Chapter 43: Reactions
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Waveridder
Afternoon
As the Waveridder returned to the present and landed, the transponder in Cisco's hand went off.
"What's happening?" Nate asked as they all turned to him.
"I don't know. Either our food's ready or this guy's trying to call us," Cisco said as he got to his feet.
Cisco put the device on the console and a hologram of The Dominator appeared.
"Hey, oh my god it's him," Cisco said jovially.
"He's even uglier than the last time we saw him," Mick said crudely.
"Sixty-five of your years ago, you rescued me from capture," the Dominator told them.
"Listen, you don't need to thank us," Cisco told him.
"Speak for yourself. This guy took over of my mind and abducted me and put me in some weird dream world. We saved his ass, so I think he owes us something," Clint said gruffly.
"He can thank us by turning around and heading home," Mick agreed.
"In gratitude, I will spare your lives, but I cannot do the same for Barry Allen," The Dominator said and Cisco and Clint tensed. "If your friend does not surrender himself, we will have no choice but to deploy a weapon that will exterminate all Metahumans."
The hologram faded, leaving the five to stare in stunned shock.
Star Labs hanger
Later in the afternoon
"Considering how much they hate Metas, it's hard to imagine they'd be satisfied with just one," Ray noted as everyone but Barry and Wanda stood in the hanger.
"If I know Barry, he's gonna want to be that one," Cisco said worried.
"Not like he doesn't deserve it," Sara said under her breath but everyone heard her loud and clear.
"Hey!" Oliver snapped but Sara simply glared at him.
"He can't just go back and change things! Do you know how hard it is for me not to bring Laurel back?! No offense," Sara said as she looked at Laurel, who simply shrugged.
"Okay, let's all calm down and try to remember, Barry had just lost his dad. He wasn't thinking rationally," Kara said, trying to play peacemaker.
"And if I recall Sara, there was a time where you didn't think so rationally either when it came to loved ones and I had to pull you back from the edge," Oliver snapped and Sara growled. "The difference is Barry didn't have someone to pull him back."
"Lay off him, he's punished himself enough for all of you," Sam said in defense of Barry.
"He decided to just create an aberration. He can't just do that," Ray argued.
"And who gave you the okay to build a super suit because you lost your fiancée?" Oliver snapped.
"That's different," Ray said defensively.
"Tell that to Roy, who you blasted into a fence," Oliver snapped and Ray was silent. "We all have incredible abilities, they don't make us gods. We make mistakes, every single one of us. To judge Barry for making a mistake makes each and every one of us hypocrites."
"We didn't mess with the timeline!" Sara snapped.
"Really? Because if half of the things you've told me are true Sara, you mess with it far more than Barry does," Oliver snapped and the Legends shifted.
"We always correct our mistakes," Ray said defensively.
"Which is exactly what Barry tried to do," Steve pointed out.
"Do you know what he had to do to reset the timeline, to undo Flashpoint? Has he ever told you?" Clint asked and everyone was silent. "I thought not. He had to go to Eobard Thawne and practically beg him to kill his mother again."
"He had to what?" Cisco asked, pale as he thought of all the ways he had treated Barry over Dante.
"He had to beg the man who murdered his mother to kill her again. And he's had to put up with all of you blaming him for everything since. And that's not even counting the Red Death and what it's done to him," Natasha said and Oliver whipped his head towards Natasha.
"The Red Death?" Oliver echoed.
"You know it?" Natasha noted the way Oliver had paled.
"I was injected with it over four years ago," Oliver said and Natasha nodded.
"Would someone explain what The Red Death is?" Thea inquired.
"It's an interrogation drug developed by the KGB. Causes hallucinations and flashbacks, mentally tortures the victim. It never leaves the body so, because Barry is a speedster, he still sometimes gets hallucinations," Natasha said before looking at the assembled team. "So, before you decide to judge Barry, you might want to stop and consider for one moment what he's been through."
Natasha turned and stormed off, not waiting for a response. Steve shot Clint a look and nodded before following after her.
"Barry did what anyone in his position would do. He wanted to see his family again after losing them. If any one of you say you wouldn't do the same, you're lying," Olive said before he turned and walked off.
Barry was in a secluded corner of the hanger, deep in thought as he sat on the steps of one of the equipment trucks. Wanda walked over, hesitant to approach him before she reached him.
"Are you okay?"
"Not really," Barry sighed. "God, I thought when I came back here, that Flashpoint was a time in my life I could just leave behind. But no matter what I do, I just can't escape it."
"Maybe you're not meant to escape it," Wanda said and Barry looked up to you. "Flashpoint…it's what brought you to me, to us. It's what made you who you are. Maybe instead of running from it, you should embrace it."
"Maybe you're right," Barry said after a moment.
"Barry…please tell me you aren't planning on sacrificing yourself," Wanda all but begged and Barry is surprised.
"If I actually thought it would appease the Dominators, I'd at least consider it. But with how much these Dominators hate Metas, I doubt they'd just leave if I gave myself up. Besides, I have too much to lose now," Barry said, his eyes drifting down to Wanda's stomach.
Steve found Natasha by a van, silently watching Barry and Wanda.
"You okay?" Steve asked quietly.
"Things got a whole lot more complicated for them, now that there's a kid involved. I'm a spy Steve, it's what I do," Natasha said with a sad smile.
"Was that all about Barry back there, or is there something else going on?" Steve asked and Natasha was silent as she watched Barry and Wanda.
"How do you…mourn for something that wasn't even real?" Natasha asked softly and Steve was silent, trying to find the right words.
"The way you felt was real. You may not have actually been pregnant, but the way you felt about it in that other world, that was real Nat. It's not a crime to feel pain, even pain that shouldn't make sense," Steve told her softly as he put a hand on her shoulder.
Natasha took one look at his understanding eyes and crumbled. She lowered her head and her lips trembled as she began to cry, tears falling down her checks. Steve took her in his arms, allowing Natasha to cry her face in his shoulder as she sobbed quietly.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
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