I tapped my foot impatiently. I didn't exactly want to tour any workplace, but if I were to choose, Uncle Barry's would be high on the list. I was staying with my aunt and uncle for the weekend while my parents had some vacation thing. Just another excuse, in my opinion. But it didn't really matter, today I was going to be touring Uncle Barry's workplace, for no better reason, as far as I could tell, but to show me around.
Finally the call came. "Wally! We're ready!" I grinned. Aunt Iris. I darted down the steps and was in the car almost before my uncle. Almost being the key word. I knew of no one nearly as fast as Uncle Barry.
The ride took no time at all. Uncle Barry drives fast, fast enough to be scary, and the crime lab where he worked was only a mile or two away. We could've walked, probably. He pulled into the parking lot with a screeching halt eliciting a "Good heavens, Barry!" from Aunt Iris.
The tour was exceedingly boring. The only entertainment was watching Aunt Iris yip and jump at the thunder. "I don't like storms." She declared positively at one point. I had to disagree. I thought them rather exciting, in a mundane sort of way, especially the lightning. It reminded me of Flash, the most awesome superhero ever.
We were reaching the end of the tour. One of the last rooms also proved to be one of the most interesting. It held chemicals "For various reasons." Uncle Barry said, being vague again. He seemed uneasy in this room.
They were very interesting, to say the least. Swirling neon colors, very pretty. Then the loudest thunderclap I have ever had the (dis)pleasure of hearing boomed and there was a blinding flash of light, and a stricken cry. I later realized it had been my own.
Then hot acid was washing over me and I only wished the blackness nibbling away at the edges of my vision would move faster.
***
When I awoke, I had the worst ache ever, as well as a minute or two of amnesia. Then the memories came rushing back in a flood-the tour-the chemicals-the storm-and I was surprised, to put it mildly, to find that I was still alive, let alone feeling as relatively good as I did.
"Wally?" A soft voice, laden with concern. I had always thought my uncle spoke rather fast, but now he almost seemed to be talking in slow motion. It probably had something to do with those chemicals, warping the way I heard things.
I opened one eye warily. Even with the dim lighting, the light stung. I shut my eye quickly. I heard a relieved sigh. Probably glad I was alive, and I was, too. Though wouldn't they have been alerted by my breathing? I decided he must have been relieved that I was awake.
I opened both eyes this time, squinting tentatively, hands protecting eyes carefully. After trying (and failing) a few more times to look around, my eyes adjusted and I sat up.
As I mentioned before, I felt pretty good for apparently taking a bath in dangerous chemicals. Just ravenously hungry and pretty sore. But the chemicals were obviously messing with my sight or my mind or something, because someone swam into focus.
"Uncle Barry?" I asked incredulously. For it was most definitely him. He was, however, wearing a Flash costume. Minus the cowl. That he was fidgeting with nervously.
"That's me." He said, cracking a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Barry Allen, AKA The Flash."
***
Everything clicked, he was always disappearing, especially when we watched the news. Why he watched the news so much in the first place. Why he moved so fast.
"B..but..." All I could do was stutter at this revolutionary new fact. Finally I regained my voie and my wits. "How'd it happen?" I asked curiously.
Uncle Barry, or the Flash, or whatever took a moment to conquer his nervousness too. "You remember those chemicals?" I nodded. Of course I remembered them. I had just had a frickin' bath in them, for goodness sakes! "Well, let's just say that I got an unplanned bath too. And apparently the old adage 'lightning never strikes the same place twice' is complete baloney."
My throat went dry. "You mean..."
My uncle nodded sagely. "I'm afraid so, Wally."
***
I was shocked. I didn't know how to react. Should I be freaking out or should I be thrilled that finally something interesting was going to happen?
I finally settled on a simple, shaky laugh. "Explain?" I asked. My voice was hoarse. His eyes lit up in the strangest way and he started a whole speal of science jargon, talking superfast when he got really excited.
Amazingly, I found myself understanding him. Even the superspeed bits. Guess my brain was now equipped with superspeed too.
It really was amazing. Flash had always been my favorite superhero, and now I met him, found out he was my uncle, and discovered I could move every bit as fast as him, at least I most likely could, in one blow. Quite the day.
"What are we going to call me?" Flash blinked, looking onfused for roughly half a second. Then he got it. "Oh, no, Wally. You are not going into the superhero buisness. Your mother would kill me if anything happens."
"Who says we're telling her?"
***
"I am not wearing spandex." Flash tapped a foot angrily. After losing one battle to the newly christened Kid Flash, he was not about to lose another.
"Yes, you are. It's for the friction. Unless you want to run around in burned up clothes? Wally..or, excuse me, Kid Flash, you wanted to be a superhero. Spandex comes with the job."
I sent my uncle a death glare as he handed me a ring with a lightning bolt insignia on it. "Yeah, but why red and yellow? Why not something more tuned down, like blue? And plus, what's the ring for anyways? And you just happen to have an extra costume exactly my size lying around?"
"Gets peoples' attention, you'll see, and one size fits all." He said calmly. Which was extremely annoying. ""It's one of my extras." Before I could react, he slipped the ring on my finger and pressed the lightning symbol.
The most uncomfortable costume ever snapped on. It was hugging all the wrong places, and everywhere else too. With a stricken cry, I yelled, "AAH! HOW'D THAT JUST HAPPEN?" I ran to the nearest mirror, Uncle Barry ungratefully laughing the whole time.
It took about a nanosecond to get there, see it, and run back. I was going to have to get used to the superspeed thing.
I was panting, but not from the run. My body was a lot more tuned than I remembered. Sheesh, had those chemicals changed my body? Mostly just out of stress.
Suddenly I got the worst hunger pang ever. Actually, when I thought about I, I had been ravenous sine waking up, I had just been ignoring it up to this point. "I'm hungry." I announced, and promptly walked into the kitchen.
Aunt Iris screamed. Quite loudly. "Wally!" I practically jumped out of my skin. Had she not known? I'd assumed she had. Had I ruined the secret? Then she started laughing. "I'm sorry, you just look ridiculous in that outfit."
I scowled. Just because I hated the outfit didn't give anyone else the right to knock it! Then my stomach growled and I promptly forgot about the stupid outfit.
Aunt Iris laughed again and asked, "You want me to make you a sandwich?" I shook my head. "Nah, I'll do it." It probably sounded more like "NahI'lldoit." To my aunt. I made my sandwich in record time and consumed it even faster. Still hungry, I grabbed an apple too.
Aunt Iris shook her head at what probably looked like an orange blur. "I don't know how I'm going to tolerate two Flashes. One is enough." I slowed down for a second a second and grinned impishly. "I guess you'll just have to deal with it."
Reviews? Reviews?
I'm just going to go two more ordinary days in the life of Kid Flash and his first battle in no particular order then I'm done.