F O U R T Y - E I G H T:
change of time

"I love you, Barry Allen," Bibiana spoke into her phone. Barry wasn't picking up and she had something important to do. Inside her gut, something told her that she should tell Barry those words. The ones she never told him before. It was as if something bad was going to happen. Maybe she was just being paranoid about everything going on. "Just pick up the phone soon, please? Call me back or meet up with me soon. Don't do anything stupid, Allen."

Bibiana hung up

"I have something to tell you," Bibiana announced her presence. Cisco looked at the girl before turning on the machine. It was the same place Bibiana was shot and where they temporarily captured the Reverse-Flash.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Caitlin?" Cisco asked.

"She got it covered," Bibiana answered, walking closer to the machine. "Like I was saying. I have something to say."

"What is it?" Cisco questioned, curiously. The girl took a deep breath and decided this was the only time she was breaking a promise.

"General Eiling is missing and has been temporarily replaced by my father," Bibiana confessed. "Kai called me a few minutes earlier and told me that there was a streak that ran in the base. He said it was like the opposite of the Flash."

"Then let's see if this can tell us what really went wrong that night," Cisco replied. They both walked over to the laptop and started to mess around with it.

The screen soon showed them something weird.

"What?" Cisco asked, closing the laptop. Bibiana imagined it again in her head. It didn't add up like Cisco had said. "This doesn't make any sense."

"It's really not," Bibiana agreed. Cisco walked over to a part of the machine and started to mess with it. The machine flickered before the Reverse-Flash stood in the middle of it. Trapped like a fly in honey.

The girl stepped away from the table and took two steps closer to the villain in yellow. The Reverse-Flash turned to face Cisco and Bibiana.

⇝⇝⇝

"Hey, it's Bibiana Solace. You know, your kickass awesome girlfriend," Bibiana's voice filled Barry's ears. The sound of her voice caused him to smile. During the darkest situations, Bibiana always managed to make him smile. "Uh... I know you're probably busy with finding Mark right now. How do I put this? Gosh, I sometimes hate doing these things over the phone. I really wish I was with you right now. But I have something important to say... I love you, Barry Allen. Just pick up soon, please? Call me back or meet up with me soon. Don't do anything stupid, Allen."

The voicemail ended. A frown was placed on his lips. He was brought back to reality. Joe was taken away. He loved Bibiana and he wanted to tell her that but at the moment Joe was his priority.

"I love you too, Bibiana Solace."

⇝⇝⇝

"My goals are beyond your understanding," Reverse-Flash said. Those were the exact words he said the night he was trapped. Cisco pressed a few buttons on the laptop causing the Reverse-Flash to talk backward before repeating another line. The two friends walked closer to the hologram of the Reverse-Flash. "Dr. Wells, we meet at last. My goals are beyond your understanding."

"I can't believe this," Cisco said.

"He was never there at the beginning," Bibiana whispered.

"Oh, I'm not like the Flash at all," the Reverse Flash repeated.

"Some would say I'm the Reverse," a new voice said. It sounded a lot like Dr. Wells' voice. Both Cisco and Bibiana turned to see their boss standing before them. Dr. Wells started to clap. "You're incredibly clever, Cisco. As for you, Bibiana. You were able to slowly put the pieces together with what Cisco and someone else has been telling you."

"You're him," Cisco said. Bibiana was consumed with anger and sadness as she stared at the murderer of Barry's mother. Purple electricity consumed her hands that were balled into fists. She didn't know what to do since she found Dr. Wells as a friend. "The Reverse-Flash."

"Barry's mom murderer," Bibiana added.

"We have never been properly introduced," The Reverse-Flash said, walking towards the two friends. "I am Eobard Thawne."

"Thawne?" Cisco questioned. "Like Eddie."

"Is he your nephew?" Bibiana asked, digging her nails into her palm. They needed answers to help Barry's father.

"Let's call him a distant relative," Eobard suggested.

"The night that we trapped the Reverse-Flash you almost died," Cisco pointed out. The image was almost painted fresh in Bibiana's mind.

"Mm-hm."

"Impossible," Bibiana whispered. Only one person could do that and he was dead.

"There were two of you," Cisco said. Eobard held up a finger. He ran back and forth quickly leaving two of him. Cisco and Bibiana took slow steps towards them. The electricity in Bibiana's hands increased. She was waiting for the perfect moment.

"It's an afterimage," Eobard explained. "A speed mirage, if you will."

"Oh my God," Bibiana said.

"Joe was right," Cisco spoke with fear. He pointed a finger at Eobard. "You were there that night 15 years ago. In Barry's house. You killed Nora Allen."

"Why?" Bibiana asked.

"It was never my intention to kill Nora," Eobard admitted. "I was there to kill Barry."

"Why?" Cisco asked louder than Bibiana. "You're his friend. You've been teaching him how to-"

"Go faster. I know. A means to an end," Eobard finished, walking in circles around them. "And I'll tell you why. Because I have been stuck here marooned here in this place for 15 long years. And the Flash and the Flash's speed is the key to my returning to my world. To my time. And no one is going to prevent that from happening."

"I can help you," Cisco told Eobard. He motioned toward himself and Bibiana. "We both can."

"You're smart, Cisco," Eobard replied. He held up his hand causing it to move fast. "But you're not that smart. Neither is Bibiana. It's a shame you're going to watch her die. Maybe this will push the Flash."

Bibiana forced the electricity out of her hand and aimed it towards Eobard. The Reverse-Flash was fast and moved out of the way. He shoved his hand in Bibiana's chest, shredding her heart into pieces before pulling his hand out. Bibiana felt the life being drained out of her until she could feel nothing else. Her body fell on the floor. She would never know that Barry loved her back.

Eobard turned to Cisco.

⇝⇝⇝

"Caitlin," Barry said, staring at the tsunami. He was on the phone and wondered why Bibiana wasn't picking up her phone. She was always the first person he called.

"Barry, I need to tell you something," Caitlin informed him. "It's Dr. Wells. He's-"

"No time for that right now, all right?" Barry said in a rush. The tsunami was coming closer by the second. He turned to look at Iris before turning to look at the tsunami. "There is a tsunami heading for the city. How do I stop it?"

"Theoretically, if you can create a vortex barrier along the coastline, a wall of wind that would sap the tidal wave of its energy before it hits the city," Caitlin answered.

"By running back and forth," Barry summed up. "How fast?"

"I don't know if you can run that fast," Caitlin replied. Barry hung up the phone and turned towards Iris.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way," Barry told her. He ran in a circle, quickly changing before facing Iris as the Flash. "Go."

The Flash took off running along the coastline. He ran back and forth as fast as he could. The only thoughts that ran through his mind were saving the people he cared about. He wanted Bibiana with him at the moment to help him save Joe. But he knew it was dangerous for her to be there.

Barry let out a yell, pushing himself faster. He was able to travel through time. The speedster turned his head towards the left and saw his past self-running through the city. He took off running faster and stopped in the middle of the street. It was night time and he swears it was a day when he was stopping the tsunami. Barry Allen had traveled back in time.

"Oh, boy," Barry muttered.

•○•

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JMC