The Bolt Episode 13 Rose
My name is Sean White. After waking up in Alter City, with no memory of who I was, I discovered I could do incredible things. Inspired by the heroes around me, I decided to put my powers to use and protect the people of Alter City, and find the missing pieces of my past. I am, The Bolt!
The evening came quickly as the neon lights of the night shined through the city. Two trucks pulled into the loading dock behind L.S Labs, far passed their due date. The guards walked out of the building, approaching the driver seat as the window was rolled down.
"There a problem?" The driver asked, dressed in a L.S uniform.
"These two trucks were due here hours ago," One guard said, "What happened?"
The other guard strayed off and examined the truck with his flashlight. He stopped when he reached the back, thinking that he was seeing small dents.
"Why, nothing is wrong, sir. Some traffic is all."
"Traffic that kept you out an extra four hours? I'm going to need to see some ID."
The guard dropped his flashlight when he realized the dents were bullet holes.
Before he could react and tell his partner, a shadowy figure came up from behind and knocked him out with a crowbar. The other guard heard the noise and raised his gun, before being knocked out by the driver, slamming the open door into his face. The driver stepped out, throwing his hat to the side, "Let's get to work," he said, taking the keycard of the knocked-out guard.
ELSEWHERE
Rose tripped over herself to run across the street, avoiding the incoming cars. She would look back on occasion to see if anyone was following behind her. Rushing into an alleyway, she ducked behind a trash bin to catch her breath. As she did, she examined her hands, recalling what had happened. Her brother was right, despite what she may have thought. She was a Meta-Human! But how? She's never even been to Central City. Could it have been true? Was she one of Peter's experiments? Did Peter give her these powers?
It didn't matter, not right now. Right now, she needed to see Peter. She needed help. She needed to fix this. But she was surly on the camera feed in the prison. The camera saw Colby attack the guards and help her escape. She couldn't just waltz into the lab. She needed to find another way to get to Peter.
Through a common associate.
The Bolt
WHITES' RESIDENTS
A knock sounded from the front door. Ethan walked up and looked through the peephole. Opening the door, he greeted the man, "Can I help you?"
"Hello Mr. White," the man said, straightening his tie. The man wore a tan suit and held a few binders under his arms, "I'm with the Alter High school board. You submitted an article to us about your adopted son, Sean White."
"Yeah, I did. I wanted to see if he was ever a student there," Ethan answered.
"Yes, unfortunately we couldn't find anything. However, we came to a different conclusion we would like to offer to you."
"Ok, I'm listening," Ethan leaned against the door.
"We understand it's been several months since Sean's adoption. And he's in the middle of his teen years. We would like to offer he go to Alter High School."
Ethan stood straight with a surprised face, "That sounds nice, sir. But I'm afraid that we don't have the money for that at the moment. So, I'm going to have to say no for now."
The man sighed, "Very well, the offer still stands should you change your mind," They shook hands, and the man took off.
Ethan closed the door with a huff. He wished he could send Sean to school. It would be giving him a somewhat normal life, considering what he does every day. Putting on a mask, risking his life. Perhaps if he had school to take up his time, he wouldn't be doing any of this. He could live a normal life, doing homework and going on dates. He could be looking for colleges and think about his future. Instead, he runs at super speed, saving people from burning buildings and stopping robberies. These things aren't his responsibility, so why does he do it? Maybe he was just a good person, and Ethan refused to see it for what it was. Maybe, but it doesn't take away the main fact.
He's just a kid.
Sean held Olives hand as they walked down the sidewalk, the air chilly against their jackets. The winter months were tough, but they managed. Had Sean not crafted his shoes to handle snow and ice as super speed, running around the city would be near impossible.
"So, we're going to start investigating, right?" Olive asked, pulling her scarf down to speak.
"Yep," Sean answered, "I have a gut feeling that the man in armor, and LightSpeed Labs, are somehow connected to one another."
"You think he's working for Peter?"
"Could be. It would explain why he wanted the mutant so badly. Right now, it's our only lead. STAR Labs tried cracking their firewall but haven't come up with anything. Their technology is insane. And Christina isn't here, we've already ask a lot of her."
Coming up to the Storm Center door, Sean paused when he saw the door slightly open. The couple gave each other silent nods, moving in slowly. Sean took off his winter gloves and his hands started sparking. Turning a corner into the lab, he pushed his hands forward ready to fire.
"Wait!"
In the main lab was Rose, Peter's assistant. She was dressed in a casual set of cloths, her hair messy and her face in panic. Sean lowered his hands quickly, assuring Olive to stand down, "Rose?" He questioned, moving toward her, "What are you doing here?"
Rose held her hands together, trying to speak but found herself shaking. In seeing this, Sean carefully took her hands, giving her a calming look, "Hey," he said gently, "It's ok. I'm here. I can help you. Can you tell me what happened?"
Rose took a moment to compose herself, clearing her throat and slowing her breathing, " …I think I'm a Meta-Human."
Sean nodded, taking the situation as calmly as possible, but still showing a face that had questions, "Rose, why don't you sit down?"
Nodding, Rose took the seat nearest to her, holding her hands on her lap. Sean pulled a chair up and sat in front of her, Olive hanging close behind, "Start from the beginning. How did you find out you were a Meta-Human?"
Rose brushed her hair out of her face, avoiding eye contact, "I was visiting my brother," She started, "Something happened. I got angry and …some guards came in and I …" She looked at her hands, shaking, "I turned back …time."
Sean's eyes widened, now more curious than ever, "Turned back time?"
"When I held up my hands, the guards that came in went in reverse. It was …I ran from the prison because they knew I was a Meta. I can't show my face! I don't know what to do!"
"Rose, hey!" he takes her hands, trying to calm her as she started crying, "It's ok. You'll get through this, alright? We're going to help you control this."
Rose stood up, ripping her hands away, "I-I don't want to control it! I want it gone!"
Sean stood up, keeping his calm status, "I know but I don't think it's possible. The best thing we can do is to remain calm and help you control this before it gets out of hand. Ok?"
Taking a deep breath, she nodded, "Ok … Ok."
"Olive" he said, turning to her, "Can you take her into the other room and let her rest? The spare bed should be good to go."
Nodding, Olive gently took Rose by the arm and lead her into the next room. Sean sighed, rubbing his temples. Rose was a Meta-Human; was that a coincidence? He already suspected Peter created the Meta-Mutant and gave it powers, what else was he doing? Was Rose apart of this process and she didn't even know it? The bigger question was the extent of her powers. If anyone else found out, who knows what would happen.
His phone started ringing in his pocket. When he took it out, it was an unknown ID. Normally he would just hang up, but this time, he felt he should answer it. Pressing the answer button, he held the phone to his ear, "Hello?"
"Sean White?" The female voice said, "I'd like you to meet me somewhere. The peer, if you will."
"And this is?"
"You and I have a mutual friend. Barry Allen?"
Sean paused, contemplating her response, "I'm listening."
Sean sped to the peer, luckily with no one to see him. The only person around other than himself was a woman in a pencil skirt, her outfit holding a professional tone. Her hair was short, and sophisticated. In her arm she held a tablet as she turned her body to him, "You got her fast, Bolt."
"Barry tell you about me?" He asked.
"No, we have ways of finding these things out. I was surprised to find that you were so young."
"Who's we?" Sean questioned.
"Forgive me. My name is Lyla Michaels, I'm head of an organization known as A.R.G.U.S."
"Am I supposed to know what that is?" Sean shrugged.
Lyla turned on her tablet, opening a video, "I understand we have a similar interest," She showed him the video. It was Rose at the prison. She held up her hands and two guards moved in reverse.
"She wasn't joking," Sean said.
"So, you know her."
Sean backed up, starting to get very suspicious, "What do you want with her?"
"We wanted to recruit her. Use her powers to do some good."
Sean shook his head, scoffing, "She's a human being who just discovered she has powers! Can't you just leave her alone?"
"I'm afraid we can't. We have a series of missions that need to be done and only a meta-human can do it. Her powers are perfect for what we need."
Sean paced around, trying to think of what to do. He couldn't Let A.R.G.U.S. take Rose away. She was so scared and helpless, and this wouldn't help her in the slightest, "There has to be some kind of alternative, right?"
Lyla thought on this for a moment, "Perhaps. We need a Meta that can break into a rogue facility and take something for us, something that was stolen from us. Her powers would let her break in easily, but you said she just got them?"
"Yeah, and she doesn't know how to control them."
Lyla crossed her arms, "Ok. Here's the deal. We'll leave her alone, if," She paused, "You do the job for her."
He raised his brows, "Excuse me?"
"A.R.G.U.S. has had an eye on you for a while. We know what you're capable of, and it would benefit us both to know that you're on or side."
Sean crossed his arms, looking up at the sky in thought. If he didn't do this, A.R.G.U.S. would just keep going after her. This was the fastest and most efficient way to keep her out of the wrong hands. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he clicked into Olives text history and typed.
Keep an eye on Rose, I need to do something to keep here out of hot water. Explain later.
A moment went by, then a ping,
"Ok, stay safe," She replied.
Putting his phone away, he sighed and addressed the woman in front of him, "Ok. What do you need from me?"
A black van gently pulled up next to them, with the A.R.G.U.S logo on the side.
"Come with me," She said, getting into the front passenger seat. With reluctance, Sean followed her lead and steppe into the back seat, "What have I gotten myself into?" He said, before closing the door.
Olive put her phone away, carrying a small class of water to Rose, who sat on the bed of the spare room. She took the drink gently, only sipping it a little, "Thank you," She said.
"Sure thing," Olive said, "Having powers can be really scary. But we'll help you get through it."
Rose sighed, "I'm worried that I won't be able to control it. What if I hurt someone?"
Olive smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You won't. This is something all Meta's go through. They all ask the same questions. 'What's happening?' 'What if I hurt someone?' It's tough but once you figure it out, you'll be better off."
Rose stared at her, as if she could sense a deeper meaning in her words, "Olive are you a Meta-Human?"
Olive raised her brows, nervously laughing it off, "Of course not! I just know from helping Sean, that's all."
Rose worked for Peter, and was likely very loyal. She didn't want to out herself as Virtue to Rose in the possibility that she would tell Peter. Knowing what they do now, there's no telling what he would do to her. Hunt her, experiment on her? He was a mad man dressed as someone sane.
As far as she knew, there was no one Peter loved.
"I'm the only person outside the lab who knows his secret Rose," She said, "He trusts me."
"Trust, huh?" Rose said, looking down at her feet, "Trust is a strange and loose term at the lab. I found a file about this project with my name on it, and I didn't do anything for it. He doesn't tell me everything either. It's scary and I just hate it."
"I blame the government," Olive said flatly.
Rose looked up at her with a grin, before bursting out laughing, "Never before has a truer statement been uttered."
Olive smiled, crossing her legs, "Soon as Sean gets back here, we'll figure everything out. Don't worry."
In the other room, Olive could hear a loud beeping coming from the main computer. Walking through the door she took a look at the screen from a distance; a pop up that said 'security breach.'
"That's strange," Olive said, not remembering setting up that kind of security software for the Storm Center.
But then she remembered; the security alerts are linked to the main lab.
Rushing over, Olive started typing on the computer as Rose followed her, purely out of curiosity. She pulled up a video, taken from one of the inner L.S. security cam. It was the main lab, and inside were a dozen armed men in black scattered across the room. One kept a gun pointed at the head of Peter Morrison, as he sat quietly at a chair.
"Oh my god," Rose said, gasping quietly, "Peter."
"I can't help you if you don't tell me what it is that you want," Peter said, not even looking at the man who kept him at gun point.
"Quiet!" The armed man said, "And stay put. Don't cause any trouble."
Peter looked up to the camera Olive was looking through, "I won't. I will remain bolted to this chair."
"Bolted," Olive said, "Bolt. He's asking for help."
"But Sean isn't here," Rose reminded her, "What are we supposed to do about it?"
Olive stood there, unsure of what she should do. With her abilities there was a chance she could save him, but that would mean revealing to Rose, and therefore, Peter, that she was Virtue. She would be outing herself as a Meta-Human. If she waited for Sean to get back, it may be too late. If Rose wasn't here the decision would be easier. Then again, she doesn't seem like one to break trust; if she asked her to stay quiet, she might.
Olive turned to her, a face of regret held on her, "I may have told a white lie earlier."
A.R.G.U.S. H.Q (STAR CITY)
Lyla lead Sean into the main room of the A.R.G.U.S. building. The building on the outside was discreet, but inside was full of high tech devices. It was dimly light, except for a few blue lights here and there. It reminded him of a few high-tech government bases he had seen in the movies Ethan and Abigail had shown him, but this was real. People were at work either at computers, or moving about the room.
Lyla lead him into a room separated from the others, where a large computer sat on the wall. Inside there were a dozen other soldiers all dressed and ready for action. They eyed Sean curiously as he took a spot in the corner, near the door. Clearly, they didn't expect a child in the room when Lyla promised a Meta.
"Ok," Lyla said, standing next to the computer, holding a small remote in her hand, "Now that everyone is here, we can get started."
"Chief, if I may," One soldier said, "You promised a Meta-Human that could turn the tables. This is just a kid."
"You obviously haven't been keeping up with the reports," She said, "This is Sean White, better known to the public as The Bolt. If you payed attention to briefings you would know this. I assure you, he will be a great help."
The other soldiers chuckled and murmured to one another, Sean rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms.
"Let's begin, shall we?" She said, pressing a button on the remote. The screen changed to a picture of a transport truck, "The people who stole our technology are moving the cargo in this vehicle in 1 hour. Our job is to stop them in their tracks, and grab the device."
"If it's that easy," Sean said, "Why do you need me?"
Lyla pressed another button and an image appeared over the vehicle. It was a blonde woman in her teens, only a few years older than Sean, shown in a mug shot.
"This is Tara Markov. She has the ability of Geo-Kinesis; able to move earth-like substances with her mind. She's a mercenary who used to work with a man by the name of Slade Wilson. There work was on and off, permanently derailed now that Slade Wilson is imprisoned. Ever since, she's worked off the grid as a mercenary. She was hired to help transport the cargo. My men can't fight her, but you can."
Sean observed the image of Tara on the screen. She was so young, just like him. They were in the same boat, having these powers at such a young age. What happened in her life to make her into a mercenary?
"If we stay focused, it should be an easy job," She said, "Get ready, we leave in an hour."
The group disappeared, all except Sean who kept looking at the picture of Tara. He wanted to know more about her backstory, and didn't want to wait. When everyone left the room, he grabbed the computer connected to the TV, and started typing. Images and documents appeared on the screen rather quickly.
The most he could find was that she was born in Markovia, and was the illegitimate daughter of the king there. He was getting to a part about experiments when the entire system shut off.
"I don't like you snooping," Lyla said, standing at the door.
Sean sighed, "You did leave me In here alone. I was trying to learn about my opponent."
"She controls rocks," Lyla said, "That's all you need to know."
"But she's so young," Sean said, walking up to her, "How dangerous can she be?"
"You're young," she retorted, "How many people have you beaten?"
He was silent at the question, as she left the room without a word.
THAT NIGHT
The soldiers remained hidden in the bushes and behind tree's waiting for their target to arrive. The Bolt remained a small distance away, tightening his boots and adjusting his mask, simply out of a lack of patience. As a speedster, time was a precious thing, and he was getting tired of waiting. The truck was supposed to arrive 10 minutes ago, where was it?
"Bolt," A soldier said, "Stay sharp."
He didn't answer him. He didn't like being talked to like he was a soldier of war. He was only here because if he wasn't, Rose would be, and he refused to put her through that. This was the best way to keep her safe. Olive could handle protecting the city while he remained busy.
His thoughts went to Tara, and what she might have been like. He hasn't met many young Meta-Humans other than Olive, no less a mercenary. If this Slade Wilson was as dangerous as he believed, what could he have turned her into? Was there any good in her? He wanted to believe so, because it was clear that A.R.G.U.S wouldn't.
"Stay sharp, target in bound," Lyla said over the comm.
Bolt looked to the street, seeing the truck coming into view. His gaze went to the small mine planted on the road beeping and waiting for its target. As the truck reached, the device went off and blew the tires off the vehicle. The truck skid to a stop, creating sparks along the way.
"Move, move!" A soldier said. The group ran in with their guns in hand, forcing the driver out of his seat. Bolt remained behind waiting for Tara to show up. But as the moments passed, there was no trace of her. If the cargo was so important, she would have attacked already.
Something was off.
"Guys wait-!" He yelled.
As the soldiers opened the back, they were immediately met with rocks to the face, shooting from inside the vehicle. Without anyone stepping out, rocks were pulled from the pavement and slammed into the soldiers, chasing them all one by one. He watched without moving, unsure of what to do as the last soldier was knocked down.
Finally, she stepped out.
She was taller than Bolt was, her blonde hair only reaching her shoulders. She wore a tan collar jacket with black shorts, a pair of black boots to match. She stepped carefully over the unconscious guards and checked on the driver, making sure he was ok. Another van pulled up, letting the driver into the back seat.
"Bolt, engage now!" Lyla yelled.
Bolt sped over, standing a few yards away from Tara, his fists clenched as the lightning from his streak lite up the air for a moment, "Don't move!" he yelled.
Tara turned to him, gesturing the van to drive away. Starting the engine, the van started to move. Bolt tried to move and stop it, but a large rock wall grew from the ground, stopping him. Even as the wall broke down and crumbled, the van was already gone.
"Didn't expect you to be here," Tara said, as Bolt turned to her, "Heard a lot about you speedy."
"I've heard a fair amount about you," Bolt said, "Why are you working for these guys?"
"I freelance, it's what I do. Not like you actually care. You're with A.R.G.U.S., you don't care about anyone," There was a poison to her voice, telling him just how much she despised the organization.
"This is how you use your powers?" Bolt asked, "To hurt people? When that accelerator went off, you were given a gift!"
"Except the accelerator didn't give me my powers!" She shouted, the subject matter catching Bolt off guard.
"If you didn't get your powers from the explosion," He started, "Where did you get them?"
Tara lifted her hands, her eye color changing to yellow, "How about I give you a taste of what I can do, speedy?"
Throwing her hands forward, rocks burst out from the ground and fly at Bolt. He moved out of the way at super speed, however the rocks came back around and smacked him in the back, knocking him face first into the ground. As she threw another chunk of rock at him, he shot lightning at it, crumbling it to pieces before it could reach him.
He got to his feet and ran at her, throwing a punch. But his fist was stopped when it collided with rock, floating in front of her body. He pulled his hand back, wiping it around to get rid of the pain. Her fist became covered in rock, and se swung her arm at him. He ducked backwards, avoiding the swing. When he came back up, he was met with a fist to the face, sending him flying backwards and skidding to the ground.
"Bolt, do you copy?" Lyla said.
Bolt groaned, getting to one knee, "She can use the rocks like armor, which is actually pretty cool."
"Aw, nice to see you appreciate your opponents," Tara said, sending her hands forward and launching a barrage of smaller rock bullets. Time slowed down for Bolt as he maneuvered around the rocks, a trail of lightning left behind him. Time resumed as he reached Tara, grabbing her by the shoulders.
Tara grinned as she sunk into the ground like quick sand, slipping out of his hands. Looking behind him, the rocks came back and knocked him down, fusing together and pinning his arms and legs together like cuffs. Before he could phase out, a larger rock smacked him in the head, knocking him out.
Tara reemerged from the ground, brushing her shoulder and walking away with a grin on her face, "The hero types never change," She said.
L.S Labs
Gunmen stood at the entrance of the lab, their fingers ready on the trigger. Above them, Virtue flew, carrying Rose in her arms as she descended onto the roof. She dropped Rose to her feet, keeping herself afloat.
"Ok," Virtue said, "We need to find a way in. A vent or something."
"The roof is the only place with camera blind spots," said Rose, "But I don't think there are any vents big enough."
Virtue looked around, not making eye contact with Rose. Revealing her powers to her wasn't that much of a shock, but she still had thoughts of what Peter would think if and when he finds out. He was capable of horrible things. It wasn't a risk she was willing to take.
With a look of curiosity, Rose walked to the corner of the roof, "How concentrated are your energy blasts?"
Virtue flew over to her, landing on her feet, "I don't know. Why?"
"If you can concentrate your power into a laser, maybe you can cut through the roof. Because right below us is a storage closet. No cameras and no guards."
Virtue looked between Rose and the roof before gesturing her out of the way, a purple energy emitting from her right hand. Pulling her fingers closer together, the energy glowed brighter, and she released it toward the ground into a small needle sized laser. She pointed it to the ground as it hit, generating small flames accompanied by smoke. The laser felt to be pushing on her fingers, so she held her arm with her other hand and slowly dragged it in a circle motion.
Kicking the hole into the building, Virtue floated down to the ground, carrying Rose with her as she set her down on her feet. The storage closet was just big enough for the both of them. It was dark, the only light coming from the closed door.
"What was that noise?" someone said from the outside.
"Uh oh," Rose said, as Virtue stood in front of her with glowing fists.
As the door opened, Virtue readied to fire, but Rose through her hands in front of her, "Wait, wait!" She yelled.
In front of them was Dr. Tennent, holding his arm as his lab coat was stained in blood, but only small amounts. He looked to have been out of breath and sweating, as if he had been running. Rose immediately launched forward and hugged him, startling him for a moment.
"You're alright!" She said, letting him go, "Did anyone else get away?"
"A few," He said, "But the men in black have been rounding them up. They only fire warning shots, the best Injuries they cause being to the arm," He gestured to the bleeding from his right arm, thankfully caused by the graze of a bullet, not a direct encounter.
"That's good," Virtue said, "That means they won't kill. It'll make this easier," They stepped out of the storage room, "Doctor, I need you to tell me everything you know. Who are these guys? And how much of a hold do they have on the building?"
"These guys just showed up out of nowhere. They activated the buildings security, everything is on lock down."
"Then we have a plan," She said, looking at Rose, "Rose, you two need to deactivate the security so the police can charge in when they get here."
"Us?" Rose questioned, "I don't know if I can …"
Virtue put a hand on her shoulder, her glowing eyes dimming for a moment, "I believe in you."
Rose stared into her eyes, trying to compose herself. Olive had revealed herself to Rose because she trusted her. She brought her here out of trust and faith. She had to try, because that's what she would do.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded, "Ok, I'll try."
"Good," Said Virtue, backing up as her eyes glowed again, "Good luck," With that she flew down the hallway.
STAR CITY
"Bolt …Sean wake up."
Bolt opened his eyes, blinded by the light in his eyes. Looking around, he found himself sitting in a chair, back in the A.R.G.U.S. main lab. His eyes came upon Lyla, looking over him.
"Lyla?" he questioned, "What happened out there?"
"You took a rock to the head," she said with a flat tone, "Tara got away. But we're working on tracking her now."
He laid back in the chair, thinking hard on what happened that night. Tara knew what she was doing; she's clearly had a lot of practice using her powers in this profession. He knew she worked with Slade, and were likely close, so why was she freelancing? Why not just go solo and do her own gigs? Instead of working for someone else?
He knew why; it was because she was hurting. He could see it in her yellow eyes, even if she would deny it with her tough girl persona. There was a pain there, and he recognized it.
Sighing, Bolt got up and took off his mask, "Lyla," he started, a serious expression on his face, "I saw into her eyes and I could feel something."
Lyla crossed her arms, curious, "What did you feel?"
He paused, trying to find the right words, because no words could explain a gut feeling, "Pain. Regret. A want for so much more than what you have. She wants a purpose, it explains her freelancing."
"And how could you possibly know all of this?"
"Because that's how I feel!" He shouted, silencing everyone else in the room.
Looking around, almost embarrassed, he sped out of the room, throwing a gust of wind into Lyla's face.
"Should we send a strike team to seek him out?" A worker said.
Lyla sighed, "No. I know someone who can talk to him."
Sean sped to a roof not too far from the base, not wanting to strain too far in case they needed him quickly. He sat on the edge, looking into the night. He didn't understand why this was getting to him so easily. Was it because Tara was so young? Did she remind him of himself in that way? Or was he suffering from the savior complex again. Then again, perhaps all heroes have a savior complex. It fits with the title of superhero, after all.
He didn't like the thoughts he was having. They were too serious, too dark. He missed being happier and more cheerful, only thinking about saving a life rather than how complex things are now. Was it too much to ask for things to be simple again? To fight crime with his girlfriend and save lives? According to the universe, or in his case the speed force, it was too much.
The sound of footsteps rang behind him, but he did not move. He figured it was someone from A.R.G.U.S. here to retrieve him, but he just didn't care. He just wanted to sit there, and mope like a child.
"I've done a lot of brooding too, kid," The voice said, the voice sounded male and more mature, in fact deeper than a normal voice, "But I can tell you haven't been doing it long."
"Go away," Sean said, "Tell Lyla I'll come back later."
"I'm not with A.R.G.U.S., Sean."
Curious now, he turned around and was surprised at what he found.
Standing there in the light of the moon was a man dressed in green leather, a hood over his head. His face was covered by a green mask, a quiver strapped over his back with a bow in his hand.
This was The Green Arrow.
Sean stood up and took his stance on the roof, surprised that The Green Arrow was standing right in front of him. He had only ever seen photos and footage taken by the news, but never before did he think he would actually meet him. The man who began everything.
"You're …what are you doing here?" Sean asked.
"Here to give you some advice," The Green Arrow said, "I normally wouldn't have come out here, but The Flash is a friend of mind, and he's spoken highly of you," he shifted his bow into his other hand, taking a step closer, the appearance of him intimidating Sean a bit, "I understand you had a mission tonight, and it didn't go as planned."
Sean nodded slowly, trying to avoid his gaze but found that he couldn't.
"Things like this are going to happen," Arrow said, "You need to realize that not every mission is going to be a victory. Not everyone can be saved, not every city will have a salvation."
"This prep talk is starting out very negative," Sean said, joking purely out of nervousness.
"Sean," Arrow said firmly, "Tragedy happens. People make choices, and those choices affect everyone else," he took another step closer, towering over him, but still giving him his space, "We aren't Gods, Bolt. We're men. Men trying to do right, either by the mistakes we've made or the gifts we've been given. One falter does not define who you are and what you do. Trust me, I know."
Looking through the shadow of his hood, he could see into his eyes. He could see the pain and sorrow looming inside him. Sean knew what he said was the truth, and the weight of his words impacted him greatly.
"…Why are you telling me this?" Sean asked.
"Because like I said, we have a common friend. And I've seen your work. You do good. And a clouded mind is not efficient for the kind of lives we live."
Taking his bow in the other hand, he grabbed and arrow and moved past Sean, standing on the edge and drawing the string back, firing it at another building. It shot off a grapple, latching itself tight to the other building.
"Don't give up on yourself," Arrow said, "Keep running," With that, he jumped off the edge, swinging away. Sean could only watch as he disappeared. A grin formed on his face.
"Cool," He said.
He moved his gaze to the moon hanging in the sky. It was a half-moon to night, but it was bright enough to illuminate the city. The cars below honking and turning corners, shining their turn lights. Sean closed his eyes, letting himself listen to the song of the city. He could hear the people down below, talking and arguing, going about their lives like everything is normal. These days it was difficult to understand what was normal. For Sean, he was still figuring that out.
He knew one thing for sure, he was The Bolt. And he wasn't going to quit today.
L.S. LABS
Virtue bursts through the metal door of the main lab, several of the gunmen falling to the ground after the door flew over them. Charging her hands with energy, she clapped them together and released a wave of light that sent the remaining men flying into the nearby wall, slamming their backs into the hard metal. Virtue approached the glass cylinder that made up the inner layer of the lab, however she stopped after seeing she was covered in red laser dots.
Looking up, all around her were guns, tethered to the walls and ceilings, aiming at her and ready to fire should she move. Looking down inside the glass cylinder, she saw Peter sitting inside, tied up with gunmen surrounding him. One of the men stepped forward, a rifle in hand, "Leave now, Virtue."
"I can't," She said, a mic inside her mask shifting her vocals down a few pitches, crossing her arms, "You have something of mine. Someone, in fact, and I would like him returned."
"We can't do that for you," He said, "His capture is a necessity for right now. So, leave, before you get hurt."
It was obvious there was no negotiating here, Virtue could only wait until Rose and Dr. Tennent shut down the security.
Rose and Dr. Tennent entered the computer room, and Tennent immediately ran to the nearest computer and started typing, trying to shut down the security, "It was lucky that Virtue was here," Tennent said, "How did you two find each other?"
Rose didn't answer him, she just stared at her hands, and somehow, he understood. He stood up and took her hands, looking her in the eye, "Hey, it's ok, Rose. We'll all get through this."
"It's not that," Rose said.
"I know. I can tell. Whatever is going on, you'll get through it. We just have to buy Virtue some time."
That's when it hit her, "Time," she said, going back to the door, "Keep working on that, I may have an idea," With that she left.
Tennent smiled, looking back to the computer, "Ok then, Allons-y."
Rose ran into the lab, where Virtue and the armed men stood, only to be met by the ceiling guns.
"Rose! Don't move!" Virtue yelled.
Rose looked around at the guns pointing at her. Peter stared at her with shock.
"Rose, get out of here!" He said, "It isn't safe!"
"We came for you!" Rose said, "I … won't just leave you. No matter what you did."
The guns armed themselves.
"Rose-"
"It's time I did something," She said, lifting her hands up.
The bullets fired.
But they never hit.
The bullets were stopped by a faint field of pink energy, freezing them in midair. The entire room filled with this same energy, freezing everything and everyone in a single moment of time. She looked around, seeing the movements in mid moment, baffled.
She moved carefully to Virtue, seeing her completely frozen in time, ripples moving around her, "Olive?" She asked touching her shoulder.
With a small burst of light, Virtue suddenly started to move again, stumbling before she took notice of Rose, "Rose, what-…" She looked around the room, taking notice of time, frozen in a single moment, "Oh my god, this is … whoa."
Rose smiled, just before she fell to her knees, holding her sides. Virtue looked over her, asking if she was ok.
"I'm fine," Rose said, "I can't hold this …forever. Hurry and do something."
Virtue nodded, walking over to the door with her glowing hands. She blasted the door down, and it floated in midair, seconds between its fixed and broken state. She moved through the hole, placing herself behind Peter, and looking around the glass cylinder, "Ok, Rose. Let it go!"
Obeying her command, Rose collapsed to the floor.
Time resumed, the men became startled in the change. The door hit the ground quickly, causing them to notice Virtue standing here. Quickly, she released a wave of energy, blasting the armed men through the air, and they crashed through the glass of the cylinder lab.
Wires hung from the ceiling and sparked. Virtue freed Peter from his chair, and immediately he ran to Rose, sitting her up and holding her by the cheeks, "Rose, hey, are you alright?"
"Yes …I'm ok," She said, "I wanted to tell you, it was recent …these powers…"
"It's ok," he said.
Rose started crying, feeling both relief, and fear, "Please don't lock me up …"
Peter looked into her eyes, wiping the tears away, and smiling, "Never," eh said, hugging her tightly, as Virtue watched from a small distance.
She was wrong, there is someone Peter loves after all.
STAR CITY
The Bolt skid to a stop, holding a finger to his ear, "Is this it," he said. In front of him was a large warehouse, hidden by the darkness of the night. After some heavy tracking, they finally found Tara in a shipment warehouse, "I'm going in," he said.
Tara strapped the boxes into the truck, handing the keys to a worker, "Transport this safely. Then tell your boss to send me my check."
Bolt sped in, letting his arms dangle, "Hello!" he said, "Please! Point a gun if it makes you feel better."
The men in the room proceeded to point their guns. Tara however, held up her hand, and they all lowered their weapons, "He's mine," She said, stepping down from the truck, "You can all watch as I crush him."
"Well, you'll have to catch me first, Terra."
Tara lifted her hand, and a boulder came floating out of the ground. She threw it forward, and Bolt avoided it by moving to the side. She started firing a barrage of small rocks, and he ran around the room to avoid it. The man watched as the white lightning traveled around the room faster than their eyes could keep up. Growing tired, she slammed her hand into the ground, causing the room to shake. The Bolt tripped and fell down to the ground in front of Tara. He quickly got up, as she covered her fists with rocks. She threw one punch after another, and he avoided them with great speed.
"You may be strong!" he said, ducking under a hook punch, "But that makes you slow," he dodges another punch, "And compared to me, that's saying something."
Dodging again, he threw a punch of his own to her stomach, sending her flying backwards, the rocks around her hands crumbling.
Her men raised their guns again, "No!" Tara shouted, "I told you, he's mine!"
She ran in and threw another punch, only for Bolt to catch her fist. He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her, as she struggled, "Let me go!"
"No!" he shouted, "I won't!"
The men moved in again, but Tara shouted at them to stay back. She wouldn't let her pride be broken so easily.
"Tara," Bolt said, "This doesn't have to be your life."
"This has always been my life!" She said.
"But it doesn't have to be!"
Silence grew between them. She stopped struggling, actually listening to him now, though her body was still tense.
"When you have nothing," Bolt started, "You feel empty. You feel like …you would do anything to find your purpose. Become a mercenary …put on a mask."
It was here that she realized he wasn't just talking about her anymore. She let her body's tension fade, letting Bolt hold her.
"It's not easy, searching, especially if you don't know what you're looking for. You attached yourself to an idea with a death grip because you have nothing else. But eventually you realize that you knew exactly what you wanted. You just …wanted permission first. Approval."
Bolt himself was crying now, the tears barely bleeding through his mask.
"I know what it's like, Tara," He said, "We aren't so different. I understand."
Bolt slowly let her go, allowing her to stand on her own feet. She did not move, she did not attack. She just stood there, hands on his chest, as if trying to read the meaning of his symbol. She almost wanted to tear up, but she didn't like letting her guard down. She needed to turn this around somehow.
"If you understand, then work with me," She said, "We don't need the approval of humans! We are above them."
"There it is," Bolt said, "You stopped wanting approval when you realized that you could talk to me."
She took a step back, wondering if he was right.
"it's your choice," bolt said, looking to the men in the room, "You're done here. I doubt you want to fight me, so leave."
Dropping their guns, the men gathered themselves and left as quickly as they could.
"A few years ago," She started softly, "A scientist in Markovia gave me these powers. My father told me to go to the U.S, to prevent any issues about my father, the king, having a half daughter. My mother wasn't the queen, after all. When I came here, I needed work, and I put my powers to use."
Bolt took a step forward, "Someone gave you our powers," he started, "That's funny. I have reason to believe someone did the same for me. We aren't so different."
"I guess not," Tara said, turning around and starting to walk away. Bolts voice quickly stopped her.
"What were you guys trying to steal?"
She turned around, "It's still in the truck, go ahead and see. Call the cops if you want. But I'll be long gone by then."
In an instant, she let herself sink into the ground, vanishing from the room.
The bolt sighed, taking off his mask, knowing that he was alone. He couldn't stop her today, but he did his job. And he wasn't ready to give up on her just yet. He was going to meet her again, he could feel it, and next time, he would save her.
Strolling over to the truck, he looked inside and looked at the label on the box.
'L.S. Laboratories.'
"Good work," Lyla said. Sean turned around and saw her standing there, her men running into the room with guns in hand, "You secured the cargo, we'll take it from here."
Sean hopped down from the truck, "L.S. Laboratories? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Precautions."
"What's in the box?"
"A power source, collected by alien invaders a few weeks ago. L.S got their hands on it from us, now we have it back."
"You don't think they would know if we were here?"
"That's why we made a distraction," She said, "The lab in Alter City was invaded today by our men. They were told not to harm anyone, just keep them busy until we were done."
"What?! Are you insane?! People could have been hurt!" He shouted, putting on his mask and heading for the door, "We are not done Lyla Michaels! Not! Done!" He sped out through the door, slamming it behind him.
ALTER CITY: L.S LABS
Sean, dressed in his civilian clothing, approached the lab where police cars were already parked. An ambulance was treating at the wounded, and men in black were being shoved into the back of police cruisers. It seemed that the situation had passed.
He saw Olive sitting over at the bench, and he ran over, giving her a hug as she stood up to greet him.
"Thank goodness you're ok!" He said, "When I heard about what happened, I got worried."
"Don't worry, I had it under control," Olive said.
Rose and Peter approached Sean and Olive. Instinctively, Sean stood in front of Olive.
"Olive, I wanted to thank you for today," Peter said.
"I don't know what you mean." She said.
"Don't try. I've known for a while now."
Sean clenched his fist, puffing put his chest, "You are not locking her up."
"Why would I do that?" Peter said, "She saved my life. As for Rose, she will continue being my assistant. No change. No argument today. Let's just … take a vacation from all of this." With that, then two of them walked away, leaving Sean and Olive there alone.
"I'd like a vacation," Olive said.
Sean smiled, wrapping an arm, around her shoulder, "Ethan and Abigail know the perfect beach."
THE BOLT
Tara sat down in the coffee shop, sipping her cup carefully as not to burn herself. She thought about everything that had happened the previous day. The Bolt didn't just beat her, he got to her emotionally. No one has done that for a very long time. She never found anyone whop understood her. It was too strange, and she didn't know how to feel.
With a burst of wind, Sean sat in the seat in front of her. His sudden appearance was enough of an introduction for her.
"Speedy?" she asked, looking him up and down.
Sean nodded, "How are you?"
She gripped her cup, almost readying an attack, "Fine. What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see how you were doing," Sean said, "Where are you headed after this?"
"Out of town. I need to find new work."
Sean smiled, "Just try to stay out of trouble."
Tara squinted her eyes, "Why do you care?"
Sean leaned in, "Because I see something in you no one else does."
She tried to figure out if he was playing her, but she couldn't see any evidence.
"I have a question for you, actually," Sean said, "You said someone gave you your powers; a scientist. Is that right?"
Tara nodded.
Sean leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms, "Did they ever share their research with anyone?"
Tara shrugged, "I don't know. I left Markovia a few years back. Why?"
Sean pondered this, handing her a card, "If you ever need me, just call."
With that, he sped out of the coffee shop and was gone.
Written by Timelord 2024
I do not own the DC Universe. This includes the shows SUPERGIRL, THE FLASH, ARROW, LEGENDS OF TOMMOROW and BLACK LIGHTNING.
TARA MARKOV is owned by DC Comics
All original characters are owned by Timelord2024
THE BOLT created by Timelord2024
