OUT RUNNING THE BLACK

She can still remember, now, how she'd reacted to his 'family' legend the first time she heard it. He'd woken her up in the middle of the night, screaming from a bad dream. When she;s asked him what it was about, he'd told her. She'd been her usual, sensitive self.
"The WHAT? You have to be joking me"

"The Black Flash is no joke, Jinx. He's very very real. He's like the grim reaper for speedsters- he comes to take us when we die. And that was my dream, I was being chased by the Black Flash"

She'd scoffed. "Oh, so I'm supposed to believe that you guys have your own personal Death? Pffft. C'mon Bart, don't make me laugh. What's next, the Santa Flash?"

He'd turned to her with a look in her eyes that she'd never seen on him before. It was the sort of look priests gave to people who'd brushed their teeth with the holy water. The look that said 'blasphemer'.

"Jinx, this is no laughing matter. Every Flash has seen him at least once, when we're near death. I saw him myself a few years ago- when I was helping Wally battle Gorilla Grodd. I'd just been hit with some sort of massive energy beam and I was fading pretty fast. Wally got me to the hospital and onto life support in time, but the whole trip I could see him chasing me. He was like a skeleton, in a nasty rotted Flash costume, and he moved faster than anything I've ever seen. And everyone who's ever seen him, from Jay Garrick to Barry Allen, to Wally to me, has seen him exactly the same way. Doesn't that prove he's out there, waiting for us?"

Jinx sighed and flipped on the light, a sign of how serious she took this. She didn't like being seen when she was naked- she found her sticklike body and pale skin to be ugly no matter what Bart told her."Okay, Bart. Let's look at this rationally. Did the others tell you about this Black Flash before or after you had your little near-death experience?"

"Um...before I think?

"And, lets see, did they describe it?"

"Oh yeah. You should hear Jay tell that story, really creeps me out."

"MmmHmm. And everyone's heard this story?"

Bart snorted. "Just try and stop him telling it"

Jinx laughed, remembering her meeting with the first Flash. They actually got on well together, since she treated him with respect but not worship- and he found her "spunky". She wasn't sure how she felt about that one, but she still liked the old coot. His only real flaw was that no force on this or any world could stop him telling his stories.

"No thanks. Don't you see, Bart? Your subconscious absorbed the story from Jay, and internalized it. When your mind felt that death was approaching it dredged up the image. Its no different from any other 'near death' experience. Its just your brain trying to give itself hope- in your case, by making death something tangible; something you can out-run.I mean, face it, the idea that there's a special Death for like four guys is a little crazy, isn't it?"

Bart had sighed and settled back down in their bed. "Look Jinx, I can see I'm not going to convince you. All I ask is that you respect my beliefs the way I respect your beliefs about Fate and Chance. Okay?"
"Whatever. Good night"

Now she stands at the funeral of Bart Allen- merely a week after he was murdered by the Rogues Captain Cold, Heatwave, Weather Wizard and Inertia. They'd broken up years before, with no bitterness or ill-will on either side. Theirs had been a summer romance, and it had simply run its course. They'd both moved on with their lives, but had stayed in touch. Now she was mourning her best friend and first love, but all she could do was remember how frightened he'd been of that stupid dream, and how instead of comforting him, she'd belittled his beliefs.

Suddenly, a flash of color at the periphery of her vision catches her attention. She whips her head around and her jaw drops.

Standing beside the casket is the Black Flash. He's taller than she would have expected, and his black speed costume doesn't look at all rotted. He's looking straight at her which should give her the chills. Yet somehow she doesn't feel afraid, and she suddenly doesn't miss Bart as badly- in fact she doesn't really feel he's dead. It feels more like he's just left town for a while, but is still OK. The figure in black nods, and races off in a blur thats all too familiar to the pink-haired sorceress.

She looks down at the coffin and chuckles. "I guess you were right all along, eh Bart? You better not rub this in when I die, that's all I'll say- otherwise I'll have to point out that you finally met someone you couldn't out run"

A/N
Just a flitter. The Black Flash is such a cool idea.