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OK this chapter took longer than I initially anticipated which isn't really surprising since I have a large exam coming up next week which means I will not be able to start the next chapter until March 1st. Please hang tight I'll try and get back on track with writing and posting once my exam is finished.

The Flash: Survival of the Fastest

Chapter 10: A New Hero

October 6,2017

Central City

In an alley in an older part of Central City two men lurked in some kind of dark alley deal.

"I heard you've got something new." The first man said. Between the two of them he was much more nervous rubbing his hands together. He was nothing special, just some druggie punk.

"Depends, you got what I want?" The dealer asked

Nodding vigorously the Punk reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. The dealer smiled and pulled out a tiny vial filled with a red liquid. "That's it?"

"My boss said this is the newest shit on the market. Only thing is, it'll cost ya' a lot more than usual."

"Yeah, no problem." He moved for his wallet but the dealer stopped him.

"Two grand."

"Two grand!? I… I can't make that much!" The dealer shrugged and placed the vial back into his pocket.

"Then our business here is concluded."

"No! Wait! I can get you the money!"

"How?"

"Like this!" The punk jumped onto the dealer forcing him to the ground before he began to mercilessly beat the man. He continued to pummel the man for a solid minute before grabbing a loose brick and continuing to bash the man's face in until his skull shattered and there was nothing left of his face. His jaw was broken and hanging half off while his right eye hung out of the socket while the other was swollen shut.

Not wasting any time, the punk began to rifle through the dealer's clothes pulling out the vial of red liquid. Popping the cork, he poured the contents down his throat. It tasted like acid going down his throat. He doubled over and vomited something that was a mix of stomach bile and blood.

His whole body suddenly began to convulse and pain rushed over every fiber of him as each bone and muscle broke and was restructured. His clothes began to rip and tear and even his skin began to tear with it.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH! AHHHHH! MMMMMMAAAAAAHH! AAAAAAHHHH! MMAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" His screams soon turned into bleats as his bodily transformation continued.

Outskirts of Central City

Barry groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet. His mind and vision were slightly blurred but slowly returning. He looked around him, Caitlin was on the ground, moving slightly. In an instant Barry was by her side gently holding her in his arms.

"Cait… Caitlin…" He gently shook her until her groggy eyes were focused on him.

"Barry…" Caitlin glanced around them. The ground was scorched and they were definitely not in Central City, but she could see it in the distance. "What are we doing this far outside the City?"

"I don't know…" Barry looked around. Wally was still unconscious on the ground. "Wally…" Gently putting Caitlin onto her feet, the two speedsters made their way to Wally.

"Wally?" Caitlin gently shook Wally until Kid Flash opened his eyes.

"Ow…" Wally rubbed his head as he sat up. "My head…" He looked from Caitlin to Barry. "What's going on?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." Barry said

"Well, uh I thought Cisco and I were supposed to go and get Jesse and Harry." Kid Flash rubbed his head.

"Why are we out here?" Caitlin turned and saw Ben standing not too far from the rest of them. "Ben…" She went into a slight 'mom mode' and flashed over to her son. But he seemed to be completely lost in thought.

"Ben! Oh my god! Are you Okay?"

"Caitlin…" Ben turned to his mother. "What's going on? Why are we out here?"

"I…I don't know…"

"In any case, we should get back to S.T.A.R. Labs," Barry said as he and Wally joined the other two speedsters.

"Yeah…" In flashes of lightning all four speedsters raced back to the lab.

S.T.A.R. Labs, Cortex

They arrived at in the cortex and were quite surprised to see not only Cisco and Eddie, but also, they saw Harry, Jesse, Kara, and Kara's sister Alex.

"Kara?" Barry asked surprised. "When did you guys get here?"

"We were hoping you knew that. And why we are here." Supergirl added

"That would be lovely… except we cannot answer that." Wally said.

"He means maybe if you guys stick around we can figure out why you're here." Caitlin offered.

"We'd love to stay and help you guys but we need to get back to National City." Alex said "We've been gone for an unknown amount of time."

"About nine hours." Everyone turned to see J'onn and Jay reenter the lab. Both mentors looked relatively unharmed.

"J'onn!" Kara and Alex rushed their Martian Mentor surprised to see him here. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here with you two." J'onn said. "I am unsure of when or how."

"So, none of us knows why we are here or what we are supposed to be doing?" Barry asked looking to all his friends. "Who has an answer?"

"That's what we were hoping you could tell us." Jay responded. "From what J'onn and I gathered we are all missing the last nine hours of our lives. Last thing I remember is heading out to deal with one of my rouges named Thorn."

"Nine hours!?" Jesse quipped before turning to her dad. "How's that possible?"

"We don't know." Jay replied "One minute I was on my earth about to fight one of my rouges, Thorn, then suddenly I am here next to a Martian from another reality." He said gesturing to J'onn.

This was when Martian Manhunter spoke up. "I used my psychic abilities to search for a reason behind the gaps in our memories but even I found nothing."

"That's impossible. If someone has messed with our memories, you should be able to detect it J'onn." Alex said knowing the Martian's abilities the best.

"I tried… whatever has been done to us it must have something to do with why we are here and why none of us can remember the last nine hours." J'onn crossed his arms over his chest. "I think We should start with the elephant in the room." J'onn and everyone from the alternate earths looked at Ben.

"What?" The young time traveler asked

"Not a single one of us knows who you are, aside from the people of this Earth," J'onn said. "Speculation dictates that you're are the reason we are here."

"Look… I don't know why any of you are here. And You are all mistrusting of me because I am the new guy of sorts, but If we truly went out of our way to bring you guys here then it was to help us fight my arch-nemesis so I can return home, to my time." Ben explained to his skeptical audience.

"I believe him." Kara spoke up making Ben smile slightly. Floating around his heads he saw memories where he heard Barry speaking about Kara Zor-El's belief in the inherent goodness of people. But just as soon as he saw it his vision shifted into another vision.

He saw his hand wrapped around Supergirl's neck while his free hand jammed into her glowing eyes. There was a horrendous blast and Ben watched Kara's body collapse to her knees with nothing but a smoldering stump where her had had been. Ben stumbled and clutched his head as the S.T.A.R. Labs Cortex flooded back into view.

"Hey," Kara was resting an arm on his shoulder. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine…" Ben breathed heavily.

"No, you're not." Caitlin told her son. "Something's wrong with you. You've been having blackouts and just when you've seemingly overcome them suddenly we all have blackouts at the same time. It's probably all connected."

Ben eyed Caitlin as another vision flashed across his vision. He saw from a distance Caitlin's limp body in Barry's arms. He could see blood staining her blouse a deep crimson while Barry was desperately trying to keep pressure on the deep gash across her stomach. Ben gasped as he lurched forward.

"Ben!" Barry immediately was on the other side of Ben helping Caitlin keep their future son upright.

"What's wrong with him?" Kara asked

"I don't know." Caitlin said a little frightened. "We have to get him to the Med Bay."

"I'll Help." Alex said since she and Caitlin were, most likely, the most skilled bio-engineers on the combined team.

Westside Central City Apartments

A lone man walked into his apartment. There wasn't much to Andrew Cook, that is his name, He's a fireman for the Central City Fire Department, Widower, and a single parent to his six-year-old daughter Stephanie.

He had felt lousy all day at the station and when he took his temperature he found it high, like 99.7 F, the fire chief practically ordered him to go home and rest. He needed some soup and rest, and to cancel his date with his girlfriend. Luckily, he wouldn't be completely alone because his daughter should be home from school. He didn't want her to get sick, she was his precious little star.

"Hi Daddy!" His little girl greeted him brightly as she rushed to give him a hug.

"Easy there pumpkin…" The man held out his hand to keep her from touching him. "Daddy's feeling a little under the weather tonight. I think I'm just going to go to bed…"

"I can make you some chicken soup! Like you do when I'm sick!" Stephanie beamed exposing her smile with three missing teeth.

"That would be nice… but I don't want have I said about you using the appliances?"

"Don't use the stove or oven without you."

"That's my little star." Andrew gave his daughter a smile before heading off to bed.

He laid down in his bed and closed his eyes, unaware of the large amount of sweat covering his body, had he taken his temperature again Andrew Cook would have seen that his temperature was abnormally high, too high for a human to survive. While he slept soundly his body temperature continued to rise. His blankets began to smoke and his sweat was immediately turning to steam. Needless to say, things were not going well for Andrew Cook.

S.T.A.R. Labs

While Caitlin and Alex helped walk ben to the Med Bay, Barry turned to the rest of the team who were all looking for an explanation as to what happened with Ben and unfortunately for the Fastest Man Alive he had no viable explanation, but he tried to explain it to the best of his ability.

Though it might have been pure luck or coincidence that his phone went off in that moment.

Barry pulled it out and looked at the caller ID, it was Iris. "Iris, what's going on?"

"Barry? Finally, you answer! What's happening over there? I've been trying to call My dad and Eddie for hours and none of you've been responding." Iris' voice sounded frantic, almost like she was in some kind of trouble.

"Iris, what's wrong?" Barry immediately received a worried look from Eddie regarding his wife.

"What's wrong, you guys should check out the news! There's a massive fire on the western side of Central City."

Barry, without hanging up on Iris, turned to Cisco. "Cisco, turn on the news."

Vibe complied and everyone turned their attention to the monitors as they were covering a large apartment fire. The flames were burning so hot that the water from the firehoses was making minimal impact on the raging flames. According to the reporter on scene about three dozen people and four firefighters were still inside when the blaze intensified.

"Oh, my god…" Kara breathed out.

"Let's go!" Barry said to the rest of the speedsters.

Westside Central City Apartments

All the Flashes, minus Caitlin and Ben, along with Supergirl rushed out of STAR Labs and headed towards the fire. They arrived on the scene and were immediately forced back by the sheer intensity of the flames. Barry quickly scanned the scene before turning to the rest of the team. They spoke super quick so as not to waste any time so what might have been a minute conversation really took place in the span of a single second.

"OK, Wally, you two take the eastern end of the complex. Jesse, take the western end, get as many people out as you can. Jay, think we can make a cyclone around the fire big enough to extinguish the flames?"

"It's possible but it would take away a lot of the oxygen in the area."

"I can use my cold breath to help contain the fire while you guys get move people out." Kara suggested

"OK…" Barry nodded. "GOoooooooooooooo…" Before Barry could even finish his sentence the would slowed down to a halt. Time had all but stopped, or rather everything in existence was suspended in and inconceivably small period of time.

A streak of gold and white lightning burst past our heroes and dove into the inferno. Standing for a moment in the heart of the blaze was Godspeed in all his glory. He took a deep breath and allowed the Speed Force to surge through his body like a raging storm. Behind his golden lenses, he opened his eyes and ran. The cracks of thunder he created were all suspended in time as Gold lightning tore through the flames.

Swiftly he scooped up people and carried them out of danger. Building groaned under the strain, though it was also suspended in time. In that minuscule amount of time Godspeed had gotten all but two people out of the building. He made his way to the last apartment, the source of the blaze and phased through the door. He found Stephanie Cook frozen in place in the middle of hammering on the bedroom door of her father. He grabbed the little girl and flashed her out of the Apartment complex. Despite being practically frozen in time Godspeed could feel that she was completely unharmed, no burns, no lung damage, he body wasn't even that warm.

The moment he escaped the building with the little girl Time resumed it's proper flow. The Flashes and Supergirl, everyone watched in stunned silence as all the residents and Firefighters suddenly appeared in front of them a safe distance away from the building as it groaned and collapsed.

"DADDY!" Little Stephanie Cook screamed she tried to wrestle out of the white speedster's arms. There was a roar of thunder and a flash of light. Godspeed was gone and then back carrying the little girl's father over his shoulders.

Gently Godspeed lowered the man to the ground next to his daughter giving paramedica ample room to look over the two of them.

"Stephanie broke away from the doctors and hugged Godspeed's leg tightly. "Thank… thank you Mr." He could barely contain her tears of happiness.

"You're welcome." He ruffled her hair gently before sending her back to the paramedics.

Soon Godspeed found himself surrounded by reporters as well as The Flash, Kid Flash, Jesse Quick, The Older Flash and Supergirl.

"Who are you?" Barry asked in his disguised voice since it was the question on the mind of everyone.

"Uh…" Godspeed hesitated for a moment. "My name is Godspeed, and I'm here to help."

S.T.A.R. Labs, Med Bay

Back at STAR Labs Caitlin and Alex had gotten Ben onto the bed and hooked up to all proper monitors. Caitlin was very worried for Ben, yes, he was from one of an infinite number of possible futures, but she still cared for him.

"Alright, I've administered a mild sedative." Alex said. "That should keep him calm."

"Why is this happening to him?" Caitlin wondered aloud. Her question was directed more towards herself as well as all of her friends. Every time something seemed to be going good there was some kind of ulterior motive behind it that usually was worse. Just once she would like to have a year where they weren't being threatened by a maniacal speedster from the future, or a different reality. Maybe for once in their lives they won't allow the future to dictate their lives, but seeing Ben laying there resting due to problems no one knew the answers too made those feelings evaporate. Right now, her only thoughts were about how she can help her son.

It might be a long shot but could we have J'onn take a look inside Ben's mind?" Alex suggested. "I know he said he was unable to discover anything about the missing hours but since this is affecting Ben differently maybe J'onn could find something."

"That may be the best course of action but having J'onn invade Ben's mind while he's unconscious would be unethical. Ben should have some say."

"Well, when he wakes up you should ask him." Alex said. "You know, you mentioned that During some of his blackouts Ben experiences visions of alternate lives. Kara went through something similar a few years ago."

"What happened?"

"Her uncle unleashed a deadly space parasite known as the Black Mercy on her. It feeds off of its host's life force while projecting images of a life she could have had."

Caitlin shrugged a little. "Well, I'm sorry but I do not see a parasitic space plant latched onto his chest. That would certainly make things easier."

"Maybe we can have J'onn send you into Ben's mind like he did for me and Kara." Alex suggested. "Perhaps having someone from reality beside him would help him before his psyche shatters too much."

"That could be worth a shot." Caitlin said smiling slightly. "It's quite nice having another bio-engineer to talk to who isn't my mother." Alex returned Caitlin's smile.

Rooftop Near the Fire

The Flash Family and Supergirl stood atop a building away from the prying eyes of the public. Standing across from them was the new Speedster who was helping them out, Godspeed. Barry looked up and down the new speedster, a little skeptical mainly due to the number of unknowns Godspeed carried with him. Who was he? Where did he come from? How did he get his speed? Where did he get his suit? "So, Godspeed, do you have a name? Like an actual name?" Barry asked

"I do Flash." Godspeed said in his disguised voice. "But following the superhero code I believe I am entitled to hold that secret close much like you are."

"How did you get your speed if you don't mind me asking?" Barry asked the mysterious white speedster.

"December 12 2013." Godspeed said causing Barry to perk slightly. That was the date the Particle Accelerator went on and Exploded, in other words, the day Barry got his powers. "I was being held at gunpoint and just before I was shot I was struck by a bolt of lightning. Suddenly I could move so fast time has been standing still."

"You got struck by lightning?" Wally asked

"Yeah, hurt like a son of a bitch." Barry listened carefully. Godspeed was hit by lightning and got access to his speed immediately without a nine-month coma.

"If you wanted to be a hero why wait four years?" Barry asked.

"I needed to understand what was happening to me." Godspeed explained. "I needed to know how to use my abilities without hurting people. First person I tried to save I accidentally killed." That bit of information caught everyone's attention. "I knew then and there that I was not ready to be the hero I wanted to be, so I left Central City to explore my speed."

"So, you want to be a Hero?"

"Yes! I just want to be a hero and… well… you are kind of my role model Flash… I was hoping you could teach me. You've been the hero much longer than I and you know more about what we can do than I."

"Just give us a minute." All four speedsters and Supergirl huddled up. "So, what do we think?"

"New Speedster shows up and he apparently got his powers almost the exact same way as you, seems a little too… I don't know… convenient." Jay said.

"Yeah but he's the first speedster who's not from the future or an alternate Earth, nor did he get his powers from a degenerative speed drug or a psychotic Speed God and his apostle." Wally said.

"I agree, it is a little suspicious." Jay said thinking back to how Hunter Zolomon captured and impersonated him. "But not unlikely. Though I have to say I don't fully trust a man who completely hides his identity."

"I say we give him a chance." Kara added. "He says he wants to be a hero, He proved that he can be one when he saved those people from that fire."

"Do we have him join us?" Barry asked the group.

"This is your Earth Flash," Jay said. "It's your choice."

Breaking their huddle Barry turned to Godspeed and held out his hand. "Alright, Godspeed. We are willing to give you a shot at being a hero."

"Thank you, Flash. You have no idea how much this means to me. I promise I will do everything you tell me! I will not let any of you down!" Barry smiled beneath his mask as Godspeed vehemently shook his hand. "So, uh… what happens now?" Godspeed asked.

"Barry!" Cisco called into Barry's com.

"What is it Vibe?" Barry used Cisco's code name since they had just met Godspeed.

"Meta-human causing a ruckus on the north end of the City," Cisco replied.

"We're on our way!" Barry turned to Godspeed. "Alright Godspeed, you want to be a hero, now's the time to show it."

Godspeed smiled beneath his mask before he and the Flash Family took off towards the new meta-human.

This is the end of the chapter

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