Ride the Lightning

Conduction 2.2

It was Wednesday morning and I was finishing up another run for Parian. This time I had been delivering a prototype to an outfitter in Los Angeles. The plus side to this delivery schtick is that, once my package is dropped off, I have a backpack's worth of space for souvenirs. In this case I had a spider in amber from the La Brea Tar Pits and a t-shirt from the Grand Canyon.

Coming back into Brockton Bay I couldn't help but to marvel at the still life image the city presented. As fast as I am moving, pedestrians become statues, cars slowly crawl up and down the streets. In the sky an airplane was moving along at a steady if not overly fast clip. The sky wasn't pristine though.

There was smoke in it.

I took off in the direction of the docks, passing several firetrucks on the way. Shooting through the boardwalk, I crossed over into the Eastern Slums. The whole area was filled with run down buildings. Once upon a time they were low income housing, rented by the poor with the aid of government subsidies. Over the last 20 years those subsidies dried up. With the tanking of the local economy, the already poor area got worse. Now this was Merchant territory.

While I am not one to lay every problem in the City at Parahuman feet, in this case it seemed warranted. Rounding a block I came up on the source of the smoke. Three tenement buildings were engulfed in flames. The source of the fire was on display in the street in front of the buildings. A tall man in ragged clothes stood in front of the center building. The ground around him was covered in a strangely pulsing blue haze of some kind. A mask covered the top half of his face.

This must be Skidmark.

All around the Cape were other members of his gang. They had guns and knives in their hands, one heaving what I'm sure was a molotov cocktail. Their targets were a group of skinheads across the street. Five young men, shaved heads, multiple piercings, black combat boots. A couple had red laces. This group was also armed, handguns and a shot gun evident. Standing on the hood of a truck behind the skinheads was a fairly well built man in loose pants with a tiger mask on his face.

Stormtiger.

I just ran into the middle of a gang fight with capes involved.

Shit.

One problem at a time. As decrepit as this part of the city is, I'm pretty sure people live in these buildings. As heroic as the fire department is, there is no way they are going to be putting out a fire or doing search and rescue in the middle of a cape fight. Skirting behind the Merchants, I headed into the first building. At six stories in height it only took a few moments to go through.

Like so many things, fire gets really weird when viewed at super speed. Flames crawled slowly up the walls. I could tell that the place was hot, in so far as the air pressure felt different as I moved through it. Still my power apparently protected me from the direct effects of the heat. The first couple of floors were deserted, though there were signs of habitation. Apparently those near the fight left while the gettin was good. On the third floor I entered an apartment to find a young woman I assumed to be a mother cowering in an empty bathtub with a child who couldn't be older than 3. Since she had a tight hold on the child I grabbed the woman by her shoulders and pulled her out the tub, through the apartment, down the burning stairs, past the gangbangers and down the block. Stopping at a vacant lot I had passed on my way to the fire I left the pair there. A quick detour back to the slowly approaching firetruck and I was able to locate a roll of incident tape; like crime scene tape, but less accusatory. I made sure to mark the vacant lot with the tape on my way back to the fire. Four more trips through the flaming buildings and I was able to leave the vacant lot behind me with 10 people, three cats and a ferret in it.

Elapsed time on scene: 90 seconds.

It's kind of scary how much can happen in such a short period of time.

While I had been searching flaming buildings for people to evacuate, the gang fight had continued. Coming back to the center of the conflict I could see that one of the Empire thugs had taken a shot in the left shoulder, blood crawling out of the entry wound as he fell backwards and twisted to the side. Stormtiger was moving his right arm in a slashing motion while across the street two Merchants had left the ground, drifting backwards towards the buildings while ribbons of red misted into the air from rends in their shirts.

This was going to get lethal fast if I didn't stop it.

Taking a moment to examine the situation, I decided it was a question of priorities. The Capes were the most dangerous element of this fight, so taking them out first caused the greatest reduction in threat the fastest. That said, the normal (or as normal as fanatical junkies and nazi's could be considered to be) gang members were also the most vulnerable. If I removed them, I could then deal with Skidmark and Stormtiger in a more creative way. Decision made I got to work.

Priority 1, gunshot victim. I raced behind Stormtiger and grabbed the guy, and rocket back towards the responding Fire Trucks. They are now only 20 or so blocks away, but I can tell they are slowing down. Apparently I was right and word of Cape involvement has them staging a safe distance away. I come to a stop in the middle of the road, far enough away the the lead truck has enough time to stop. Laying the Empire goon down in the road I rush to the truck and grab a guy in a blue helmet that says MEDIC on the front. A second later and we are standing over the victim, the fireman a bit unsteady on his feet. I put everything I have into projecting a confident appearance.

"I evacuated this guy from the gang fight slash tenement fire slash cape fight going on down the street. Single gunshot to left shoulder, no exit wound. Also, I evacuated the buildings that are burning. Also, I'm going to clear out the remaining criminals so you guys can get in and help. Also I've said also too much haven't I? AnywaygottarunohI'mTheFlashbytheway!"

Nailed it!

Rushing back to the fight I congratulate and chastise myself at the same time. Good decision making, nice save…. And I took way too long to turn around and head back. The reality of that realization hits home when I watch a Merchant go down.

Standing a short distance away was the Skinhead holding the shotgun. He was pointing the Merchant who was now laying on the ground, hands clasped over his gut. Red blood was leaking slowly between his fingers, a fine mist of it in the air. An empty shell was falling from the ejection port on the side of the weapon. My eyes widened as I saw the kids finger start to tighten on the trigger. He was going to blast the downed guy again.

I shot forward, exerting myself for the first time in ages. As my foot hit the ground the trigger reached the point of no return. A supersonic CRACK sounded as a shell was discharged in the chamber of the shot gun. The weapon had been fired, I was now racing an explosion.

Five steps in and I had crossed two thirds of the distance between me and the gunman. His shoulder was just starting to rock backwards with the kick of the shotgun. The end of the barrel had the first licks of flame coming out of it.

Another step, pushing harder. I could see a pellet edging slowly from the end of the barrel. More would be following soon. I reached out with both of my arms.

Another step and I was almost between the rival gang members. With my left hand I reached out and grabbed the shoulder of the Merchants denim jacket. With my right hand I reached for the barrel of the gun.

Another step. Whatever it was about my power that let me move without burning up in the air, I felt it envelop the Merchant I held, jerking him along with me. To my right the shotgun was now pointing straight up. Only a few pellets of shot had been able to escape before my redirection.

Across the street I slowed down enough to actually check out my Junkie. Time sped back up around me. The roar of the shotgun blast rolled through the air. The gangbanger at my feet groaned and what had been a slow trickle of blood at superspeed proved to be a gushing torrent in real time. With a regretful look back at the on going fight I again grabbed the shot kid and headed for medic. I deposited gunshot victim number 2 right next to number 1.

"ThisManWasShotAndIsBleedingOutIHaveToGo!"

I pushed myself the whole way back to the fight. No one else was getting shot over whatever bullshit the gangs were fighting over. I zigzagged back and forth across the street. 15 blocks away a police car suddenly pulled up on two piles of weapons. Each one had a sticky note attached to it with a description of the person I took it from. The police car was just starting to slow to a stop so as not to run into the piles of weapons when the back seat was suddenly filled. Less Nazi's, so they got to go in the police car. I headed back to the fight leaving 5 mostly grown men sitting handcuffed in each others laps in the back of the police car.

Another four passes through the scene of the fight and I had managed to remove all of the normal Merchants. They were also secured to the police car. In this case, trusty duct tape came to the rescue and I had taped them to the hood.

Burning building evacuated. Gang members disarmed and delivered to law enforcement. Now, the capes.

This was another decision point. As I came back to the fight I could tell that both Skidmark and Stormtiger had noticed they were alone. From their perspective their allies weapons had vanished, followed by the allies themselves a few moments later. Even with masks obscuring their faces I could tell that they were both spooked. Skidmark was yelling…. Something. I would have to slow down to hear it and I wasn't ready to do that yet. Stormtiger was wary, having taken his eyes off of Skidmark and was now looking into the sky. He probably thought some flying cape had come through and wooshed his men away. Of the two, Stormtiger was probably the most dangerous, so he got to go first. Running up behind the Empire Cape I reared back and punched him in the back of the head. Not the hardest punch in the world, but with enough speed….

Stormtiger tilted forward, his body stretching out in a taught line as he came up onto his toes. I zipped to the side and slowed down to gauge the result of the punch. Moving at what was probably half speed I watched his toes barely leave the ground before the arc completed and Stormtiger fell forward onto his face. Accelerating again I grabbed the goon and hauled him down towards the police car. Already the two officers were out of the vehicle, one looking perplexed, the other with a slowly dawning, knowing look. Coming to a halt in front of the pair I dropped Stormtiger at my feet.

"Officer Parish, Officer Neal, I know you aren't PRT, but I have Stormtiger from the Empire here. I think he is out for now, no telling how long he will stay that way. Do you think you can keep him contained while I go try and get Skidmark? The gang members around us plus these two are what caused the fire."

There, that wasn't too fast.

Officer Parish, an older cop I had seen around the station on several occasions, both as Taylor and as The Flash, was the first to recover.

"Sure Flash, I have just the thing. Go take care of business."

Parish gave me a little salute with his right hand as he drew a taser with his left. I was already turning to head back as I saw him nudge Officer Neal, a jerk of his head indicating the younger officer needed to draw his taser as well.

I allowed myself a little bit of tunnel vision as I headed back for Skidmark. At this point everything was essentially done, grabbing the Merchant leader is just icing on the cake. I would get him the same way I got Stormtiger, a quick pop in the back of the head, then call it a day. Running along the sidewalk in front of the burning building, I made a sharp right hand turn and wound up for my punch. Then everything went wrong.

My foot hit the edge of the blue haze on the ground around Skidmark and I felt like I was running through tar. Everything sped up and slowed down at the same time. Noise came rushing back to my ears as I moved slow enough to no longer have to deal with the doppler effect. I was pushing myself hard, my fist still flying forward… only to lightly tap Skidmark on the back of his head. The Dealer turned around in mild surprise as I felt myself come to a complete stop… right before I was shot backwards, away from the Villain and into the burning building at what had to be at least 800 miles per hour. My last view of Skidmark was of his shit eating grin, bad teeth, and hand held up in a mocking little wave. Then I was slamming through walls as I flew through the burning building.

I was dreaming. I think I was dreaming. I was immense, so large that distance was meaningless, infinity ceased to be something endless, instead becoming a small and discreet part of my greater whole. All around me, within me, lightning flashed. A surging flow of energy permeating this place that was everywhere at once, yet also apart.

I was hot.

I was burning.

I WAS BURNING!

My eyes snapped open. I was laying in the rubble of one of the buildings. Skidmark's…. skidmark had thrown me backwards, leaving me laying in debris looking at a couple of vaguely Flash shaped holes in the walls in front of me. All around me the fire raged. Instinct being what it is, in the moment I realized I was burning I lept out of the fire, blurring forward a short distance.

Fuck fire hurts. Out in the street I can't see Skidmark anymore. Dashing back out I circle the block, then a four block area, then a ten block area. I don't know how long I was out, but the fucker apparently had enough of it to get out of the area.

Looking down at my burned arm, already blistered, I murmured to myself.

"Next time."

Running back towards the fire engines I first stopped at one of the police cars.

"Officer Parish, the area is clear, you can let Fire know it's safe to enter."

While Officer Parish acknowledged my report, it was not in the manner I was expecting.

"Great to hear it Flash, but I can't give the all clear. Capes were involved, it's down to the PRT and Protectorate."

"... seriously?"

"Seriously. Word is a couple of Protectorate capes are on their way, should be here in the next five minutes or so."

As if choreographed, Officer Parish and I both turned our heads back towards the ever growing fire just in time to see a column of flame lurch into the air as another building caught. I locked eyes with Parish.

"Five minutes huh?"

"Flash what are you going to do?"

At least that is what I assume she said. I was already standing directly in front of the conflagration, heat rolling off of it, the air thick with smoke.

Ok, time to put out a fire. What do I have to work with.

Superspeed.

But my superspeed is weird. When I use it I think I break physics a little. Otherwise I would wear out my boots, would rip out my arms when I tried to move 200 plus pound criminals around like lawn furniture. Still, I had to be able to do something.

My hair caught in a thermal draft coming from the fire, billowing around my face for just a moment before a cool breeze came in.

A cool breeze.

Reaching forward with my right arm, I began to make circles with it, waxing on if you will. I started at normal speed and then accelerated, but only my arm. Sure enough it moved so fast it became an almost invisible blur, but only a slight breeze came from it. Closing my eyes, I took a moment and thought about all of the times I've used my power so far. What stood out, what was different?

Shit.

Sophia Fucking Hess.

I had reached for her in the school, right before I got out of there. I was moving at speed, but pushed against her in a weird way. The sensation was similar to the feeling of moving objects at speed, but with a weird resistance to it. Remembering that feeling, I started spinning my arm again, my hair again moving in the breeze. Crackles of golden sparks began to move up and down my arm and, as it reached speed, a gale force wind blasted out of it.

So today I learned that I can modify how much I break physics with my power.

I also learned what happens when you blast air into a fire.

It gets bigger.

The column of air shot into the broken open doors of the central building (thank you Skidmark) and another fireball erupted.

I stopped moving my arm. Right idea, wrong approach. Moving air was the key though. And of course, if more air equals a bigger fire…..

I started running around the block. The buildings were empty, that worry already taken care of. As I built speed I focussed on that feeling and in an instant my sensation of running changed. There was now an element of resistance to it. My cheeks wavered against the air, my hair tugged at my scalp. I knew my power was still protecting me if these were the only indications of what I was doing.

5 laps, 20 laps, 100 laps, 1000 laps. Around the building so fast that the flames almost froze in mid air. Again the column of wind, but this time it went up, out of the fire and into the sky. The flames crawling after it. About sixty seconds in real time and the flames were gone. Another 120 seconds to get the coals good and suffocated so that when I stop the sudden influx of air doesn't reignite them.

Stopping in front of the building I actually collapse forward a little, my hands going to my knees. I'm slightly out of breath. Fucking with physics is hard work. Still, I look up at the no longer burning buildings, all around me where the gang fight had been going on as recently as five minutes ago, and I can't help but laugh.

The Flash saved the day.

Something wet hit me from behind. I tried to turn around to see what it was, but realized my foot was stuck. Looking down I watched in horror as my feet were encased in a rapidly expanding clump of foam. Realization hit at the same time the voice called out.

"Unknown Parahuman, you are being detained at the scene of a crime. Please cooperate."

The PRT had finally shown up.

******Authors Note******

Well that took a long time to get out. Over the last month I have been going through a rather involved hiring process. Bad news: That plus my current job took all of my brain space. Good news: I got the job and start in a couple of weeks. I will have several days off in a row before I start, so I expect (fingers crossed) to get another chapter or two out in the very near future. We will see.

Thoughts on this one. I had 3 different versions of this. What you just read has DNA from all 3. Version 1 was a big gang fight (E88 vs ABB). Version 2 had Taylor coming back from LA and, instead of seeing smoke, seeing Velocity instead. Version 3 was rescuing people from a fire instead of fighting a crime. I ultimately decided I liked parts from each of them, so wrote this version. I'm going to post it now, as always please feel free to (politely) point out errors, I will correct them as they are posted. This is rough (much coffee/redbull has gone into its creation), and will all get looked at again in the (later) am.