#dcdomics

Two years old Etta was the apple of Barry’s eye. Named after his father, Henrietta was the last gift that was left to him and his friends and family after the great demise of his great love, Y/N.

The day Barry met Y/N was the same day he met the Arrow, Oliver Queen, and Felicity. Y/N accompanied them to a crime scene in Star City and Barry couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Which annoyed Oliver very much. 

And when Barry got his powers, Oliver sent Y/N to keep an eye on him and prevent him from doing anything stupid. Barry didn’t think that he would ever fall out of love with Iris, but from work to hero business Y/N did the impossible. She was the impossible. 

Eventually, they fell in love and Barry asked her hand in marriage. And at some point, Y/N became pregnant. 

But one night, when she went to help Oliver’s battle with the League of Assassins, she was killed. 

That night broke Barry into a mental state that would then seduce him into creating the Flashpoint which gave him back his beloved. 

Unfortunately, his happily ever after wasn't to last and he had no choice but to fix his mistakes. But either way, he was glad he did. 

The aftermath of flashpoint gave him his daughter. Born a month before Y/N’s death. 

It took a while for him to repair all the damages he ‘caused and accept the fact that Y/N was gone. And when he finally made peace with it, he found the courage to move on and formed a relationship with Iris like he dreamed of before ever meeting his soulmate. 

“Okay, let’s try this again. Explain.” 

Nora squirms in her seat as her parents stare down at her while the rest of the team watches them. 

They had just returned from their fight with a metahuman who was strong enough and cunning enough to capture Nora in his arms and threatened Barry to let him go otherwise he’d kill her and then suddenly she wasn’t in his arms anymore. In fact, she appeared on the other side of the fight and Barry was quick enough to outsmart the villain and bring him to the meta prison. 

What really frightened him was that he couldn’t find any explanation for how Nora escaped and when he and Cisco did, they all led to the same answer. Nothing.

And the way Nora was acting and fidgeting, the team could easily tell that she knows how. 

“Well, I. . . maybe have an idea. But it is not a sure idea because it is literally a thought that I just came up with. Which is really the definition of an idea.”

“Nora.”

“You know what, all this thinking is making me hungry, are you hungry? “Cause I’m really hungry. Maybe we can get that new combo that Big Belly Burger released today! I hadn’t had that meal in weeks and it’s my favorite.”

Her parents shared a look.

“Nora-”

 “Actually let's see if Etta is still awake. Family night! Right? Right! Let's go!”

She was about to leave her spot but Iris stopped her and gestured for her to sit back down. 

“Nora Allen, I may not have raised you yet but you are a terrible liar, just like your father.” 

Cisco and Caitlin then shared a look.

“So spill.” Iris crossed her arms and waited.

Nora fidgets her hands and sighs as she closes her eyes in defeat. “Fine. Look, this is going to be difficult to explain. But I’m really trying, honest!” She assures them after she was getting doubtful looks from them. “I just don’t know how to explain it.”

Barry narrows his brows at her. “Explain what?”

Nora didn’t get a chance to answer when the emergency red lights were flickering on and off and the alarms were blaring from the speakers. 

“What’s happening?” Ralph asked. 

“Securities have been breached.” Caitlin explains as she and Cisco rushed over to the monitors and checked the security cameras. 

After a moment, the red lights turned off and the alarm went silent. 

Suddenly, green lighting was glowing the Cortex and the familiar sounds of the winds of a speedster stopping were heard. 

And there, in the middle of the room, stood a hooded figure with a scarf and goggles hiding their face. The suit that they were wearing was all black with green details lining her arms, chest and legs. It hugged their figure very well for Team Flash to deduce that the speedster was indeed in fact a woman. 

Barry pulled on his mask and glared at the female speedster as Nora stood up and Iris stood next to her in an attempt to hide her from the intruder's view. 

“Who are you?” He demanded in a strong tone. 

The black and green speedster ignored Barry and focused all her attention on his daughter, causing Barry to lose his cool and yell at her.

“WHO ARE YOU?!” 

She remained silent, which enraged Barry even more. The red streak's face finally catches her eyes after she takes a step forward . Though it is somewhat calm, rage can be easily read from it. And when he couldn’t hold back any longer, Barry made the first move and sped over to try and catch her, but she ran away. 

So he chases her. 

“Dad! Wait!” Nora calls in worry. But it wasn’t for her father. 

She chases after them. 

“Nora!” Iris yells for her daughter. 

Meanwhile, Barry chases the female speedster all over S.T.A.R. Labs, trying to catch up to her. But as hard as he didn’t want to admit, she was faster than him by a second. They ran from the meta prison to the Speed Lab. He thought he had the upper hand when he jumped from the wall and reached to catch her from behind. He was unsuccessful when she turned swiftly and caught his wrist and grabbed his shoulder to maneuver his body and throw him against a concrete wall. 

At his impact to the solid surface, he groaned painfully and fell to the floor. He propped his elbow to look up at her. She stops and looks at him in what he believes to be a taunting move. As soon as he stood up and found his balance, he was going to lunge at her.

Nora however stops him by appearing in front of the female speedster with her arms up. Shielding the masked intruder from her father. 

“No, no, no, no, no, dad! It’s okay! It’s okay!” She tries to calm him down.

Team Flash manages to catch up to them and enters the room. Cisco, Caitlin, and Ralph readied themselves in case Barry needed help. 

“Nora, what are you doing? Get away from her!” Barry exclaims. Fearing for her safety. 

“She’s good! She’s good, I promise! She’s not going to hurt us.” Nora assures him. 

Barry shakes his head at her in disbelief. “How can you know that?!” He didn’t mean to snap, but he couldn’t care less either. 

Nora hesitated, she placed down her arms to her side and  slowly turned to the female speedster behind her.  

“Because she’s not a stranger.” 

At her answer, the black-and-green speedster pulls down her hood to reveal a shade of Y/H/C locks and Y/S/C skin. She removes her mask, and then her goggles, placing them on top of her head. 

The training room was still dark, but the light from the corridor was enough to identify the face of their new ‘friend’. But when she steps into the light more, they sort of wish that she could’ve done it sooner. 

“It can’t be. . .” Cisco whispers. 

Caitlin's eyes started to cloud. “I don’t believe it.”

Barry's breath caught when he stared into the familiar pair of Y/E/C eyes that once belonged to the woman who held his heart with all of his existence. 

“. . .Y/N?” He croaks.

“No,” Nora says and quickly corrects him. “Etta.” 

Barry looks between Nora and Y/- Etta as the realization finally hits him. This woman, who could be a carbon copy of the love of his life, was his daughter. His baby was not a baby. She had definitely grown into the woman that he had hoped for. To be beautiful like her mother.

“Etta.” He says with wonderment.

Etta wasn’t fazed by the way he was looking at her. “Sorry about that. I was. . . actually that’s not important.” She returned her attention to Nora, her step-sister, and gave her a kind smile. 

“Hey Sis.” Nora smiles happily and gives her big sister a bear hug. 

Etta laughs a little, which sends a little shiver inside of Barry. She even sounds like her, laughs like her, and yet she wasn’t. She was still his little toddling Etta. 

“Hey,” She says and pulls back to look at Nora, up and down before placing a hand on her cheek. “You okay? When I saw that douchebag touching you I couldn’t help but want to rip his arms off.”

“Yeah, she’s definitely her mother.” Cisco comments, but is still content, and a bit freaked out, that future Henrietta was here. 

“I’m good.” Nora says. Assuring her sister that she wasn’t harmed.

Etta sighs in relief and taps Nora's chin. “Good.”

Suddenly she grabs Nora by the ear and pulls down hard. 

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow,” Nora expresses her pain loudly. 

“What the hell were you thinking??” Etta said angrily. 

Everyone watched as the eldest Allen child dragged her sister by the ear and out to the corridor. They all shared a look and then they follow the girls behind, listening to Etta's ranting as Nora continues to moan in pain. 

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-”

“I thought we agreed that you would stay and get to know dad, instead you decided to play hero??”

“Ow, ow, ow,-”

“I specifically told you not to interfere with any of their battles and yet you still couldn’t follow that one rule?”

“Should we help her?” Ralph asks.”

“No, I think it’s best that she settles this on her own.” Joe councils.

“I-is that a good idea?” Barry asked.

“OWWWWW!” 

“Maybe?”

***

Once again, Nora found herself sitting on a chair while rubbing the sting on her ear away.

Her sister Etta was still trying to avoid her father’s gaze ever since she calmed down. Well, everyone’s gaze really. And she knew why.

“Uh hi,” Cisco was the first one to break the tension in the room. “Sorry, but I just wanna say how creepy it is that you look like your mom. I mean, the resemblance is so. . .”

Etta looks at him and he just shakes his head.

“Creepy.” He finishes.

“Yeah, you and the rest of the people in my life say so.” Etta mutters.

“What are you doing here, Etta?” Nora asks in a tired voice, but mostly like she was accusing her.

“Uh-uh, you are not using that tone with me.” Etta points at her. “You stopped sending in your routined messages-"

"You send messages to the future?" Ralph asked.

"Gideon." Nora says the AI's name.

Barry finally broke his gaze away from Etta. "Gideon?"

"He sends out my messages to Etta in the future to let her know I'm okay."

"Who's Gideon?" Ralph asks, being more confused by the second.

Cisco was the one to answer."Gideon's the AI that Barry built in the future and was-"

Etta was clearly losing her patience."Can we please stop talking about Gideon."

But she left Ralph in a mental crisis.

"I got worried." She points to herself.

“You shouldn’t be.” Nora interjects. “I was with dad."

Etta scoffs. "That doesn't give you a pass to not let me in the know."

"Why should I?" Nora glares up at her.

"Because you are still just a child and as much as it hurts to hear it is the truth."

Nora pursed her lips to keep her from shouting.

Etta sighs tiredly and pinches the crook of her nose. "Look, Nora. You are smart. So smart that I shouldn't even have to remind you that you are still new with your powers. That’s why I agreed to let you learn from dad."

The youngest Allen child looked down in frustration and it was not because she was being scolded, but because of herself. Nora knew that Etta was right, but she wouldn't be where she is with Barry if she hadn't made the choice that would ruin their sisterhood.

"When are you gonna realise that I'm not gonna be there all the time whenever you make a mistake?"

Etta turns around and begins to walk out the Cortex.

"Where are you going?" Cisco asked as she passed him.

"The lounge.” She responded and disappeared through the corridor.

***

Central City, 2049.

“Sparks.”

Etta looks up at Clark Kent, Superman who broke her out of her gaze.

“You okay?”

Etta nods. “Kind of. Just feeling a little homesick.”

“I can understand.” Clark places a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You must miss them terribly.”

The speedster smiles sadly. The Justice League had just come back from one of their missions at Coast City. Her three month old son Don was the highlight of her life whenever she came back from a mission or a battle in Central City. “Now I know how my dad feels whenever he’s out doing missions for the Justice League.”

Clark snorts. “Are you kidding me? He was a complete mess compared to you during the Crisis. Trust me, you are handling this better than he did.”

She smiled, but not because she was humoured. Clark drops his smile slowly, apologies quietly.

“I’m sorry. Your father was a good man.”

She only gave another nod before standing up from her chair, her father’s chair. After his disappearance, Etta trained to be Central City’s protector and had taken her father’s place in the Justice League at the age of eighteen. It wasn’t as easy to understand her powers alone, her aunts and uncles were there to help, but she wanted to learn from her father once.

The first memory she has of him that popped into her head was when she was four and had a nightmare about a black ghost with red eyes. She woke up and her father came into her nursery, shushing her lovingly and told her she was okay. Once she calmed down, she told him about the monster and he had a sad look on his face but it was only brief before he told her that he would scare all the monsters away so that his little princess would sleep peacefully. Then, he picked her up from bed, took her to the kitchen and made them both ice cream sundaes. They had to be quiet since they didn’t want to wake up Iris and get in trouble.

“Thank you.” She says to Clark. “I better get going, Micheal and Don are waiting for me.”

“Tell Michael I said hi.” Clark says before giving her a parting hug.

“I will. See you at the next meeting.” She waves and runs out of the Hall of Justice.

Her physical home in Central City was a penthouse that she and Michael had brought after three years of their relationship. She met Michael, Ryan Choi’s apprentice at Ivy University, when she needed an upgrade on her suit and they just clicked. They crossed each other’s paths again and again until Michael had the courage to ask her out for coffee. And as secretive as she was, Michael still figured out that she was the speedster hero Sparks.

They married two years after buying the penthouse and had their son, Donatello 'Don' months after their wedding.

Her true home was being with them.

***

Central City, 2018. 

Etta studied the buildings from the balcony of the lounge, admiring the night skies and listened to the cool winds against her ear. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed a device that’s the size of her thumb and clicks on it. A small holopic of her husband holding their son in his arms appeared. 

She smiles at it and reaches out to stroke the image of her son’s cheek. It glitched by the touch but she ignored it as she imagined her son’s touch when she held him in her arms. Her husband would be there holding them together as he had many times. 

“They're beautiful.” 

Etta turns as she closes the holopic and sees her dad changed into his normal attire. 

“Hi.” She waves lamely. 

“Hi.” He rasped, feeling nervous by the second as he steps closer to her. It was still strange to see her standing, looking like Y/N would’ve been if she was still with him, alive.

His staring was similar to the ones she received all her life whenever she first met someone who knew her mother. The same stare of awe and grief. 

“Will you stop looking at me like that.” She says with a deadpan expression. 

He tilts his head. “Like what?”

“Like I’m gonna disappear.“ 

Barry looks down at his shoes and up to her again. “I’m sorry, it’s just. . . I always envisioned what you’ll look like, all grown up. I mean, you were born with her eyes and hair.” He shakes his head lightly and walks up to her while looking down at her with tears beginning to form in his eyes as he smiled. “You look so much like your mother.”

Etta looked up at him awkwardly and shifted in her spot. “You know, sometimes, I get tired of hearing it.” Her voice wavers a bit. “Getting compared to my mom.”

Barry nods in understanding.   

She crossed her arms. “But weirdly hearing it from you. . . it’s different.”

Barry smiled more brightly. “Is that a good thing?” 

She nods and steps back to rub her arms. They walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the bars with elbows. 

“So, who are they?” Barry couldn’t help but ask. 

“I’d rather not answer.” She wanted to avoid it. “Timeline thing, you know.” 

“But-”

“Look, I really don’t want to sound mean,” Even if she is. “But I’m only here to see how Nora’s doing. That’s it.”

He stayed silent for a while, looking at her like a sad puppy. But respects her decision either way. “Okay. How long will you be staying?”

“A day.” She answers.“I still have duties to attend in the future.”

“What duties?” 

She didn’t say, only placing a finger on her lips mischiefly and walked back into the lounge. “Night dad. Kiss baby Etta goodnight for me.” 

Barry watches her leave the lounge. Fighting the urge to follow her, wanting to spend more time with her. But he has a feeling that she wants to either be alone or go back to Nora.

***

Central City, 2049.

“Who else knows?” Nora asks angrily at her mother.

“Everyone.” Iris whispers.

“Everybody?” Her daughter quietly. “Everyone that I love has been keeping this from me? Why?”

“Because I told them to.” Iris tries to reason with her.“Nora, I was trying to protect you.”

“From what?”

“From this city. From meta-humans. From. . . From. . . Yourself.”

Nora scoffs and looks away from her. Unbearing to look at her right now. “Wow.”

“Nora, you don’t understand.”

“No. I don’t understand. How did I get my powers? What do you have against speedsters, against Spar-” 

And then her mouth opens with the smallest of realisation in her eyes. “Etta?” 

Iris closes her eyes again. 

“That’s why she’s alwaysdisappeared away. She’s Sparks isn’t she?”

“Nora-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Nora snaps.

“Nora, I have already lost so much. I can’t risk losing you too.”

Nora shakes her head and shrugs. “Well. . .you just did.” 

And she disappears. Leaving Iris to her sadness, but she didn’t have any regets of protecting her daughter.

Nora ran through all of Central City to go to her sister, but what she found at her home was a nightmare.

CCPD was there along with an ambulance. Nora feared the worst and ran at a normal pace to the scene. She showed her badge and was about to head into the building until two paramedics rolled a stretcher. Her breath caught her throat when she saw the person on it.

“Etta? Etta!” She cries and runs up to the paramedics.

“Are you family?” One of the paramedics asked. 

“She’s my sister. What happened?” She asked and gasped when she saw a pool of blood wetting the blouse on her sister. They lifted her into the ambulance and stepped inside as they answered her question.

“Multiple stab wounds and a head concussion. Get in.” 

Nora didn’t need to be told twice and immediately went into the vehicle. She sat beside the paramedics and reached out to hold her big sister’s hand. 

“Etta please, don’t leave me. Please.” She cries. “There’s so much I need to know. Please.”

After they got to the hospital and rushed Etta to the OR, Nora paced around the waiting room.

Soon, when she was on her third cup of coffee. Loud footsteps were heard from the corridor and a strong yet familiar voice was called out. 

“Henrietta Henrietta Allen-Jude. Where is she, is she okay?” 

“Any relations?” 

“I’m her husband, now tell me where she is!” 

Nora stood up from her chair. “Michael?” 

Michael turned and saw her. “Nora! What happened, is she okay?”

Nora shakes her head. “I don’t know." And she breaks down into a crying fit which leads Michael to catch her in a hug.

Luckily, Etta recovered from the attack, but the surgeon doesn't know when she’ll wake up. That left Nora into a deep spiral of sadness. Once again, she felt alone. So to take her mind off her sister’s condition, she decided to spend her time trying to catch Godspeed and continues to meet with the only speedster she knows, Eobard Thawne. 

After finally catching Godspeed, who was identified as August Heart, Nora began her training as the ‘Fastest Woman Alive’ which she shouldn’t use that title since her sister held it first. Thawne taught her how to become a proper speedster despite knowing that he was her father’s archnemesis. But what was she supposed to do? She couldn’t wait on Etta forever and she needed to find a way to use her powers to become a hero. A choice that was taken from her mother. 

Then, one faithful day, Etta finally wakes up. 

Etta opened her eyes and blinks rapidly to adjust the bright lights above her. She looks around her surroundings and deducts that she was in a hospital. She turns when she felt a heavy weight on her lap and sees her husband sleeping peacefully there, laying his head on his arms as a pillow. 

Not stopping the smile that was forming slowly on her face, she lifts her hand and rests it on Michael's head, stroking his hair. 

Micheal stirs then opens his eyes. He looks up and suddenly stood straight. “Etta,” He whispers. “Thank god.”

He leans over to press a long kiss on her forehead, grabbing her hand and held it tight, not ever wanting to let go. 

She laughs quietly at his love, savouring the moment. “Someone misses me.” She jokes. 

Micheal pulls away and began planting small kisses on her face. Once he was done he wipes the hair away from her face and places his forehead against hers. “You have no idea how happy I am to see your eyes open, Runner.”

She smiles but then quickly becomes serious. “How bad is it?”

Micheal sighs. “Not bad. Thankfully, your Aunt Caitlin came to see you and everything seems to be fine.” 

“Good.” 

“Etta!” A voice behind Micheal cries in joy. 

Etta looks over and sees that Nora was here as well. Awoke from her sleep on the chair.

“Hey XS.” She says happily as Nora continues to cry under her breath. 

“Are you okay? Do you feel any pain?” Nora asks but Etta just waves. 

“Nah, I’m good, hungry, but good.” She then sent a look to Michael and he immediately understood. 

“I’ll go see the doctor.” He squeezed her hand and gave her one more kiss and swoops out of the room. 

“How are you. Really?” Nora held her hand and stroked the back of her hand. 

“Fine.” Etta says. “I’m fine. . .”  She tried to comfort her but failed miserably as her lips quivered. 

“Hey. Hey. What is it?” Nora panicked and manages to hold her calming voice to ease her older sister. 

Etta let out a small sob. “I-I. . .” 

“Shhhhh. It’s okay. It’s okay.” Nora consoles her. Whatever God Speed did to her, she’ll make sure that he’ll stay in the pit hole. Forever. 

The older woman shakes her head. “It’s not. It’s not.” She grips Nora’s hand tightly. “Nora. . .”

Nora then understands. Etta was going to tell her. 

Etta takes a deep breath to control her emotions. “Nora there’s something you need to know.”

“Etta-”

“No, Nora, please listen-”

“Etta.” Nora repeated her sister’s name more loudly. Etta stops her babbling and looks up at her. 

Nora smiles and petted Etta’s hair. She took a deep breath. “I know.”

Etta shakes her head again. “No, no you don’t. Listen to me-”

“Etta.” Nora cries too. “I know.”

Etta’s breath shakes. A sudden wave of relief rushes through her body and she closes her eyes. 

“I wanted to tell you. For so long.” She sniffs.  “But Iris. . . she wouldn't let me.”

“Why?” Nora rasped. “You are Sparks. “ She whispered. “You’re Central City’s Heroine. You’re part of the Justice League. What power does mom have over you?”

The speedster sniffs. “She’s a mother. Something that we both have in common.”

“Hey. There’s something you need to know.”

Etta watches as Nora lifts her hand and vibrates it to a familiar speed. She gasps. 

“You’re. . .” 

“Guess I’m a late bloomer.” Nora says and they both burst into quiet laughs. “There’s a lot you need to catch up on.”