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“When are we?” Jax asked.
“2000,” Sara said. “Nate noticed some reports of a speedster in Central City.”
“That makes sense. If they’re a speedster, they’ve probably fought the Flash, right? It’s a little early, but they could be looking for him.”
“Maybe,” Sara said. “Gideon, do we have anything else?” No answer. “Gideon?”
“That’s weird,” Jax said. “I can take a look while you guys see what you can find? Just be careful not to interfere with the Flash’s timeline.”
“That’s really weird,” Jax said. “Half of Gideon’s circuits have vanished.”
“We didn’t even crash,” Ray said.
“No, I mean vanished.” Jax opened up another panel, only to find more missing wires. “Something is very wrong.”
“Maybe something in her personal timeline?”
“But we don’t know about Gideon’s personal timeline. And 2000 has to be too early.”
“Ray, I need you in the medbay,” Sara said. Ray locked eyes with Jax.
“You need to go,” Jax said. “I’ll keep working on Gideon.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s not Grey, I’d know, and without Gideon they need your help.”
Ray nodded and shot off.
The Waverider shook, throwing Jax across the room.
“What was that?”
“A Time Quake, Mister Jackson.”
“Gideon?”
“Yes, Mister Jackson?”
“You sound different. Your wires vanished a minute ago.”
“It would appear there has been another divergence in my creator’s timeline, Mister Jackson. I have been requested to direct you to November of 2016 should this occur.”
“Your creator?”
“Barry Allen, Mister Jackson, Director of C.S.I. at C.C.P.D., founding member of the-”
“Barry as in the Flash.”
“Yes, Mister Jackson. I was created in March of 2024, to help Bart Allen adjust to the early twenty-first century, to assist other speedsters when my creator could not, and to assist in the detection of threats to the safety of the Earth.”
“So, Barry told you to take us to 2016?”
“No, Mister Jackson, Mister Ramon left the request, my creator gave him equal privileges before his death in twenty twenty-”
“Gideon, spoilers.”
“Apologies, Mister Jackson.”
“Don’t tell the others about that part. Just take us to 2016.”
“Yes, Mister Jackson.”
“I need to find Sara.”
“So, you’re telling me something in Gideon’s creator’s personal timeline changed, so now Gideon sounds completely different, and we have to go to 2016?” Sara said.
“Yeah,” Jax said. “Barry created her.”
“Who’s Barry?” Mick asked.
“Barry Allen.”
“I second Mick,” Sara said. “Who?”
“You guys don’t know Barry?”
“Oh, is he friends with the Arrow too?” Nate asked.
“I guess technically,” Jax said. “Grey?”
“Mister Allen is a C.S.I. for the Central City Police Department,” Grey said. “He’s a friend. Without Mister Allen, Ronald and I would never have unfused and been able to return to our lives, and after Ronald’s death Mister Allen was one of the people who helped me find Jefferson. Along with Doctor Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon.”
“The name Cisco sounds familiar,” Sara said.
“He makes most of the suits,” Jax said.
“He also made Mister Snart and Mister Rory’s guns,” Martin said. “The latest versions unwillingly.” He scowled at Mick.
“You’re friends with some representatives of the police?” Amaya asked. “At least two of you.”
“There’s Iris and Joe too,” Jax said.
“That’s Detective Joe West, Mister Rory,” Martin said. “I’m sure you know that name.”
“Martin, Mick’s on our side now,” Sara said. “I get why you’re cross with him if he’s hurt one of your friends-”
“All three of them have been targeted by Mister Snart and Mister Rory, and Cisco’s brother.”
“Don’t remember no C.S.I.,” Mick shrugged.
“-but I’m sure he’s very sorry,” Sara finished.
“Captain, we have arrived in Central City,” Gideon said. She flickered again.
“Gideon?” Sara asked.
“Hello, Captain,” their Gideon said. “My timeline appears to be in flux, you have a message from Felici-”
Gideon shut off again.
“Great,” Sara said. “I guess we have to go find out what this is about.”
Ray rushed in.
“Sara, that lady-”
“Later, Ray, we have to try and fix some guy’s timeline. Barry?”
“Barry Allen?” Ray asked. Jax nodded. “Great, it’s been way too long since I’ve hung out at S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco helped build my suit, he took a bee for me and saved my life. And we took down Deathbolt together. Apparently Snart killed him, but-”
“Ray,” Sara said. “Focus.”
“Right. It’s actually a good thing we’re in Central City because that p-”
“Ray. Is our guest stable?”
“Yes. Only-”
“Great. If you’re friends with this Barry guy too, you can come with us, Nate, Amaya, watch the ship and make sure our mystery woman doesn’t get lost in the wrong time.”
“Yes, Captain,” Amaya said.
“But Sara-”
“Ray, Gideon says we have a message from Felicity, I need you to call her. But first, we’re going to split up to find this Barry.”
Sara led them down to the cargo bay and opened the door. Barry and a blonde woman were waiting, Barry already in his suit with his cowl down.
“You got my message,” the blonde woman said. “Great. Hi, Sara.”
“Hi, Felicity,” Sara said.
“It’s good to see you three,” Barry said. He hugged Martin, then Jax, then Ray. “I’m so glad you’re okay and not dead.”
“Red,” Mick grunted.
“Heatwave.” Barry eyed his gun suspiciously. “And you must be Sara Lance, Laurel told me a lot about you.” He stuck his hand out. “Barry Allen.”
“Oh,” Sara said. She shook his hand. “You’re Barry. That was easy.”
“Yes? I’m sorry about Laurel, I really am. She was a friend.”
“Barry, we need to talk to you,” Ray said.
“Awesome,” Barry said. “Can it wait till after the alien invasion?”
“After the what?”
“You guys did get my message, right?” Felicity asked.
Alien invasion. Fantastic.
Barry introduced the Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), Spartan (John Diggle), Speedy (Thea Queen), Felicity Smoak, and Supergirl (Kara Danvers). And then there was training, which was basically Kara beating everyone put together. Cisco helped Ray with the finishing touches on his new suit.
There was definitely something going on with Cisco and Barry.
At least it wasn’t hard for Grey and Jax to find Barry with just Caitlin and take him slightly to the side.
“Is this what Ray was talking about?” Barry asked.
“Gideon vanished earlier,” Jax said. “The A.I. in the Waverider. When she reappeared, she sounded different, and brought us here. She said you created her.”
“Just like the Gideon in the time vault,” Caitlin said.
“She said her timeline is in flux. Because of you.”
“Flashpoint,” Barry said.
“Flash what?”
“I made a mistake. I ran back in time to save my mother. I tried to fix it again, but things changed. Dante’s dead and Cisco hates me, John’s got a son instead of a daughter, Caitlin has ice powers, and-”
“Barry, you were hurting, you know I don’t blame you,” Caitlin said.
“But you should. Alchemy, those husks, those are all because of Flashpoint and they’re hurting people. You’re hurting because of me. If my mistake damaged Gideon too, we need to tell the others.”
“Right now?” Jax asked. “What if...”
“It might answer your question,” Barry said. “John needs to know at least. Professor Stein?”
“Yes,” Martin said. “Sorry, I-” He rubbed his head and Jax winced. Caitlin caught him as he stumbled.
“Professor, are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m fine, my dear. Perhaps- Perhaps while we’re here I might visit Clarissa.”
“I’ll take you.”
“You tried to fix you mistakes, Barry,” he said. “Remember that.”
Barry nodded.
“You changed time,” Oliver said. Barry nodded.
Cisco clenched his fists.
“What’s different?” Kara asked.
“Caitlin’s powers,” Barry said. “Cisco’s brother died. John’s baby Sara is now baby John.”
“I had a daughter?” John asked. “And you changed that.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Cisco asked. “You weren’t thinking of anyone other than yourself.”
“Cisco-”
“I could go and save Laurel,” Sara said. “Do you know how hard it is for me to make that decision?”
“You did try and kill Darhk earlier in his timeline,” Ray said. Sara glared at him. “I know you let him go to preserve history, but Barry was just doing the same thing, and we don’t even know-”
“He changed time, Ray. You saw what happened to Gideon.”
“But I don’t think that-”
“Ray, thank you, but I know I screwed up,” Barry said.
“Guys, it’s Lyla,” John said. “The President has been abducted by Dominators.”
“Okay, you guys go,” Barry said. “I’ll wait here.”
“Barry-” Kara said.
“No, it’s fine, I get it, I screwed up, you can’t trust me. I don’t even know Captain Lance; my first introduction was being told you were dead. I thought Ray was dead for months, you guys didn’t tell me he wasn’t, Rory’s hurt my friends before and literally tried to kill me, I trust Jax, I care a lot about Professor Stein, so I trust that they trust you to do the right thing and save the world, but I’m not expecting you to just trust me, especially not after what I did.”
“Barry, we trust you,” Oliver said. Cisco snorted. “I trust you, Barry. I’m not going without you.”
“Then you can both stay,” Sara said. “There’s been enough threat to Gideon’s timeline for one day.”
“Sara-”
“It’s fine,” Kara said, interrupting Ray. “Why don’t I go with you guys, while Barry and Oliver stay here and work out our next step?
“We’ll see you in a bit,” Barry said.
Ray was practically buzzing next to Jax and Martin.
Jax really had intended to ask him what was wrong. But then he got kidnapped by aliens, which put a pin in that plan.
They did save them again. But Ray almost immediately went off with Sara, Barry, Oliver, and Kara to meet the President, Nate, Mick, Amaya, Felicity, and Cisco went time travelling, and Caitlin and Grey were working on something to stop the Dominators in S.T.A.R. Labs. Grey was giving off a lot of weird vibes, Jax would have to ask him what was going on later.
Jax stayed at Ferris Air with John and Thea.
“So,” Jax said. “I hear Star City is a nightmare.”
“And you time travel,” Thea said. Jax nodded. “So weird.”
“Are you okay?”
“You mean because I just found out I lost my daughter?” John asked.
“But you gained a son,” Thea said. “Maybe you’ll have a daughter later?”
“I need to talk to Lyla about this, Thea. Do you need to talk to someone?”
“I wish Laurel was still here. I’d go talk to her. Or Roy. Or Tommy. That world had all of them.”
“But it wasn’t real. This is real.”
“I know. I miss them. All of them.”
“You can’t!” Oliver shouted as the others walked back in. “Barry, you cannot do that.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Barry was saying. “How many of us are there, Oliver?”
“That doesn’t-”
“Answer the question.”
Caitlin and Martin walked in next, only briefly interrupting the shouting match, right as the Waverider landed and Cisco stormed out the door.
“What’s going on?” Thea asked.
“The Dominators gave us an ultimatum,” Sara said. “Give them Barry, or they’ll kill every meta on the-”
She grabbed Cisco’s wrist before his fist connected with her face.
“Cisco!” Caitlin shouted. Mick aimed his gun and Cisco laughed.
“I built that, Rory,” he said. “And you’re planning on using it on me?”
“Cisco, stop,” Barry said. “They’re trying to help.”
“Really? You still think they’re trying to help, after they had the audacity to come here blaming you for all this?”
“Sara,” Ray said. “I really need to tell you something.”
“Not now, Ray.”
“But-”
“Barry, leave,” Cisco said. “Sara and I need to have a word.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ramon,” Sara said.
“Cisco,” Caitlin said.
“Barry, leave, now,” Cisco said.
“Barry’s not going anywhere,” Oliver said. “I get it, you’re upset about your brother, but you were asking him to do exactly the same thing you’re blaming him for doing. We can find another way to stop the Dominators, they are not having Barry.”
“And what army are you going to use to stop me, Oliver?” Barry asked. “The world is in danger. If this is the way to save it, how can I not?”
“They’ll still drop it,” Kara said.
“You don't know that,” Barry said.
“You don't need to be able to see the future to know that, but guess what, I can see the future,” Cisco said. “Kara’s right. I lost my brother; I'm not losing my best friend too.”
“Cisco-”
“Barry, we need to have a long conversation about this. This is not about that. I know why Gideon’s timeline is in flux and it is not your fault. It’s nothing to do with Flashpoint.”
“He time travelled,” Sara said.
“So did you, and you didn't tell us what you did.”
“What am I supposed to have done?”
“Cisco’s right, Gideon glitching is our fault,” Ray said. “He’s right, we should talk about this on the ship.”
“Cisco, what is going on?” Caitlin asked.
“Can someone take Barry to go get Iris?” Cisco asked.
“Cisco,” Barry said.
“Please,” Cisco said. “I need her.”
Barry studied his face for a moment then nodded and vanished.
“Are you planning on explaining this?” Oliver asked.
“Well?” Cisco asked Sara.
“I don’t know what your problem is, Ramon, but-”
“Cisco,” Caitlin said. A woman was stood at the top of the ramp of the Waverider, Rip’s pistol in her hand, aimed at Sara.
“Where is my son?” she demanded.
“What is happening?” Sara asked.
“Cisco, the anaesthetic wore off really quickly and Gideon is clearly on her side,” Nate said, rushing to the door with Felicity and Amaya.
“You did this?” Sara asked.
“No one move,” the woman said. “Tell me where my son is.”
“We don’t know, ma’am,” Kara said. “But we’ll help you find him.”
“Nora, this is going to be a lot to take in,” Ray said.
“You know her?” Sara asked.
“I’ve been trying to tell you all day, that’s-”
Barry skidded in and Nora fired at the lightning.
“Shooting me seems a little-”
He froze, looking up at the woman.
“Mom?” Barry asked, voice tiny and broken. She hesitated, finger on the trigger still.
“Everyone, time out,” Iris said. “Someone explain what is going on here.”
Jax had never transmuted anything as big as the bomb. But it had worked. Grey had a daughter, caused by them interfering with his personal timeline.
It was meant to be a celebration but Barry had slipped out the door.
“Hey.” Jax sat on the ground next to him.
“Hi,” Barry said.
“I didn’t know. If I’d-”
“It’s not your fault. Nate said he was the one who found the article and no one else knew me, why would they...”
He trailed off.
“There must be something we can do,” Jax said.
“I was in Flashpoint for three months. I locked Eobard in a cell and I was going to just pretend. Joe was an alcoholic there and hated me. Iris didn’t know me, none of them knew me. Wally was the Flash. And I was losing my memories. Speedsters are better at retaining timelines than other people, but I had never become the Flash there so as time was catching up, I was losing my powers. I wasn’t fast enough to stop Edward Clarris hurting Wally. He was going to die, the only way to fix it...”
Barry trailed off and Jax waited for him to pick up again.
“Eobard gave me the choice before, once. Has Professor Stein ever told you?”
“I know a little,” Jax said. “He’s the one who caused Ronnie’s death.”
“It might have been me. Eobard told me to go back and save her, and he was going to the future. The Flash already there fighting Eobard shook his head so I waited and after they’d gone, I came out of where I’d hidden and I held her as she died. I didn’t change it, I went to fight Eobard, Eddie Thawne shot himself to erase him from existence and Ronnie and Professor Stein separated in the Singularity and Ronnie never made it out. I erased that me when I created Flashpoint. And it didn’t even work. The only way to save Wally was to set the timeline right and Eobard made me beg him for his help. Beg him to…”
“Have you told anyone that?” Jax asked. Barry shook his head.
“It’s my mistake. I tried to fix it. When I found out about Dante I tried to go back and fix everything but Jay Garrick, the Flash of Earth-3, he stopped me and explained time travel. He had a mug. When you do what I did it breaks the mug, breaks time, and however many times you try and fix it, you can never hide the cracks that show it was broken. My mother dying started this timeline, Jax. I can’t... It’s my fault. She should hate me.”
“There must be something we can do.”
“It’s not something that can be changed. Why were you looking for a speedster?”
“One killed Rex Tyler back in 1942, it’s why Amaya joined us.”
“Oliver said you all got lost in time for a while. Did you find them?”
“Not yet.”
“Cold slows us down, and we can’t phase through force fields. I’d offer to help, but I don’t think I should try any more time travelling.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Jax said. “I have got an idea; you should go talk to Iris.”
Sara, Ray, and Oliver were talking. Jax hurried to where Nora Allen was sitting very confused with Kara.
“Hi, I’m Jax,” Jax said.
“Hello,” Nora said. “You’re one of the time travellers. Iris explained a little while you were out.”
“This must be too much to take in. I meet my dad because of time travel. He died when I was a baby. It didn't change, but I found out he did see me. I didn't know he did.”
“Iris told me how time was meant to go. I know what has to happen. I saw lightning take my son and I never thought I would see him again. I could never dream of seeing him like this. He’s not sure, is he?”
“Bringing you here erased something that happened for him, but he remembers it still. He's upset. About losing you. Have you ever thought about time travel?”
“I can't say I have.”
“Would you like to?”
“You might have to explain a little more.”
“We know that has to happen for this timeline, right? Though maybe disappearing would be enough. But it doesn't have to happen for you now. And it'll probably be complicated to be here all the time though Barry’s here so I get why you wouldn't want to leave but you could come with us back to 2000 the long way round.”
“Travel with you?” Kara asked. “You were just talking about the timeline and maintaining it.”
“Yeah, some stuff went wrong. But this isn't the original time line either. A time traveller killing you started ours, that shouldn't have happened. And we can't put it right and fix it, Barry said there will be cracks and it's been changed enough, who knows what would happen, but if time travel took your life can't it give you a new one too?”
“You're asking me to travel with you,” Nora said. “I don't see how much help I could be on your missions.”
“We can work out something. It was just an offer. You don't have to take it.”
“I think you should,” Barry said from behind Jax. “I have something I really, really need to talk to you about Mama, can we...”
Nora smiled and stood to hug Barry tight.
“So, we're bringing the Flash’s mother now,” Sara said as everyone climbed on the ship.
“Do you want to take her straight back to where you found her?” Jax asked. Sara sighed.
“You made a good decision, Jefferson,” Martin said. He stepped onto the ship. Jax would talk to him later. They had a lot to talk about.
“Thank you, Jax,” Barry said.
“We’ll visit,” he said. “I promise.”
“I'm so proud of you, my beautiful boy,” Nora said.
“I love you, Mom,” Barry said. Nora kissed his forehead.
“I love you too,” she said. “Keep safe.”
“You too. If you guys need help with this other speedster...”
“We’ll give you a call,” Sara said. “Ramon.”
“Lance,” Cisco said. “I’ll be keeping an eye on the time line myself too. Don't break it.”
“We know what we're doing.”
“Everything will be fine, Cisco,” Jax said. “Well see you around.”