1 Rebirth

In the scorching depths of Hell, where the rocks glowed scarlet and screams echoed endlessly, a figure lounged upon a throne of obsidian.

With blonde hair and black eyes, adorned in a black/white suit, Lucifer, the fallen angel, sat with one leg crossed over the other, looking bored.

With a lazy swipe of his finger, hundreds of tiny black orbs floated before him, each containing a soul.

He scrolled through them, his expression uninterested, like he was browsing through a catalog of misery. Each orb spun as he checked them out, the souls trapped inside wailing in agony.

But then, something caught his eye—a soul with a spark of potential. Lucifer's smirk hinted at his interest as he plucked it from the rest.

Promptly causing the others to disappear, only one white orb was left in front of him. He observed the small ball of energy curiously.

"This should do..."

As Lucifer's fingers brushed against the small black orb, it trembled and quivered, before slowly beginning to morph and shift.

Shadows coalesced around it, swirling and twirling until they took on a humanoid form, tall and imposing, yet shrouded in darkness. The figure seemed to lack any discernible features, its form a silhouette against the fiery backdrop of Hell.

The figure made out of darkness seemed to have gained consciousness as it glanced around curiously.

"Little one, I have granted you a second chance of life from the pits of hell." 

The figure stirred, its form pulsating with an otherworldly energy as it absorbed Lucifer's words. Though it lacked a mouth, it seemed to convey understanding, a sense of acknowledgment rippling through the darkness that enshrouded it.

It then tilted it's head to the side, wondering why it was brought back to life.

Lucifer, ever perceptive, seemed to anticipate its thoughts as he continued to speak, his voice resonating with an air of authority.

"I will assign you the role of a reaper. This world is filled with sinners, some minor, others major. It has come to my attention that it's becoming overrun by existences that shouldn't even be allowed to walk amongst the living."

A faint smirk appeared upon Lucifer's lips as he continued to speak with disdain, "This simply shows how incompetent the system my father made truly is. Therefore, I have decided to take matters into my own hands. I will send a personal emissary of Hell to cleanse the Earth of these beings, and that is your purpose."

The dark figure seemed to be in a daze, as it absently nodded in understanding. 

Lucifer observed the figure's silent acceptance with amusement, "You have questions, I assume?" He remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "No matter, I'll indulge your curiosity."

The enigmatic figure hesitated for a moment, as if weighing its thoughts carefully. It gazed at Lucifer with an intensity that spoke volumes, despite its lack of words.

"Why choose me?" The figure seemed to ask, its form pulsating with a silent yearning for answers.

"Why indeed," Lucifer mused, his expression unreadable, "Perhaps it's your potential for darkness, your capacity for destruction. Or perhaps, it's simply because I find you amusing."

It seemed he had no intention on clarifying, as he continued.

"Well either way, no one cares, It's time for you to receive your powers." With a flick of his fingers, he conjured forth a surge of dark energy, enveloping the figure in an otherworldly glow.

"As promised," Lucifer declared, his voice resonating with power, "I shall grant you the power of speed, and a vessel that complements it. You should be familiar."

The figure trembled as the dark energy coursed through its form, reshaping it into something new and powerful.

And as the transformation reached its climax, the figure emerged reborn, clad in the body of Bartholomew Allen, wearing the original Flash Suit from Season 2.

His mask was off, as he had blonde hair, with bright green eyes and a body toned in muscles.

[Image]

"Well, this is certainly unexpected," Barry remarked, his tone filled with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "Never thought I'd be getting a makeover in Hell of all places. Not to mention as Barry Allen."

Lucifer chuckled softly, "Indeed, it's not your typical spa day," he replied, his voice laced with playfulness. "But I assure you, the results are quite... striking."

Barry smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I'll take your word for it. So, Lord Lucifer, mind if I pick your brain for a bit?"

"By all means," he replied, his tone casual. "Ask away, Barry. I'm feeling rather generous today."

With a nod of appreciation, Barry leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "Fair enough. So, what's the catch? I mean, I'm all for a second shot at life, but I'm guessing there's a price to pay, right?"

Lucifer leaned back in his throne, his gaze contemplative. "Their is no catch," he replied, "You will simply serve as my reaper. But if you do a good job, perhaps I'll consider it payment in full and grant you ultimate freedom."

Barry's eyes narrowed slightly in understanding. "And what if I decide to go rogue? What if I don't follow your instructions?"

Lucifer seemed nonchalant as he answered, "Then you'll simply die and go to parts of hell you never knew about."

Barry awkwardly laughed, changing the conversation, "Right, good to know. Anything else I should be aware of?"

"The necessary memories will remain intact," He said. "And once I send you to the World of the Living, information on how your abilities work will be implanted into your brain. So, don't worry too much."

Barry nodded, then asked, "What if I get caught by God?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "My dad is probably already aware of the situation, but for now he won't do anything." He replied cryptically. 

"Enough chit chat," He declared, "It's time for you to return to the World of the Living."

"For now, you can just relax and get accustomed to your new surroundings. However I will be observing, so if I don't see any results of the wicked entering my domain by your hands, your 2nd chance at life will be revoked."

Barry gave a playful salute, "Understood."

Lucifer simply watched Barry in silence, before snapping his finger.

Snap!

And an instant later, he disappeared from view.

"Farewell, until we meet again, Monarch of Motion."

****

Inside the confines of Star Labs, amidst its high-tech meta-human prison, a particular cell held the enigmatic figure of Barry Allen in his iconic Flash Suit.

With his back pressed against the cold, metallic wall, Barry sat in quiet contemplation, his eyes closed in deep concentration. Yet, in a swift motion, his vibrant green eyes snapped open, revealing a contemplative gaze.

As the flood of memories washed over him, Barry's expression remained stoic, his mind working tirelessly to assimilate the fragments of his current life.

After a few moments, a sense of clarity seemed to settle over him, his thoughts contorting into a cohesive understanding of his current reality.

'Interesting...' Barry mused inwardly, 'It seems I bear the appearance of the comic Barry Allen, yet find myself in what seems to be the Flash Arrowverse. Specifically, after the tragic loss of Barry's father at the end of Season 2, and his subsequent imprisonment by the team when he chose to race against Zoom.'

But as he delved deeper into his memories, he realized this wasn't in the Arrowverse either, Bruce Wayne/Batman seemed to exist, not to mention Clark Kent who recently surfaced as Superman a few months ago.

'What an amusing universe,' Barry reflected inwardly, his thoughts tinged with wry amusement. 'I never anticipated being sent to the DC Universe. I've barely delved into the comics, and wasn't the biggest fan of The Flash show...'

Despite the unexpected turn of events, Barry couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for his counterpart. The original Barry Allen seemed condemned to a fate of being endlessly imprisoned by his own team.

'Well I have no intentions of entertaining that,' Barry resolved with cold eyes, 'As soon as Wally breaks me free from this prison, I'll disband Team Flash and work solo. After I deal with Zoom, that is.'

And he was quite confident in doing so, the reason being, 'I'm faster,' Barry couldn't help but smile inwardly, 'Much faster. Initially, with the Tachyon Enhancement, my speed had reached Mach 13.2. But now, it's something else entirely...'

He paused, a sense of awe washing over him as he concluded the true extent of his speed, 'My current top speed seems to be, Mach 52.8 when using the Tachyon Enhancement.'

Another thing Barry noticed was that he could automatically calculate his speed instinctively, without having to physically do it, which is how he knew.

But there was only one explanation for such a remarkable growth in speed as soon as he was reborn: his mental state and understanding of the Speed Force. Unlike the original Barry, whose emotions were in constant disarray and his knowledge of the Speed Force limited, the current connection was calm and more knowledgeable about the Speed Force.

In turn, his growth surpassed anything his counterpart could have had, yet not even a mere fraction of his true potential was unlocked.

'If memory serves me right,' Barry pondered, 'the Tachyon Enhancement is only a temporary solution. Once Zoom is defeated, it'll need to be retired to avoid putting my life at risk. Still, even without it, I'll maintain a speed of Mach 13.2.'

Though the specifics eluded him, Barry vaguely recalled Gideon warning about the dangers of prolonged use of Tachyonic Enhancements. It explained why the Flash's speed dwindled in later seasons as he had deactivated it.

Until abruptly...

Clankkkk!

The sound of metal against metal echoed through the cell, signaling it's unlocking.

With a sigh of relief, Barry rose to his feet, stretching his limbs casually as he observed the opening metallic gate.

"Seems Wally made it." He remarked with a smirk, before quickly masking it with a stern expression.

Wally's figure appeared as Barry approached him, "Everyone's gonna freak when they find out I did this, but I don't care." Wally continued,

"We need your help Barry."

___________________________

Not too bad, right? Some Power Stones would come a long way though...