Chapter 187: Barry's Mistake

[3rd POV]

With the initial meetings finished, and the explanation on the powers of the Dominators over with, the group had decided that they’d practice fighting against an alien, in this case that alien was Kara. Initially they had wanted to fight Talia, but that desire had stopped when she flicked a firestorm on the forehead and depowered them in an instant. 

At the moment Talia was towards where Ray was, as she wanted to get a good look at his Atom suit. The thing was genuinely very impressive, even by her standards. But she already had a few dozen ways it could be improved drastically, and she quite liked the man, so she hoped to help him with that. Especially considering she was contemplating joining the Legends for a little bit, as some time travel stuff could be fun. 

Walking around a corner, Ray turned around at the sound of Talia approaching “It’s pretty impressive you know” Talia said as the man looked at her in confusion. 

“Your suit. It’s impressive. It’s quite the marvelous little thing, especially for a time period like this one. I’m sure my fellow Timelords would be impressed too. The Doctor would be at least” Talia said in genuine praise. The man was a genius, that much was certain, and just by glancing at the suit, she instantly understood what it was and what it was made of. It has given her a few ideas for new functions for her suit. 

“Wait really? It can’t be that impressive, I mean, the suit has a tendency of breaking down and can even get hacked by others, which is a pain in the butt” Ray said, as Talia chuckled. 

“Its ability to shrink the space between atoms is impressive, Ray. But you are not wrong, I can already see some things that certainly need work. The materials used for one” Talia said, as she knew what it was made of, but it was a bit…problematic due to how much he used. 

“The materials? I used the best of the best, Dwarf Star Alloy. As far as I know, it’s the most durable substance on the planet” Ray replied, he had used this material for its durability for a reason. As it was the perfect material for the suit, and the only one that really worked. 

“While the material you used for the durability aspect of the suit is excellent, you have forgotten about the flexibility of the suit, and its repairability. Replacing a material like Dwarf Star Alloy is incredibly expensive, and more than that, hard to find. Whereas you could have used less expensive materials that could do just as good, if not better” Talia explained, as she already had a few alloys that would be suitable replacements while being just as durable. 

“But that would potentially affect its ability to shrink. Not to mention the systems inside would need a complete overhaul which would take months” Ray replied as Talia smiled. 

“Not if you’ve got a Timelord to help you out” 

“You mean-” “That I’m going to help you make a new and improved Atom suit? That is exactly what I am saying. I’m already quite interested in joining you “Legends” for a few adventures only if it is okay with all of your group, of course” Talia answered with a nod, as his eyes widened. 

“A timelord joining us while we travel through time? Hell yeah it’s okay!” Ray exclaimed, excited at the mere prospect. There were so many things he would absolutely love to learn from the woman, and he was certain that she would be an absolutely huge aid in their time travel shenanigans. He was sure that Stein would want her to join them, and Mick would probably agree, so it’d only really be Sara, Jax, and the newbies that they’d have to persuade. 

“Good then, once we’re done with this invasion business, and if you can persuade the rest of your team, I’ll help you make a truly incredible piece of hardware, one even better than what you’ve already got” Talia said to the growingly excited man. 

“Great! I’ll try my best to persuade them. But for now, I’ve got to do this training thing with Kara!” Ray said as he walked over to his suit.  

Watching him walk off, Talia snorted. 

‘They stand no chance’

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‘I knew they stood no chance, but this…is honestly just sad’ Talia thought cringing as the group of heroes was effortlessly defeated by Kara over and over, not a single one of their attacks even making her budge as she sort of just stood there and let them throw punches, shot her, and blasted her with fire (Mick) or energy blasts (Ray). 

“Okay, I don’t want to be the bad guy, but…have you guys ever worked together, like…ever?” Kara couldn’t help but ask, as they all sort of just bum rushed her together with no real technique or strategy. 

“No, but that’s why we’re doing this” Oliver said with a grunt as he got to his feet. 

“Are you sure you want me to keep going?” Kara asked, as most of them were pretty beat up while she was just…feeling bad for them. 

“Yeah. Yes. Just give us five minutes, please” Oliver said with a slight groan as the others breathed out sighs of relief at being able to relax a bit. At the same time, Talia noticed as Cisco walked over to Barry, a frown on his face as he held an MP3 player of sorts.  

Cisco spoke to Barry before growing increasingly agitated, before he finally raised his voice enough for others to hear “You still don’t think you should tell them?” 

“Tell us what?” Sara asked as the group all turned to her. 

Motioning towards the group, Barry breathed out before beginning. 

“Uh, Jax and Professor Stein found a message from me in the future saying that, right now, I can’t be trusted” Barry said. Talia knew that this was mostly due to his “Other Self” Savitar. Who even now, was likely learning of her existence as he would automatically get the knowledge that Barry got, being a time remnant of him. But at the sametime, Talia was an anomaly who was…pretty impossible, so she wasn’t sure how that would work. 

“And why would future you say that?” Sara asked, furrowing her eyebrows, not liking where this was going. 

“I think because I went back in time and changed their timeline, and now things here are different than before I left, including some of your lives” Barry said, looking supremely uncomfortable having to talk about this at this moment. 

“Some of us? Like who?” Kara asked, she knew she wasn’t included in that, but she still wanted to know. 

“Caitlin. Wally. Dig” Barry answered, looking at Dig with an apologetic look. 

“Me? Why? What happened?” Dig asked, as Oliver leaned in close and whispered to him. 

“Hey. Apparently, you had a daughter” Oliver said to him, as Dig turned to Barry. 

“I had a daughter, Barry?” 

Barry nodded slowly “Baby John was Baby Sara” Barry replied, trying his best not to show how this was affecting him. 

A flash of hurt appeared on Dig’s face “So, wait, you-let me get this straight. You just, uh- you just erased a daughter from my life?” 

“Yeah” Barry replied genuinely, not sugarcoating it. 

“You can’t go back and just change things like that, Barry” Sara said, growing mad at the man, 

“I know” 

“You know how hard it is for me to not alter events? To bring my sister back? But I don’t because I know the implications” Sara said, before Jax couldn’t help but speak, as he knew what a timelord was thanks to Stein’s more thorough explanation. 

“You have anything to say about this, Talia?” 

Hearing the mention of Talia, the group turned to her, wanting to hear her opinion on what Barry had done. 

“I’d say that what he did was a foolish mistake, but that is what it was, a mistake. And it is one that every time traveller makes at least once” 

“Yeah but those don’t end in the deaths of-” “Are you really going to try and tell me, ME about what time traveling causes? Are you forgetting what species I belong to?” Talia cut Cisco off before sighing and deciding to go into “Mentor Talia” mode. 

“None of you in this room are true time travelers. The Legends over there are just starting out, and do not understand what they are doing, even if they act like it. Your group alone has accidentally ended the world several times which caused you to have to go back in time to fix it, and that was just involving Vandal Savage alone” Talia cut in, as Sara frowned. 

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Your A.I keeps a record of everything your team does. And while I did say the A.I was decent, that’s all it was, decent. Breaking into it and copying all of its information was laughably easy, Sara. And with that, comes the knowledge of all  your missions that you have gone on, and the mistakes you have made. So I do not believe you have the right to get angry with Barry over this” Talia said, shutting her down in an instant. 

“You broke into our ship and hacked Gideon?” Sara asked, growing angry with the Timelord. 

“I did, mostly because I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t break the universe with your time traveling. Which thankfully you have only caused minor issues, nothing that will shatter space time. But at the rate you’re going, it’s only a matter of time” 

“You had no right to do that! You alone don’t decide what-” “I quite literally do, Sara Lance. My species are the originators of time travel, and a mere baby knows more about the implications of time travel than anyone else in this room. So I suggest you understand that before you try and lecture me” Talia cut her off, not caring for the womans scowl as she turned back to the rest of the group.

“Would none of you not do the same, if you had the chance? Save a loved one? A mother? A father? A sibling or lover? Don’t act like you all have some sort of moral high ground to stand on, when Barry simply did what a lot would do. He’s a speedster who wields the power of the Speed force, and trust me, it could have been much worse than what he had caused” Talia said.

“Worse? My brother is dead because of him!” Cisco yelled. 

“The destruction of space time that would have caused a toppling effect, destroying the entire multiverse? Accidentally causing the deaths of billions more? Causing the birth of an enemy more powerful than any other? And that last one is one that I know would have gone particularly awfully” Talia replied as Thea, who was silent up until this point, couldn’t help but ask. 

“Who? Who could have been so bad that you’d compare them to the deaths of someone's sibling?” 

“Alright, for this I will tell you a story. One that none of the followers of the Doctor has seen yet, so…spoilers of sorts” Talia spoke, as she began the story.

“When the Doctor was in his 13th life, he had been traveling alone. His Tardis, as it tended to, had brought him to a planet not of his wishing, a planet at war, a small time War by his standards, but an important one. When he exited the Tardis, he had heard the cries and begging of a child, a child that was surrounded on all sides by “Mines”. He, being the doctor, had saved this child. And do you know what that childs name was?” Talia asked as none of the nerds could answer. 

“Davros” At that answer, their eyes shot wide. 

“You mean-you mean that the Doctor had saved Davros? The same Davros that created the Daleks!?” Felicity asked wide eyed in shock. 

“He did. Because the Doctor is one of the most merciful, kind people there is. And more than that, he understood the implications of changing time. For if he had allowed Davros to die, it would have caused a Paradox, one that would have ended reality as he knew it”

“And how does saving this Davros guy compare? What did he do that was so bad? Surely it can’t be as bad as what Barry had done” Sara asked with a frown while all the nerds tensed, even Cisco understood that that was not the right way to word that. 

“That “Guy” is the reason I am one of the last timelords. His species, the Daleks, slaughtered billions upon billions of my kind, and were hellbent on killing everything in the universe, leaving only them. He is the man that has caused the deaths of untold trillions beyond just the time lords. That man makes what Barry had accidentally done look comparable to stepping on an ant. Imagine what could have been born if the Doctor had allowed him to die. Hell, the Doctor himself has accidentally caused the end of the universe several times, and caused many deaths by accident, and they are far older and more experienced than anyone in this room” Talia replied, controlling her annoyance at the woman.

Sara went silent after the explanation, not daring to say another word as Talia just huffed slightly. 

“Now, I hope you can work through your problems, but don’t forget that this is Barry we are talking about, and it was a mistake, one that he will have to live with for the rest of his life” Talia finished, as the group was dead silent. 

“I don’t want to cut in on this but, Lyla just texted. The Presidents have been abducted by Dominators. She needs us now” Felicity said, cringing at the fact that she had to bring this up after Talia’s little talk with them. Which was basically just telling them to not be so hard on Barry, as well as her shutting up those who doubt her experience. 

Hearing this, Talia sighed out thankfully, inwardly having one thought on her mind. 

‘...I need a drink’

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That’s the end of the chapter!

Not sure how well that “Talk was” but it was basically just her shutting them up and making them understand that what Barry had done was bad, yes, but it was nothing in comparison to what COULD have happened. As well as talking about Davros. 

Next chapter should be better. She’ll be getting involved then too. 

She’ll make up with Sara who is being a bit ignorant, but she’s not dumb so that’ll be smoothed over soon. Which’ll lead into Talia joining the Legends for a little while (Probably until the end of season 2 or so). 

Vault chapter should come later tonight or tomorrow, as I’m about to go to sleep. 

Anyways, have a good day!