DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

This was the Speed Force prison.

Inside S.T.A.R. Labs.

Through the transparent glass walls of the chemical lab, Bardi observed the figure standing within his line of sight.

He was tall and thin, with severe burn scars stretching from the right eye and cheek, giving what was once a sunny and cheerful boy a vicious, cold, and sinister appearance. In his eyes burned deep resentment, anger, and pain.

All of it came from those around him—people who viewed him as an outsider. A Flash who wasn't their friend. A Flash who wasn't the Flash.

"I want to kill my wife…"

Bardi raised his eyebrows, scratching the fiber-like stubble on his chin with his fingers as he looked at the sinister and corrupted version of himself—Savitar.

Savitar's last wish was to kill all those who discriminated against him, then become a god.

He had already been trapped inside the Speed Force prison, enduring endless cycles of torment and suffering through reincarnation. His mind had twisted beyond recognition.

Bardi turned around and walked out of the chemical lab, which held a slightly cool temperature. As he stepped outside, a wave of mixed warmth and chill brushed past him, closing off his pores with a faint sensation—like his skin was wrapped in black cloth. A thermal contrast passed through his body.

"It really is the same." Bardi rubbed his arms, allowing the fine hair on his skin to adapt. When goosebumps rose due to the temperature shift, he consciously calmed himself until they smoothed back down.

This was the Speed Force Prison.

The Speed Force had recreated a simulation of Central City, including the Flash's base, S.T.A.R. Labs.

Here, the cycle of reincarnation continued, and Savitar remained imprisoned.

Not only that, but the Speed Force had also thoughtfully re-created all of Savitar's past loved ones, forcing him to constantly endure their discriminatory gazes.

It was even more brutal than the unrestrained prison Bardi himself had once been trapped in within the Speed Force.

Savitar had to relive the pain of rejection from his loved ones—his dearest ones thinking of him as a monster, his adoptive father's rejection, his friends' discomfort and doubt. All these familiar eyes filled with revulsion had broken down this once kind-hearted version of the Flash.

And not just once.

Over and over again—an infinite cycle of emotional torture. This endless reincarnation of rejection had driven him into madness and villainy.

Compared to Bardi's own experiences, there were some similarities and some differences.

Bardi had succeeded in killing his wife, traversed different worlds, and experienced his own painful blackening. But with an unbreakable will, he had defeated Darkseid, using intelligence and strength to dominate the universe, becoming the sole god and reaching the peak of existence. He had even gained the power to disturb the multiverse.

Savitar, on the other hand, remained trapped in an eternal loop—toyed with by the Speed Force, seemingly victorious but ultimately doomed to fail.

But now that Bardi had arrived, Savitar's future was destined to change.

Tread... tread... tread...

Bardi stepped through the empty corridor, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the quiet hall.

He passed S.T.A.R. Labs' familiar rooms.

He walked past Cisco's lab.

Then Caitlin's biology lab.

And finally, he entered the main control room.

Bardi didn't bother masking his footsteps, but the voices in the control room were loud enough that they didn't notice his approach.

"We... we shouldn't treat him like that. He's Barry too."

"Sorry, Caitlin. I can't accept that this person is Barry. He's not the real Barry, and I just can't embrace him."

"He's just a time remnant…"

"I don't know how to face him."

"He's not Barry!"

"I'm having a hard time accepting this Barry... he's just not my son."

"But…"

Around the monitor console, Joe, Caitlin, Iris, and Cisco were helplessly discussing the sudden appearance of this time remnant.

None of them could truly accept that this version of Barry was the Barry they knew. Their words were filled with avoidance and hesitation.

Only Caitlin looked visibly distressed. It was too pitiful.

Everyone knew the time remnant was also Barry, yet they didn't treat him like Barry. The alienation, avoidance, and unnatural expressions from his loved ones were enough to drive anyone into despair.

Caitlin couldn't find a way to argue. This burned and scarred Barry truly was difficult to associate with the handsome, kind Flash they once knew.

Even Barry's childhood sweetheart, Iris, couldn't bring herself to accept this version. Caitlin could only sigh helplessly.

As Bardi stepped forward and appeared in the doorway, the voices of Barry's lover, adoptive father, and even his friend Cisco came to a sudden halt.

The air in the room grew heavy, a cold silence stretching across it.

Joe, sitting in his chair, shifted uncomfortably and couldn't even look directly at the scarred Barry.

"I have something to do at the newspaper."

Iris's expression shifted unnaturally. Her body stiffened as she grabbed her jacket with a strained smile, shrugged, and quickly stepped out of the control room. She left hurriedly, pretending she had no choice.

Barry watched his supposed lover rush away in disgust.

The discomfort, the fear, the avoidance—his once dearest now couldn't even bear to be near him. The sound of high heels clicking as Iris fled echoed through the room.

No wonder Savitar wanted to kill his wife… Bardi thought, eyes calm, though the burned side of his face carried a deep, vicious fury.

"I, uh… I've got to get to the station."

Joe's dark face also looked unnatural. He seemed lost in thought but couldn't meet Bardi's gaze. As if remembering an urgent case, he nodded stiffly and left in a hurry.

"I'll check on the lab." Cisco dropped his head and followed them out.

In just a few seconds of silence, Cisco, Joe, and Iris had all fled the control room, unable to face this version of Barry.

Bardi quietly watched their backs.

This was what Barry had endured—again and again. A lifetime of rejection by those he once loved. Abandoned by his father figure. Friends too afraid to look him in the eye.

You are a monster.

Bardi shook his head. No wonder Savitar wanted revenge. After enduring that level of emotional devastation millions of times, turning evil was inevitable.

Bardi turned to Caitlin, who remained frozen beside him. Her fingers twisted nervously.

"Caitlin, you're not leaving?" Bardi asked casually. Even with a smile, the burned cheek and twisted expression gave him a savage look—disturbing and hard to face.

Caitlin's body trembled before she answered nervously, "No, I'm… I'm staying."

She glanced sideways at Bardi. Feeling the crushing loneliness in him, she couldn't help but say, "They… they didn't mean it. They just aren't used to it yet…"

Her voice trailed off. She looked at Bardi with sympathy. "Barry, don't blame them. They're just… just…"

She faltered. Her brows furrowed, and her hands clenched into fists. She couldn't finish the sentence.

Because their evasion, their refusal to accept this Barry, had deeply wounded him. Wounds that couldn't be healed.

Bardi watched her with a smile in his eyes.

In The Flash TV series, Barry and Caitlin had always seemed perfectly matched. There was a chemistry between them that often made viewers feel like they should be a couple.

Whether it was supporting Barry as the Flash, acting as his doctor, or patching him up after battles at S.T.A.R. Labs, they just felt like the right pair.

More fitting than Barry and Iris.

Even when Savitar's true identity was revealed, Caitlin's alternate personality, Killer Frost—sided with him and became his subordinate. It was both strange and amusing.

There was something subtle and unspoken between them.

And yet… they weren't a couple.

(To be continued.)