Flash

Issue #5

"Highway to Heaven"

"This is the weirdest thing I've ever experienced," I mumbled to no one in particular.

My name is John Fox and I'm the fastest man alive. You might call me the Flash but that would be an insult to everyone else that's held the name before me. Currently I'm in between the folds of reality, the weird experience being attributed to the archaic teleporter I'm using. I've slipped through the timestream using nothing but my own two legs and this is what tosses my stomach for a loop.

"Just relax," Bart Allen said. "I know it makes you feel funky but just chill and you'll be fine."

After tossing Zoom into a Star Labs holding cell and making sure Jay Garrick would be doing okay, Bart and I had a long talk about what I should do next. Wally was fueling my powers and I was perfectly fine, but he wasn't doing so well. Even though I was anchoring him the power of the Speed Force was keeping him from returning to us. He was the Speed Force now and it was taxing him greatly. I needed to figure out how to free him before something happened. I was still a relative stranger in this timeline but Bart was a trusted member of the Teen Titans…at least he used to be. Thankfully they let us come in to use their stuff.

Titans Tower was rather impressive, especially for a bunch of kids. Granted, some of them were a lot older then the rest, but most of the group was made up of teenagers that were dying to get out into the super-world and flex their muscles. During my time travels, I found out that eventually EarthGov will pass a bill banning underage superheroes. The Teen Titans, as you may have guessed, will be at the center of that debate. Until then, the team seems to be doing great, especially under the tutelage of the man called Cyborg.

"Funky is how you describe sushi," I replied. "Having my molecules rearranged by this primitive technology is more like torture."

"Primitive?" Cyborg asked from behind Bart. He was the only one home when we came knocking, and after explaining what we wanted to do, he graciously let us into his lab. "This is quality stuff you're jacked into. How far in the future did you say you were from?"

"Too far."

"Right," he replied, reaching passed Bart and to the teleporter console. "According to what I'm reading here there are tachyons seeping off of you like crazy and that's why you're feeling some discomfort in the transporter beam. Once the computer sorts it all out you'll be on your way."

I hoped it would be sooner than later. Even with my protective suit made up of condensed Speed Force energy I still felt the pangs of electricity vaulting through my nervous system. This floor of the Tower was where Cyborg said he did most of his work, whatever that entailed. Bart assured me that if anyone could get me to where I needed to be, it was the Titans. Given the pain I was currently experiencing I wasn't exactly convinced yet.

"How do you even know where the coordinates are?" I asked. It almost sounded like I was trying to talk myself out of doing this.

"When the Titans gained access to some of the tech leftover from the Watchtower," Cyborg explained, "there weren't many coordinates we didn't have."

There weren't many people that could help me right now. Bart filled me in on everything that had been happening over the last year, beginning with when Wally had disappeared into the Speed Force. I was shocked to hear Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman had all been out of commission for some reason. There was sort of a Justice League but neither of us knew where they were (outside of the Atom, with whom Bart had a few adventures with). Even still, Bart told me that even the Titans had no way of getting in touch with them, which gave us the idea of coming to them for help.

"How much longer--"

FWOOSH!

"--do you think this will take?" I asked.

The pain was suddenly gone and I was standing somewhere completely different than Titans Tower. What had once been the dimly lit lab of Cyborg had now become a Shangri-La of sorts. Light permeated everywhere and the structures were massive, architectural wonders that seemingly defied physics. I stuck out like a sore thumb wearing my crimson full-body suit that even covered my face. The yellow band of energy mimicking lightning that was stretched from my left shoulder to my right hip added a touch of artistic flair, but it was nothing in comparison to this place. I had never been here but Bart and I thought it would be the best place to learn more about the Speed Force and other high planes of existence.

"New Genesis."

Ripping my eyes away from the expansive city before me, I turned around and saw I was directly in front of a building that consumed my entire field of vision. I'm not just talking about being big…this thing was monumental. The entire city of New York could fit in this thing's lobby.

I ran to the closest corner of the structure to try and see around it. Amazingly, it took me a full ten seconds to get there. Bart never mentioned anything like this. Was I in the wrong place? All of these structures looked like they were built for giants.

"I know I should have made that left at Albequirky…"

---------------

Fire was something he had always felt a calling to. Even as a child he saw himself dancing among the flames, ready to involuntarily spring back and forth among them. The color at the base of each flame was unique, like a fingerprint. The fiery tongues lapped at the sweet smelling oxygen, constantly gasping for more. It was beautiful.

Or at least, it used to be.

He no longer found joy in watching the fire consume. The beast now seemed tainted instead of unfulfilled. The lore of fire was still there…he was just scared of its power now.

He had been burned before. More times than he could remember all throughout his life he had been scalded by the beast. But now it was different. Now when he looked into the flames all he saw was his own pain. He remembered feeling his nerve endings die off one by one. His flesh melted away into the salt water of the Pacific Ocean as the oil resting comfortably on the tops of the waves burned all around him.

To say the least, it had been traumatizing.

Even more, he felt like he was without a soul.

"One part standard motor oil, one part liquid soap, and two parts gasoline," Mick Rory said. "Mix these products and you have a basic napalm. Nothing too fancy or on the caliber of what the military uses, but it will get the job done. It's really just an accelerant being held together by the oil and soap. One ounce will be enough to burn down an oak tree."

He was garbed in his usual white asbestos suit although it hung on him oddly. Most of his muscle had burned away while he was left for dead in the ocean and as a result none of his old clothes seemed to fit anymore. The dank basement of some random safehouse he bought long ago held nothing but a few bottles of liquid, a table, and the two occupants. Mick turned to face the sole member of his captive audience, a butane torch in hand.

"Personally I like to add those little Styrofoam packing peanuts," he continued as he stepped closer to the woman tied to a metal chair. "It adds volume to the mix and makes the napalm easier to shape."

The nameless woman twisted in her chair of a prison, the gag in her mouth threatening to fall out from all of her squirming. She was barely into her mid-twenties. Her eyes were wide as Mick waved the tip of the flame in front of her face.

"Makes it easier to smear, too. Without those peanuts I wouldn't have been able to apply the napalm to your arms and legs. I can imagine how it feels on your skin: cold, sticky, and wet, like grape jelly."

He grabbed her right arm and ripped the twine out that was tying it down. Tightening his grasp around her wrist, he stretched out her arm and dangled the butane torch over her palm.

"I'm sorry that this has to happen, but believe me when I say that it must happen. He took everything away from me, you see. My entire life was inside the fire and now there's nothing. Even the tip of this torch, which I used to be able to stare at for hours, leaves nothing but an empty spot in my soul. He took away my entire reason for living."

Casually pulling his eyes away from her tear-filled gaze, Mick Rory leaned in closer to her hand, mere inches away from her fingers. He lowered the tip of the torch until it briefly touched her napalm soaked nails, and in an instant it ignited.

Mick's first reaction was to pull his face away in terror even though his face mask protected him. Memories of half drowning in the ocean surrounded by relentless infernos filled his head but he forced himself to watch her flesh begin to melt away just like his had done. He had to overcome this trauma and regain his passion for the flame.

Without it he might as well be dead.

---------------

"So where is everyone?" I asked, hoping someone would pop out from around a corner to answer me. I didn't get it. New Genesis was supposed to be a bustle of activity, populated by people of wondrous abilities. From where I stood atop some type of elevated walkway there was nobody for miles. The more I thought about it, the more I feared I had leapt to the wrong dimension. It didn't help that I appeared to only be three inches tall in comparison to the structures.

This place didn't run itself. Someone had to be around somewhere. Allowing the Speed Force to funnel out of my feet, I put one foot in front of the other and I was off. I decided not to zoom around at full blast just in case I frightened anyone. Keeping a steady pace of seventy miles per hour, I began to search for any signs of life.

That first step when I begin to run is always my favorite. It's sort of like when you take a big bite of a mouthwatering hamburger. That first bite is always the best and the rest of the burger just doesn't taste quite as good. Now that I was powered by the Speed Force like never before that first step was even better. It was like diving into a pool of pure energy.

"Never seen you before," a strange voice suddenly boomed from above me, "but you move like someone I know."

I admit the sudden noise caught me off guard. The vibrations alone were enough to throw me off step. I stole a glance over my shoulder and scoped out the man lazily flying through the air. I've seen quite a few flyers in several different timelines but none of them seemed as at home in the air as this guy. He wasn't so much "flying" as he was lying in the open air and just as easily keeping pace with me. Not only that but this guy looked huge. He must live around here since it appeared he was actually proportionally correct for the landscape. His white uniform was dashed with bits of color around his wrists and neck, with a red emblem of some kind on his chest. He had to be at least a thousand feet tall. Well…give or take…

"Oh…umm…yeah," I stuttered as I squealed to a stop near what looked like a transportation hub. "Look, can you help me out--"

"You in allegiance with Darkseid or any member of his war cabinet?" he asked, almost casually. If he was supposed to be some kind of guard the look on his face spoke volumes about how seriously he took his job.

"Well…no."

"Then follow me, little man!"

The flying man streaked away almost faster than my superior eye could follow. Not to be put to shame, I raced off after him, my momentum quickly building up. Even though I was powered directly by the Speed Force, he still managed to get farther ahead of me than I would have expected. He obviously had the advantage in this race since he knew the layout of the expansive city better than I did. Plus…his legs were longer than mine. I know that doesn't matter since he's flying, but a guy's ego can only take so much punishment.

The towering obstacles of the city kept him out of view every so often but I managed to keep him in my field of vision for most of the run. We must have covered at least three states worth of ground, the glimmering architecture continuing to impress me all the while. I had a few colleagues back home that I'm sure would have killed to get a look at the designs in this place.

One thing you have to worry about when increasing your velocity is that your mass increases accordingly. It's a simple law of physics and can be a bigger pain in the ass then inertia. Connecting with a bad guy's chin at mach three can be a valuable weapon but when you're playing cat and mouse it can be a handicap. I was having trouble seeing around some of the structures and if I wasn't careful, I would end up slamming into a wall.

The whirlwind tour of the city brought us closer to the center of the metropolis where a crowd was gathered outside of a large amphitheater type complex. One thing was for sure: without him I never would have found this place. It would have taken me days just to find my way through the streets.

"Highfather!" I heard the flyer yell as he swooped down onto the stage.

Quiet murmurs began to pop out of the crowd as I approached. They were all hunched over, possibly praying. I zipped in between all of them and launched myself up onto the stage what, to me, seemed like several stories high. Even with the boost of momentum I had gained from running it still took the wind out of me making the jump. I noted the irony of the situation, since I had no idea what I was jumping into with these people.

"Be still, Lightray!" the older man he had addressed scolded. "We are still communing and you are supposed to be patrolling the outskirts of the city. What would you have-- ah, I see," he said, finally taking notice of my tiny frame. "A visitor from Earth."

"I found him by the universal library," Lightray responded, a gleeful expression on his face. He displayed the kind of irritating cheerfulness that could make a person sick to their stomach. Someone once told me that happiness is like a warm gun. Apparently content with this report, Lightray jumped into the air again and flew away in a twinkle of light.

The three or four dozen people that had been kneeling before I arrived began to stand up and come closer to the stage. All of them towered over me, draped in exquisite costumes that were almost blinding in color and design. The voices began to rise but the one called Highfather quickly shouted for them to settle down.

"Be you gods of outrage? Settle yourselves, all of you!" he commanded. He must have been someone of extreme importance as the respect his words instantly commanded calmed the gathering crowd. "Return to your communion. I shall deal with this visitor."

Highfather turned to leave the stage via the backdrop. Since I didn't want to hang around with an irritated gaggle of giants I sped off after him. His stride was easily a hundred of mine. I was certainly getting my exercise by keeping up with these guys.

Behind the curtain was a sealed container resting on top of a table. I could have sworn I heard it emitting a low humming noise. Had the inhabitants of this place been praying to it?

"You must have questions, I'm sure," Highfather stated as he grasped a small device off of a nearby table. "I recognize you as one of Earth's champions, even though you mask yourself differently now. Before we begin I think it would be wise to adjust your stature so the others will be more trusting."

"The Lightray seemed pretty upbeat."

Highfather laughed, stroking his beard. "Yes, Sollis would prefer to solve problems through compromise rather than combat. Still, as a sentry he can alert us faster than most in case our borders are penetrated." Tapping the device in his hand, Highfather activated some sort of shimmering gateway that erupted with a loud boom. "Please, step through and I'll put your queries to rest."

I was hesitant to just walk into a dimensional rift so casually but there wasn't much else I could do. There were easier ways of getting me into a trap, after all.

I walked through the hollow cylinder of light, slowly. Just as soon as I was a few steps inside, the entrance closed up behind me. Particles of light bombarded me from all sides, cascading over my skin. It was disorienting but not nearly as bad as the Titans' teleporter. A split second later, the end of the cylinder before me opened up and I could see the room I had entered from once more. I slowly stepped out and the light immediately died down, the portal disappearing completely.

"That was wei--WHOA!" The room had shrunk! For once in my life I was dumbfounded. I was proportionally accurate to everything in the room, including Highfather (whom I had a good inch on now). To say I was relieved would have been an understatement. Now I know how the Atom must feel.

"You must have used some Earth device to travel here," Highfather commented. "The technology of the New Gods wouldn't have failed to adjust your size. The stature of the gods, I say with no malice, is greater than yours."

Said by anyone other than an old man leaning on a stick, I probably would have been insulted. "This is New Genesis then?"

"Yes. You have arrived at a rather inconvenient time I'm afraid. We're preparing for war."

"War?"

"It is a long story and the preparations will be just as long, if not longer. There will be a day soon that the gods rage war once again. Sadly, it was not that long ago that we had to battle for our welfare. Our world was seemingly destroyed, but by the Source we survived. Sollis brought you to me while we communing collectively with the Source, that which encompasses all."

"Actually, I'm kind of here to talk to you about that sort of thing."

"Earth's champions have come to our aid on more than one occasion," Highfather said as he sat down. I noticed for the first time how tired he looked, like a weight was holding him down. As the leader of a powerful people, I suppose the pressures can be enormous at times. "I cannot turn you away. Tell me why you have sought us out."

I stepped closer and willed the Speed Force energy making up my facemask to flow down around my neck, revealing my pathetic smile. I suddenly felt guilty having come to this man who so obviously had a large load to already bear.

"Have you heard of the Speed Force?"

"Ah, yes!" he exclaimed, sitting up a little. "Your appearance here makes sense now! You wish to discover more about your power source?"

"More like how I can control it. My friend has inadvertently merged with it and I'm afraid it may kill him if it's not controlled."

"You can never control something so powerful," he replied. "It would be like clutching at heaven. The mortal coil cannot ever do such a thing. I sensed the dramatic change that overtook your 'Speed Force' recently. You say your friend has merged completely with it?"

"In a sense."

"You must understand that what you deem the 'Speed Force' is in actuality part of the Source itself. It is both separate and the same. For someone to actually become part of the Source…well, others have tried and failed. Condemnation will eventually be thrust upon your ally."

"I don't understand." Was I being arrogant? Or ignorant? Maybe a little of both. I couldn't just accept that Wally was as good as dead. There must be something I could do to save him.

"Heaven, the Speed Force, the Source, the various colors of the universe…they are all fragments of each other. The Source, as great as it is, exists in various levels of perception. What some perceive as the eternal resting-place of departed souls, another sees as the infinite fuel that powers them. To try and control even a segment of that would be to attempt a coup of the Creator."

Perfect. It's Wally versus God, or whoever is being "perceived" as the Creator. Yet another problem to worry about.

"In the sealed container behind you is a piece of the Source. Or at least, a way for the Source to contact us. It was greatly damaged months ago in a savage battle that rocked the foundations of this Fourth World. Infinite power is inside that box, yet all we do is seek guidance from it. You must do the same if you wish to save your friend."

I turned my attention back to the table, the low hum still emitting from the case. A fragment of the Source itself? Meaning a piece of the Speed Force? I'm a man of science…I'm not sure how comfortable I am praying to a Pandora's Box.

"I am…not sure--"

"Your hesitation in the matter confirms my thoughts," Highfather said, standing. "You're not ready. Fear not; I wasn't expecting you to be. To try and speak directly with the Source is not something you should take lightly. There is also no guarantee that you will receive a solution to you conundrum. In truth, I hoped you wouldn't be ready. The energies within you are not settled and would pose a danger to your own welfare if you tried to speak with the Source. Still, the question had to be posed before you."

Highfather stepped closer, again tapping the device in his hand to open another bright tunnel. "The Boom Tube will take you home. Have faith in the Source and your friend. The gods of New Genesis will be here again should you need us."

Everything was happening so fast, even for me. The Source, the New Gods, Wally…everything seemed like it should fit together but it wasn't. I was in over my head and even a pack of gods couldn't help me. I took another glance at Highfather before willing my costume back over my face. The cool touch of the condensed Speed Force energy reminded me again of what Wally must be going through. I mentally sighed and stepped into the tube, the particles of light again assaulting me.

At least I got a good story out of this. It's not every day a god throws you out of his house.

---------------

"No!" screeched an electronic voice. "The energies…time has fluctuated dramatically!"

"Calm yourself!" a second voice hollered. The voice was heavy and deep but with a slight gurgle to the words. "You will destroy your inner rex-circuitry."

"You don't understand!" the android continued. "Gather the others! I must activate the Worlogog at once!"

The large aquatic man nodded and did as he was told, rushing out of the room in a fluid motion even though a large metallic weapon was hoisted over his shoulder. The android, parting the brown folds of his long robe, held up a shining gray device that emanated crackles of strange energy. His yellow skin glistened under its glow as he manipulated the strings that whipped out of the device.

"Time and space, as connected as they seem, are being rendered inert unless we stop it."

---------------

Flash Facts

Did you know that the Boom Tubes do more than just transport the New Gods around? They actually resize everyone who travels between Earth and New Genesis! I was shocked to learn that last week while researching Jack Kirby's Fourth World. The New Gods are actually giants in comparison to us. Can you picture Orion all pissed off when he's a hundred stories tall?

Oh, and expect to see Heat Wave get some more attention as he's my favorite Rogue. Plus, we'll soon find out what the last scene was dealing with (hint: you guessed the android's identity correctly).

Don't forget that Swarm is coming, too! See you next month.

-D. Golightly

10/10/06