[It has to work. There's no other choice. If it doesn't...Hal doesn't want to think about that. He needs Barry back. They all do. He's also not a terribly physically affectionate person but he's learned over the years that the speedsters all thrive on it and there's really no denying them. So he doesn't bother. Besides, maybe he appreciates it just the tiniest bit right now]
Just let me know what you need me to do and when you need me to do it.
[He knows very little about the speed force. Just what bits and pieces he's been told by Barry over the course of their friendship. He's pretty much letting Jay and Wally take the lead on this]
If this works, you'll know. Just- if you hear him, or see him, talk to him. If Uncle Barry is lost in the speedforce, he needs to hear you. [Wally says, voice sounding slightly distorted from the speed they move at while still remaining in one place.
Flecks of lightning keep flying off them as they move, the air taking on a weird sheen. It takes a few minutes, but...
Then there is a sound, distant and distorted. A sob, or a pant, or something, in a very familiar voice.
[At first, Hal doesn't hear anything. Just noise. He almost starts to worry that maybe Wally was wrong but he definitely hears that. It's distant and doesn't sound quite right but he'd recognize that voice anywhere]
Barry! [Wally was right] Barry, you need to come back now. Whatever you gotta do to get out of there, do it. Just...come back.
[Unfortunately it's not going to be that easy. The opened connection to the speed force is tenuous, and Barry's voice sounds distorted and almost staticky when he says, full of pain and desperation,]
...Hal? [Was what he heard real? Or is it a trick of his mind that so desperately wants to hear Hal's voice right then?]
[It's hard to hear but that almost sounded like a response. It almost sounded like his name. Hal can't tell for certain but he's going to take that as encouragement]
Barry, I know you can hear me! [At least, he hopes Barry can] Focus on that and come back. You've been gone for long enough. I don't know how the speed force works and I don't know how getting out of it works, but you're you so I know you can do it. Come back.
[If he replies, if he can hear more than every other word, there isn't much indication. The next sign of Barry's voice is minutes later, and still sounds staticky, garbled like a bad connection, or like he's trying hard to pull himself together inside the speedforce that tries to break him down, absorb him.]
...Hal-! [He's definitely saying his name, but it's hard to hear anything else.
[The minutes that pass without any indication that Barry is still there or can hear him feel like hours. The next thing he hears is definitely his name. Barry can hear him. Or at least some of what he's saying. Hal decides to attach to that little bit of encouragement. He needs it]
Yeah, Bar, I'm here! I was always gonna figure out where you were. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long. [He hates to think of what the last three weeks have been like for Barry. He sounds like he's been suffering] You can get out of there. You can do it, I know you can.
[Bar, I'm here, always gonna, so long, get out of there. He can't do it, though, he can't. It's too hard, like swimming in syrup at the slowest speed imaginable, like drowning, like losing himself to the speedforce.]
Can't, Hal- [The rest of the words come out garbled, unintelligible.] -I can't-
[And then, in the small torn-open look into the blinding lights of the speedforce, red-clad fingertips.]
You can! Because you know what? If you don't, I'm gonna have to figure out a way to get you out! And it'll probably be stupid and dangerous and not all that moral! So don't make me do that!
[He'd do anything for Barry, no matter how stupid. And he knows Barry knows that. For example, how stupid an idea would reaching out be? Hal decides he doesn't care if it's stupid, reaching out just enough so Barry can feel his hand and know that he's there. Assuming Barry can feel anything at all right now]
You can do it. Or I'll drag your ass out if I have to. Whatever works.
[He can feel it, when Hal's fingers brush his in the gap, and the physical touch after weeks of nothing in the speedforce is- he needs more contact. The touch sparks red lightning between them, but Barry is clearly reaching out desperately even as he vibrates all over, in and out of a solid state.]
Please-! [It feels like no matter how fast he runs in the speedforce, he can't quite make it, can't escape this nightmare. He sounds closer, though. Clearer.]
[Hal decides in that moment that he doesn't give a single fuck is grabbing onto Barry is a bad idea or not. He's doing it. He grabs onto Barry's hand, hoping that he doesn't end up vibrating straight through in his current unstable state. If dragging him out is what Hal has to do, he'll do it]
[Barry grasps desperately on to Hal's hand, even though lightning strikes wildly around them both, painful and relentless. But it's clear from Barry's trembling voice saying Hal's name that if he lets go, he doesn't think he'll make it out.
Hal is able to pull him through with a last, hard pull, and Barry falls to the floor, gasping, vibrating in and out of solidity.
Wally shouts in surprise, and Jay's eyes go wide. It takes them a minute to slow down and stop the treadmill, leaving no trace of the tear in the speedforce.]
[Hal has no intention of letting go, even if holding onto him actually kind of sucks. It's an immense relief when Barry is out, real and right in front of him, even if he isn't all that stable yet. Only then does he let go, trying to shake the feeling back into his arm]
Don't touch him yet, Wally.
[He’s sure Wally wants to hug the life out of Barry. Hal has a similar urge to grab onto him and never let go again. He's refraining only because he's sure Barry needs a minute to pull himself back together. Maybe he shouldn't have let go, since physical contact was what finally helped Barry get out]
[Wally stops in his tracks at the instruction, practically vibrating himself as he watches Hal and Barry. Barry, down on his hands and knees on the ground, trying to stabilize himself, looking pale and almost haunted.
It's been a long few weeks, except in Barry's mind, it could be any length of time; time always works weird for speedsters.
A few more little sparks are thrown off him as he shivers, and tries to stop flickering in and out of solidity.] H-Hal-
[He doesn't look great. Hal, once again, feels immensely guilty that it took them three weeks to figure out where Barry was. They should've figured it out sooner. They shouldn't have left him there so long to suffer. He kneels down on the ground in front of Barry, just to get on his level]
Hey. I'm not gonna touch you if you don't want me to. But...I'm right here. If you want. [He's gonna leave it up to Barry, whether he wants to get closer or not right now. He doesn't want to push]
[Hal kneeling down to his level actually gives him something to focus on, at least, rather than just the sound of his voice. Blue eyes lift and meet Hal's gaze for a moment, shoulders jerking a little, breath hitching like he might cry.
Maybe it's a bad idea. He's still unstable, trying to re-center himself back in the real world, so to speak. But he shuffles forward on his knees anyway, and puts his arms around Hal, and buries his face against his shoulder.
Touching someone solid, real, actually does seem to help him stay solid and stable too, because the vibrating gradually stops, though his breathing remains unsteady.]
[It might be a bad idea but Hal is so thankful when Barry comes to him. He'd been hoping for that but hadn't wanted to push. It's a huge weight off his shoulders, being able to wrap his arms around Barry and feel him real, here and alive]
Just relax. You're okay now. [He presses a kiss to the side of Barry's head] I'm not gonna let anything like that happen to you again.
[Hal hugs him tight, and it's more reassuring than anything else right now, that reminder that he's a solid person again, that Hal is here and fine too. It takes him a little bit to sort of reset his mind, and he's quiet at first, before he eventually responds with a slightly wet huff.]
Big promises. [It comes out weaker than he intended, but he'd meant it as a joke. They both know their lives are insane, and it's impossible to promise certain things.] How long has it been...?
[Since the explosion. It's nearly impossible to tell time in the speed force, especially when you're just basically trying to pull yourself back together molecule by molecule and it doesn't want to let you.]
[He knows he can't actually promise anything like that. But he's sure as hell gonna try. If there's one thing that he's learned over the last three weeks, it's that he really would not be able to survive losing Barry again. It's kind of pathetic but he doesn't care]
Three weeks. Wally was the one who finally figured out where you were. [Speaking of which...] Come here, Wally. [Hal doesn't intend to let go himself but it probably wouldn't hurt to let Wally join them now]
[Barry winces when he hears how long it'd been. It feels like longer, but he knows that time is funny in the speed force. There is a part of him that had hoped it wouldn't be even that long, though.
Wally doesn't wait, practically appearing right at their sides when he's bid, kneeling down and reaching out to touch his uncle's back.]
Hey, Uncle Barry... You okay?
Yeah. I'm okay now, Wally. [Barry says, but his smile is weak, and it's clear he's putting on a face in front of his nephew, not wanting him to worry too much.]
[When Wally gets close, Hal has to resist the urge to pull Barry away from him. It's just Wally and Hal is the one who called him over in the first place. It's a silly, overprotective urge, wanting to keep anyone else from touching him right now. Hal knows it's silly but it's still there. He hasn't let go of Barry yet, doesn't plan to any time soon. It's very obvious that Barry is not okay right now but Hal definitely gets not wanting to worry Wally. He's been doing that for three weeks now]
We can go home, when you're ready. Or we could go to Jay and Joan's first and let Joan feed you. That's probably something we should do pretty soon here. [After all that, he probably needs to eat. And after three weeks of being more and less abandoned, there's probably not much in the way of edible food in their house] Whatever you wanna do.
[Luckily, Barry doesn't want to be let go of. He still needs the reminder that this is real, and he's back. His whole stint being trapped in the speed force again is both a blur and still horrifyingly stark in his memory; part of it is just... it happened again. He lost himself again, and it feels awful, and he really does just want to go home with Hal.
But he reaches out to Wally anyway, squeezes his hand to try and reassure his nephew.]
Yeah, any of that sounds okay. [He's exhausted, and starving, and doesn't want to have to make any decisions.
Jay steps a little closer, though, smiling apologetically, but still looking so, so relieved that Barry is back.] Son, I think maybe Barry should go to medical first, don't you? We need to make sure he's gonna be okay and stable.
[Hal hadn't brought up medical both because he knows Barry hates medical (everyone does) and because he, personally, hates the idea. Going to medical means having to let doctors poke at him and it means having to let him go. Hal is not a fan of either of those ideas right now. But Jay, as always, has a good point. A trip to medical would probably be a good idea]
Yeah. Yeah, okay, that would probably be a good idea. [He hates it, though. He's trying not to show it because that would mean letting Jay and Wally know about how overprotective he's feeling right now. So he just doesn't say anything, pushes down the urge to just leave with Barry and presses a kiss to the side of Barry's head]
Trip to medical and then Jay and Joan's place for a little while? Sound okay?
[Barry winces slightly. It figures Jay would suggest medical. He doesn't really want to go, and he doesn't think Hal really wants to let him, but his father-figure probably won't let them get away with not going. Especially if they're having to go to his house for food.]
...Yeah, okay.
[Wally backs up to let them stand. Hal will have to support Barry, because now that he's back in the real world, it feels like he's been running for days and days straight - possibly because, in a sense, he has been. His legs are shaky, a little unsteady.]
[Avoiding medical would do no good. Jay probably won't budge on the idea. Sometimes having a responsible adult around is annoying]
C'mon, Bar. Time to stand. [Hal stands slowly, pulling Barry up with him. He's more than willing to be here as physical support if need be] We can just go and get this over with. Hopefully it won't take too long. [He's going to hover the whole time. He couldn't stop himself from doing it even if he wanted to. He just...wants to keep Barry close right now]
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Just let me know what you need me to do and when you need me to do it.
[He knows very little about the speed force. Just what bits and pieces he's been told by Barry over the course of their friendship. He's pretty much letting Jay and Wally take the lead on this]
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Flecks of lightning keep flying off them as they move, the air taking on a weird sheen. It takes a few minutes, but...
Then there is a sound, distant and distorted. A sob, or a pant, or something, in a very familiar voice.
Barry.]
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Barry! [Wally was right] Barry, you need to come back now. Whatever you gotta do to get out of there, do it. Just...come back.
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...Hal? [Was what he heard real? Or is it a trick of his mind that so desperately wants to hear Hal's voice right then?]
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Barry, I know you can hear me! [At least, he hopes Barry can] Focus on that and come back. You've been gone for long enough. I don't know how the speed force works and I don't know how getting out of it works, but you're you so I know you can do it. Come back.
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...Hal-! [He's definitely saying his name, but it's hard to hear anything else.
And then it stops again, silent.]
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Yeah, Bar, I'm here! I was always gonna figure out where you were. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long. [He hates to think of what the last three weeks have been like for Barry. He sounds like he's been suffering] You can get out of there. You can do it, I know you can.
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Can't, Hal- [The rest of the words come out garbled, unintelligible.] -I can't-
[And then, in the small torn-open look into the blinding lights of the speedforce, red-clad fingertips.]
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[He'd do anything for Barry, no matter how stupid. And he knows Barry knows that. For example, how stupid an idea would reaching out be? Hal decides he doesn't care if it's stupid, reaching out just enough so Barry can feel his hand and know that he's there. Assuming Barry can feel anything at all right now]
You can do it. Or I'll drag your ass out if I have to. Whatever works.
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Please-! [It feels like no matter how fast he runs in the speedforce, he can't quite make it, can't escape this nightmare. He sounds closer, though. Clearer.]
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Come on, Bar. You can do this. Just focus on me.
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Hal is able to pull him through with a last, hard pull, and Barry falls to the floor, gasping, vibrating in and out of solidity.
Wally shouts in surprise, and Jay's eyes go wide. It takes them a minute to slow down and stop the treadmill, leaving no trace of the tear in the speedforce.]
Uncle Barry!
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Don't touch him yet, Wally.
[He’s sure Wally wants to hug the life out of Barry. Hal has a similar urge to grab onto him and never let go again. He's refraining only because he's sure Barry needs a minute to pull himself back together. Maybe he shouldn't have let go, since physical contact was what finally helped Barry get out]
Barry?
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It's been a long few weeks, except in Barry's mind, it could be any length of time; time always works weird for speedsters.
A few more little sparks are thrown off him as he shivers, and tries to stop flickering in and out of solidity.] H-Hal-
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Hey. I'm not gonna touch you if you don't want me to. But...I'm right here. If you want. [He's gonna leave it up to Barry, whether he wants to get closer or not right now. He doesn't want to push]
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Maybe it's a bad idea. He's still unstable, trying to re-center himself back in the real world, so to speak. But he shuffles forward on his knees anyway, and puts his arms around Hal, and buries his face against his shoulder.
Touching someone solid, real, actually does seem to help him stay solid and stable too, because the vibrating gradually stops, though his breathing remains unsteady.]
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Just relax. You're okay now. [He presses a kiss to the side of Barry's head] I'm not gonna let anything like that happen to you again.
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Big promises. [It comes out weaker than he intended, but he'd meant it as a joke. They both know their lives are insane, and it's impossible to promise certain things.] How long has it been...?
[Since the explosion. It's nearly impossible to tell time in the speed force, especially when you're just basically trying to pull yourself back together molecule by molecule and it doesn't want to let you.]
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[He knows he can't actually promise anything like that. But he's sure as hell gonna try. If there's one thing that he's learned over the last three weeks, it's that he really would not be able to survive losing Barry again. It's kind of pathetic but he doesn't care]
Three weeks. Wally was the one who finally figured out where you were. [Speaking of which...] Come here, Wally. [Hal doesn't intend to let go himself but it probably wouldn't hurt to let Wally join them now]
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Wally doesn't wait, practically appearing right at their sides when he's bid, kneeling down and reaching out to touch his uncle's back.]
Hey, Uncle Barry... You okay?
Yeah. I'm okay now, Wally. [Barry says, but his smile is weak, and it's clear he's putting on a face in front of his nephew, not wanting him to worry too much.]
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We can go home, when you're ready. Or we could go to Jay and Joan's first and let Joan feed you. That's probably something we should do pretty soon here. [After all that, he probably needs to eat. And after three weeks of being more and less abandoned, there's probably not much in the way of edible food in their house] Whatever you wanna do.
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But he reaches out to Wally anyway, squeezes his hand to try and reassure his nephew.]
Yeah, any of that sounds okay. [He's exhausted, and starving, and doesn't want to have to make any decisions.
Jay steps a little closer, though, smiling apologetically, but still looking so, so relieved that Barry is back.] Son, I think maybe Barry should go to medical first, don't you? We need to make sure he's gonna be okay and stable.
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Yeah. Yeah, okay, that would probably be a good idea. [He hates it, though. He's trying not to show it because that would mean letting Jay and Wally know about how overprotective he's feeling right now. So he just doesn't say anything, pushes down the urge to just leave with Barry and presses a kiss to the side of Barry's head]
Trip to medical and then Jay and Joan's place for a little while? Sound okay?
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...Yeah, okay.
[Wally backs up to let them stand. Hal will have to support Barry, because now that he's back in the real world, it feels like he's been running for days and days straight - possibly because, in a sense, he has been. His legs are shaky, a little unsteady.]
Good. Wally, go let them know we're coming, okay?
Sure, Jay.
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C'mon, Bar. Time to stand. [Hal stands slowly, pulling Barry up with him. He's more than willing to be here as physical support if need be] We can just go and get this over with. Hopefully it won't take too long. [He's going to hover the whole time. He couldn't stop himself from doing it even if he wanted to. He just...wants to keep Barry close right now]
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