Deadly Resolve
"Nooo!" Barry screamed, rushing toward Oliver, desperate to save him from the mysterious light that had captured the others. But the short distance left him unable to gain enough speed, his fingers grasping only air.
"Cisco, can you track them?" Barry asked, his voice tight as he entered the Cortex.
After running several scans, Cisco shook his head, replying slowly, "No... they're off the radar." Frustration surged in Barry, while Wally, finally tearing his attention away from his video game, sensed the tension.
"There's gotta be something we can do, right? Cisco, try vibing their location," Barry urged. Cisco nodded and headed off to Starling City with Felicity, planning to use Oliver's belongings to track him.
As everyone dispersed, Joe returned to CCPD, HR went to make coffee, and Iris and Caitlin sat quietly behind the monitors while Barry paced, hoping for a breakthrough.
Wally slipped away to his workshop, pressing his hand to the biometric scanner, which quickly verified his identity through a blood scan. The doors opened with a soft hum, revealing his tech-filled sanctuary. He stepped inside, shutting the world out behind him.
"I still need to make these doors phase-proof, teleportation-proof, and breach-proof," he muttered before focusing on the designs in front of him: Version X of the thinking cap. It was unlike DeVoe's or the one Harry would later make in the future.
This version had one key difference: instead of dark matter, it would run on Speed Force energy. Both dark matter and Speed Force energy were exotic particles, but Speed Force energy was a safer, more stable option. Dark matter, unpredictable and raw, carried too much risk.
A 3D image of the cap floated on the screen as Wally's clone in the Time Vault helped him piece together the design, one that could theoretically boost intelligence using specific tech—some available at S.T.A.R. Labs, and others he'd have to source himself.
He knew the cap was far from completion, but it was a start. With the materials list finalized, he dispelled the clone, its energy returning to him as he leaned back in his chair.
As for the missing heroes, Wally figured they'd be okay. They'd likely escape or get rescued by some Legend—though with his recent upheaval, he wasn't so sure anymore. But he wasn't particularly attached to anyone involved. He could wait for things to play out.
Back in the Arrow Cave, Cisco had just finished vibing the heroes. His eyes snapped open, wide with realization. "I saw them..." he muttered. Felicity pressed him urgently, "Where are they?"
"They're in space." Felicity's frown deepened as she paced. "What are we supposed to do? If only we had some alien tech, we could hack it to figure out their coordinates." Curtis perked up, resting against the railing.
"Wait, you two are staring at each other like... let me guess, you have alien tech, don't you?"
Without wasting a second, the three got to work hacking the alien device. Their combined efforts quickly paid off, confirming the heroes' location—exactly where Cisco had seen: space.
With the coordinates in hand, all that remained was passing the information to the remaining members of the Legends to initiate a rescue mission.
On the alien ship, the captured team finally managed to break free from their stasis pods, navigating the corridors until they stumbled upon a room filled with escape pods. Thanks to Ray's quick thinking, they operated one and detached from the mothership.
But before they could get far, a fleet of similar ships gave chase, firing lasers at them.
"Ray, we need to pilot this thing!" Sara shouted, frustration mounting. But without prior knowledge of the alien tech, Ray could only respond with silence as his attempts to control the pod failed.
Just as he started to get a handle on the controls, a beam of light slammed into the pod, sending it spiraling into chaos. The ship was severely damaged as a result of the blast, with only inches of metal separating them from the deadly vacuum of space.
Most of the crew were knocked unconscious, alarms blaring with no one to respond. Only Kara, barely conscious and weakened as if kryptonite were near, clung to the edge of awareness. If it hadn't been for the others, she wouldn't have escaped the ship at all.
As the icy touch of death closed in and the alien ships prepared to strike again, the Waverider's tractor beam locked onto the pod, pulling them to safety.
---
A few hours had passed, and the team had returned to their respective teammates, while those severely injured stayed behind for treatment.
Oliver, determined to return despite his limp, was reluctantly allowed off the Waverider.
In no time, despite his injuries, Oliver managed to make it to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Barry quickly embraced him, his joy evident from the wide smile on his face.
Oliver, holding back a grunt of pain, was relieved when Barry finally released him.
Noticing his injuries, Barry quickly escorted him into S.T.A.R. Labs' med bay, where Caitlin treated him. "You need to get some rest," she advised, which made many of the present individuals exit the room.
"Okay, I'll let you rest," Barry said, turning to go when Oliver suddenly spoke.
"Wait. I was asked to deliver this to you," Oliver said, handing Barry a small recording device.
"What's this for?" Barry asked, curiosity clear on his face.
"Ray has some information on why the Dominators are here. He said it's urgent," Oliver replied.
The entirety of Team Flash was present in the Cortex, their eyes fixated on the video before them.
"... After extensive work, I finally managed to crack some of their language. Though it's still preliminary, I've discovered that what they want is you, Barry," Ray's voice paused, and all eyes shifted toward Barry.
"The Dominators see metahumans as a threat to the universe and are planning to eliminate them. How they intend to do this is still unclear… I'll get back to you when I have more information," Ray finished, leaving the room in a heavy silence.
Wally, despite his composed expression, couldn't help but frown slightly. It seems I'm already making too much change. With most of the Legends, Oliver, Thea, and Diggle injured, things were already diverging from the original timeline.
Even Kara was still in the Legends' care, her body injected with a biological agent specifically designed for Kryptonians, preventing her from absorbing large amounts of solar radiation. Though she would recover, the situation felt grim.
The only ones still in full condition were Wally, Barry, and Firestorm, which made the situation even more precarious. A troubling thought crossed Wally's mind: *Would Barry choose to sacrifice himself to the Dominators to save lives this time?* Worse yet, if they never considered time travel as a solution, Cisco might never realize how dangerous it could be. He would never forgive Barry for inadvertently creating a timeline where his brother died.
The weight of that possibility settled over Wally. The timeline was already unraveling, and with so many injured, the stakes had never felt higher. It felt like everything was his fault, even though he internally tried to convince himself it wasn't.
*Should I have listened to Iris?* If Barry is taken away, most of the responsibilities would fall on me. *How will I deal with incoming threats?* he began to panic internally, and just then, it seemed his worst nightmare was coming true.
The monitors connected throughout S.T.A.R. Labs suddenly flickered off, grabbing their attention. Moments later, they turned back on, the familiar appearance of the Dominators appearing on the screen.
The Dominator on the screen glared down at them, its gaze cold and calculating. After a moment of silence, it spoke, its voice distorted yet powerful:
"Humans of Earth, especially metahumans, your existence disrupts the natural balance of the universe. Your powers, your evolution threaten the cosmic order we have maintained for eons. We have observed your kind; we have witnessed the chaos your species brings. Your metahumans are a threat—an anomaly that cannot be allowed to persist."
It paused, letting its words sink in.
"Your *Flash*, the one you call Barry Allen, is a prime example. His reckless manipulation of time has destabilized your reality. It's only a matter of time before this recklessness spreads beyond your world. For the safety of the universe, metahumans must be eradicated."
The Dominator's voice grew darker, more menacing.
"Surrender him to us, and we will spare the rest of your kind. Refuse, and every metahuman on this planet will be purged—starting with him."
The screen flickered once more, cutting to black, leaving the room in oppressive silence.
Wally stared at the flickering screen, the Dominator's threat replaying in his mind. *Why fear,* he muttered under his breath, *why fear when you can eliminate the problem?* The thought was invasive, but it didn't feel wrong—if anything, it felt necessary.
His heartbeat quickened as the weight of their situation pressed down on him. So many were injured. Barry was being targeted. The timeline was unraveling. And yet, the solution seemed clearer than ever.
"I will wipe out every last one of you," he vowed internally, his fists clenching in rising fury. Sparks of lightning crackled around him, betraying the dark resolve building inside. The voice at the back of his mind—the one that whispered about power and control—grew louder, urging him forward.