Flashette(Book Three)

23

Here it is...The final chapter of book three! Writing this series and this book has been an amazing experience, and thank you for making this a part of your lives. This community built around the series is amazing, and I can't thank you enough for everything! I know what you're thinking...Flashette, stop babbling...I agree. With that, here is the final chapter of book three! This chapter is very sad, so have your tissues handy! Enjoy!
-Flashette1
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Previous Chapter Ending:
"You lose, Flash," Savitar said before he brought his claw closer to Chloe's back. Barry ran immediately to Savitar, and tried his hardest to run faster than he ever had before. He got to Chloe's aid right as the blade had pierced her chest. Her head fell back and Savitar disappeared without a trace, letting Chloe go. Barry caught her in his arms and examined what was left of his wife. His hand and attention immediately went to the wound in her chest, which completely penetrated her pregnant belly. He placed his hand over it, trying to stop the blood flow, but there was nothing left he could do. Barry was left crying on the top of the steps with his true love dead in his arms, as well as his unborn children.
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Chapter 23:
Third Person POV
Silence came over the flash team as they remained still. They stood at their vantage points, trying to make sense of what happened. Joe and HR placed their guns down slowly, completely struck by what happened. Tracy, repeating to herself that she failed. Tears escaped her eyes at the realization that a member of her team died because of her. And Barry, tears pouring out of his eyes, whispering kind words as he rocked his wife back and forth in his arms.
"Chloe...my poor children...What has he done...What have I done?" Barry asked, looking up to the sky and cursing. He brought his face close to her chest and examined her limp, lifeless body. Joe turned away from the scene, tears falling from his eyes. His hand was cupped over his mouth as he slid down the wall, sobbing over the sight of his dead daughter. HR stood over the scene, mouth gaping. He was quick to go over to Joe's aid and comfort him.
"It's okay," said HR, placing a hand on Joe's shoulder. Joe shook it off and his anger rose.
"No it's not!" Joe yelled, ignoring HR's comfort. "Chloe just died, and I witnessed it," Joe said, continuing to cry, this time even harder. HR frowned and reached into his pocket. Pulling out a pen, HR brought it to his face and clicked it. Quietly, as Joe cried, HR's face transformed to someone they never thought they'd see again: Chloe.

Chloe POV
"Joe," I said, crouching down and placing my hand on his after I changed back. He looked up quickly, perking up as he saw my face. Multiple expressions were present on his face, but relief settled as he realized it was me and that I was here.
"Chloe?" He asked, surprised and shocked. He then pulled me in for a hug, and I hugged him back. He hugged tightly and a tear of relief escaped his eye. "I thought I lost you..." Joe said, sniffling. I pulled away and explained how I was still with him.
"HR's tech saved me." I held up the pen and clicked it. I was quickly turned to HR, but then changed back, placing the pen back into my pocket. "Barry used it to be Lyla, and I disguised as HR. It wasn't even my idea, actually."
"If that's you....That's--"
"HR?" I overheard Barry ask from his position on the steps, confused and puzzled. I looked over the edge to see Barry now holding HR in his arms, trying to put the pieces together. Barry sat him up and HR began speaking. Now that HR was revealed, I knew Barry would be looking for me. So he didn't go on a goose chase, I headed down to him.
"If that's HR, than where's--" Barry asked before I came into his peripheral vision. I had just emerged from the building and wiped a stray piece of hair out of my face. My teary eyes locked with his as he turned to me slowly, not believing what he saw. In that moment, Tracy took HR from Barry, cradling his head in her lap, whispering to him.
I've never seen Barry so happy to see me. He stood up from HR's side and sped over to me, pulling me in a hug, which I greatly needed. I hugged him tightly as he rocked us back and forth. I took in the familiar scent and feeling of Barry's embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay," Barry said, his voice shaking. I gave him a pat on the back and pulled away to meet his eyes.
"Me too," I said, pecking his lips. In that moment, I felt awful, Tracy experiencing the fate Barry and I were supposed to have.
"How?" Barry asked. "How did he not know? Did Savitar do anything to you?" Barry asked nervously, flooding me with questions.
"When Savitar took me...HR found me in his hideout and we switched places. I insisted on just letting me go and live out my fate, but HR felt as if he didn't have enough to lose. He told me that I did, though," I said, looking down at my stomach. "HR said that with the luck we had the first time, we deserve this second chance at happiness." I looked up at Barry as my lip quivered. He placed a hand to my stomach and rested his forehead on mine.
"I don't know what I would have done," Barry said, a tear falling from his eye. I placed my hand on his cheek and wiped away the tear. I then brushed a hand through his hair.
"I'm here now," I said, pulling him into another hug, rubbing a hand up and down his back. We were interrupted by Tracy's hard sobs, realizing that she didn't have much time left. Tracy had said everything she wanted to, and HR's responses made her cry even harder. When it was time, Joe helped Tracy up and restrained her behind HR's body.
"HR," I said as I knelt, by his side, sadness filling my heart. "I'm so sorry this had to happen to you. You and your brilliant mind shouldn't have had to go through this." I looked down at his body with a sad smile, his wound bleeding out quicker by the second. It was what happened next that will always stick with me:
"It was your beautiful mind I didn't want wasting," HR said, reaching his hand up to my cheek slowly and stroking it with every ounce of strength he had left. I could see he had a short amount of time remaining, and Tracy had already said her words. We let the rest of the team have their time with HR. I stepped back and observed as HR gave Barry a message to tell Cisco. Before Barry placed his head down, I unwrapped the scarf I was wearing around my neck as I walked to HR's side and made it into a pillow. I placed it under his head and stepped back to Barry's side. I stood infront of Barry, up against him, his hands around my torso. That moment was the moment HR spoke with his last breath: "Until next time." With that, HR's eyes rolled back and closed slowly. His whole body relaxed, and Tracy escaped from Joe's grasp, sadness and anger fueling inside her. She ran to HR, throwing herself to his body, placing a head on his chest. She cried and pleaded, calling out his name as if he was going to magically come back to life. I buried my head in Barry's neck, crying about HR, as well as feeling sorry that it was Tracy's future instead of mine. I decided to toughen up, leaving Barry's side and I approached Tracy. I placed a hand at her back and tried to comfort her, letting her know it was time to go.
"Let's get you home," I said before attempting to lift Tracy away from HR's body. She refused to leave his side, but I later convinced her. She stood up, wiping a tear from her eye. I then handed her off to Barry, who put her in the approaching cop car. I watched as she put her hands up to the glass window and sobbed, calling her dead lovers' name. Barry told the cop the address, and the car took off.
"The bazooka's gone," Joe said, looking over at the grass where it had previously been.
"Savitar ran off with it."
"We'll talk more about it later, now, we need to cleanup," said Julian, coming into the scene. "Morgue is already on their way," Julian said, putting on his rubber gloves. "Just get her to safety," said Julian before the remaining team met at S.T.A.R Labs. The cortex was very somber, HR not being there to fill it with humor. Barry, Joe, and I discussed in-depth what had happened to me, both of them relieved that nothing occurred while I was in Savitar's possession.
"How is Tracy holding up?" I asked Julian as he walked into the cortex after we had been there for a while.
"Not good, but that's understandable. She just wants to be alone," Julian placed his stuff down and sat at one of the computers, typing away.
"I don't blame her...We'll give her this time to mourn. Right now, we need to figure out our next move," I said, walking up to the whiteboard. I studied what we had previously written, trying to figure out what happens now.
"So for the millionth time, I'm lost on all this time travel stuff. What happens now that Chloe didn't die?"
"That changes things, right?" Iris asked, standing up from her swivel chair.
"Since she didn't die, future me never goes down that same dark path..." Said Barry, examining the board. "I never create time remnants to fight Savitar."
"And if future you never creates these time remnants, then Savitar himself is never born," said Wally.
"Precisely," Barry said with a nod. "Once the time paradox catches up with him, he'll be erased from existence,"
"But I saw him. He didn't disappear," Joe said, nervously. "What if he--"
"But he will, Joe."
"Any guesses how long that's gonna take?" Joe countered. Barry thought for a second:
"Maybe a few hours?"
"He can do a lot of damage in a few hours."
"Well, guys, we can't just sit around and wait for Savitar to disappear. The paradox will eventually catch up to him, but he's obviously pulling something big. He wouldn't have stolen the bazooka for no reason," I said, trying to fit why he would have taken it. I studied the board again, looking at what he might have needed it for. "I mean, he already knew we were constructing it."
"Remember, he's been planning this for centuries."
"While you're here talking about bad news, I have something good," Julian said, placing his bag on the table and differing from the computer. He pulled out a small object and closed his bag. He reached into the pouched object he had been holding and revealed a vile full of liquid. "Voila!" He said, showing it off to the team. He stood proudly, looking at his creation. We all looked in awe, curious as to what it could be.
"That's--"
"Caitlin's cure," said Julian, proudly. I smiled. "Experimental gene therapy, thanks to Caitlin's mother."
"She can come home," I whispered. Barry placed a hand on my back.
"Yes," Julian agreed. "First, we have to find out where Savitar is keeping her and Cisco," he placed the vile into his bag and turned back to Barry and I.
"We'll attempt to form a plan here, while you get her somewhere safe," Julian said with a nod. "It's only a matter of time before Savitar finds out she's not dead and comes here to kill her. Besides, he'll figure out the plan if Barry's here." Barry sent Julian a nod and looked back at me.
"I agree, let's get you home," Barry said before we said goodbye and he sped me home. Barry placed me on the couch and disappeared off into our bedroom. He came out a few minutes later, showered and changed. He sat next to me and placed a hand on my leg. I was happy to be home...Happy to be alive. Barry continued looking at me, and I couldn't help but notice.
"What?" I asked as he continued to stare. I put my phone down on the couch and looked back at him.
"I thought that was you," Barry said, sadly. "That could have been you up there. You were so close to death and  weren't even afraid."
"I just accepted my fate at that point. There was nothing I could do."
"I held you in my arms and cried...The babies...they were so close to death as well," Barry's voice trembled. I remained attentive, though in that moment I wanted to cry myself. "And when that claw went through your chest, I was ready to die. I would have found him myself and died with you. Just seeing you and the kids like that is my worst nightmare. It's everything I fear," Barry said, his eyes now on the verge of tears. I placed a hand to his cheek as he closed his eyes, one tear falling. I let it fall and admired my hero sitting infront of me.
"I'm okay, Bar," I said, now placing a hand ontop of his, taking mine away from his face. "I'm here, right here with you. I'm not going anywhere," I said, giving him a smile. Barry then stood up and his hands found the back of his neck. He continued to rant, though I thought he'd be calmed.
"I hated Thawne and Zoom...They took so much from me. I've hated Savitar for threatening to take you away from me too, and almost doing so--"
"But he didn't," I replied, standing up and meeting his gaze. I took his hands that were around his neck and held them in mine.
"There is strength in anger," Barry said, pulling away. My hands fell to my side. "I've used it before. And so we sit here, with our anger, trying to think of a way to hurt Savitar or maybe kill him.
And I just don't think that hate's gonna get it done this time."
"What do you mean?" I asked, crossing my arms. This wasn't a usual side of Barry I'd seen, and judging by what he was thinking, I'd rather not explore it.
"Something that Snart said to me... The Flash should stay a hero, all the way, and sometimes that it's not about who can punch the hardest or run the fastest." Barry took a few steps foreword with his back turned to me.
"Barry, what are you getting at here?" I asked. He turned back to me and pointed a finger in the air.
"The last thing he'd expect." With that, Barry sped out the door and I already had Julian on it. I quickly dialed his number and Julian responded in an instant. Joe was there with him, continuing to talk as I headed to S.T.A.R Labs. Julian pulled up Barry's feed, as well as the cameras from the stop lights. We watched as Barry enacted his scheme.
Barry waited at the stoplight of that same street, waiting for Savitar to come. He looked around for him until a gust of wind occurred. Barry then knew that Savitar was there.
"I wasn't sure you'd come..." Barry said, looking up at Savitar. Barry remained confident and strong as Savitar watched him. "Must be an odd sensation, getting new memories...You having an uncertain future."
"What do you want?" Savitar asked. He wasn't in his suit and was just the Barry form of himself. "I'm busy."
"Doing what?" Barry asked with a laugh. "Getting erased from existence? Tell me, are you still planning on becoming a god?" Savitar dusted off his shoulders. "It doesn't look that way for you now, does it?"
"Cisco and Caitlin are still alive if that's what you're worried about," Savitar replied, trying to deviate from the topic at hand. Barry didn't seem affected by his comment, but remained omnipotent.
"Oh, I know," Barry said with a nod. "You need them, right? To pull off your grand ascension," Barry said using air quotes.
"Look, Barry, if I wanted to talk to myself, I could have done that back at my lair." Savitar was getting impatient. "What do you want?" He snapped.
"I want to help you," Barry replied with an outstretched hand. Savitar nodded with his eyebrows raised and bit his lip in frustration.
"Really?" Savitar scoffed.
"You don't have much time before the paradox reaches you. Come back to S.T.A.R Labs, let Cisco and Caitlin go, and let us figure out a way to save you."
"You really think I'd trust you?" Savitar asked, skeptical of Barry's words.
"You showed up," Barry replied, looking around. "So you remember me coming here and asking you the same thing. Did I have any tricks up my sleeve? Was I was I planning on blindsiding you?" Barry asked, his forehead and eyebrows wrinkling.
"I don't know, Barry," Savitar replied. "Maybe I get off watching you grovel." Savitar clenched his fists and dug his feet deeper into the ground.
"No, I don't think that's it...I think you're hearing me...I'm still in there," Barry pointed to his head. "Deep down, buried beneath the scars and the pain, that part of you that it must feel so lonely," Barry shook his head. "But it also knows what it's like to have a family, to have friends. You can have all that back. We can stop hurting each other. Have a life you never got to live...Have a life with the twins. It'l be a little tricky to explain, but I think you'll do anything to see the offspring you never got to have a life with." Savitar's head fell to the floor and I saw in Savitar's expression that Barry was getting to him. Barry then took advantage of his vulnerability: "I remember when I was six and I begged Mom and Dad to let me go to the Science Expo in Midway." I could see Barry's expression sadden as he talked about his parents, but he covered it with a smile. "We got a flat tire on that dirt road, no spare, so we were towed to that garage in a tiny, one-street town. Of course, we were stuck there all day...Then we got ice cream and French fries with gravy at that little diner," Barry smiled. "And then that night, we watched the local fireworks show, and actually, it turned out to be a great day." Barry looked up at the sky and smiled. I could feel my own eyes watering at the thought of Barry's parents. Joe placed a hand on my shoulder and we watched as Barry continued. "It's my favorite memory of Mom and Dad...What was the name of that town?" Barry asked Savitar. Savitar looked up and his eyebrows furrowed. He obviously remembered.
"Masonville." Barry perked up at the remembrance of the correct answer. He stepped closer to Savitar.
"I'm still in there," said Barry, pointing to Savitar's chest. "Come home." With those words, Savitar sped off, and Barry followed him. We then lost connection of the suit and Julian began tracking Barry's telemetry.
"That's funny," Julian said, zooming in on the dot on the screen of his computer. "The satellite says he's here." Savitar then sped into the cortex. Joe pulled me behind him quickly and his gun was raised in an instant.
"You make a move toward Chloe---"
"He won't, Barry replied, speeding into the cortex infront of Savitar with his hands up. "Killing Chloe won't save him now, not anymore."
"Where are they?" I asked, coming out from behind Joe. Savitar looked up at me with a sad expression. I wasn't afraid of him.
"They're safe," Barry replied, moving away from Savitar.
"I was asking him," I said, sternly.
"Show me that you can help me.
Then I will tell you where your friends are," Savitar proposed. Joe wasn't having it.
"You tell us now or you go up in smoke," said Joe, waving his gun in the air. Savitar wasn't afraid, and was ready to show us. Before another death occurred, I placed my hand over Joe's gun and pointed it down to the ground. He placed it back in his holster and stood tall, fixing his jacket.
"This is bloody insanity," said Julian, stepping away from the computers. "He's a monster. He almost killed her--" Julian finished before I cut him off. Barry was now away from Savitar and I wanted to show them I wasn't afraid. I walked slowly to Savitar, ignoring the disparages from my team. I then got close to Savitar. Barry and the team watched silently from the sidelines as I placed a hand to Savitar's chin and lifted his head so he could see me face to face.
"It's okay," I said, getting him to look at me. He looked down at the ground again. "Look at me!" I exclaimed. Savitar's head looked up at me slowly. I placed a hand to his seared cheek and stroked the scar tissue gently. Savitar was calmed by my touch and placed a hand over mine.
"We're gonna help you, okay?" I asked. He nodded. I've never seen him like this before, and knew it wouldn't last long.
"Thank you."
"Well, since our guest here has both of our resident scientists hostage, what temporal problem can we help you with?" Julian asked, taking Savitar and Joe into another room. I then met Barry, who continued to stand on the side of the room.
"Told you I wasn't afraid."
"Always have to prove you're right, huh?" Barry asked. I nodded. "What now?"
"Tracy built the Speed Force trap. Maybe she has an idea. She's our best bet," I said before Barry suited up. Before he sped away I placed a hand to his chest. "This is a good girl talk. Let me handle it," I said before I sped to Tracy's home. I phased through the door and stood inside the doorway. It was very well decorated and Tracy was nowhere to be seen. I then sped upstairs to where I heard small sobs. I knocked on the door and asked her name repeatedly. When she didn't reply, I opened the door slightly to see Tracy laying on her bed, which was parallel to the door. Her bed had been covered with used tissues and every edition of HR's books, which he had given her. 'Minute meals' boxes, trays, and wrappers had been scattered all around the floor. Clothes lined the floor, and her computer was open on her lap. She noticed me and wiped off her nose. I then opened the door wider, showing her I was here.
"Chloe!--I-I didn't know it was--"
"Tracy." My heart sank seeing her in this condition. I walked over to her bed and cleared a spot next to her, sitting down beside her,
"If I had known I was going to have company, I would have cleaned up a bit."
"This isn't you. This isn't healthy either. You have to come back to S.T.A.R Labs and help. Our friends are still out there. Savitar even agreed to work with us. He's coming around."
"So all it took was for someone other than you to die to make him realize what he was doing was wrong?" Tracy asked. "He stole my future. Why does he deserve one?"
"Because everyone deserves a second chance. We're giving you a second chance. A chance to come back and help after the cannon failed. Please just hear me out--"
"HR is dead because my trap didn't work. And it's Savitar's fault in the first place. I can't help you. I don't want to watch more people I care about die," Tracy sank deeper into her bed and covered up her face with her blankets. If we wanted things to work with Savitar, we were going to have to put more effort into it.
An idea then popped into my head, I acted on it, and was curious to see what would happen. I sped through a portal and came back a few seconds later with Harry Wells, Jessie's dad, from earth-3. I quickly explained to Harry the plan back on his earth, and he agreed because he knew he had no choice. When Tracy saw him after we returned, she gasped and threw over her comforter. She ran to him and hugged him, thinking he was HR.
"Tracy, this is one of the many HR doppelgänger's, Harry Wells from Earth-3." Tracy was quick to let go of him and brush herself off. She then sat down on the edge of her bed. I said goodbye to the two, hoping that Harry could get through to her and that my multiverse jumping wouldn't be for nothing. After leaving Tracy's, I returned back to S.T.A.R labs, where Barry and Savitar remained in the cortex.
"How'd it--"
"I couldn't convince her myself, but Harry might be able to."
"You got Harry involved?" Barry asked.
"Sorry that this is a drastic situation. I figured since he looked like HR, in her mind, he might even seem like HR. He's also going to stay for a while as well. Put his genius mind to good use..." I looked around the cortex which was dangerously quiet. "Where's Savitar?" I asked, noticing his absence. As if he had been listening for his cue, he walked in.
"Strange being back here," he replied, circling around the cortex, looking at any and all objects.
"You remember S.T.A.R Labs?" I asked, walking away from Barry. Savitar stood center to the cortex, parallel to me.
"I remember everything...This is where we came up with the cerebral inhibitor to use against DeVoe."
"Who?" I asked, curious. Savitar's hand went to his chin in thought. He pondered the name for a second before his hand was back at his side.
       "You haven't gotten there yet...
Besides, what's your plan for me? Huh? How's this gonna work?"
"What do you mean?" Barry asked, stepping foreword, closer to me.
"Where will I live? Are Wally and I gonna be bunk-mates?" Savitar asked, curiously with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Am I supposed to just rejoin Team Flash and fight some Rogues? What kind of life were you thinking I'd lead?" Savitar's voice began to get louder and louder with every word.
"We haven't thought that far. But as you know, we don't have all the answers. We're gonna figure it out, together."
"No...Not together...Love and hate, they're so close...It's easy to mistake one for the other...You're gonna spend the rest of your life with him..." Savitar pointed to Barry and frowned. He kicked his foot against the cortex floor. "I remember proposing to you the day of Caitlin and Ronnie's wedding," a small smile tugging at his lips. "I remember our first time...you telling me you were pregnant with Ezra...the second time you told me you were pregnant with the twins...All the memories, good and bad. How am I not supposed to think of all those things when I look at you?" Savitar's voice became angrier and more full of frustration. "There is no 'normal' for a remnant like me. I'm not the real Barry to anyone. My Chloe shunned me away from my own children...Am I just supposed to fit myself into their lives?" Savitar's hands waved through the air furiously. He then let out a great sigh and spoke: "I can't do this."
"No, yes, you can," I said, stopping him as he walked out the door. "Okay?" I asked. "I will be here for you."
"I tried to kill you," he replied, his head down: "I killed HR..."
"You're going to have to live with that," I said, looking him sternly in the eyes. "We won't give up on you, okay? That is not what we do. My Barry Allen is inside there somewhere," I said, poking his chest. He looked down at my hand and back up at my eyes. "There is a way through this for all of us," I said, smiling. Savitar then sped out and I was then reunited with my Barry. I leaned my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around his torso. "I won't give up on him," I said, a tear slipping form my ducts. "He's you after all," I said, a kiss planted on my head. I let the tear fall, looking up to see Julian frantically running into the cortex.
"Julian? What are you--"
"There's energy radiating from the breach room, and it's not breech energy." Julian ran to his computer. "We were just down there. It's too much for the alarms to handle," Julian continued to type before he suddenly stopped. He looked up from his computer slowly. "It's the philosopher's stone," Julian said, not believing what he saw, "It's releasing all its energy." Barry and I suited up and joined him at his computer.
"Savitar."
"It looks like it's gonna blow," Barry said, looking back at me. "Get everyone out." I nodded, and proceeded to speed my friends to safety. With an explosion seen from one of the cameras, my team and I were safely recuperated in Barry and I's home.
"He must be planning something  big if be can pull a stunt like that," Julian said, pointing to the screen. "I thought you talked to him-."
"I did too, and we were even starting to get through to him. The darkness was just to much for the light to take," I said, looking at Barry with a sad expression. Distracting us from the current problem, two familiar people walked down the stairs of our home in some sort of argument. It was Gypsy and Cisco, both safe and in one piece.
"Guys?" I asked, running up to them and hugging them both. "I thought something happened to you guys."
"Two-Face told me you guys were dead," said Barry, joining my side happily, glad to see his buddy alive.
"We're okay," Cisco said, looking at Gypsy with a smile. "And what's Harry doing--"
"Long story."
"I've heard it all. Savitar wouldn't stop babbling...The only good thing about it was that now I know what he's up to...But we don't have much time." Cisco brought us to S.T.A.R Labs and caught us up on Savitar's plan when we knew it was safe. We then came up with one of our own, and waited for our time to move in.
We watched as Savitar activated the splicer that Cisco was forced to make, as well as Killer Frost finally killing Hunter Zoloman/Black Flash. When Savitar was splicing and Jay had appeared to stop him, we moved in. We sped into the park, ready to stop his plan. All thanks to Cisco, or our "Oracle," we knew what needed to be done. Savitar activated the splicer once again, but it failed to go online.
"What? No!" Savitar yelled as we appeared.
"I've been waiting a long time to do that," said Jay, standing proudly with the splicer. He threw it to the ground and crushed it.
"Garrick! How did you--I trapped you in the--"
"Speedforce...We know. But we helped him get out. By changing the polarity of the climbing arc, our tech geek changed your Speed Force splicer into a Speed Force skeleton key."
"Didn't think we were actually gonna let you become a god, now, did you?" Barry asked. Savitar stretched and his claws came out. He was getting fired up and I was ready to finish this off. I knew my teammates were too.
"Let's end this." Savitar got into fighting stance and I readied myself. Cisco and Gypsy went after Caitlin, and Barry, Jay, and I went after Savitar, Wally staying as backup. (Didn't want to risk his paralysis that we had once seen.) We all took turns at Savitar, getting out all the feelings of anger and frustration towards him with every punch. As well as getting our attacks in, we were also thrown to the ground or injured multiple times, each of us getting back up every time we were down. I stood up from the ground and wiped off my bloody lip as Savitar looked back at the portal that was open in the center of the park.
"I only have a few minutes left.
I can feel it," Savitar knelt on the ground and his suit opened up. The electric blue faded from the suit, leaving just the man behind. "But before I go, I'm gonna kill everybody else you love...Wally...Joe...Cisco...And Caitlin too," Savitar looked at me as if our previous discussions didn't mean a thing. "I'll even finish the job I started, and that's you, Chloe," Savitar raised his eyebrows and began walking foreword, farther away from his suit. "If I am going to die, then everything you love is going to die too."
"No!" I yelled, feeling lightning in my eyes. This time, the lightning wasn't from the exileration from running, but fueled some kind of dark anger hidden inside of me. I sped over to him, faster than I ever had before. I pinned him to the ground and he looked up at me with a devious grin. I quickly took a device out of my pocket and clicked it.
     "What?...I'm powerless...What did you do to me?" Savitar asked through gritted teeth.
     "Thanks to future Ramon, I was given a Speedforce dampener. You no longer have powers as long as this little baby's online." At that moment, my emotions took over: "How's it feel to get so close to your ascension, and end up on the ground?" I asked, my grip on him getting harder. I could feel the anger coursing through my veins.
"Now I see," Savitar laughed. "Barry wasn't destined to be me...You have that potential inside of you...Look at you...Preparing to kill your greatest enemy yet..." I continued to hold Savitar as the team looked back at me in horror. They had never seen me this way before, and I had never experienced such feelings like this either.
"I will never be like you," I said angrily. "Never will I ever turn on my family! The Barry I love would never trade in his life to be anything like you." I could feel the anger getting stronger and more powerful, more than I could control. "You were right, you were just an abbaration...You meant nothing to your Chloe if she was so willing to throw you away. But I don't blame her. Why did I waste my time on you?" I asked angrily. "Thinking I could save you when you were too far gone!" I spat in his face. My Barry walked up to me, trying to pry me away from Savitar. My head quickly turned in his direction, dark lightning filling my eyes. He stepped back, and I turned back to Savitar, who was more excited than ever. I couldn't let him threaten my family and let him walk away.
"DO IT!" Savitar yelled as I placed a vibrating hand in the air, similar to Zoom and The Reverse Flash had done to both Barry and I in the past. He panted, getting more excited as he watched me become what he always wanted. "You kill me, you become just like me! Are you sure you want to throw away your innocence?" Savitar asked. "I'm sure killing your children's fathers' doopelganger won't get you mom of the year."
"Either way, my family lives," I said, bringing the hand closer. The team tried to stop me once again, but I looked into their eyes with a stern look, letting them know I wasn't messing around. All this time, Savitar had been terrorizing me and my family, and the team knew this was my fight. This was my chance to end it once and for all. "I'll never let the pain that I face, that you caused...I'll never let the darkness inside determine who I am or who I become. I will never be like you, and you will never live to see the day that happens," I said, raising my hand in the air one final time. Savitar smiled triumphantly as I ran my phasing hand through his chest. Savitar shot foreward, choking and coughing on blood as I took my hand from his chest. He gave a wink before falling back on the sidewalk and he was down once and for all. I had done it...I had gotten rid of him...My family was now safe and complete, and that's all I wanted in that moment.
       The team ran up to me, scared to say the wrong thing after the darkness I had displayed. But I felt that lightning go away as I rubbed my head. Barry was the first to come up to me. I stepped away from Savitar's body and joined Barry.
"What was--"
"I don't know. I guess I had just had enough. My calm and collected feelings finally couldn't contain the angry and fired up ones that I had been concealing for so long. He threatened my family, and I guess I just had strong momma bear instincts," I said, stepping back. "It is a little shocking to know that I did that to someone, but none of that matters now. My family's safe," I said, Barry pulling me in his embrace. "We can finally have the family we've always wanted." I cried into Barry's shoulder.
"Yes, we can," Barry said, patting me on the back. After that, Savitar's body disappeared and we were taken back to S.T.A.R Labs, where we were greeted by Tracy, who was ready to discuss HR's funeral arrangements. None of us were ready for this day to come so soon, but would always remember him for his honorable sacrifice.
"When I think of HR, I'm reminded of a story that John Lennon once told," Cisco proceeded to say infront of our team at HR's funeral. He wiped his eyes with a tissue and proceeded: "When Lennon was five years old, his teacher asked him to write down what he wanted to be when he grew up. Lennon wrote, 'happy'. His teacher said that he didn't understand the assignment, and Lennon said that they didn't understand life...But HR understood life. He wasn't a genius, and he didn't have super speed. But when we needed him the most, he was our hero. He was my hero. The Twins' hero...All of our heroes. He stepped in a defied the odds when they weren't looking in our favor. He is the reason why Chloe and her family lives today. He is the reason why we all are living and breathing today. Thanks for believing in me, HR," Cisco said, looking up to the sky and giving an air fist bump. He tapped on the podium before stepping down and joining us at his casket. We all said our goodbyes and shed tears for our fallen member, but will always remember his heroism. Before the casket was buried, I placed his drumsticks inside with him, leaving his hat for Tracy. After the burial, we then all met under that same tree, similar to the funeral of one of our other members.
Barry met up with Cisco to talk to him about HR and deliver his message, and I found Caitlin standing by the entrance. I approached her, and she pulled down her sunglasses slightly. I tried not to make her presence noticeable as we talked: 
"At least you're not shopping at 'Villains R Us anymore'," I said with a laugh, trying to use humor to lighten the moment. She didn't laugh:
"I'm sorry about HR." She looked down at the ground and back up at me with a sad expression. "And I'm sorry for everything I did."
"It's okay, I'm sure HR would have appreciated you coming." I gave her a small smile. "Why are you here?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe you wanted to come home," I suggested, trying to get her to budge. She didn't, and added onto my comment.
"I don't have a home."
"Yes, you do, Caitlin...You do...With your friends and family. With your godchildren. Don't make me lie to them," I said, looking at her, hopefully. "Be there for them...You were so happy to find out you were going to be a godmother again," I said, my voice cracking. I didn't want her to pass up this opportunity. "Yes, I have Iris and the boys at work, but the team isn't complete without your company."
"I'm not Caitlin anymore."
"And you're not Killer Frost either," I replied, trying to show her that she's free. Free to come back and be a part of this team again.
"No, I'm not. I'm something else.
And I need to figure out what that is. I don't want to come back and flare up again..." Caitlin frowned. "I need to be on my own for a little while. Please, just let me go." With that, Caitlin walked out. Barry walked up from behind when he saw she was gone, and I leaned against the nearest tree. Barry placed a hand to my shoulder and turned me to face him.
"She'll come around," he said, me now looking into his eyes. He had a look of hope, and I was saddened, thinking back on how Caitlin just walked out on us. "How about we go home?" he asked. "It's time we had some time to ourselves." I gave a small nod and Barry placed a hand around my waist. He walked us over to the team and we said our goodbyes and gave our last condolences. We then went our seperate ways.
       Barry and I walked into our home and the air was tense. Now that we had no issues, it was weird trying to resume a normal life. We were now finally free. We spent the afternoon enjoying each others company and living our lives as normally as we could, the thoughts of Caitlin and HR still present in my mind. After a takeout meal, Barry and I were sitting on the couch. I was patting my stomach, thinking back on what my life could have been.
"Does it bother you?" Barry asked, breaking the silence. "You went full on Savitar on him, and I've never seen that in you before. You pulled a Reverse Flash. It scared me when you looked back at me with such anger and force. What made you--"
"I couldn't let him walk away, knowing he would come back and do something even worse. This was my fight from the beginning, and I wasn't going to let anyone else die because of him. I wasn't exactly sure how it happened, anyway. Wells and Zoom both knew I had potential. Maybe they figured that messing with you and your life was the key to unlocking my true darkness."
"The look in Savitar's eyes when you went bezerk...It was like he had never seen anything like it in his life. It's like he was hungry for more."
"Every hero has their moments. Supergirl reeking havoc on National City...Bizarro...Superman being tricked to kill Lois...It's just part of the job."
"And it's hard to come back from," Barry said, stroking my arm. I nodded.
"I know...I thought that was part of the policy we signed at the beginning," I joked, Barry and I laughing together.
"This is not a day to be laughing...HR--"
"I'm sure he'd approve," I said, patting Barry's leg. "Now we have all the time in the world to spend together..."
"Every day of it," said Barry.
"Every hour, every minute," he began to sing, me smiling along and singing with him as I played back the moment in my head. I placed my head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around my back, rubbing my belly on the other side. "We're going to make great parents..." Barry looked at me and smiled. I could tell many thoughts ran through Barry's head at that moment, but I pushed that aside. "I'm sure of it," Barry said, planting a kiss on my lips.
During the kiss, the house rattled. We parted quickly, us looking around as the lights flickered. We got up quickly from our seats and looked around, looking for the source of the problem.
"I don't recall an earthquake ever happening in Central City before," I said, looking around at all the moved furniture. I faced the window, noticing Barry's eyes glued to what was going on outside. I joined his side and gasped, my hand over my mouth as I realized the source. Lightning poured from the Central City skyline, viciously striking everything in its path. "Cis--" I said before I was sped out of the house and to S.T.A.R Labs.
"That wasn't an earthquake," said Cisco, dashing from computer to computer. "Everything's barbecued, so i'm gonna try to establish an up-link to the satellite." Cisco proceeded to the roof to do the adjustments with his tablet, and we followed. Eventually, the team met up on the roof as we scrambled for a plan.
"Wally, try to reverse the polarity on the neutron flow," I suggested before Wally nodded and sped off, thinking of a situation we've had prior.
"Central City University just reported an earthquake of 6 on the Richter scale," said Julian, attempting to help Cisco. He put his phone back in his pocket and continued to tinker.
"That's not an earthquake," said Jay, joining our team meeting. Harry was with him.
"Earthquakes come from down below. This is a force way greater," Harry added.
"Emergency services is going to be overwhelmed. They can't handle this." Cisco rejoiced as the satellite came back online. He looked at his tablet and read the stats.
"Not a breech, but emits way more energy than anything we've seen before."
"The speedforce," I said, looking up at the Lightning in amazement. The team looked at me like I was crazy.
"But Savitar's dead."
"That's the problem," said Jay. "It's the Speed Force prison. It needs an occupant. When you freed me, we emptied it. Without a prisoner--"
"It goes unstable," finished Barry. "And now it's bleeding energy onto our Earth."
"How do we stop this?" I asked, looking at Jay.
"Giving it what it needs."
"Which is what?" Julian asked, typing at his phone, discussing with Cisco what to do next.
"An occupant," Jay replied. It was the roar of the lightning, the flashing of the sirens, and the screams of the innocent that caused Barry to say the words I never wanted him to say:
"It's unbalanced," Barry said, stepping foreword. "I have to stabilize it."
"How?" Cisco asked.
"No, Barry--" I said, placing a hand to his arm. I wasn't going to let him leave me this soon.
"I'll run into it."
"You can't," I pleaded. "I just got you back, and I don't want to let you go. What about our future? Us, the children? You'll be trapped in there forever." My hand was now on his chest.
"If I don't go, the whole city, maybe even the entire planet, could be destroyed."
"Cisco, Jay," I said, looking at them with tear filled eyes. "There's gotta be another way!"
"Barry, Central City needs The Flash." Joe stepped foreword.
"And I need my Barry Allen!" I pleaded. "This is awful timing, please don't leave me!" I grabbed onto Barry's hand and linked our fingers together.
"They have Flashette and Kid Flash to watch over them. Plus Jay if he sticks around," said Barry, sending Jay a glance. Jay nodded in return.
"Barry, Wally and Jay said they were in hell. I don't want that for--" I said before a portal appeared. I brushed the hair out of my face to see a woman walking towards us. Noticing it was Barry's mother, he ignored any other comments. She called out to him:
"Barry, it's your mother," she said, standing infront of him. He looked back at me. "Barry isn't going to hell, trust me. But like all runners must eventually, he's reached his finish line. His race is over." I began to cry and plead for her not to take him.
"You can't take him with you." Barry turned to me and looked down at my sad eyes. I frowned at the realization of what was happening.
"She's not taking me anywhere," Barry insisted, cupping my cheeks.
"I have to go."
"Why?" I asked. "Why are you being punished?" I cried. "You of all people don't deserve this...I don't deserve this..." I turned to Nora. "Let me go..." She shook her head and Barry directed me back to him. "Don't--do this to-yourself."
"This, all of this, it started with my mistake, with Flashpoint," Barry looked around and focused back on me. "This is--this is my penance...This is my redemption."
"Please, Barry...I can't do this without you."
"You'll manage, you're strong. You've got the team."
"What will I tell them? Huh?" I asked, Barry looking downward. "That their dad disappeared in some freak accident? I can't do this without you... Stay, for me," I said, taking his hand. He placed his other hand ontop of mine and stroked it. "For them..."
"I will be back for you, remember?" Barry asked, taking one of his hands and running it through my hair. "Whatever situation I find myself in, wherever time may take me, I'd find you, and I'd chose you...I'd chose our family," Barry said, moving his hands up to my face and cupping my cheeks again, giving me a passionate kiss. I kissed him as if I never were to see him again, and I wanted it to last. Our mouths moved in perfect synch one last time before we parted. His kiss lingered on my lips as he smiled. I didn't want him to go, but he was doing what anyone in his place would have done. My hero, my Barry...
Barry went over to say goodbye to Joe and the rest of our team. I watched as the rest of the team became saddened, saying goodbye to their leader for the final time. Before leaving, Barry approached me once again.
"Bar, I--" I said inbetween sobs. He wiped my tears and pointed my chin up to look into his eyes. I could see Barry getting emotional, but I could tell he was trying his hardest to stay strong for all our sakes. "This isn't fair to you...You can't--"
"I have to. I won't let these people die because of my mistake." Barry looked around at all the destruction and catastrophe the lightning had caused.
"It was our mistake...Don't pay for my end... Take me with you!" I pleaded. Barry shook his head.
"You have so much to live for," Barry said, rubbing my stomach. "So much." He looked at me with teary eyes. "Don't let them go."
"But our future...Our happy ending..." I shook my head and looked back at Barry as my lip quivered. Barry smiled, trying to keep himself from breaking down. I could see it was hard for him.
"Please keep living your life. Keep growing, living, running...for me. Promise me you'll run for me?" Barry asked. I made a small nod and pulled myself closer to him one final time. I took in the scent and feeling of Barry's body against mine, knowing it was the very last time I'd ever feel it. Barry pulled away and I was forced to let him go. My hands fell to my side and Barry turned his back. He took a step forward before turning back on his heel to face me.
"Here," Barry said, sticking his hand down the collar of his shirt and tugging at his neck. His hand returned into view, and a lightning bolt necklace dangled from his hand. He turned me around and placed it around my neck. "Now you'll always have a piece of me with you," he said with another smile.
"My beautiful boy," Barry's mom nudged as he turned to face his mother. "It's time to rest." With that, Barry nodded and sent a wave to the rest of the team. I gripped the bolt tightly as Barry turned to walk away with his mother. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close before he disappeared into the portal. In a matter of seconds, the portal was gone, taking Barry with it. The lighting then disappeared and the sky returned to normal.
     Thinking of Barry being trapped, I fell to my knees and cried on the rooftop. The team huddled around me, trying to comfort me, also trying to get me to come inside as it got colder. I refused, and was eventually just left with Cisco. He had been given the duty to bring the grieving, now widow inside to sulk.
"Chlo," Cisco said, rubbing my back. "Come inside. You need to--"
"I can't...I can't go in there. We've lost so many team members now...What are we going to do without them?" I asked, looking into his eyes.
"I don't want to live without him...Barry--" I stopped myself and continued to cry into Cisco's shoulder, wrapping myself up in all the pain and heartbreak I was experiencing. I was hurting so bad I just wanted to wallow in my own sorrow. "And our home...
Our shared home...How am I supposed to go home everyday, sleeping in our shared bed, knowing that he will never return? Everything being a constant reminder of his memory..."
"It's okay," Cisco said before pulling away and looking at me with a small smile. "We're gonna miss him too, y'know. But we'll help you through it. Through anything. That's what we do," Cisco said, helping me up. I dusted off my knees and fixed my sweater. Cisco then walked me to the rooftop entrance of the building. Before entering the door, I lurched back, screeching in pain. Cisco helped me back up, examining and asking what was wrong. I just figured it was a close to due date pain. When I came back to my feet, I noticed a strange feeling that I had experienced only one other time before. I felt liquid trickle down my leg and that's when I knew for sure what was going on. Another sharp pain occurred, and Cisco whipped out his phone as he walked me down to the cortex. I breathed heavily and tried my best to keep the pain at bay, but it was twice as worse the second time around. Cisco briefed the team on what was going on and they met me down in the med bay. By then, the team was suited up and ready to take on one of the greatest challenges they'd ever face without Barry: delivering my babies.
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THE FINALE, LEFT ON A CLIFFHANGER!! What do you think will happen?
What did you think of the "Dark Chloe" persona that was featured in this chapter? It may blossom into something more in the future or just fizzle out...We'll see what the future has in store for this speedster.
BARRY'S GONE! I got responses as to if he was going to stay, but he is in the Speedforce! Sorry if I upset your Charry hopes and dreams! Life isn't all fab and fancy for the speedster lovers...
But again, we'll see what happens in book four!
Timing could not be worse for Chloe and her twins. THEY'RE HERE!!! Without Barry around or Caitlin, how will Chloe make it through? Will she raise them on her own? These are all questions to be answered in "Flashette: Book Four!" See you in the next update! -Flashette1
***PLEASE READ NEXT CHAPTER!!! IT'S VERY IMPORTANT!***