to go! This one may be a tear jerker for you guys, so have those tissue boxes ready! The finale will be out soon, and enjoy! ❤️
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"Hey Bar," I whispered as the sun's light poured from our curtains. I examined Barry as his eyes fluttered open and he smiled.
"Morning." Barry leaned in and pecked my lips. "Why are you up so early?" He asked after picking up his phone off his nightstand and showing me that it was 5:30.
"Couldn't sleep," I replied. "My time is almost up, and it's coming to an end."
"Chloe, C'mon," Barry said, stroking my arm. "I told you were were gonna fix this and that you're not gonna die! Tracy and HR are working on the speed force contraption right now." I let Barry's thoughts sweep through my mind and clear all the negative ones out.
"Alright...." I replied, my stomach grumbling loudly.
"Someone's hungry," said Barry with a smirk.
"Not for you..." I said. Barry frowned. "Something salty......Like potato chips..."
"We have some downstairs. Would you like me to get some?" Barry asked.
"If you would," I replied, fluttering my eyelashes. Barry sighed and stood out of bed.
"Anything for you." He made his bed and put his slippers on before walking downstairs. I could hear him rummaging through the kitchen, and while he was doing that, I took the time to do a little something special, considering I didn't have much time left. I picked up his phone that had been left on his side of the bed and went to the camera app. I recorded him a little message:
"Hey Bar, It's Chloe. If you're watching this, I'm assuming Savitar got the best of us.....This was something we all feared, and there was no way of preventing it. I know that you tried your hardest to save me, but don't feel like it's your fault because it's something you can't control," I went on before I heard Barry coming up the stairs. I paused the video and put his phone back in place. I quickly wiped the stray years away that had fallen during my speech.
"We didn't have some in the kitchen, so I'm gonna have to make a special trip," Barry said, popping his head in the door. "Do you want anything else?"
"Any junk food is okay," I replied. Barry nodded and blew me a kiss before heading out the door. When he was gone, I continued.
"And I know that this day was a day we all were dreading because it is the day your love is tragically killed right infront of you. I know how that feels not just from my perspective, but yours. When I travelled to the future and first witnessed this scene, the pain and worry your eyes held as Savitar thrusted his claw into my chest....It's a look I will never forget. And though my time her with you isn't as long as I planned, please go on without me. Yes, it would be hard, but I want you to move on. Help the team out. Don't just split up like our future team did. Please stay strong for me. And I know that you can't go a day without thinking of me or being without me, so I made this to make you feel as if I am with you if I wasn't. Being with you has made me the happiest women alive, and I can't give back and the love and happiness you have provided for me. Keep those photos and memories of us close to your heart, and never let go of them. And remember, though Savitar took me away and can take anything else, know that there is one thing he can never touch: Our Love. I love you, Barry Allen," I said, a tear falling down my check. "And please don't ever forget that." I closed the camera app and shut his phone down. Perfect timing because he walked into the door as I placed his phone back on the bed where he left it. I tried my best to look normal, and luckily, Barry didn't notice.
"I know you wanted just Salt and Vinegar chips, but I pretty much bought out the whole store. I got Cosmic Brownies, Cheetos Puffs, Cape Cod Chips, Hostess Donuts.." Barry trailed on.
"Thank you, Bar," I said before I sat up. "Thank you for everything you've done for me up to this point. You've been an amazing best friend, boyfriend, and now husband." Barry placed the groceries down on the floor and sat down on my edge of the bed.
"It won't be your last," Barry said, looking down at me. He placed a hand on my leg and stroked it. "Now, do you want some of this junk or no?" Barry asked. I then pushed him off the bed and ran straight to the bags. I ripped them all apart, immediately eating the contents of the bags. Barry picked himself up off the floor and joined me, eating whatever scraps I didn't want. "Hungry?" Barry asked. He stepped back in the midst of everything, afraid I might bite his hand off or something.
"What?" I asked, wiping my lips, which had been covered in powdered sugar. I prepared to shove another donut in my mouth.
"I assumed you were hungry. You ate almost everything!"
"What do you expect?" I asked. "I'm 28 years old and pregnant with twins."
"I see your point..." Barry said with a smile, changing the discussion: "As I was out, I got a call from Cisco. We have to be at S.T.A.R Labs....Well....Argus, ASAP. Cisco needs us to negotiate with him."
"Tell him his ass can wait," I said, finishing up the junk food in my hands. I then wiped my hands on my pajama pants, and speedily changed while Barry picked up the garbage. I had just finished my hair when Barry was ready, and we left when I was done.
"Hey, Lyla!" I greeted as we met her in the ARGUS parking lot.
"Hey."
"It's a wee bit chilly," Cisco said as he placed his hands in his pockets.
"Wanna take this inside?" Lyla asked, crossing her arms.
"Every square inch of that building is bugged...Figured it was better to talk out here," said Cisco.
"I got your message. I thought this was going to just be me and you, but that's unimportant...What do you need again?" Lyla asked.
"HR and a colleague are working on a cannon, bazooka thing."
"It's a sort of trap," I chimed in, trying to elucidate Barry's words.
"In order to turn it on, we need something to power it."
"Something extremely powerful and regenerative," added Barry.
"I'm following," said Lyla with a nod.
"Yeah, so, I tasked our satellite to look for anything that might have our specific power requirements, and wouldn't you know it we found something that has exactly what we need....And it's right there in that building." Cisco pointed to ARGUS, and Lyla didn't even turn her head.
"Crazy, huh?" Barry asked. Lyla's expression remained professional and serious.
"I really don't think you should be spying on me, Cisco."
"Is it spying if we're friends?" He asked, trying to persuade her. "You have something, don't you?" Cisco asked. Lyla stood up taller.
"It's a piece of the Dominators' technology...We got it from the ship that crashed in Central City."
"That's great!" Barry exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "C--"
"You can't have it, Barry," replied Lyla.
"What?" Barry asked, shocked. "We've searched everywhere...This tech is the only thing that we can use."
"I can't let this happen," Lyla said, looking at Barry sternly and staying strong to her point.
"Is this because of baby Sara?" I asked. "Because I know how it feels to have--"
"Look I'll admit, it's been hard not to wonder what it would have been like to have a daughter instead of a son, but this is less about what happened than why it happened."
"It was a mistake!"
"Exactly my concern...Barry, this is the kind of tech that wars are fought over...If something happens and it gets into the wrong hands, people could die...Millions...And frankly, I don't know if I can trust you to have it."
"Director Michaels," an Argus worker asked, approaching our discussion. She looked back at him and he wore a look of urgency.
"I gotta go."
"Lyla, if we don't use this, Chloe dies tonight."
"As much as I love your company and how supportive you've been, I can't help you this time...You'll have to find another way." Lyla walked away and Cisco looked at me with sorrow in his eyes.
"Chloe, I'm s--" Cisco went on before Barry sped away, angrily. We let Barry blow off his steam, and Cisco and I returned to S.T.A.R labs. An hour later, nowhere to be found, Barry was still missing. "I'm sorry we couldn't--" Cisco said before Barry returned in the cortex with an old friend. I wiped my hair out of my face and looked up to see someone I never thought I'd see again.
"Captain Cold?" I asked as he removed his hood and stood next to Barry. "What is he--?" I asked, stepping foreward. "You timed travelled again? You remember what happened last time when we time travelled! Time travel is why we're here in the first place!"
"He's our only shot at getting that power source. Besides, I'll put him back right where I got him when we're done. It'll be like he never even left."
"Isn't he dead?" Cisco asked.
"No...Yes....In our timeline, yes."
"Barry, you're--"
"If Lyla won't let us have the tech, we're gonna have to take it. Who's the expert on jobs like this?" Barry asked rhetorically, pointing to Leonard. "Besides, there's dampeners all over, so we won't be able to use our powers. This cannon requires the manipulating of extra-dimensional energy, and this device is the only thing that can do that."
"That's crazy," I chimed in. "You're not a thief. You'd never. I supported the idea of Lyla giving it to us, not us taking it from her!"
"I told you I'd do anything to prevent this from happening, even if that means putting my being at risk," Barry said, reaching for my hand. I nudged it away. "Besides, what are we going to do, ship you off to another city? There isn't a single place he won't find you."
"But we're talking about security cameras, retina scans, Palm prints, missiles, lasers--"
"I can't believe this!" I said, standing up from my chair. "You of all people, planning to steal a piece of alien tech that's in a place more secure than you've ever had to deal with. You're crazy! That's the last thing I'd expect to hear from you."
"We have less than 14 hours until Savitar comes, what other option do we have?" Barry asked. I quickly responded:
"None," I replied, storming out of the cortex. I thought a walk would be a god way to pool my thoughts and clear my head. Barry disrupted the silence as I approached the door.
"Chloe!" Barry called, running after me. "Wait!" He yelled as I turned around.
"What, Barry?" I asked, not wanting to hear anything else he had to say.
"Hear me out, okay?" He asked.
"Do you have another crazy, out of this world idea?" I asked. "Because after the first one, I'm so eager to hear it," I said, sarcastically.
"Chloe, just look past that and see that I'm trying to help you."
"I understand that you love me so much you'd die for me, and I admire that, but with it, you're stripping away the parts that make you human. You're stripping away my Barry Allen. Do you really want my last memories of my last day here with you to be the day you got locked up for burglary?" I asked, panic in my voice. I began to pace and worry. Barry placed his hands on my shoulders.
"We already talked about it. He agreed to the deal if I follow his rules--"
"Yeah, let's let The Flash, one of Central City's greatest heroes, follow the orders of a convicted felon!" I took his hands off my shoulders and crossed my arms, becoming more frustrated.
"It's not like that!" Barry yelled.
"Look at you!" I yelled back, stepping foreword. "What's with you?" I asked. "Everything was fine this morning...What happened to my Barry Allen? I just got you back yesterday after you walked around not knowing your own name! And now you're here asking me permission for you to do something I never thought you would've even asked me."
"Chloe, I-"
"No, save it," I said, putting my hands up. I pushed him away and turned around, continuing to walk away and proceed home. When I reached home, I walked up to the bedroom. I placed all my stuff on my dresser and sat down on the edge of my bed with a parenting magazine. I flipped through, reading every little piece of information it gave. As well as the information, I examined the images and pictured myself in every one of them. I sat like this for a while before I was taken away from my thoughts by a knock on my bedroom door. I looked up to see Felicity, my favorite gal-pal, standing in the doorway.
"Can I come in?" She asked.
"Ofcourse!" I exclaimed, standing up and running to greet her. She opened her arms and I hugged her. "What are you doing here?" I asked, putting my magazine away and leading her downstairs.
"Barry called and said you could use someone. He usually calls when something is wrong with you two, so I came here, happy to help. I couldn't just sit in Starling, knowing my favorite couple was having issues!" Felicity smiled as I got her a glass of water. She made her way into the living room.
"I appreciate you coming! I know how difficult it must be with the new and improved Arrow team," I said raising my eyebrows. "And Oliver..."
"Tell me about it," Felicity joked, sitting down on the couch. I joined her in the living room and placed our glasses on my coffee table. I then sat in the love seat next to her.
"Barry wants to steal from Argus... The team needs some power source to power the 'cannon' they're creating to stop Savitar. I told Barry I wouldn't stand by and watch as his humanity strips away. Then we got into a huge fight and I left."
"That's understandable, but aren't you the one who's making it worse for yourself?" Felicity asked, taking a sip of the water I had brought over. She placed her glass back down on the table and I continued.
"I don't see how, I mean--"
"He's trying to help you, and you pushed him away."
"I had every reason to...He's being irrational. He can't do that, he's The Flash. It's totally out of his character."
"But as you're here thinking about all the reasons why he shouldn't do it, why not think of the reasons why he should do it?" She asked. I then sat thought. She did have a fair point. "Besides, at least he's willing to die trying. And what happens if he doesn't do anything? He becomes Savitar and the 'prophecy' is fulfilled. That's not the kind of life you want for the father of your children, right?" She asked. I shook my head.
"I guess you're right...Now I have to go to S.T.A.R Labs and tell Barry he's right...That's a day I never saw
coming...This soon anyway," I said, standing up. I dusted myself off and thanked her.
"Go, girl! I know my way out!" Felicity exclaimed before I walked towards the door. I turned back to face her. "Go!" She yelled before I sped out the door to S.T.A.R Labs.
"Barry, I---" I started before I stopped in the mouth of the cortex. There, Barry was out of sight, as well as Captain Cold. Cisco was the only one who remained. He was typing at isn computer, and going back and forth from room to room, gathering materials and writing things down.
"Chloe! What a surprise to see you here!" Cisco said loudly. He put his pen down and looked up at me, still distracted by what was going on in front of him. "How's it going?" Cisco asked, leaning infront of his computer, covering the screen.
"Cisco, what are you--" I asked before I was interrupted.
"Cisco, we have a problem...Can you help?" I heard Barry ask over the earpiece system. Cisco continued to smile, me growing with suspicion. "What elevator do we take?" He asked. "Where on the map is the--" Cisco asked before I sped over to his desk and took the earpiece control.
"Hey, Barry, maps say to take the
West Elevator." I looked at Cisco and winked. Cisco shrunk and he blushed, his face flushed of embarrassment.
"Than--" Barry said and stopped himself. Realizing it was me, his voice became ahaky and I tell he was growing with nervousness. "Hey, babe...What's up?" Barry asked, raising his voice.
"What's up is you trying to hide from me."
"Hiding? What?..." Barry scoffed. "What makes you think I'd do this without you knowing?" He asked.
"This conversation. I was on my way here to tell you you were right and that you should continue, but you seem to have matters in your own hands."
"Really, because now I feel bad about--"
"Just get the job done," I said, taking my hand off the button. I then turned to Cisco, who was now trying to leave.
"How'd he get in there, anyway?" I asked.
"Barry used HR's face disguise tech...Genius idea...I came up with it myself..." Cisco gloated. Seeing that I wasn't amused, Cisco cleared his throat and continued: "It worked for everything, voice recognition, eye scan...Not sure about the lasers or missles, though."
"That makes me feel a lot better," I said sarcastically. "What's the status, Barry?" I asked, taking control of the monitor once again.
"We're down in the level where Argus keeps all of their Metahuman prisoners, but other than that, it's quite nice!" Captain Cold said into Barry's earpiece.
"I see the source..." Barry said, Cisco putting Barry's chest camera on the monitor. Cisco and I could now see everything Barry was seeing. Through the tiny gap of the door, the sphere was seen in the middle of the room through a thick fog. Barry looked around for the lock, but Cold found it first.
"The---issue I'm having--this door," said Captain Cold, typing frantically on the door's keypad.
"I think the signals cutting out."
"It's the interference."
"Another problem...This door's a Montgomery 3000."
"Okay, and that is--"
"Only the most difficult door you'll see in your life," said Captain Cold, continuing to tinker with the keypad. "It's not easy to open a 25 ton door that can withstand a 30 megaton nuclear blast."
"Let's not forget the fact that it's completely bombproof and can only be unlocked by voice recognition of three different individuals. A 10 million dollar purchase well spent," said Cisco.
"Not well enough," said Captain cold, the door unlocking. "....37 seconds...I must be out of practice."
I watched as Barry and Leonard managed to get the door a few inches off the ground. Suddenly, it was slammed back down and a loud roar was heard. My mind began to piece together what or who that could have been. Suddenly, the creature appeared and Barry and Leonard jumped back.
"Guys...We have a problem." Barry and Leonard looked in horror at the creature infront of them.
"I see it too, Bar," I said, King Shark staring out the small window of the prison.
"I've seen many things in my life, but half man- half shark definitely takes the cake," said Leonard.
"Give me your gun," said Barry commanded Leonard, taking it from him quickly. Barry examined the gun, trying to remember the mechanics.
"BARRY, STOP!" I yelled. "You don't want to rush into things."
"Listen to your wife, have you seen Shark Week?" Leonard asked. Barry shook his head.
"That explains it. Well if you were caught up on all the action, you'd know that most sharks are cold-blooded, but the great white shark, like your friend in there, is partially warm-blooded."
"Susceptible to cold."
"Never exposed to water temperatures lower....Kept at about 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit...But if you decrease that by the slightest amount, sharky goes night night." Barry pondered the idea. Cisco looked at me and nodded. "Or, you can go ahead and kill him, and prove what a badass you are...Your choice." Barry thought about the decision and came to a conclusion fast. He handed Cold his his back and Cisco sped over to his computer, where he took a few seconds to reset the thermostats.
"Alright...Temps down.....Now," Cisco said, clicking a final key on his computer. Captain Cold lifted the door with Barry's help, enough for them both to fit through.
"You first," Cold said, holding the door open for Barry, who stepped in slowly. Leonard joined him, walking cautiously across the fog coated floor. Cold and Barry walked through the room, but were stopped by the shark a few times. I was especially nervous when the shark grazed Barry's leg.
"I'm getting major 'Jaws' vibes," Cisco said as he examined the scene.
"How long do you think he'll stay asleep?" Barry asked, Snart giving Barry a sarcastic expression.
"I like Shark Week, i'm not a marine biologist," Snart said as Barry approached the chamber where the power source was being held. Barry reached his hands slowly around the sphere, and Cisco checked for lasers in the area. Snart kept lookout as Barry removed the sphere as slowly and cautiously as he could.
"Bar, whatever you do, don--" I said before Barry picked up the sphere fully. The chamber and the room lit up with with red lights, and an alarm blared. I then watched in horror as King Shark awoke, immediately noticing Barry and Cold. Barry shoved the sphere up his shirt, and Snart and Barry stepped closer together, frantically trying to figure out a plan out.
"That place is gonna be crawling with ARGUS agents in two minutes, do something!" I yelled to Cisco.
"Run!" Cisco exclaimed as Barry and Snart began to run towards the door. Snart, running behind, got caught in Shark's grasp and didn't make it through the gap that had been left. My heart rose, and my eyes remained glued to the monitors. The door closed, leaving Cold trapped with the shark. Barry then tried the keypad and pounded on the door, watching as Snart dodged and tried to escape King Shark.
""You gotta open the door! I can't leave him here!" Barry pleaded.
"I can try hacking into the mainframe, but I can't make any guarantees!" Cisco said as he typed on his computer.
"Leonard...Don't look behind you.." I said as King Shark appeared behind him. Leonard turned around and dodged him. I could see he couldn't keep up much longer.
"Cisco, I will put in a good word with my sister if you find a way for me to get out of this hell!" Leonard said before Cisco stopped typing.
"GOT IT!" Cisco yelled, shooting up from his chair and joining me at the monitors. Barry lifted up the door quickly and Snart slid under just in time. The door came down with a slam, falling on King Shark's arm in a failed attempt to grab Leonard, and it detached from his body. But that wasn't the end, the arm collapsed, but through the glass, we could see he grew another one.
"Let's get out of here before--" Barry said, turning around. The two were greeted by Lyla, who stood with her arms crossed.
"Barry--- Can you--" I asked before my monitors cut out. "Cisco, are they--"
"I don't know. It must be the interference. I hope he's--" I said before Cisco ran to his computer. He tried every trick he could to reboot the system, but there was no way of reaching them. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Cisco was able to get access. By that time, Barry sped into the cortex. Barry placed the sphere on the table and smiled.
"Got it," Barry said, pointing to it.
"How did you--"
"Lyla let us go. She didn't give us a long lecture. She just reiterated that she couldn't give it to us, but she's gonna let it go under the rug. She said we would do the same thing if it were John." Completely ignoring him, I could only think about what Felicity said and how I had been wrong.
"Oh Bar," I said, running to him and wrapping my hands around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and returned the hug. "I'm sorry I was so mean this morning. Felicity came to me and just--I'm glad you're okay," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. I hugged him tighter, him hugging tighter back.
"It's alright, I understand..." Barry broke the hug and looked down at me. "As much as I'm glad to have you here, we don't have much time. Now that Savitar knows we've got a source for this cannon, he's gonna come for you soon. Joe and Wally will take you somewhere to keep you safe."
"Where am I--"
"I can't know, only you can. If I know, Savitar knows, and I'm not putting you at risk again."
"I agree, it's safer that way," Joe said, walking into the cortex. "We don't have much time." I became saddened at the thought of this being my last goodbye to the team.
"Chloe, it's been a pleasure working with you, but I know this isn't gonna be goodbye," Cisco said, walking up to me and pulling me in for a hug. I patted him on the back and he pulled away.
"Let Julian know I say goodbye and good luck with his cure."
"I will," said Cisco with a nod. He stepped back and Barry stepped foreword.
"This isn't goodbye," Barry said, kissing my lips. "And thanks to this, we're sure of that," Barry said, pointing to the glowing red sphere. I kissed him one more time before stepping back with Joe and Wally, who had just entered.
"I love you..." I said to Barry with tear filled eyes. "I love all of you," I said, looking around the room. My eyes stayed locked on Barry, who I didn't want to leave, but I had to. With one last glance, I followed Cisco downstairs. He then vibed Joe, Wally, and I to our mystery destination. It was a place I had known and visited before: Earth-3.