The New Barry Allen: Flash SI

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Beep beep!

The blaring alarm jolted him awake. Groggy, he reached out to silence it, grumbling as he rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn.

When he finally opened his eyes, he was met with a room that felt utterly foreign. Where am I? he wondered. Determined to approach this logically, he threw off the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Strangely, he felt slightly taller than usual, but he chalked it up to morning grogginess.

A small desk near the bed held a lamp and several books. One book's cover caught his eye: Particle Accelerator: Is It Safe? by Dr. Harrison Wells. Initially, he thought it might be a prank, but as he skimmed the pages, it became clear: either the author was an exceptional science fiction writer, or he was in the DC Universe.

The confirmation came when he glanced at his reflection in the window. "No way," he gasped. He looked exactly like Grant Gustin's version of the Flash from the TV show, though his hair wasn't blonde and his eyes weren't blue like the comic book version.

He resisted the urge to pinch himself; if this were a dream, he wouldn't be able to read. This was overwhelming, like stepping into the Matrix or Ready Player One, only it wasn't a video game—everything was real. He was in a world where science fiction was fact, magic existed, and superheroes and villains were real.

Excitement surged through him. He was in the presence of superheroes he had grown up reading about, with the Flash being his all-time favorite. Barry Allen's origin story, marked by his transformation through his arch-nemesis, Eobard Thawne (the Reverse-Flash), was particularly compelling. The two were opposites in many ways—Eobard was cold and ruthless, while Barry was compassionate and selfless. Their lives were entwined by their shared obsession with understanding the impossible.

He wondered about the year and the specifics of this DC Universe. Was it the TV show version or the comic book? The presence of Grant Gustin's Barry Allen suggested the former, though he wasn't entirely sure.

He felt relieved he wasn't in the Justice League version of the Flash, which he considered less impressive due to the suit's design. Still, he knew he didn't have the Flash's speed, meaning the particle accelerator explosion hadn't happened yet.

Barry's laptop was nearby, but he didn't know the password. Then he remembered: the password was Nora Allen. With Barry's memories, including the pain of losing his mother and his father's conviction, he felt a surge of emotions—anger toward Joe West for doubting his father and hatred for Dr. Harrison Wells, aka Eobard Thawne. He channeled that anger into determination and typed in the password.

The laptop loaded, displaying the date: April 26, 2013, just seven months before the particle accelerator explosion. His search for information revealed that Batman had recently appeared in Gotham, with some of his rogues like the Riddler and Penguin also making their debut. Harvey Dent was still the DA, not yet disfigured.

Disappointingly, there was no mention of Superman. This might be the Arrowverse, not the broader DC Universe, or perhaps Superman hadn't arrived yet.

Recalling details from the Batwoman TV series, he remembered Batman had mysteriously vanished three years ago, indicating a mix of TV show and comic elements or a new universe entirely. The article Flash Vanishes in Crisis hinted at an inevitable crisis where the Flash might die. The knowledge of this future event was both a blessing and a curse.

He had a decade to prepare for the Crisis Event, a responsibility that felt immense. It was as though he was holding the fate of the multiverse in his hands. The weight of this responsibility almost overwhelmed him, but he managed to push past the panic.

Researching sightings of the Green Arrow, he discovered Oliver Queen had retreated to Lian Yu, likely out of guilt for Tommy's death. Meeting him there was impractical and risky.

He also wondered about Superman's potential appearance and its impact on Joe West's beliefs. Would the presence of Superman influence Joe's view on Henry Allen's innocence?

While pondering these questions, he remembered Eobard Thawne's warning about time travel and its consequences. Even though he hadn't traveled through time, his knowledge of future events could alter the timeline. He had the chance to set things right.

His plan began with forming a Justice League for this world. He needed to identify potential members—Arrow, Batman, and himself—though three members weren't enough. More research was necessary to find additional candidates.

The path ahead was clear: he had to act to ensure the survival of the multiverse.