Superflash - Hope and Lost Love

Chapter 48 - Crisis

While Kara was recruiting members of the league

"Barry Allen." Mar Novu, who introduced himself as the 'monitor' said.

"Have you come to inform me of more bad news?" Barry asked.

"Yes and no. Firstly, when you tricked the Reverse-Flash into merging the multiverse, he also recreated the various forces in it." The Monitor said.

"So I need to recreate the lightning strike?" Barry asked.

"No. This new speed-force thinks for some reason, that you created it. The pain you have been feeling is the speed-force mixing with your cells, and instead of taking nine months, it will take days." The Monitor said.

"I don't want to ask this, but what's the bad news then?" Barry asked.

"Superman and Supergirl die in the incoming crisis, saving the world in doing so." The Monitor said.

"What? How can I save them? I'm sure I can do something." Barry said.

"Out of the millions of possible outcomes to the crisis, there is one in which you come out victorious. Nothing great was ever accomplished without sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice what you hold dearest for the sake of the world, or are you too weak?" The Monitor asked.

"Your definition of victorious is terrible." Barry said.

"To win the war, you sometimes need to lose some of the battles." The Monitor said.

The Present

"So we have everyone here except Arthur Curry, or the Aquaman as locals call him." Kara said.

"So do we even know what we're up against?" Batman asked.

"Yes and no. When I was in the speed-force I was shown a glimpse of the future. Millions of ghost-like creatures attacking Earth, led by the Reverse-Flash." Barry said.

"Who is the Reverse-Flash?" Batman asked.

"The Reverse-Flash, or Eobard Thawne, is a time-travelling speedster from the future, hell bent on ruining my life." Barry said.

"Before Zeus created Themyscira, Apollo, the god of prophecies spoke of a time like this. The prophecy was thought of as a mere myth to us, but it spoke of red skies and worlds uniting." Wonder Woman said.

"Do you remember anything else about this prophecy?" Barry asked.

"There was one line that I remember, it went 'A hero will need to love the world enough to save it.'" Wonder Woman said.

"Justice League, I hope you're all ready, because it's happening." Cisco said, running into the hall.

"What?" Batman asked.

"Winn and I picked up this energy signature, and when we hacked the DEO satellite to take a look at it, this is what we found." Cisco said, as he opened an image on the large screen in the hall, showing millions of ghost-like creatures flying towards National City.

"We're going to fight all of them? When I started the whole hero gig I knew it would be dangerous, but that, that's suicide right there." The Green Lantern said.

"What choice do we have?" Barry asked, walking away to gear up.

---

"Kara, if anything happens, I want you to know that what The Reverse-Flash said wasn't true. I love you more than anything and everything in the world." Barry said, nocking an arrow to his bow.

"Nothing's going to happen. Just have hope." Kara said, kissing Barry.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Allen. Think you can foil my plans again? I guess it might be a bit harder than you think, because I have an army, and you have what, a few super-powered people? See, I don't think you can think very straight without your team. Remember your team?" The Reverse-Flash asked, speeding up to Barry, leaving a trail of fire.

The plan was simple. Everyone knew the Reverse-Flash was going to be at the fight, and Barry would take him on while everyone else dealt with his army.

Barry let go of the arrow, as it flew straight through the Reverse-Flash's chest.

"See, I have super-speed, and can kill all of you in less than a second, what chance do you, Barry Allen, have against me." The Reverse-Flash said. "Why don't we make this fun?" Thawne said, running to the Sahara Desert. 

"I will kill you, a hundred times over." Barry said, with rage.

"Oh, but Barry Allen doesn't kill. Does he? Has he lost his values? Oh no!" The Reverse-Flash said sarcastically. "You know, I waited years for this. I've plotted out every single possible future, so killing you wouldn't be any fun would it? No, I want to see just how much you can take. So run, Barry, run." Thawne finished, as a legion of para-demons (the ghost-like creatures making up Thawne's army) flew towards Barry.

Barry began shooting arrow after arrow at them, before he ran out of arrows. He then pulled out two swords and began slashing the para-demons in half. He slowly felt lightning return to his blood.

Lightning began to fall from the sky, electrocuting hundred of para-demons, as Thawne's smirk began to fall off his then-smug face. "Play time's over."

"See, Thawne, the first thing you should remember in any fight, is not to underestimate your opponent. But you wouldn't know that, would you?" Barry said.

"You won't kill me." Thawne said, smiling.

"I don't think I will need to." Barry said, pointing to time-wraiths that Barry somehow called. "See, somehow, there is something that hates you more than me. The new speed-force."

"Barry, either way, you lose. See, I always plan ahead. I thought you would know that by now. Orbiting above Earth is an anti-matter cannon. It will concentrate energy here on Earth, before exploding and wiping out all of existence. Almost all of existence. The speed-force will act as a bomb-shelter for you, but I'm afraid dear Kara will have to breathe her last breath." Thawne said, before fading away with the time-wraiths.

---

"What's happening?" Barry asked, speeding to where the rest of the Justice League were.

"All the para-demons just disappeared, but then a beam came down and began to put a hole in the Earth. Supergirl and Superman are trying to create a vortex to draw in the dark matter so it doesn't spread." Batman explained.

"They can't do it themselves." Barry said, speeding towards the two Kryptonians.