Ravens POV:

It was an early morning in Titans Tower, the morning after Nightwing revealed to us all that whoever is in the Red X suit has him to thank for providing them with a suit capable of taking down most meta-humans with relative ease. On the Brightside the power source for the suit is apparently extremely rare, dangerous and almost impossible to acquire with Nightwing having to go behind Batman's back and break the law to get it in the first place. However the atmosphere was still incredibly tense and awkward with no one willing to break the uncomfortable silence. Everyone was avoiding eye contact, instead staring into their coffee or cereal. At this point Bart walked into the room. All the other Titans looked up as he walked in and then quickly looked away again. He sighed loudly "Guys look, I'm sorry about what happened last night. I know it was out of character and probably shocking to a lot of you but there have been issues between Nightwing and I for some time, and the fact that he designed a suit that enabled some psycho to severely injure one of my best friends and messed me up psychologically took its toll on me. I'm not afraid to admit it guys, I was scared. Scared Red X may know so much about us that he could bypass our security system and get into the tower. I was terrified and nervous and I couldn't shake the feeling of fear and anxiety and these thoughts kept swimming around my head so much and so loudly that I was then worried that I was going crazy, all these voices in my head shouting, screaming over and over and it terrified me to my very core. And it was all because of some guy in a suit that Nightwing made possible. I just wanted him to leave before I hurt him. So I'm sorry I acted weirdly, but he messed with my head. Badly. There's no need to feel as if you're walking on egg shells around me, it's him I'm angry with not any of you. "Bart explained his voice full of both regret and sincerity. Starfire grinned "Oh that is a relief! I was afraid you had become a cold and crazy loner like The Batman." She said cheerfully. Bart raised an eyebrow "Uh thanks, I think." He said with an uncertain tone. Cassie turned from her seat to face Bart "I think what Starfire means is that it's good to know you haven't changed. I too am guilty of losing it for a second so I will also apologise to everyone for my behaviour as well." Cass said and everyone silently nodded and the atmosphere didn't seem so tense anymore.

Bart smiled "Well I'd love to stay but it's a school day and I'd best be off." As he finished his sentence he spun around so fast he became a blur and when he slowed down he was in his costume. He gave me a wink and then turned to everyone else "See you guys later." And with that he was gone. I silently took a sip of my camomile tea and looked back down to my book as I hoped no one noticed that he'd winked at me.

Bart's POV:

It had been a few days after the whole incident with Red X and Nightwing and things had seemed to have gotten back to normal, as normal as life for a super hero can be. I had called Jamie (for real this time) and whilst the conversation had started off with him acting understandably hostile towards me, after some explaining and promising not to make the same mistakes he calmed down and we'd agreed to go see a movie together some time in the near future when neither of us were busy and it was a promise I intended to keep. On the downside to this week I'd also gotten called into the principal's office at school and accused of cheating since I had gotten 100% on my English, Maths, Science, History, and Spanish tests. I have to keep reminding myself to intentionally get some of the questions wrong even though I know all the answers due to my photographic memory and having every single book in the San Francisco Public Library stored inside my head. I'd also taken on some villains that had escaped during a recent riot at Iron Heights and sent them back where they belonged, namely The Top, Weather Wizard and I was currently chasing down The Trickster who was trying to escape from me in a cheap looking car he'd obviously hot-wired in desperation. I ran up to the driver's window "License and registration please?" I joked. Trickster brandished a gun that fired and extendable boxing glove and repeatedly pulled the trigger whilst shouting "FUCK YOU KID FLASH!" I effortlessly dodged each punch, placed my hand inside the car and grabbed the steering wheel "Wrong answer!" I replied and yanked hard, causing the car to violently veer to the left, at which point I vibrated my molecules allowing myself to phase through the car. I looked over expecting to see the car smashed into a wall or lamp post, but instead saw Trickster somehow miraculously managing to regain control of the car albeit with some powerful swerves from left to right and he then sped off around the corner. Standing in the middle of the road dumbfounded I said to myself "Huh. Well that was incredibly unexpected." in astonishment. "Need a hand?" I heard a familiar voice behind me say, I turned to see The Flash, standing there in his shiny yellow boots, arms crossed and a cocky smile on his face, I returned that same smile back to my grandfather "I'm pretty sure I had it handled but if the old timer thinks he can do better, who am I to take that away from him?" I teased. Flash chuckled "Old timer? We'll see who's the 'old timer' when I arrest Trickster." He replied. Still smiling I said "Well whilst you're here yakking he's getting away." Flash smiled that cocky smile again "You have a point, I reckon he's made it an entire 2 blocks by now, what about you?" Flash asked "Maybe about a block and a half. " I replied casually. With that we both ran off in pursuit of The Trickster who'd actually managed to make it 3 blocks away and was looking pretty pleased with himself until he noticed both Flash and I on either side of his car. We gave each other a nod and in a few seconds we'd completely disassembled his car leaving him holding just the steering wheel in his hands. Trickster dropped it to the floor as he uttered "Oh crap." Before a swift right hook from Flash knocked him out cold. He looked over to me "I'm digging the new suit by the way, I think it's very cool." He said as he looked at the new design "Thanks, I decided it was time for a change, there's a difference between honouring Wally's memory and emulating him." I explained. Flash smiled "Very wise. I couldn't be more proud of you all the same." He said making me feel a little emotional. "You know I was wondering who'd get more of the rogues back to Iron Heights first, I've managed to get Captain Cold and Mirror Master so far. So I guess since this is your third you'd be in the lead." He said sounding just as proud as he claimed to be "Nah it's alright gramps, you can take the credit for this one, besides I think you may need a head start, you're not getting any younger after all." I teased. Flash laughed "Don't underestimate your 'old timer' grandpa kid. Hey I heard you went to S.T.A.R. Labs over the weekend, but something went wrong and apparently you made it pretty clear you weren't happy with them. Mind if I ask what happened?" he said taking a serious tone.

I groaned "Well, yeah I went there because they wanted to find out more about my speed, my connection to the speed force and what the speed force exactly is. I was really reluctant to do so, you know when I was a child I was tested and operated on like a lab rat by the Earth Gov scientists and I didn't want all those painful memories to come rushing back to me. I just wanted them to leave me alone but they kept on persisting so in the end I just gave in. But when I got there this doctor seemed to just be more concerned with using big words and proving her superior intellect rather than actually helping me, and after promising she wouldn't let any harm come to me, she put me on this special treadmill and I started to build up speed and then suddenly when I hit a certain speed red lighting shot out everywhere and an excruciating pain shot throughout my entire body and I was angry and stormed off." I sheepishly explained, knowing Barry would be disappointed with me. "I can understand why you stormed off. You probably could have handled it better but I understand." Flash said, "You do?" I asked, he smiled "Of course I do, if I had been operated on like a lab rat I'd hate going to a lab too, plus I'd be angry too if they promised I wouldn't get hurt and then I did. But you should go back sometime, see if they can figure out why that happened and see if they can help you out more. They've helped me out a ton of times." He said smiling at me. I sighed "Fine. I'll go, But only cause you said so." I said reluctantly. Flash ruffled my hair "Good. Well I'll be getting on my way, see you layer kid." And with that he and Trickster were gone. I didn't actually think he'd steal my rogue but oh well.

I decided I'd go over to S.T.A.R. Labs right now and get it over and done with. As I raced over there I already felt myself regretting my decision. Nevertheless I shot through the front doors, but I bypassed the Receptionist. Whilst he was the only person who had been nice to me during my last visit I just wanted to be done with this as quick as possible and hoped Ms. Stuck up had found out more about how I can use the full potential of the speed force without almost killing myself. I ran up to the same floor as last time, but I didn't see the same woman from before. I saw a tall, slim man with a mop of curly brown hair, dressed in a white lab coat, writing all sorts of equations on a board, but I also saw another man, a man I had never seen before but who was obviously a speedster. He had silver hair and was in a skin-tight white and blue costume, however contrary to what you might think it wasn't the retro like costume that told me he was a speedster. No, it was the fact that as he was sitting on the floor, legs crossed and his finger in an 'O' shape, just like Raven does when she mediates, but what was different from Raven was that his eyes were wide open with a sort of platinum coloured lightning shooting out from them and all around him, but it seemed to be contained in one area, almost like a bubble of lighting around him. This was weird, who was this guy? I used my speed to inspect this guy, circling him a few times trying to see if I recognised him from some place. He looked like he could be the same age as Jay but I couldn't be sure. Just as I was lost in thought he suddenly spoke startling me "Kid Flash I presume?" I involuntarily let out a scream alerting the Scientist to my presence. "Ah Kid Flash, I was just about to give you a call." He said smiling. At least this guy had the decency to not reveal my secret identity although I'm sure he already knew it. At this point the old man's eyes stopped glowing and the lightning abruptly dissolved into nothingness. He stood up and walked so he was standing opposite me. The scientist spoke again "Kid Flash, I'd like you to meet Max Mercury, also known as Quicksilver, Lightning, Blue Streak, the list can go on and on." He said in a very professional manner. Max extended a hand "Couldn't decide on a name huh?" I said as I shook it. He smiled at me "Actually when you jump through time it's easier to just go by another name." I raised an eyebrow. Time travel? "Are you from the future too?" I asked him, which was when the scientist chirped in again "Actually he's from the past, way back in the past. You remember my colleague Dr. Jenkins told you about a hero from the 1830's named Wind Runner, that was Max. He was known as Ahwehota to the native tribes he saved but to everyone else he was the Wind Runner." He said as he stood next to Max. "I'm Dr. Brookes by the way Dr. Nicholas Brookes." he said extending his hand to me. I shook his hand too "Oh and you don't need to worry about Dr. Jenkins, after your argument with her she asked to be transferred to another department, which is better really because I've made more progress in days than she did in the years she's worked here. For example I managed to track down Max and I think the best way for you to learn how to control the speed force, is to learn from someone who was the first to experience the speed force." He said to me with a proud grin. I liked Dr. Brookes, his smile was a sincere smile, showing he was indeed proud of himself, but not the same shit-eating grin Dr. Jenkins had. I was glad to hear she'd moved, especially since this guy seemed way more suited to the job. Max looked at me "Well Kid Flash, I'd say we get to work on helping you reach your full potential." Max said. I felt uneasy being in a lab again, I didn't want the same thing to happen like last time. As if sensing my uneasiness Max spoke again "But not here, don't worry. I'm your teacher now and I think the best place to learn is out in the open, not in a lab. Dr. Brookes will take care of figuring out the science behind the speed force and will contact me when he comes across something significant. Now let's get going." He said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I felt like Max knew what he was doing; he made me feel optimistic about learning about my speed, not scared and apprehensive. I took a deep breath "Ok Max. Lead the way." I said, without a word Max zoomed out of the room leaving behind an ice blue blur and that platinum lightning.

I quickly followed suit, catching up to him outside the front doors. As I joined him he looked over to me "What's the matter Kid, this old man too quick for you?" he said sarcastically but with a joke like tone to his voice. I did a mock frown "No, you just caught me off guard." I said honestly. He smirked "Well let that be lesson one. Never let yourself be caught off guard. Speedsters have an altered perception of time yes, so when we use our speed other people can look like statues, but it only takes one distraction to break your focus. Always be focused on the mission at hand." I thought back to when Red X caught me off guard by attacking Raven, distracting me. It'll be hard to not keep my eye on her, but in a battle, the mission is the priority. "And what's lesson two?" I asked, Max smirked "Never run with shoe laces." He said chuckling. It earned a laugh from me too. I liked Max. He seemed cool and I felt at ease with him. I can't help but wish things were as easy with Barry, we worked well as a team yes, and we joked with each other, but I couldn't help but feel as if we were distant somehow.

I realised Max and I weren't running on solid earth anymore, we were running across water. I'd can't believe I hadn't noticed, it was only the fact that I felt a slight, cool dampness under my feet that alerted me to it. "Uh Max where are we going?" I asked "Highway 10 in Saudi Arabia. It's a long straight stretch of road right through the desert. You've got 120 miles of straight road to run on and it probably won't be that highly populated. I thought it'd be a good place to test you." I went along with it. In almost no time at all we were standing at the beginning of the highway. Max crossed his arms "Now said that according to last time you got close to Mach 10 you were hit with an intense pain. I asked to look at the CCTV footage and it seemed as if your own speed force lightning attacked you. However that's never happened to me. Ever. I think that you doubted yourself or you were scared of reaching Mach 10 again and that subconsciously caused your own lightning to harm you." I rubbed the back of my head "To tell you the truth Max. I was scared. Terrified. When I entered the speed force it was a complete accident. I just didn't want Darkseid to hurt anyone else so I just hit him with all I had. I had no idea how fast I was going. And whilst I was in the speed force my body felt like it was being overloaded with energy. I felt like I was going to be blown apart. I barely got out of there alive. What if that speed is the key to entering the speed force? What if I go back in and can't get back out?" I said anxiously. Max gave me a reassuring smile "Kid, I'm gonna tell you something I think is going to shock you. But I'm telling you because it will help. You weren't the first speedster to enter the speed force. I was." He said with a deadly serious tone. I was confused "You were the first one to enter the speed force." I repeated almost like a question "Yes I was the first. I didn't realise it at the time but what you just described sounded too similar to what I felt that it couldn't be anything else. What Dr. Brookes told you about my past was correct. But I'm going to let you in on the full story." Max said and looked up to the sky as he took a deep breath and began "In 1838, I had been assigned as a messenger at a fort. In my spare time I made friends with the local Blackfoot clan. Unfortunately my fort commander, didn't trust any of them, his solution was to place a bounty on the clan and ordered a full-scale massacre. I tried to get to them in time to stop it but I was too late. The shaman of the clan, with his dying breaths, told me that many tribesmen were returning from the hunt, and that they would be ambushed if not warned quickly. I don't know what he did but with a pinkish substance, the shaman drew a lightning bolt on my chest, gave a prayer to the god of the storm and the wind, and passed away in my arms. I had to warn the tribesmen and so I ran. But I was running faster than I ever had before. And I got faster and faster and faster still. I must have been as swift as the wind, because I took the soldiers' weapons and caught the Blackfoot arrows in midair. I then devoted the next few years of my life to protecting the natives and the settlers from one another as Ahwehota, or as I was better known, Windrunner. However, one night during a thunderstorm, I suddenly felt drawn to the lightning as if it was deep within my heart. I ran as I'd never run before, breaking all barriers, and I began to be drawn into the energy field that gives speedsters their power. This must have been this speed force as you've called it. Because I felt as if I was going to explode too, the power was overwhelming. And you know what Bart? I was scared too, I had an urge to run even faster but fear stopped me, and it sent me forwards through time to New York of July 14, 1891. I didn't like being there; I wanted to get home, back to my era. I tried again and again to get back into the speed force but failed. It was then I decided to continue being a superhero, but I created a new name Blue Streak and later Quicksilver. I did manage to travel through time again soon enough but forwards again. By 1947 I had my current name; I met Jay Garrick, and Johnny Quick. I ended up accidentally jumping through time 3 more times and by the 70's I just gave up on my super speed. Until Dr. Brookes managed to track me down and asked me to help you. Once I heard of your potential, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pass on some of my 'wisdom' to you." Max said finishing his story.

I was quite simply amazed. He really was the first to enter the speed force. "So Bart, I think it is perfectly reasonable to be a little scared of the speed force. It's not something to be messed with. It sent me forwards through time every time I used it and almost killed me with its immense power each time. But having this fear of it is stopping you from reaching your full potential and becoming a worthy successor to the original Kid Flash." Max said looking straight into my eyes. He knew. He knew all about my insecurities and fears after just a few short minutes. I couldn't believe it "Y-you know about that?" I stammered, Max just smirked again "That you're worried of not being worthy to take up the mantle? It's a theory I had. He'd built such a huge legacy. That's why you took his name and costume, isn't it? In a sense, you did it so the world wouldn't forget him... or his heroism. But I think you also felt you were starting to replace him, rather than honour his memory, you felt as you became faster and better that you were dishonouring him in some way, am I right?" Max asked even though he knew the answer. I simply nodded "Well at least the fact you changed your costume shows you're trying to get out of his shadow. The original Kid Flash was a true hero, he made the ultimate sacrifice. But you don't need to live up to that legacy just because you took the name. You need to start making your own legacy and without letting go of that fear or not living up to his legacy or dishonouring him by becoming better, you won't be able to achieve that. Now come on Kid. Show me what you can do!" Max said. I decided Max was right. I can't keep worrying about disgracing Wally's memory by becoming better, I'm already faster. I may have the Kid Flash name but I am not the same. It's time to start creating my own legacy. And it's time to stop letting fear hold me back.

I took off down the straight road, building speed. Max was running alongside me "Faster Kid! I know this isn't all you got!" He was right, I wasn't near my limit yet, I accelerated even more, shooting down the highway in the blink of an eye. I smiled as Max disappeared as I left him in the dust. I reached the end of the highway in mere seconds and stood there waiting for Max to catch up. About half a minute later he caught up to me. With a big grin on his face he said "Amazing, simply amazing. You're faster than anyone else I've ever seen Kid. I think that's enough for today. I'll let you know when to come see me again. Bye for now." He said and with a wave the image of him became a blue blur. I smiled before running off back to the Garrick's house. Although Jay had basically given up on teaching me how to control my speed, barely being able to keep up with me at my slowest speed, he was nice enough to let me continue staying with him and Joan. I had a room at Titans Tower, but it made things a lot nicer living in the sister city of Barry's. It's as if I protect Keystone City and he protects Central City .

When I entered Joan greeted me with a big grin "Bart! Where have you been? Oh well you're just in time, I'm just getting the dinner out of the oven" she said with just the slightest hint of worry "Hey Joan, I'm sorry I know I said I'd be straight home after school but then I got side tracked because Trickster happened to be near the school and then I ran into Barry who helped me catch him and then he talked me into going back to S.T.A.R. Labs to have more tests done. But it actually worked out quite well this time. Some old speedster named Max Mercury gave me some of his 'wisdom' but it actually really helped me." I explained, trying to sound as apologetic as possible. Before Joan could respond Jay entered from the living room "Did you just say Max Mercury?" he asked me "Uh yeah." I responded unsure of how to answer "Did he wear a blue and white suit, with a little red around the eyes?" Jay said with scepticism in his voice "Well he didn't have a mask on, but yeah the suit was a sort of silvery white and blue. Wait now that you mention it he did say you two had met in the past! Way back in 1947." I said. Jay stood there in disbelief "I can't believe it. It's been so long. He was a really great crime fighter. We teamed up a few times and then one day he was gone. It was as if he disappeared. I can't believe he's still alive!" Jay said. I smiled "He actually did kind of. He travelled through time to the 70's. It's a long story." I said not wanting to repeat the whole story to Jay. It would also give them a reason to meet up which I'm sure Jay was eager to do. Jay smiled back at me "Well if he's your teacher now I'm sure Max will do a much better job than I ever could. I can barely keep up with you kid." Jay was right. In the City or any populated area I usually keep my speed at 95-100mph and Jay could easily keep up with me then. But when we started training in areas without many people around I could quite easily jog around at 790-800mph whereas Jay's top speed was 770mph and that was him trying his hardest. I needed someone like Max who could keep up to train me. If Jay had given his blessing it was good enough for me. Joan finished placing the last few pieces of cutlery on the table "Right, that's enough talking you two, it's time for dinner. Sit down." She said and Jay and I did as we were told.