Barry Allen Flash in 2 worlds, Marvel

Unknown area in time and space, 2019

"So, if Barry passes this test, what happens then?" Cisco asked as the five heroes stared at Novu, waiting for his answer.

"If Barry Allen passes my test, he will be allowed to return to you," Novu said and although his words should have brought relief, four of the heroes suddenly had pits in their stomachs.

"And if he fails?" Steve inquired.

"If he fails, then he will suffer the consequences of that failure," Novu said ominously.

"Oh would you stop being so vague?" An accented voice suddenly spoke up.

Wanda tensed at the sound of the voice, in disbelief as Steve; Caitlin and Cisco looked shocked by the sound. Novu simply looked annoyed as someone appeared next to him.

It was a man in his early twenties, dressed in a red and white suit. He was both solid and not, appearing like a hologram yet he was not one. His eyes were yellow but kind, warm, laughter appearing his eyes.

"What, you did see that coming?" Pietro Maximoff asked jokingly.

West house, 2017

Night

The party was in full swing, even Dominic had showed up. As everyone else was having a good time, Barry was sitting at the table, deep in thought; he almost didn't hear the chair next to him pull oup. Barry looked up as Caitlin sat down next him.

"Are you okay?" Caitlin asked concerned.

"Yeah, fine," Barry said but he was obviously lying.

Part of Caitlin that sounded a lot like Killer Frost said to just leave him alone, the way he had left her alone. But, remember Allen's words, she decided to keep pushing, hoping it would prove to be the breakthrough she and Cisco had been hoping for.

"Even after all these years, you're still a terrible liar. Come on, what's bothering you," Catlin prodded gently and Barry was silent or a moment.

"Have I really been such an awful friend lately?" Barry asked, looking her in the eyes, his tormented orbs meeting her surprised ones. "Please Cait, I need to know."

"Honestly, yeah. Ever since you got together with Iris…it's like Cisco and I don't exist to you anymore unless you need something from us," Caitlin didn't like hurting Barry, but she didn't see how things would ever change if she wasn't honest with him.

"Then why do you stay with me?" Barry asked as it truly hit him about how horrible he'd been to his two best friends.

"Because you're my friend," Caitlin said as if it explained everything.

"Even if I don't deserve it?" Barry asked and Caitlin was silent for a moment.

"It's not about deserving; it's about what you're willing to give. You never have to ask for anything, because we give it without hesitation. It's what friends are for," Caitlin said and Barry was silent for a moment.

"If you had a chance to do it all over again…would you?" Barry asked quietly.

"If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would do everything exactly the same," Caitlin said, surprising Barry. "If I'd done things any differently, I might have never met you and Cisco. And that's worth all the pain."

"I don't-I don't want to be this person anymore, this person who doesn't care about his friends…but I don't know how to get back to who I used to be. Please Cait…help me," Barry said, looking as lost as he was the day Zoom had murdered his father.

"I will be there every step of the way until you don't need to be anymore," Caitlin promised as she reached over and took his hand.

Looking over, Iris frowned as she saw this. The way they were holding hands didn't seem romantic and yet…the sight of it filled her with dread.

Iris was broken out of her thoughts when someone knocked on the door.

"You expecting anyone else Joe?" Cisco asked.

Joe shook his head, wondering who could be knocking as he walked over to the front door. Opening it, he saw Allen standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey," Allen greeted. "I really didn't feel like crashing on Oliver and Felicity's couch tonight and Cisco invited me. I hope it's okay."

"Yeah, it's fine, it's more than fine," Joe said as he stepped aside, letting Allen inside.

Allen made his way inside, not responding to Iris' frosty look as he greeted Harry and Ralph.

"Hey man, you made it!" Cisco said excitedly and Allen shrugged.

"Your offer sounded more appealing that crashing on Oliver and Felicity's couch again," Allen said even as he accepted a hug from Cisco.

As they let go,, Allen saw Caitlin and Barry sitting close together. From the look Caitlin shot him, Allen fought the smile on his face, knowing she was taking his advice to heart.

"Hey, it's good to see you," Caitlin said as she stood up and walked over, giving him a hug before stepping back, gesturing to Dominic. "You remember Dominic."

"Hard to forget a guy when you phase a bullet out of his brain," Allen joked.

"How are there two of you?" Dominic asked as he looked back and forth between Barry and Allen.

"That is a long story best saved another time," Allen said after an awkward silence that no one seemed to know how to break. "So how's your neck?"

"Pretty good, Caitlin fixed me up pretty good," Dominic said and Allen nodded.

"Yeah, she's good at that," Allen said, smiling at Caitlin before clasping Dominic on the shoulder. "Keep out of trouble; they can't save you every time."

Allen then walked passed Dominic and over to Barry. Barry looked up at him, expecting another lecture, but Allen just sat down in the seat across from him. As the others went back to the party, Barry and Allen regarded each other silently.

"You seem different," Allen finally said, taking Barry back. "There's no self-righteous look in your eyes, not anymore."

"Not much to be self-righteous about when you realize you've turned your back on the two people closest to you. You were right about me," Barry finally admitted.

"Well, at least you're willing to admit it. That's the first step. The most difficult fight you've have is looking inside yourself and fighting the hero inside again. And you have something I didn't have," Allen said and Barry raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?" Barry asked.

"Cisco and Caitlin," Allen said simply.

Before Barry could respond, he felt his pocket vibrate. Reaching inside, he pulled out his cell phone. As he took a look at the screen, he frowned.

"What's up?" Allen asked.

"Security at the loft. I'm sure it's just more gifts being delivered," Barry said as he saw the weary look on Allen's face. "Tell everyone I'll be right back."

Barry then sped out as Allen stared after him, unable to shake the feeling of dread in his stomach.

Unknown area of space and time, 2019

"Pietro," Wanda breathed, tears rolling down her face.

"You're dead, your crushed body was pulled out of the rubble of CCPD," Cisco said in shock.

"I am dead, but death was not the end for me," Pietro said vaguely.

"Pietro Maximoff's body may have died, but his spirit was still strong," Novu said, annoyed at Pietro's interruption. "I resurrected his spirit so that he would act as a bridge between the spiritual and mortal plane."

"So basically…you're a Deadman," Cisco said after a moment and Pietro smiled.

"I suppose so," Pietro said before looking over at Wanda. "Hey sis."

"Pietro," Wanda said weakly, reaching out to touch him.

"Unless you want me to possess your body, I wouldn't try it," Pietro said regretfully and Wanda stopped. "Part of the deal, I can't touch someone without possessing them. But it's good to see you."

"You as well son," Steve said, happy to see that Pietro was…for lack of a better word, alright.

"He's placed Barry in a timeline where he never came to Earth-66," Pietro said, making Novu glare at him. "Hey, don't look at me like that. They deserve to know. Besides, she's my sister."

"Why would you put him there?" Caitlin asked as she crossed her arms.

"I'm sure that you and Cisco Ramon both saw it," Novu said after a moment, knowing Pietro would tell them one way or another. "How, after Flashpoint, he started to pull away from you."

"Now that you mention it…" Cisco trailed off as he and Caitlin exchanged a glance, remembering the feeling of distance they had felt with Barry, which they had just brushed off as Barry's guilt about Flashpoint.

"Barry Allen was stating to become consumed by his obsessive love for Iris West," Novu said, bringing their attention back to him. "His time on Earth-66 allowed him to reevaluate what was important in his life. Under the guidance of Captain Rogers, he became a better hero. A better man."

"But in this timeline, that never happened," Steve noted and Novu noted.

"You put him there so he could see what he could have become," Strange realized and Novu nodded. "But there's more to it than that. What else are looking for?"

"He wants to see if Barry is as good as Oliver thinks," Pietro supplied and Novu shot him an annoyed look.

"And how would he prove that he's that good?" Caitlin inquired.

"If he does for his counterpart of that timeline as Captain Rogers once did for him," Novu said and Steve looked surprised. "If he guides the Barry Allen of that timeline, helps him find his way back from his lowest point, then he will pass my test. And then he will be returned to you."

There was a bright flash of light and, when it faded, Steve, Wanda, Strange, Caitlin and Cisco found themselves back at The Playground. Clint, Natasha, Bucky and Sam were sitting on the couch, staring at them.

"How'd you just show up here?" Sam asked in confusion and the five of them exchanged uneasy glances.

"It's a long story. On the bright side, we know where Barry is. On the downside, getting him home won't be easy," Cisco said with a sigh.

West-Allen Loft, 2017

Night

Barry sped into the loft and deactivated the alarm. As he did, his phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw 'unknown caller' flash across the screen. Barry frowned before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hello Mr. Allen," a voice that was both familiar and different answered and Barry frowned.

"Dominic?" he asked more than he said.

"You really have an acute sense of detection and wit. But, like I said, you are incapable of seeing the breath of my machinations," 'Dominic' said and Barry's blood ran cold.

"Devoe?" he breathed.

"You really should have listened to your teacher," Devoe lectured him.

"How is this possible?" Barry demanded, his mind whirling.

Central City

Earlier

Dominic was walking down the street when a black limo rolled up next to him. In the window's reflection, he saw Amunet walk up behind him. Before he could run, she grabbed him from behind.

"Hello Dom," she greeted calmly. "I told you, I have an important buyer."

She then slammed his head into the window, shattering it and knocking him out.

Dominic came to a little later, lifting his head up to see he was in a construction site. Marlize Devoe stood a few feet from him.

"Please, don't do this to me," Dominic begged.

"Oh, I won't be doing anything to you," Marlize assured him.

Hearing a sound behind him, Dominic got up and saw Devoe hovering in his chair.

"Pleased to meet you Dominic Lanse. Or should I say, Subject Six," Devoe said as the claws deployed from his chair.

Before Dominic could move, the claws strapped themselves to his head and Dominic froze, pained grunts leaving is move.

"Now, I have created many Metahumans, but only your unique abilities will allow me to do…this," Devoe said as he exchanged a look with Marlize.

Suddenly, the claws flashed with an orange light and both Devoe and Dominic let out agonizing screams for several seconds. Then, the light faded and the claws dropped. Devoe slumped forward in his chair as Dominic fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Marlize knelt down next to him and, as he looked at her, she knew it was no longer Dominic. The man in control of this body was her husband, Clifford Devoe.

Now

"Six months ago, you emerged from the Speed Force a new man. In order for you and the world to experience my plan, I too needed to be reborn," Devoe explained.

"If you hurt my family-" Barry started.

"I have no interest in your family," Devoe quickly assured him. "Besides, you're gonna need someone to miss you when you're gone."

"What did you do?" Barry demanded as he paled.

"I merely left something for you. It's a re-gift as it were, I don't have any need for it anymore," Devoe said smugly before the line went dead.

As Barry lowered the phone from his ear, he saw something that made his heart drop into his stomach. On the kitchen table was an open container that had contained two knives, a wedding gift from Oliver and Felicity. But now there was only one, the other was missing. As he neared it, he saw some drops of blood on the floor near the Christmas tree. Following it with his heart racing, he saw Clifford Devoe's body, a stab wound in his heart and the other knife, covered in blood, mere inches from his head.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Allen, it's CCPD. Open up!" Captain Singh's voice said from the other side of the door.

Before Barry could move, there was a blur of movement and he and Devoe's body disappeared from the room just as the door was busted down.

Star Labs

Moments later

Barry blinked as he and Devoe's bod were suddenly in the cortex. Allen slumped against the wall, looking exhausted as he threw the bloodied knife down.

"Well, we have a problem," Allen said gruffly.