Part One: Barry over rides Rip’s commands to save Len.
@redcharade @lisellevelvet @momomoon @snowflakesandlightning
Barry’s heart was racing faster than he ever thought possible, and the only thing he could hear aside from the blood pounding in his ears and the sharp pop of the riffles that were delaying their departure were Len’s pained cries. The pasture they were attempting to cross was deceptively large, or more likely Barry was just desperate to get back to the ship.
Fast for the average person was too slow for Barry under normal circumstances, but this time it was frustrating to the point his eyes burned and welled up with tears. Having to move slow enough so as not to jar Len more than necessary and the others could keep up was bad enough, but the platoon of WW1 soldiers of an unknown nationality firing towards them from the woods was slowing them down farther.
Len was going to bleed out in his arms and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Rip was already on his shit list for the whole “you’re all insignificant” bullshit, and now for this grave miscalculation, which he wasn’t wholly sure was a miscalculation, that was going to get them all killed, or at least Len.
Barry had dug Len out from a pile a rubble after the sudden explosion terrified of what he might find. He was very close to losing it when he finally lifted the last beam that had fallen on an unmoving Len and he’d seen all the blood. The depths of sorrow he felt when he thought it was already too late shocked even him, and the amount of relief that flooded him when he finally found a pulse and then when the other man’s eyes fluttered open was… indescribable.
Barry refused to let anyone else carry Len.
They’d been hoofing it back to the ship when they were ambushed by an unknown force. It was impossible to tell. Their uniforms were mismatched tattered rags, which was unsurprising because being stuck out in the elements during the harsh Russian winter meant layering up with anything you could find. Barry normally would have felt sympathy for them, because it was a miserable situation, even with them shooting at him, but right now he was just angry and desperate and terrified.
“We must get him to a real doctor if he is going to survive,” Professor Stein said in Jax’s voice glancing warily at the blood soaked bandage they’d hastily wrapped around the wound on Len’s thigh as well as the make shift tourniquet.
“They’ll shoot you out of the sky,” Carter grabbed Kendra who’d begun to straighten up.
“We have to do something, anything,” even Sarah looked worried with her white knuckle grip on her currently useless katana, which made Barry’s heart sink farther.
“I’ll burn down the forest,” Mick growled speaking for the first time since they’d seen how serious Len’s injuries were.
“They’ll take you down before you take two steps,” Rip looked as hopeless as Barry felt looking around at his team before looking down at a very pale Len that seemed to have passed out again.
“No, you won’t make it,” Rip cut off what Barry could tell was actually Jax speaking who was going to suggest burning the forest down from the sky.
Len let out a weak moan in Barry’s arms that shattered his already mangles heart. They were running out of time. It might have already been too late, but they had to try.
“Take him Mick,” Barry said finally not really sure what exactly is was he was going to do once he began running aside from dodging a shit load of bullets.
“Barry?” Len questioned weakly reaching out for him as Mick carefully took Len in his arms.
“Hang in there, kay?” Barry took a split second to run a gloved hand gently down the side of Len’s face and offered him a strained smile wondering if it was going to be the last time those alluring beautiful icy blues were going to study him so intently. “I’ll be right back; we’ll get you home, promise.”
Len looked as though he wanted to protest, and Barry was sure he was going to, but before he could his eyes slid closed renewing the terror knowing at Barry’s gut.
Running in snow was harder than running not in snow, but running in snow that was half way up his shin was even more difficult. Barry did his best to dodge most of the shots aimed at him, but a sharp burning sensation told him he hadn’t quite accomplished that. There were at least 4 new holes in his suit by the time he reached the wood line, but the soldiers were already fleeing with exhausted terrified shouts leaving their weapons behind. Barry took and extra second to disarm the few that decided they were going to go down fighting before turning to make his way back to his companions, who had taken off as soon as the gunfire ceased.
In no time Barry was running beside Mick who was struggling to keep Len steady, who was still unconscious. Barry noticed he wasn’t the only one who had a few extra holes in their clothing when he noticed Mick’s awkward gait. Without even being asked he took Len back into his arms knowing it would be smoother and definitely much faster. As the ship materialized Barry didn’t feel the sense of relief he’d expected, not even when they were finally all aboard, and Sarah was digging through the small med kit for clean bandages and quick clot.
Len was still unconscious and alarmingly pale as he lay on the bench where they had carefully placed him. Barry was kneeling beside him holding onto the hand nearest him with both of his as Sarah worked on slowing the bleeding and applying a proper tourniquet. Tears he hadn’t the strength to even brush away rolled down both his cheeks having pulled his cowl back incase Len resurfaced wanting him to see Barry not The Flash.
“Gideon, Rome, Italy 410 A.D.” Rip’s voice, well more so his words, caught Barry’s attention and sparked the rage that his terror was dampening.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“Leonard, needs a proper doctor and modern medicine!”
“Rome, Italy 410 A.D.” Gideon confirmed over the others angry outbursts.
“It’s too late for Leonard,” Rip looked sad, but determined. “This is how it ends for him, and I am deeply sorry about that, but we must get to Rome. The fate of the world depends on it.”
Another round of angry out bursts followed Rip’s latest statement, and Barry was sure Mick was going to set him on fire if Sarah didn’t decide to take him out first, even Carter was only half-heartedly holding Kendra back, while Ray continued shouting louder than all of them for Gideon to go back to their time.
“Shut up!” Barry finally shouted with all the command he could muster in his current state in his voice. “Gideon, Star Labs, Central City, 2016, now.”
“Right away Barry Allen, STAR Labs, Central City, 2016,” Gideon repeated.
“We control our own destiny,” Barry glared at Rip.
As the unsettling rumbling that preceded the time jump began the others threw themselves in seats or grabbed the nearest fixed object to them. Barry turned away from the stunned looks and ignored Rip’s protests to look back down at the man he was risking the fate of the world as they knew it to save.