Sir Shark of The Acrylic: Thank you. Yeah, we all have certainly improved over the years. And I hope that we continue to improve!
Skull Flame: Nope. A different storm.
Shooting Star Dragon 3000: Trust me. More pep to talk.
B.E.A.T.N: He is the protagonist, but James isn't the focus of the entire story. This arc isn't a James focused storyline, so...
Here are some Review's answered by Ghost:
juanvilumbrales: Please do not ask for updates on other stories. Though we appreciate your joy for them.
Sir Shark of The Acrylic: We apologise for the cringe that you had to endure. chuckle
Skull Flame: Or a different kind of Speedster.
R. Vital: Wow, censoring out the words even in the review, must be serious.
Shooting Star Dragon 3000: Trust us, the brothers have something to say about that.
B.E.A.T.N: Things are gonna get better before they get worse. It's the DCU after all.
Artist: GhostKaiser23, he goes by Hangman12 on Deviantart. Either look him up, or go to my profile to see links to all of his official work for this story
Disclaimer: Cartoon Network owns Ben 10 or Teen Titans
AUTHORS NOTE
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Yohohoi!
So, last week was a but of a cliff hanger, right?
Well, time for some more chaos with super speed!
IKE!
Also, alongside this story, I am publishing a few other chapters.
Okay, first up is the next chapter of my Persona Story. "Persona 5 New Game Plus, Joker's Second Chance", a story where Joker of the Phantom Thieves' mind reverts back in time to before his adventures began. He must go through the journey... and trying to make this go around better.
Then we have "Reunion, Regrets and Rendezvous" which is a oneshot. This one is based off the BOOM!Studios Power Rangers comics universe where Jason and Ranger Slayer have a heart to heart.
And finally we have "Reunion, Regrets and Rendezvous" whichis ALSO a oneshot. This one is based off the BOOM!Studios Power Rangers comics universe where Jason and Ranger Slayer have a heart to heart.
James' Harem 2
Enter, the New Whirlwind Of The West
We return a moment earlier, where Bart had charged enough of the Speed Force within himself and shot himself like a bullet at Hunter, grabbing him and tried to be rid of him.
"NO! No, no, no! What are you doing?" Hunter screamed as he was being shot into the Valhalla of all Speedsters
Bart remained silent, focusing on pushing Hunter through the Speed Force. "Something stupid."
Hunter looked around him, seeing the prismatic lights zooming past him, not in an epileptic sort of way, but in a kaleidoscope sort of way. Which rove a horrifying chill down his spine. "No! Let go of me! You damn brat!"
Bart forced himself to ignore Hunter's pleas, he was going to be rid of this psychotic monster. 'Nearly there! Nearly there!' Bart thought. He could FEEL it.
"No! I won't go! You can't force me!" Hunter roared angrily. He raised his arm, his hand in a fist ...
CLICK!
BOOM!
A burst of black lightning shot from within Hunter shooting out of the Speed Force and stranded within the afterlife.
"No!" Bart yelled as he tried to reach out for him. However...
He was too late.
He was trapped, as Hunter faded away.
"No..." Bart whispered as his 'no' echoed within the Speed Force.
No
No
no
no
He is lost.
Alone
So... so alone.
So alone.
Bart continued to run, the only thing he could do...but it was futile. Or, not needed really.
"I'm... I'm sorry..." He whispered, losing his sense of self, feeling his consciousness fall into the Speed Force.
*outside the Speed Force*
"Zoom?" Thad asked in horror "No... no!"
"Ha, ha... Ha, ha, ha!" Hunter began to laugh maniacally. "You fool. You're all fools!"
"Oh no... Oh crap..." Wonder Girl mumbled in panic, her cheeks going pale
'What're we gonna do?' Superboy thought as he knew he couldn't land a good punch on this man.
Cass went over and stood by Thad, ready to protect him. No matter how futile it would be.
"Cass." Thad whispered as he saw this gesture. An act that had him smiling and feeling proud "Hunter, you've got to-"
"Failure. You're a failure, Thaddues." Hunter glared. "You don't have what it takes!"
"When James gets here-"
"That alien boy. Bart. None! No one can match my speed now, you'll be dead before he gets here." He glared angrily.
The group took a step back in fear, horrified that this would be their last moment together. He had truly lost it!
Thad instinctively grabbed Cass' hand out of fear. "We can do it." She urged softly, nodding to him with a reassuring smile
Thad nodded as he looked at Hunter who was ready to strike at them... only to see a bright light scorching behind them.
"EAT THIS!" James roared, in his Hotspot form, as he unleashed flames at Hunter
"ARGH! Hot, hot, hot!" Hunter screamed, rolling onto the ground to douse the flames. His power helped save himself, glaring "You were supposed to be-!"
"I ran back!" James stated the obvious angrilly.
"ER... Hi?" Thad waved
"We'll talk later." James warned Thad, glaring deep blue flames from his eyes, pointing with his burning fingers. He slammed his hand against his chest, changing once again. In a flash, James turned into Velocity once again, his sharp claws were ready to cleave into Hunter and stop any future bullshit from happening. "Here we go~!" He snarled
"Gah!" Hunter growled angrily, black lightning coursing around him and rushed at James. To which the feline alien dodged or skipped over that point in time.
The two started a harsh battle, Superboy unleashing his Tactile Telekenisis to try and trip Hunter up.
'Come on, you bastard.' Superboy thought as he tried to hold him back.
"Cass, we've got to do something!" Wonder Girl called out as James and Hunter were fighting.
SLAM!
SLAM!
PUNCH!
SLASH!
James and Hunter were fighting fiercely, lightning and flashes of claws surrounded the pair.
Jay rushed by, throwing his hat as he ran.
Jamed grabbed it, slamming the metal military helmet against Hunter's jaw
Hunter's mouth splurted blood, a tooth shooting out as the maniacal speedster was slammed by the military helmet.
"Now!" Cass roared, Batwoman and Wonder Girl rushing forwards
Hunter heard that; trying to look at them to retaliate, but a combination of both Cassandras experience and pinpoint aim hit his ribs and cracked his arm.
With James taking the majority of his attention, he couldn't focus on his other place, it was an ambush that was driving him to his limit.
'Enough. Enough, enough, enough, enoughenoughENOUGH!' Hunter thought angrily before roaring, shooting lighting around him "ENOUGH!" he roared as Thad tried to hit him with a gut punch, and Tempest unleashed an eyebeam aimed at his back. And time froze. Everyone was conscious but their bodies where moved to a crawl, even James.
'Hnn-Hnn! D-Damn it! Can't. Can't move.' Everyone thought; it was like swimming in custard.
'What... did he do?' James thought, straining as he tried to time-skip.
"Enough. Enough. I'll kill you. I'm killing those children. Make you better. Make better. Better. Me hero. Me villain make hero gooder." Hunter's inane babbling was going into overdrive. Driven to this. He was truly off the deep end, trying to keep hold of ANY form of sanity.
A sight that was literally terrifying
*In the Speed Force*
Bart was running slowly in place, there was no footing for him to grab hold of, he couldn't see an ending. That crazy idea was a Hail Mary with no result. He was desperate to try and escape, desperate... And getting no results. All that was around him was an endless lightning storm.
"Dang it. I guessed I goofed up this one." Bart berated himself.
CRASH!
RUMBLE!
"What am I going to do?" He asked himself. He was almost curled into a ball, looking out at nothing.
Was there anything he could do?
...
No
"You're not going to stay there; are you?" A familiar voice to Bart spoke on the wind.
"H-Huh?" Bart blinked as he stood up
"I would've thought any relative of mine wouldn't give up." A second voice soon followed, a pair of small lightning bolts surrounded Bart.
"Who's there?!" Bart called as he summoned his lightning. Not that he could fight, he couldn't even run after all!
"After spending so much time with me; have you forgotten my voice?" The first lightning bolt asked.
"It-it's you." Bart whispered as he heard that voice, seeing forms forming from the different coloured lightning.
Standing before Bart was Barry Allen, his grandfather. Wearing a red bodysuit costume with some lightning motif lines over his boots and gloves with a pair of yellow lightning bolts on the ears of his cowl and a lightning bolt in a circle over his chest.
And an older man, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a popped blue collar, blue gloves, blue trousers and boots, a blue cowl with a red domino mask and a prominent jaw and muscular frame.
"Grandpa... Max!"
"Hello, Bart." Barry smiled as he saw his descendent as he manifested from the lightning alongside Max
"It's been a short while." Max responded, receiving a hug from Bart.
"Hey, no love for grandpa?" Barry joked, extending his arms out for Bart as he was soon hugged.
"How... How..." He muttered
"The Speed Force is our afterlife. We can come back while we're in here." Barry answered. "We're not completely lost."
"Oh... So I'm here to?" He whispered
"Not entirely." Max reassured. "You can return. As long as you have a Lightning Rod to pull you back."
"How? A lightning rod?" Bart asked in worry.
"Yes." both nodded, confusing him
...
"What?" he blinked
"We Speedster's? We have Lightning Rods." Max explained "People. Our connection to the world. They ground us. You can be as dramatic as saying they are our reason for living."
"I... then why didn't you come back?" Bart asked
Both Max and Barry looked at each other and then at Bart. "I had a good death." Barry answered. "I died protecting the world."
"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU, GRANDPA!" Bart yelled, making them both jump
'Okay, stepped in that one.' Barry thought to himself as he knew his place, he kmew not to be stupid
"N-No offence grandpa." He stuttered "But... I don't know you. You being gone? It's what I know. But Max? He... He was like a... Is like a father to me.*
"Hey, it's okay, Bart. I wasn't there." Barry reassured.
"Thank you." Max answered. "Why I didn't come back..." he sighed, thinking about his answer. This was all about him, after all. Bart felt abandoned.
...
"It was my time." Max smiled "The world didn't need me. I was at peace. You had grown so much and it was time I let you grow on your own."
"But... I miss you." Bart admitted, his eyes welling up.
"I miss you too, Bart. But you're a hero within your own right." Max reassured. "You have a brother, a girlfriend. Wonderful friends." He knelt down, placing a hand on his shoulder "I wanted to come back. When you where sad or struggling. But... You didn't need me. There was nothing left for me to teach you. It was my time. I've been running for a LONG time, Bart."
Bart's head lowered as he heard that. He had grown up. His grandfather was at peace. He understood, but it didn't help lessen the sting.
"We have to get you back." Max spoke, going to his feet and looked into Bart's eyes
"Really?" Bart asked in shock
"Yeah, we can help you get back... but it needs to be you to run through." Barry added.
"Me?"
"You need to find your Lighting Rod, Bart." Max explained "You need to grab hold of it and refuse to let go."
"My... Lightning rod?" He muttered, thinking
"We can give you the push. But it's your hard head that needs to break through." Barry joked "Good thing you've got all that hair!"
"Yeah... Hey!" Bart groaned as he heard that joke.
"Focus, Bart." Max told him.
...
"But... what do I do?" Bart suddenly asked "Even Wally has trouble with Zoom. And he's faster than me. And he and Jay are out of the fight."
...
Max and Barry suddenly started laughing.
"Hey! What's so funny?!" Bart snapped
"You-You think Wally is the fastest?" Max laughed
"Um... Yes?" Bart blinked confused. "Doesn't he run with the Speed Force flowing through him?"
"We all do Bart." Barry chuckled "And beleive me, Wally is faster than I am. But the Speed Force is more than just pure speed."
"I know it's something to do with 'kinetic force' and 'motion throughout the universe'... And it can BS reality itself when the need calls for it." Bart added. "You know me. Never really been much of a thinker."
"I know." Max smirked "But Bart. How fast do you think?"
"Um... Faster than an attosecond. I think. Or at least it feels like that." Bart admitted. "It's like I think in moving pictures."
"Exactly, that's your connection to the Speed Force." Max nodded.
"My connection?" Bart blinked
"While Wally is fast, your connection made you mature faster, The Speed Force flowed through you the moment you were born." Max explained.
"The moment I was-"
"Bart. You looked 12 when you where 2." Barry explained "I helped make the Speed Force, deeply connected to it. Each generation, we learn new and amazing things about it." the legendary speedster put his hand on Bart's shoulder and smiled "You are basically one WITH the Speed Force, Bart. It flows through you like no one else. Can't you feel it, even now? There is no resistance. It is like you are one and the same."
"I..." Bart whispered as he thought, lowering his head
"And Bart." Max added... and flicked his forehead "I trained you, remember? It's okay to be Impulsive sometimes. But-"
"But I need to remember that thhinking things through and being at ease-" Bart said, as if repeating a lesson he had heard a million times
"Is important, but neither way is the right way alone." Max interupted
...
"Whaaaa?!" Bart gasped
"Bart." Max sighed as he knelt down in front of Bart, removing his mask. Revealing a man as old as Jay Garrick, with short white hair "I was your mentor. That did not mean you where the only one to learn. By being with you, I learnt what true balance is. What true Zen is."
"Max..."
The white and blue clad hero raised his hand, pressing it over Bart's heart "Impulse and a Calm Mind are both needed. Clear Mind, and Raw Emotion. Knowing when you need which, while always being in tune with both. True Balance. And Bart, I am SO proud to see you grow into such a man."
Bart sniffed as he removed his own mask, which was heavily damaged from the fight. His uniform ripped and destoryed. "Max..." he muttered, before hugging him tightly
"I know Bart. I missed you to." Max muttered, wrapping his arms around his ward... his son.
"And Bart. I do have one question." Barry smiled as he placed a hand on the heroes shoulder "... Why? Why are you wearing Wally's suit and mantal?"
"I... well. I made this costume to be 'Kid Flash'. Or... Impulse." Bart answered. "I mean, I was Impulse. I have the identity up and became Kid Flash because I thought Wally needed my help. That I-"
"That you had to grow up?" Barry chuckled "Kid Flash isn't growing up Bart. And there was nothing in line with Impulse. Do you know WHAT Kid Flash is?"
"Er..."
"Do you know what Robin is?" Max asked as he broke the hug
"Batman's side kick?" he asked
"Robin IS Batman's side kick, yes." Barry nodded "But it is more than that. It is a safety net. Because Batman will always be there to catch Robin if he falls. Batman guides Robin and helps him grow. Until he has outgrown his red feathers and can fly free as his own man. Not one Robin will want to be Batman. Nor should they. That position is crushing and terrible and... lonely."
"Dick did seem darker for a few weeks after he returned as Nightwing." Bart admitted
"Kid Flash, on the other hand? He is the Flash's PARTNER." Barry continued "He is to follow in the Flash's foot steps, his slip stream. Grow in his own right under support, but is more their own person. And then, when it is time?"
"They over take." Max continued "Faster than the last. More powerful and a more complete person. Grabbing the suit as they take the reigns. Kid Flash BECOMES the next Flash when it is time, that is their purpose."
"I-I knew that." Bart muttered, looking away
"And you don't want that, do you Bart?" Barry smiled softly
"No...No, I don't." Bart shook his head. "I want to be more." Bart looked at his hands, closing them "The Flash... it's not my legacy. Not with Wally holding it. Not with the life I have lead. It is Jai or Irey's place to take it. As a kid I wanted to... but I knew it wasn't right. It's not my place."
"And why didn't you choose the identity you WANTED to become?" Max asked, all three knowing what that identity was
...
"Because I didn't want to replace YOU, Max!" Bart cried as he fell to his knees, grabbing his hair "I... I didn't want to be faster than you! I didn't want to be more well known as you! You... you're my hero, Max! I didn't want to be the reason you faded away!"
"Bart. I told Wally something, once." Max smiled, his hand on Bart's shoulder "I told him '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. You keep saying you don't want to replace Barry, but the moment you become as fast as him... that's exactly what you'll have done.', I told him that because he was limiting himself. Holding himself back."
"Max..." Bart blinked
"Bartholome Allen." Max smirked "I have been running. Running since 1838. It is time for me to stop. But my Legacy can keep going."
"But you just said-" Barry began
"I didn't give you context." Max smirked "Because what I told Wally there, that was what HE thought. In reality? Heroes are never forgetton as long as their passion and their desire to help is never lost. Has the world forgotten Barry? Has it forgotten Jay?"
"No. No, I haven't forgotten. No-one has." Bart shook his head.
"Then... take it up." Max urged "I would be honoured if you became the next Whirlwind of the West, the next Zen Guru of Speed, the next Laughing Robin Hood, the next Blue Streak. I would be so proud."
"Okay, I will. Thank you, Max." Bart smiled, tears in his eyes.
"But get your own costume." Barry added.
"You ready to go?" Max asked
"Yeah. I'm ready to go." Bart nodded. "Hunter's going down."
"That's my boy." Both Barry and Max smirked.
The three stood side by side, getting into a sprinters starting position
"Ready?" Barry began, lightning sparking around him.
"Set." Max straightened his back.
"GO!" Bart called out as all three bolted forwards at their fastest and gaining speed.
They ran. And surprisingly, Bart felt himself moving. Their lightning washed over and around him, his feet felt something under them as he ran
"Remember your Lightning Rod, Bart!" Barry called
"Hold on! Remember it! And don't let go!" Max added, the two almost shouting to get heard over the lightning.
The lightning.
It was overwhelming everything.
Every sight Bart saw, ever sensation. It was getting hard to even THINK through it.
'My-My lightning rod!' He thought, his legs burning through his costume, lightning coursing through his body as he thought about them. Cass. Thad. Jay and Joan.
He felt the lightning parting, felt himself being dragged forwards.
He didn't have ONE Lightning Rod! He had many!
And that made the next step... So much easier!
*Back at the battle*
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
James and Superboy were getting their stomachs punched and faces bloodied, Hunter's time-stop was horrible for them.
'Stop it, please stop it!' Thad tried to call out, seeing blood fly from James' mouth while Connor's face was only bruised.
"All your fault. All your fault. Not good enough. Never good enough!" Hunter spoke darkly, stewing in his vicious bile as his hands were healing from being bloodied from punching Connor.
'James, Connor!' Cassie thought with tears welling up in her eyes as they remained stationary while receiving multiple punches by this maniacal speedster. The blonde shook. She was supposed to be the leader of this!
'Have. To. Break. Free!' Cassandra thought as lightning soon began to force itself through the frozen time barrier.
"Huh? What is-?" Hunter's bloody-red, black-sclera eyes turned as he lowered his hands... and was punched in the chest by a blur like a bolt from the blue.
CRASH!
White lightning appeared out of nowhere, a gloved fist smashing Hunter across the jaw
Hunter's blood spurted from his mouth, breaking his concentration and freed the group from their time-paralysis and rolled to the ground.
"H-How? Who broke-?" Hunter coughed and saw the lightning bolt strike him again and again.
THWACK!
THWACK!
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
SPLAT!
Hunter screamed once again, landing on his face as his speed was healing him slower than the force of these punches. 'What's going on? Who is this? Who's doing this?!' Hunter thought angrily but also wounded.
"You didn't forget about me just did you?" Bart's voice joked as he appeared from the lightning.
"Bart?!" The group called out in shock as they heard him.
Hunter's black and red eyes widened, his blood actually turning ice cold "How? You were lost! Lost to the Speed-!"
PUNCH!
"Evil Speedsters love being wrong and flapping your mouths, don't you?" Bart quipped. He cracked his knuckles as the lightning died down and revealed he was wearing a new outfit
It was a full body suit, at least from the neck down. A deep, shiny navy blue that had a slight shine to it. Around his waist was a white belt with a red lightning bolt designed buckle, although the suit and belt where skintight so you couldn't even see the seam of the belt. He had white boots that neared his knees.
Bart's brown hair was open to the air, blowing in the wind. He wore red goggles that where connected to a white mask which wrapped around his face.
On his chest where two white lightning bolts, the tips of the bolts of lightning meeting between his pecs before they rush off. Across his chest, over his shoulders and down his arms. The lightning reaching the back of his hands and going over his index, middle and ring finger. He had red gloves that reached halfway up his forearms, the white lightning-stripe crossing over to the next materal.
Finally he had two red lighning bolt's along his sides above the belt. Not going all the way around, just extra detail really.
"Whoa." James whispered in shock.
"Nice suit." Connor smirked.
"Bart!" Cass cheered
"You're alive..." Thad gasped
"You think a new wardrobe will beat me?" Hunter growled
"No. Being faster than you will." Bart quipped, vanishing away from his sight before punching him around.
Hunter felt like a ragdoll as Bart was not showing off his power, but showing the pure true speed a Speedster can do.
White lightning was faster than even time as Bart raced across the hospital courtyard. He gave one mighty punch that had Hunter on his backside.
Bart's laughter echoing into the air as the winds whirled around him. Hunter being kocked back with a hard dramatic kick. The powered up speedster lowered his leg, looking down at Hunter while his hair blew in the wind. In the sun set you could almost see Barry and Max smiling down at him in pride
"The names Mercury. Now, let's run!" he smirked