Great Scott, Barry! (A Barry Allen x Reader Fic)

Chapter 8

"Are you sure this is the right place?" you ask, looking up at the decrepit and flickering signage above. Saints and Sinners, it reads.

"Yes, unfortunately," Barry confirms with a grimace.

"This Mick guy sure doesn't have good taste in bars," you mutter.

"Stay close to me." You nod. Upon entering the scary box of a building, you take in an unwanted whiff of smoke and heavy booze. You give an involuntary shudder.

Barry leads the way to the bar counter where a lone man sits hunched over his drink. He has a thick build, bald head, and a perpetually angry expression. Of course this would be the guy Barry's after. He looks like he eats puppies for breakfast!

"Rory," Barry addresses him. Mick turns at the sound of his name.

"Ugh," comes a deeply annoyed grunt from the man and goes back to his drink. "Whataya want, Leotard?"

"We've come to, well, strike up a deal, I guess."

Now he looks interested. "Whataya mean deal?" Barry takes a seat next to the thug.

"We need you to break Snart out of Iron Heights tonight."

"Who's we?" You get into Mick's line of view and wave. "Why?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions for a thug," you note, earning you a glare from burly man. Barry steps in to deter his attention from you.

"We know you have ways of getting him out. If you do, we promise not to come after you, but we need a favour first." Mick hears the word 'favour' and at first, looks defensive, then remembering he would have a free pass in breaking his crime brother out, decides to give Barry a chance.

"Go on."

"The moment he's free, we need Snart to uh..."

"Kidnap me," you say point blank, getting straight to the point. "We need Snart to kidnap me."

"You kids... are seriously messed up."

"Listen, it's a long story," Barry tries to explain. "But basically this has to happen and we have to 'save' her." Mick thinks about it for a good long while trying to wrap his head around this strange proposal.

"And you won't throw either of us back in the clink for doing this?"

"Nope. Free pass. This time. But the next time you guys are up to no good, we'll come after you." You and Barry wait for an answer. Mick tosses back the rest of his drink and slams the glass back on the counter.

"Fine. Meet at the east end of the park downtown. Nine-thirty." The stone-faced criminal eyes you up quickly, taking in your appearance for future reference. "See ya later, doll-face." He gets up and exits the bar.

"Planning to get myself abducted by felons..." you muse. "My life has gotten seriously weird since I met you, Barry Allen."

*

While the infamous Mick Rory works his criminal magic in his prison break, you and Barry decide to go for a stroll to kill some time and to calm your growing nerves for the plan ahead. A quick window shopping on Main Street makes a good distraction, followed by a late evening pastry and latte. And since this scheming business was hard work, you deserved a treat! In a cozy booth, you cuddle next to Barry and confess your worries about reliving this event. Because yes, apparently this was your life now. Barry comforts you with his words and his closeness.

"It'll be fine. Before you know it, it'll be like we never left and we'll be back in our own time."

Time.

You glance at the clock up on the wall of the cafe. Time has gotten away from you and there are ten minutes left until you need to be at the spot where Snart is supposed to 'capture' you!

"Barry we gotta go, now!" Flying through the cafe's doors, you run as fast as your non-metahuman legs will carry you. The streetlights have come on, and the night is almost fully upon you. The park is right around the corner and the meeting place not far from there.

You both make a sharp left turn and it's too late to be aware of the woman directly in your way, so you accidentally collide into her.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" you begin to apologize profusely. "I should've been more careful. I didn't mean..."

"Uhf, it's- it's fine," she says, picking herself up off the ground. "This is beginning to be a part of my everyday life-" The woman stands up to face you and a mirrored image stares back. Her eyes go wide. Yours do too.

After all, you'd both have the same reaction... It's Past You!

She backs up slowly while mouthing the word "Wha-?" and stumbles. Then she bolts in the opposite direction, the way you were headed.

"Hey, wait!" you call after her. Should you run after her? What good would that do? You're not supposed to come in contact with your past self so the space-time continuum doesn't unfold! But nothing happened just then... Before you can decide, you hear her/your scream in the distance. A familiar flash of a blue glow and charging sounds ring in the night air. You take a couple steps and squint down the lit path. The sound of a motorbike peels away. You and Barry share a nervous glance. No... Snart...

"He's got her!" you yell. "He's got me! The wrong me!"

"Damn!" Barry curses. "Damn, damn!"

"What on Earth do we do now?" Barry is silent for a moment.

"I think we have to come clean to the whole team..."

"Even-?"

"Yes, even Past Me."