Chapter 3 – The Race Begins
The Flash sprints out of the centre of Central City as fast as he can, following him are Wally West and Impulse.
Wally: Barry! Slow down! We need to-
Barry doesn't slow down. He keeps going, only stopping when he reaches Iris West's house. He stops outside to see the large hole in the roof made when Reverse Flash punched Wallace out of his home. Barry races in and runs up to Wallace's room.
A second later Wally and Impulse also arrive. They see Barry clenching a note in his hand.
Impulse: What's going on?
Barry says nothing. He simply hands the note to Wally and then runs off. Wally reads the note and then drops it.
Wally: Come on.
Impulse: Where are we going?
Wally: Wherever he is.
They run off after Barry. The note falls to the floor it reads "Too slow Flash." and is signed by Eobard Thawne.
Central City University. Sat on some grass under a tree is an PHD candidate named Jessica Chambers. She is reading books but not in her chosen field of economics. Lately she has become fascinated with one area of physics; the equations of motion. She stares at the page displaying a variety of formulas, a ball is accidently kicked towards her, she doesn't move or even notice. She's in a trance.
A red blur races past her and then is followed by two more. For a brief moment Jessica's hands spark with tiny flickers of lightning. And then she grabs a pencil and scribbles something on the page.
The guy whose ball almost hits her runs up to her.
Guy: Hey? HEY!
Jessica blinks, snapped back to reality.
Jessica: Huh? What?
Guy: For the third time can we have our ball back please?
He points to the ball by her feet.
Jessica: Sorry.
She pushes it towards him and returns to the page. The trance is gone but she notices what she's written. It seems to be gibberish; 3x2(9Y.
Jessica: What I am even doing? Come on Jessie get a grip.
She closes the book and walks away.
Meanwhile the Flashes keep running out of Central City and across the USA. They arrive and race inside the Hall of Justice. They keep going past several surprised superheroes and through a teleporter.
It is only when they emerge in the Justice League Watchtower; a massive satellite orbiting the Earth that Barry finally slows down. He walks into the Watchtower's monitor room; a large room containing screens showing much of the current events occurring on the planet below. Watching over the world is Cyborg.
Cyborg: Hey Flash, what are you doing up here? Your shift isn't due for-
Barry: I need to use the tracker. Right now.
Impulse: Tracker?
Barry: After Thawne's last scheme I decided to be proactive. Batman, Cyborg and I built a device capable of tracking Thawne's speed trail.
Wally: Big brother is watching?
Barry: After all Thawne's done I'm fine with some overwatch. And it's only for him. We can't track any of you.
Cyborg: We all agreed, even Superman. Trackers booting up now Barry. I thought you dealt with Thawne?
Barry: So did I.
The tracker comes on screen, it shows a trail of yellow zig zagging across the world.
Impulse: Guess he wants to burn a lot of calories?
Barry: Not the time for jokes Bart.
The tracker zooms in and reveals Thawne's current location. Just outside of Coast City. Barry races towards the teleporter.
Cyborg: Flash wait!
But Barry is gone.
Wally: We'll be right behind him.
Cyborg: Do you want some back up?
Wally: Thanks but no. This is a Flash thing. If you don't hear from us within the hour call in the League.
Cyborg: Understood. Good luck.
Impulse and Wally run after Barry and into the teleporter. Cyborg turns back to the monitor but then the teleporter pings again. He turns around.
Cyborg: One of you forget...who the hell are you?
Savitar surveys the satellite.
Savitar: Excellent work Negative Flash, I am on board. I am Savitar, the Prince of Speed.
Cyborg forms his right arm into a large sonic cannon.
Cyborg: Nice to meet you your highness. Now tell me what you're doing up here before I-
He's cut off as suddenly his arm is torn off and Savitar holds him by the throat. He slams Cyborg into the ground.
Savitar: You lack the gifts to properly face me, and for that you will know pain.
Elsewhere. In a flash of light Barry arrives in a seemingly empty warehouse.
Barry: Wally? Bart?
The Reverse Flash steps into view and smiles at Barry.
Reverse Flash: Don't worry about them Barry. This has always been between us anyway.
Barry: Where's Wally?!
Reverse Flash: Which one? You've got a habit of collecting them nowadays.
Barry: WHERE?! I'm not playing around here Thawne.
Reverse Flash: Then prove it. Catch me.
The two race at each other.
Wally emerges in a flash of light. He looks around, the warehouse is empty, except for lightning and some flashes of footsteps. Wally closes his eyes and attunes to the speed force and when he does he hears a voice.
Voice: Dad?
Wally: Jai?
He races after his disappeared son.
Jai: Dad! I can't slow down! You need to catch me!
Wally strains and runs as fast as he can and while in the distance he can see a child sized blur he can't catch up.
Wally: Jai! I can't! Huff...I'm not fast enough, you need to-
Zoom blindsides Wally who crashes to the floor.
Zoom: After all you've done and you still have that inferiority complex?
Wally: Hunter?
Zoom walks towards Wally.
Zoom: You always compare yourself negatively to others. You believe you still exist in Barry Allen's shadow, you are convinced that Bart Allen will surpass you. They don't even have to be a speedster, you think that the successor Lanterns have made a better identity then you ever have.
Wally: I...don't...
Zoom pins Wally to the ground too fast for Wally to react.
Zoom: I don't think you're even aware you do it. I think it's a subconscious excuse for not pushing yourself. It's why you wouldn't help me fix my life, it's why you can't save your twins and why Linda-
Lightning explodes out of Wally throwing Zoom of him. Wally runs into Zoom punching him again and again, his face twisted with rage.
Elsewhere. Impulse appears from his flash of light. But he's not in a warehouse, he's back in the 30th Century outside his childhood home.
Impulse: I'm home?
He runs inside. He sees his parents and tries to hug them but he phases through them while they don't notice.
Impulse: Mum, Dad, it's me! Why can't I?
Inertia appears next to him.
Inertia: Because they don't see you dummy.
Impulse lunges at Inertia and phases through him, crashing on the ground.
Inertia: I'm not actually here idiot. I'm just a manifestation of your consciousness and the speed force.
Impulse: Why do you look like him?
Inertia: Because we hate you. You're a stupid, immature, petty boy who wastes the great gift he has been given. Even now, you left your fellow speedster, an innocent boy to die.
Impulse: What?! No we were going to rescue-
Inertia: You were too impulsive, heh. You released a flare of speed force energy mid transit which combined with the teleporter scattered you three across time. Barry and Wally will die never seeing their loved ones again and it is all your fault.
Impulse: But...no...I didn't mean to, I-
Inertia: But you did. And you're so absorbed in yourself that you haven't noticed it have you?
Impulse: What is-
He stops. He sees it now. Aside from him, no one is moving.
Inertia: You went too fast, caught between ticks of the clock. You'll live and die before they even blink. I expect you'll grow mad and scream for them to notice you. But they never will. And the best part is that doing nothing is hard for a speedster. You'll die in a few days of thirst but with a brain as fast as yours, it'll feel like decades!
Inertia laughs and fades away. Impulse runs around desperately, trying to figure out what to do.
In the seemingly abandoned warehouse Zoom is punched in the face by Wally, Wally goes to follow it up but Zoom dodges. The two again race around each other.
Zoom: That's it Wally. Get angry so you don't have to face your mistakes-
Wally trips Zoom up.
Wally: Shut up. Stop talking.
Meanwhile. Barry gets to his feet and runs at Reverse Flash.
Reverse Flash: Do you know why I killed your mother Barry? Because I knew she'd be an easy target with no Flash around to protect her. And when I went after Wallace I expected it to be much harder, I expected you to protect him. But you weren't there. It was easy. And now I know how easy it is I won't have to go back in time to hurt your loved ones. I can do it here because you aren't fast enough to stop me. Maybe I'll visit Iris next?
Barry: NO!
Barry tackles Reverse Flash to the ground. He punches him again and again.
Reverse Flash: Get on with it, punch me out, throw me into the timeline again. I'll be back, and while you wait for me to return you can wonder who I'll hurt next. There's no way you can-UURRK!
Barry punches Reverse Flash in the throat cutting him off. He pins him in a grapple with both hands around the Reverse Flashes neck. It would take one motion to snap Thawne's neck.
Barry: Isn't there?
In the 30th Century Impulse runs as fast as he can but it changes nothing he keeps phasing through everything and nothing speeds up.
Impulse: Ok, I can't siphon my speed to others. Going fast isn't the answer, maybe I could slow down.
He sits down, crosses his legs. He concentrates the speed force within him and the power spreads out. This should anchor him back to reality and slow him down. But it doesn't instead it causes the world around him to spark and glitch.
Impulse: Wait a second! I know that! It's like those hologram sets I played in as a kid! I'm not slow! I'm trapped! YES!
He stands up and jumps in celebration.
Impulse: And I know just how to get out!
He runs around in a circle, building up a charge of speed force energy, then he releases it in a large bolt of lightning. The illusion shatters and Impulse finds himself in a warehouse. But he's not alone Barry and Wally are also there. And Barry looks ready to snap Wally's neck.
Impulse: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
Impulse speeds into them, separating them. The two Flashes blink in confusion.
Barry: Thawne? What...oh my god Wally!
Wally gets up.
Wally: I saw Zoom and...it was a trick. Not your fault. Thanks Bart.
Impulse: Reverse Flash put us in a hologram simulation. Made you two fight each other.
Inertia: Why did you stop it? I was hoping to see some blood!
Inertia speeds into the warehouse. He's followed by Reverse Flash, Zoom, Cobalt Blue, Negative Flash, Savitar and Rival.
Rival: Going for the kill I see? Not very heroic of you.
Barry: I can smell the fear toxin in the air. You drugged us.
Zoom: You should have been better. If the child was able to overcome the test then you should have.
Impulse: Hey! I'm sixteen!
Inertia: Sixteen years too old, I'm gonna enjoy this.
Wally: What do you all want? Where's Wallace?
Reverse Flash: Wallace is the least of your worries.
Savitar: And don't try to call in backup. No one knows you're here.
Barry:….Cyborg. What did you do?
Savitar: He's still alive, for now.
Zoom: Just removed from play. Like the other unimportant ones will be.
Impulse: Unless we stop you.
Rival: Ha! He's got guts I'll give him that! We're as fast as you are and you're outnumbered.
Inertia: As fast heh, wishful thinking there old man.
Barry: Meena, are you part of this? I thought you were better than this.
Negative Flash: They can get me what I want.
Barry: And that's enough for you to join Thawne and Zolomon and the other monsters they've assembled? Enough for you to attack Wallace?! He was your friend!
Negative Flash: It is yes.
Reverse Flash: Don't bother trying to break us apart, we aren't a loose assemblage of common criminals like your Rogues. We're a family.
Cobalt Blue: And what kind of monsters would try to break apart a family?
Wally: You're all insane.
Zoom: Then try to stop us.
For a moment the room is still, even the air seems like it's drawing breath. Then it begins. All ten speedsters rush into battle.
Impulse runs straight for Inertia.
Impulse: We never got to talk about you killing me did we? Time to settle up!
Rival tries to intercept Impulse before he can reach Inertia.
Rival: No, you deal with-UUHH!
Impulse easily side steps him and trips Rival up, going at the speed Rival is he's knocked out as soon as he hits the ground.
Impulse: Out of the way old man.
But then Impulse is hit from the side by a blow from Reverse Flash.
Reverse Flash: You deal with a different Thawne today.
Cobalt Blue runs into Barry and slams him into a support column, grabbing him by both arms and holding him in place. Cobalt Blue rips his mask away exposing his face to Barry. It's a mirror of Barry's face only twisted in hate and rage.
Cobalt Blue: Recognise me?
Barry: Who are you? A clone? Parallel time stream? Multiversal-
He's cut of as Cobalt Blue knees him in the stomach.
Cobalt Blue: I'm the brother whose life you stole! I'm going to take it back! The glory, the worship...Iris. It will all be mine.
At hearing Iris' name Barry's eyes spark with lightning, faster than Cobalt Blue can react Barry breaks free and punches Cobalt Blue faster than Blue can see! He falls unconscious.
Barry: Stay away from Iris.
Reverse Flash is flung across the room by Impulse. He spots the unconscious Cobalt Blue.
Reverse Flash: I told you all not to mention the lightning rods.
Impulse runs at Reverse Flash and their battle is re-joined. Meanwhile Wally finds himself facing Negative Flash and Savitar.
Wally: We've met haven't we?
Savitar: You cast me from the sacred path! For years I was blind and lost, kept separated from my speed!
Wally:…...Right.
Savitar: But with my mastery of the speed force combined with Negative Flashes mastery of the negative speed force...
Negative Flash: We can make you experience what you did to Savitar. Temporarily but it still counts.
Savitar and Negative Flash join hands and Wally finds himself slowed down and coming to a stop.
Savitar: How does it feel Flash? Does it hurt? I hope it hurts!
Savitar whales on Wally knocking him out.
Barry: Wally!
Barry is tripped up by Zoom, he staggers towards Reverse Flash who hits him to the ground with a piece of rebar.
Reverse Flash: Don't worry about him, you've got enough problems to deal with.
Reverse Flash stabs Barry through the left leg with the rebar piece.
Barry: AAAAHHH!
Impulse and Inertia keep fighting both too evenly matched to gain the upper hand.
Inertia: Is that Barry Allen screaming like a little girl?! That's so-UUH!
Impulse hits him with a blow to the throat, but before he can follow up he finds himself slowing down to a crawl. He turns to see Savitar and Negative Flash extending their power to him. He also spots Rival recovered and running at him.
Impulse falls.
Rival: Another Flash defeated by me.
Inertia: What is he-?
Zoom: Ignore him. Get them into position. With the Flashes out of the way we can proceed to the real reason I gathered you all. It is time to create the storm.