Starting from scratch, Batman crushed my dream of getting rich

Chapter 421 It turns out, you've always been with me.

Reverse-Flash wasn't lying about Joe and Iris.

Joe's investigation into him began after the theft at Mercury Labs, and his threats against Joe also originated from that time. The reason for this was quite simple: more than a month ago, after the Central City Police Department discovered the existence of superpowered individuals, Joe and Barry had been investigating the case of Barry's biological father's imprisonment, and Joe's progress was quite rapid.

When the veteran detective began to believe that his old friend might have been wrongly accused, his years of experience and intuition began to kick in. The introduction of the peculiar variable of a superhuman made his thinking clearer and clearer. In less than half a month, he even thought about checking Dr. Wells' past records and planned to look for clues in the house where Barry's mother was killed.

Just then, Reverse Flash appeared at Joe's house. In a second, he wiped out all the clues Joe had found about the murder of Barry's mother and pinned Iris's photo to the wall with a knife, threatening Joe to stop investigating.

Joe couldn't see the speedster clearly, only a red flash of lightning. And it was from that moment that the scene that Barry had described to him years ago was presented to him in its entirety.

Joe didn't tell Barry about it. He was worried about Iris, and his family was his biggest weakness. Therefore, his private investigation had to be temporarily suspended.

On the rooftop, as Reverse Flash recounted all his friends and family, Barry's anger and worry intensified. It was then that he realized the man in yellow had been observing his life all along, and that there seemed to be a deeper story behind the case from years ago.

He knew all his weaknesses and didn't mind using them to threaten him, which suddenly woke Barry up from his days of gradually returning to normalcy.

How absurd. After losing the Speed ​​Force, he was the one who wanted to get it back, but he was also the one who didn't want to get it back.

He saw Shauna easily stop the Rainbow Thieves' bank robbery riot; he saw Cisco and his team cooperate with Snart at the airport and capture the Piper; he saw Old Marco negotiate with Firestorm through verbal communication; and he saw everyone at Star Labs seem perfectly capable of handling the endless stream of supervillains.

He felt a sense of anxiety and self-blame, blaming himself for not being able to fight alongside them and for not being able to regain his abilities quickly, but at the same time, he felt at ease.

After the Speed ​​Force disappeared, he returned to being the ordinary CSI investigator Barry Allen. At the same time, he made a group of good friends and had hope of rescuing his father. He and everyone at Star Labs worked together to solve the case and catch the killer. It seemed that the Flash's disappearance was not a big deal for Central City.

He was still occasionally late, often, but he no longer needed to rush from the crime scene to the police station covered in wounds. His life began to become regular and normal. He would get dressed at home, wash up, eat breakfast, and then start his late day by running.

He no longer needed to listen to Cisco's occasional news broadcasts through his earphones, nor did he need to run through every street and alley of the city center, rush into every fire, or subdue every robber. He no longer had to face those deadly superhuman and human criminals, nor did he need to frantically explain to Inspector Singh why he didn't have time to complete his work report and instead skipped work every few days.

He no longer needs to be called away by Cisco when he goes out to the movies with Iris, rushing to fight criminals on the other side of the city, more than ten kilometers away; he no longer needs to sacrifice his life for everything related to the Flash identity. Central City is peaceful and quiet, and Barry Allen is living his life as usual.

He had always felt that he was doing his best to help Caitlin regain her powers, and therefore had no choice but to accept the current situation. But now it seems that perhaps deep down he just thought it didn't matter if he didn't have the Speed ​​Force.

It's good as it is now; the less ability you have, the less responsibility you bear.

How foolish, Flash.

Raindrops fell from the sky, and the strong, icy wind on the rooftop swept the rain down Barry's neck and into his clothes, irritating his nerves.

Heroes can't stop, speedsters can't stop. Barry told himself silently. He was complacently enjoying the peaceful life his companions had created for him, but in reality, it was just a form of escapism. The more wonderful things seemed, the less motivation he had to move forward. He shouldn't let his companions shoulder everything for him, because his responsibilities were heavy. There were some things that only he could do, and that he should do.

“Barry Allen.” The yellow figure slowly walked to the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the entire city and the three people at his feet. The rain made the surface of the building even more slippery, and the Doctor, Cisco, and Caitlin were already teetering on the brink of collapse.

"Your friends will die first, then your family, and finally you."

At this moment, only a tiny bit of Cisco's hand remained clinging to the edge. He looked at the Doctor beside him, who was also about to slip away, his eyes filled with despair, which then transformed into a last glimmer of hope.

"Run! Barry—!"

After giving their final shouts, Cisco and Caitlin plummeted to the ground.

"Do not--!"

Barry took a step in shock, but all he saw was the doctor falling.

At this moment, the doctor's eyes were calm. He looked at Barry without sadness or joy and softly finished saying the last words that Cisco had not had time to shout.

"Run."

Boom!

A bolt of lightning, accompanied by a deafening roar of thunder, illuminated Barry's face in that instant. Water droplets slid down his face, indistinguishable between tears and rain.

In that instant, Barry felt a blur in his mind. The fall of Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin shattered his reason. But the next instant, a surge of emotion welled up from his heart, flowing through every vein and nerve to his entire body, like the great explosion at the beginning of chaos, or like a blinding lightning bolt that cleaved through his hesitation and confusion.

He started running instinctively.

Swah——

Golden, dazzling lightning erupted once more, time stretched out again under Barry's footsteps, and space began to shrink. That familiar feeling returned, and he re-entered that world of extreme speed.

The Speed ​​Force enveloped Barry's entire body, making him feel warm and joyful, as if a loyal old friend had finally been reunited with him.

"So, you've always been with me."

(End of this chapter)