The Noble Sacrifice, Chapter 4: Running from the Reaper

On the grassy knoll where Bart Allen aka Impulse lost his life, Young Justice stands amassed. A few feet away from them stands Barry Allen, the second super-speedster to adopt the name of the Flash who gave his life to save the universe from the Anti-Monitor. And standing besides Secret is Bart Allen... or at least the spirit of Bart Allen.

"Are you really my Grandpa Barry?" Bart said with his eyes opened wide.

"Yes, yes I am. I've waited a long time to meet you, Bart." Barry said as he dropped to his knees and held his arms out so Bart could run up to hug him.

Bart said nothing in return. He just stared at his Grandpa for a few brief moments with his eyes filled with awe and wonder. He then shifted his weight to run to Barry when Secret grabs him by the arm and gets him into an armlock.

"Secret, what are you doing?!? That's my Grandpa!" Bart yelled as he tried to break from her grasp.

"I'm sorry Bart, but I don't think that's your Grandpa. I can sense that he's only here to take you away... away from us. I think that's the reaper."

"But how could you know?" Bart asked solemnly as his eyes began to mist from being denied access to his Grandpa's embrace.

"I know." Secret said as she casts a glare towards Barry. The happiness fades from his face as his eyes focus on Secret.

"You don't know what you're doing, mist girl."

"I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm protecting my friend! *Looks towards her comrades* If you want Bart to be with us again permanently, you have to stop that man from reaching Bart! We'll meet up with you later!" Secret yells as she vaults into the air dragging Bart along with her.

Barry follows them both with his eyes only to find that when he looks back towards Young Justice, they have circled him.

"Mr. Allen, please listen to me. There has to be someway to restore Bart to life rather than just dragging him into the Speed Force!"

"I'm sorry Robin, but I can't do that. There really is no way to truly restore Bart to life now. And if he stays on this plane of existence any longer, soon the dead will be walking the Earth!"

"Uh-uh, I ain't buying a word you say. I'm partially responsible for Bart's condition and there's no way I'm gonna allow you to get past me!" Superboy says with a look of determination on his face.

"Oh really? Then I have a word of advice for you. Don't Blink."

"Wh..." Kon begins to say as Barry zooms past the space between him and Arrowette and chases Bart who's still being dragged through the air by Secret.

"...at?" Kon finishes saying as he notices that Barry Allen is gone as does the rest of Young Justice.

Barry Allen looks up to the air and sees that he's catching up to Secret. He zooms forward of her and creates a wind funnel that thrashes Secret around, partially dispersing her, and causing her to drop Bart to the ground.

"OW!" Bart yells as he wobbles his head from left to right to regain his equilibrium. That's when he sees Barry standing before him.

"Bart... please take my hand. It's time to go home. There's someone whose been waiting to meet you for a long time." Barry said with a smile.

Bart just stared at him. Could this just be some sort of illusion created by the Reaper of Death, and not his Grandpa? But as Bart looked into the blue eyes of his Grandfather... he realized that not even the Reaper could fake that genuine twinkle of love in Barry's eyes... and as Bart outstretched his hand...

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Secret bellows as her cloak opens up and an irresistible force begins tugging at Barry Allen.

But try as he might, Barry Allen cannot run away from the force and inevitably, he is sucked into her cloak.

"Come on Bart, I'll take you someplace safe."

"Okay." Bart said, wondering if that really is or isn't his Grandfather. Secret extends her hand but instead of grabbing it, Bart hugs her instead.

Suzie smiles a little bit and pats the back of Bart's head. Then smoke envelops them both and they disappear.

Barry meanwhile is deposited back to where YJ is standing, who is currently trying to figure this whole mess out.

"Dang! Lost him again!"

"Mr. Allen, if you're willing to tell us why Bart has to go back... then... we'll help you find him." Robin said with his head hanged low.

And up on the moon, Secret and Bart materialize in the Watchtower... completely undetected.

"Wow..." Bart says as he stares out the window into Outer Space "I didn't know you could teleport THIS far!"

"Nei-Neither did I..." Secret says as she begins to collapse. Bart immediately catches her.

"Secret, are you all right? Secret?" Bart asks as he gently strokes her face... but no reaction takes place.

Bart picks her up and carries her through the corridors of the Watchtower... to finally arrive at one of the lavatories... which he lays Secret down on the floor.

Bart looks at her face... noticing all the smooth curves, her lips, her eye-lashes... and thinks of how it took death to teach him the beauty of girls...

He exits the bathroom and walks around the Watchtower. Bart happens to walk past JLA members Superman, Batman and Martian Manhunter. Superman and Batman walk on past him but he notices J'onn stopping for a moment... looking in Bart's general direction... only to continue walking on.

Bart looks out the window thinking of all the events that have lead up to this point. And as he's looking out the window he notices something that sends a chill through his spine.

He has no reflection.

"So what you're telling us is that Bart really is dead?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, Bart's physical body died while he was trying to run into the Speed Force but death cannot destroy the soul. But that moment of shock... the shock of dying... detoured him from entering the Speed Force and he came back here. If there were someway to create a new physical body for him, I wouldn't take him back. But the fact is that you can't clone a new body for him because you don't have cell stock... and it would be impossible to transfuse his soul into new body."

"How can you say that? You're physical!"

"Yes Superboy, but this body is temporary. It's meant as only a host for my soul... it will decay given a few days. And as with Bart, my presence undoes the natural spiritual balance set up by the Presence. While we're here, we weaken the spiritual balance allowing any and all spirits, good or evil, access to the physical world. Plus... there's someone Bart has never met in the Speed Force that wants to see him desperately..."

And back on the moon, Secret sleeps a contented sleep. Her mind drifts... thinking of the teen that she's been protecting recently... focusing on his face and his warm smile that she has missed...

Bart meanwhile is continuing to walk down the halls of the Watchtower making sure not to look out the windows so he doesn't have to be confronted with the fact that he has no reflection. That's when a tear comes to his eye as he makes a decision.

He races back to the bathroom where Secret is shifting her body to make herself more comfortable. Bart is relieved to see this... but is also sad.

Bart slowly puts his hand upon her face one more time... brushing away some strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face.

He then exited the bathroom and headed for the JLA teleporters.

He wasn't sure if it could teleport souls back to Earth, but if it couldn't, it didn't really matter...

At that moment, Secret awakens. She looks around to see no sign of Bart.

"Bart? Bart, where are you?" She asks in concern. She flies out of the bathroom to see no sign of Bart.

Bart now is the teleporter. As the sequence begins, he notices Secret flies into the room.

"Bart, what are you doing?!?" She yells as she reaches for the teleporter.

But as Bart begins to disappear all he can say is...

"Goodbye, Suzie."

As he re-appears in a teleporter tube in the heart of Metropolis, Bart zooms out of the building where the teleporter is located and into the outskirts of Metropolis.

At that moment, Barry's head snaps in Bart's general direction.

"Young Justice, I can sense Bart. I have to go. I'll give him your regards." and Barry Allen runs as fast as he can towards Bart.

Bart has now stopped running and is standing still on a plane of grass.

And he softly says...

"Come and get me, Grandpa."

To Be Concluded!