⊱ ──────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ──────── ⊰

𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
I've got a list of names, and yours
is in red underlined

⊱ ──────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ──────── ⊰

BARRY CAME BACK upstairs not soon after, this time with Cisco, who looked more determined than ever. Juliet slid up besides her boyfriend and elbowed his side, giving him an impressed look. Barry grinned back at her before slinging an arm around her shoulders, planting a kiss to the top of her head. Together, they all watched as Harry put the new, and much smaller, tachyon device on Barry's suit right underneath his Flash symbol.

"You're all set," Harry said. "He won't even know it's there."

"'Cause whoever said aesthetics aren't important," Cisco replied.

"Not me. Let's go."

Barry looked at Caitlin, who looked extremely crestfallen. "Hey, Cait, I know how hard this is gonna be for you, but we have to stop him."

"I know, and I want to be supportive," Caitlin stated. "I just — I can't face Jay. Or whatever his real name is."

Juliet's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you remember when I was looking for his doppelganger, right?"

"Yeah, and you couldn't find him," Barry agreed.

"Because there is no Jay Garrick on this Earth," Caitlin revealed. "His doppelganger's name is Hunter Zolomon."

"Hunter Zolomon?" Harry interjected, and they all looked at him. "Are — are you sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

Harry opened up his watch. "Well, because on my Earth, Hunter Zolomon was a convicted serial killer."

Instantly, two pictures showed up on the screen. One was a CCPN article with the title Notorious Serial Killer Caught!, and another was a mugshot of a guy with long hair and a beard, but underneath it, she could definitely see Jay. His eyes were wide, but Juliet could see the absolute hatred behind them.

"That's Jay?" Caitlin asked in shock.

"No, that is Hunter," Harry corrected. "Last public photo of Hunter Zolomon. Instantly recognizable. And people from my Earth, on my Earth, serial killers are an anomaly, so a lot of media attention to this. There was a podcast."

"He looks . . ." Juliet trailed off, a shiver going up her spine. "Absolutely insane." She sighed. "I honestly don't know how we didn't see this coming. We've dealt with so many fucking plot twists it should be routine by now."

Harry brushed it off. "When Hunter was eleven, his father killed his mother right in front of him. Father sent to prison, Hunter grew up in the foster care system."

"Years later he was convicted on twenty-three counts of murder," Barry read.

"Wow," Juliet commented. "Complete psychopath."

"Twenty-three?" Cisco repeated. "That's, like, some real Hannibal Lecter type level."

"After the trial, Hunter was sent to the Saint Perez Mental Asylum for the Criminally Insane, given daily electroshock therapy," Harry continued. "Cure him of his urges and then faded from view."

"Until the night your Particle Accelerator exploded," Caitlin voiced.

"That's right. The dark matter crept into the mental asylum. I had thought piping the explosion underground would limit exposure. I was wrong. All it did was create an unstoppable monster."

"He's not unstoppable," Barry insisted. "Jay doesn't know that we know who he really is. He thins that his past is a secret."

"So?" Cisco questioned.

Juliet glanced up at Barry. "I think we know how to stop him."

The plan was simple — go back to the abandoned hospital and make Cisco open a breach, fully this time. Juliet and Barry would then lure Zoom — Jay — Hunter — whoever he was back to the large room at S.T.A.R. Labs, where they would disable his powers. Harry, Joe, Caitlin, and Iris would stay in the Time Vault, safe from Zoom. Their plan was all set up and ready to go. Juliet stood in the abandoned hospital in her suit, energy itching at her fingertips, practically begging to be released.

"You ready, buddy?" Barry inquired to Cisco.

"Yeah," Cisco answered. "You two have always believed in me. Thank you."

Juliet gave him a soft smile. "And we'll continue believing in you. You can do this."

Cisco put his goggles on. He then held out his fist, and blue mist surrounded his fist before extending outwards. Instantly, the blue cloud-like material of a breach showed up, growing bigger and bigger until it was fully formed. As if on cue, Zoom hopped out of the breach with blue lightning crackling around him. Juliet's eyes narrowed in anger — God, she hated him — and stepped slightly in front of Cisco, who instantly ran away.

"Reverb's doppelganger has increased his powers," Zoom said in his usual demonic voice.

"Hatred is a strong motivator," Barry responded, his tone ice-cold.

"You were unwise to reopen the breach."

"We're not going to let you reign over another world anymore," Juliet stated.

"Without your speed, you won't be able to stop me," Zoom insisted.

"I guess I'm just not included in this." Juliet shrugged. "It's very confident of you to think I can't take you down by myself. But it's two versus one, so . . ." She winked at him. "Catch us if you can."

Juliet immediately teleported away, heading to the elevator lobby back at S.T.A.R. Labs. She knew Zoom would be locked in on Barry — to him, Juliet was just another pawn in his game. Get Barry's speed first then take her down, just like Harry had said when all this bullshit started.

So there she waited as the two definitely raced throughout the city, her heart pounding against her chest. Her palms glowed red in anticipation. Finally, after a moment, Barry skidded to a stop next to her. Zoom stopped in a second later. Juliet and Barry instantly started to circle through the room, Zoom doing the same on the other side of them.

"Ah, you've gotten faster," Zoom commented. "Good. There'll be more for me to take."

"You want my speed?" Barry asked. He then phased a bit, making it look like he was running away. Zoom instantly did the same, but the two stayed where they were. Barry then smirked. "Catch me."

The two ran away in a flash of yellow and blue lightning. Juliet instantly teleported into the room, which they had set up with spotlights and obstacles. She stood on the platform and watched as they ran throughout the room, her eyes struggling to keep up with the colors. However, Zoom then stopped when a cardboard cutout of his father got in his way. He stared at in shock before Juliet reached out her hand, connecting her mind to his. Juliet brought her hand upwards, lifting him up off the ground, before bringing it back down harshly. Zoom crumpled to the floor, and she teleported over, standing in front of him.

Zoom glared at her through his mask. Juliet then teleported backwards, and Zoom chased after her until he was stopped again, this time by a cardboard cutout of his mother. He just stood there until Barry shot him with the boot, sending electricity flowing throughout his body until he fell to his knees, his powers now dampened. Juliet walked around him, staring down at him in distaste. Barry walked up and ripped off his mask, throwing it to the side before pushing him backwards.

Zolomon breathed heavily, looking up at them. "How did you figure out who I was?"

Barry pulled down the hood of his suit. "You made a mistake." He crouched down in front of him. "You told Caitlin who your doppelganger was."

"I had to do something to get her to stop trying to fix me. She's a smart girl. And that I was Zoom?"

Juliet took off her mask as well. "Velocity-Nine. It turns a speedster's lightning blue if they go fast enough."

"We would've helped you," Barry told him. "We would have done anything we could to save your life."

Zolomon shook his head. "Not everything."

"Caitlin found you a cure."

"A temporary one! I'm dying, Barry! There's only one thing that can get me what I need."

"And you'll destroy a fuck ton of lives and kill a shit ton of people just to get it, right?" Juliet questioned. "Like Earth-Two Juliet?" She watched as his eyes darkened. "Julie, you called her? You locked her away and made her suppress her powers." Her own eyes blazed with anger. "She would hate you."

"You don't get to talk about her to me," Zolomon argued.

"Why the hell not? You locked us in that cell together." Juliet looked down at her, her eyes starting to turn red. "You don't care."

"No, I don't! That feeling was taken from me a long time ago." Zolomon watched as Barry slightly walked away. "We're not so different, you know. What happened to us when we were kids. You could have just as easily become me."

Barry shook his head. "No. I'd never become like you."

"I got to say . . ." Zolomon stood up from the ground, and Juliet watched him very carefully. "That was smart using, uh, my parents against me. Oh, family. Such a weakness."

"Must be for you, but not for everyone," Juliet said.

"Well, that's where you're wrong. It's time I get what I came for."

Barry chuckled. "You're not getting anything from me. You're not getting anything from anybody ever again. On any Earth."

Zoom stared at them, his gaze heavy. "You can't lock up the darkness."

"What did you just say?"

Zoom looked up at them fully, his eyes black and his voice deep. "You can't lock up the darkness."

He smirked, his entire being crackling with energy. Zolomon then reached down a vibrating hand and cut the boot off of his leg. Juliet's eyes widened and she reached out her hand, but it was too late. Zolomon had already sped off. Barry glanced at Juliet for a moment before running after him. Juliet's mind spun momentarily with panic. How could it have gone so wrong?

Barry came back, looking utterly defeated. Juliet sighed, getting back into her regular clothes. Zoom had won, again, and it felt completely awful. Juliet held onto Barry's hand tightly as they went back to the West house.

"He was right there," Barry complained.

"I know," Joe reassured him as Iris opened the door and flicked on the light.

"I mean, we had him. We had him. I can't believe it.

Juliet stepped inside the house, but stopped fully. The entire house was a wreck — furniture tipped over and broken, papers scattered throughout the floor. Juliet swore she felt her heart stop. She glanced at Joe, who pointed upwards. Juliet nodded slightly to him before teleporting her and Barry up the stairs. They crept quietly into the first room they saw, which was Wally's room. However, Juliet stopped again, feeling absolutely sick to her stomach at the message on the wall and how the room was a mess. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening.

"Wally?" Joe shouted.

"Up here!" Barry called.

Joe and Iris ran up the stairs and entered the room. Once they saw what was written, they stopped in shock and horror as well.

YOUR SPEED FOR WALLY

Juliet felt like she couldn't breathe — if Zolomon went after him, who said he wouldn't go after her family? "Noelle."

Barry sped off and came back a couple seconds later. "She's still here."

She pushed her hair back away from her face. "Jesus fuck."

They went back down the stairs and helped get the house back and order before just . . . standing, because there was nothing else really to do. Joe stood on the stairs, staring into oblivion. Iris went to go make coffee, maybe to keep herself busy. Harry, Caitlin, Cisco had come over to help as well, the three sitting in the living room. And Juliet and Barry, well . . . they just stood by the window, Barry with his hands on the table and Juliet with her arms crossed. Juliet couldn't really figure out where her thoughts started — they were just kind of scattered.

"Dad," Iris said. "Dad." That snapped Joe out of it, and she offered him a mug. "Coffee?" She then sighed. "We're gonna get him back."

"What if we could stop Zoom through a vibe somehow?" Cisco suggested.

"Not enough time to weaponize, Ramon," Harry replied.

"Okay, what if we modify the pulse rifle to emit a low-level EMF?" Caitlin inquired.

"We don't have the equipment to modify the pulse rifles right now."

"Then we do another snatch and grab mission," Cisco urged.

"By the time we scale those cliffs, Zoom could already—" Harry began.

"I need a minute," Joe interrupted loudly.

Juliet glanced back. Joe handed Iris his mug before walking up the stairs. She turned back around, only to see Barry staring at her intently.

"What?" Juliet whispered.

"I have to," Barry admitted quietly.

She gave him a sad smile. "I would be lying if I said I didn't see this coming."

"I won't be the Flash anymore." Barry then looked out the window as if it just dawned on him. "But we have to get Wally. It's the only way."

"I'll be here every step of the way. Besides, Scarlet's got it."

Barry nodded. "Will you come with me?"

"Always," Juliet agreed.

Together, the two went up the stairs. Joe was sitting in Wally's room, staring at the ground from his bed. Barry stepped further into the room and sat down on the desk chair. Juliet leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Barry, I know you can't give up your speed to that monster, but . . . I also know that I want to get my son back, and I don't know what to do," Joe revealed.

"I do," Barry responded. "Wally, he's — he's part of the family. He's — he's a part of our family. And we do whatever we have to to keep the ones we care about safe."

"No, you — you can't give up your speed."

"That's not your decision. This is the only way, Joe."

They went back to S.T.A.R. Labs, where they broke the news to the others. Juliet changed into her suit again so that Wally wouldn't see who she was when he came back. Barry did as well and got Zolomon's helmet so that Cisco could vibe and talk to Zolomon.

"Barry, are you sure?" Cisco inquired.

"I'm sure," Barry confirmed.

"I mean, we don't even know if he'll be able to hear me."

"He'll hear you."

Barry extended the hat out. Cisco put on his goggles and took the helmet. Instantly, he froze, just like he always did when he vibed.

"I see him," Cisco announced. "Wally's alive."

Joe exhaled deeply. "Thank God."

"Do you see Jay?" Barry asked.

"I see him," Cisco stated. "He can sense me."

Silence for a moment. Juliet's heart raced against her chest as she waited. Cisco then gasped, coming out of his vibe. He had a look on his face, one that only meant one thing — Zolomon was coming.

Juliet put her mask on and waited by Barry. Joe had his gun ready and also gave one to Iris. Harry had his Metahuman gun ready as well, and Cisco and Caitlin stood back. Zolomon then sped into the room in a flash of blue lightning, holding onto Wally by his shirt. Instantly, everyone lifted up their weapons and pointed them at Zolomon. Juliet held up her hand, her palm glowing red.

"Dad?" Wally questioned.

"Wally, hold on," Joe reassured him. "Let him go."

Zolomon looked at Barry. "We had a deal."

"My speed for Wally's life," Barry voiced, vibrating his vocal cords to make his voice echo. "Hand him over, and it's yours."

Zoom let go of Wally and shoved him in the direction of Joe and Iris.

Joe caught him in his arms. "You okay?" He then held up his car keys. "You need to get out of here now."

Wally took the keys, looking completely confused. "Okay."

"Go fast," Iris added.

Joe glanced back. "Cisco!"

Cisco ran, gesturing Wally to come with him. "Let's go."

Barry glared at Zolomon. "Let's get this over with."

Zolomon reached back and pulled off his mask, showing his face. Caitlin softly gasped at that, and Jay smirked, nothing but pure evil written across his face. They moved into the medbay, where Zolomon paced around casually. Barry stared out the window into the treadmill room. Juliet stood beside him, resting against the table with her arms crossed, watching Zolomon carefully.

"This thing is how I stole the Flash's speed the first time," Harry explained, holding up the device. "Now all he needs to do is run, and his Speed Force will transfer into this vial, but only as long as I calibrate it."

"Get to work," Zolomon stated.

"Wells," Barry cut in when Harry lifted up his gun.

Harry hesitated for a moment before lowering it. "One day, I'm gonna knock that smug expression clean off your face."

"So this was your plan all along, huh?" Barry inquired.

"Ever since the skies parted and showed me another world with another speedster," Zolomon answered. "Once I saw you, I came here, figured out what I had to do."

"How are you still alive?" Iris asked. "We saw you die."

"You did."

"So what was that?" Cisco questioned. "A speed mirage?"

Zolomon chuckled. "Speed mirage? Uh, no. Even I'm not that fast. I knew that I couldn't be on two Earths at the same time, so I went back in time and, uh, met another version of myself."

"Your time remnant. Like the Reverse Flash."

"I also knew that the only way to make Barry become faster was if you all witnessed your old pay Jay die."

"When did you decide to do that?" Iris inquired.

"Oh, once you closed all the breaches, went to Earth-Two," Zolomon responded. "Believe me, getting my time remnant to agree to me murdering him took a bit of convincing. But once he saw the . . . well, the genius in my plan, he was all for it."

"Wow, you fucking suck," Juliet let out, finding satisfaction in the way he stopped laughing from that. "Who's the other guy trapped up there in your lair? The one in the iron mask who kept knocking?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Why the charade?" Joe asked. "Running around dressed like the Flash, helping Juliet's counterpart?"

"To give people hope, Detective," Zolomon voiced.

Joe raised his eyebrows. "Hope?"

"So I could rip it away from them. It's so fun pretending to be a hero."

Caitlin glared at him. "You are no hero. You're nothing but a monster."

Zolomon's smile slipped off his face and seemed to get stuck in his thoughts for a moment. Harry then came back into the room, this time with the calibrated device, and Zolomon snapped out of it. He instantly smirked again, making Juliet's veins rush with anger.

Barry looked down at Juliet. "I love you."

"I love you more," Juliet replied, squeezing his arm gently.

He then stepped into the treadmill room, stepping onto the treadmill that he used to train so often.

"Barry," Joe protested.

"It's all right, Joe," Barry reassured him.

He then reached out and turned on the treadmill. Barry started to jog as the treadmill started to go. Yellow lightning crackled around him, and he got faster and faster until he was running at his top speed, nothing but a blur. Juliet watched as a yellow material — Barry's Speed Force — entered the vial, making him go slower on the treadmill. Until finally, Barry slowed back down to a normal jog, breathing heavily and his face shining with sweat. Juliet frowned deeply. Fuck this.

"He's slowing down," Caitlin stated.

"The Speed Force is leaving his body," Harry explained.

"He's becoming human again," Cisco added.

Juliet glared at Zolomon. "I fucking hate you."

The computer then beeped, signaling that all of the Speed Force from Barry's body was gone. Barry practically crumpled off of the treadmill, falling to the ground next to it. Juliet's eyes widened and she ran into the room.

"Hey," Juliet began, dropping to her knees next to him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, J," Barry responded, but she didn't really believe him. "I'm fine."

Harry put Barry's speed force vial into a syringe. Zolomon pushed him out of the way and grabbed it, instantly injecting it into his skin. He breathed heavily, and yellow lightning flowed throughout his body, mixing with the blue as his eyes turned black. Zolomon laughed crazily before letting out a shout, obviously high from the Speed Force and his victory. Faster than the blink of an eye, he ran into the room and grabbed Barry from Juliet's grasp. He grabbed him by the throat and pushed him up against the wall. Barry began to struggle to breath, his face turning red.

"Thank you, Flash," Zolomon told him.

"No!" Juliet screamed.

A time of desperation. She reached out her hand, her mind focusing on Zolomon's. Red energy travelled from her fingers down her arm and also surrounded Zolomon's entire figure. She pushed her hand to the side, successfully throwing Zolomon to the side, crashing him into the wall on the opposite end of the room. Barry sunk to his knees, gasping for air.

Zolomon regained his senses quick, pushing himself up onto his hands. Within the blink of an eye, there was a flash of blue lightning. Juliet felt her back slam up against the wall and her feet lift up the ground as Zolomon wrapped a hand around her throat. She tried to breathe, but nothing happened — obviously.

Has Juliet ever said how much she loved her life?

"You're so obsessed with speed that you forgot about me," Juliet choked out. "What will you do when you learn I'm more powerful than you?"

Zolomon wrapped his hand around her throat tighter. "You will never beat me."

"Jay, stop," Caitlin pleaded over Juliet's labored breathing. "Please. If anything you ever said to me was true, or anything we ever shared was real, then please just let her go. Please. I know some piece of you did care for me, so if you have any humanity left, then please, let her go."

Juliet felt herself get thrown to the side. Instantly, her oxygen supply came back, although it was a bit hard to start breathing normally again at first. She held herself up on her hands, taking big gulps of air. Barry, who had regained his senses, held onto her, putting one hand on her back to rub it gently and using the other to move her hair away from her face. Juliet coughed harshly, looking back to glare at Zolomon.

Until before her very eyes, Zolomon sped off, taking Caitlin with him.

"Caitlin!" Cisco shouted.

Juliet's eyes widened. Fuck.

〖   ϟ   〗

ten more chapters?

I mean what who said that