Flash: Catch Up

• The 70 degree weather felt nice West family’s backyard, golden and easy, full of the kind of warmth Barry Allen hadn’t felt in a long time. The grill hissed, laughs were shared, and Wally was right there beside him, talking a mile a minute about what the Teen Titans had been up to lately, “You should’ve seen it, Uncle Barry, Starfire roasted a moth drone mid-air in a HUGE green explosion. Robin later said it was a tactical error cuz it gave away our position, but come on, it was awesome.” Barry wore a genuine wide smiled and let himself laugh at Wally’s excitement. But behind the grin, guilt sat heavy. Every burst of laughter around the table felt like a reminder of something missing. His nephew, his wife, his father-in-law, but his father wasn’t here. His father was still sitting in a cold cell, innocent and alone, while Barry stood here pretending everything was fine. His body shifted as he felt the uncomnfortable feeling of responsibility call his name. Why would he deserve to be casually enjoying time with his new family when his own is still incomplete? Joe layed into him like he always did, “You’re lookin’ a little far away there, Barr,” he said from across the patio, tongs in hand, “Try being present for once. While food’s still hot.” It came out half-joke, half-disappointment. Barry nodded, said something about needing air, and slipped away before Iris could fully read the look in his eyes. “Barry, don’t,” she said softly, catching his wrist just before he hit the gate, “You can’t keep ducking out like this.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, “I know. ” But he did it anyways. And then he was gone, leaving behind the smell of smoke, the sound of laughter, and Joe’s voice following after him with a frustrated sigh, “Every damn time…” as he shot a disapointed and worried look to his daughter.

• The clang of the cell door echoed behind Barry. He walked in alongside Detective Ethan Bennett, someone who has proven to be his closest comraf at the CCPD, the only one who didn’t look at Barry’s crusade for his father’s innocence like it was a lost cause. Henry Allen sat with the tired calm he always carried. When he looked up, his eyes softened, “Barry.” “Hi, Dad,” Barry said, forcing a smile that barely held, “Bennett and I have a few more questions to clear up some stuff, if that’s okay.” Bennett gave a polite nod, “Sorry you can’t get rid of us, Sir. We don’t give up easy.” Henry chuckled, “Yeah. That’s my son’s problem alright.” Barry’s jaw tightened, “It’s not a problem. It’s what’s gonna get you out of here.” Henry looked down at his hands, “Son, I’ve made my peace with it. This place… it’s my life now. You need to move on. Do better than I did.” Barry shook his head, frustration bubbling beneath his skin, “No. I can’t just walk away. You didn’t kill anyone, Dad. Obviously not mom. And I’m not going to stop until I prove it.” Henry’s gaze was heavy, “Even if you could, Barry… the evidence is gone. You said the whole house, everything that could’ve cleared me, burnt to ash.” Ethan stepped in, trying to offer a sliver of hope, “Maybe not everything’s gone. Sometimes, a detail gets missed. A report misfiled, some old neighbor remembering old information. We could find something new, something that—” Henry cut him off gently, “Try all you want, Detective. I can’t stop you. But it’s pointless.” Barry hated the weight of the words his dad left them with, but it wasn’t going to stop then.

• Barry sat at his workstation, lost in some pointless paperwork he couldn’t seem to focus on. His mind wasn’t on the evidence in front of him, it was still back on his dad’s case. The door creaked open and Iris leaned against the frame, somewhere between concern and irritation, “You know,” she said softly, “it was weird how you just left the barbecue like that.” Barry turned to her, “Yeah. Sorry.” She stepped closer, “Barry, you can’t keep doing this. You need to start acting like we’re married. That means being there, even through the hard moments. My dad might not always appreciate you, but I do. And—” “It’s not about your dad,” Barry snapped. His voice cracked, “It’s about mine.” Iris immediately paused. She softened immediately, moving closer and putting a hand on his shoulder, “Oh, Barry…” “Everyone keeps telling me it’s pointless,” he said quietly, “That I should move on. But I can’t. I won’t. I still believe there’s something out there that can clear him.” Iris knelt beside him, her voice gentle but heavy with worry, “Barry… I say this only in a way to help heal you.. But maybe it is hopeless. I’m not saying give up on him, but you have to be ready to face the reality that… he might never come out.” Barry’s eyes darted to her, glassy and desperate, “I saw it, Iris. That night. I saw my mom dying in that storm. And my dad… he was holding her, trying to save her. Henry Allen did not kill his wife. It’s impossible.” Iris didn’t say anything after that. She just wrapped her arms around him and held him there in the lab, as Barry sat perfectly still.

• The lab was quiet long after everyone else had gone home. Just the faint scratch of a pen on paper. Barry sat under the glow of his desk lamp, caffeinated and focused as hard as he could on the evidence in front of him, looking for any scrap of a lead to finishing what his heart needed more than anything. He was replaying the words Iris had said. Maybe it’s hopeless. He rubbed at his eyes and leaned back in his chair, letting the silence of the CCPD swallow him. That’s when the air changed. A low crackle of electricity prickled along his skin. The papers on his desk fluttered. The static grew louder, wrapping around him like a storm trapped in the walls. Then came a voice. Calm, familiar, in the worst possible way, “Hey, Barry.” He turned faster than most people could think. And standing in the doorway was a man dressed in yellow. His suit looked like a sick parody of Barry’s own. Reversed colors, lightning etched in jagged lines, and eyes burning red through the mask. Barry froze. His heart pounded hard before instinct took over and he blurred into a defensive stance within his iconic red suit, “Who are you?” he demanded. The figure drew a smirk curving beneath the mask, “Oh, Barry. You really don’t know?” Barry’s fingers twitched, sparks beginning to dance between them, “You’ve got two seconds before—” The stranger cut him off, laughing softly, “You know me, Barry. I’m your answer… It was me, Barry.” The words hit him like a gut punch. Faint static arcs flared brighter around the room, glass vibrating in its frames. “What did you just say?” Barry’s voice was a whisper now, barely holding together. “It was me, Barry,” the yellow speedster said again, stepping closer, every motion precise, deliberate, “I killed Nora Allen. I made you who you are. Every heartbreak, every sleepless night, it all comes back to me.” His tone was calm, almost affectionate, but the cruelty in it was unmistakable. Barry’s face went white. The puzzle pieces slammed into place, the storm, the blur, everything. It’s the only way it could make sense, someone- something like him did it. His voice cracked through the hum of power building around him, “You.” Zoom leaned in, the red in his eyes flaring, “Now you’re catching up.” Barry moved on instinct. The entire lab erupted in a flash as he lunged, fists glowing, chasing the yellow blur that zipped out the shattered door. They tore through the streets of Central City, two streaks of lightning, one gold, one crimson, splitting through the night like gods waging war at light speed. Barry didn’t know where Zoom was going, and he didn’t care. All he knew was that this was the man who killed his mother, and tonight, he was finally close enough to catch him.

• Barry tore through the streets but the yellow blur ahead of him was faster. No matter how much he pushed, no matter how sharp he cut the corners, Zoom stayed just out of reach, a phantom always one step ahead. “Come on, Barry!” Zoom’s voice echoed, distorted through the roar of wind, “You call yourself the fastest man alive? Prove it!” Barry clenched his teeth, lungs burning as the world smeared into streaks of neon and light. He pushed harder, faster, almost to him, but then, in a split second, Zoom doubled back and hit him. The impact was like being blindsided by thunder itself, launching Barry through the air and into a line of motor bikes. Barry groaned, electricity flickering over his suit as he forced himself upright, “Why.” he spat, clutching his ribs, “Why are you doing this to me?” Zoom appeared beside him in an instant, crouched low, voice low and vibrating with menace, “This is exactly why, Barry. To make you faster. To make you better.” He straightened, pacing in a slow circle around Barry, every word dripping with twisted satisfaction, “Pain is a teacher. Loss is a motivator. And you…” he said, leaning in close, “you needed both.” Barry’s eyes widened, fury flashing behind them, “You killed my mom— just to motivate me?!” Zoom cocked his head, as if considering it, “And look how far you’ve come.” Then, boom, another blow from Zoom faster than Barry could brace for. Zoom’s fist connected with his jaw, sending him skidding down the street like a skipping stone across water. “Get up, Barry!” Zoom shouted, his voice trailing through the thunderous air, “You’re wasting your potential! You can be so much more than this!” Barry, panting and shaking, lifted his head, bolts surging violently around him now, more intense than ever. He didn’t know if it was rage, grief, or the need to prove him wrong, but he ran again. Faster. Faster still.

• Barry’s hands were clenched so tight that he could barely feel his knuckles. He darted forward again, but Zoom wasn’t there. Another rush of air, and Barry was sent sprawling paired with a counterpunch that hit him square in the gut. “You’re slower than I had hoped,” Zoom said, his voice vibrating with disdain as he circled Barry like a vulture, “All this potential, and this is what you do with it? Disappointing.” Barry forced himself to his feet, his chest heaving, “You keep saying that! You killed my mom, destroyed my family, but why?! What agenda could that possibly serve!?” Zoom stopped dead. His tone shifting from mockery to fevered conviction, “Because you need to go faster, Barry. You have to!” Barry stared at him, incredulous, “Why?!” Zoom’s grin was almost pitying, “Because it’s what the universe needs.” He began to pace, “Decades ago, I too had an… incident. The one that gave me a connection to the Speed Force. Much like yours.” “The what?” Barry spat, his tone caught between confusion and rage. “The Speed Force,” Zoom repeated reverently, “If I were to dumb it down for you, it’s the source of our power. The current that drives all motion, all of time. But you see, Barry, the Speed Force requires conduits, speedsters as most come to call them. The speedsters provide their world with the very nutrients multiverse itself, allowing it to grow.” Barry blinked, trying to process, “You sound insane.” Zoom laughed, “Haha! Oh, believe me, I thought so too. When it first happened, I could see everything. The flap of a mosquito’s wings, counting the hours between seconds… every atom moving like molasses. Time itself seemed to become my prison. I felt trapped, Barry. So I did the only thing I could.” He leaned closer, “I ran.” Barry’s expression faltered but he continued to listen. “I ran as far as I could, as fast as I could. I thought if I went fast enough, I could break free of it. But I didn’t just surpass speed limits…” His grin widened. “…I surpassed this reality.” Barry’s eyes widened, “You—what?” “I crossed branches of the multiverse,” Zoom said, “Landed in a world quite different, but familiar… because in that world, you were there. You, Barry, were the Flash. Not kid fumbling to run to first base like how you were known in this world at the time. You were the best. The fastest being in existence. There were museums in your name. Monuments. Children wearing your emblem with pride. You were a god among men.” His tone softened, almost wistful, “And that’s when I realized… it wasn’t a curse. It was my destiny, to make sure you could achieve yours.” Barry stared at him, thunder rumbling in his chest, “…You’re saying you killed my mother because you think—what? That you’re helping me?” Zoom smiled cold and unflinching, “You needed tragedy. You needed pain. Without it, you’d never run fast enough to become the man I saw. The man you’re meant to be.” Barry’s breathing quickened as he digested Zoom’s twisted logic, the obsession behind every cruel choice, “You’re sick,” Barry whispered. Zoom’s eyes flickering like embers, “No, Barry. I’m devoted.”

• Barry’s pulse was a drumbeat of fury, with Zoom’s nonsense rattling around in his head, “Even if I believed a single word out of your mouth, even if I gave a shit,” he snarled, “you never had to kill my mother.” Zoom shot up insulted, “Psh—well, duh. Look where it got you.” He gestured broadly, circling Barry, “You’re a decorated crime scene analyst, a beacon of justice by day, moonlighting as the fastest man alive by night. Protector of Central City. Founding member of the Justice League. And yet…” His voice dipped low, teasing, “You’ve barely scratched the surface.” Barry’ can’t take it anymore, as his arms shake uncontroible with velocity and rage, “You bastard!” Zoom snarled, “That’s no way to thank me, Barry. After all… I made you. Every step, every spark, every ounce of the Speed Force that clings to you, it’s because of me. I was behind everything that led to your accident. Every perfect condition aligned, every variable accounted for. Your creation was perfectly designed.” “You’re saying…” Barry breathed, “you ruined my life… to make just more costumed freak?” Zoom’s red eyes lit with rage. “No! You aren’t getting it, kid! You are so much greater! So much more important and better than all those others.” Barry’s face twisted with rage. The lightning around him flared red, “You bet I am—” He lunged. The impact cracked the air like a bomb went off. Barry’s fists collided with Zoom’s jaw, again and again, every hit fueled by years of grief, guilt, and fury. Zoom stumbled, skidding across the asphalt, blood streaking from his nose, but still, he laughed, “Gooood, Flash,” he rasped, catching Barry’s next punch in his hand, “That’s who you need to be. Anger really kicks you up a notch. Hate fuels purpose.” Barry broke free and slammed Zoom into a stone retaining wall, eyes wild with yellow sparks as the dirt poured over Zoom, “You ruined my life! You ruined my dad’s life! He’s been rotting in prison for something you did!” Zoom’s laughter slowed. His grin twisted into something darker, almost sympathetic, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that…” Barry froze, his chest heaving, “What are you—” Zoom raised a trembling hand and, in one smooth motion, peeled back his yellow cowl. The lightning faded from Barry’s eyes as the truth sank in. Underneath the mask, was his father. Henry Allen’s face stared back at him. Old, worn, and unmistakably him. His eyes that were cold, tinted by the Speed Force met Barry’s, and he smiled a sad, broken smile, “See, son?” he said quietly, “I told you not to waste your time on getting me out.”

• Barry stumbled backward, shaking his head, his voice breaking apart between disbelief and wrath, “No… no, that’s impossible.” His hands trembled violently as the lightning dimmed around him, “You’re not— You can’t be my dad.” Zoom, aka Henry, tilted his head, calm and steady, “Still clinging to denial, even after everything you’ve seen? You’re a scientist, Barry. Look closer.” Barry’s eyes darted over him, every scar, every wrinkle, the familiar timbre in his voice. It couldn’t be faked. But it had to be. “No. No! You’re a telepath. Or-or a shapeshifter. Something else maybe— but you’re not him!” Zoom only chuckled softly, “Unfortunately, for you, son… I am.” Barry’s chest seized. He could barely form the words, “How—how could you do that to Mom?” His voice cracked as tears finally spilled free, streaking down his face, “You— you killed her!” Henry’s eyes softened for just a flicker. A terrible kind of gentleness, “Oh, Barry. You have to know how much I loved your mother. My Nora. There isn’t a day I don’t think about her.” He took a step closer, and Barry flinched, “But if that alone doesn’t tell you how important your destiny is, then I don’t know what will.” Barry’s hands clenched, “I’ve spent my life trying to free you,” he said through his sobs, “I never stopped working that case since I was 8 years old. I love you. And you’ve been watching me, this whole time, and now you just decide to tell me the truth? Why now?” Zoom’s expression didn’t change, “Because, my boy… I saw you weren’t going to stop. You wouldn’t let it go, dying on this hill of my incarseration. You’d waste away chasing the past.” Henry’s face showed genuine sadness,” …And I couldn’t have that. So… I now I have to motivate you a little differently.” Barry stared at him in horror, “Motivate me? You think this, this nightmare, is motivation?” His voice broke again, “Then what’s the point, huh? You win. I’ll quit. I’ll hang up the suit. I’ll never run again.” But Zoom’s face hardened. His tone, turned cold as a blade, “Now, now, Barry,” he said, shaking his head slowly, “We can’t allow that,”  His voice deepened, echoing with menace, “For the sake of our world, son… you need to keep running.”

• Zoom leaned deliberately close, “You see, I could go after your wife, Iris. That’d be easy. Predictable. But I’ve learned something from you, Barry.. You don’t really break when people you love die. You break when you blame yourself.” Barry’s jaw locked, “Don’t.” “Oh, I won’t hurt Iris,” Zoom continued, “No, no. I’ll hurt someone she loves too. Someone else called dear ole dad. Captain Joe West.” Barry took a half-step forward, trembling with fury, “You wouldn’t.” Zoom chuckled darkly, “Oh, I would. And I’ll make it look like only you, Flash could have done it.” He grinned wide, eyes burning with madness, “So when Iris finds the body, she’ll have no choice but to wonder if it was you. And even if she doesn’t believe it, Barry… she’ll still blame you. Because this time, it really will be your fault.” Barry’s scream caught in his throat, “You wouldn’t dare—Dad—” Zoom’s smile looked inhuman, “Well, maybe not.. if you can catch up.” And with that, he turned into a streak of yellow, tearing down the road. Barry didn’t waste a heartbeat, “JOE!” he screamed as he took off after him.

• Barry tore through the city, every muscle burning, Zoom just ahead, his laughter still audible, “Too slow, Barry!” Zoom shouted over his shoulder, darting between cars, “You’ll never catch me if you don’t try harder!” Barry grit his teeth and pushed more, the world narrowing to a single pulse of motion. He could see Joe’s house coming into view, the porch light still on, the old wind chime swaying lazily in the night air. And Zoom was headed straight for it. “NO!” Barry surged forward, lightning splitting the air around him. He slammed into Zoom with everything he had, the two of them crashing into the front yard in a violent tumble. The shockwave shattered a mailbox and sent leaves spiraling through the air. Barry pinned him down, shaking with rage, his voice breaking, “Don’t you ever touch my family. You hear me? Not Joe. Not Iris. No one. You’re a monster—and I swear, I will never let you hurt anyone I care about again.” Zoom lay there beneath him, blood streaking his lip, but he only smiled, that same hollow, cruel smile, “Or what?” he asked softly, tauntingly. Barry’s eyes burned bright, “Or you’ll wish you took life in prison as the easy way out.” Then, like a father proud of his son’s defiance, Zoom whispered, “Now that’s the spirit. I’ll be around, son.” Before Barry could react, Zoom’s body began to vibrate at a rapid frequency as he shoved Barry off of him. Zoom’s trail took off down the road away from the West house. Barry lunged forward, but his hand passed where he was like smoke. In a blink, Zoom was gone, a flash of gold dissolving into nothing. Barry stood there in awe. The night was quiet again, only the hum of streetlights and the soft chime off Joe’s porch. He stared into the empty street, heart heavy. Somewhere out there… his father was free. He didn’t know where his father went or when he’d come back. But he knew he would.

• Barry stumbled through his front door, boots scraping the living room floor. The house was dark, but an upstairs light clicked on. Iris appeared at the top of the stairs, baseball bat in hand, “Barry?” she called, “It’s just you? You scared me, hun.” He looked up at her, still in the red suit. The mask hung half off his face, his hair a mess, his eyes hollow. “Yeah,” he said, voice low, cracked, “Just me.” He slumped down hard onto the couch, not from fatigue, but from everything he was holding inside. The weight of what he’d experienced was too much to carry standing. Iris crossed the room, her expression softening when she saw him like that, broken, trembling, scared, “Barry… what happened?” And he told her everything. About Zoom. About his mother, about his father. Every horrible truth that had been unearthed in one terrible night. The words poured out of him in bursts, half sobs half anger, until there was nothing left to say. Iris knelt beside him, taking his shaking hand in hers. She didn’t tell him to calm down, didn’t try to reason it away. She just held him, her thumb tracing small circles over his knuckles, “I’ve got you,” she whispered, “No matter what.” Barry leaned into her, eyes closing. The suit felt heavy, suffocating. But Iris stayed there, steady and warm, his anchor in the storm. That night, she didn’t let him go. She held him close, through every quiet sob and trembling breath. And as the perspective skewed above them, one could barely be able to make out a pair of red searing eyes peering through their window. …watching.

In the final scene, Barry shuffled through the precinct doors, coffee in hand, still wearing that same foggy expression he’d had all night. He was really trying to slip back into the rhythm of normal life. Work. Routine. Anything that didn’t involve impossible speed gods or fathers turned monsters. But as soon as he rounded the corner toward his lab, Detective Ethan Bennett caught him. The man’s face was pale, his eyes wide with disbelief, “Allen,” he called. Barry stopped, “Hey, Bennett. You look like you’ve seen some deep stuff already this morning.” Bennett didn’t smile. He stepped closer, “Are you telling me you don’t know?” Barry panicked, “Know what?” Bennett exhaled sharply, “Your dad, Henry. He’s gone. They found his cell empty this morning. No signs of forced entry or exit. Just… gone.” Barry felt relief that was all Bennett had to share. No destroyed lab, no hurt family. Then almost too calmly, Barry said, “Oh. I guess that sounds right.” Bennett raised his eyebrow, “Sounds right? You don’t seem too surprised, Allen.” That was when Barry realized his mistake, the lack of shock. He forced himself to blink, shake his head, bring some of that jittery nervous energy back into his voice, “Right, yeah, no—sorry, they called me early this morning,” Barry said quickly, “Guess I’m still processing it, y’know? My dad… gone again. Just trying to keep it together.” Bennett’s eyes lingered a moment longer than they should have, that cop’s instinct clearly turning over something in his mind. Then, finally, he nodded, “Righttt… sure. I get it, man. Just take your time. We’ll figure this out together. We’ll find him.” He gave Barry a stiff pat on the shoulder before walking off, still watching him from the corner of his eye. Barry stayed there, “No,” he muttered under his breath, “we won’t.”