Note: So, this was something I made recently, and I realize how many stories I'm multitasking, so I'm going to keep it as a one-shot. Maybe someday I'll change that, but for now, I'm just going to keep it here.

Enjoy!

...

"Barry Allen, please go to your bed."

Barry stared at her.

He couldn't understand her.

Ever since he had seen his mother under the towel, he couldn't seem to understand anyone.

"Barry Allen! Do not make me raise my voice!"

Barry looked up at her.

When she saw the tears in his eyes, she calmed down a little.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she said.

Barry stared into her eyes.

He recognized the place.

It was the orphanage.

Then it actually hit him.

Nora was dead. Henry was in jail.

And he was all alone.

...

The orphanage was a terrible place. Anyone who was there didn't have much to live for, seeing as how they lost everything, but most weren't suicidal.

Most.

Every once in a while, Barry would see cops come in. Sometimes others came in and mourned the child.

But Barry had stopped crying.

A few days in, he realized the lesson that every other kid had already been taught.

You fend for yourself because no one else will help.

Sometimes, bullying was the reason for ropes. Other times, it was loneliness.

All Barry knew was that he was never going to do what they did. Never.

Sure, his father had murdered his mother (yes, Henry is guilty in this story), but that didn't mean that Henry should also destroy his.

He wouldn't let that happen.

...

Barry used to try and make friends.

Used.

Soon, he had realized that no kid wanted to make friends.

Being only 11, Barry couldn't understand why, but he had learned not to press any buttons.

...

Seeing as his dad was a murderer and his mother dead, plenty of kids thought he was a great target.

Barry made them regret it.

His family had always said he was a genius. So he used that intelligence against the kids.

They quickly realized who was boss.

...

Barry's life was dull. He would admit that easily.

He never really had anything to do except reading.

Thankfully, the orphanage had a library, so he was set.

He read all sorts of things. Romance and mysteries were definitely his least favorite, considering his parents.

But he loved science.

It explained everything, helped everything make sense.

Sure, he didn't always understand everything, but the more he read, the more stuff was explained.

And he read a lot.

...

One time, Barry actually did make a friend.

Her name was Alexandra.

Barry, being his dorky self, couldn't pronounce it, so she let him call her Alex.

The only reason they weren't still friends was that she had been adopted, leaving him all alone again.

He knew he didn't have a chance at being adopted because he was "damaged."

Some people worried that he might be like his father, which stung every single time.

...

One day, Barry realized that if he stayed in the orphanage, his life would have been pointless.

The school was useless. He wouldn't get a proper education.

He would have a terrible social life because every kid was an enemy.

He had to get out.

...

He spent months on his plan.

First, he had to master all of the schedules.

The cooks, his, other kids, his teachers, guards (he didn't know why they needed them)... it was difficult, but not even close to impossible.

Next, he had to figure out an escape route.

That was pretty easy.

He also had to make a backup plan, just in case.

Last, he had to set a date.

It was just cruel fate that it happened to be Nora's death's anniversary.