Chapter 25: The Battle Begins in a Flash
Nervous, worried, terrified. Confident, courageous, fearless. The emotions of each and every member of The League and those associated with them fluctuated as the transports flew closer to Earth. Even underneath all of the masks and the hoods you could see how everyone felt. It was the silence, everyone was preparing themselves for what was to come. Don stood in a separate transport with his speedster family, Barry, Wally, Bart, Jessie and Max. They were to be the first on the ground with many others, to take by surprise as many of The Light they can.
Wally had an old printed picture in his hands, it was a picture of him dressed in his old Kid Flash suit surrounded with his old teammates, back when Dick was Robin and everything was much simpler. Barry turned around and looked over to Wally and smiled, "Going down memory lane?" he asked. Wally shook his head and snapped out of his trance on the picture, "What? Uh... Yeah. We've gotten old." he laughed.
"You're telling me? I'm the new Jay" Barry chuckled.
The transport began to shake as it entered the atmosphere, "You've both always been ancient to me!" Bart grinned. Barry and Wally rolled their eyes at Bart.
"You do realize you'll be thirty soon, right Impulse?" Don questioned with a raised eyebrow as the transport continued to judder. "You practically come from the ancient times" He added.
"You don't know how wrong you are with that!" Bart laughed to himself as he placed his goggles from his forehead and over his eyes.
Don shook is head, he never seemed to understand what Bart was ever talking about. It was as if his jokes were hinting to something but he could never figure it out. Don looked at the ground towards his white boots, the bottom of them were muddy and stained. He smirked when he remembered his mother questioning his and Dawns choice of color scheme, 'Why would you pick Purple and White? It'll show the dirt more and how are people going to associate you with The Flash?' She had asked them. Don and Dawn's reply? They just pointed towards the logo in reply.
The speedsters exchanged looks as they saw Don now shutting himself off from the others. He hadn't been on a mission without Dawn before, the longest he had been away from her is a day. He's never gotten used to being an individual.
"She'll be okay Don" Wally consoled.
"Yeah, she'll show The Light a thing or two. Just you watch little dude!" Bart smiled.
Don looked over his shoulder and smiled at his family, when his eyes met his father's the two shared an unspoken conversation. They both reassured each other, they would all come out of this alive.
*Touchdown in 10* the Pilot's voice spoke through the speakers.
"Good luck everyone." Max nodded in his blue and white costume
"This'll be finished in a Flash" Barry smirked. Everyone groaned.
*Touchdown in 3... 2... 1..." the Pilot finished.
The exit ramp of the transport hit the ground and the six speedsters sprinted as fast as they could towards their target, the army of The Light. Thousands of villains, mercenaries, paid off soldiers and whatever criminals wanted to cause chaos. Bullets stood still in the air as the speedsters passed them. Don hopped over a fired laser-beam from the eyes of an enemy and ducked underneath one of Captain Cold's beams, the speedsters were getting closer to the army now. Wally and Barry disappeared into the crowd first, followed by Max and Jessie and began to pierce into the messy ranks of The Light. Bart ran in front of Don, the two were paired together when Dawn was assigned to the Infiltration Team, Bart promised Dawn he would look after her brother and that was exactly what he was going to do.
As Bart barged a masked goon out of the way with his shoulder he created an entrance into the army for both him and Don, only Don couldn't follow. A man dressed in yellow took hold of the back of Don's costumed and slammed him onto the ground, then releasing a flurry of blows onto the young speedster. Don tried to get up from the ground but a swift kick to the side of his face stopped him. As the lone Tornado Twin was dazed the man in yellow grabbed his wrist and began to drag him across the frozen tundra and up a hill, bouncing Don's body against the hard and rocky ground taking him away from the battle.
Don saw more and more transports land on the other side of the tundra from The Light, he saw the costumed heroes charge towards the bleak looking villains. Superman and Wonder Woman led the charge with Batman flying behind them in the Batwing. He could see Mar'i and her purple trail follow her as she flew beside her mother but he lost sight of her when the two armies clashed and the bright colors spread into the dark.
Don grabbed hold of the wrist of his captor and dug his fingers into him. When the man's grip continued Don let go of him with his right hand and began to vibrate it as fast as he was able to. When Don pressed his vibrating hand onto the yellow wrist the man released a roar and threw Don into a tree among the steep hill, forcing it to collapsed beside him.
"Smart. I have never had that cheap move used on me before." The man dressed in a yellow version of his father's suit. Don couldn't believe it, as his eyesight focused onto his opponent he realized who it was. Eobard Thawne, also known as the 'Reverse-Flash' or 'Professor Zoom', The greatest enemy of The Flash stood before him and he had no idea what to do.
"Y-you're Eobard Thawne?" Don stammered as he tried to sound confident.
Eobard's mouth creased as he heard Don speak, he then sped forward and struck the young speedster across the face with his knee and sped back to where he stood before. "You know, I've devoted my entire life to making the great Barry Allen suffer. I'm sure he's told you why. But I have never been able to outright kill him, time won't allow that." the Reverse-Flash spoke with irritation.
Don pulled himself up from the broken tree and stumbled to his feet despite the pain from the dirty scars on his back. "Let me guess, I'm fair game?" Don asked as he positioned himself into a fighting stance, he was prepared for Eobard at any moment.
Eobard let out a laugh, "No, you aren't."
Before Don knew it he was slammed into multiple trees and then thrown through a final one. splintering it and firing pieces of wood around the area. "But I can cripple you and force you to drink through a straw, not even your healing factor would help you. Nothing would hurt Barry more than seeing his children's lives ruined." Thawne grinned, "That's right, your sister is next."
Don scowled and slammed his hands onto the ground and fired into a sprint, "I'll kill you if you touch her!" he roared as he rammed his shoulder into Zoom forcing the two of them to hit the ground and roll across the ground. Don sat on top of Eobard and hit him with hundreds of strikes to his body and face within a second but was met with one uppercut to the underneath of his chin forcing him to fly off his opponent.
The Reverse-Flash wiped some blood from a cut on his lip, "The thing about you Allen's is that you give false promises. When I say I'll kill someone, they never exist in the first place."
Eobard pulled out a rod with a blade in the shape of a lightning bolt and smiled, "I think I'll take the right foot first."
As Don saw his opponent take his first step he knew it was over, this fight had taken all of his energy. His injuries were too much for him. Dawn was at risk because of him and it was all his fault. As Eobard blade began to cut into his flesh all he could do was wonder what happens next.
"Not today Thawne!" A voice roared as a red boot connected to the arm that carried the rod, forcing it out of his hands with the sound of bones snapping in his arm. As Zoom retracted his broken arm and attempted to get a look at his attacker he felt a strike to both sides of his ribs, a kick to his left knee and a connection with the heel of the red boot to the side of his face, forcing him to hit the ground.
Don watched the blur of red and white save his life and before Zoom hit the ground he knew who it was. Bart Allen, also known as Impulse. Bart looked over his shoulder and smirked, "I'll take it from here. Have a snack or something."
Impulse then grew serious and began to walk towards Thawne, slowly picking up his speed, "You're not the only one from the future, Thawne. I'm the evidence that you fail today!" he taunted as he saw Zoom getting furious as he climbed back to his feet.
The two clashed in a flash, speeding all around Don only he couldn't see what was happening. He was too dazed to pay attention to his surroundings. Don's gaze moved towards the battlefield, explosions were randomly scattered across the open plain, all the different powers were being unleashed. He could make out the Batwing being taken down and crashing into the middle of the battle with Starfire and Nightstar tearing open the cockpit to get Batman out.
"It's over!" Impulse yelled as the Reverse-Flash flew past Don's vision.
The man in yellow was beaten and bruised, his arm had a bone protruding from it and his leg was bent but Impulse was no better off. The white of his costume was stained with his own blood and cuts were spread out across his body.
"I already have what I needed. I just thought I'd have some fun, you're grandfather is much too old now." Professor Zoom taunted as he lifted himself from the ground and pulled out a futuristic looking device.
Don was confused, what did Eobard mean by grandfather?
"You better run before the other's arrive." Bart warned, he knew that there was no way that Eobard Thawne could ever be stopped. Despite the few times that he has died he always comes back, he's a living paradox.
A blue swirling portal appeared beside Eobard as he used his device and with one last taunting smile he said, "Be seeing you soon... Flash." and disappeared into the future as he stumbled into the portal.
Bart turned towards Don and slowly walked towards him to catch his breath. The both of them exchanged looks and Bart took a seat beside his partner, "Sorry I took so long" he sighed.
Don gave a painful chuckle. "It's cool. I warmed him up for you. I got a couple of good strikes in and besides, you were pretty crash."
Bart smirked and moved his goggles to he forehead, "Yeah, I was pretty crash!"
The purple speedster pulled his cowl from his head releasing his blonde hair tinted with his blood. "What did he mean by 'grandfather'? Was yours a speedster too?" Don suddenly asked.
Bart gave a hesitant nod, "Yeah... He was the only family I had, other than my aunt and cousin of course." he mumbled, keeping his eyes away from Don.
"And your parents? What happened to them?" Don asked with a soft voice. Bart turned and looked towards his father and smiled, "They died protecting me."
Don placed a hand on Bart shoulder and sighed, "I'm sorry." which was met with a pained laugh from Bart in reply, "Don't be."
Bart paused for a moment and then shot up to his feet "Less sadness more badass-ness, we have a battle to win slowpoke." Bart smiled as he placed his goggles over his eyes and helped his father to his feet. "You good to go?" he asked in his speedy voice. The lone Tornado Twin smirked and pulled his purple cowl back over his head, "You're gonna regret calling me slow. Lucky for you there are no barns about" he taunted. In a flash of red, white and purple the two speedsters disappeared into the chaotic battle ahead of them.
The three masked brothers walked into the pitch black room and stood in the center, barely moving a muscle as they waited for their master to appear.
"The battle is going exactly as you said it would." Brother Eldest spoke as he stood in-between his younger siblings.
"The weapon is ready to be launched whenever you wish." The Middle Brother spoke.
The Man of Light materialized, "Both of them?" he questioned with a hint of anger at the prospect of his plan not going the way he thought it would.
"Both of them. The Watchtower has been targeted and the Golden-Missile is ready to be fired onto the battlefield." Brother Youngest informed with a slight bow.
The Man of Light pointed towards the younger brother and titled his expressionless face, "Do you see this? Everyone will be bowing soon enough." he seethed.
"Yes they will." The two older masked men spoke, now tilting their upper body as they finished speaking.
"Launch the weapon once the infiltrators have been apprehended. I want the three Robin's to see the Watchtower destroyed. I shall launch the Golden-Missile myself." he ordered while he walked away from the masked men
"A world without 'Superheroes' and a world without so many of these petty 'villains'. I am saving this world." The Man of Light announced as his blindingly bright body disappeared piece by piece.