Caitlin Snow perked up as she heard that familiar whoosh echo throughout Star Labs, but as she turned to face the Scarlet Speedster she found that he wasn't there. She furrowed her eyebrows, rising from her seat to see where he had gone. As she entered another room in Star Labs, she expected to find another empty area but was proven wrong when she found the man inside the Starchives, orange lightning shooting back and forth as he gathered materials to repair the time sphere.

She was filled with trepidation as she slowly made her way over. Something felt off about this. He had his back turned to her, so she spoke to grab his attention. “Barry?” She muttered out quietly, and he raised his head up a bit giving her confirmation that he’d heard her. “What are you doing?” She asked, and he finally turned to face her.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He answered, and it seemed as if he was trying to keep his eyes out of her gaze. But she eventually managed to lock eyes with the man, and she saw something dark inside those orbs, something that wasn't Barry, it was something else entirely. "What's wrong, Doctor Snow?"

She stumbled backwards as the man edged closer to her, lightning crackling in his eyes. "Where is Barry?" She questioned, her eyes flashing white as the back of her legs hit the work station behind her.

"I'm right here Cait." The pretender mocked and Caitlin's locks turned white as Frost emerged to take control. Frost stood there with an irritated look on her face, her jaw growing tense as he began vibrating his hand. "I can't keep up the charade." He whispered out in an all too familiar tone that remined her of someone, but she just couldn't place it. "I'm sorry Doctor Snow, but I want to go home, and you won't stop me."

"Thawne." She spoke with disgust for the man as it finally clicked in her brain. As he edged closer, Frost created two icickes but the need to defend herself dissipated when she saw him drop to the ground, Cisco Ramon standing in the doorway with a meta-human dampening gun held tightly in his arms.

...

Half an hour later, the Reverse Flash stirred to conciousness inside a pipeline cell. The speedster laughed, his cackle bouncing off the walls as Cisco and Frost watched him closely. "Isn't it funny how I always manage to end up in here when I come to visit?" He spoke it like he was a family relative. He rose to his feet, using the walls to steady himself before addressing the two standing before him. "You have questions, ask them."

"Where is Barry?" Frost spoke through gritted teeth and Eobard continued to look at her with a cocky smile on his face. She stepped closer to the windowed front of the pipeline cell, staring at him with a burning gaze as she waited for him to break the excruciating silence.

"Do not worry, he's safe and sound in here." Eobard assured, gesturing to the body he was currently residing within. For now. "I'm just taking the wheel for a little while." He cleared his throat as he brought his hands up against the cell door, leaning forward. "I used Barry to help me escape his hell of a speedforce, and once I get out of here and get home, I'll find a way to get my body back. Then, I'll leave him to die."

Frost knew he enjoyed watching her anger and discomfort but she couldn't resist clenching her knuckles tightly, wanting nothing more than to shove an icicle through his heart, but if she did that, then Barry would be lost forever, so she took a deep breath before stepping back. "Why wouldn't you just use his speed to travel to the future, why rely on the time sphere?" Cisco inquired.

"You don't think I tried that?" Thawne rolled his eyes, reveling in his belief that he was so much smarter than the two of them. "I have access to his speed but I can't go fast enough to travel back to the future."

"Seems like a screw you from the speedforce." Frost said then simply closed the pipeline door as Thawne chewed his tongue in irritation, her and Cisco heading to the Cortex.

"That is freaky." Cisco muttered, feigning a series of chills to execute his point. "Even though its not really him, seeing Barry act evil is just something I never wanted to experience again, not after Savitar."

"There has to be a way to bring Barry back and get Thawne out of his body." Frost spoke, racking her brain to find a solution as she took a deep breath.

"Like what, an exorcism?" Cisco spoke absentmindedly, chuckling to himself. He only stopped his motions when he saw Frost eyeing him. "Really, are you serious?'

"Do you have any better ideas?' The icy woman questioned with a quirk of her eyebrows.

An hour later Caitlin was pacing back and forth as Cisco finished putting the final touches on the device he had constructed. She chewed on her nail nervously as she looked over the unconscious Barry Allen laid out on the gurney. "Relax, were going to get Barry back." Cisco said, but Caitlin continued chewing on her nail. "What we think of as Thawne is actually just a horde of negative tachyons that have somehow forced their way inside of Barry. So, we have to hit him with positive tachyons to force Thawne out. That's where this bad boy comes in!" He spoke in signature Ramon fashion, patting the device with his hand with a proud smile.

"What is it?" Caitlin asked inquisitively.

"The Positive Tachyon Emitter." Cisco explained, adjusting a few of the mechanics of the device. "And You," Cisco began, pointing to Cecile. "Are gonna be our Thawne detector. I need you to pyshichally monitor Barry and tell me when we've rid him of Thawnes influence." He looked to Caitlin for conformation, turning on the machine after she gave a nod.

"Ahh!" Cecile gasped, clutching onto the gurney for support as she tried to find her balance. "Pain, grief, loss, shame, fear, guilt, it's like a hurricane in his mind, then I feel something else entirely clawing at the surface, like raw hatred." Caitlin looked over to Cisco, seeing the worry etched on his face.

"I don't understand, I've set the PTEs to full power but Thawne's influence is only growing stronger." Cisco explained. "If we don't figure out a solution soon then we might lose Barry forever." The engineer jumped in surprise as 'Barry' shot up with crimson eyes, his entire body vibrating so fast he was nothing but a blur. Caitlin quickly slapped a pair of meta dampening cuffs on him while Cisco gave him a very strong sedative to knock him out for a little while longer.

"What the hell just happened?!" Cecile exclaimed.

"Thawne just connected to his speedforce through Barry's body, he almost has full control." Cisco said, running a hand through his hair in order to tame it as he took a deep breath.

Cecile groaned in pain yet again as Barry's body thrashed violently. "I'm seeing flashes, pieces of memories I think. I see Nora, Crisis, and so much more."

"Thawne's created a personal hell for him, an amalgamation of Barry's most painful memories." Caitlin said in remorse, running her fingers over Barry's, jolting away when she feels lightning crackle between their fingers. She feels it again, that odd sensation throughout her whole body just like when she woke up at the hospital. "Wait!" Caitlin ran out of the room, returning moments later with several devices in her hand.

"The M.A.D 2.0!" Cisco said, understading where she was going with this. "We can use this to go inside of Barry's mind and help him force Thawne out."

They each attached a device to their forehead before taking a seat next to the gurney. Caitlin and Cisco each took one of Cecile's hand, readying for their journey into the Scarlet Speedster's mindscape. "Here we go." Cecile said before Cisco and Caitlin felt a wave of horrific emotions wash over them, presumably Barry's, and they found themselves standing inside a strange environment.

It looked like the hallway at Star Labs, but it had household items like a fish tank, furniture, and family photos of the Allen family. Caitlin then noticed the bloody knife and spilled wine glass on the ground as the two continued searching their odd surroundings. They eventually found themselves face to face with Eobard Thawne, Barry sitting on the ground behind him. "Would you look at us, team Flash back together again!" He clapped slowly, flashing a mischievous grin at Caitlin as Cisco hurried past him to attend to Barry.

"Barry, hey listen to me." Cisco said, patting the speedster as he continued to mutter 'it's all my fault' over and over again. "You have to snap out of this, if you don't you're gonna die!" Cisco pleaded, but the man continued muttering those four words repeatedly.

"I must say Doctor Snow, you've made me proud." Eobard said and her eyes flashed white in response. "You've grown so much as a person, and so has Frost." The Reverse Flash was circling her, and that toothy grin he had across his face made her want to punch him so badly.  Lightning began crackling all over Caitlin's body as she clenched her fists, her body vibrating widly. She looked at herself in shock and stumbled back as she tried to comprehend what was happening to her. "Would you look at that." Thawne whispered in curiosity.

"Cait, Barry's not responding to me." She heard Cisco call from behind her, and the lightning ceased, replaced by an overwhelming need to save Barry from that monster and his own personal demons.

"Hello Mr. Ramon." Thawne whispered and Cisco gulped as he stepped forward to face the Reverse Flash.

"Barry listen to me, you need to get up." She said softly, her head turning to look at the dark cavern where hundreds of voices were pouring out. Some of then were screaming, others were crying, some of them simply beckoned for him to come to them.

"I can't, it was all my fault, I can't." Barry whimpered as he held his face in his hands.

"Barry." She said again, and he hesitantly raised his gaze to meet hers, and she smiled reassuringly at him as he looked into those beautiful eyes of hers. Caitlin gently placed her hands on his cheeks, planting a gentle, searing kiss on his lips.
"What if I went with you?" She spoke softly, rising to her feet and extending her fingers to the Scarlet Speedster. Barry met her eyes with love and adoration as he took her hand and stood up. This was it. The moment of truth. Lightning crackled between the two as they entered the cave together.

Thawne attempted to go after them, but was stopped by Cisco as he stood firmly in his place. Eobard began vibrating his hand, placing it right atop of his chest in response. "Do it." Cisco whispered, which surprised Thawne greatly. "Your the Reverse Flash right? Cold blooded killer, you can ruin anybody's life?" Thawne's eyes widened as Cisco grabbed his vibrating hand, throwing it back against Eobards chest. Eobard shook his head in doubt as Cisco continued. "You're nothing but a formless parasite, and you can't beat us. Were team Flash." He said proudly.

Barry's breath quickened as he continued around the dark cavern, eyeing the various bodies that lay scattered across the ground. "No, no!" He murmured but persevered as he felt Caitlin's grip on his hand tighten. As the couple continued they saw several memories: Ronnie and Eddie sacrificing themselves, his parents deaths, Oliver dying in his arms, his daughter Nora's death, so many deaths that he held himself responsible for and for no reason, eventually he dropped to the ground in anguish. "Its all my fault, I killed them. I couldn't save them, I'm not a hero."

Caitlin crouched down in front of him, gently cupping his cheek and bringing his eyeline to hers. "Barry you are The Flash, you are a hero. But being a hero comes with complications. Number one being you can't save everybody." Caitlin spoke softly. "But Barry, these deaths are not your fault. Oliver, Ronnie and Eddie chose to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, Nora and your parents death is the fault of Thawne and Zoom. You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You need to take control of your guilt and fear and get rid of Thawne before it's too late." Barry took a deep breath before nodding and rising to face his fears.

Eobard stumbled back in disbelief as Barry and Caitlin emerged from the cavern, the two joining Cisco by his side. "I'm done kneeling to you, Thawne." Barry said and Eobard groaned in pain as crimson lightning began shooting sporadically around his body. "I've been a coward, running from my pain, letting you use it to break me down until I was weak enough for you to get what you wanted. I finally see that not all of this is my fault. Yes, I've got blood on my hands, but we all do. I've made my peace with that and you can't use it against me anymore. I don't know why you hate me so much, or why you've done everything you have done, but I'm done letting you control my guilt, I'm done letting you control my life. Our lives."

Caitlin and Cisco awaken back in the real world as the last of Thawne's negative tachyons left Barry's body. Barry sat up, taking in his surroundings as he stood up off the bed. He smiled as he, Caitlin and Cisco entangled themselves in a tight hug. "C'mon." Barry beckoned Celine to join and smiled as they held each other tightly. "Thank you, all of you, I couldn't have done it without you."

...

Barry stood on the rooftop of Star Labs, looking across the nighttime landscape of Central City. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box and opening it to look over the diamond ring held securely. He smiled as he closed it and slid it back into his coat. He clutched onto the railing tightly as he felt a wave of lightning wash over him before lightning began crackling from his fingertips, forming into the shape of a person. "Hello Barry Allen." It said in a calming voice.

"What the hell?" He breathed out, looking over the shape as the lightning crackled and fizzed. "Who are you?"

"I am the speedforce." The figure spoke simply. "Barry Allen, today you conquered your misplaced guilt and learned to let the pain fall off your shoulders. You have taken yet another step into becoming the Speedster you were always destined to be, and for that, we have gifted you with a new ability." Barry looked around frantically as he heard the voice of his daughter call out to him. "Relax, become one with the speedforce, let it flow through you, then you will understand your new ability."

Barry let loose a deep breath as he held his eyes closed, the lightning beginning to crackle between his fingers again. He jumped in surprise as he heard her voice call out yet again. "Dad..." He closed his eyes again, regaining his position from before as he repeated the process.

He let the lightning build in his hands before it began moving freely on its own, twisting and swaying until it took the shape of a woman. His daughter. "Nora? Is it- is it really you?" Barry said as tears began building in his eyes. He was in awe of the lightning figure that shined brightly in the darkness of the night.

"Yeah dad, it's me." Nora smiled, a beautiful giggle erupting from her lips. This was his daughter. The girl who had done whatever it took to meet and save her father yet still failed because of that monster Eobard Thawne who would no doubt return at some point in the future.

"How?" He found himself saying after a few moments of silence, his breath visible in the brisk night air.

"You did this. You brough me back by channeling the speed force. All speedsters go here when they die, and you summoned me. You can do this with any speedster." She informed her father. "It was my idea to give you this, it took some convincing before the speedforce agreed though." She said with a quirk on her shoulders and his smile grew bigger. She had done this for him, so they could talk, so they could see each other again.

Barry knew it might be too good to be true, but he leaned in for a hug, and was delightfully surprised as he was able to hold the shape of lightning tightly in his arms. Sure it felt strange, and he probably looked beyond ridiculous but he didn't care. "I love you Nora, so much "

"I love you too Dad." Nora said, the two  released each other and the lightning began to fade. "Are you happy?" Nora suddenly questioned. "With Caitlin, are you happy?" She added after a moment. He nodded softly and was happy to the see that smile make itself known once again. "Good, good." She said happily before the lightning dispersed back into his hands and rain began to cascade down onto him.