Part 1: Even Heroes Bleed
Chapter Rating: PG-13 (Bad language. Couldn't be helped)
Summary: While Wally tries to get his life back on track new and old enemies make a move on the league, abducting an important member.
Disclaimer: The DC characters are not mine. I'm just playing with them. They'll be returned…eventually, not in good condition but that can hardly be blamed on me!
Author's Note: B-sharp.
Chapter 2 - Infra Dignitatem
It was past evening and into the night; the sun long set on his jewel. Of course his partner was late. Not unexpected but annoying nonetheless. He didn't have anywhere to go. In fact they rarely let him out of his cell and when they did, everything was supervised and scrutinized. He'd be more than glad when he got out of here. And when he did he'd find a way to fulfill his destiny.
A rapping on the bar of his cell drew him from his plotting.
"What took you?" Lex walked over to the window. He couldn't see the other person but it could only be him. Lex assumed that he rested on some sort of sill. Either that or he levitated. Neither was out of the question.
"I saw something interesting and went to investigate."
"Next time-"
"Don't you make demands on me, Luthor. Your freedom rests in my hands. If you ever want to take what you think is yours you best remember your place." The threat was delivered in an almost nonchalant voice, so confident of his power.
Luthor seethed for many seconds before calming himself. When he was out of this place, when he was in control again, he'd make the rules and make this vermin dance to them. "Are you done with your preparations?" he asked in regards to their plan.
"Yes. I've made some interesting observations."
"Well, don't keep me in suspense," Lex said dryly.
Unfamiliar with the tone, the other man elaborated. "There are many people who feel as you do. They fear the strength of the Justice League and, as is their nature, they learn to hate them. The super-beings they are weak against, but I can give them a real face, a real identity to direct their upset towards. I can bring the world down on them."
It sounded like a good plan. Why should they have to do all the work? Let the people bring down their champions and pave the way for his ascension to power. Of course the first step was to pick whom to break first. He asked and was pleased with the answer.
"The Flash."
A few more details were discussed but when a corrections officer walked by to check on Luthor, his partner in crime fled. It would not do them any good to get caught now.
As he walked through the streets of Metropolis as just another nameless face he mused on some amendments to the plan. Luthor wouldn't care one way or another. The Flash was his enemy and a man like Luthor didn't even spare mercy on his friends. No, Luthor wouldn't object. In fact if things went right, they would have an inside source on the Justice League and he would have a plaything to satisfy his interests. No, wait, that wasn't quite right. What was the phrase they used? Oh, yes –morbid curiosity.
He would start soon. Know thy enemy, they say. He agreed.
+JLU+
"There's a lot you can do with speed."
Flash's mouth just twisted into a doubtful expression.
"I'm serious."
"I can't fly…"
"Flying isn't everything."
"…unless I had wings."
"Flying isn't everything!"
"No need to take offence just because you can't fly. They say flying isn't everything." This time it was Green Arrow's expression that twisted. "If I were to make wings how big do you think they'd have to be for me to fly?"
"To carry your ego, pretty big."
Flash was ready with a retort but was interrupted.
"Are you guys at it again?" Black Canary stood in their path. "If I wasn't so secure, I'd be jealous."
In the blink of an eye the Flash was next to her, invading her personal space. "Don't worry, he's not my type. You however,"
"Back off, Speedy. She's mine."
Flash was known to make a faux pas or two when it came to dealing with women so he knew one when he heard it. The possessiveness in Arrow's words wasn't going to go over well. It was time to exit.
"Gotta go!" A strong breeze accompanied his words and then it was just Green Arrow and a pissed Canary. Black Canary wouldn't give him too hard a time over it but he'd learn his lesson.
"Where's the fire?" Superman asked as Wally skid to a halt in front of him. On the old flooring of the former navy base serving as their temporary headquarters the skid was punctuated with a loud squeak.
"No fire. Killer birds, yes."
Superman wasn't sure whether that meant Shayera was on the rampage or Black Canary. He'd would never admit (not even to himself) to fleeing fuming females but strategic evasion wasn't out of the question.
He joined the Flash in heading in the opposite direction. "How was your training?" Flash looked surprised that he new about it.
It had been a spur of the moment thing a week ago and now he was training almost regularly with Green Arrow, learning a few tricks.
"Small world," Superman smiled at Flash's expression.
"Apparently." In response to Superman's inquiry he shrugged. "It's okay. Have you heard anything about the Human Federation?" They'd been busy trying to weed this latest threat out into the open but since the attempted attack on the still under-construction watch tower a few weeks ago, there had been nothing but some name-calling directed at League members who were on missions.
"Not yet. They seem to be below our radar."
"You think they'd trust us by now. We're not trying to take over."
The Justice Lords did, Superman couldn't help but think. He could also understand how they'd reached the point of dictatorship, he could even see a reasonable path to it and he was disgusted with himself. It was a darker side of himself that he'd seen in the Justice Lords' Superman and it was a side he could no longer pretend did not exist. Still he knew that it would have taken something to push the alternate him over the edge, something unthinkable, something personal, something tragic.
Beside him Wally, hidden behind red spandex, blathered on about something that had him smiling but Clark wasn't paying attention. He enjoyed the young man's company but it didn't mean he was always listening. There was something peaceful about his consistency. You could always count on the Flash to be the Flash.
+JLU+
When there were too many moving pieces he was the only one who could see a pattern. Some called it genius others called it psychosis, sometimes there was hardly a difference between the two. Whatever it was called they were counting on him now.
Batman had come to him, actually sought him out, and dropped numerous hints that something was happening and they needed his help. The clandestine nature of the meeting informed Question that this was supposed to be kept on the hush but it wasn't like he went around publishing his conspiracy theories, at least not until he was entirely certain.
So we have moving pieces, Batman, and now –he crouched down and picked up the small object –a cigarette butt. The rest of the room was strewn with other tidbits, some electronics here and there and if he took a sample he was sure there'd be traces of plastic explosives. Bombs had been made here. Whether they'd already been used he couldn't tell. Speculate, on the other hand? Yes. The only thing out of place was the cigarette. Given all the other small pieces of trash strewn across the floor most people would have thought little of the small brown filter but he wasn't just anybody.
He put the evidence in a small plastic bag and pocketed it. There was nothing else to be found here. He'd be back later when his theory was more mature and he was looking for specific evidence, but until then he had other places to search.
Exiting the small building was much easier than entering had been. It was a maze of narrow corridors and locked doors. Paranoia, he deduced. When he finally made it outside he felt another presence. He knew who it was. It was always her. She, for some reason, seemed to enjoy his personality. With a blank face it had to be the personality that attracted her.
"Was it worth it?"
"It always is." He strode to his motorcycle. "What are you doing here Huntress?"
"I just thought I'd keep an eye on you. Never know when you might need back up."
He refrained from informing her that if he needed back up he'd have all he could ever want by pressing the comm. device in his ear. As no longer a part of the League the security of back-up was a luxury she didn't have.
"Are you done now?" she asked.
"My work is never done."
"Are you done for today?" She leaned in close.
His usual answer would have been 'no', but for her, "Yes."
"Good." She began to walk to her own bike, hidden between some large crates. "There's this place I want to check out."
"Check out how?" It wasn't often she wanted to do things in the more inconspicuous manner that he preferred. Sometimes she just liked to barge in and see what happened.
"Let's just see how it plays out." Smiling, Huntress pulled on her matching black and purple helmet and started the engine. "Race ya." A second later it was only the smell of burnt rubber with the Question.
"A bit of an unfair advantage since I don't even know where we're going," he said to himself. He donned his own helmet and sped off to catch up with her. He was always up to playing her games.
It didn't take long to reach her, obviously she'd been waiting for him. As she guided them to an upscale lounge his thoughts were still churning around his head attempting to make sense of the evidence he'd collected so far and what he'd observed of the past few months. None of the theories he came up with spelled anything good or the Justice League.
+JLU+
'With the increased threat of superhuman attacks on our soil we're taking initiatives to protect our citizens.'
'What about the Justice League? They've always been the ones to deal with threats like that.'
'Yes, and we owe them a lot.'
"You're damn right you do."
"Language."
"Sorry." He ignored the snickering coming from the two small people in front of him and returned his attention back to the newscast.
'…however, it's imperative that we attain a force of comparable ability; a team that answers to our government, our president.'
'Are you suggesting your own meta-human army?'
'I'm suggesting a team of soldiers loyal to us. Superpower, superspeed, unimportant. What is important is the notion that we don't need to rely on a force that won't put the needs of Americans first.
'Admiral, are you looking to any existing special forces teams to recruit members.'
'Nothing is written in stone yet except the need for such a team. The Justice League just isn't enough.'
"Boo!" Popcorn began hitting the TV screen, tossed by two young Justice League fans.
"Hey, you two, quit it! No throwing food!" Iris Allen directed a motherly glare at her two kids. Fraternal twins, Donald and Dawn in terms of personality were as different as two people could be, yet somehow were very still very close. They were only seven years old, Dawn eight minutes older than her brother but they were old enough to know what they liked, hated, and just old enough to talk back with some conviction. Adolescence was going to be quite the journey.
The doorbell rang and nobody moved, still glued to the program on the TV. Iris sighed seeing that neither her husband Barry nor her kids was going to get up. She headed to the entrance of their modest house and peaked through the window.
"Wally!" she hugged him as soon as she opened the door.
"Hey, Aunt Iris. How are you?"
"I'm good." She smiled at him and pulled back a little. "I'm really good."
He smiled back. She was looking better and her eyes were lit with something that had been missing for too long.
It was devastation that she'd felt when the doctors had diagnosed her husband with a usually fatal form of cancer. The disease in Barry's case was believed to have been induced by his exposure to rare radiation forms at work. He was a research scientist working for the Central City Police Department. The police were eager for any edge against super-powered criminals and Barry was driven to help them. Unfortunately he'd take a few too many risks.
The treatment for the cancer had been swift and brutal, but ultimately successful at least for now. The side effects however where nearly as bad as the disease. Loss of hair, lost weight, lost appetite, he'd practically wasted away and there had been no end in sight. The treatment had killed the cancer but it seemed to have killed other parts of his body too. Their only hope had been a radical and just-this-side-of-experimental treatment.
Barry had balked at the idea, particularly after he heard the price and that his health insurance wouldn't cover it. They'd debated over it for days, Barry's condition worsening with each one, almost to the point that even the new treatment couldn't bring him back. The last day of their argument Wally had been there, as he always was, skipping school and some League work to be with his Uncle.
Iris and Barry were still going at it, both desperate to make the other see sense. Wally, silent on the issue for the first time since Barry had turned down treatment stood off to the side staring out the window.
"Don't be so selfish!"
"I'm not being selfish!"
We're all selfish, Wally though bitterly to himself.
"I just want to die with some dignity!"
That was all Wally could take.
"What dignity! What's so great about wasting away and making us watch? If you want dignity then you'll go out fighting this with everything you have!"
"And what about after?" Barry wheezed. "When you're all struggling to pay the bills?"
"You're worth it!" Wally walked to his bedside. "But if you don't think so then fine, sit here! Give up! Toss it all away just because you're too much of a chicken shit to take a chance! Die here, with all of us around you, hating you because you made us give up. Make you're kids cry, make them grow up without you, make them think that they're not worth fighting this!" He glared down at the man he had admired most. "You tell me! Where's the fucking dignity in that!"
Wally stormed out with nary a glance back at his stunned Aunt and Uncle. He didn't return to the hospital for days and when he did Barry was looking better having accepted the treatment. Wally stood awkwardly in the doorway unsure of his welcome. On the bed with Barry slept Don and Dawn. Barry looked up feeling eyes on him and met the conflicted eyes of his nephew.
"I'm sorry," Wally croaked out. Barry just stared at him and Wally left.
"Wally!" Barry had called after him but he didn't return. He looked down at his children and petted the red-blonde hair of his son. "Thank you."
Since then Wally hadn't been around as much as he had been before. Barry had tried to talk to him but Wally was evasive. He came by every once in a while and would baby-sit when he was needed but there was a gap between Wally and Barry now.
"How have you been?" Iris asked pulling her nephew inside.
"Pretty good." He hung up his jacket and took of his shoes before following Iris to the living room where the other three Allen's were assembled around the talking box.
"Wally!" Dawn and Don exclaimed in unison. They ran over to greet him.
"Hey, Double-D!" Iris smacked him lightly on the back of the head. She hated that nickname even if the kids didn't know what it meant.
"When are you going to take us to the park? You said you would," Dawn whined. Wally was always more fun than her parents where when they went to the park. Mostly because he let them do things their parents wouldn't.
"I fixed my r/c car. I want to try it out," Don added
"How about Saturday?" The kids cheered and Wally hoped that nothing would come up between now and then to make him unable to make the date.
From the recliner Barry watched Wally interact with his family. Guilt was still weighing down the young man and Barry was determined to banish it. Iris must have noticed because a minute later she dragged the kids to the kitchen with her to help make dinner leaving Wally and Barry alone.
"Are you just going to stand there?" Barry asked. Wally stiffly sat down on the couch, rubbing the palms of his hands nervously on his pants. "Are you unhappy that I'm here?" Barry asked patiently.
"What? No!"
"Then why are you always so depressed when you're around me?"
"It's…" Wally looked in the direction of the kitchen obviously wishing that he could escape this conversation but getting up and walking away would only emphasize that Barry couldn't. He was ambulatory but still quite slow. And whose fault is that, asked his conscience. "It's not you. It's what I did. If you didn't want the treatment it should have been your call. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"I actually wanted to thank you for that but you didn't give me the chance." Barry smile wryly. "I'm glad you changed my mind because you were right. So, thank you."
Wally smiled, still a little sad but definitely with relief. Just as he was about to say something his phone rang its special ring. J'onn had managed to connect his cell phone to the League communication system so that when he was Wally he could communicate using the phone. It was a lot less suspicious than holding you're ear and talking to air.
He gave Barry an apologetic look before flipping it open. "What's up?"
"They need back up in Cleveland." It sounded like Mr. Terrific but he could hear J'onn in the background dispatching other heroes.
"Got it. I'm there." He snapped his phone closed. "I gotta go."
"League stuff."
"Yeah.
Iris and Barry where the only two people outside the League (other than Dick Grayson) who knew his identity and he trusted them never to let it out.
"Be careful."
"Always am." He said a quick good-bye to the others then left. Barry still worried about his superhero work. Wally's idea of careful had never been anywhere in the scope of his. However, as a survivor of a cancer that was mostly his fault he wasn't one to judge.
+JLU+
It was controlled chaos when the Flash arrived on the scene. The police had cordoned off the perpetrators and there were two JL members on the scene already. It appeared to be Supergirl and Red Tornado, both of them were flying leaving the Flash down on the ground with the mere mortals.
"What's going on?" Flash asked of one of the officers.
"Officer Mahoney," the man introduced himself quickly. "A bunch of kids just went nuts. Attacking people, stealing anything they could get their hands on and they aren't affected by stun guns and rubber bullets don't bother them."
"Are you sure they're really kids?"
"I'm sure." The man glanced to the convenience store the kids were cornered in. "I walk this beat a lot. I know most of them. They're not perfect but I never would have expected this from them."
"Don't worry we'll figure this out," Flash assured the dejected and confused man, not even considering a less satisfactory alternative.
The officer nodded and once again slipped into his professional cop mode. "We aren't sure if they're all armed. Probably some knives, at least one bat, don't know about guns."
Through the windows of the convenience store they could just make out the kids raiding the snacks and drinks. There was no telling how long this stand off would last but "at least we won't need to send them food," Flash mumbled. Mahoney slid a glance to the speedster.
"Flash!" Kara flew over, just noticing his arrival. "You ready to bust in there?"
"You can't!" A bystander slipped under the barricade and ran over. "My sister's in there!" Before he could make it all the way the teenager was intercepted by some officers on crowd control.
"He's right," said Flash, sympathizing with the man. "They're just kids. We need to do this…delicate."
Kara frowned. She didn't do delicate really well. "Fine."
It only took a few minutes to formulate a plan. The major player would be the knock out gas. Hopefully it would still have an affect on them otherwise it was Plan B, which was still in the works.
"You ready?" Mahoney asked handing the gas canisters to the fastest man alive.
"Always." As soon as he had them he ran to the front doors of the store. Before the kids knew it the store was filling with a white gas hissing from three silver canisters.
They dashed for the exit but Supergirl was holding it closed. Soon the whole store was clouded. The pounding against the bullet-proof windows was vaguely disturbing but the gas would knock them out soon enough. Or it would have if Supergirl hadn't let go.
As she staggered backwards holding her head and the teens began pouring out of the store, coughing and most collapsing no more than a few meters from the entrance. Others were less affected by the gas and continued their rampage. They went after the first person they could get to which was Supergirl. Red Tornado managed to blow three of them away from her but another two got close enough to land a few blows. Just as another barrage of blows was starting Kara struck back.
She caught a fist just inches before it struck her face and threw the young man across the street. He would have been brought to an abrupt halt by a police cruiser but lucky for him the Flash caught him. Still dazed for his flight the kid didn't struggle as nearby officers moved in and cuffed him.
Stunned by what had just happened Flash turned back to Supergirl wondering what had gotten into her. She was staggering around like she was intoxicated but her eyes were dull.
"There's something wrong with her," Flash stated.
The now hand-cuffed young man began to regain lucidity mumbling as awareness returned. Wally crouched down and with a hand on the boys chin made him look up at him. He and the other officers watched as the cloudy haze faded from his eyes.
"What's going on?" the kid asked finally.
Flash shook his head in confusion. "I don't know."
"Supergirl, stop!" Red Tornado had intercepted the super-being before she could go after another teen less affected by the gas but she wasn't about to give up so easily. Red Tornado struggled to keep them separate as he dolled out and received blows from both of them. He blew the teenage girl down with a blast of air but before he could turn to face his colleague Kara swung her clasped hands striking him in the back of the head. The android stumbled forward temporarily disoriented and a second sudden blow struck his back knocking him over completely.
Flash intercepted Kara before she could strike again but even when he tried to talk her out of whatever trance she was under she came after him. A punch left followed by a quick right had him weaving out of harms way. There was no telling how much damage she could do and she looked to be in a real rage. Flash jumped back to dodge a round house kick but she flew at him with another. A huge gust of wind nearly had Flash airborne but it managed to push Kara back.
"Supergirl! Snap out of it!" Flash pounced on her, tackling her to the ground and trapping one wrist in each hand. "Fight it!"
She shook her head but when their eyes met hers were still clouded. Her face twisted into a snarl as she pushed him away just enough to get her legs up and kick him in the gut. She went on the offensive again and Flash had no choice but to defend himself.
He blocked a particularly vicious swing of her arm with his forearm. Pain burst through the entire limb and he knew that she'd broken one of the bones.
She continued with her assault forcing Flash to step back with each swing. As his stress mounted he felt something clawing at his mind urging him to fight back as brutally as possible.
When he caught Supergirl's right hook with his good hand he spun around as quickly as possible and threw the woman into the convenience store. The glass shattered on impact with a shower of white sparkles.
"Keep her down!" Flash ordered ruthlessly to Red Tornado and rounded on the group of teens that still lay unconscious on the ground. He resisted the urge to kick them, but the feeling scratching away his conscience was growing so he knew he was on the right track. On his knees he rolled a few of them over looking for something out of place. He could hear more glass breaking from somewhere behind him and the sounds around him grew louder, drowning out even his thoughts. One hand clawed at his neck trying to use a different pain to counter the pain expanding through his head.
'What do you think you're doing!' Flash heard someone yell so loudly that it was barely intelligible. The world around him began to vibrate making reality look more like an abstract painting. He continued to search. He knew he was getting close.
He felt his eyes begin to water as the discomfort deepened and the voice grew harsher. 'You're nothing but a failure…Can't be trusted with anything…so weak…pathetic…I'll watch you crumble…' the voice derided.
In the confusion something began to stand out. It was shiny and white. He reached out, quickly removing the large white jewel from a necklace of one of the girls. The voice continued to scream at him telling him how worthless he was, calling him an unloved bastard, gutter trash –slews of insults he'd heard over his life and more he hadn't.
He began to squeeze the crystal, watching as it began to glow a vibrant white. The mocking voice became so shrill it rattled his teeth. Cracks began to grow, weaving a web of dark streaks into the bright white pattern of light being produced until finally it splintered into tiny razor sharp pieces in his hand. The noise and the voice began to die away but the taunts continued until they faded to silence. The last one was just a whisper in his ears.
'They didn't love you enough…they let you go…property of the state…'
"Flash?" The voice suddenly cut through the silence he'd been shrouded in. When he looked up Kara was kneeling in front of him, eyes wracked with guilt. He tried to tell her it wasn't her fault but the words died somewhere between his brain and his mouth.
She took his right hand in hers uncurling his rigid fingers. She hissed in sympathy as the damage was revealed. The slivers had cut through his costume, into his fingers and palm, some quite deeply. He remained oddly silent even as blood dripped from his hand.
"I'm sorry, Flash." She began to pick out the shards but only managed to get a few before he jerked away from her and stood. He stared down at her and then Red Tornado. Around them the police were nearly done. They'd collected the perpetrators and were securing the area. He hadn't noticed any of it.
"Flash?" Red Tornado's smooth voice didn't register and suddenly the Flash was gone.
"Is he okay?" Officer Mahoney asked as he came over to the two remaining heroes.
"I don't know." She looked at her bloody hands –Flash's blood, your fault, her mind insisted –and at the transparent shards of what looked like harmless crystal but most certainly wasn't. "This is what caused all of this." She held out one of the shards to the officer knowing they'd need the evidence to clear the kids. Mahoney took the bloody shard in a small clear bag. Kara held onto the others for the League scientists to examine.
"What should we do about Flash?" Red Tornado asked.
Kara was silent for a few seconds. She reached to her ear and activated her communication device. "J'onn. I think there might be something wrong with the Flash."
+JLU+
When he stopped he didn't know where he was but he didn't care either. He was breathing heavily, quite possibly hyperventilating but he couldn't bring himself under control. Shaking hands clutched at his head and chest trying to ease the rapidly mounting anguish.
The temperature seemed to climb several degrees in only a few seconds making him perspire but he was shivering too. Clammy pale skin began to stick to his suit making it feel tighter and more constricting than it truly was. He was suffocating. He ripped off his mask still gasping for air and smearing blood from his hand onto his face. His legs quivered and gave out and he collapsed to his knees. Beams of sunlight began to attack his eyes, brighter and brighter until finally all he saw was white burning light making his head throb twice as badly.
Suddenly he keeled over emptying his stomach of its few contents of undigested food and something really bitter. He shuddered with each clenching of his stomach, the contraction arching his whole body.
The spasms of his oesophageal muscles having ended for the time being he fell to the side onto the dusty earth. The dry soil stuck to the tearstains on his face. When he'd started crying was beyond the scope of his warped memory. All he could do was lay there.
Then it was green, lots of green but with orange eyes.
"Flash," a voice whispered from far away. This time it was a nice voice with calm, even tone. "Wally, listen to me. You're going to be alright. Hang on."
J'onn brushed away sweat matted hair from the pale forehead. Wally's only response was a choked whimper that hurt J'onn to hear. He scooped the barely conscious man up into his arms and took off for the Javelin hovering nearby.
"Is he okay?" Shayera's worried voice filtered through the earpiece. When they'd arrived at Flash's location J'onn had without warning phased through the plane leaving her no choice but to fly it since there was no place to land.
"He hurts, terribly," J'onn answered. He flew to the ship with Wally secure in his grasp. The jagged Appalachian precipice and its deadly decline, where Wally had stopped only meters from the edge would be left behind, a nightmare that didn't came true.
End Chapter 2 – Below One's Dignity
"You tell me. Where's the dignity in that?" Wally says that in this story but I SWEAR I've heard that somewhere else. When I wrote it I thought it was original but when I read it over it sounded really familiar. If anyone knows where I may have heard this I would appreciate it. Thanks
Sagga…