The Hallway of Central City Elementary
John walked through the crowded hallway, his hands clasped casually behind his back. I'm not going anywhere for a while, he thought. I need to find a way to carve out time for real training without my parents getting suspicious.
As he approached his sister, he spotted a pair of students near the lockers. To any other observer, they were just a girl with curly black hair and a skinny boy in a hand-me-down flannel. But John saw them differently. He saw the future.
"Iris, did you understand what the teacher was saying earlier?" the boy asked, his eyes bright with excitement. "If I can get those chemical reactions right, I might actually win the Science Fair this year!"
Iris laughed, giving him a supportive pat on the back. "Okay, Barry. I know you can do it. Who would doubt a nerd like you anyway?"
Well, well, John thought, a smirk tugging at his lips. Barry Allen. The Flash. You look so innocent right now.
He watched them for a moment longer until they began heading toward their classroom. He started to follow, but Caitlyn suddenly appeared at his side.
"Hey, John. What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. She knew her brother well enough to know that when he stared like that, he was usually up to something.
"Oh, nothing," John lied smoothly, grabbing her hand. "I just thought it was time we made some new friends. Come on."
He led Caitlyn over to the duo. As they closed the distance, Barry noticed them and stopped, looking a bit nervous. Barry didn't have many friends besides Iris, so he looked a little shaky as he offered a hand.
"Oh, hi. I'm Barry. Barry Allen," he introduced himself.
John took the hand and shook it firmly. The Fastest Man Alive... or at least, you will be. But not while I'm around. "Hello, Barry. I'm John A. Snow. You can call me John. And this is my sister, Caitlyn."
Caitlyn gave a shy wave from behind John's shoulder.
"I'm Iris West," the girl added, looking John up and down curiously. "So, John, what's up?"
"Well, Barry, my sister and I don't really have many friends yet," John said, choosing the most "normal" excuse he could find. "We were wondering if you two wanted to join us for lunch? It's better than eating alone, right?"
Barry was taken aback.
A genuine smile broke across his face. "Really? Yeah! That would be great." He looked at Iris, who nodded in agreement. "Let's go. We don't want to be late for afternoon classes."
During lunch, the four of them hit it off. While Iris and Caitlyn talked about school, Barry couldn't stop talking about the upcoming Science Fair.
"So, John, do you think I have a shot at winning?" Barry asked.
John leaned back, looking mysterious. "If you're the only one competing with a brain, Barry, you'll take first. But if I were entering... well, you'd have to settle for second place."
Barry let out a mock gasp. "How shameless! You think you can beat me?"
John chuckled. "Maybe. But you're lucky—my family is moving to Starling City next week, so I won't be around to take your trophy. Good luck, Barry."
The two watched John and Caitlyn walk away, feeling a strange mix of friendship and confusion. They had no idea that they had just met the two people who would shape their destinies.
One Year Later: The Night of the Lightning
The Allen Residence
Barry was jolted awake in his bed by a sound like a localized thunderstorm. He sat up, gasping, and noticed something impossible: the water in his bedside aquarium was floating in perfect spheres, defying gravity.
Then the screaming started.
He rushed downstairs to find his mother, Nora, in the center of the kitchen. She was surrounded by a blurring cyclone of light—one streak was a vibrant, jagged yellow, and the other was a deep, angry red.
"Run, Barry! Run!" Nora screamed, her voice barely audible over the roar of the wind.
His father, Henry, grabbed him, trying to shield him from the chaos. "Run, Barry! Get out of here!"
Suddenly, the red streak lunged. In the blink of an eye, Barry felt himself being scooped up. The world blurred into a smear of city lights, and a second later, he was standing alone on a dark street blocks away from his home.
The Reverse-Flash paused for a split second, his costume vibrating so fast his face was a blur. Damn it. I didn't think the Flash would follow me through the portal. If I can't kill him... I'll destroy his heart. He sped back to the house. Within seconds, it was over. A knife to the heart, a mother dead, and a father framed.
John's POV:
I stood on a rooftop across the street, hidden in the shadows. Down below, the two speedsters fought with a violence that shook the air. Inside me, that black orb—the essence of my Speed Force—began to vibrate violently. It pulsed with a dark hunger, as if it wanted to leap out of my chest and devour the energy the other two were shedding.
"Patience, little guy," I whispered, clutching my chest. "Not yet. We'll wait until they're stronger. Until they're faster. Then we'll eat."
I watched as the Future Flash carried young Barry away. I watched as the Reverse-Flash fled into the night, realizing he was stranded in this time.
I turned away and vanished into the darkness. I left no sparks, no scent of ozone, and no traces. As far as the world was concerned, I was never there.