Disclaimer: I don't own Justice League Unlimited
Complicated Simplicity
Chapter Eight: On the Run
Linda stopped as she stepped into the editing room to look at what was on the monitor.
"Are you still editing his speech?"
Marla numbly looked over to her. "I… his speech… it went on for three hours. Three hours, Linda. But it's… so damn boring… I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying enough to take the stuff for the report. I've had to watch this five times. Five times! And still I haven't gotten anything interesting."
"Wait, three hours, five…" her eyes almost popped out of her head. "You've been in here for fifteen hours?"
The camerawoman turned in her swivel chair and grabbed Linda by the waist. "Help me."
A smile cracked its way onto Linda's face. "Okay, I'll take over for a bit. You go and get some coffee or something."
"Coffee? Coffee? I don't think you understand just how boring this guy is," she said, pointing at the paused image of Dreamslayer on the monitor. "He'll take your soul, Linda."
"Just go," Linda said, shaking her head with an amused smile.
Marla couldn't vacate fast enough. "I'll get some sleep, and then we'll see."
Linda slid into the chair as she heard this. "Sleep? Wait, don't leave me here for-"
The door slammed shut.
"-ever."
She sighed and rested her head on her hand. Idly, she fiddled with some of the sound level dials, watching with vague interest as Dreamslayer's voice faded in and out.
Of course, her mind wasn't exactly on the job at hand. The only reason she had come to see Marla was because she was going stir crazy everywhere else. Wally was one of the best things to happen to her in a long time, but she'd be damned if he didn't frustrate her sometimes with how he would suddenly shut himself off when something serious happened.
A brief chat with Shayera Hol at a Christmas party had informed her that Wally was like that with everyone when it came to serious events.
So it wasn't just her. Linda wondered whether she should feel offended or flattered by that fact. On screen, Dreamslayer wrapped his cape around himself dramatically.
What a way to leave a girl hanging. The last thing he said was a meek little 'sorry' after rescuing her from a woman who could have burnt the flesh from her bones. Then he shot off to save the day.
And the whole disappearing afterwards thing; Linda wasn't about to forget that.
She felt a slight breeze, and irritably looked over at the window, expecting Marla to have left it open.
It was closed.
A hand touched on her shoulder.
"Oh, you're still here. Thank God."
She turned to see Wally looking at her with such relief in his pale blue eyes that all anger she had towards him was pushed aside
Not forgotten, mind, just pushed aside.
"Wally? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Well. Yeah, something. We gotta get you out of here."
"What? Why?"
"I'll explain once we're out of here, okay?"
"No, you'll explain now. You just disappeared without so much as an 'I'm okay' over the phone. Wouldn't you call that just a little inconsiderate?"
"You're right, you're right. Let's go."
"Wally, don't-" she sighed. "Don't just brush this off, Wally."
"Linda, some guy called Zoom just beat the crap out of me and Superman!" he hissed. "You remember that name, right?"
Her silence confirmed as much.
"Okay," Wally said, "so you'll understand why I have to get you somewhere safe, right? Because this guy is faster than me and I don't know how much he knows."
He held out his hand to her, and she took it. Wally led her into the corridor and checked up and down.
A hand instantly went to his ear. "T. I've got a visitor to bring up."
"Teleporters are still offline, Flash. Can you get to a Javelin?"
"No. I'm in Central City. Are there any near me?"
"Vigilante is flying over Coast City right now. I'll divert him."
Wally nodded. "Okay. Thanks, T."
Linda raised her eyebrows half expectantly and half curiously. "Well?"
"The teleporters are out, but T's sending a Javelin to pick you up."
She took a moment to take in her boyfriend's appearance. He looked like he had thrown on his clothes while he was running. His shoelaces weren't even tied.
Wally never left his shoes untied.
"Wally… how fast is he?"
"Fast. I couldn't even see him. He went to Alaska in a second."
"But… you can do that, can't you?"
"Sure, once I get rolling. But Zoom is zero to light speed in like, no seconds." He squeezed her hand. "C'mon. GL said I should try to hide you somewhere Zoom wouldn't think to look."
"GL? As in Green Lantern?"
"Uh-huh. He's out looking for Zoom along with about six other guys."
Wally led Linda around another corner, then another. He stopped and looked at her sheepishly. "Uh… I kinda have no idea where I'm going."
Linda shook her head and led the way for her hapless hero. "Heck of a knight in shining armour you're turning out to be."
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The doors to the command center of the Metro Tower slid open, and Shayera Hol stepped through, heading straight for her quarry.
Superman was stood in front of the main communications console, talking to the onscreen Vixen. He nodded in response to something she said. "All right. Tell John I'll join you in a minute. Superman out."
He spotted her as she walked over to him, and, with the teleporters out, started for the nearest window. "I know what you want to do, Shayera, but-"
"Is he okay?"
A frown deepened his already heavy brow. "When I last saw him, he had two broken ribs, a twisted ankle and too many cuts and bruises to count."
"I want to help."
Clark stopped to look at her. "No, Shayera. We're only letting members with at least some super speed take part in the search. Me, Vixen, Hawk, Dove, Diana… even GL has some thanks to his ring. And I know you're fast, but-"
"I understand. Where's Wally?"
"We don't know. He thought it best not to tell any of us in case Zoom was listening."
"He's that fast?"
All the Man of Steel could do was nod. He continued on his way to the window. After a pause, he looked over his shoulder at Shayera, only to find she was no longer there. He looked around the command center.
"Shayera?"
After another few seconds, he shrugged and went to the window. He was about to open it and fly out when something clicked in his head. He put his fingers to his earpiece.
"Shayera, come in."
No response. Just static.
"Shayera!"
Still nothing. Clark grit his teeth and changed channels. "Mr Terrific, locate Shayera for me."
"She's in the Metro Tower."
"Where in the Metro Tower?"
"In the command center. She should be right next to you."
Using his supervision, Clark looked around the room. His heart leapt up into his throat when he spotted Shayera's communicator on the ground where she had once been stood. In a second he was already there, the small round device between his fingers.
"Shayera's gone."
Mr Terrific was silent for a moment. "He's going after Flash's friends."
They both came to the same realisation at the same time.
"Lantern!"
Superman shot out of the window, the updraft left in his wake pulling papers from people's hands and leaving capes flapping.
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In the Watchtower, Mr Terrific helplessly attempted to raise Green Lantern.
"Lantern, come in. Green Lantern, come in."
He sighed, and contacted Superman.
"Mr Terrific to Superman. Lantern's gone. I'm still reading him in Central City, though."
There was nothing on Superman's end.
"Superman?"
"I'm here. What do you want to do?"
Mr Terrific thought for only a moment before responding. "Go to Central City and carry on the search."
"Is there anyone else who's publicly friends with Flash?"
"Off the top of my head I can only think of Hawkman and Elongated Man."
"Both of whom are on the Watchtower."
"Right."
A noise came over the channel which sounded like Superman sighing. Mr Terrific had never heard it before from the Man of Steel. It was a bit disconcerting, if the super intelligent hero was honest with himself.
"So, Central City?"
"Right. Maybe you'll get lucky, maybe you won't. The point is that you'll distract him."
"While you do what?"
Mr Terrific pressed a sequence of keys on the control panel beside him, bringing up a list of reserve Justice Leaguers.
"While I bring in the reinforcements."
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Linda poked the leather bra on the rack as though it were some alien creature.
"You know, Wally," she whispered, "when your friends recommended you take me somewhere Zoom wouldn't think of going, I don't think they meant a lingerie store."
"A specialist lingerie store. I'm the everyman of the League, remember? Why would the everyman be in such a fancy place?" He smiled. "Besides… you'd look good in some of this stuff…"
The look he gave him almost made Wally think he had another head growing out of his neck.
"Are you kidding?"
"What?"
"How can you stand around making dirty jokes at a time like this? You may be used to this stuff, Wally, but I'm a real newbie!" she whispered harshly.
"Look, just-"
"'Just'? 'Just'? Do you even get how scared I am right now? I'm not Lois Lane or, or, Batgirl or something, Wally! I'm just an ordinary person! This is Zoom we're talking about here. In some other dimension or something like that he killed me and turned you into a psycho!"
"I know, all right!? I know!" he yelled, towering over Linda with an intensity in his eyes she only thought only possible by Batman. Seeing the shock in her eyes, he backed off. His pale blue eyes softened, and he quickly looked around the room. The store clerk behind the desk looked at them over her magazine, but soon returned to it, probably assuming it was another young couple having a miscommunication about their 'preference'.
He looked back at Linda, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "Look, I… I know you're scared. So am I! This is… this is just how I deal with it. Sorry."
Linda felt worse and better at the same time. She took Wally's fidgeting hands in her own. "Thanks." She nodded out the store window, although she couldn't see it from where they were stood hidden behind a rack of fetish leather bras. "Anyway, you said the Justice League was outside looking for the guy. If the Justice League can't find him and stop him, then who can, huh?"
She meant for it to sound encouraging. Only when the words left her lips did she realise how hopeless they sounded.
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The pen tapped against his lower lip in idle concentration. For God's sake, he wasn't this old. He could do a simple crossword puzzle. And not only was he not that old, he had a brain that could move at the speed of sound! Why the hell shouldn't he be able to figure out a ten letter word beginning with 'c' meaning a bird?
"Jay?"
He didn't answer.
"Jay, would you mind getting that?"
"Mmm."
Joan Garrick stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room, rubbing her hands with her apron. "For God's sake, Jay, the phone's right next to you."
"Hmm?" He looked up at her over the newspaper, only now realising that she was glaring at him. "What?"
She nodded at the ringing phone on the coffee table beside his chair.
"Oh. I'll… I'll get it."
He reached over to pick up the phone.
"You wouldn't happen to know a ten letter word beginning with 'c' meaning a bird?"
"Jay, I swear to God-"
"All right, all right!" He picked up the phone. "Garrick residence, Jay Garrick speaking."
After a few 'mmm-hmm's and some questioning 'really?'s, Jay put the phone down with a 'I'll be there in a minute'.
He got up and headed up the stairs.
"Jay? Who was it?"
Before she could think to ask again, Jay was coming down the stairs wearing clothes that Joan had never expected to see again.
The yellow wing tipped red boots, the jeans, the red sweater adorned with the simple yet striking yellow lightning bolt…
"What's wrong, Jay?"
"Wally's in trouble." He gave his wife a peck on the cheek as though he were just going out for another day at the office. "Tell Alan I'm sorry I couldn't be here for dinner. And the golf." He opened the front door, paused, and turned back. "And tell him not to touch my crossword."
"But Jay-"
He shot out the door, the gust of wind following closing it behind him.
Joan turned and numbly headed for the kitchen.
The door opened, and Jay popped his head through. "What?"
"I was just going to ask where your helmet was."
Absentmindedly mouthing the word 'helmet', Jay put his hand on his head. He looked upwards in thought, still mouthing the word repeatedly.
He snapped his fingers. "The Flash Museum. Thanks honey."
Jay again sped away, and Joan turned back to the kitchen, feeling a bit more content.
It really was silly of Wally to race around like that without a helmet on.
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John groaned in a mix of grogginess and genuine pain. Trained and almost unblinking eyes took in his surroundings. He was in a cabin, and a pretty dilapidated one, at that.
Another groan from his side alerted him to the presence of another in the room, and he rolled away from it instinctively. It was then that he realised that he no longer had his ring. His hands scrabbled around behind him for something he could use to cut his rope bonds, but found nothing.
"Oh, yom shigureth…"
John relaxed. "Glad to see I'm not alone."
Shayera's silhouette came up to look at him. "John?"
"Yeah. You okay?"
"Ugh… fine. These ropes are a little tight, though."
"Tell me about it."
"No, he's… tied my wings."
"You okay?"
"I said I'm fine."
"Look, I was just asking. Those wings of yours are… sensitive."
They both knew how he knew that.
John was thankful the cabin was quite dark. Shayera couldn't see him blushing that way.
She grunted with effort. "I think he drugged me with something. I feel kind of groggy."
"You think it's anything serious?"
"Don't think so. It's just to stop us from busting out of here." Her head turned as she looked around the room, her eyes eventually coming to settle on him. "What about you? I'm guessing you don't have your ring."
He shook his head. "No. And I can't see a damn thing, either. Hard to summon it to me if I can't see it."
"If Zoom even left it close by. The speed he moves, he could have buried it so far down you'd never find it."
"What a pleasant thought," John grumbled, shuffling around as he tried to loosen the bonds around his wrists and ankles. "He sure has got these things on tight."
He saw her hair fall lightly around her shoulders as she shrugged. "Well, he sure had the time. The way Superman describes his speed, he could probably come in here, tighten the ropes, and then leave again before we even noticed anything."
"Again, thank you."
"Sorry."
Silence descended between them.
"Y'know," John grunted, throwing his weight so that he could sit up and lean against a wall. "I always thought that Wally would be the one to get us alone in a room together."
Her smile was practically audible. "Me too."
"Although, I admit, it wasn't in quite such, um…"
"…'Unique décor'?"
He was silent for a moment. "You've been hanging around with him way too much."
"I know."
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It barely occurred to him anymore that she was saying anything. Her chant had become as much a part of his daily routine as waffles for breakfast and arguments about tofu for every other meal.
So when they were interrupted, it naturally concerned Cyborg, because it not only disturbed his Teen Titans team-mate Raven, it messed up his whole routine, his 'karma', if you will.
Victor Stone looked up from his browsing of the latest STAR Labs science journals. "You okay, Raven?"
"I'm… fine," she said, slowly dropping out of her floating cross-legged posture to stand on her feet. "Something just… distracted me."
He got up at that. Nothing much distracted Raven.
Except Beast Boy and certain types of cheese, but no-one mentioned that.
"What's goin' on?"
She continued staring out across the bay. "It's… Wally."
"Is he in trouble?"
"He's… panicking."
Cyborg made his way across the living room of Titans Tower. Raven didn't often feel the emotions of those so far away. Only those who were, or had been, especially close to her. The original five Titans were on that list, Cyborg included.
Wally was also one of those few people.
"Say no more." He turned to leave, heading straight for the T ship. "Let me get the others ready, and we'll-"
The view screen bleeped for attention. Cyborg looked over at Raven. "Is this about…?"
She nodded.
Without any further prompting, Cyborg accepted the call. Mr Terrific appeared onscreen.
"This is Titans Tower. We know about Flash. What do you want us to do?"
Cyborg was expecting Terrific to be at least a little surprised at his foreknowledge of Wally's predicament, but the Justice League co-ordinator didn't even bat an eyelid.
"Is Kid Flash there?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Can you tell him to get over to Central City?"
"By himself? I don't think that's-"
"There's someone running around in Central City who's even faster than the Flash. If you went along, then you'd only get in the way."
"Then consider us in the way."
"Look, I understand your feelings about this, but-"
"The hell you do. Flash is family here. And while I don't know about you, we don't leave our family to face things alone."
Mr Terrific clenched his jaw and he rose from his chair. Obviously Vic had hit a nerve. "Cyborg… Even Superman couldn't touch Zoom."
Cyborg's eyes widened slightly. Mr Terrific didn't notice.
"Do you really think you'll be able to stop him?"
Victor stared at him blankly for a few seconds.
"All right. Kid Flash'll be there. But so will we."
"No, you won't. Listen, he's been going after Flash's closest friends. If you show up there, you'll be prime targets, and you know how ruthless Flash isn't, especially when it comes to friends in danger."
He wanted to object. But Mr Terrific's words made sense.
He sighed and pushed an internal comm button.
"Kid Flash, get over to Central City. Flash needs your help."
After a few seconds' delay, Bart responded.
"Uh, Cyborg? Aren't the rest of you guys coming?"
Slowly, he looked Mr Terrific in the eyes. "Not on this one, pal. It's something only you guys can handle."
"'Us guys'?"
"Speedsters, Bart. Look, I'm sure someone'll explain it to you once you get to Central City, and there isn't much time to discuss this right now. Just go, okay?"
"Uh… right. Thanks, Cyborg."
Cyborg nodded to Mr Terrific. "If things go badly-"
He nodded. "I'll call you. Watchtower out."
The screen winked off.
"Yeah, my ass…" Cyborg muttered. He walked over to the window and watched a yellow and red blur shoot out across the bay.
"Good luck, Bart."
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The store clerk was beginning to get impatient.
"Look, I realise that you like to browse, but this is getting ridiculous. It's been two hours. Would you please buy something?"
Linda looked at her angrily. "Be patient. It's a very important decision." She nudged Wally, who was looking rather lustfully at some stockings.
"Um.. yes," he said, turning to face the clerk. "very important."
His communicator burst to life, making a screeching noise so piercing he had to remove it from his ear.
"Aaah! What the-?"
He froze as he saw the clerk staring at him.
"Whoa…" she smiled, enthralled. "I get it."
Wally winced.
"You're cops, aren't you? You're staking out…" she gasped excitedly. "You're staking out Benny's Pizzeria, aren't you? I knew those guys were dirty, I-"
Linda's frown deepened as she put her finger to her lips. "Sssh!" She turned back to Wally, who was tenderly putting the earpiece back in.
"Uh… hello?"
"Wally."
His expression hardened. "Who is this?"
"You know, Wally."
Wally changed the channel. "T, Zoom's talking to me on my communicator, try and-"
"You will listen, Flash!"
The speedster looked around nervously. "All right, all right. Okay. What do you want?"
"You. Youwlcmtoctyhl."
He frowned. "What? I don't understand you, what'd you say?"
"City hall, Wally. You wilcme to cityhall, understand? Or yourfrendwlpaytheprce."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I have them, Flash. Somewhere you don't know."
"Who?"
"Yr closest frnds. The GrnLantrn and Shreya Hol."
Wally felt as though he had been punched in the gut. Not that he needed that kind of pain; the broken ribs that had healed the wrong way inside him gave him enough to worry about.
"Do you understand? They. Will. Die."
"All right, all right. I hear you, all right? I'm coming." He turned to Linda. "Sorry, but… I've gotta go."
"Why? What's going on?"
"He's gonna kill-" he noticed the shopping clerk, enthralled by their conversation. "-my friends if I don't go." He turned to go, but quickly whirled on his heel. "Don't go anywhere. Please, just stay here. If he got his hands on you, I don't…" the broken look on Wally's face made Linda want to cry. "… just please… don't go anywhere."
She nodded silently.
Wally felt like he should kiss her passionately. Or say something epic and/or romantic.
He settled for wrapping his arms around her in an embrace that seemed to last a year. With a smile he hoped was reassuring, he ran out of the shop at normal speed, turning it up a notch as soon as he was out on the street.
The store clerk looked to Linda. "Wow… Benny's gonna kill his friends, huh? I knew the guy was a jerk, but geez…"
Linda wondered if she would be arrested for killing the clerk on the spot.
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Wally came to a screeching halt in front of city hall, dressed in full Flash apparel. The place was pretty much deserted, which was most definitely odd for a Saturday evening.
It was either under the League's influence or Zoom's.
Wally prayed it was the former.
In front of the long stairway leading up to the hall was a statue of Central City's founder, Mr Kenyon. Wally was stood a few metres in front of it, his feet firmly planted in the middle of the road.
"Okay…" he muttered. "Okay! I'm here!"
No reply.
"Zoom!"
An amused grunt sounded behind him. Flash turned around to look at Zoom.
"Where are they?"
"Later." Zoom's smile disappeared, and then so did he.
His fist reappeared lodged in Wally's gut. Wally lurched over. Zoom slammed another fist into Wally's back. Then another to his chin, sending him hurtling back. Wally cracked into the base of the Kenyon statue.
Something warm trickled down his chin, and Wally wiped some blood from his mouth as he struggled to his feet.
"Why're you doing this?"
"You already know."
His eyes widened in alarm as he heard the voice behind him. He turned and back-pedalled as fast as he dared, keeping his eyes on Zoom the entire time, the predominantly yellow speedster now stood below the statue.
"Well, I obviously don't already know, so why don't you enlighten me, Mr Psycho?"
Zoom smiled. "Stl jking."
He disappeared, and suddenly Wally found himself in a headlock. "Laugh at this."
Zoom charged forward, taking Wally with him and slamming him head first into the base of the statue ahead of them.
Flash slumped to the ground, desperately trying to get to his feet. Zoom grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, pulling him up so they were face to face.
"Y'know…" Flash coughed. "You'd think I'd be used to having my head slammed into stuff. But it's one of those things you just never get used to."
The side of Zoom's lip curled in anger. In a movement so fast it threatened to make Flash nauseous, he tossed him over his shoulder and across the road, slamming him into the bottom of a lamppost. It bent down where Flash had hit it, the plastic casing around the bulb cracking as it hit the ground. It flashed off and on like a strobe light as Zoom slowly made his way over to him.
Wally couldn't tell if it was the light or Zoom that was making it seem as though he were leaping towards him.
Zoom stopped a few meters ahead of Wally. "Iknow where youhid her."
At those words, Wally's stomach fell down to his testicles. He hoped Zoom didn't notice.
"What're you talking about?"
"Youthink Ibrought you here to beat onyou?"
"Kinda, yeah."
"Ineeded to know whereshewas." He smiled. "NowIknow."
Wally grit his teeth and clenched his fists together on the hard road below him. He forced himself to stand, although he knew it wouldn't last, the way his strength levels were.
"And you know you can't stop me, Flaaaaaash. Youwillknow whatitis to seeyouuuuurrrlife destroyed, and feel powerless tostop it. You will know tragedy. You'll bebetter."
Zoom suddenly appeared in front of Wally's face. "And someday… you will thank me."
He brought back his fist.
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(A/N: If anyone gets the Mr Kenyon reference, then you're as big a comic nerd as I am, and I will hug you upon ever meeting you in person.
I'm sure most people reading this story know who Bart and Jay are (at least vaguely), but if you haven't, it's not really that important. Jay Garrick was the first Flash and fought in World War Two, and his super speed makes him age slower (I know, I don't get it either). Bart Allen is Wally's sidekick, is about 14/15, and is a member of the Teen Titans (in my little fanfic universe, that is). Not much to add there, really.
Anyway, review!)