9.Proving Himself [Part 2]

-Central City/STAR Labs-

Still inside the Pipeline, Erick leans back against the blue walls covering his comfortable cell as he hears the doors hiss open

A bit intrigued he pushes himself off the wall as the doors fully open revealing, Nora with her arms crossed as she steps up and faces Erick

"Your the last person I seriously want to talk to right now, so whatever your going to say then just say it"

Nora:What did you tell my Dad?..

Erick presses one of his hands against the glass and simply tells her

"Well nothing yet..I have nothing to hide, Nora but you on the other hand..your hiding something.."

He could sense it..he knew that she'd try and act brave and confident around Erick to prove to herself but she wasn't afraid of him..even if she didn't want to admit deep down she was..

"You come here to this time period and instantly make everyone here turn on me in an instant..you spew half truths to your own family"

Nora mutters something underneath her breath by the words of 'at least I have one..' as Erick raises any eyebrow

"Say it again..go on.."

Nora:I didn't say anything..

But Erick just scoffs and backs away from the glass

"I may not have a family Nora like you but at least I know what I am doing here..*faces Nora* for fuck sakes if it wasn't for me, Godspeed would've killed you..hell you wouldn't even be here"

It had been one of their very first encounters..when Red Death had found about Godpseed chasing another speedster around Central City, the battle was fierce..between Red Death and Godspeed himself

"A hero is to supposed to uphold a morality within themselves, yet somehow you call yourself one all because your Dad is the Flash, he may be the fastest man alive here..but in the future that's where I reign.."

Nora:At least I won't be spending the rest of my life here stuck inside a cell!

"Who knows maybe one day I'll be the one to put you in one of these..it'd be ironic.."

Nora shakes her head against this as she turns around to walk away but Erick tells her one more thing before she leaves

"Sooner or later they'll figure it out! Your hiding something far bigger, you may fooled them but not me..im always one step ahead, Nora. Remember that.."

---

It had been a long day for Team Flash, after putting Red Death away in the Pipline, a new metahuman by the name of Gridlock had attacked and safe to say things didn't go according to plan; the villian had escaped. And not wanting to risk the timeline anymore they tried to send Nora back to her own time..alas when they did the Speedforce had pushed her out..

Barry was conflicted, he did care about his future daughter..truly he did but he couldn't help but feel she was hiding something..something important from him, she'd mention that Iris and her spend their whole lives together and yet she didn't say the same for him. Did something happen to him in the future? What could've driven him away from the people he cares about?..

And then there was Erick..the supposed villian from the future as her daughter claimed him to be..the son of his arch nemesis; the Reverse Flash..a man who dedicated his life to make his life a living Hell. But the more he thought about it..the more he began to wonder if he had the right motivation to kill him then why not do it back during their fight? Maybe it was time for him to heed Erick's advice..it was time to ask Nora..

Meanwhile back with Nora she walks around Cisco's workshop as she stumbles upon an old picture of the original Team Flash, her hand guiding itself through the picture as the voice of her father calls out to her..

Barry:Nora..

She gently sets the picture back down and turns around to face her father

Barry:What happens to me? In the future..you said you spend your whole life with your Mom but you didn't say the same for me..

Nora:My poker face is that bad huh?

But Barry wasn't playing around he wanted to know the truth..he had to..

Barry:Nora I need to know..

---

They stand inside the Time Vault with the same article from before saying 'Flash missing..vanishing in crisis' as Nora presses a button on her gauntlet as the news article changes to '25 years later..the Flash still missing'

Nora:You never come back..

Nora begins to explain everything from when she was born and her having no memory of her father, and how she imagined so many different things to say to him when they first met at the wedding, but her last sentence grabs his attention

Nora:I guess things don't always go the way you plan them..

That's when he realizes it..why she's been so close to him all of this time, why she was so determined to stop Erick..it's not because she couldn't open up the Speedforce..

Barry:Your not stuck here are you?

She reaches into her gauntlet and pulls out a small device as she shows it to him

Nora:I found it in the museum archive..negative tachyons harnessed on demand; I really should've worked on that poker face..

She hands the small device to Barry as he looks down at it and tells Nora

Barry:This didn't have to be a secret, why did you keep this from us?

Nora:Because if I did then you would have sent me home the minute I walked into Grandpa's house..it's like you said Dad. Speedsters have to be responsible but i-im not responsible..im just selfish and really really bad at being a speedster..