In the pipelines under STAR Labs, a few individuals stood before a man with a form-fitting red suit, his mask dangling off the back of his neck.
Behind him was a figure who stared at the scene with an unnerving smile, trapped inside a glass cage.
"Guys…"
Barry, staring at his friends and family before him, struggled to find the right words to start.
"We know, Barry."
However, Joe was quick to intervene, giving him a warm smile as he consoled him, grabbing his shoulder.
"I've known you since you were a nine-year-old boy. You've grown up but that night left a scar inside you."
"This is your chance. To have everything you ever wanted. Your mother, father and the life you deserved."
It was common to see Joe fashioning a stern and no-nonsense demeanour, most likely due to his line of work, however, he hadn't even noticed that this was no longer the case.
With a smile, his eyes glistening more than usual, he spoke in a manner which Barry had almost forgotten.
Like a Father.
Additionally, what he said was true.
Barry had dreamt about this day so much, so much so that everything seemed surreal now that it was happening.
His mind and heart were racing, but he controlled it as best he could.
This wasn't the time to let his emotions run wild, however, as he stared at the faces of all those who filled the emptiness left by his mother and father, he couldn't help but tilt his head upward to stop the tears from running down his face.
"Thank you…dad."
Joe paused at this, Barry giving him no chance to react as he leapt at him, embracing him in a hug.
Joe's lips finally curled upward, as he closed his eyes, doing the same as they remained in this position for a few seconds.
"Okay, when you go back, there will be three yous in that house." Cisco stepped forward, raising his three fingers.
"The you from the future who saved the younger you from the Reverse Flash and now you you. Remember, wait until future you gets younger you out of there, and then you can go save your mom."
Despite Cisco's words being confusing to some, Barry didn't even flinch as he nodded with a smile.
"Piece of cake."
Cisco chuckled, grabbing both of Barry's shoulders.
"I'm going to miss you, man. May the Speedforce be with you."
Barry nodded as he turned to Caitlin, grabbing her attention with his sudden movement toward her direction.
"Is everything okay?" Barry asked, but once immediately put to ease as he witnessed Caitlin's smile.
"Everything's fine."
Caitlin walked forward, wrapping her arms under his as his worried expression quickly turned to a warm one.
They said nothing, everything communicated through touch as she unhanded him in the next few seconds.
Finally, all heads turned to the last person in the pipeline as Barry moved his lips.
"Iris…"
"Don't say anything."
Iris stepped forward, coming face to face with Barry.
Her face was a calm and neutral one, making Barry unsure about what she was going to say next.
"Honestly, time travel, super speed…that guy. I'm still trying to process everything you all have sprung onto me."
"I know, and I'm sorry. But I couldn't have left without telling you. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least say goodbye."
Iris said nothing, instead raising her hands as she cupped it around the side of Barry's face.
"I know. The people in this room know better than anyone how much this means to you."
Perhaps it was because she could no longer hold it in, but in the next second, a loving smile blessed her face as she stared into Barry's eyes.
"I hope whatever life you get is enough for you. That it makes you happy." She kissed his forehead, battling the lump in her throat.
"Me too," Barry replied, watching her pull back her arms, striking her fist on Barry's shoulder in the next second.
"I still won't forget this secret you kept from me, no matter how many times you time travel." She chuckled, Barry rubbing his shoulder as he grinned.
"How delightful. To think, you were burying your father only a few days ago and now you'll have him and your mother back." Thawne drew the attention as he commented.
It was true. Though it was an empty coffin, Henry Allen was presumed dead, killed by the events of World War M.
"Shut up. The best part about all this is that we'll never have to see you again." Joe hissed, failing to wipe the smirk off Thawne's face.
"Never say never."
Barry ignored him, turning back once more to nod at everyone before a door slid from above, separating Barry and Thawne from the others.
Seeing this, Barry pulled on his mask, looking forward only to find himself in a vast, elongated tunnel with a sleek, metallic design that stretches into the distance.
The sheer scale of the tunnel is monumental, creating an almost overwhelming sense of space, Barry's body appearing like an ant within it.
Despite this sight, he didn't focus on it, most likely because he'd seen it before, casually stepping down, each footstep resonating through the corridor, the echoes lingering for several seconds before fading into silence.
It wasn't long until he made it to the ground, turning his head upward to stare at the glass prison hanging off the wall.
"What are you waiting for, Flash?"
Thawne asked, arms crossed as he peered from up above.
"Go. Save your mother."
Barry breathed in, turning as he bent his knees and his eyes crackled.
"Run, Barry. Run!"
-CRACKLE
-WHOOSH
Thawne's grin faded as he watched Barry speeding through the pipeline, a second passing before he once again darted before him.
He watched, analyzing how Barry ran, how fast he went, down to how the speedster breathed.
Everything. It needed to be perfect.
Meanwhile, in the cortex…
"He's started. The accelerator's structural integrity is holding." Ronnie spoke, he and Professor Stein split as the latter sat at the forefront of the computers.
-BOOM!!!
"What was that?"
"Is Barry okay?" Iris and Joe voiced their worries, but contrary to them, Caitlin and Cisco grinned in fascination despite the intensity in the air.
"Yeah, he just passed Mach 2."
As for Barry…
'What is this?'
It was like Barry was experiencing tunnel vision, his view changed to a narrow black with only one path clear to him.
But in the next second, the surroundings were suddenly coloured in a shade of blue, scenes and images appearing.
"I was waiting for you to bring Barry home."
Barry recognized this voice. It was a softer and younger version of Iris, the image before him depicting a young Barry standing before Joe in a police uniform.
'That was the first day I started living with them.'
A few more images and scenes appeared that he recognised. However, some weren't so privy to him.
Like a female with white hair and cold blue lips, shooting ice from her hands.
Or a figure in a black cloak with golden highlights raising his arm in the air, a whole army marching behind him.
And even a female with violet short hair, grinning widely as she fashioned a certain craze in her purple eyes.
"Barry, what you're seeing right now is the Speedforce," Thawne spoke as if he was seeing everything through Barry's eyes.
"Your past, your present and your future, all at once. So you need to focus on where you want to go."
Thawne stepped forward, pressing his arms onto the glass.
"Think about that night. Think about your mother."
Barry's breathing accelerated as he did exactly that. He focused.
He ignored the ground beneath his feet and the wind in his face, instead replaying that scene he'd never forgotten in his mind.
And as if to mirror this, the scenes changed to a younger version of himself, calling out for his mother who was trapped in the middle of a tornado of red and yellow lightning.
"It's working…" Thawne mumbled.
It seemed as though Barry knew this in his gut too as he grit his teeth while running and kicked off the ground harder than he ever had before, the scene becoming more vivid in his mind.
Meanwhile, Professor Stein watched all of this, going to grab his cup of coffee, only to see the liquid in his cup floating into the air, defying the laws of gravity.
And perhaps this was his sign, because, in the next second, he turned to Cisco, nodding.
"Inject the hydrogen particle."
Cisco smashed his index finger into his computer and in the next second…
-BANG
"What just happened?!" Iris shot to her feet.
"Barry…he's gone," Caitlin answered right after.
"The wormhole is stable. Start the clock, we must monitor it at all costs. If out of control, this world cannot handle coming face to face with a black hole, much less Central City." Stein snapped them out of their trance.
And as if to confirm it, a voice entered their ears from the camera in a particular cell.
"He did it. Now…get me out of here."
***
"I believe it's time to say goodbye to Harrison Wells." Stein broke the silence, his paranoid eyes darting back and forth from the clock beside him, signifying the time.
"One minute left till the wormhole becomes unstable."
He spoke, putting everyone else on edge as they watched the screen, witnessing Joe holding his gun in his hand as Cisco stood beside him, both their eyes glued on the man in the yellow form-fitting suit.
"It's beautiful," Thawne admitted, staring at the spherical glass construct before him, large enough to fit two ground adults, yet only fashioning a single seat with a dashboard of unknown buttons.
"Rip Hunter would be impressed. He built the first one of these. Interesting man. Thank you, Cisco."
Cisco's face stiffened.
"Don't ever come back again."
Thawne, unaffected by these words, chuckled.
"Well, I guess I should be…"
"Are you sure you want to leave so soon?"
Everyone went quiet, even those in the cortex who were following along, at the familiar voice that entered their ears.
Thawne, Joe and Cisco all turned their heads as they witnessed a figure emerge from the darkness, his green eyes penetrating through.
"After all, there's more to be done."
Joe unknowingly turned his gun to the figure as Cisco darted his eyes between Thawne and him.
Meanwhile, Caitlin rose to her feet as her heart skipped a beat.
"Derek…" They all consecutively thought in disbelief, simultaneously forgetting about everything for a split second.
Staring at the tall youth fashioning a new hairstyle standing with his hands in his pockets, his expression straight, he remained silent as his glare stayed fixed on Thawne.
"Mr Bond, what an unpleasant surprise. Are you here to cause trouble?" Thawne's expression grew sour as he removed his hands from his back, putting them by his side.
Though the others didn't know how to feel, these words snapped them out of their trance.
Ronnie wore an unfriendly expression, contemplating if he should go down there but troubled by the fact Stein was needed here, all while the latter darted his uneasy eyes at the timer.
Meanwhile, Caitlin simply stared with wide eyes, countless thoughts running through her mind.
"Derek, Barry wanted this. Please…"
"I know. I'm not here to interfere. I'm just here to…watch."
Thawne raised an eyebrow.
"Watch what? It's over. Everything has happened as I wanted. You lost."
The others paused upon hearing this. Now that they thought about it, seeing the two interact for the first time in this way and with the way Thawne spoke, they couldn't help but wonder what exactly their relationship was.
"Never say never."
Thawne bit his tongue upon hearing this.
'He was watching us.'
He knew he did it.
He knew he won.
Yet seeing the brat's nonchalant demeanour gave him a bad feeling in his gut.
'No, it's impossible. Even if something does happen, even if he has something up his sleeve, I still have "That".'
Thawne quelled his racing heart as he smirked.
"We'll see about that."
[You have purchased a Story Recall]
'20 seconds. Everything comes down to whether or not Barry returns in twenty seconds.'
For these 20 seconds, for once, Derek would not interfere.
He would simply watch and let destiny play out.
Because either way, this was it.
This was the finale.
'Let it begin, the Endgame!'
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Next Chapter Title: My Name is Derek Bond!
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