Prologue
"Wally West, you get your skinny behind back here right now!" My friend John called after me, sprinting as fast as he could to catch up to me. I sighed, and kicked it into a higher gear, running as fast as I could. I glanced behind me once I had ran as far as my legs would take me to find John nowhere to be seen. I slowed down to a jog, and found a nice tall, green tree. I grabbed the lowest branch and hauled myself up, clambering slowly up to the highest branch that would hold me. Leaning against the massive trunk, I appraised my surroundings with my 8-year old eyes.
A lazy river drifted on its merry way a mile or so out, with a highway seemingly stapled to it, following it's every curve and bend. 'How I wish to run along that river, just like the Flash!' I thought, kicking my imagination into overdrive and watching trees, cars, cities, and countries blur by in seconds, feeling the imaginary pounding in my feet, in my head. I slumped against the trunk even more, slumping my head into my hands. I would never run that fast. All my life would amount to is some pencil-pushing job at your Average Joe corporation, doing taxes, getting married to a boring woman, having normal kids. Some may be satisfied with that, but no; not me, not Wallace Rudolph West. I'm destined for great things, I know it. No matter what that cruel Artemis says, I will be important.
The memory of Artemis' malicious taunts rip me from my daydreaming to a day-nightmare. My muscles tense and I tears start to form, before I quickly blink them back and swallow my feelings. Taunts of 'Useless', 'No-good', Pointless', 'Bastard', 'Failure', and 'Fuck-up' swirl endlessly in my head, threatening to drown the semi-good mood bestowed to me by the clear, sunny spring day. Her torturously beautiful face appear in my mind's eye, spitting insults at me and laughing as her and her friends push me to the ground.
I looked down and watched John down the path running next to the tree, calling my name and looking for me. I remained silent until he was out of sight, then slipped down the tree, and grabbed my backpack on the opposite side of the tree to the path, unnoticeable to my only friend. I slipped one strap over my shoulder, and trudged back to my house.
I slowly opened the front door and slipped inside my house, trying not to make a sound. I dropped my backpack quietly onto the floor, and softly but swiftly make my way to my room upstairs, and closed the door behind me. I grinned wildly when I saw the new chemistry set I had finally convinced my parents to order sitting on my desk, next to my electrical wiring kit hooked up to the car battery I'd found in my free time. I slammed myself into the chair and quickly ripped open the box, eager to get to the chemicals inside. I'd always been a bit of a chemistry freak; the idea of being able to create most any compound with a base set of elements always piqued my interest. In my excitement however, I ripped the package open so hard that the chemicals flew out, glass vials shattering, dousing me in a mix of chemicals. A wave of fear washed over me, and I fell backwards in my chair, pulling my desk and the electrical kit with me. I watched, almost in slow motion as I watched the positive and negative nodes of the battery fall towards me, and connect on my right forearm. I felt a massive jolt of pain, then nothing.
My eyes flew open, to be squeezed shut immediately after; ouch. Too much light. Too much pain. I groaned, opening my eyes a hair, making an attempt to see my surroundings. It looked… Like a hospital room? I opened my eyes more. Yep. Definitely a hospital room. I looked right and left, trying to see more. Oh great. Parents.
"Oh my god, he's awake. Nurse!" My mother called, staring at me in delight. My father on the other hand looked downright pissed.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"Your new chemistry set drenched you in chemicals, and the car battery on your desk electrified you; we're not sure of the effects as of yet, but the doctors have noticed a drastic increase in your metabolism and heart rate."
"Oh boy." I sighed. "Will there be any permanent effects?"
"Like I said, honey. We don't know."