Episode 2.1 - Paradox

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E O B A R D

"Where's Barry Allen?" I asked.

A few tense moments passed as no one seemed to answer me. I quickly lost my patience and soon raised my voice asking once again.

"I said where is Barry Allen?!"

I then watched as the group quickly took a defensive stance and aimed their weapons directly at me. I raised an eyebrow puzzled and took a few steps back until quickly I realized what I was doing.

"My apologies," I said calmly and stopped vibrating my molecules at super speed as my red eyes also faded back into my baby blue ones.

That didn't seem to ease the group of heroes and I raised my hands in defense as I spoke out softly.

"Easy now. I'm not looking for any trouble here. I just need to talk to Barry Allen. Preferably in private."

Barry's sister Sophia took a few cautious steps in front of me. I took a glance at her and noticed that she was wearing a female speedster suit.

"Hmm, Interesting..." I said speaking out loud.

"Who the hell are you?" Ronnie piped up first. 

"And what do you want with my brother?" Sophia added.

"Cutting right to the chase now are we?" I snarkly comment.

Sophia crossed her arms and glared daggers in my direction.

"Answer the damn question," Sophia said raising her voice impatiently.

I sighed a little annoyed and then took off my cowl revealing to them my handsome face.

"Dr. Wells?" Linda asked perplexed.

I nodded my head no. "Not exactly..."

"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" Linda asks even more confused now.

I rubbed my gloved hand over my tired face and spoke.

"This is exactly why I wanted to talk with Barry only. He already knows about all this and why I'm here as I don't have time to explain this to all of you right now."

"Explain what exactly?" Sophia asked.

"Not like it will matter in the end but my name is Eobard Thawne and I am The Flash from the 25th century."

"Wait a minute... You're a Thawne? As to Eddie Thawne?" Linda said.

I nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I'm his late decedent."

I then glanced at their bewildered dumb faces as they processed the information that had just been dumped onto them and tried my best to fight the grin on my face. I love being the smartest person in the room.

"Go on..." Sophia encouraged.

"Well as you all saw just a few moments ago. I'm a speedster like yourself and your brother Barry. You see the reason why I'm looking for him is that he and I have made a grave mistake and we need to fix it immediately before it destroys everything that we have ever cared for." I said somberly confessing.

Sophia lets her guard down just a bit as her shoulders relax. "And what did you two do exactly that needs to be fixed?" Sophia questioned.

"They meddled with time," Batwoman said matter-of-factly.

"How the hell do you know that?" Linda questioned Batwoman.

"Barry had confessed about it to me and Batwoman in private. Peter said that he had gone back in time to save your mother Nora from being murdered by him." Ronnie said while pointing an accusing finger at me.

"What?!" Sophia exclaimed.

I winced and took a few steps back. "That was the old me from a different timeline. I've changed since then. I promise guys."

Sophia glared at me as she walked towards me menacingly and not that I was scared of her but I instinctively took a few steps back feeling cornered.

"How the hell am I supposed to believe that, huh? We just met you a few minutes ago and for all we know you could just be lying to us."

But then a blur of red flashed toward us and I blew a sigh of relief. It was my hero, my idol, and my protege the Flash coming to my rescue. He came to a screeching halt beside me and I couldn't help but stare in awe at him.

"Glad you could finally join us, Flash. What took you so long? I thought you were supposed to be the fastest man alive, huh?" I said in a joking manner.

Barry gave me a look. "Not now, Thawne."

He then turned towards his friends and smiled while taking off his cowl.

"It's okay guys. He's on our side. You can trust him... for now." Barry spoke softly.

I nodded in agreement and spoke out. "Yeah, what he said. I'm good now. Trust me guys."

I glance at Sophia as she bit her lip unsure about our odd partnership. Oh, believe me, I also find it usual for me to team up with my hero Barry Allen. Even after all the terrible things we had done to each other.

Sophia then took a few steps forward towards her brother and hugged him tightly. Barry smiled and hugged back her sister with the same love and care. Barry looks in my direction and mouths to me to give him a few moments with his sister and friends. I nodded and stepped out of view to give them privacy.

I sighed feeling longing for my daughter while looking at the holographic picture of her and her mother on my time watch.

"You're all I have left, Ellie. I promise you that I'll make things right this time."

*Flashback*

I've finally done it. I've finally won. After a decade and a half of being stuck in that wretched timeline alone and away from my daughter Ellie. I'm finally back home in the 25th century where I belong.

I smiled and got out of the Time Sphere. I then breathed a sigh of relief as a sense of accomplishment and peace washed over me. Following that I flashed out of my super suit and into a pair of normal civilian clothes that would help me blend into society undetected.

With a bouquet in my hands, I then walk urgently toward the Snow Memorial Hospital. Using my quick thinking and intelligence I was then able to sneak inside the facility and reach my daughter's room. I carefully turned the doorknob handle and opened the door to her room.

I walk inside the room and close the door behind me. I see the room dimly lit by a small lamp that's on her nightstand and in the corner of her room. I then set the bouquet aside and took a seat right next to her as she was sleeping relatively peacefully.

Ellie was breathing weakly as I heard her wheeze and saw just how badly of a state she was in. My lip quivered as I held her hand in mine and squeezed gently.

"I'm so sorry, Ellie."

I kissed her hand and instantly bawled my eyes out. The reality of the situation crushed me.

"I'm so sorry you got dragged into this, Baby Girl."

I kept weeping and then I heard my daughter speak.

"D-Daddy?" Ellie whispers.

I sniffed and smiled slightly. "Ellie..."

"Why are you crying?" She asked.

I rubbed my eyes and cleared my throat.

"I'm just happy to see you, Baby Girl. So freaking happy." I said.

Ellie smiled weakly. "Me too, Dad. I'm happy to see you too. But you look different."

I nodded and smiled. I was still wearing Well's face but some of it was wearing off as my natural blonde hair and baby blue eyes did come back.

"It's a long story."

I then leaned in close and kissed her forehead. "I got you a gift, Ellie."

Her eyes lit up as she smiled instantly sitting upright.

"For me?"

"Yes, for you only," I said and chuckled.

I then hand her the bouquet and she gasps.

"Daddy..."

"Do you like it?"

Ellie nodded and spoke. "I love them. Thank you." She said gushing.

"You're welcome, Ellie. As they are called Dar-Essas. A native pink flower from the planet Krypton."

"But the planet Krypton died centuries ago. How were you able to get these, Dad?"

"During my many adventures to the past,"

Ellie nods takes a whiff of the pink flowers and smiles. "They smell like cotton candy. Reminds me of Mom... I miss her."

I nod and smile sadly. "I miss her too, Kiddo."

A wave of guilt then started to come through me. You see her mother... my wife had died many years ago because of my rivalry with The Flash. I put her and my daughter in danger because my obsession with being better than the Flash overtook everything. I still blame myself for her death every day.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Ellie asks.

I gulped and fidgeted with my hands nervously.  Should I tell her? She deserves to know, doesn't she? After all, she should know the type of monster that her father truly is.

"I-I did something terrible, Ellie."

Ellie's smile faded as it was replaced by a frown.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I-I killed Barry Allen's mother."

"What?! Why?!" She yelled out betrayed.

"Because he hurt you, Ellie. I-I almost lost you just like your mother. Remember that night when I held your fragile body in my arms? You told me that I had to be better to just walk away from it all and save myself. To not let my hatred for Barry Allen consume me yet again. Because if I did let it consume me then I would just lose myself again and it would lead me down a dark path as I would do something so terrible that in the process I would lose everything." I said with shame and regret.

"Well, I failed you, Ellie. As I did the most unforgivable thing imaginable and killed The Flash's mother." I said confessing to my sins.

Ellie looked at me utterly stunned and downright disappointed by me throughout the whole confession.

"How could you, Daddy? Do you not realize this whole thing you have going on with him this damn rivalry is just an endless vicious cycle. All you two do is cause each other great pain.." Ellie said as tears started to stream down her face.

"I do now, Ellie. As it took me 15 years to realize that."

"And if Mom were here right now she would be saying the same thing that I'm saying to you now, Dad," Ellie adds.

"You're just like your mother in many ways," I comment.

"Don't try to change the subject, Daddy. Also, what do you mean it took you 15 years to realize it?" She asks with an eyebrow raised curiously.

"Let's start from the beginning..."

I then recalled to her the events that transpired on that night in the year 2000.

"My intention was not to kill his mother Nora Allen that night. My original plan was to kill Barry Allen when he was just a child. But because Future Barry had followed me through time he had saved his younger self and that's when I did the unthinkable." I said while my daughter listened closely.

"By killing his mom," Ellie said finishing my sentence.

I nodded ashamed and continued speaking.

"And in doing so it had severed my connection to the negative speed force and caused me to get stranded in that foreign timeline for 15 long years. I watched Barry grow up and then when the time was right trained him to become the greatest hero that ever lived The Flash. I succeeded in accomplishing that and once he got fast enough I told him everything. He was rightfully upset and vengeful for what I did to his mother as he and his friends had trapped me in a cell. But I ultimately convinced him to let me go home back to my own time and in return, he could go back into the past and save his mother."

Ellie held my hand and squeezed smiling warmly at me. "You and Barry did the right thing. Now you two can move on from this."

"Yes, I hope so. I had realized in that moment when he had me in that cell that I should just walk away and be better for once in my life. I should have done that all along ever since my first encounter with him. If I had done that sooner then I wouldn't have lost your mother nor would you be in the hospital bedridden right now, Baby Girl." I said venting out to her.

Ellie sighs. "None of that matters anymore, Dad.  That was in the past. What matters is right now. As I don't blame you for all of that."

"Y-You don't?" I asked surprised.

She shakes her head. "No. I don't. I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Baby Girl," I said and embraced her with open arms. As she embraced me back too.

Then I heard a loud noise erupt throughout the hospital as the building shook in the process.

"W-What's going on, Dad?" She asks me slightly scared.

"I don't know, Ellie," I said trying my best not to panic. "But we should get out of here now. It's not safe anymore." I added and picked her up.

We heard and saw people around us run away and cry out in hysteria. We had made it out of the hospital and were out on the street trying to find shelter. I stopped a police officer in his tracks hoping to get some answers.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked.

"The world is ending!" The officer exclaimed.

Ellie gasped shocked and I looked at him baffled as he had run past us.

"D-Daddy? What is he talking about?"

I was about to respond when another loud noise erupted and I felt the ground below me shake as the pavement also cracked. Then A few large metallic black objects flew past us as they looked like space crafts. They started causing havoc destroying buildings and other landmarks by shooting ammo from their weapon cannons.

Then I saw one of the space crafts land in front of us and we froze in place. I felt utter fear as I held my daughter in my arms closely and tightly.

"Daddy?" She asks again scared and unsure. As she tried to get my attention.

"It's gonna be okay, Baby Girl. I won't let them hurt you."  I spoke in a reassuring and calming voice.

I slowly backed away and she then turned towards where I was looking at and gasped letting out a cry.

"Oh my God," Ellie said voice cracking.

I saw what looked to be an army of black armored soldiers walk out of their spacecraft. Their leader stepped forward and took off its mask as he planted a flag on the ground.

"From the ashes of planet Earth rises a new Krypton."

"No, it can't be," I said utterly shocked.

His second-in-command took off her war mask too as she smirked evilly upon seeing us.

"Kneel before, General Kal-El."

To Be Continued...