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Chapter 751: I'm the Flash
Tony was like a bystander, quietly watching The Flash stubbornly walk toward his death.
He had done everything he could, his conscience clear. He wasn't like Superman or Batman, who would stop The Flash from doing something foolish even at the cost of being resented.
The entire world was beginning to fracture. The rifts spreading everywhere were like countless scythes of the Grim Reaper, grinning maliciously as they slashed toward a Barry Allen who couldn't grasp the consequences.
"Another great superhero has passed away..." Tony murmured.
He quietly watched as the scene slowed to a halt, witnessing firsthand the massive Backlash that roared and pounced on The Flash like a tsunami.
Even with the Speed Force empowering him, Barry still seemed far too insignificant in the face of this insane retaliation from an entire world.
If it were Savitar or the Ultimate Flash, they naturally wouldn't have been affected. But for this Barry, who had yet to mature and now never would, everything was as good as over.
Barry's eyes widened, looking as if they would split. He watched helplessly as his mother's face receded into the distance. Fine cracks began to appear on his own body, gradually widening. His life force was rapidly fading, and intense pain wracked him.
Stiffly turning his head, Barry stared blankly at Tony's already blurry figure. He opened his mouth as if to ask something, but not a single sound came out.
"Don't look at me like that. There's nothing I can do. Right now, I'm just a wisp of insignificant willpower. Stopping you just now has already exhausted what little power I had..."
Tony shook his head, his figure growing illusory and slowly starting to dissipate.
He wasn't lying; he truly couldn't do anything.
Tony's main body was only Level Seven. He had already done his best just by being able to nudge the Timeline. To be like a Creator God, crushing it and piecing it back together...
He couldn't do it.
Not to mention he was currently just a wisp of willpower.
Barry's face was rigid, the corner of his mouth twitching as if in a bitter smile.
The scene blurred completely. Barry's body began to break apart, turning into fragments that drifted into the unknown turbulence.
"A superhero who rose because of the Speed Force, and in the end, died because of the Speed Force."
Tony said in a low voice.
In the original story, Barry's few deaths were also related to the Speed Force, though most were in self-sacrifice to save the world.
But this Barry... without plot armor, without the Editorial Department to protect him, he could only meet his end with immense regret and unwillingness.
"...I'm The Flash. I'm the fastest man alive, but in the end, I couldn't save my mother..."
In a daze, Barry opened his mouth and mumbled, his entire body completely disintegrating.
Everything became silent. Unlike a comic book protagonist, he couldn't always turn a crisis around, nor was there always a powerful being extending a helping hand.
Oh, Tony had extended a helping hand, but Barry was trapped in his extreme emotions and refused to accept it, dead set on saving his mother from the Reverse-Flash.
The Flash of the Main Universe was dead.
He died under the Backlash of a fixed Timeline, the most pathetic way to die.
Strictly speaking, Barry did nothing wrong. He was just fulfilling his duty as a son. The chance to save her was right in front of him. At the age of five, he was powerless, but as an adult, he had the power. Of course, he couldn't tolerate the tragedy repeating itself.
But this ultimately led to even more tragedy.
"The Flashpoint event will not happen. This time, the Reverse-Flash has won a complete victory."
Tony sighed, and this wisp of willpower completely vanished.
In the 21st century, Tony was still sitting on his recliner, silently receiving the memories from the past. After a moment of silence, he poured himself a cup of tea and slowly leaned back.
Creak...
Rocking intermittently, Tony watched the sky outside.
The moonlight was shrouded by dark clouds, and the stars were hidden.
Savitar had just left, but the dark clouds had not dispersed. Instead, they had grown even thicker than before.
"No one actually saved him... Did they not want to? Or could they not? Or... are they watching me?"
Tony narrowed his eyes and took a gentle sip of the hot tea.
Some things were becoming more interesting.
As for Barry's death, although Tony felt it was a pity, he had a clear conscience. Besides, when it came to things like Timelines and Speedsters, the line between life and death was already somewhat blurred.
If Tony wasn't mistaken, something new was about to happen over in Central City. Because he wasn't the only one who could sense this altered Timeline...
...
Central City, the city protected by The Flash.
For the people of Central City, the sight of a yellow arc of lightning always brought a sense of security. Even though for the past few months, many had seen an ominous red arc of lightning flashing at night, seemingly fighting with The Flash.
But the citizens still believed The Flash would win. This was the trust they had in their hero.
The Reverse-Flash maintained his posture with his arms crossed, standing before the glass door of the high-tech prison, a signature sneer on his lips.
He was waiting, waiting to see if Barry was alive or dead.
"You bastard, what did you do to Barry?!" Cisco berated him angrily.
"I didn't do anything. I just said out loud what he's always wanted to do but never dared... Cisco, I've been entangled with him for centuries and have personally observed him in this era for over twenty years. Believe me, I know him far better than you do."
The Reverse-Flash scoffed, glancing at Cisco with contempt and disdain.
Cisco, this mortal who should have died of old age, this genius who gained superpowers because he had traveled back in time and caused the particle accelerator to explode, was nothing more than a ridiculous tool in the eyes of the Reverse-Flash.
The Reverse-Flash waited patiently. Patience was something he had in abundance.
If nothing unexpected happened, Barry's suicidal attempt to manipulate the Timeline should have killed him, right? The Reverse-Flash pondered.
He knew a little information about the One-Above-All, a deity possessing uniqueness where the multiverse converges into one. A low-level thing like a Timeline couldn't possibly affect Tony.
As long as Tony was still around, the Main Universe's Timeline could not be changed.
As he thought, the Reverse-Flash ignored the furiously cursing Cisco and tapped his forehead, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything.
Logically, even if Barry had truly altered the Timeline just a tiny bit, his own memories should now have slight differences. The Reverse-Flash wanted to find where his memory had changed. He had the Speed Force; he could perceive changes others couldn't.
"Barry... I've never beaten him. This time, I'm finally going to end it all..." The Reverse-Flash was getting a little excited.
The significance of this was too great.
In the countless battles between himself and The Flash, no matter how he gained the upper hand, The Flash would always manage to turn the tables in the end.
This time, if he could kill The Flash through this scheme, he would achieve the final victory! An unprecedented victory!
Just as the Reverse-Flash was deep in thought, a figure suddenly appeared before him, standing next to Cisco. The powerful gust of wind made it impossible for Cisco to open his eyes.
Barry Allen was standing quietly in front of the two of them.
(end of chapter)
Tony was like a bystander, quietly watching The Flash stubbornly walk toward his death.
He had done everything he could, his conscience clear. He wasn't like Superman or Batman, who would stop The Flash from doing something foolish even at the cost of being resented.
The entire world was beginning to fracture. The rifts spreading everywhere were like countless scythes of the Grim Reaper, grinning maliciously as they slashed toward a Barry Allen who couldn't grasp the consequences.
"Another great superhero has passed away..." Tony murmured.
He quietly watched as the scene slowed to a halt, witnessing firsthand the massive Backlash that roared and pounced on The Flash like a tsunami.
Even with the Speed Force empowering him, Barry still seemed far too insignificant in the face of this insane retaliation from an entire world.
If it were Savitar or the Ultimate Flash, they naturally wouldn't have been affected. But for this Barry, who had yet to mature and now never would, everything was as good as over.
Barry's eyes widened, looking as if they would split. He watched helplessly as his mother's face receded into the distance. Fine cracks began to appear on his own body, gradually widening. His life force was rapidly fading, and intense pain wracked him.
Stiffly turning his head, Barry stared blankly at Tony's already blurry figure. He opened his mouth as if to ask something, but not a single sound came out.
"Don't look at me like that. There's nothing I can do. Right now, I'm just a wisp of insignificant willpower. Stopping you just now has already exhausted what little power I had..."
Tony shook his head, his figure growing illusory and slowly starting to dissipate.
He wasn't lying; he truly couldn't do anything.
Tony's main body was only Level Seven. He had already done his best just by being able to nudge the Timeline. To be like a Creator God, crushing it and piecing it back together...
He couldn't do it.
Not to mention he was currently just a wisp of willpower.
Barry's face was rigid, the corner of his mouth twitching as if in a bitter smile.
The scene blurred completely. Barry's body began to break apart, turning into fragments that drifted into the unknown turbulence.
"A superhero who rose because of the Speed Force, and in the end, died because of the Speed Force."
Tony said in a low voice.
In the original story, Barry's few deaths were also related to the Speed Force, though most were in self-sacrifice to save the world.
But this Barry... without plot armor, without the Editorial Department to protect him, he could only meet his end with immense regret and unwillingness.
"...I'm The Flash. I'm the fastest man alive, but in the end, I couldn't save my mother..."
In a daze, Barry opened his mouth and mumbled, his entire body completely disintegrating.
Everything became silent. Unlike a comic book protagonist, he couldn't always turn a crisis around, nor was there always a powerful being extending a helping hand.
Oh, Tony had extended a helping hand, but Barry was trapped in his extreme emotions and refused to accept it, dead set on saving his mother from the Reverse-Flash.
The Flash of the Main Universe was dead.
He died under the Backlash of a fixed Timeline, the most pathetic way to die.
Strictly speaking, Barry did nothing wrong. He was just fulfilling his duty as a son. The chance to save her was right in front of him. At the age of five, he was powerless, but as an adult, he had the power. Of course, he couldn't tolerate the tragedy repeating itself.
But this ultimately led to even more tragedy.
"The Flashpoint event will not happen. This time, the Reverse-Flash has won a complete victory."
Tony sighed, and this wisp of willpower completely vanished.
In the 21st century, Tony was still sitting on his recliner, silently receiving the memories from the past. After a moment of silence, he poured himself a cup of tea and slowly leaned back.
Creak...
Rocking intermittently, Tony watched the sky outside.
The moonlight was shrouded by dark clouds, and the stars were hidden.
Savitar had just left, but the dark clouds had not dispersed. Instead, they had grown even thicker than before.
"No one actually saved him... Did they not want to? Or could they not? Or... are they watching me?"
Tony narrowed his eyes and took a gentle sip of the hot tea.
Some things were becoming more interesting.
As for Barry's death, although Tony felt it was a pity, he had a clear conscience. Besides, when it came to things like Timelines and Speedsters, the line between life and death was already somewhat blurred.
If Tony wasn't mistaken, something new was about to happen over in Central City. Because he wasn't the only one who could sense this altered Timeline...
...
Central City, the city protected by The Flash.
For the people of Central City, the sight of a yellow arc of lightning always brought a sense of security. Even though for the past few months, many had seen an ominous red arc of lightning flashing at night, seemingly fighting with The Flash.
But the citizens still believed The Flash would win. This was the trust they had in their hero.
The Reverse-Flash maintained his posture with his arms crossed, standing before the glass door of the high-tech prison, a signature sneer on his lips.
He was waiting, waiting to see if Barry was alive or dead.
"You bastard, what did you do to Barry?!" Cisco berated him angrily.
"I didn't do anything. I just said out loud what he's always wanted to do but never dared... Cisco, I've been entangled with him for centuries and have personally observed him in this era for over twenty years. Believe me, I know him far better than you do."
The Reverse-Flash scoffed, glancing at Cisco with contempt and disdain.
Cisco, this mortal who should have died of old age, this genius who gained superpowers because he had traveled back in time and caused the particle accelerator to explode, was nothing more than a ridiculous tool in the eyes of the Reverse-Flash.
The Reverse-Flash waited patiently. Patience was something he had in abundance.
If nothing unexpected happened, Barry's suicidal attempt to manipulate the Timeline should have killed him, right? The Reverse-Flash pondered.
He knew a little information about the One-Above-All, a deity possessing uniqueness where the multiverse converges into one. A low-level thing like a Timeline couldn't possibly affect Tony.
As long as Tony was still around, the Main Universe's Timeline could not be changed.
As he thought, the Reverse-Flash ignored the furiously cursing Cisco and tapped his forehead, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything.
Logically, even if Barry had truly altered the Timeline just a tiny bit, his own memories should now have slight differences. The Reverse-Flash wanted to find where his memory had changed. He had the Speed Force; he could perceive changes others couldn't.
"Barry... I've never beaten him. This time, I'm finally going to end it all..." The Reverse-Flash was getting a little excited.
The significance of this was too great.
In the countless battles between himself and The Flash, no matter how he gained the upper hand, The Flash would always manage to turn the tables in the end.
This time, if he could kill The Flash through this scheme, he would achieve the final victory! An unprecedented victory!
Just as the Reverse-Flash was deep in thought, a figure suddenly appeared before him, standing next to Cisco. The powerful gust of wind made it impossible for Cisco to open his eyes.
Barry Allen was standing quietly in front of the two of them.
(end of chapter)
