Time After Time ϟ Barry Allen [2]

14- In Another Life (Part 2)

BASED OFF OF ELSEWORLDS PART 2 


   Things have gotten so much weirder. We're heading to Gotham and Oliver thinks Batman is an urban legend. I cross my arms, and raise my eyebrows at the former Green Arrow. 
   "I've worked with him before, Ollie." 
   "Yeah, well, I only said I believed you because you're you, Sky. And I'm the original vigilante, Barry." 
   "Apparently, you guys aren't done fooling around," Kara sighs. She grabs Barry and flies off. I shrug to Oliver and rocket after Supergirl, with Oliver running at my heels. In no time, we enter Gotham City. Home of the totally not fake Batman. 
   "So this is Gotham?" Barry laughs, "doesn't look so tough to me." 
   "No, it is," I tell him. "Scary and dark." 
   "Glad you could make it to the gritty side of town," a voice responds. 
Kara, Barry and I look over to see Dick Grayson fashioning a new suit, other than the makeshift one he had earlier. A blue and black suit that I'm really digging. 

Then Barry spills Oliver's love life to everyone, explaining how Oliver got his information back in the day. Its gross. Dick just smirks, and it must have been because Bruce does the same thing. 
   "Take a look at this," Barry rips off a dusty tarp from the Bat Signal. "Still think he's a myth?" 
   "Whoa, you think Batman is a myth?" Dick glances over at Oliver. 
   "Yeah," the former Green Arrow answers. 
   "I wish he had been that--" Dick cusses, making Kara's eyes widen. 
   "Moving on," I say quickly. "We've got places to go." I pause as Barry is still staring at the sign. I laugh at him gently, "c'mon, fanboy." 

Gotham isn't so creepy at night. I had spent a total of a month on this city before. Each day was like a series of villainess encounters. Kara seems interested in it, being much more different than National City. Civilian clothes are a nice change when roaming the streets. 
   "What is he doing here?" Barry asks with an edge. 
   I turn and see Dick walk up behind us. "Play nice, okay?" 
   "Not when you woke up in his house, and he tried to kiss you. Plus you're mine and not his." 
   "Barry Allen, are you jealous?" 
   "Hey," some guy with guns strapped to him bellows. He has a SWAT team with him and I doubt he's part of the GCPD. "We collect tax from out of towners. Phones, wallets, watches, now." 
   "We don't want any trouble," Oliver says. "Maybe we can just talk this out." 
The guy chuckles and I can hear the clinking of Dick's metal escrimas under his jacket. I cast him a glance, warning him not to pick at fight. He keeps his cool until the dude pulls out a pistol. All bets are off. Barry takes everyone out quickly once Kara snatches the bullets from the air. 
That's when the GCPD rolls on in and we all hold our hands up. Meaning 'we', only Dick did not. He takes out his Detroit Police Department badge and show it to them, and that's all there was to that. 






We sat in a cell for an hour. It was boring, and finally Dick comes to check up on us. 
   "So I called up someone who I think can help," he says, gripping the bars. 
   I peer out at him from the prison, "not Bruce, I'm guessing." 
   "Someone better. She paid your bail." 
   "This someone knows Bruce and my next guess is that you don't want to come." 
   Dick looks at me for awhile. He runs a hand through his hair, "yeah. I left Bruce and have been on my own. Since then, Kate hasn't wanted to talk to me because of abandoning my post." 
   "Wait, Kate Kane paid for us to get out?" 
   "I'll meet up with you later, Sky. If Kate asks about me, be very vague." 
   "I've worked with the Bat, how could I not?" I reply smoothly. 
   Dick smirks, "you still astound me. Let me know if you find that guy. I want to knock down the man who messed with you." 
I grin and watch him walk out the door. Barry places a hand on my shoulder. 
   "If he refers to you as 'his girl' or anything I'll--" 
   I rapidly kiss him, "let it go, speedster. Its just a false reality, remember?" 
   "I know," he murmurs. 

A limo takes up to a rundown Wayne Tower. Inside we are met by Kate Kane, who immediately sizes us up. Yep, she's definitely related to Bruce. 
   Just before she leaves, she pulls me aside. "Incase you run into Dick Grayson, which I know you have, tell him he owes me. You're a bad liar." 
   "I'm aware of that." 
   "Be careful of what you find, Starfire. You're friends may be good, but what or who you find isn't. See you around, Sky McGray." Then Kate heads back into the building from the rooftop. 
   "We're looking for a John Deegan," Oliver tells us once Kate has gone. 
   "I'll go fly around the city," Kara says. "To see if I can find him." 
   "Meanwhile, I've got to make a call," I pick up my phone. 
   "Uh, you're not calling your ex," Barry shakes his head. 
   "Barry, Dick is a skilled martial artist and has trained with Batman for years." 
   "For the last time, Batman is not real," Oliver says, staring at the computer he brought. 
   "You need to give this grudge up" I look at Barry, "you did when you found out Oliver had your speed and life." 
   "This is different, this Grayson guy slept with you!" 
   "Again, we didn't actually do that." 
   "Guys, Kate told me John Deegan is working at Arkham Asylum," Kara races in. 
   I swallow a lump in my throat, "nope, absolutely not. I'm calling him, because he has successfully escaped that evil place." 
   "Its evil?" Oliver questions. "Yeah, just like how Batman's real." 

Standing outside of Arkham's gates makes me want to curl up into a ball and die. A lot of Batman's villains call that place home and I don't want to find out exactly who. 
Caitlin, Cisco and Diggle have showed up, saying that some other Flash gave them a message to find the book Deegan has. We enter that cursed building and I could not dread it anymore. The steel doors lock in terrifying patients that aren't all carrying normal people with mental conditions. I try not to read the names off to carefully, so I don't chicken out. Sadly, due to unfortunate events, the alarms go off in flashing red lights. Then the psychotic inmates open their locked doors, because someone hit the wrong button.