Flash

Issue #1

"Run from the light – Part One"

The pull was strong. Stronger than before. This wasn't the first time he had felt the desire to simply let go. However, each time there was something for him to focus on. A person he held close to his heart helped him resist the temptation to be swept away in the light. Love, a beacon of sorts, had proved more than enough to guide him.

This time, however, the beacon was gone.

There had been others with him, but they were gone now. He dared not open his eyes for fear of losing his concentration. He knew white and yellow light surrounded him and that it felt soft and inviting. How many others had it claimed? When he had been in this place before he could feel them and sometimes even interact with them to a degree. But now…there was no one.

The temptation to give up the struggle was getting more intense with each passing moment. How long had he been here? Hours? Days? Weeks? It was impossible to tell. Time didn't pass in this realm like it did where he was from.

His mind was beginning to shatter under the pressure. He knew he couldn't give up. People were depending on him. But it was so hard…he felt so alone. There was no one to help him, no one to guide him. He was in this mess all by himself.

The fight to remain independent of the force pulling at him was slowly diminishing. It was like holding a muscle tense…sooner or later, he would have to relax the muscle and let go.

What scared him the most was he had no idea what would happen once he ended the struggle.

---

"Can't you guys just stop robbing banks?" asked Jay Garrick.

The blue and red of his costume streaked around the inside of Keystone City's First Commonwealth Bank. The blur obstructed the view of three men and one woman who had been pushed to the center of the room. Those same people, called Team Turmoil, had tried to break into the bank's vault and relieve it of all the valuables held within.

"I'm not as fast as I used to be," said Jay, "but I can still run rings around you jokers."

He threw a right cross at one of the team members (he wasn't sure which one, they all looked the same) and the momentum of his punch sent the villain to the floor. Running even faster around the ragtag group, Jay built up a small amount of air pressure around them, halting any attempts to escape.

Taking advantage of Team Turmoil's lack of sight and utter confusion as to what to do next, Jay raced outside and over to the hardware store across the street. Faster than the patrons could follow, Jay grabbed several yards of twine and raced back over to the bank. In less than a second, Jay had all four would-be robbers tied up together and sitting on the floor.

"Why go for a bank every time anyway? Why not try something different? I mean, in the last six months alone, I must have hauled you off to jail four or five times. And I know for a fact that at least two of those times you tried to break into this same bank!"

The four Team Turmoil members looked at each other, hoping one of them would be able to offer up an answer. Finally, one of them swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to mutter something.

"We...uh…that is I…well, we didn't think you would expect it," said the only female member, named Wildside.

Jay blinked his eyes. After a brief pause, he could no longer contain his laughter. Several of the 'hostages' in the bank staring at the motley crew couldn't help but laugh either. Jay removed his trademark shiny, metal hat and ran a hand through his nearly white hair.

"You're right," he said. "I didn't expect it."

As usual, the police came to cart the bad guys away and Jay raced through the city after giving his statement to the police. He reminisced about the days when he wasn't the only speedster in town. Like wolves, they had run in packs, always backing each other up. Himself, Johnny Quick, Jesse, Barry, Bart, even the time-tossed Max Mercury…they were like a family. Over the years members of that family had been lost due to very unfortunate events. One year ago, the family had been reduced yet again.

Wally West, the latest to carry the mantle of the Flash, had sacrificed himself to stop an evil so powerful that it took the world's heroes working together to win. The original Superboy, from a dimension long forgotten, had threatened all of existence. Wally, Bart, and Jay pulled him into the Speed Force in an effort to contain him.

The Speed Force was an extra-dimensional energy field that had provided the power necessary for a speedster to move as fast as he or she did. By breaking the light-barrier, the three generations of runners had hoped to capture Superboy Prime within the confines of the field. While the Speed Force powered all of them, only Wally West had a unique connection with it, streamlining the energy directly. He had been their guide inside the Force and the one to physically imprison the rogue Superboy. They succeeded in holding him for a time.

But, as things often do, it went bad. Superboy Prime proved much too powerful to be held captive by even the immense power of the Speed Force. Pushing passed the barrier, Superboy freed himself to return to Earth. Jay and Bart Allen, grandson of Barry Allen, had been released with him. Wally had disappeared completely along with all traces of the Speed Force.

"Hi, Flash!"

Jay slowed his incredible pace slightly and did some fancy footwork to begin running backwards. Thirty feet behind him, he could see a group of kids waving frantically at him and hollering greetings and praises. He waved back before flipping face-forward again and picking his pace back up.

Flash…, Jay thought. Haven't called myself that name in years. I suppose I have more right to the name and mantle than anyone else, but it just wouldn't feel right. I'm supposed to be retired after all! If Joan knew I was as active as I am now, she would have a heart attack. Which reminds me, I should pick up the dinner I promised her.

Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Speedster, abruptly changed his course to head West out of the city. Wind rippled all around his body but it didn't bother him. He had been running most of his life and he was used to the things that went along with it.

Since the Crisis, Jay had been slowed down considerably. When it was all over, he had lost his connection to the Speed Force and the immense power it gave him. His original metagene was still apparently active, however, and he could continue to outrun jet planes. He topped out at around the speed of sound these days, but he didn't mind. It was never the high velocity that thrilled him but rather the sense of adventure.

Of course, getting a woman like Joan didn't hurt either.

Jay smiled at the thought of his lovely wife. He knew that his wife Joan loved him more than anything and he loved her just as much. She had stood by his side over the decades, as well as stood by the window waiting for him to come home from whatever mission he had to accomplish. She worried about his safety but at the same time Jay knew how much she loved having a husband who could run to Beijing for real Chinese food.

Crossing the ocean on his own feet, Jay sped toward the Asian city to get the best chow mien for the love of his life (no MSG, of course).

---

"You're going to be the death of me," said Tim Drake.

"Oh, come on," said Bart Allen, formerly known as Kid Flash. "This will be great. Trust me."

Both of the teenage boys walked through the Monroeville Mall in Central City wearing their plain clothes. Bart had been going through a difficult time over the last year since the Crisis, and Tim, secretly the costumed hero known as Robin, was one of his closest friends. Bart, who was now cut off from the magnificent energy field that gave him his powers, had found a kindred spirit in his non-powered friend.

"I already told you why this isn't going to work. It's a waste of time, Bart. What's the big deal, anyway? Do you have any idea what the odds are--."

"Odds-schmodds," cut in Bart.

The duo made their way through the small crowd and into one of the stores near the entrance. Cigars, magazines, and candy lined the walls of the establishment. A strong odor of tobacco slapped them each in the face after they swung the door open. The owner, a balding black man in his forties, leaned over the counter to eye the pair up before returning to his newspaper.

Bart, trying to look like he belonged in the store, slowly browsed through the selection of magazines while Tim stood back and rolled his eyes.

"Can I help you with something?" asked the owner.

Bart whipped around to meet the man's gaze and put back the issue of Racing Weekly. He was nervous, but confident at the same time.

"Yeah, I just stopped in to look around. Nice place. We're killing some time waiting for our other friend to show up."

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah. Oh, hey. Do you sell lottery tickets here?"

"Uh-huh."

"Cool. I'll try playing my lucky numbers. They've never worked before but there's a first time for everything, right?" Bart said, trying to force out a little laugh.

"Uh-huh," replied the owner. "You know you have to be over eighteen, right? It would be illegal for me to sell you lottery tickets if you weren't at least eighteen years old."

"Of course I know that, man. I'm nineteen."

"Uh-huh. You got ID?"

"Well…no. But I'm nineteen, I swear. I mean look at me."

"Uh-huh. Sorry, kid. No ID, no lottery ticket."

Bart looked at Tim for help, but all he got was a motion for them to leave. He wanted to protest, but he knew it was a lost cause and simply left the store with his friend.

"I told you. And that was the exact reason I gave, too," said Tim once they had reached the parking lot of the mall.

"I rapidly aged through my whole childhood and didn't have anything to show for it," Bart responded, pushing his hands deep into his pockets. "Last year, when I popped back out of the Speed Force, I aged again. I mean, what's the point of being nineteen if I can't enjoy it?"

"You may look nineteen, but you have no way of proving it. It isn't like you can just go to the DMV and tell them they goofed on your driver's license. Do you even have a driver's license?"

"I used to. It expired."

"The lottery is just how God punishes people who are bad at math anyway."

"Yeah…still would have been fun," Bart muttered.

The two continued their walk in silence until they reached their destination a few blocks down. The Central City Train Depot was much more crowded than the mall but the two young men had no trouble finding their way to Tim's stall. The 4:15 train to Gotham looked like it was right on time and people were beginning to board.

"Thanks for coming out for a couple days, Tim. It was fun."

"No problem," Tim said. "Give me a call anytime. Maybe you can swing by Gotham and I'll show you where Poison Ivy used to grow these giant plant-men. She was in to some weird stuff."

"Sounds cool," Bart commented.

"Hey," Tim chimed in, noticing his friend's downshift in attitude. "You'll get back in the game, Bart. Don't worry about it. Enjoy the vacation. You've got a whole world to experience as a different person now. You can even make time for a girlfriend or something."

"Maybe," Bart said. "Maybe not. Wally's gone and it's been a year."

"Hang in there, man. You've still got friends to depend on. The Titans won't forget you."

"Train 105 to Gotham ready for departure. Please finish boarding," a digital voice squawked over the loudspeaker.

"Don't miss your train," Bart said. "I'll catch you next time. Good seeing you."

"Ditto. Say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Garrick for me."

The friends shook hands and Tim boarded his train. As the steam blew out from under the huge metal transport and the whistle sounded, Bart watched his friend return back to his life among the capes. Among the flying super humans. Among the criminals and villains. Among the excitement.

Tim's a good friend, thought Bart, and he probably understands what I'm talking about more than anyone else. In a way I guess he's going through what I am. I mean, who is Robin without Batman? Yeah, Tim doesn't have it any easier.

Once the train was out of sight, Bart left the depot and hailed a cab. Mrs. Garrick had mentioned that they were having Chinese for dinner tonight and he didn't want to miss it. His thoughts trailed along as the cab drove on. No matter what he tried to think of, his thoughts always seemed to return to one thing.

Who is a powerless Kid Flash, especially without Flash?

---

His mind raced, but that was normal. Thoughts formed and dissipated into the folds of his consciousness quicker than normal humans could even fathom.

Findthekillerandsnaphisneck.

The red uniform on his body was not his own, but he wore it anyway. He wasn't the Flash, but he was the Flash. He wasn't a hero, but he was a hero.

Breakthemdowntobuildthemup.

Even though thoughts came and went rapidly through his brain, one thing remained constant: confusion. He remembered his original goal that had once seemed so clear. Now, amidst the recent events in his life, he didn't know what his goal truly was anymore.

RunagainsttheEarth'srotationandstoptheplanetcold.

The fastest man alive sat in a dark room by himself, rocking back and forth. His powers weren't derived from the mythical Speed Force he had heard so much about. Velocity was a misnomer in his case. He didn't really move faster than everyone else, but rather the clock slowed for him. His powers were time-based, which meant he never felt the absence of the Speed Force one year ago.

A specific group of trusted and famous individuals had done something to him. Told him one thing when they meant another. They affected his mind somehow, he knew that much.

Gettosafetybeforetheyfindyouagain.

He didn't know how they did it or how they caught him. He didn't even know if he ever wanted to see the light of day again. He just sat there in the dark room by himself. His mind tried to heal itself but things like that took time. It was ironic, given his powers.

Once he had the ability and the state of mind to, he had run from his captors. Well…that's how he saw them anyway. There was no doubt in his mind that the people who were holding him against his will called themselves something else. Heroes.

TheyarenotheroesI'maherotheonlyhero.

Innately, he knew what he wanted to do. What he desired to do. He wanted to show those so-called heroes what a real hero was like. He wanted to pull them down so they could stand up better. He could show them.

He would show them.

---

The pull was stronger than ever before. Finally, he opened his eyes to flashes of white and yellow light streaking across his entire field of vision.

He was exhausted but he didn't want to give up. The strength to hang on was quickly leaving him but he knew he just had to hold on. The truth was he was scared.

He raised his arms, preparing to embrace the light. He could fight it no longer. In this plane of existence he had no need to breathe, yet he exhaled slowly anyway. The time had come to be swept away and he was ready for it. He was, after all, a hero. Hero's did what they had to do.

His fingers outstretched, the hero felt his very essence start to slip away into the light. His body felt lighter than before, like it was evaporating away into space. Soon it would all be over.

Suddenly, his fingers clamped shut and the weight of his body returned to him. Something had brushed against his consciousness and snapped his focus back to attention.

Directly in front of him, amidst the white and yellow light, a line of thin, blue light formed. He didn't so much see it with his eyes than he saw it with his mind. He simply knew it was there. Tensing and vibrating his muscles once again to force the light from overtaking him, he reached out and gripped the line.

As his fingers wrapped around the blue energy, it solidified. As he strengthened his grip, he felt his awareness increase. It became easier to resist the surrounding light and he felt grounded to something tangible again, much like he had during his other journeys to this place. The feeling was similar…but different.

With a final burst of will, the man stabilized his consciousness and pulled on the blue line of energy. The white and yellow light swirling all around him seemed to condense and then began to pour into him. The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced before and he had no word to describe it.

Then, just as fast as it had started, it ended. The man and his pain, the blue line, even the very realm of light…all of it…disappeared in a large flash of energy.

---

"Dim sum!" exclaimed Bart.

"Mind your manners," said Joan Garrick.

"Go ahead," said Jay, "eat while it's still hot."

The elder speedster took off his trademark hat and kissed his wife on the cheek. It had only been a couple of minutes since he picked up the food from his favorite little stand in Beijing. When he had returned with the meal, Joan and Bart had eagerly been awaiting his arrival. The smell of freshly cooked Chinese food spread through the old house.

"Tim catch his trian all right?" asked Joan.

"Yeah," replied Bart, as he reached for the soy sauce. "I know he's got a lot going on out in Gotham and Bludhaven, but it was nice to see him for a couple days."

"He's a good kid," said Jay. "Looks like the next generation has things under control, huh Joa--"

Jay dropped his plate on the floor and gripped his chest. The original scarlet speedster fell to his knees and expelled all the breath in his lungs. Searing pain pounded inside his chest with each beat of his heart.

"Jay!" screamed Joan as she rushed to his side.

Bart followed her as fast as he could and tried to help Jay to his feet. Together, the two of them were able to carry the pained man to the couch and lay him down. Jay still clutched his chest after being strewn out on the sofa, the pain still beating in time with his heart.

"My lord," said Joan. "I think he's having a heart attack! Quick, Bart, call an ambulance!"

---

NEXT ISSUE: One hero returns to the race and another leaves!