I'm Not The Flash

Just When You Thought It Was Over

Barrys POV 

I was so happy to be home. Who knew that going through a traumatic life experience would erase your past mistakes?

After a lot of trial and error, Cait finally figured out how to get that chip out of our heads. It's such a nice feeling after we've all been through hell, that it's finally over. it's such a relief. 

"Ah," Wally said stepping into the cortex. "I feel like a new person."

"I'm just glad we can put this behind us," Joe said wrapping his arm around him. 

"I can get behind that," Wyatt said. 

"So Barry," Cisco asked me, "I'm not going to ask you what happened, but on a scale from us locking you in the pipeline, to Zoom, how bad was it?" I looked at Wally, who just rolled his eyes. Even though we were joking about it now, I knew this was going to be a hard thing to get past. 

"Somewhere around the Gorilla Kingdom and the Nazi prison camp," I said.

"That bad, huh?"

I nodded. "Pretty much."

"So what's next," Iris asked. "Are you coming back to team Flash?"

"Uh," I said, not sure how to answer. I hadn't really thought about it. Now that we caught Dr. Richards and put a stop to the experiments, I could go back to being the Flash. I mean, no one would be able to out my identity because the mayor was taken out of office. Who would believe him now?

"Barry," Em said walking up to me. "It's ok if you go back. We understand." I looked at her, and then I saw Wyatt, Chloe, and Brent who were nodding in agreement. "You need to do what's right for you, and right now, that's being the Flash."

I smiled. "Thank you," I said.

"But don't worry," Wyatt said. "We will always have a mask for you."

"Good, I wouldn't want to disrupt the theme," I said laughing. 

"You'll always be an outcast red, just like us," Chloe said. 

We all then went in for that cliche group hug, and after we broke apart, they strapped on their watches and disappeared. I was going to miss them. I knew I would see them again, but I wish they didn't have to go. 

"So uh," Ralph said ruining the moment, "what's an outcast?"

"I'll tell you later," I said making my way towards Caitlin's lab. I saw Iris and Felicity go off and gossip about whatever girls gossip about, and everyone else was talking about the typical superhero stuff. 

As I stepped up into the lab, I began to feel a sharp pain in my head, but I ignored it. I just wanted that thing out.

"You ready?" Caitlin asked. I nodded and smiled, but that pain kept growing, and eventually, I couldn't hide it. 

"Barry?" Oliver said, running over noticing I couldn't keep my balance anymore.

"It's him," was all I managed to mutter out.

"Shit," Cisco said looking at the monitor, but then taking off towards the pipeline. I knew Dr. Richards was behind this. He must have had his phone or something on it. How could we have forgotten to check him?

I then began to see black dots dancing around. I had my hands on Oliver and Caitlin, and I could see Iris in front of me. They were all trying to make sure I was ok, but I couldn't respond. 

Finally, I ended up letting the darkness in, and everything went black. 

*****

Ciscos POV