Chapter 50: Iris West
My name is Iris West.
I live in Central City and have a boyfriend who's a police officer.
Barry always corrects me, insisting he's a forensic scientist.
That means he's even busier than a regular cop, often working overtime.
But I like calling him "officer." It makes every precious night we spend together feel more exciting.
He often shares things from his work with me. Some scary, some disgusting.
But it also proves that Barry trusts me deeply, which makes me incredibly confident in our relationship.
Except for one thing he kept hidden for a long time.
Of course, when I finally found out he was that fast guy, I didn't blame him.
Barry is a shy person, but he still whispers to me that being with me is his greatest luck.
He also started sharing another part of his work with me. Whether he came home happy or frustrated, he always told me everything.
Until last night.
Barry came home earlier than ever before.
He was curled up on the sofa, the TV on, but his eyes were glazed over.
I set down my bag, walked over, and wrapped my arms around his head, gently ruffling his short, golden hair.
"What's wrong, my little officer?"
This time, Barry took a long time to gather his thoughts.
He used many words to describe what had happened, pausing frequently to ensure I understood, and waiting for my feedback to avoid speaking too quickly.
It took over ten minutes for me to grasp the core of the story he was sharing that night.
With the help of a young man named Luka, Superman had found a blood relative.
Barry grabbed a pillow from the sofa, hugging it to his chest, his eyes distant.
The flickering light from the television illuminated his face, but his pupils seemed to be focused on something beyond the screen.
"Clark was so happy when they parted," Barry said. "He said he finally had a blood relative on Earth."
I knew what that meant.
Barry missed his mother.
"I want to go see her," he suddenly blurted out.
I twisted his ear.
"You've told me more than once that messing with time is dangerous."
"I know, I know."
He pleaded, voice soft.
"I'll just take a quick look from a distance and leave. I won't change anything. You know me. I promise."
My heart gave in.
I knew my Barry wouldn't lie. He just wanted to see.
He put on a jacket and walked out the door.
I picked up the pillow he'd been holding and settled back on the sofa to watch TV.
But I couldn't focus on the shows. Time travel sounded too fantastical, and I couldn't help worrying about him.
I started counting, trying to estimate how long Barry would be gone.
But the night passed.
Barry still hadn't returned.
Until a ray of sunlight slanted through the window.
A blood-soaked figure suddenly materialized in the living room.
"Oh my God!"
I was terrified.
"Barry, what happened to you in the past?!"
He turned toward me. His helmet was damaged, blond hair spilling messily around it. And there was clearly blood dripping from his head.
Filthy and disheveled, I couldn't make out his features.
"Iris?"
He looked at me, confused.
"What's going on? If I succeeded, the entire world should have changed. How am I still wearing this suit?"
He muttered to himself, his voice filled with anxiety and unease.
I knew that Barry often needed a hug in moments like this.
But he pushed me away.
He seemed to be rambling incoherently.
"No, no, no, wait! Iris, you're too young!"
I blinked. "Where did you learn that line? You've never been this good at flirting."
"Oh God, how am I supposed to explain this?!"
He gestured wildly.
"This isn't my universe. I think I ended up in the wrong place. I thought I had corrected the timeline, but somehow I ended up here!"
He glanced at me quickly, then began to appraise me.
"But honestly, Iris, you're glowing with youth."
That's when I finally realized: this wasn't my Barry.
His personality was completely different. He wasn't shy at all.
After he explained more calmly, I finally understood the gist of it.
Time and space are always intertwined. This Barry thought he was returning to his own timeline, but instead, he had arrived in another universe.
Though I didn't fully grasp the details, I pretended to understand, hoping to calm him down.
He looked exhausted and clearly shaken.
I decided to use my imagination to keep the conversation going.
"I was wondering why my Barry hadn't returned for so long. It sounds like you and this world's Barry somehow ended up in each other's places."
Unexpectedly, my words had the opposite effect.
The battered Barry instantly sprang up like a startled cat, his hair standing on end.
"He went to my world?!"
His mouth hung open, as if struggling to articulate something difficult.
"Don't worry. He's not as smooth with words as you are, and he certainly wouldn't flirt with your Iris."
I had complete faith in my Barry. Even though he was young, he never made mistakes.
"No, God, what I mean is, what happens when this world needs him?"
"But you're here, aren't you? You're older, look more like a warrior, and you're the Flash too. You'll protect this world while he's gone, right?"
Even though he wasn't my Barry, I still reached out and ruffled his hair.
"He'll protect your world while you're gone too. I know he will."
This Barry remained silent for a long time.
When he looked at me again, his eyes were full of things I couldn't quite name.
Pain. Regret.
And guilt.
"I will."
He lowered his head, as if making a firm decision, then pulled away from my hand.
Suddenly, a device on his waist lit up.
I recognized it. It was a Justice League communicator.
Though the worlds were different, it seemed the Flash's signal frequencies were compatible across dimensions.
A tearful adult male voice crackled through the communicator.
"Flash! Why couldn't we reach you all night?!"
He recognized the voice and seemed agitated.
"You're... Shazam! Hearing you talk again is honestly heartwarming."
"Don't get heartwarming! This is serious! Everyone's fighting! Aquaman called an emergency online meeting through Cyborg an hour ago. He declared that as King of Atlantis, he's withdrawing from the Justice League!"
"What?!"
This Barry seemed particularly shocked.
"And that's not all! Many others are questioning the League's purpose. Even Wonder Woman lashed out at Batman, saying she'll temporarily withdraw until the threats to Themyscira are resolved!"
I watched this scarred, wounded Flash tremble all over.
The look on his face was agonizing, like someone was squeezing his heart.
"Explain clearly! Why did this happen?! What were the last things they each said?!"
He even began to roar at Shazam.
Shazam's voice grew louder, almost matching Flash's own roar.
Using his mind, Shazam rapidly summarized everything to its absolute limit.
"Aquaman said that without Luka, he almost would have failed the people of Atlantis. Wonder Woman said Batman keeps doubting Luka's sincerity, but his own actions were far less honorable than that sincerity."
"Who is Luka?! Why have I never heard that name before?"
The TV, which had been left on all night, suddenly cut to a live broadcast.
"Hello everyone, I'm Lois from Planet Media..."
The communicator cut off at some point. Flash stared silently at the broadcast until his eyes began to fill with bloodshot anger.
"This can't happen again. I'm going to investigate myself!"
He turned back to me and made a promise based on my earlier words.
"You're right, Iris. I need to take over and temporarily replace the Flash here. I'll correct every wrong trajectory in this world. I promise!"
Watching the golden lightning disappear, I suddenly felt afraid.
The look in his eyes at the end was terrifying.
He wasn't my Barry!
.....
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