— 𝒮 —

"𝐒𝐎," 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄 as he, Sophia, Barry, and Cisco entered the workshop, "if Wells is as fast as you, what's he need a time machine for?"

"Apparently, he lost his speed when he killed my mom," Barry answered as they surrounded the round table that had all of the blueprints on it. "He gets it back sometimes, but only in spurts—he can't fully control it."

"So I was right about the wheelchair." Cisco nodded, a small grin now on his face. "He was using it to charge himself."

"So after I open the wormhole, he's gonna need the ship to travel back to the future," Barry continued. "He's been squirrelling away the parts."

"Now we just need to put it together," Ronnie murmured.

Sophia and Cisco followed as Ronnie stepped onto the platform that held the table full of materials.

"Ronnie, I love you," said Cisco as Ronnie picked up a metal piece, "but this is a time machine—not a bookcase from Ikea."

"We got a problem," Ronnie said, staring at the piece in his hands. "These tiles—they're made of tungsten."

Sophia shrugged. "Well, tungsten has the highest melting point of any other element."

"Yeah, but the dust it generates is flammable. The pressure exerted from the wormhole—"

"Yeah. Yeah." Cisco nodded, elbowing Sophia in realization. "It could cause a hole to be melted into the exterior. It could explode.

Barry, who hadn't moved from the round table, raised his eyebrows. "Any ideas?"

"Let me ask Dr. Evil." Cisco got off the platform, a disgruntled look on his face. "Heh. Which used to be a name that made me smile."

He emphasized the drop of his grin with a pointed finger while he walked toward the door.

"Is he . . . okay?" murmured Barry as Sophia got off the platform and stepped toward him.

Sophia sighed, frowning at the door that Cisco had just walked through. "There's been too many changes around here for the last while. Bad changes. And you know Cisco—he has a tough time dealing with this kind of stuff."

He bit his lower lip. "Guess I'm not helping with that, am I?"

"You're definitely making it worse."

He gave her somewhat of a grin. "Thanks for sugar-coating it."

She shrugged. "You know it's true."

Caitlin had joined them only a few minutes before Cisco returned. Not that she had expected him to come skipping in with a smile, but Sophia could see that his face was a little more sullen and his posture a little more slack. She was sure that the mere action of interacting with Wells could do that to him—but she wondered if there was anything more. But now wasn't really the right time to ask.

"So?" asked Sophia, sitting on the edge of the desk that Barry had already seated himself at. "What did he say?"

"Uh . . ." Cisco dug his hands into his pockets. "Cement the tiles with a cobalt resin."

Barry looked at Sophia, his eyebrows raised. "That'll work?"

She pursed her lips. "It should. The resin'll prevent degradation in conditions of extreme heat."

Ronnie, who had been talking to Caitlin in the corner, spoke up, "I'll get on that."

It was about twenty minutes later when Stein hurried into the room.

"We have a problem."

Everyone's attention turned to the man as Barry questioned, "What?"

"The calculations," he answered. "There is a danger."

"I know." Barry sighed, nodding. "I'm ready to take the risk."

"No, not just to you but to everyone," Stein said gravely. "Wells didn't tell us everything. Barry, even if you do reach the right speed, colliding with the hydrogen particle—there is a chance that explosion could create a singularity."

Barry pressed his lips together. Why didn't Wells tell him about this?

"What's a singularity?" hesitantly asked Caitlin.

"It's a black hole," Cisco said quietly.

Barry's eyebrows raised. "We could destroy Central City."

"If we create a singularity here and then can't control it," Sophia realized, "we could be looking at a global catastrophe."

Cisco's eyes widened. "So long and thanks for all the fish."

— 𝐵 —

"Well, sure, there's a bit of a risk."

The TVs they had set up on either side of the Cortex entrance showed Wells in his cell, who was smiling despite what they had told him.

Stein scoffed. "I would hardly refer to possibly causing an extinction-level event as 'a bit of a risk.'"

"Yeah," Joe added, "and your accelerator's been about as reliable as the beater I drove in high school."

Wells chuckled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Let me ask you a question. How many meta-humans, how many dangers have we faced this year together? Or did you forget that was me fighting alongside each and every one of you? I have been planning this for almost two decades. It will work."

"And how do we make sure we don't open a black hole in the middle of Central City?" Cisco questioned, his tone almost as aggressive as the expression on his face.

"So, once the wormhole stabilizes, Barry will have one minute and fifty-two seconds to alter the past and return to this time. If and when he does that, you can close the wormhole, and we can all live happily ever after. Almost two minutes—more than enough time to save Nora."

Barry, who was squeezing Sophia's shoulder a little too tight, remarked, "But not enough time to stop you from going home?"

Wells spread his arms out. "Everything's a choice."

Barry forced his anger into a humoured smile. A choice, yes. But it was leaning towards an impossible one. "And what if I'm late?"

"You won't be." Wells took a step closer to the camera. "I believe in you, Barry. Always have. So I guess the question is, do your friends and family believe in you as much as I do?"

Caitlin turned the TVs off.

Barry scoffed. The last person he needed to believe in him was the Reverse-Flash. He could do just fine without his support.

He was aware of the sympathetic looks he was receiving from just about everyone else in the room. But those looks wouldn't change anything. The future was looking bleak.

Without a word, he headed into the training room. He ran his hands through his hair as he let out a long sigh, stepping onto the treadmill platform. There wasn't much time left, and as hard as this decision had been the night before, with this added information, he had no clue what to do. Yeah, maybe Wells believed in him, but Barry wasn't so sure he believed in himself.

Joe quietly stepped into the room and closed the door.

Barry let out a humourless laugh as his arms fell to his sides. "So, if I don't run fast enough to collide with the particle, then I'm dust; and if I do run fast enough but I'm not back here in time, then a black hole will form, swallow up the city and possibly the world." He put his hands on his hips, his voice lowering, "You're sure you still want to look me in the eyes and tell me this is for the best?"

"I'd be lying if I told you I did." Joe sighed. "Truth is, I don't—I don't know what to think."

Barry sat on the end of the treadmill. "I thought you were the sure one. I . . . was kind of banking on that when I made my decision the first time."

Joe chuckled. "I was faking it."

Barry nodded. "Yeah."

"Sometimes parents do that—most of the time, parents do that." He took a deep breath. "Look, of course I'm scared. But I didn't want you to not help your mother because you were worried about me."

"Well, I'll always worry about you, Joe, just like you'll always worry about me. Sorry, but you can't stop that." Barry's gaze was glued to the ground. "Do you think I can do this? You think . . . I can save my mom? I mean, do you think I'm fast enough?"

"Yes," Joe answered immediately. "I know you are."

"You know, I've . . ." Barry's voice became thick, and tears had formed in his eyes before he knew it. "I've dreamed my whole life about . . . saving her, freeing my dad, and . . . I never thought I'd have to lose another parent to do that."

Joe's voice weakened, "Barry . . ."

"Joe, it's true. It's true," he insisted. "I've always been so focused on everything that I lost that night, but I gained so much too. I was born with one father, and that tragedy gave me . . . another." He attempted to give him a smile, though it was difficult. "And I don't think I can lose you."

"You won't ever lose me," Joe promised, his eyes moist. "Ever, you hear me? Ever."

— 𝐵 —

It was a beautiful day for a wedding.

Sure, it was a little chilly, but it was nothing that a light coat wouldn't fix. Besides, the Sun was bright, the clouds were sparse, and most of the flowers were already fully in bloom. And despite the shitty day they were having, Barry couldn't be happier to have this to look forward to.

They were standing just outside of STAR Labs, on one of the larger patches of grass. Maybe not a destination venue, but definitely not the worst location,

Barry smiled as Sophia joined them. "I missed you."

"Oh, please," she laughed as he wrapped his arm around her. "I was gone for half an hour. And now Cait looks extra gorgeous."

Caitlin soon came out. Her white dress left her shoulders and arms bare, and the skirt ruffled out a little. It was a beautiful dress—and honestly, Barry was kind of surprised they had managed to find it, given the time constraint. Some of her hair was pinned back by a bejewelled pin, and a pearl necklace decorated her neck. In her hands was a bouquet of yellow flowers.

"Is this actually binding?" Ronnie, who obviously had not yet noticed his bride, doubtfully asked Stein.

"My father made me become a rabbi before he would send me to MIT," Stein reassured him. "This will be 'legit,' as the kids say."

"No kids say that."

Stein gave him a wistful look. "Let's not fight on our wedding day."

Ronnie finally looked over his shoulder, and a smile grew on his face as he caught sight of Caitlin. The two of them faced each other while Stein started:

"If it's all right with everyone, I'd like to skip all the Hebrew. I've learned a lot about merging one's life with another this past year. Yet, for all the incredible advancements in science we've all been party to, the mystery that brings two people together through love is still the province of magic. Mr. Ramon, the rings please."

Sophia took the bouquet from Caitlin while Cisco fished the rings out of his pockets. Cisco knelt down as he gracefully held out the rings—which were a pair of iron nuts—to the couple.

"I owe you a real ring," Ronnie chuckled as he slid Caitlin's ring on her finger.

"I don't need one," she said softly. "I have everything and everyone that I could ever need right here." Caitlin looked around at them with a smile before turning back to her groom. "And . . . if all the events of the past year have led us to this moment, it was worth it. I love you, Ronnie."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Stein nodded. "You may kiss the bride."

Ronnie threw Stein a playful glare. "Stop telling me what to do."

It was a bittersweet feeling to watch as Ronnie kissed Caitlin. Of course, Barry was happy for the two of them—this wedding was long past overdue. But on the other hand, it served as a reminder of what he wouldn't get with the woman he loved. Maybe it was a selfish thought, but it was all he could think about.

Sophia was cheering and clapping, but Barry knew her too well to be fooled by this. He saw the hurt in her eyes. It was the same hurt he was feeling.

He snaked his arm around her waist. When she glanced up at him, he gave her a short smile and a firm kiss on the side of the head.

"Why don't you and I sneak away for a little bit?" he whispered into her ear. "We don't . . . There's not much time left until . . ."

Biting her lower lip, Sophia nodded. She muttered something to Cisco, who then patted her shoulder, and then she took Barry's hand.

They headed inside, and ended up in the training room. He was having a lot more heartfelt talks in here than he had expected to.

He sat on the edge of the treadmill, his gaze following Sophia as she shut the door. She let out a long sigh as she sat beside him.

"How're you feeling?" he murmured.

Her eyebrows raised. "You know how I'm feeling. How are you feeling?"

Barry considered his answer for a moment. There was a lot going on in both his mind and stomach, and it was difficult to put it into one word. "Scared. Sad. Nervous. Nothing good."

She braved a smile. "You should be excited."

He shook his head. "Trust me, Soph, leaving you is not exciting."

"But you're still doing it."

"I am."

Sophia rested a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it. Knowing that this was one of the last times he would ever feel her touch was enough to bring him to tears.

Her thumb softly brushed against his skin. "When you go . . ." she said softly, her own eyes slowly filling with tears. "When you're there . . . Please don't regret anything, Barry."

"That's an impossible promise to make," his voice began to crack, and so he pressed his lips together and swallowed.

She shook her head. "I don't think it is."

"You won't have any regrets?"

She gently kissed his lips. "The only regret I have is not meeting you sooner."

She drew away, though Barry placed his hands on her cheeks and guided her face closer to his. "I love you, Snowpea," he whispered. "More than you could ever know."

"Oh, I know. I know because it's just as much as I love you."

"I honestly don't think that's possible."

She laughed lightly. "Stop being mushy and just kiss me, Barry."

He smiled before pressing his lips against hers. His hands moved down to her waist, and he pulled her onto his lap.

Kissing Sophia was always incredible. Every single time, he had the same feeling as he had the first time he kissed her—the only difference being that every time, his love for her was deeper.

But this kiss was different. The way she gripped tightly on the back of his neck, their tears that blended, just knowing that they would never have a moment like this ever again—it all made him kiss her with a passion he never had before. He wanted to forever remember the feeling of her lips against his, her body on his, the smell of her perfume, the way she ran her hands through his hair.

She pulled back to take a breath, but honestly, he was just fine going without air. He frowned when she didn't return to his lips.

Instead, she looked around the room, her eyes narrowed. Obviously, something was on her mind.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Remember that one meta?" she said slowly, looking back at the door before turning to him again. "What did Cisco name him . . . Oh, Blackout."

"Yeah." Barry sighed. That was near the beginning of his days as the Flash—and one of the scarier times. "Not having my speed for those few hours was the worst."

She hummed. "I was just thinking about when you and I were in here, trying to jumpstart your powers. You asked me if I believed the lightning chose you."

A small smile grew on her face, and just looking at that caused his own lips to replicate. She pecked his lips.

"The lightning did a good job. No better man to pick."

He gave a modest shrug. "I'm sure there's plenty."

"I don't think so."

"Really?" he scoffed. "I'm leaving all of you for my own selfish reasons."

"Only a man with no heart wouldn't make the same decision as you." Her arms loosened around his neck, and she dipped her head onto his shoulder. "None of us blame you."

His arms tightened around her. Though he knew the answer to it, he asked, "You'll be okay?"

"Absolutely not. But . . ." She sighed, her warm breath tickling the base of his neck. "I'll have the others. Maybe not anytime soon, but one day, I'll be fine." She kissed his lower jaw and then straightened up. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy."

He shut his eyes. "I don't deserve you."

"What are you talking about?" she let out a small chuckle, and she rested her forehead against his. The perfect brown eyes that he had so deeply fallen in love with gazed into his own. "You're the perfect man for me, Barry Allen."

— 𝐵 —

It was time.

Suited up, Barry stood in front of his friends—family, in the Pipeline. He kept a brave face on. He knew he was fooling no one.

"Okay," Sophia said quietly. "There are gonna be three yous back there: the you from the future who saved younger-you from the Reverse-Flash, and now you you."

"Remember," Cisco added, stepping in front of him while Sophia stepped back, "wait until future you gets younger-you out of there, and then you can go and save your mom."

Barry smiled and nodded. "Piece of cake."

Cisco put his hands on his arms. "May the Speed Force be with you."

He pulled Cisco into a tight hug. "Take care of Sophia for me," he whispered.

Cisco nodded as he pulled away, sniffling. "Of course."

Barry looked at the group in front of him. This was the last time he'd see any of them.

He tried not to think too much of it.

He turned to Joe and placed a hand on his shoulder. The man who had taken care of him and treated him as his own son. The man who he couldn't be more grateful for. He wished he could've expressed better how much he loved him—but he honestly didn't think that would be possible.

"Goodbye, Dad," he whispered.

Joe pulled him into a hug. "Goodbye, Son."

Barry shut his eyes, and he tried his best to hold in his tears as Joe sniffled. A hug from him was always reassuring. Barry always felt safe in his arms.

Once he let go, he moved onto Iris. Iris . . ."

"You don't have to say anything. I already know." She placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed his forehead. "I hope whatever life you get, it's enough for you. That it makes you happy."

"You too."

He exchanged a nod with Eddie before turning to Sophia, whose tears were already staining her cheeks.

She was in his arms in an instant. He kissed her. He told her he loved her. She said the same. And that was it.

He turned toward the door of the Particle Accelerator. It lifted with a squeak and a hiss.

He took a few steps forward, and the door closed behind him.

"Remember, Mr. Allen," came Stein's voice through his earpiece as he walked forward, "assuming you achieve the proper velocity and open the wormhole, you will only have one minute and fifty-two seconds to save your mother and return. Or else—"

"I know," Barry said gravely.

He stood in front of Wells' cell. Someone he had loved for so long, then hated, and was now being led by.

"Well . . ." Wells said, "you hold both our futures in your hands now, Mr. Allen. And I know you can do it. Now . . . Run, Barry. Run."

Barry took a deep breath. And then, he began to run.

Lap after lap, he willed his legs to move faster. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration and wind whipping against his face, he ran as fast as could. He had no other choice.

Around him was just a blur of grey and blue. He knew he was going faster than he ever had before—he could sense it. Whether it was fast enough or not, he didn't know. He forced himself to run faster.

Suddenly, an image from his past. Iris, when they were kids, saying, "I was waiting for you to bring Barry home."

Joe, with his arm wrapped around Barry's younger self, replied, "Looks like he's going to be staying with us for a while."

"Barry, what you're seeing is the Speed Force," said Wells: "your past, your present, your future all at once. So you need to focus on where you want to go. So think about . . . that night. Think about your mother."

Barry shut his eyes, pumping his arms and legs faster than ever. He pictured his mother. Her kind eyes. The smell of home in her hair. The mother he longed for.

Another memory came: his father kissing him on the head as his mother smiled at him. "Time for bed," his father said. "Good night, slugger."

And then what happened a few moments later: His mother knelt on the carpet of their living room, with red and yellow lightning zipping around her.

"Mom!" his younger-self cried out.

"Barry, no!" she yelled.

And suddenly, he was in his old room. It barely took him a second to recognize it—the telescope that he and his father gazed through at least twice a week, the hanging model of the solar system he loved so much, the science posters that his mom helped him put up because he was too short.

He hardly had any more time to reminisce as he heard a voice too familiar scream out:

"Mom! Mom!"

Barry peeked through the door. There it was—his mother on the ground, with red and yellow circling her. His heart instantly broke—but he couldn't move just yet.

"Barry!" she cried, reaching out to the younger version of himself. "Get back!"

"Mom!"

"Nora!" shouted his father, next to him, "Hold on!"

The lightning stopped. As he opened the door, he saw himself staring right back at him.

The other Barry, who was vibrating, held up a hand at him and shook his head.

It was as if a hand had clutched his heart and crushed it. He knew what that meant.

He couldn't save his mother.

His entire body went numb as he watched the other Barry speed toward Henry and younger-self and move them out of the way.

"Barry, no!" screamed Nora at his sudden disappearance. "No!"

Barry scrunched his face as he gripped the door and began to close it. His mother's screams rang into the air, and with her final scream and the sound of metal piercing flesh, he leaned back against the wall and let out a shaky breath. The sudden silence could only mean one thing.

He couldn't hold it together for much longer. His body and face were hot and the tears that were slipping down his cheeks were unstoppable.

Slowly, he opened the door.

The first thing he saw was Henry passed out. Then, Nora sprawled on the ground, a few feet away. A deep red was blooming onto her white shirt, though Barry kept his eyes on her face.

She was still alive—barely, but alive.

"Hey," Barry said softly, kneeling down next to her. "It's okay. It's okay. You're okay."

"Please," she wept. "My husband, my son, are they . . ."

"They're okay," he reassured her. "They're both safe. I promise."

"Who are you?"

"I'm . . ." He swallowed. As much as it pained him, he couldn't tell her the truth—at least, not the full truth. "I'm the Flash."

"I don't understand."

Oh, fuck it. This wouldn't make any difference—either way, she was going to die. The least that this cruel world could allow him was a moment with his mother.

He took off his mask, and her eyes widened.

"You look just like my father."

Barry gave her a small smile, though his face quickly scrunched up as he began to cry. "This won't make any sense, but it's me, Mom."

"What?" she uttered softly.

"It's Barry."

"Barry?" she repeated. Just looking into her eyes, he could tell she believed him.

He nodded. "Your Barry."

"Oh," she breathed out, her hands gripping his cheeks, "my beautiful boy."

He gently wrapped his hands around her wrists. Just the ability to touch her and feel the warmth of her hands again was all Barry had ever wanted.

"I got a second chance," he murmured through his tears, "to come back here and . . ." He swallowed and took a moment to collect himself. "Tell you that I'm okay. Dad and I are both okay. And we love you, Mom." His entire face was soaked with tears by this point, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the beautiful face he hadn't seen in so long. "I love you."

"I love you," she whispered, her lips in a shaky smile. "Oh, my sweet boy. Good-bye." She began to choke up, and her breathing became unsteady. "Good . . . bye, Barry."

Suddenly, her arms fell, and her eyes glazed over.

"Mom?" Barry breathed out, his heart dropping into his stomach. He sobbed as he dropped his head onto her chest, and he breathed in her scent for the last time. "Mom."

— 𝒮 —

There was a little less than a minute left on the clock, and it was time for Wells to leave.

Sophia followed Cisco and Joe to the Particle Accelerator, where the time machine was already set up and ready to go.

"It's beautiful," Wells, who was already suited, commented. "Rip Hunter would be impressed. He built the first one of these. Interesting man."

There was a flash of white light, and something fell onto the ground—some sort of metallic hat, with wings on either side.

"Now what the hell is that?" muttered Joe.

"That's my cue to leave," Wells answered. He took a few steps closer to them. "Thank you, Cisco, Sophia."

"Don't ever come back," Cisco replied.

Wells sat in the seat, and the transparent sphere around it shut. He pressed one of the buttons, and it began to lift while the legs closed in.

Sophia grabbed Cisco's arm as the machine slowly spun to face the other side, and the three of them took a couple of steps back.

But then, another bright light appeared—way brighter than the first one.

Sophia barely had the time to process whatever was coming before she was launched to the ground.

She let out a groan. Pain shot through her ribs, and she knew that whatever recovery progress she had made in the past few weeks were gone.

But what the hell had happened?

"You didn't save her. Why?" she heard Wells growl. "Why? You could have had the life you wanted. You could have had everything you ever wanted!"

And then, a voice she couldn't believe she was hearing, said, "I already do."

Barry.

Ignoring the instant flare of pain, she sat up to see that Barry was standing on the other side of Wells, and just about every emotion flooded through her.

What was he doing back here? What had happened?

Oh, hell, she didn't care about that. All that mattered was he was here.

Wells' mask came on. "Not for long."

And with a flash of red and yellow lightning, they were gone.

Sophia groaned again as she looked around, clutching her chest. The glass of the sphere had shattered, and the rest of the machine was in pieces all over the ground. Cisco and Joe were still passed out on the ground.

She slowly crawled toward Cisco, careful to avoid both the glass and doing anything to hurt her ribs even more.

Barry and Wells soon returned, though they didn't seem to pay her any mind as they threw punches at each other. As much as it pained her to see Barry getting beaten, there wasn't all that much she could do about it.

"Cisco," Sophia muttered, shaking him. "Cisco, get up."

Cisco let out a long groan. "I'm up."

"Just so we're clear," hissed Wells, "after I kill you, I'm going to kill them. And then I'm going to kill your father." His vibrating hand raised, and panic immediately sparked in Sophia. "I always win, Flash."

Bang!

Sophia's head whipped toward the sound.

Eddie was standing there, a gun in hand and blood blooming through his white button-up.

"Holy shit," Sophia whispered. "What?"

"Eddie!" Joe yelled, jumping to his feet and running toward him. "What did you do?"

Eddie fell to his knees.

"What did you do?" Joe shouted as he knelt by him, grabbing his arm. "What did you do?"

As Eddie dropped onto his back, he uttered out, "No such thing as a coincidence."

Wells, on the other hand, seemed to be weakening, too. He was flickering, and he wasn't moving.

"What's happening?" Barry, who was on the ground, breathed out.

"Cisco," Wells said, his voice breaking, "help me."

"Eddie's his ancestor," Cisco realized. "If Eddie dies, he'll never be born, and . . ."

Wells ripped his mask off. His face slowly morphed back into its true form—Eobard Thawne's.

"He's being erased from existence," Sophia finished with widened eyes.

"No! No! Eddie." Iris ran to Eddie, and she fell beside him, sobbing. "Eddie, no, no. Stay with me, okay? Stay."

"He was wrong, it turns out," Eddie said, his voice raspy. "I'm a hero after all."

"You are, Eddie," she cried. "You are my hero."

"That's all I ever wanted to be. Your hero."

Eddie began to gasp and choke. His chest heaved.

And then he fell still.

"No!" Iris screamed.

Swallowing back her tears, Sophia managed to make it over to Barry. She dropped to her knees and cradled his face.

"Soph," he breathed out, straightening. "I'm okay. It's okay. Are you okay?"

She couldn't even reply. She cried. She cried that he was back. She cried that Eddie was gone. She cried that everything hurt. She cried that this goddamn world sucked. She kissed his forehead, and that was all she could do.

Eobard's body began to crack and crumble into dust. Somehow, he seemed calm as he looked toward Barry. "I've controlled your life for so long, Barry. How will you get along without me?"

The decay quickened. His head snapped back, and his mouth widened into a scream of anguish before he fully disappeared.

A flash of blue light drew their attention. The wormhole was reopening, and the entire building shook with its force.

"Guys," Cisco shouted, inching toward Sophia as it grew bigger, "that's not good."

"Oh, shit," Sophia groaned, wiping her face. This was a running-away situation, and she knew it would be a bitch to her ribs.

Cisco immediately understood. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hurried her toward the exit.

" Iris, we have to go," urged Barry.

Iris clutched tightly onto Eddie's body. "I'm not leaving him."

"We have to go now, honey," Joe pleaded, glancing at the wormhole. "I'm sorry."

By the time they had made it outside, there was a gigantic cloud of black with neon blue lighting through it. The wind was growing stronger by the second, and there was already shrapnel being sent straight toward the cloud.

"So that's what we didn't want to happen," shouted Cisco.

"What's it doing?" questioned Caitlin.

"Feeding," answered Stein. "The singularity won't stop, not even after the Earth is gone."

The screams of citizens were growing louder, and singularity was beginning to pick up more and more—signs, cars, buildings. The singularity itself was growing incredibly large—it wouldn't be too long until it was filling up the entire sky.

"I'm afraid the accretion disc has already assembled," Stein spoke.

Joe scrunched his face. "What?"

"Diffused material that's in orbital motion around the singularity."

"What does that mean?" Caitlin shouted.

"We have to disrupt the motion!" Barry answered. "Basically it's just like the tornado, only upside down. And bigger . . . And scarier."

"Barry, that event has an energy level of at least 6.7 Tera Electron Volts," Sophia pleaded, grabbing his arm. "It can't be stopped."

He looked at her, shaking his head. His eyes did the apologizing for him. "I have to try."