19 Chapter 19: The Death of Reverse Flash

Barry quickly glanced at the notification on his channel and remarked, "Woah, so many people subscribed."

"You're The Flash?" Diggle inquired, surprised.

"Yeah," Barry confirmed. "And Oliver, next time be careful. I'm sure you're fighting Ra's, and if you need help, just call me. I can resolve it in seconds."

Felicity, Diggle, and Roy exchanged surprised looks at Barry's offer. Oliver hesitated before declining, stating, "I shouldn't involve you. I can handle it on my own."

Barry shrugged. "Your call. But if you change your mind, consider reaching out to Batman in Gotham. He's Ra's's best student."

With that, Barry swiftly left the room, leaving the others pondering his words and Oliver standing firm on his decision.

Barry continued his search for cultists in the Missouri forest, determined to prevent any demonic summonings in his state. Despite his efforts, he found no trace of their presence, leaving him frustrated.

"Is this really happening? I'm tired of running around and finding nothing," Barry muttered. "Christmas is just around the corner, and I'm sure Joe wants to celebrate together."

Sighing with fatigue, Barry decided to head back home and rest, hoping for better luck in his search another day.

...

The next morning,

"Yup, we're spending Christmas together," Barry muttered with a smile as he knocked on the door of the West house.

Joe greeted him warmly as he opened the door. "Welcome, Barry."

They shared a hug, and Barry handed Joe a small box. "Here's your gift, Joe."

Curious, Joe asked, "What is it?"

"Open it up if you want to know," Barry replied.

"I'll open it later then," Joe said as he set the gift aside.

Barry entered the house, where Iris greeted him with a hug. This time, Barry reciprocated, and he also gave her a gift.

"This is for you," Barry said with a grin.

"Thank you, Barry," Iris replied gratefully.

Barry then suggested, "So, when should we start decorating the Christmas tree?"

"You can go ahead," Joe suggested.

Barry got to work, adorning the Christmas tree with decorations. Meanwhile, Iris leaned in to Joe and whispered, "Barry seems comfortable with us again."

"We should be glad, but I have to go now," Joe said as he grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"Where are you going, Joe?" Barry inquired.

"The DA needs me to give a statement. Have fun, kids," Joe said as he left the house.

"Okay," Barry replied before returning to his task of decorating the tree.

"Barry," Iris said as she stood next to him.

"Yes?" Barry replied.

"What gift did you give me?" Iris asked.

"Just look," Barry said with a smile.

Iris opened it and was touched to find a replica of her grandmother's ring but as a necklace.

"Barry, you remembered," Iris said, her voice filled with emotion.

"Kind of. I remembered you lost it, so I thought I'd get you a new one," Barry explained.

"Here, Barry, open this one," Iris said, retrieving a gift from beneath the tree and handing it to him.

Barry unwrapped it to find a microscope. "Wow, thanks!"

"Do you like it?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, of course I do," Barry replied with gratitude.

Then Eddie arrived, and Iris greeted him warmly. Eddie also exchanged greetings with Barry before joining in to help with the Christmas tree.

"Barry, I've always wondered why you quit your job," Eddie asked.

"Because I have a more stable income now, and CSI work takes up a lot of my time," Barry explained.

"Oh, I see," Eddie replied, nodding in understanding.

After this, Barry headed to Star Labs. When he arrived, Cisco, Caitlin, Dr. Wells, and Ronnie were there.

"Guys, here are your gifts. I never thought the two of you would come back," Barry said as he handed gifts to them.

"We felt like spending time with everyone here," Caitlin replied.

"Aw," Barry said, touched by their gesture. He then looked at Dr. Wells and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm heading out first," Dr. Wells replied before leaving Star Labs.

Barry understood why Dr. Wells was acting this way, but he chose to keep quiet about it.

"Caitlin and I are going to buy some gifts for Dr. Wells to cheer him up a bit," Ronnie said as they prepared to leave.

"See you guys soon," Barry waved goodbye to them.

Then Cisco asked, "Are you free right now?"

"Yeah, I am," Barry confirmed.

"Great, let's do..."

Barry and Cisco spent time together playing games at Cisco's apartment, with Barry consistently coming out on top.

"This is just unfair," Cisco complained.

"What?" Barry said, grinning.

"You have top-tier reflexes compared to me with my normal reflexes," Cisco explained.

"Yeah, that's true. I should enter a gaming tournament just for fun," Barry joked.

"Please don't do that. The pro players would quit the moment they had to face you," Cisco said.

"I won't, but if I ever get bored, I might consider it for fun," Barry teased.

Meanwhile, in Mercury Labs, the man in yellow stood, gazing at the tachyon device amidst the fallen guards and the doctor. He swiftly retrieved the device and departed from the scene.

"Barry, wait for me," the man in yellow muttered to himself.

This man was none other than the Reverse Flash, also known as Dr. Harrison Wells, or Eobard Thawne.

The next day,

Barry swiftly donned his suit and burst out of his house, ready to confront Reverse Flash.

The clash between the two speedsters began, with The Flash facing off against his nemesis in a high-speed showdown.

They dashed through the city, with Reverse Flash holding a slight edge in speed.

The Flash reached out, but before he could seize the moment, Reverse Flash swiftly turned, gripping The Flash's face and slamming him into a car, shattering the window. He repeated the action with another car.

In retaliation, The Flash swung a massive right hook, but Reverse Flash effortlessly phased through it, darting away once more, goading The Flash to pursue.

Their chase halted as Reverse Flash stopped in the middle of an American football stadium, with The Flash stopping a few meters away, glaring at him with intensity.

"Barry, Barry, Barry, you want to kill me, don't you?" Reverse Flash taunted.

The Flash remained silent, charging towards Reverse Flash, who mirrored his movements.

The punch landed on The Flash, sending him tumbling across the field.

"The Flash, don't be foolish. You're not going to beat me," Reverse Flash warned.

Undeterred, The Flash sprang to his feet and charged at Reverse Flash.

But as he moved in, The Flash attempted a liver punch, only for Reverse Flash to effortlessly sidestep and counter with a kick to The Flash's left side, sending him tumbling down.

Despite the beating, The Flash refused to stay down, his determination unwavering.

"Stand down, Flash. I'll always be one step ahead," Reverse Flash asserted.

"No, I won't give up," The Flash replied, struggling to stand on shaky legs.

Reverse Flash landed a punch to The Flash's face and seized him by the throat.

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me?" Reverse Flash taunted.

"No," The Flash admitted, attempting another punch, which Reverse Flash effortlessly dodged.

Reverse Flash landed a brutal punch to The Flash's stomach, causing him to retch and spew saliva. He then gripped The Flash by the throat once more to keep him upright.

"You'll never prevail, Flash," Reverse Flash asserted.

"Is that so?" The Flash retorted, revealing a small circular ball that exploded into a blinding light, stunning Reverse Flash momentarily.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, The Flash broke free as Reverse Flash stumbled back, noticing his speed dwindling until it vanished entirely.

"What have you done, Barry?" Reverse Flash demanded.

"I've severed our connection to our power sources," The Flash explained as he began darting around, reminiscent of Goku.

[AN: Toriyama The Goat]

"Without power, you're nothing," The Flash asserted.

"Do you truly believe cutting off my power will stop me?" Reverse Flash questioned.

"Yeah, I do," The Flash replied, assuming his fighting stance as he charged at Reverse Flash.

The Flash executed a feint, causing Reverse Flash to raise his hand in defense, but exploiting the opening, The Flash delivered a devastating kick to Reverse Flash's thigh, sending him crashing to the ground.

Moving swiftly, The Flash stomped on Reverse Flash, who managed to roll away, but before he could rise, The Flash launched an upward kick to Reverse Flash's face, knocking him back down.

Mounting Reverse Flash, The Flash unleashed a barrage of punches, relentlessly pummeling him. Despite Reverse Flash's attempts to block, The Flash's onslaught continued unabated.

With each blow, The Flash worried that Reverse Flash's power might return, prompting him to activate another device.

The Flash swiftly maneuvered around Reverse Flash, locking him into a perfect headlock.

"Die," The Flash uttered coldly, knowing that if he didn't eliminate Reverse Flash now, it would pose a future threat, and he couldn't bear the idea of someone constantly watching him.

Reverse Flash was taken aback, stunned by The Flash's determination to end his life.

"Barry, don't–" Reverse Flash speaks in Dr. Wells's voice, but The Flash ignored him.

Ignoring any pleas for mercy, The Flash proceeded to strangle Reverse Flash, crushing his windpipe until he stopped struggling.

As Barry stood over Reverse Flash's lifeless body, he grappled with the weight of what he had done, knowing it was necessary to protect others.

'If I don't stop him, he'll harm more innocent people,' Barry reasoned with himself. With resolve, he decided to ensure Reverse Flash couldn't hurt anyone else by phasing through his heart and brain.

Experiencing the weight of taking a life, Barry reflected on the sensation in his fist, a mixture of regret and relief.

Returning home, Barry changed his clothes and climbed into bed, hoping for a peaceful night's rest.

"Let's hope I can sleep soundly," Barry muttered, his conscience heavy with the events of the night.