Author's Note: The following chapter will go in chronologic order of an actual timeline, But not in the chronologic order that applies to Red Zoom's life. That's the best way I can explain it, sorry. Just read, you'll figure it out.
Chapter XV: Red Zoom's Wrath! (An Interlude)
Brooklyn, New York City, NY. July 7, 1928
Red Zoom rushed towards the house of Joseph and Nora Allen. His target; their ten-year-old son, Steven. It was the perfect crime; if he could kill Allen before he became the Flag, the resistance would never be created, and he could rule the future with an iron fist. But when he reached his destination, his body began to fade away. The closer he stepped towards the house, the quicker he deteriorated. Only when he took a few steps back did his body regain its solid structure.
Suddenly it occurred to him; without the Flag, the Reverse-Flag couldn't exist. An enraged scream filled the night air. But Red Zoom would not admit defeat. If he couldn't kill the Flag, he would make his life a living hell. He broke the door down with one swift motion, and circled around Nora at a blinding speed. Steven was awoken by the disturbance and rushed down to the living room. Joseph called out to his son, telling him to run away and get help. Joseph never laid a hand on Zoom, he was knocked unconscious by one blow. The last thing Nora saw before a knife pierced her heart was her beautiful son crying out to her.
Siberia, Russia. November 20, 1942
The Allied Forces had received word that a secret Nazi regiment had set up camp in the outskirts of a major city in Russia, preparing to attack the Soviet Union. A brigade of twenty soldiers was sent to intercept them before they could do any damage. Led by Sgt. Rock, they snuck through the woods, trudging through deep snow and pitch-black darkness until they found the camp. Everyone was cold and exhausted, but they steeled their nerves for the approaching battle. They aimed their rifles and investigated the tents. But to everyone's shock, the camp was completely empty.
("Good evening, gentlemen.") Everyone turned around to see a man in a black trench coat, his body vibrating so fast that his whole body became a blur. A Swastika brandished with a red lightning bolt was the only distinguishing feature that the soldiers could make out. But that soon changed when a red, skull-shaped helmet wrapped around his head.
One soldier was shell shocked at the sight of red lightning zooming around his fellow soldiers, killing them all in the blink of an eye. At last, the man in the red helmet stopped in front of the last living soldier and lifted him up into the air.
"I want you to deliver a very important message for me." The soldier trembled at the sound of his enemy's menacing tone. "You will report back to your superiors and you will tell them that without your new living weapon, the Flag, your Allied Forces will never win this war. So, tell him to stop fighting that alien and get over seas." The soldier fell to the ground, breathing heavily as the mystery man disappeared.
One week later, news of 'Red Zoom' spread throughout the world. America and England were both nervous, France was considering surrender, and even Joseph Stalin had taken extreme measures to keep himself and his high-ranking officers safe. The soldier who delivered the report was honorably discharged and sent home. As he locked the door to his apartment, he recalled how everyone in the trenches considered him to be the lucky one.
"Thank you, my friend." That was the last thing he heard before Red Zoom's gauntlet tore through his chest.
Oahu, Island in the Pacific Ocean. November 20, 1945
The Anti-Watcher's planet-eating canon exploded just as the Flag disappeared. When Hyperman landed, tears ran down his cheeks when he saw his friend's star-spangled uniform, empty and discarded. The Anti-Watcher recovered soon after, only to be met with a pair of glowing, red eyes.
"That was my best friend…" Anti-Watcher choked as strong fingers wrapped around his throat. "And you just killed him!" Hyperman flew his enemy into space, unaware that Red Zoom was watching from afar. And he was furious.
He had spent years waiting for the right moment to kill the Flag, and now his chance was taken from him. Despite his rage, he allowed logic to dictate his actions. First, he would return to the future to see if the timeline had been altered. Then, depending on those changes, he would calculate his next course of action. Red lightning cackled around him as he sped across the vast ocean. But then, just as he approached the optimum speed required to break the time barrier, his powers disappeared. The laws of inertia state that an object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by an outside force, and Zoom was moving at seven hundred miles an hour.
Red Zoom skidded over the water for hours until he stopped just one mile off of a Hawaiian beach. When he finally reached the shore, he fell to his knees from exhaustion. Coughing and spluttering, he took off his helmet and activated his suit's built-in computer.
"Aya, what's happening to me?" He couldn't even vibrate his vocal chords anymore.
"It would appear that you extended time in the past has severed your connection to the Speed Force."
"That's impossible!"
"You can no longer travel at super-sonic speed unless you come into contact with a strong Speed Force conduit."
"How am I supposed to get home?!"
"You can't."
"FLAAAAAAAG!" Red Zoom cursed his foe. Even in death, the Flag had defeated him.
Months passed, and Zoom had finally managed to return to the site of the Flag's death. Fortunately, he had brought many tools from his own time period, so he wasn't completely helpless. The pieces of the Anti-Watcher's cannon was still scattered all over the island, and Zoom used his advanced technology to study the residual energy.
What he discovered was incredible; the Flag hadn't died, but instead his body had been converted into pure Speed Force energy that was now trapped in suspended animation. If he could tap into the Speed Force with an inter-dimensional explosion, he could free the Flag and regain his powers. But the technology needed to do that wouldn't be invented for another eight decades.
"Hello, Eobard Shcmidt." Zoom spun around on his heels to see a colossal, gray-skinned being with glowing red eyes.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I am Darkanos. Fallen god of Evil. And I would like to offer you a deal."
Tallahassee, FL. July 4, 2003
"So, I was thinking about calling our company 'Scientific and Technologic Advancements in Research Laboratories.' Or 'STAR Labs,' because you are the star of my life." Tess Storm said lovingly at her fiancée, Harrison Richards. Her brother, Johnny Storm, was fast asleep in the back of their car, right next to Harrison's best friend, Ben Grimm.
"I like it." Harrison smiled. Everyone that he loved was right with him at that moment, and thanks to the grant he had just earned, they could all kick-start their dream and be together for the rest of their lives.
"I'm kinda tired…" Tess yawned. "When we get back to the apartment, I think I'm just gonna put on my pajamas and go to bed."
"Aw, really?" Harrison sounded disappointed.
"No… definitely not wearing pajamas."
"Hello!"
The couple was laughing so hard that they didn't notice the spikes on the road. The car skidded off the road and crashed into a tree. Ben hit his nose against the back of Harrison's seat, sending a bone into his brain. Johnny was a victim of whiplash, dying instantly. Harrison looked next to him and saw Tess' motionless body. He cried out for help, hoping that anyone was nearby. Just then, he heard footsteps getting closer to the wrecked vehicle. A blond man with blue eyes crouched down to inspect the passenger side.
"Oh, thank God! Sir, please, you have to call an ambulance! My friends are hurt very badly! Please!" But the man just stared back at Harrison with a blank expression. "What are you waiting for?! Call an ambulance! She's dying!"
"This woman has been dead for centuries." He said at last. Harrison continued to scream for help as the man opened his door and unbuckled his seatbelt. Harrison tried to get up and run, but his legs wouldn't respond to his brain's commands.
"Who are you?!"
"Who I am is not important." The man replied. "What is important is who you are; Harrison Richards."
"I-I don't understand…"
"Very well, allow me to elaborate. In the year 2026, you, your friends, and your wife will successfully invent a particle accelerator that will revolutionize the way we use energy. However…" He pulled a strange device out from his pocket and tapped on the buttons. "If my plan is to succeed, I'm going to need that to happen just a little bit sooner."
The man aimed the device at Harrison's chest and two wires pierced his skin. Simultaneously, two other wires pierced the mystery man's skin, and multiple jolts of electricity surged through their bodies. Harrison was dying, but the other man's body began to change; his facial features shifted, his skin color darkened, and his hair grew longer. This went on until the injured scientist lay dead on the ground and the man had become an exact copy of Harrison Richards.
New York City, NY. March 6, 2016
STAR Labs was on the verge of their greatest achievement; the particle accelerator was reaching optimum power. Harrison Richards praised the work of his fellow scientists as he popped open a bottle of champagne. "Thank you all…" He said. "For your dedication to this project. Today, we have changed the way the world uses its energy. I only wish that my family could have been here tonight…" The room fell silent, paying respects to the three departed scientists whose pictures hung on the wall.
The large computer screen chirped, indicating that the particle accelerator had reached maximum efficiency. "I have waited centuries for this moment." The others cheered in excitement, raising their glasses to their friend and director. Suddenly, the screen flashed a bright red warning, and the entire building shook. Everyone scrambled to their workstations, trying to identify the problem.
But Harrison already knew what was happening; his plan was underway. In approximately five minutes, the particle accelerator would tap into the Speed Force and pull the Flag's molecular structure free. He made his way down to a secret bunker where he waited patiently for what came next.
"Three… two… one…" Another explosion made him lose his balance and he fell to the ground. It took him a while to stand up, but when he did, he decided to put himself to the ultimate test. Focusing on his hand, he remembered every exercise he studied about channeling the Speed Force through his body. At last, his hand vibrated at a fantastic velocity, coaxing a wicked grin from his lips. The vibrations spread throughout his entire body until red lightning cackled over him.
"I'll see you soon, Herr Allen…"
New York City, NY. Present Day
"No…" Fear crept into Richards' chest as he watched the latest newsfeed. The X-Patrol were being hailed as heroes for defeating the Brotherhood of Muta-Humans. But according to the history he had studied, the X-Patrol were supposed to fight an ancient muta-human named En Savage Nur, who would then reveal the Soul Ring to the world. "No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening…" As he tried to figure out what went wrong, he saw a picture of Deathgrip without his helmet. Harrison's heart stopped for a moment; that was the face of the boy he experimented on in Poland. "Oh, God… I've changed too much of history… what have I done?"
The Mother Box activated, indicating that Darkanos wanted to speak with him. Harrison tapped the emblem on his medallion, and he transformed into Red Zoom. The Mother Box displayed a hologram of the fallen god. "Eobard Shcmidt… you said that the X-Patrol's battle would reveal the location of the Soul Ring! Where is it?!"
"Please, Lord Darkanos…"Zoom quivered. "Something is wrong with history. I will fix this. I just need more time-"
"I HAVE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH TIME!" Darkanos' voice boomed before he regained his composure. "Our deal still stands… Deliver to me the Soul Ring and I shall grant you the power to kill the Flag… But I am going to help you speed up your efforts… Run, Eobard… run…"
The hologram faded away and Zoom was left alone. But not for long. A low rumble started to creep into the house. The ground started to tremble as it grew louder. Suddenly, Zoom heard an inhuman roar from the distance, and he sped away, running as fast as he could. He didn't dare look back.
(…)
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Berlin, Germany. July 4, 2918
Approximately one thousand years after Steve Allen's birth, Eileen Shcmidt died giving birth to her son, Eobard. Her husband, Johann, went insane with the grief of losing his wife and tried to kill his child. The medical staff stopped him just in time and had him sent to an insane asylum. Having no other living relatives, young Eobard was placed in foster care.
Berlin, Germany. August 21, 2934
Eobard Schmidt's hatred for others grew with each passing year. He had been rejected by countless families, suffered constant abuse from the other orphans, and even from the caretakers. The only joy he ever felt was in his studies. He loved learning about ancient history; how men could achieve such great power, despite their humble beginnings. He found great solace in reading about the greatest leaders of time: Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, and Adolf Hitler. But the one he admired most of all was the one known as The Flag. After learning about the American soldier's incredible feats, Eobard swore to dedicate his life to unlocking the secrets of the Speed Force, and then he would become just like his idol.
Frankfurt, Germany. April 17, 2942
He had done it. He couldn't believe that he'd truly achieved his life-long goal. After years of endless research, countless hours of experimentation, Eobard Shcmidt had finally replicated Professor Patricia Erskine's super-soldier serum. Next was finding a proper source of lightning.
He got his chance in the form of a very dark and stormy night. Setting up a modified electric chair, he adjusted the lightning rod to attract a perfect bolt exactly two minutes after the serum spread throughout his veins. He strapped himself to the chair, injected himself with the serum, and waited patiently for the lightning strike. His blood felt as if it were on fire, his fingers dug deep into the hard wood of the chair, and at last, the lightning struck.
Just as he thought he was about to die, everything slowed down. His movements appeared to surpass everything else. Gathering up all of his strength, he broke free from his restraints, cackling with red electricity. He smiled brightly at his personal victory, as he started making plans to overthrow the world.
Warsaw, Poland. October 11, 2951
Eobard ran faster and faster, powered by pure hatred. But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't escape his failure. The ants he sought to rule had formed an uprising, liberating countless cities and slaves in their foolish quest for freedom. Ironically, Eobard discovered that they had been inspired by the very person who had inspired him; the Flag.
So, now, he ran to break through the time barrier. He would find Steven Allen before he could become the Flag, kill him while he was still young, erase him from the timeline, and then, there would be no one to stop him. At last he reached New York City in 1928 and headed for Brooklyn.
"Time to die, Flag…"
To Be Continued!