It's been a long time, I know. For all of you who have waited this long...thank you. It means a lot. Enjoy...

Disclaimer: I may not own the rights, but I own THEIR SOULS!!!! ...ok, maybe not...


Chapter VII


Manchester, Alabama

Present day

The rays of sunshine pierced through the clouds like a knife. The wind was cool and refreshing. In the distance, you could hear the hum of city life. Cars honking, trains roaring, people chatting.

'No wonder he loves this place,' Kid Flash thought with a smirk.

The three heroes were zooming down the highway, just outside of the city. Kid Flash had taken Raven and Beast Boy into his speed stream so they could keep up. As they past the city, they got off the highway and shortly began booking it down a dirt road.

Kid Flash looked back at his friends. "We're almost there, guys!" he called.

Raven smiled and nodded. Beast Boy, at this point, had morphed back into his regular self and was just enjoying the ride. He gave a quick thumbs up to Wally, who just smirked, rolled his eyes and faced forward.

After a few seconds, they stopped in front of a nice little ranch about a mile or so outside of the city. The young Titans walked up the front steps and Kid Flash rang the bell.

Instantly, a middle aged man with white hair opened the door and smiled.

"Wally! Great to see you! Please, c'mon in!"

As soon as they all stepped in, Wally pulled his mask down and hugged their host.

"Good to see you too, Max," he said

Wally turned and made with the introductions. "Max, this is Raven and Beast Boy, from the Teen Titans. Guys, this is my friend Max Mercury. He's pretty much the first speedster…ever."

Max held out his hand. "A great pleasure to meet you both," he beamed.

BB immediately grabbed it and started shaking it wildly.

"Dude, that is so cool! The first one ever? Wow, you must be pretty old then, huh?" he blurted out.

Raven slapped her forehead and ran her hand down her face. 'Such an idiot,' she thought.

Max just laughed and shrugged. "I guess you could say that, but I try not to show it." He then turned to Raven and offered his hand. Max could tell that the empath was a bit hesitant.

"I swear, I'm docile," he joked. Raven smiled and shook his hand.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Mercury. Wally said you could help us with a problem."

Max turned to the red and yellow clad kid and asked "What problem?" Wally walked over and put his hand on Max's shoulder.

"Max, have you ever heard of a guy named Savitar?"

Max's silver eyes widened at the sound of that name. He froze in place and just stared for a minute. And a minute for a speedster is an eternity.

Beast Boy waved his hand in front of Max's face a few times. "Uh, I think he just checked out on us, Wal," he said.

Kid Flash gently shook Max back to the real world. Max then grabbed Kid Flash by his shoulders.

"Wally, tell me everything," he said sternly.

They all sat down and the Titans told their tale. How the ninjas attacked them. How the one told Wally about Savitar…and the Speed Force. And how the all met their end shortly afterwards. Once they finished, Max stood up.

"I didn't think he would return," he murmured.

Raven's eyes narrowed slightly. "So I take it you know him?"

"Unfortunately. It's a long story, really," he said, "but I'll tell you…"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1950

The night was cool, and the fog was thick. But then again, it tended to be that way at the south end docks.

Through the hazy night, one could make out the outlines of two men loading cargo into the back of a small boat.

"How late are we gonna be, anyway, Mikey? I'm missing Milton Berle!"

"Would you pipe down, Fred! We're almost done. By the time the cops figure out what's goin' down, we'll be long gone. Once we get this stuff to our dealers in Jersey, we'll have enough money to-"

KRACK!!!

A blue and white streak flashed through the fog and knocked Mikey back through a pile of small crates.

Fred, stunned at what he saw, jumped off the boat. He was about to start running, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and soon found himself against a wall, held up by his collar.

"Wh-who the hell are you?!" he choked.

The masked man smirked.

"I've gone by a lot of names, but you can call me Windrunner. And I'm taking you to the police."

Fred thought he was busted for sure. But when he looked over the speedster's shoulder, he saw Mikey emerge from the broken crates. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a revolver. Fred smirked.

"Don't bet on that, freak!"

Windrunner glared. He was about to beat the sense out of Fred when he heard the sound of a gun hammer being cocked back.

SHRRIIPP!!!

The blue and white clad speedster spun around to find Mikey had been impaled by a sharp 2x4. And when he fell, Windrunner noticed the man responsible standing behind him.

"Who are you?! What do you think you're doing?!"

Instead of answering, the mysterious figure zoomed past Windrunner, grabbed Fred, and tossed him over the pier.

Windrunner sprinted over as well, and caught the falling thug. After he laid him on the floor, he stood up and faced the figure again.

"Are you going to answer my question?!" he demanded.

The other speedster chuckled.

"I had to see if it was really you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are the one once known as Ahwehota, are you not?"

Windrunner glared. "There was a time I went by that name, yes. Who are you?"

The man stepped forward.

"I am Savitar. I am just like you, Ahwehota. We both run with the wind. I have long searched for you, and now my quest is over."

Windrunner was still hesitant. "What do you want with me…Savitar, was it?"

Savitar nodded. "I must know the truth. I have spent years researching and reading…trying to find the answer. What powers us? What was it that bestowed upon us this incredible gift? What was it that allowed me to destroy the army that invaded my country? And what was it that helped you save that tribe of Indians all those decades ago?"

Windrunner crossed his arms.

"Well, you've certainly done your homework. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what it is that powers us. I know it is some kind of…force, for lack of a better term. But each time I've tried to reach it, I end up time traveling forward." He looked down at the corpse near Savitar's feet.

"And as far as us being the same," he said, pointing to Mikey's body, "we're not."

Savitar clenched his fists. "I sought you out because you were the first of us…because I thought you could help me find the answers. I believed you would join me, that together we could breech the barrier and become one with the lightning."

Windrunner loosened up. 'He's about to book it,' he thought.

"Clearly, I was mistaken. You are obviously unworthy to join me. You concern yourself with the matters of lesser beings. It is of no surprise that you have not touched this…Speed Force. Only the fastest man alive can."

"Enough talk. You murdered that man over there. I'm taking you in."

"HAHAHAHAHA! I doubt you can, Ahwehota. You are too slow to catch me!"

With that, Savitar took off in a dead sprint over the water, and Windrunner zoomed closely after him.

The two speedsters began a race around the globe, with both men side by side exchanging the occasional punch.

Half way across the Pacific, Windrunner thought of a crazy idea that just might stop Savitar. There was great risk, but there was also no choice.

"Hey Savitar! You want the answers?! Then follow me!" he called.

Windrunner began to push himself, harder and faster that ever. Savitar, not to be out done, was in hot pursuit.

Lightning began to crackle around them, as the ran faster and faster. Soon, they found themselves in what seemed to be a tunnel of light. There was something calling to them…something wonderful. They were going someplace where time has no meaning. A place that Savitar had never been, and that Windrunner knew all to well.

But just before they reached the other side, Windrunner grabbed Savitar's arm and with all his might, tossed him against the tunnel wall, causing a portal to open into the time stream.

Both men fell into the hole, and in a flash of light, it was over.

Windrunner rose up from the sidewalk he had landed on. He looked around frantically for Savitar, but there was no trace of him.

'He must've gone further ahead. Either that or he didn't survive,' he thought.

The weak speedster stumbled to the nearest police station, hoping that would be the last he would hear of the man called Savitar.

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Manchester, Alabama

Present day

Kid Flash, Raven, and Beast Boy all sat and stared at Max when he finished his tale. He smirked.

"I always knew how to entertain guests," he joked.

Raven shook her head back to reality.

"I'm guessing you were Windrunner, then?"

"Yes. I've used a lot of names in my time. Windrunner, Whip Whirlwind, Lightning, Ahwehota…"

Beast Boy chimed in. "Uh, I got a question. What kind of name is that, anyway? I mean, Whip Whirlwind sounds kinda lame too, but that's just mmph!"

Raven used her energy to wrap around Beast Boy's mouth. Max just chuckled.

"Ahwehota is a Native American name. It means 'He who moves beyond the wind.' It was the first name I used as a speedster," he explained.

Beast Boy morphed into a fly, escaped Raven's little censor bar, and changed back.

"Oh. Cool."

Wally stood up. "Max, what can you tell us about those ninjas of his? How did they get their speed?"

Max rubbed his chin.

"I don't know, Wally. Perhaps when I threw Savitar against the field, the Speed Force may have transferred more power to him. And he's not exactly stupid…he would have figured how to manipulate those new abilities by now."

"Did he have followers when you went up against him?" asked Raven.

Max shrugged. "It's possible. He didn't mention it, but with his kind of zealotry, I wouldn't be surprised."

Wally scratched his head.

"Now for the million dollar question. What's his beef with me?"

"Well, your connection does appear to be stronger than most others, even your uncle's. I'm guessing he had some problems trying to channel it out of you, so he sent his lackeys to bring you to him," said Max.

Raven put her hand on Kid Flash's shoulder. "That would explain everything that's happened lately," she murmured.

Kid Flash nodded. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fit.

Just then, Kid Flash's communicator started going off. He quickly flipped it open to see Robin's face on the screen.

"Kid Flash, report. Did you find out anything?"

"Yeah, we did. Max gave us the low down on this guy. He's bad news."

"They usually are. We couldn't find out anything at the tower, but there are more reports coming in about city neighborhoods tearing themselves apart. You'd better get back here, buddy. We need you guys."

"Got it, bud. We're on our way," said Wally. He closed his communicator and put his mask back on.

"Max? Do you think you could come with us? We could use your help."

Max Mercury put his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled.

"You three kids go on ahead. I'll catch up to you," he said.

Kid Flash smiled and turned to his friends.

"Ok guys. Let's get going."

Both Raven and Beast Boy nodded. Kid Flash opened the door, and in a split second, he swept up his friends in his speed stream, and they were gone.

Max shook his head and smiled. 'Just like Barry,' he thought.

He turned around and headed towards his closet, but a huge gust of wind knocked him to the floor. Max began to look around the room. He knew that was no ordinary wind.

"The years have been kind to you, Ahwehota," said a chilling voice, "but do not expect the same kindness from me!"

KRACKOOM!!!!

A streak of blue lightning shot across the room and zapped Max where he sat. The force of the blow was so strong, it sent him flying through the wall of his house. He landed out in his yard, unconscious and barely breathing.

A dark figure emerged from the smoking hole in the wall. His eyes dangerously crackled with electricity. He chuckled to himself.

"With you out of the way, and the other speedsters either preoccupied or powerless, nothing can stop me now. The boy's destiny will be mine for the molding. And his friends, the Teen Titans, will be disposed of…swiftly!"


Hopefully this was worth the wait. If you're still interested, please feel free to review. I'm working on the next chapter, too, so there won't be such a long gap next time. Till then, loyal readers...