Time goes back a bit.
Barry had left with Iris, Caitlin was working on Barry’s blood, and Cisco was tinkering with the treadmill.
Harrison Wells wheeled his chair across the Cortex to a secluded section of the wall.
Placing his hand against it, a hidden door slid open.
Without hesitation, Wells passed through, and the entrance vanished behind him.
Inside, Wells stood from his chair and approached a sleek, futuristic pedestal.
He placed his palm on it, and instantly, a holographic projection of a woman appeared.
“Good day, Dr.
Wells,” a mechanical female voice greeted.
“Time will tell.
Gideon, show me the future,” Wells said, removing his glasses with a cold seriousness.
“Of course.”
A second holographic projection shimmered to life: a newspaper.
The headline read:
FLASH SAVES THE WORLD FROM CRISIS, ONCE AGAIN
Byline: Written by Iris West-Thawne.
Dated: April 25th, 2024.
“The future has changed…” Wells murmured, his gaze narrowing.
Then, after a moment of relief: “At least the Flash exists.
I can go home.” His hands tightened into fists.
He was lost in thought when Gideon interrupted.
“Dr.
Wells, Dr.
Allen is here.”
A holographic display flickered, showing Barry racing to a stop outside S.T.A.R.
Labs.
“It’s about time,” Wells muttered, powering down Gideon.
He lowered himself back into the chair and wheeled out as though nothing had happened.
The Cortex
“Barry, you’re back.
Did something happen?” Cisco asked, surprised.
It had only been a few hours since they’d run tests.
“Is everything okay?” Caitlin added, concern written on her face.
“This happened.” Barry raised his hand, vibrating it so fast it blurred.
“O-okay… that’s freaky.” Cisco leaned back, visibly unsettled.
“Since when have you been able to do that?” Caitlin pressed, today’s surprises piling up more than in her entire career.
“A few hours ago,” Barry admitted.
“Dr.
Allen, anything else?” Wells had entered in time to witness Barry’s hand vibrating.
Barry didn’t answer.
Instead, he vanished in a blur—appearing behind Caitlin.
“This,” Barry’s voice came from behind her.
“Ahh!” Caitlin yelped, startled.
“Superspeed,” Cisco muttered, wide-eyed.
“We’ll need to run more tests,” Wells said, eyes gleaming with intent.
“The treadmill isn’t ready, and we’d need a really long runway,” Cisco pointed out, already thinking of options.
“I know just the place,” Barry replied, a mysterious look on his face.
Ferris Air Testing Facility
Caitlin looked around at the vast runway that stretched for miles.
“Remind me why we can test here?”
“I’m actually a shareholder at Ferris Air,” Barry explained.
“This facility hasn’t been operational for years.
It’s perfect.”
Barry paused, then glanced at Caitlin.
“Did something happen to you the night of the particle accelerator?”
The question froze her in place.
“You’ve got this look in your eyes,” Barry continued gently.
“Like you’re shutting people out.
And behind them… there’s sadness.”
Her voice cracked into harshness: “My once-promising career in bioengineering?
Over.
My boss is confined to a wheelchair.
And that same explosion that put you in a coma… killed my boyfriend.
So yeah, this expression feels like the way to go.”
Barry lowered his head.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” He already knew about Ronnie, but he needed her to let those emotions out.
Nobody knows better than him what bottled up emotions can do, Still, his thoughts flickered: Boyfriend, not fiancé…?
Butterfly effect.
Caitlin bit her lip, regretful for snapping after hearing his genuine apology.
“Guys, a little help?” Cisco called, lugging a heavy box from the S.T.A.R.
Labs Mobile Unit.
Barry hurried over, helping him unload and set up the equipment for testing
“Here,” Cisco handed Barry a box.
“What’s this?” Barry asked.
“Just something I whipped up,” Cisco said, grinning, leading him to the van.
A few minutes later, Barry stepped out—face flushed with embarrassment.
He looked more like a crash-test dummy than a hero: an ill-fitting bike helmet with oversized goggles, a spandex shirt and shorts, elbow and knee pads, a blinking monitoring band strapped around his waist, and boots with comically oversized treads.
“Do I really have to wear this?” Barry muttered, painfully aware of how the suit fit—especially in certain areas.
“This is the best I could do for now.
Don’t worry—you’ll be moving so fast, nobody will notice,” Cisco reassured him.
“Are you sure it can handle supersonic speeds?” Barry asked, instincts already whispering disaster.
“We’ll find out soon enough.
And just in case—water barrels.” Cisco gestured casually.
Barry’s lips twitched.
He doesn’t even know what will happen.
“Dr.
Wells will monitor your energy output.
Caitlin, your vitals.
I’ll clock your speed,” Cisco explained, showing off his radar gun.
“And this—” he held up a lightning-shaped device—”is a modified two-way headset with a camera.
Originally designed to handle battlefield impulse noise.
For you, in case of a sonic boom.
Which would be awesome.”
Caitlin silently began linking Barry’s monitoring band to her tablet.
The quiet between them was heavy.
“I’m sorry for before,” she finally said.
“I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
I know what it feels like to have your whole life stripped away,” Barry replied, his eyes distant.
Caitlin saw the same sadness in him that she carried—but in Barry’s, there was also acceptance… and hope.
She finished the setup and stepped back.
Barry pulled down his oversized goggles, annoyed already.
“Dr.
Allen, while I’m eager to measure the full extent of your abilities, I urge restraint,” Wells warned.
Barry nodded, crouched into a runner’s stance, and reached for the Speed Force.
Violet-gold lightning flickered from his gem-like blue eyes, electricity surging through every cell.
His heart thundered with impossible energy, and then—
BOOOOM!
He launched forward, leaving a sonic boom in his wake.
The shockwave rattled their equipment, Cisco clutched the radar gun, and Caitlin and Wells struggled to hold their ground.
Barry, meanwhile, was lost in exhilaration.
His lips curled into a grin as he zig-zagged at impossible speeds.
No G-forces, no burning friction.
The suit—surprisingly—was holding.
“The radar maxed at 1,000 mph!” Cisco shouted, thrilled.
“Energy output at 8900 joules and climbing,” Dr.
Wells observed, a mysterious smile tugging at his lips.
“Vitals stable,” Caitlin confirmed, relief mixing with awe.
Barry wanted more.
The violet-gold lightning wrapped tighter around him, shielding him, empowering him.
His mind flickered back to the night of the explosion—it was the same light, only brighter.
But a momentary loss of focus, coupled with his boots suddenly tearing apart, sent him tumbling.
He crashed violently, rolling into the water barrels with a deafening impact
Caitlin and Cisco gasped, watching in horror through their binoculars.
“Caitlin.
Cisco.
Go check on him,” Wells ordered.
They scrambled into the lab’s small transport car, rushing down the endless runway.
Barry was miles away—running on foot was impossible.
Barry was rattled.
The impact had been brutal, pain shooting through every inch of his body — but at least he was still conscious.
That was a good start.
He tried to stand, but his body screamed in protest.
He quickly assessed himself: bruised and broken right ankle, hairline fracture in the left and right radius and ulna, dislocated left shoulder with a damaged shoulder blade, three cracked ribs on the right side.
Thankfully, no serious internal organ damage.
Estimated healing time: one hour.
Barry had been hurt plenty of times before, and usually injuries like this were serious, but not fatal.
Already, he could feel his healing factor kicking in.
Caitlin and Cisco rushed to his side.
“Barry, are you okay?” Caitlin asked, slipping into her medical instincts as she supported him.
“Not okay.
But I’ll manage,” Barry muttered, trying to get up.
“What happened out there?” Cisco asked.
“One second you were fine, and then you were—splat.”
“My right shoe broke,” Barry said, holding it up.
“Sorry.
My bad,” Cisco admitted sheepishly.
They helped him back to the infirmary.
Caitlin performed a full body scan, which confirmed Barry’s self-diagnosis.
“You’re lucky to be alive, mister,” Caitlin scolded, her tone sharp.
“If it weren’t for your insane physiology, you’d be dead,” Cisco added, guilt edging into his voice.
“I’m fine,” Barry said, surprised as he flexed his muscles.
The pain was already fading, much faster than usual.
It had only been minutes, and yet he could stand and stretch as though nothing had happened.
The second serum… and speed healing, Barry concluded silently.
“How?” Caitlin’s eyes widened in disbelief as she scanned him again.
Her voice faltered.
“I-It’s healed…” She double-checked, and the results were the same.
“Awesome,” Cisco whispered in awe.
“It wasn’t just the injuries, was it?” Wells cut in.
“You lost focus, even if only for a second.” His sharp gaze pinned Barry.
Speed or no speed, Wells still had the instincts of a speedster.
Barry looked at the team, then drew in a slow breath.
“When I was eleven, my mother was murdered.
I woke to a sound downstairs, and when I went to check… I saw a ball of lightning.
Red and gold lightning.
And in that flash — a man in a yellow suit.
He killed my mother.
My dad almost went to prison for it.
If not for other evidence, he would’ve been locked away.
Even so, people still look at him with suspicion.
“I was surrounded by that same violet-gold lightning today.
What if… what if there’s someone else out there, someone with the same powers as me?” His hands clenched unconsciously, bending the metal of the bed frame.
Soon, Mom.
Soon, Dad.
I’ll get revenge.
His eyes flicked to Wells, a darkness stirring inside him.
“I think I can say unequivocally that you are one of a kind,” Wells replied smoothly.
“I see, Dr.
Wells,” Barry answered, studying him.
How does he lie so easily?
Doesn’t his conscience ever hurt?
“Barry, Dr.
Wells,” Caitlin interrupted, excitement in her voice.
“Barry, your earlier blood test results are in.”
“And?” Barry asked.
“It’s incredible.
Your cells are spontaneously producing energy.
Your oxygen and hemoglobin levels are off the charts.
And your DNA… it shows an entirely new gene sequence.
Beyond your meta-DNA.”
“Meta-DNA?” Barry repeated.
“And if your cells are damaged,” Caitlin continued, “they replicate instantly.
Like—”
“Super-regeneration,” Cisco finished, grinning.
“This is getting cooler by the minute.” He raised his hand for a high-five, which Barry gave.
“Whenever I introduce a foreign stimulus, your cells counteract it almost instantly.
It’s like your body is adapting to everything I throw at it.” Caitlin’s eyes shone with the possibility.
“This could revolutionize medicine.”
“Trippy,” Barry said, acting surprised.
He already knew much of this from his own private tests, though this data seemed more restrained than what he’d observed before.
Then, suddenly, the blood sample degraded.
The cells collapsed, autolyzing in seconds.
“What’s happening, Caitlin?” Cisco asked.
“They’re… undergoing autolysis.
Self-destructing,” she said quickly, running another test.
But the second sample degraded the same way.
“My best guess?
His blood can’t survive outside his body for long,” Caitlin concluded.
Barry let out a silent sigh of relief.
Good.
No one will ever be able to clone me.
After a battery of tests, Barry was finally released.
The team stayed behind, eager to unravel the mysteries of his abilities.
Barry, meanwhile, was starving.
His stomach growled louder than any alarm.
He knew exactly where to go: Big Belly Burger.
Under the stunned eyes of the staff and customers, he devoured thirty family-sized meals and more sodas than anyone could count.
Finally… about one-third full, Barry thought.
His appetite had clearly evolved along with his powers.
But food wasn’t enough.
Now he needed caffeine.
Heading toward Jitters, Barry’s mind was still buzzing when he saw something—
Barry stepped in front of Jitters, only to stop in his tracks.
Across the street, a girl and a boy were kissing.
A girl and a boy kissing was not surprising .
What surprised Barry were their identities—Iris West and Eddie Thawne.
So I was right, Barry thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.
He wasn’t upset; in fact, he was happy for Iris.
She was like a little sister to him, and her happiness mattered.
Eddie, too, was a good man.
Barry knows Eddie is financially well, comes from a good background and he is a good match for Iris.
Iris noticed Barry watching and froze mid-kiss, startled and awkward.
Eddie glanced back as well, a flicker of embarrassment on his face.
Barry lifted a hand and waved, his smile teasing as he looked at the couple.
Still tucked in Eddie’s arm, Iris stood.
“Babe, I’m gonna go talk with him, okay?”
Eddie nodded.
She walked over.
“So, Miss West finally confesses,” Barry said, amused at her nervous expression.
“Barry… yes, I’m dating Eddie,” Iris admitted quickly.
“But you can’t tell Dad about this.”
Barry didn’t reply right away.
His eyes flicked between Iris and Eddie.
Despite their lifelong friendship, Iris still felt a little nervous around Barry.
It wasn’t fear, but a kind of older-brother awe.
She didn’t always understand him, but she knew he’d protect her.
She remembered the time a group of girls bullied her—Barry hadn’t said a word, but the next day they all apologized in tears before transferring schools.
Or the time a boyfriend cheated on her—Barry had beaten him so badly his family moved to another city.
So now, with Eddie, she worried if Barry would approve.
“Come on,” Barry finally said with a smile.
“Let’s take a walk.”
They left Jitters, Barry leading the way.
Silence stretched for a few minutes before Barry broke it.
“Do you like him?”
“Ah—yes,” Iris answered, startled from her thoughts.
“Very much.”
“Even though he’s your dad’s partner?”
“Yes.”
Barry’s curiosity deepened.
“How did this happen?
Before my coma, you were single.”
Iris smiled faintly, recalling.
“When you were in the hospital, Eddie covered my dad’s shifts so we could both stay with you.
At first, I thought he was just trying to suck up.
I even accused him.
But he told me he’d once been in a hospital himself, alone, and knew what it meant to have loved ones nearby.
He wanted that for you.
I felt guilty and asked him to lunch to apologize… and things just happened from there.
It’s good, Barry.
It really is.”
Barry chuckled softly.
“Well, I won’t tell Joe.”
“Really?
Thank you so much!” Iris hugged him in relief.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Barry’s tone sharpened slightly.
“I won’t tell Joe, but you will.
Eventually.”
“I will… just not now.
But promise me first.”
“Fine.
But you know the rules,” Barry said, raising a brow.
He always made her promise him something in return when keeping her secrets.
“Yes, yes.
I owe you one,” Iris said, finally smiling again.
Before she could say more, police sirens pierced the air.
Barry’s enhanced vision zoomed in: a police cruiser was chasing a sleek black Corvette down the street.
One of the squad cars lost control and spun—straight toward Barry and Iris.
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