time has never been on barrett’s side, ever since he was two weeks overdue. it was always said that barrett was merely comfortable in his mother’s womb, that he didn’t want to vacate where he felt secure and protected. even at that time in his life, he might have been able to sense the truth about the outside world and the dangers that came along with it. despite nora’s soft encouragements, her son arrived fashionably late with over 24 hours in labour and medical assistance, her husband henry by hers beside. the story goes that as soon as barrett felt the warmth of his mother’s arms, those little hands never released from hers. he went on to resemble henry the most, with their eyes mirroring images, very much like father and son. but for as close as they were, it never compared to the bond he had with his mother, like the grasp on her hand was never released. she was nurturing by nature and barrett easily became mama’s boy.
the allen’s never looked out of the ordinary in their town, but sometimes that made them easy targets. they always appeared like the ideal family, with the white picket fence and loving parents. but looks like they fit in made them all the more visible to others and that made it easy for their neighbours to notice minuscule mistakes that proved their imperfections. being a doctor and a middle school teacher only seemed to fuel the flames, as this made them all the more recognizable within their little community of friends. for the most part, the allen’s were able to uphold the pressure that came with the image, but it didn’t last.
out of his mother and father, nora was the maturing parent who often provided her son with the encouragement needed to build his confidence. she also held valuable advice and whenever barrett felt unsettled in a situation, nora always had a way in reassuring him towards a calm state. henry, however, had more of a balance. his son meant everything to him, but it never stopped him from setting boundaries to ensure that barrett learned the skills he needed for the future. unlike nora, he was methodological and to the point, but it was fair to say they worked well together, so it was surprising when nora filed for a divorce.
in middle school, barrett was motivated to try new things, and eventually he became an avid spelling bee participant, earning several trophies in competitions. however, the last time he stepped on that stage is the moment he remembers the most. it was the nerves bubbling in his stomach as he stared at his father’s face in the crowd - that look that would haunt his dreams, knowing what came next. henry and nora had tried to shield their son from the arguments for a year now, from the truth, but barrett had was far too clever and observant not to notice the change within their family’s dynamic. if that wasn’t enough evidence, the exhaustion on his parent’s faces clearly demonstrated their struggle in keeping the peace. barrett had won first place, for the first time, and he could recall his mother’s encouraging words ringing in his ears when his hands grasped the trophy. it was that night when they arrived home that all the pieces started to fall together, or fall apart, and barrett watched the shadows on the wall of his parents arguing from the living room.
Living in two separate households, in two very different ways, found to be difficult. Barrett felt like his limbs were being grasped from various directions, taut and torn, and like he was the reason for Nora and Henry's consistent arguments even after the divorce. These tribulations affected Barrett through high school, where he struggled with finding his true identity and personality that wasn't influenced by others around him. There was usually defeat, which resembled Barrett hiding behind his comics. He was often misunderstood for being an introvert, but it was the fact that he had an internal battle that kept him from being who he wanted to be. Barrett was also known for his inability to commit to attending things, often leaving others frustrated when he would arrive late for the occasion. Since he was born, time is something he has never been able to grasp a hold of, instead it has always slipped through his fingers. Even when he would try to arrive on time, Barrett could not seem to move any faster and sometimes that struggle translated in his conversations when he couldn't find the appropriate words to verbalize his thoughts. Barrett challenged his frustrations and utilized them as strengths towards his academics, and with his newfound focus, found sudden interest in chemistry.
barrett had never been athletic. he had tried sports, loved the games, but he wasn’t cut out for it. he turned to skateboarding, often seen wheeling down the street on his own. but once he started getting into science, he was found in the garage, turning it into a little laboratory where things often exploded. his mother never grounded him, thankful that he was at least expressing himself in a productive manner, but he did always get an earful about how recreating actual lava from a volcano wasn’t safe. there was often moments of frustrations, pulling out his whiteboards, books, trying to explain his theories to his mother that he thought didn’t understand. he started spending more time with his father when barrett started to rebel, leaving through the window at night when henry was on the night shifts. sometimes it wasn’t even worth it because all barrett wanted to do was find a place to look at the stars in a city filled with light and noise. he often broke into abandoned houses or private property areas, even running from the police once.
teenage years for barrett was very up and down. as he got older, he became more distant from his parents, staying in his bedroom, buried in anatomy books that once belonged to his father when he was in medical school. it was a darker time for him, dealing with feeling alone and anxiety that he had to learn to control. it all happened after he almost lost his mother in a car accident. despite any arguments, barrett was still very close to his mom that the moment he heard she was in the hospital, he almost lost it himself. they say that for a minute she had died but were able to resuscitate nora, but she was never the same. she worked less afterwards, permanent pain through her hips that left her fragile when she walked. losing his mom, even for that one minute, was too much, and it still haunts him.
eventually, barrett’s interest for chemistry expanded into clinical and forenstic pathology, which seemed to compliment his new found morbid curiosity and sense of humour that had developed overtime. naturally, there was an influence for him to enter the field of medicine and choose clinical over forensics, seeing as his father was a doctor, but barrett was far more interested in why things happened than being on the front-line. at eighteen, he made the decision to begin his education towards becoming a pathologist and moved to boston on his own. he lived in the dorms, barely scraping enough to eat, stubborn about wanting to do things on his own. being away from his family meant a new discovery, truly trying to find where he belonged in the world. needless to say that barrett wound up in some trouble, assisting people that didn’t make the best decisions, involving himself in situations he shouldn’t have been a part of. he couldn’t continue to be the voice of reason and weary that he could develop a criminal record that would ruin his career, barrett made the decision to step back. it was then that he began to become aware of his moral code.
barrett completed his bachelor of arts degree in chemistry and went on to medical school to attain his doctor of medicine degree in pathology & laboratory medicine at boston university, entering the residency program at mass general hospital. after graduation (as of 2016), he was able to continue working in the laboratory, as a pathologist’s assistant. others might think it's eerie when he's in the basement doing autopsies, but there’s never someone there to complain when barrett arrives late.
it seemed that in a flash, everything he had created in boston had vanished. his recollections of the times spent in massachusetts were but a blur left behind and in its place only san franscisco. he still has yet to realize he was snapped there due to thanos plan, along with many other friends. instead, he's living his life as if he was some normal citizen again, but wondering why some people don't remember him the same.
family
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father
mother
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DR. Henry Allen. divorced. hematologist.
Nora Allen. divorced. elementary teacher.
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education
undergraduate
boston university
bachelors of arts in chemistry
boston university
school of medicine
doctor of medicine degree in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
pathology residency program
anatomic and clinic pathology
massachusetts general hospital 2013-2017
pathologist assistant
massachusetts general hospital
autopsy pathology, frozen section pathology, clinical pathology
2017 - until thanos ruined everything
current
pathologist
UCSF Medical Center
autopsy pathology, frozen section pathology, clinical pathology
2017 - current position
facts (under construction)
ϟ growing up… his temperament and personality was spontaneous. from introverted and smart, to rambunctious and rebellious, particularly when testing boundaries with his parents after the lingering affects from their divorce.
ϟ due to his struggle with accepting and recognizing his feelings, barrett can sometimes react impulsively once it all starts to build inside him. it is then that he doesn’t make the most appropriate or level headed decisions. he is an emotionally driven person, despite his inability to express them that leaves him resembling a robot sometimes. but he can feel a lot, all at once, and often doesn’t know how to handle it. during this time, he can be easily annoyed and angered. he’s not unfamiliar with fights.
ϟ he’s flirtatious, intelligent, charming, anxious, slightly egotistical, kind, patient, affectionate, and blunt when it is needed.
ϟ he utilizes his sense of humor to assist in most situation, particularly with his occupation, but would drop everything in a heartbeat for his friends and family members - blood or not. barrett always puts others first before himself, which backfires and can drain him.
ϟ he is fairly paternal. even though he's been scared of commitment, he can’t seem to shake off the idea of becoming a father.
ϟ he’s volunteered numerous times. he’s been a camp counsellor and instructor at a skateboard camp for children, became a big brother in a mentorship program, assisted in boston’s gay pride parade, continues to volunteer at charity events through the hospital and frequently visits the children hospital on his free time to play music and games with the patients.
barry allen
When Barry was a boy, his parents' relationship wasn't going well, and while he prepared to participate in a spelling bee at school, his mother Nora was struggling to encourage him despite working double shifts and trying to get a divorce from his father Henry. He received the divorce papers on the day of the spelling bee, and because Nora had to work, he seethed and took Barry to school. When Nora returned from work, she was happy to see that her son had won the competition, but she was obligated to speak to Henry about their relationship, and so Barry was sent to the bookstore in the meantime. By the time Barry returned, however, his mother had been murdered, and his father had been placed under arrest, though he professed his innocence.
[read more]
powers
speed force conduit
retrocognition
negative speed force conduit
abilities
acrobatics
chemistry
criminology
firearms
forensic science
hand-to-hand combat (advanced)
indomitable will
investigation
stealth
genius level intellect
items
suit
costume ring
tie-ins
ϟ both born two weeks after their due date on the same birthdate
ϟ share the same middle and last name, therefore, also the same initials
ϟ barrett shares his interest in forensic pathology and chemistry with his counterpart, while barry allen focuses more on the criminology aspect than the medical field
ϟ both were involved in spelling competitions during their childhood and won first place the night that nora allen served henry allen with divorce papers
ϟ there is a common interest with comics
ϟ similarities in their intelligence and good natured ability to want the best for his loved ones, always putting them first no matter the situation or consequence in the end
ϟ he’s not the best at balancing both “hero” and “work”, also a workaholic
ϟ before barry became the flash, he was chronically late, and continued to be even with his newfound abilities. this was to remain consistent and provide less suspicion from others. the fastest man alive was always late and barrett also has the same tendency.
ϟ parents share the same names
ϟ father henry allen is a doctor
ϟ in both universes, nora and henry allen were on the verge of divorce before nora's death in the comics
ϟ in nod to barry’s two children that he never was able to raise with iris, barrett is fairly paternal and can’t shake the idea of becoming a father in the future
ϟ barrett spends countless of time in the lab, much like barry
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