Chapter 18
Roy Harper stood at the large bay window overlooking Gotham Central Park. A blanket of stars coated the sky above while below couples walked hand in hand under the bright gas lights of the greenway. The streets below were a river of taxi cabs, Ubers and busses, bumper to bumper as usual no matter the hour; the litany of life.
It had been nearly a week and yet it still didn't feel real. His friend was dead.
Being a vigilante was dangerous work, that's the job. Fighting the good fight. Protecting those who can't protect themselves. Stopping evil and those that do its bidding.
But Wally West didn't play hero anymore. He was a scholar, a father, a friend. Something like this shouldn't have happened, at least not to him.
Oliver Queen had reached out, trying to be supportive in his Ollie kind of way, worried about the spiral that Wally's death might ensue, but Harper assured him he was fine. Just a few years ago, a loss like this would have ended with him at the bottom of a Jack Daniel's bottle or worse with a needle in his arm, but Roy Harper wasn't that man anymore. He wasn't cured, no one's ever completely cured of addiction; it's a lifetime battle. But the archer had a strong support system and an understanding sponsor who knew all his secrets. He'd spoken with him earlier that evening; promising to meet the man in the morning for breakfast and an AA meeting afterwards.
Ollie assured him he'd keep his former partner in the loop regarding the search for Thawne, but this was s task left for the big guns, not for two grown men playing with bows and arrows.
The young archer left the window, making his way towards the kitchen when he stopped at the mantle, the silver glint of the picture frame catching his eye. Reaching up, he carefully removed it from the ledge, holding it to the light as his mind traveled back in time.
He was a brash, cocky sixteen year old, bordering on arrogant but with the chops to back it up; all business all the time. He was Green Arrow's partner, not some sort of "fanboy sidekick", and found it almost disrespectful the day Ollie forced him to meet his junior peers.
Two years older than both the Atlantean and the speedster, almost five the young detective, the archer had no interest in befriending let alone babysitting some group of pre-teen amateur wannabes. Just because Ollie was teammates with their mentors didn't mean he had to be.
Aqualad was more mature than he'd expected, more seasoned. Robin had a pedigree that rivaled his own, having been a hero even longer than even he had, but the speedster was different, he was a clown, and Roy had not time for idiots like that.
Their first mission, if you could even call it that, was to investigate a series of bank robberies in and around Star City; his city. Speedy had a reputation in this town, and dragging around the junior Justice League was not only humiliating, but would only slow down his investigation. Roy had already come up with his plan to ditch his "teammates" when he came face to face with Thomas Meryln, one of Green Arrow's deadliest enemies, caught right in the act.
Roy finally had the fight he'd always wanted, a chance to prove to Ollie that he was ready for the next step, and who better to prove it against then a master of hand-to-hand combat, martial arts and stealth. Someone whose archery skills Green Arrow considered his equal if not superior. It took less than a minute for Speedy to realize he was in over his head.
Bleeding profusely, a concussion grenade having slammed him into a concrete wall, Roy could see the villain's smile as he let fly a razor tipped arrow heading directly for the young archer's heart. Roy closed his eyes and cringed, waiting for the deadly impact when…nothing happened
Speedy opened his eyes to see Wally holding the arrow in his hand, inches away from the archer's chest, looking just as surprised that he'd caught the damn thing as Roy did. The look on Merlyn's face was priceless, and before he could reload, gas pellets landed at his feet, filling the alleyway with smoke.
A blinding light erupted in the middle of the grey cloud, and the archer watched in disbelief as every water pipe and fire hydrant within a block radius exploded from the ground, sending wave after crushing wave of electrified water slamming into villain. The liquid just as quickly dispersed, and a flying acrobat swung in from out of nowhere, landing a viscous kick onto Merlyn's jaw, followed by a two hundred mile and hour yellow blur sending the evil archer flying into a brick wall and unconsciousness.
It didn't take a genius to point out the weak link in this scenario, but when Green Arrow arrived at the scene, all the sidekicks could talk about was what a badass Speedy had been in literally taking down the villain solo.
With Merlyn covered in water and soot, electric burns, suffering a car wreck like concussion, Oliver knew the story was complete bullshit, but liked how the junior heroes had covered for one another. On that day an arrogant sixteen year old learned a valuable lesson, and suddenly the term sidekick was a little easier to swallow. No thanks were asked for and none were given, but that was the day a brotherhood began, one that had lasted to this day, now minus one.
Roy placed the picture of the four brothers in arms back on his mantle, looking down and shaking his head.
"This is so fucked up," he sighed, wiping a tear away and stretching out on his couch for some much needed reflection.
He stared down the hall, watching the flicker of light escape from under the guestroom door. It had been days and Artemis had barely spoken a word, spending most of her time locked away inside, only responding sharply to Jade in Vietnamese when the assassin would enter her room without permission.
At times, he could hear rustling from the kitchen late at night, coming in the next morning to find everything washed and its place. Food was missing and that was good, as least she was eating.
Roy was a pragmatist, knowing more than most that everyone grieves in their own way, but this was unhealthy for anyone, especially for someone who'd taken the journey she had to get back here.
He rose to his feet, slowly making his way down the hallway towards her room, trying to piece together the right words to say when a callused but delicate hand took his, leading him in another direction.
Roy turned to look at the assassin.
"She needs time," Jade answered before Roy could even ask the question.
"She's had time, what she needs is a friend. That's not me, but she needs someone. Maybe we should call Zee or Barbara…. "
"She's leaving," Jade interrupted. "You realize that."
"She shouldn't," Roy replied. "Artemis needs…."
"That's not Artemis in there anymore, its Tigress. You need to be prepared for that."
Harper shook his head in frustration, pulling away from Jade's hold. He really didn't have time for this kind of bullshit drama right now "Ok, I'll bite," he sighed. "Who's Tigress?"
"It's the person she has to become to survive this. It's the same person Cheshire is."
"Jade, you can change code names all you want, but you're both still the person underneath."
"Are we?" Jade replied cryptically.
Before the couple could finish the debate, the archer stepped out of her room, dressed to leave, bags and backpack at her side.
"I need a ride to the airport," the blonde demanded more than asked.
"Really," Harper replied irritably. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Any..where..but..here," she answered coldly.
"Just running away huh?"
"Don't fucking lecture me…" she snarled, finger pointed angrily at the older archer, just as her sister stepped in between.
Jade took a deep breath, more than a little surprised at finding herself becoming the lone voice of reason, a first for her.
"Red, can you give us a moment."
"Fine! But I already told you once you should have stayed out of this, but you wouldn't listen. Well guess what? You're in it now, and just because he's gone doesn't mean you don't owe it to him to see this thing through to the end."
"I don't owe anything to anyone!" she snapped. "This is up to your mighty Justice League now, you know "faster than a speeding bullet" her words dripping in sarcasm. "Cause they're gonna have to be. I just hope to god they do a better job protecting Bart then they did him."
"What in the fuck does that mean?"
"Red," Jade pleaded, ready to cast aside the role of peacemaker when Artemis said her final ill-timed farewell.
"Oh and by the way, I sure as hell don't need to be lectured by you about abandoning people. You pretty much wrote the book on it didn't you Speedy."
With those words, Artemis slammed the door behind her, most likely waking every neighbor on the floor, like she gave a damn, almost hoping one of them was stupid enough to pop their head out and say something. Pressing the call button to elevator, it was all she could do not to put her fist through it.
She had no idea where Zane was, but she didn't need him to start her new life. She had enough connections overseas to pick up a few contract jobs before really making a name for herself.
In a million years, she would never have guessed she and her sister's roles being reversed: Jade staying behind for love and she being the one to walk away. Oh well, it was her fucking funeral.
Funeral
Things change in an instant and you have to adapt and roll with the punches or you're dead; one of the few lessons she actually appreciated being taught by the Shadows.
Dead
She needed action, she needed to hurt someone. In a cesspool like this god forsaken city, it wouldn't take much to find someone out there waiting in the shadows to prey on the weak. Smashing someone's skull might just be enough to calm her nerves for the long flight...to anywhere.
At this time of night, what the hell was taking the elevator so god damn long.
"Fuck it!" she cursed, grabbing her bags and finding the closest stairs down the hall. She was furious, barely keeping the anger inside from boiling over. She needed out of this fucking city.
The echoes of her bags banging against the concrete and iron stairs echoed up and down the stairwell, when finally two flights down she stopped and let loose a primal scream.
She wasn't pissed at Roy or upset with Jade or even disgusted with the League; she was angry, angry at ...Wally.
She stopped dead in her tracks, her bags dropping to the ground
"Why in the hell would you do something so god damn stupid!" she screamed, her words echoing back at her.
Above her, a hallway door soon opened, and an irritated resident stuck his head down the stairwell
"What the hell is going in down there? Do you know what time it is?"
The man's answer came in a haunting snarl. "Get the fuck back in your room or I'll come up there and show you!"
The resident quickly complied, no doubt calling building security asap, when from higher above another door opened, and a familiar voice shooting down.
"Artemis!"
There were times when Jade could sound exactly like their mother. Moments later the assassin was dragging the archer back upstairs, passing Roy's floor and heading to the roof.
"Get your hands of me Jade!" Artemis growled as her sister closed the access door behind her, turning to look the blonde in the eye with a taunting smile.
"Why don't you make me," the assassin smirked, that same antagonizing smile she used to use back in their youth.
"Don't fuck with me Jade, I'm not in the mood!"
"Why? Because your little boy toy bit the dust? God Artemis, grow up. People die, that's what they do. The trick is being on the other end of that equation. You know that."
They circled each other slowly, the archer clearly seeing the glimmer of Jade's sai shining in the moonlight, while Artemis kept her hand near the blade on her belt.
"Don't you say another fucking word Jade, or so help me..."
"…God?" she scoffed, "like you ever believed in him."
"Jade..."
"He's dead. Get over it. He was weak, and you were meant for something more than a schoolteacher. He was weak Artemis, he was always weak, but you were either too blind or too stupid to notice. Isn't that right baby girl, just like dear old dad always said."
The image of a hockey mask filled the archer's mind as Artemis launched herself at her sister in primal fury, barely missing the assassin as Jade easily sidestepped the attack.
The archer hit the ground, rolling into a summersault, executing an impressive backflip, continuing the attack.
Cheshire just smiled, her antagonizing grin matching the one of the mask she once wore as Artemis swung wildly, the assassin knocking the punch to the side and open hand slapping her sister on the cheek viciously, like some petulant child.
"Sloppy," the assassin said in disgust.
Artemis raged as she shot forth a leg sweep, one that totally missed its mark. Her sister smirked at her ineptness, slapping the archer harder and somersaulting away with a taunting laugh, clearly enjoying the one sided dance. Artemis stepped back, feeling her eye beginning to swell, her fists shaking with rage.
"He's dead baby girl, and you were powerless to stop it. You consider yourself a professional, but you're no match for a meta. You're out of your league, and so was he. It wouldn't have mattered if your dead boyfriend had had his precious speed or not. Wally West was weak, a pathetic excuse for a hero...and a man."
Artemis mind went blinding white as she launched herself at her sister again, except feigning left and striking right. The maneuver took Cheshire by surprise, and before the assassin could recover, a side kick landed in her gut, knocking the wind from her lungs, soon followed by a roundhouse kick that sent Jade toppling. In seconds, the archer was on top of her fallen sister, the sheen of her freshly drawn dagger glowing in the moonlight, inches above her sister's throat.
Artemis breathed heavy, sweat dripping from her brow while Jade lay underneath her quietly, not struggling for her freedom, but patiently waiting for someone to arrive. Her sister.
Moments later Artemis recognized the play, and took a deep breath, throwing her blade to the side.
"Feel better?" Jade smiled, blood dripping from her nose.
"A little," the archer chucked, standing up and reaching down to pull her sister to her feet. "The baby girl was a nice touch."
"I thought you'd appreciate that," her sister smiled warmly, wiping the crimson streak from her cheek. "Now can we get down to business please?"
"What business?" Artemis asked.
"Well Thawne of course," Cheshire replied simply. "Red's right. You do have to see this through to the end. That man took something precious from you and his continued freedom cannot be tolerated."
"What are saying?"
"I'm saying, we help your friends and the League apprehend him. Offer them any assistance or connections we've made over the years and remind them the Shadows have eyes everywhere. I'm sure Batman would have no issues with their help considering the circumstances. And when they finally capture the speedster and stop to pat themselves on the back for a job well done, we go in...and kill him. It's that simple."
Jade continued. "This is dad all over again. Zoom, or whatever ridiculous name he calls himself, he'll never stop. He has a taste for it now. You and I have seen this time and time again, and there is only one way to deal with someone like that. It should have been done a long time ago but your mighty Justice League doesn't work that way, and how did that work out?"
Artemis stared cautiously at her sister, surprised at the suggestion and even more by her knee jerk approval if it. She'd thought she wasn't that person anymore; that she'd moved forward and could possibly reclaim the life she once led, but unfortunately her father may have been right all along.
You tried, baby girl. You can fight Jade. You can fight me. But you can't fight who you are. Time to switch sides, Artemis. You'll never be one of them. You belong with us.
Artemis nodded, hating her sister's inescapable logic.
"How do we stop someone like him?" the archer asked.
Jade chuckled. "He's a meta Artemis, not a god. I've been fighting metas half my life. You treat this like any other mission; preparation, patience, cognizance, and without mercy. It hasn't been that long sister, these are lessons we can't unlearn. And you know who would be helpful with a mission like this?"
Artemis shook her head. "No," she said firmly, "I don't want Zane involved in this."
"Artemis, put your feelings aside for a moment. When it comes to life or death, something that's this important, do you really want to count on your friends, who you know good and well, won't do you what needs to be done. Don't you want someone who understands the mission and will do whatever it takes to make sure it succeeds? Plus with your...history, who knows where this may lead..."
"Don't push it Jade."
"Whatever you say," the assassin smirked, still enjoying the power she had to get under her sister's skin.
"For now, I'll reach out to him and you reach out to Grayson. We'll figure out our next step after that."
The archer sighed. "I guess I owe Roy an apology,"
"I'll take care of Roy, have no fear," she grinned with an devious smile. "You just gather as much intel as you can. And whatever you do, don't tip your hand. You've always had a weak spot when it comes to your friends."
"That's not true, I can be as unreadable as…"
Jade's eyes narrowed as Artemis stopped mid-sentence. She was so sick of her sister being right all of the time.
"Fine, but when all this is said and done, I'm the one who kills him."
Jade smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
xxx
Aboard the Watchtower, orbiting 23,000 miles above the Earth, Dick Grayson emerged from the Zeta Tube, bypassing all pleasantries as he passed through the League members present, fixated on reaching the monitor womb, or more importantly the man currently on duty inside it.
"Tell me your joking," he barked at the Dark Knight, as the detective cycled through a series of monitors currently scanning a dozen locales. "You can't just abandon them."
Batman countered. "No one is abandoning anyone, were simply reallocating resources until more personnel arrives."
"You can phrase it anyway you want, but you're leaving the Wests defenseless."
"Dick, Bart Allen is Thawne's primary target now. He has no more need of the Wests, Joan Garrick or Iris Allen."
"What if he tries to hold them hostage? A bargaining chip to use against the League to hand over Bart?" Grayson asked.
"Thawne had every opportunity to use Joan and Iris in a similar fashion before now. Oliver and Dinah will remain assigned to the Wests for the time being. The rebuild on their home won't be completed for a few more months. Longer if need be, if it gives us more time to apprehend Zoom, but so you know, Iris and Joan have declined any protection detail."
Dick shook his head. "Bruce, I think this is a mistake."
Batman turned one of the larger monitors towards his former partner, initiating a video loop of prerecorded surveillance feeds. On the screen, a familiar figure in yellow appeared.
"Metropolis, San Francisco, Boston, Nashville, Miami, Denver. Locations we've placed Zeta Tubes across the country. Somehow he's found them. He's testing them, trying to figure out how they work."
"Do you think he knows about the Watchtower?" Dick asked.
"I'm not sure. For all intents and purposes The Hall of Justice is only headquarters anyone outside of the League should be aware of," Bruce replied. "However, there have been no signs of him anywhere around or near the D.C. area, so at this point we can't rule anything out. For now we have contingencies in place if he should attempt an incursion."
"Who?"
"Captain Atom, Red Tornado, Aquaman and the Manhunter are currently stationed there. We've even had J'onn make brief appearances outside the lobby in the form of Kid Flash, but so far Thawne hasn't taken the bait."
"He knows it's a trap. Any word on Superman and the Lanterns?"
Bruce shook his head. "They are still at least a week out from Earth."
"Any chance they could speed it up a bit?" Dick inquired. "We could really use the firepower."
"Not at present – no." Batman replied dourly.
"That's why I think the Wests need more protection."
Bruce sighed. "Dick, I just don't have the resources. We have to get Thawne off the streets, but we're not playing on an even playing field. We need Superman and the Lanterns to have any hope of stopping him. You saw what he did back at the complex. The closest we come to having someone that could match his abilities is Diana, and truthfully she's not even close."
"How's Bart?"
Bruce entered in a new command, and soon a live feed of the Med Bay appeared overhead.
"He's been in an out, but his vitals are improving. The neurologist from Johns Hopkins that Leslie Thompkins brought in has been keeping him sedated a majority of the time, hoping the rest will allow his healing factor to take over and speed up his recovery. Whatever Thawne did to him, really took its toll."
Dick sympathized with his mentor. It was a chess game; one that Bruce Wayne didn't have enough pieces on the board to play with. Thawne was unpredictable, literally one step ahead at all times. It had been that way from the beginning, before anyone had even realized it yet, but what troubled Dick the most was what his endgame might be.
Something just didn't add up. Thawne's interest in the Zeta Tubes combined with his disinterest in where they could lead seemed off. He'd boasted many times in the past about being from the future, what if he already knew of the existence of the Watchtower and just how to reach it.
Yet what would happen if Zoom couldn't and became desperate. Thawne didn't come all this way not to finish the job.
When Superman, Hal and John Stewart returned, it would even up the odds, but until then Dick wasn't willing to take any chances. He owed that to Wally.
"I'll take the West detail; maybe even convince Iris or Joan to stay around for a while. I know Wally's folks would probably do better with some familiar faces around."
"Faces?" Bruce asked curiously.
"I think it's time to get the band back together," Dick smiled.
xxx
Dinah Lance stared out the sliding glass door at the raven haired youth sitting alone on the swing. Both Rudy and Oliver had taken turns sitting quietly next to him, attempting to strike up a conversation when the situation presented itself. At the very least trying to make sure the child knew he wasn't alone through all this, but Jai West was having nothing of it.
His dad was gone; and he and his sister were alone. Jai and Iris had been too young to remember their mother, but the stories Wally told gave them a connection to her, somehow feeling the love she had for her two children she'd never met. With their father's death, that connection was now lost, along with so much more.
The youth still didn't understand the how's and whys. Grandpa West said it was a freak accident, barely holding back tears as the words left his lips. Grandma West said nothing, just walking around and hugging he and his sister every chance she had. Jay knew his grandmother wasn't ready to talk about it, but things just didn't make sense. What kind of accident? What exactly had happened? Why wouldn't anyone tell them?
His father always told him one day he'd be the man of the house, Jai just never suspected it would be so soon. What was he supposed to do now? What would his father want him to do? It was all too much to lay on a seven year old's shoulders.
Ollie walked in, watching his partner in life staring out to the yard at the lonely figure. He wanted to make a quip, a joke, some cheesy line just to see her smile, but nothing came to mind. She was hurting, they all were. All the joy that he and Dinah had felt with Artemis's sudden reappearance back from the dead had all but faded away, and all Ollie could do was wrap his arms around his love and hold on for dear life.
Canary had been almost a surrogate mother to the Team back in the day. Part time counselor, full time confidante; she pulled her kids through some of the worse times in their lives as well as the best. When the original members got older and moved on to the next phase of life, it truly made her understand how hard it was for parents to let go. New heroes would soon take their place, but the first group, the Team, they were special.
Losing Wally felt like losing her own flesh and blood. Dinah couldn't bear to even think about how Mary and Rudy West were feeling right now.
Down the hall, Iris Allen stood hesitantly outside the bedroom door, placing her ear quietly against the wood listening for signs of life on the other side. It had been a long time since the house she shared with her husband had felt so full of life. If only it could have been for a more joyous occasion.
Despite many lucrative offers, Iris had refused to sell the home she and Barry Allen had built, and with times such as this with her brother's clan needing a place to stay, she was so glad she hadn't. One day Rudy and Mary would leave to move back to their new home, but until then she would cherish every single moment.
Iris had long ago stopped counting the days since her husband's death. She wished she could give some words of comfort to her brother and his wife, but she was at a complete loss. The truth of the matter was, that empty feeling, that loneliness, it never goes away. You have to learn to live with it, accept the pain and move forward, but that wasn't advice you share when the wounds were still so fresh, so raw. As terrible a tragedy it was to lose her spouse, she couldn't begin to comprehend the pain of losing a child. Parents should never outlive their children. That's the way life's supposed to work.
Children, she sighed.
Barry had always wanted a big family. Having grown up an only child, he always talked about the envy and sadness he felt when he'd see families out at church or dinner, wishing he had a brother or sister to share his life with, but a sibling was not in the cards.
He and Iris both assumed it would happen when the time was right, but when Wally announced to the family that he and Linda were expecting, she could tell in her husband's eyes and smile that he was ready. Sadly they never got the chance.
She filled the void by diving headfirst into her work at the Gazette , keeping herself busy reporting the news, searching out leads, fighting through the red tape of bureaucracy to expose government waste and political corruption. Iris loved her work, and had always been naturally curious; in some ways as much a CSI as her late husband; always searching for an answer, looking for the truth.
There was one answer that still puzzled her even after all these years; a one Bartholomew Henry Allen II.
Iris just could never fathom the intricacies of temporal mechanics, and it eased her mind a little that she wasn't alone when she'd watch Wally struggle himself into cerebral knots trying to explain the unexplainable. But the simple truth of the matter was he didn't have an answer either, and things like that pissed Wally off to no end.
Bart was her grandson, the child of her children, children she never had, so how could she have Bart. It seemed so ungrateful to question his existence; he was a blessing, and a part of Barry lived on within him. She could see Barry in Bart's smile, in the lazy way he lumbered, in the way he laughed.
Iris wiped the dampness from her eyes, so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear the faint sobs coming from inside the room. Her selfishness suddenly made her sick; she wasn't there to grieve, she was there to provide strength and stability for Wally's family. Her time to grieve would have to come later.
Wally was gone, her Wally. The son she'd never had, one of her closest friends despite being related. Why did she let him go? Why did she not try and stop him. Why did he always have to be the hero? Just like Barry.
She and her nephew were kindred spirits, partners in crime. Inseparable before there had even been a Barry Allen or a Flash, let alone a Kid Flash. She knew she would never get over this, but as much as she wanted to be able to hurt and grieve, she too had a mission; she had to save a life.
Iris knocked lightly on the door, already turning the knob before permission was even given.
"Iris," the older woman said quietly to her namesake inside, "Can I come in?"
She opened the door to see her great-niece, sitting on the floor in the corner of the bedroom, hidden between desk and dresser, knees drawn to her chest, crying ever so quietly. The image broke Iris's heart.
"Irey," she whispered, leaning down and taking the young girl into her arms, carrying her to the bedside and holding on to her for dear life. "Come sit with me."
The young girl literally collapsed in her arms, wedging herself in the crock of her aunt's neck. Irey's sobs grew louder as Iris stroked her long auburn hair.
"Why is God so mad at me." she whimpered, damp tears pooling on the older woman's shoulders.
"Irey, God's not mad at you baby. He loves you."
"Then why did he take my mommy and daddy away. Why is he so mean?" she cried, grasping her aunt tighter and tighter.
"I don't know honey, no one knows why he does what he does, but it's nothing you did I promise," the older woman replied, her own eyes stinging.
"Daddy promised us he wouldn't leave. He promised," she cried, wiping her runny nose across her sleeve,
"Shhh," Iris replied, resting Irey's exhausted head onto her shoulder, trying to soothe her. "I know he did. Your uncle Barry promised me the same thing, but sometimes people can't keep their promises. Sometimes God has other plans for them."
"I miss my daddy," she whispered, he body shaking in sorrow.
"I do too Iris, I do too," she whispered as the young girl squeezed in tighter.
A few minutes later the young red head was sound asleep in her arms. Iris tucked her in, closing the curtains to let her sleep for a while. If she was going to hold vigil over her niece her she was going to need some coffee.
She stood there for a moment as Irey rolled over and adjusted her pillow. Content that she had a few minutes to run to the kitchen, Iris Allen stepped out, pulling the door behind her closed, never seeing the small spark that suddenly appeared across her niece's exposed skin, never seeing the lightning.
xxx
Sitting outside La Palette on this warm spring day, a man calmly sipped his espresso, reading the morning paper while blocks away La Défense burned, Paris's chief financial district. This morning's devastation was going to cause havoc on the world's financial market, not to mention the fear he'd struck in its residents. Fire engines blew past the café as they rushed to the scene, praying to God there was still someone there left to save.
He could play this game forever if need be.
It wouldn't be long before the mighty Justice League would have to leave their perch on Mt Olympus and face him. This incident was only the beginning. Happenings like this would just continue to grow in frequency and ferocity if they didn't.
Did they really think he wasn't aware of their orbiting fortress in the sky? Did they truly believe its existence and location weren't common knowledge where he came from? They continued to underestimate him and that would be their downfall.
He would keep them scurrying around the globe, putting out proverbial forest fires until someone would get sloppy; exhausted by the constant cries for help, not paying full attention when they entered into their precious transporter. They'd never see him coming.
If the Justice League refused to bring him Bartholomew Allen, then he would just have go up and get him. And soon after the young speedster's death, this dance would be over; years of planning and patience finally rewarded. He would finally be the fastest man alive; the last and only speedster.
Thawne took his napkin, carefully wiping the cream from the corner of his mouth. As he stood and prepared to leave, suddenly the speedster became light headed and nauseous, the café around him beginning to spin. An invisible wave of raw energy passed through him towards a long awaited destination.
Zoom slumped back in his seat, beads of perspiration forming on his brow. As the world around him began to settle, a wide grin stretched across his face. The Speed Force had reached out once again, and Thawne knew exactly where to. And just like that, Bart Allen was no longer the only person alive who could ride the lightning.
Xxx
"Trauma Team to the Med Bay STAT!" Wonder Woman yelled into the intercom, her order echoing throughout the satellite. The staff on duty stood feet back, completely helpless as Kid Flash lay prone on the metal floor, convulsing and seizing as lightning streaked across his body.
"Bart help is coming! Hang on!" Tim Drake yelled, unsure if his friend could even hear him. With foam forming at the corner of his mouth Bart rasped two words before his eyes rolled up in his head and fell into unconsciousness.
"The Twins"
xxx
He was drowning; the world around him dark and cold; his body weakening by the second as it continued its descent into the abyss
His lungs burned; his limbs heavy. He finally gave up the struggle, waiting for the darkness to consume him and his pain to end. It was over.
Wally gasped for air as he lurched out of bed. His skin was clammy, his sheets soaked. It was that dream again.
His legs swing over the side of the bed, as he elbows rested on his knees, holding his hands on his head.
Just a dream, just a dream.
Wally yawned, rising to his feet and quietly making his way towards the kitchen for some water or any leftovers that might be hiding in the back of the refrigerator. After dreams like that, he could never fall back to sleep.
He paused briefly outside the twin's room, walking over to the crib they shared, the nursery glowing in a peaceful blue. The two infants were still swaddled in their sheets like tiny human burritos, breathing softly and sleeping soundly, just as they always did, just as they should be.
Wally left the room quitely, pulling the door ajar behind him.
Cribs? Why suddenly did that seem so strange?
The house had a slight chill to it, making him wish he'd grabbed a long sleeve shirt on his way out. There was a time when the cold never used to bother him.
He dug into the fridge, moving aside milk jugs and Coke bottles in search of protein. Right behind the orange juice he found it; leftover General Tso's. Wally lifted the lid, taking a deep inhale. It still smelled great. There were probably so many preservatives in it that it would last for months, but honestly he didn't care. Pulling the container out, he searched the side door for water bottles when warm arms wrapped around his cool skin.
Her cheek rested against his shoulder, instantly bringing his body temperature up five degrees. She always had that affect in him?
"You ok babe?"
Wally sighed. "I'm fine Linda," he smiled, grasping her arms around him tight. "Everything is just fine."
Author's Notes
Well I'm back from the dead. I can't believe it's been almost two years since I touched this story. The Last Speedster took a lot out of me and I kind lost my mojo for a while. Also it kind of seemed the fandom was dying off and moving on. Then DC had to go bring back Young Justice and suddenly all is well in the world. I'm pretty pumped as I'm sure everyone is, and I'm ready for some real storytelling, and of course the return of Wally (fingers crossed). To those of you who gave up on this story years ago, please forgive me, For any new readers I hope you enjoy. 1/4/19 can't come soon enough. As usual please excuse the typos, I'll go back and correct them. The perils of not using a beta.
Cheers