Okay… this will undoubtedly be confusing, but… this chapter takes place during the Christmas season!... I know I'm weird, just roll with it.
Chapter XVI: Velocity! Part 1
Queens, NY. One Year Ago
Jay Parker had been down on his luck ever since he was a kid. At the age of eighteen, he was drafted into the military, only to be discharged after suffering damage to his knee. Because of his injury, he had to give up his promising athletic career and take up a job as a warehouse night guard. When he turned forty-five, his younger brother and sister-in-law were convicted as enemy spies and imprisoned for treason, then killed by the inmates.
The only good things in his life were two people he loved the most. His wife, Joan; a beautiful, talented woman who loved him enough to stick with him through the tough times. And his nephew, Bart; a straight-A student who deserved more than he could provide for him. But now that Bart was in his third year in high school, he was undergoing drastic changes. Ever since he was bitten by that spider on his field trip, he had been acting radically different. Joan was beginning to worry, but Jay remained calm and planned to talk with him tonight.
He drove his sixteen-year-old nephew to the library on the edge of Queens. While they both knew that he could've just walked over by himself, Jay saw it as an opportunity to speak with him. When they finally arrived, Bart tried to get out quickly, but Jay locked the door.
"Not so fast, kiddo…" He said calmly. "I wanna talk to you."
"Why can't we talk later?" Bart groaned.
"Because we haven't talked in a long time, Bart." Jay explained. "Your aunt and I are worried about you. You've been skipping classes, ignoring your chores, starting fights in school-"
"I didn't start that fight! I told you that!" Bart defended himself.
"Yeah, but you sure did finish it." Jay sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, Bart… you've reached the age where a young man becomes the person he's gonna be for the rest of his life. I just want you to be careful about who you turn into. Now, this punk you beat up; he probably deserved it. But just 'cause you can do something, it doesn't mean you should. With great power, comes great responsibility."
"Are you worried I'm gonna turn into a criminal or something?" Bart sounded annoyed. "Look, I'm going through some changes, but I'll figure them out! Stop lecturing me!"
"I don't mean to lecture and I don't mean to preach." Jay tried to explain. "Now, I know you don't like me talking to you like this. And I know I'm not your father but-"
"Exactly! So, stop pretending to be!" Bart fumed. Jay looked hurt by what his nephew just said. Bart looked away from him, as if he were ashamed. Jay didn't press the argument any further; he just unlocked the door and let him step out. Bart nodded goodbye as he drove off, waiting for him to go around the corner before heading off towards the wrestling arena. Little did he know that that would be the last thing he ever said to his uncle.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters Present Day
Red Zoom rushed into his private lab, retracted his uniform, and sat back down in his wheelchair. Whatever it was that was pursuing him, he had managed to escape it for now, thanks to the device he designed to detect his attacker whenever it got within five hundred miles of him. After making sure that his device's alarm was set, he carefully wheeled himself out into the open.
"Hey, Dr. Richards!" The scientist jumped and clenched his chest. Much to his relief, the voice came from his prized pupil; Speedster-Man. The fastest teen alive ran over to the crippled scientist, along with Gargoyle's protégé.
"Oh, Bartholomew…" He sighed, happily. "You startled me. What can I do for you?"
"Okay, me and Dare have a scientific argument going on and we need you to settle it for us!" Speedster-Man sounded excited as he pulled out twenty pages of notes.
"Ugh, we don't need to bother him with this!" Dare groaned. "Just check the math! Your numbers don't add up!"
"Uh, they do if you factor in the fluctuations of reproduction cycles in different seasons!"
"What exactly are we debating?" Richards interrupted as he cocked a curios eyebrow. Speedster-Man and Dare looked at each other with embarrassed expressions before Dare responded.
"Um… the total number of bugs Flag swallows in an average day of running."
Richards pursed his lips as he wrapped his mind around the absurd question. "I look forward to seeing you accept your Nobel." He quipped sarcastically before heading towards the main lab.
Just then, a trumpet blast echoed throughout the halls, getting closer and closer to the two teens. Bart instantly recognized it as the Flag coming to start today's training exercise. The star-spangled soldier appeared before them in the blink of an eye, still proudly playing Reveille.
"The fact that we heard that while you were moving at super-speed is very impressive, Captain." Dare commented.
"Thank you, Dare." Flag smiled brightly. "The trick is to vibrate my breath at the right frequency so that it still plays at an audible tone."
"So, what's planned for today, Flag?!" Bart was practically shaking with excitement. "Are you finally gonna teach me how to run on water? Or create tornados with my arms?"
"Actually, I thought Agent West* could teach you a thing or two about self-defense." Flag corrected. Bart groaned in defiance, but Steve wasn't going to have it. "I'm your commanding officer, Bart. You're not ready for the big stuff yet, but you'll get there."
Bart decided not to argue any further. He realized that since the Flag was the only real Speed-Force expert around, he'd probably know what was best for him. And so, Steve led Bart and Tim to the facility's training center where Sharon took over for the rest of the day. He had to admit, sparring with Agent West while she used the Hornet suit gave him a great opportunity to exercise his accelerated-vision.
By the time training was over, Bart noticed it was almost time for dinner. He quickly thanked Steve and Sharon, rushed by Dr. Richards' lab to say goodbye, and the moment he stepped outside, he fired a web of pure light and swung off for home. Despite unlocking his full-potential with the Speed-Force, he still couldn't shake the habit of traveling via web-slinging. Truthfully, he couldn't wait to get home; tonight was the night NASA would broadcast its discovery in the asteroid belt. Supposedly, the team of astronauts had discovered a new element that would be brought back to Earth for study.
His boss' son, William White, was leading the expedition, meaning "Wonderful" Walter would undoubtedly clear any and all headlines to put his son on the front page. Ayesha, the trainee photographer, was assigned to take the photos when Will arrived at the Daily Times, so Bart was given a day off to spend with his friends and family.
When he got close to his aunt's house, he quickly changed into his street clothes and hid his costume in his backpack. After stepping through the front door, he was immediately greeted by an enthusiastic Joan Parker. "Bart, you'll never believe it; we finally found a tenant to rent the spare room!"
"That's great, Aunt Joan!" Bart smiled supportively. "When do I get to meet him?"
"Please, say 'hello' to Miss-" Joan motioned to a blonde girl around Bart's age with a pair of glasses resting on her nose. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail and she wore a modest one-piece dress.
"Felicity Stacy?" Bart interrupted with a wide grin.
"Bart?" The girl matched his smile.
"You two know each other?" Joan was very surprised.
"Her school went to the same field trip mine did last year when I got bitten by that spider."
"Do you still have the mark?" She asked.
"'Do I still have the mark?'" Bart repeated, sarcastically, before showing of the top of his hand. "What do you think this is; a dimple?" As the two friends caught up, Joan went into the kitchen to start making dinner. "So, how've you been?"
"Oh, fine, I guess…" She sighed softly. "My boyfriend dumped me the other day."
"Oh, I'm sorry…"
"It's fine, really. We just wanted different things. I wanted to get married after college, he wanted to get drunk and sleep with the cheerleaders…"
There was an awkward pause before Bart spoke up. "Well, I'm sure you'll meet someone else. There're plenty of decent folks at Mid-Town High. I'll introduce you to my friends and everything."
"Sounds like fun." Felicity smiled.
"And…" Bart sadly looked down at his hands. "For what it's worth, I know what it feels like to love someone who doesn't reciprocate it.
"That reminds me…" Joan called from the kitchen. "We're hosting our annual Christmas party next week. Perfect opportunity to bring a date."
"Aunt Jooooooooan!" Bart grumbled in embarrassment.
The next day, Bart showed Felicity around Mid-Town High, especially the academic clubs. Suddenly, Bart's Accelerated-vision flared, but whenever this happened in school, it only meant one thing; Wilfred Brock. Brock snuck up behind him and pushed him down.
"Hey, Willie…" Bart groaned.
"That's for making 'em give my job to some Muslim, Parker!" Brock snapped. Bart was used to his bullying by now, but it was still frustrating that he couldn't defend himself, less he expose his powers. Brock picked him up by the scruff of his hoodie, looking to see that no one else could see them. He smiled as he saw that the only other person present was Felicity. "How's it feel knowin' you're gonna get your ass kicked in front of your new girlfri-?"
Brock stopped in mid-sentence as he felt something sharp prod at his back. **Felicity wrapped her arm around his neck and spoke with pure venom in her voice. "Okay, big-shot, now let go of him right now before I turn you into a pincushion." Wilfred fearfully let go of Bart and slowly backed away as Felicity loosened her grip, revealing her switchblade.
"Let's see how the principle likes you carrying around a knife, psycho-bitch!" Brock threatened.
"Oh, really?" Felicity smiled smugly. "You're going to tell the principle – who'll tell the teachers and other students – that you let a skinny, bookish girl threaten you with a knife?" She tapped his nose for emphasis, making sure he knew he was defeated. "Doesn't sound like the smart thing to do." She wrapped her arm around Bart's shoulder, and the two friends walked off.
"That was… severely crash." Bart breathed.
When the last class ended, the two friends walked out together, heading back to Queens. A few minutes later, Bart grinned happily as they were joined by Valerie Watson and Harry Griffon. While anyone else would think that they were strictly friends, Felicity noticed the way Bart looked at Valerie; the way his eyes looked into hers, the way his hands twitched when they got too close to hers, and the way his words ran together. "For what it's worth, I know what it feels like to love someone who doesn't reciprocate it." Felicity smirked at the thought of Bart's words.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan
Oswald Fisk, the third richest man in New York, had just finished up a meeting with the board of directors. Little did any of them realize that he was also the Emperor Penguin, one of the most infamous crime bosses on the East Coast. While his legitimate enterprises dealt with commercial businesses, his criminal enterprises dealt with sex trafficking and development of high-tech weapons. His elevator was currently taking him to his top scientist's laboratory.
Amunet Smythe; a brilliant woman who never allowed her paralysis limit her abilities. At age 16, she developed a formula for a new metal that she grafted to her spine, letting her walk again. At age 18, she was hired by Emperor Penguin to develop weapons for his empire. This job gave her a chance to improve her exo-skeleton; adding weaponry and physical enhancements. As Fisk walked into her lab, he headed directly to their current client; Maxwell Von Havoc.
"No, see that's actually a common misconception, Ms. Smythe. My full name is Maxwell Von Havoc Junior. My father is the one responsible for putting the 'MAX' in 'MAX Corp.'" Von Havoc explained, he enjoyed talking to fellow scientists.
"Mr. Von Havoc…" Fisk interrupted. "I believe you are here to make a deal with my enterprise."
"Indeed I am, Oswald." Max paced around the lab as he spoke. "As you probably know, NASA's shuttle will be preparing to land at an airport in New York City. The astronauts have already sent pictures of the geological discovery, and I want it."
"You know what that rock is, don't you?" Smythe cocked an eyebrow.
"As a matter of fact…" Von Havoc smiled wickedly. "I stumbled upon a few notes from my father's previous battles with Hyperman. That 'rock' is Radonite X. A rare sub-category of the radioactive isotope from his home world. And according to my calculations, it not only has the power to weaken him, but take away his superhuman powers permanently."
"That sounds rather interesting…" Fisk grinned.
"Wait, if your father had a sample of Radonite X, why didn't he use it?" Smythe's question seemed to anger Maxwell.
"Because my father was an egotistical idiot who wanted to kill Hyperman as a god instead of reducing him to a human!" At the sight of their startled faces, Max regained his composure and continued. "You see, my… associates and I wish to study it in the event that Hyperman decides to go rogue."
"Hmmm… I suppose that would be a good cause." Fisk said skeptically. It was always easy for him to tell when someone was lying.
"And, of course, I'd be willing to pay you handsomely for it." Max took a checkbook out of his coat and clicked a pen. "How many zeroes?"
"We can talk about that later…" Fisk smiled greedily. "I shall make a few calls of my own and see what I can do. I'll call you tomorrow when we have the Radonite X." Max nodded and made his way to the elevator. "A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Von Havoc."
The Upper Atmosphere
"Huston, this is Col. White, we will be landing in approximately one hour."
"Roger, Col. White, we'll see you there."
As the two astronauts prepared for their descent, they didn't notice the Radonite X. A blue slime began to ooze out of the element. The slime began to seep through the door and head towards the pilots. By the time they noticed it, it was already covering half of their bodies. Panic took over and the shuttle began to fall to Earth.
To Be Continued!
Felicity Stacy(Gwen Stacy/Felicity Smoak)
Valerie Watson(Mary Jane Watson/Valerie Perez)
Harry Griffon(Harry Osborn/Griffon Grey)
Norman Griffon(Norman Osborn/Griffon Grey)
Emperor Penguin aka Oswald Fisk(Kingpin/Penguin)
Amunet Smythe(Alistair Smythe/Blacksmith)
Wilfred Brock(Eddie Brock/Evil Eye)
Notes: *After Emerald Man had a talk with the Flag about the Sexual Revolution in the 1960's, Steve has opened his mind about women's rights. I.E. Sharon keeping her last name even after marrying him.
**Her character is a mixture of CW Felicity's personality, and Ultimate Gwen Stacy. She's a loveable smarty-pants most of the time, but if you piss her off, she'll do something brash.