The Noble Sacrifice, Chapter 2: Can Anyone See Me

Nestled in a little corner of the Justice Cave, sits one Bart Allen. He is shacking and crying from learning a hideous horrible truth.

Bart Allen aka Impulse, to the general masses, is dead. And even as he is accepting this, he is speedily mumbling to himself what type of nightmare world he's trapped in.

"Is-This-Heaven,-Can't-Be,-GrandMa-Said-Heaven-Was-A-Nice-Place… Or-Is-This-The-Speed-Force,-Or-Is-This-What-Hell-Is,-Because-It's-Increadibly-Awful… I-Just-Don't-Know,-I-Just-Want-It-To-End..." Bart continued to mumble as we shift focus from the Justice Cave to...

Central City, Missouri.

The storm still rages on, and as it does, another bolt of lightning streaks down from the sky and...

*KRAKA-BOOM* and when the light dissipates this time, a Blond haired, blue-eyed man in his mid 30's in a blue suit wearing a brown trench coat, is now standing. The first thing he does is look to his left to see the old sign and as he sees it, he smiles.

"I'm... I'm back! I'M BACK!!!" The man yells as he holds his hands up to the air and rain continues to pour on him.

But after he does this, his enthusiasm fades. He's not here to enjoy the pleasures of the physical world, he's here to collect a poor lost soul... that got lost on it's way to Valhalla. He sighs a bit and looks around. That's when he sees a spectral trail left by Bart's wake as he runs.

As the man sets his right foot down and prepares to run for the first time in a long time, he stops and remembers someone he knew was back in this era... someone that he hasn't been with in a long time...

"Iris..." he says in a soft tone. He begins to change his posture to run in another direction, but then suddenly, the words fly back into his head...

"Remember, the mission is paramount! The boy cannot stay in that plane of existence for very long! Do not allow yourself to get distracted by other things!" the voice pounded in his head as the man wearily re-shifted his position.

Then for the first time in a long time, Barry Allen runs... like lightning.

*KRAKA-BOOM!*

Back in the Justice Cave, Secret flies in, coming back to the only place that seems like home to her nowadays. As she is contemplating what to do, she hears a peculiar sound...

Someone sobbing. Wondering who it could be since she was sure she was alone, she wandered the halls until she peeked her head around a corner to see Impulse.

"Bart?" she said as he slowly lifted up his head to see Secret fly around the corner to greet him.

"*Sniff* ...Secret?" Bart said as tears were still strolling down his face.

"Oh my God Bart, we all thought you were dead!" and with that statement, Bart's eyes lit up and he rushed her with super-speed and grabbed hold of her.

"Oh-Secret,-It's-So-Terrible… After-Taking-The-Bomb-I-Ran-And-Then-I-appeared-In-Central-City… Then-I-Raced-Home-But-Max-And-Helen-Couldn't-See-Me… They-Kept-Saying-I-Was-Dead-And-I-Walked-Through-Max… And-Then-I-Came-Here-And-Then-You-Showed-Up-And-You-Can-See-Me-And..." Bart was saying so fast, Secret couldn't comprehend a single word. He kept hugging her though, and his head rested on her shoulder.

"*Shush* It's okay, Bart. Just rest a bit. I'll stay here with you." Secret said as she started swaying herself from side to side. She also took her left hand and patted his head.

And Bart continued to cling to her.

-TBC-