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18th March, 2024.
Cisco’s vibe had finally given Iris a date for her death, and it was in seven years. Much longer than Barry had clearly panicked when he’d first run there, and yet, knowing it was possibly all the time she had left, it felt like none at all.
She could reassure Barry with that far into the future. He had apologised and admitted he’d let his fear of losing her make his decisions and stepped back to take her lead, had seemed relieved when Cisco had mentioned a previous vibe seemingly like it was in a few years, not a few months, but Iris knew how anxious he still was. She didn’t blame him for that, how could she. She’d have felt the same in his shoes.
He’d already lost both his parents to speedsters who only wanted to hurt Barry. She knew he still carried the blame for that, even if it wasn’t his fault.
And she knew the 18th March was the anniversary of Nora Allen’s murder.
It would hurt him more. That was why, Iris knew that was why, and she felt so angry at it, angry that whoever did this only saw her as an object to use against Barry, only saw her as a means to get to her partner.
At least if she’d been murdered for a story she’d been working on her death would have been about her.
This wasn’t how her life was supposed to go. She wanted to make her mark as a reporter, she wanted to get married, have children, she wanted a life.
A future newspaper- an article with Linda’s name printed on it- had told her once she’d lose Barry in April 2024. But it had told her he would go missing fighting Thawne, it didn’t say he’d be gone for-
Iris paused, and grabbed her notebook. She’d made notes on Savitar. He’d shown up right as Barry found out she’d be killed by a speedster one day. She knew the assumption Barry made, the assumption they all made.
But she still kept notes.
Savitar had hurt Barry over and over again. He hadn’t hurt Wally or Cisco though. Her death was a means to hurt Barry, if he was focused on Barry, that still fit his motive, but Barry didn’t even know who he was.
He’d given Wally powers. They knew from a combination of Barry’s memories and Cisco’s vibes that the people he’d given powers to had them in Flashpoint. Iris knew how guilty Barry felt about it, Savitar either was connected to Flashpoint or was intentionally dragging it up to hurt Barry. Maybe both.
But Wally. Wally had been Kid Flash in Flashpoint. Iris knew he’d been hurt, he’d been dying, Barry had come back to save Wally’s life, so she could see why giving Wally powers would be a distraction. Barry had certainly panicked about his insistence on helping too, but Iris had pointed out Wally would be safer if Barry taught him how to use his powers, if he did this where Barry could keep an eye on him, because they weren’t going to be able to talk him out of doing this.
If Wally was a distraction, to get Barry worried about him while Savitar tried pulling off whatever his plan was, then why not target Wally. Iris was so glad he hadn’t, and she’d let that relief distract her, but why not Wally, why not hurt Cisco to get Barry focused on them instead. Savitar seemed to know them; he had to know Cisco’s vibes were the biggest threat to revealing his identity. He hadn’t managed yet, but Cisco had been trying.
And seven years. Killing Iris couldn’t be his plan now, it was too early.
Darwin Elias had been found. Iris didn’t trust him when he said all this had been at Savitar’s request, that he’d been an unwilling participant, but Iris was assuming he was done with making metahumans. Meena Dhawan though, the worst they’d found showed she’d been working on something connected to the Speed Force. Whether she knew that yet or not, Iris didn’t know, but whatever she knew, Savitar wanted.
Barry was entirely consumed by the worry Savitar wanted Iris dead. He hadn’t seemed to though. When he’d broken into S.T.A.R. Labs he’d just looked at her, and Iris couldn’t see his face under the blue mask, couldn’t see his eyes through the blur that Barry had used once, back at the start, but he’d been looking right at her, and so preoccupied with her Barry had almost caught him.
But he hadn’t made a move towards her. Hadn’t said a word. He mentioned her sometimes, to Barry, asking how she was, asking after her, and Barry had assumed it was a taunt, they’d all assumed it was a taunt-
Iris pulled up her blog. She had a hunch, and if she was right, he’d be reading it.
Eventually Jitters would change the locks. But this was their spot.
She felt the wind behind her, just like she’d done so many times waiting for another nameless speedster up here.
The same speedster.
Iris turned and Savitar darted back to the shadows.
“Waiting for your boyfriend, Iris?” he asked.
“You tell me, Barry,” Iris said.
He stepped forward, pulling the mask down, easing the vibrations.
He looked like her Barry. His hair was cut differently, but the only thing that struck her were his eyes.
They looked so world-weary.
“I knew if anyone would realise, it would be you,” the future Barry Allen said. “You always were the smartest person I knew.”
“What are you doing here?” Iris demanded.
“I know you, Iris,” Barry said. “You think I don’t know you’re planning on finding out everything you can then going and reporting it all to my past self so he can stop me?”
“I thought I knew you,” Iris said. “But the Barry I know wouldn’t hurt people.”
“The Barry you know already has blood on his hands,” he said. “Edward Slick, Al Rothstein, Farooq Gibran. He’s not who he claims to be, Iris. Why don’t you ask him what he did with Thawne in Flashpoint?”
Iris shook her head.
“He’s not a hero,” Barry said. “He’s a fraud. So many deaths, and all our fault.”
“You brought up Flashpoint,” Iris said. “You’re here, changing time-”
“Flashpoint was an impulsive, selfish decision,” Barry said. “Look at what happened to Thawne, trying to change too much all at once.”
Barry snarled his name, fury raging at the thought of him.
“But he had other ways,” Barry said. “Small little ripples. The Legends do the same. They all change time, Iris, why can’t I?”
“You’re from 2024,” Iris said.
Barry nodded.
“Barry was right, he ran to that point in the future for a reason,” Iris said. “It wasn’t to see what you were going to do. It was to see what you wanted to stop. What are you trying to do?”
“I love you, Iris,” Barry said. “I always will. All you need to know is I’m doing this to save you.”
“You keep hurting my Barry,” Iris said. “I can’t let you do that.”
“His actions brought Thawne back,” Barry said. “We’re the reason Thawne went after you. I’m only going to give him what he deserves.”
Barry vanished in a flash of blue lightning, leaving Iris alone on the rooftop.