starlaboratories | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ And when people walk down the halls come morning, they will find this giant, hulking piece of armor just standing there. The lights are off, so clearly whoever wears it is no longer inside. Could they be far? Only time will tell. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She's about to find out when around the corner Savitar comes stalking. He's been trying to figure out where the hell he is exactly and coming up short. When he sees someone moving to touch his armor, well. ]

Don't touch that!

[Immediately, Nora draws her hand away, turning to the direction of the voice]

[Confusion colors her features]

...Barry?

[ She thinks she's confused? He's pretty confused himself. Seeing as she's supposed to be dead. ]

...mom?

[Oh...First that Word Soup Barry. Now this Barry. Nora walks toward him]

Honey, what--

[where does she even begin with this? She looks at the suit, then at him, knowing that if she ever gets home, she's going to hug that little boy until he's 70.]

[ The scars, he has to imagine, are startling. ]

...no. No, this is a trick, right? A hologram, like they used on Zoom.

[Look. It's the mom finger.]

Bartholomew Henry Allen, I know you are not accusing me of being a hologram.

[ Of all the people who could still get away with calling him that Nora Allen ranks one of two. ]

...how are you here? [ Also where is here, but that goes unsaid. ]

I don't know.

[To how and to where.]

I just got home from the party store for your birthday and I'm here. And there was...you but not...you. He was fast too.

[Of course. Of course. ]

He's Barry. I'm not. Not anymore.

Why are you not Barry anymore?

Barry Allen created me to save Iris West. I failed and I failed to die. They already have one Barry Allen. They don't need two, do they?

[Barry created him? What. She's going to try and wrap her head around this. While she does, she's looking at him. Nora takes more steps until she's right in front of him, searching his face. She raises her hand and very gently touches the scars on his cheek, heart breaking at this]

The world could stand more than a few Barry Allens. Oh, my beautiful boy...

[ He clearly doesn't know what to do here, as she stares him down. Part of him, a strangely small part, wants to push her away and run. The rest of him is so boggled and baffled and discombobulated that he doesn't know what to do so he just. Stays. Right there. ]

Not quite so beautiful anymore.

[she shakes her head]

You still are to me.

[She'll just collect all the Barry Allens in this place. Clearly, they all need a mother's touch. Or something.]

[ A headshake of his own. ]

You're the only one.

Oh sweetie...

[She doesn't know what happened to this Barry but it tears her heart. She looks back at the armor.]

...did you build that?

[ He looks back at his armor. ]

I did. I had to.

What happened?

It keeps me from scarring more. [ As if that's somehow an answer. ]

[She gently turns his face to the side to see the scarring]

How did that happen?

[ How does he even begin to explain this to her. ]

I fought a monster. [ Ha. ]

And I should see the other guy?

[she teases.]

Apparently, I am the other guy.

Oh honey...

Your father should look at this.

[ A dull look. ]

My father is dead. And Joe wouldn't care.