Flash
Issue #6
"Popping the Valve"
My name is John Fox and I'm the fastest man out of control.
There's this thing that runners have. At least, all the serious runners. I'm not talking about your older folks who wake up every Saturday and jog around the inside of the mall before it opens. I'm talking about the hardcore blazers that hit the trails every chance they get. I'm talking about the insane kickers that only feel alive when they're rapidly placing one foot in front of the other.
I'm talking about real runners.
Anyway, there's this thing that runners have. Or rather, this thing they try to achieve. When your extending your body's natural balance of what it thinks it's supposed to be able to do, and all of a sudden you stop short, slowing down and decelerating your pace…that feeling you get…that's what real runners love to feel. It's called a runner's high. Your body attunes to pushing the envelope and then wham! You put on the brakes and it feels like you're floating. Your legs are practically picking themselves up and the ground feels like it's made of springs.
You feel like a god.
Maybe it's a bit dramatic but you try running at a pace of over fifteen hundred miles per hour and see how you feel. The impulse to just keep going will threaten to overtake your entire life. That's why any speedster will tell you that a certain level of control is needed to keep yourself from going too far.
Right about now I could really use that level of control. I've been…possessed, for lack of a better word. My internal thoughts are my own but other than that I'm totally screwed. I butted heads with some crazy lady that strangely reminds me of that new Beetle kid I've heard about, and before I know what's happening, I've got this silver scarab thing burrowed into my spine controlling every action I make. &
& (An extremely quick synopsis of Swarm #1)
As near as I can tell I've been encased in some kind of silver carapace. It's a thick metallic coating that covers my entire body, even on top of my Speed Force suit. Whatever this thing is, it's not slowing me down in the slightest. It's forcing me to race along the coastline for the moment. I think it might be testing me as its host to--
I tried to scream in surprise but the carapace wouldn't let me. Was that the scarab?
Yeah…definitely not my own brain thinking those thoughts. It almost hurts to hear it inside my head, like it's forcing its way into my psyche. Do I even have to tell you that I have no idea what I'm being told? I'm just a passenger in my own body now, and looking over the horizon, it's about to get worse.
Five members of the legendary Justice Society of America are heading my way and they look pissed.
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"Is that him?" Hourman asked his JSA teammates. "It moves like the Flash but it doesn't look a damn thing like him."
"That's him all right," Jesse Quick, a speedster herself, answered their leader. "After the Crisis I lost touch with the Speed Force but I can still feel his presence. That guy is definitely the new Flash."
The tension within Alan Scott's green bubble, their mode of transportation for the moment, grew exponentially between the JSA members. They had been contacted by Joan Garrick, the distraught wife of their former teammate Jay, to search for John Fox and get answers. Jay had been the Flash of the Golden Age of heroes and a close friend to the Justice Society so they were more than happy to track down the guy who had been avoiding their calls.
"I know one thing for sure," Alan Scott, himself a hero of the Golden Age, said as he floated just outside the green bubble he had formed to carry the others, "That's not Wally West. The energy he's giving off is unlike anything I've ever seen."
The original Green Lantern cast a glance over his shoulder and into the bubble to see what his teammates thought of the situation. Hourman had his arms folded over his chest as usual, his temper in check. Shade stood behind him leaning on his black cane, his dark clothing standing out against the green aura of the bubble. Jesse Quick, who had managed to retain some of her speed as a result of being a metahuman, anxiously stared down the speedster ahead of them. Hawkgirl looked uncomfortable in the confined space, her large wings obviously wanting to be spread. Alan wished they had been able to bring more JSA members but other matters had to be dealt with and their resources were severely limited as it was.
The former villain known as Shade stepped to the front of the bubble. "Who he is does not matter, Lantern. You know as well as the rest of us that he holds the key to helping Jay make a full recovery, so the question now becomes why has he ignored our summons?"
"Kind words from a snake in the grass," Hawkgirl blurted out as she twirled her mace.
"Dear child, I may have fought against Jay decades ago but that doesn't mean I have no respect for the man. The honor I hold goes beyond simple shenanigans. That past is behind me."
"He's spotted us!" Hourman called out, alerting the others. "Alan, drop us. He's heading our way and he's not slowing down. Everyone get ready for a fight!"
The elder Green Lantern created a shoot at the base of the bubble and deposited Hourman, Shade, and Jesse Quick on the ground. Hawkgirl burst out of the top and soared into the air, her wings exalting in the aerial freedom. Alan dropped down and concentrated, commanding the green energy at his disposal to form a magnificent wall of chains in the path of the racing silver Flash. He hesitated to wrap the chains around the young man, hoping that they could avoid a direct confrontation. After all, they had only come to talk.
Hourman touched down first, moving up to just behind the wall of green chains. "Shade, get ready to wrap some of your dark force matter around this guy if he decides to plow through Alan's defenses. Jesse, can you keep pace with him in case he takes off?"
"He won't be getting away, trust me," the young blonde replied.
Hourman nodded in understanding as he steadied himself for whatever happened. He had already taken his pill, ensuring that his stamina and strength were of superhuman proportions and he hoped it would prove enough for the situation. One thing he had learned throughout his career as a hero was to never underestimate a speedster.
The Flash, or whatever he was, rocketed toward them at breakneck speeds, seemingly undaunted by the grid of energy placed in front of him. Hourman braced to throw himself out of the way but at the last moment the Flash pivoted on his left heel and changed directions, racing around the side of Green Lantern's net.
Hourman was knocked over by something exploding through the chains, something that felt an awful lot like buckshot tearing into his skin. Thanks to his timed invulnerability the pelting substance was only a minor irritation but it had caught him off guard nonetheless. Whipping his head around Hourman saw exactly what had just happened. The Flash hadn't simply changed trajectories; he had kicked up a mound of dirt when he had planted his heel in the ground, spraying Hourman with the rocky result. Anyone without enhanced strength and durability would have been torn to shreds.
"I see we'll have to do this the hard way," Shade said as he aimed the tip of his cane for the rogue racer. "Just like the good old days."
Black shadows sprung out of the chain, splashing onto the terrain and covering the ground in sticky darkness. The Flash zipped to the side to avoid the trap but the shadows spread far enough to catch him. Like black-as-night tar the shadows adhered to the Flash's feet, drastically slowing him down. The speedster kept moving but at half the pace he had been racing at before. It was almost comical, like something out of a child's cartoon. No matter how much traction the Flash tried to get the shadows lashed up onto his feet again and again.
"My, you are a novice, aren't you?" Shade mocked with a devious smile.
"Who are you?" Jesse demanded as she stopped in front of the Flash and just short Shade's shadows. "Calm down and tell us what's going on or--"
The Flash's arms shot out faster than Jesse Quick had anticipated, slapping together and causing a great force of air to rush toward her, knocking her clear across the small valley they were gathered in. While the seemingly mindless Flash fought to free his lower appendages, the upper ones were swinging wildly at anything that dared to come close.
"Jesse!" Green Lantern yelled. Moving on instinct Alan Scott flew through the air and extended his green aura to encapsulate the young heroine. Her limp form gently fell into the green hand Alan had constructed, the dark bruise already beginning to show under her chin.
"Perhaps simply cutting you off from the others will teach you to play nice?" Shade threatened as he extended his cane once more. The shadows lifted from the ground and dove inward, creating a ball of darkness around the Flash. "As a former villain I'll never understand what makes you heroes so damned eager to fight one another."
The dark orb settled around the speedster, cutting off all sound and light. With a flick of his wrist, Shade's mastery over the shadows caused the orb to rise into the air and float toward the gathered JSA team.
"Can you hold him?" Hawkgirl asked as she slowly swooped in behind the orb, preparing to strike if the need arose.
"This same trick held Barry Allen," Shade answered. "Twice."
"Jesse will be all right," Green Lantern chimed in as he lowered himself and the unconscious Jesse Quick to the ground beside the others. "She's just been thrown for a loop. Any idea what the hell is going on yet?"
"We'll have to take him back to headquarters to figure that one out," Hourman said, his arms once again crossed over his chest. "Damn speedsters. Why is it that every time something big comes along some hero gets turned?"
"There's nothing to say that this guy is a good guy," Hawkgirl commented. "From what Joan told us this Fox person pops up every time Wally West disappears."
"That doesn't mean that…" Hourman paused as he took a step back, instinctually falling into a fighting stance. "Shade!"
"Everyone get back!" the reformed villain cried out. "He's going to rupture the orb!"
Pits formed in the black sphere as the Flash continued to vibrate at speeds incomprehensible the normal humans. A fissure finally formed at the top of the prison and the sound within escaped, drowning out the shouting of the JSA'ers.
"Alan, cover us!" Hourman yelled to his friend.
Just as Shade's trap literally blew up in their faces Alan Scott erected a green barrier in front of each person in the shape of a medieval shield. Black ooze splashed against the shields, sticking to the green energy before sliding down.
The Flash sprung into action, first taking down the elder Shade. The possessed speedster threw fifteen punches to various parts of Shade's body before he could blink, breaking three ribs and knocking him out for the count.
Next, the carapace covered Flash lunged for the second greatest threat: Alan Scott. Like lightning the runner shot toward the Golden Age hero, closing the gap between them in less than a heartbeat. He pounded his fists against the Lantern's personal aura, assaulting it with devastating force.
"Back off!" Alan commanded as he focused his will. Out of his aura sprung a giant green serpent head, its enormous fangs ready to pierce the attacker. The coils of the snake wrapped itself around the Flash, squeezing as much pressure as Alan's willpower allowed.
The Flash dug his hand in between the coils, vibrating it furiously. The shockwaves rippled through the conjured image, disrupting Alan's concentration. A final burst of kinetic energy was all it took to sever his bonds and the Flash was loose once again, lunging again for Green Lantern.
Inches from Lantern's face, Flash was suddenly thrown off course by a set of powerful arms wrapping around his midsection, tackling him to the ground.
"I'm not as fast as you," Hourman said, "but my reflexes aren't exactly horrible, either!"
Hourman held his grip around the waist of the Flash, his strength barely able to contain him. He knew that it wouldn't be long before the speedster simply overpowered him and took off at Mach 2.
Like an angel sent in answer to Hourman's prayers, Hawkgirl swooped down from the sky.
Hourman flexed his muscles, struggling to keep Flash still for just another moment. Hawkgirl soared in, her mace cocked back and a battle cry on her lips. The gyrating form of the Flash was causing Hourman to weaken, but he held fast.
FWW-BOOM!
Energy cascaded over the Flash's head as Hawkgirl's Nth metal mace struck him. Hourman released his grasp, forced back from the ferocity of the blow. The Flash fell to his knees, grasping at his face like it was on fire.
"Do yourself a favor and stay down," Hawkgirl commanded as she towered over her fallen enemy.
The silver portion of the Flash's strange body armor began to melt away, revealing a worn and battered John Fox. He blinked his eyes and looked around, as if just awaking from a dream.
"What's…," he mumbled. "Get back…Get back! I can't stop it! The Swar…th…AHH!"
Hawkgirl leapt back in surprise, ready to strike another blow. She looked on in shock as the silver carapace slithered back over John's face, completely incasing him once more. His eyes glazed over as the silver fluid trapped them behind its cold exterior, the emotion draining from his body language.
"Stand down!" Hawkgirl ordered. "I don't want to have to--"
The Flash speared her in the gut with his shoulder, picking her up in a fireman's carry and rocketing back out along the shoreline. His momentum shot them out over the waves, giant splashes of water billowing up from under his feet. They went over a mile off shore before he changed directions and released her body, catapulting it out into the sea.
A giant green tugboat appeared in his path, another of Green Lantern's constructs meant to box the speedster in. Instead of trying to disrupt the image this time, the overtaken Flash simply dove into the waves and kicked his legs furiously, propelling himself under the tugboat and away to freedom.
He resurfaced fifteen miles away, leaving the JSA members behind him. Striking land again, the Flash planted his feet and raced off, the scarab controlling him with orders to spread its seed among the populace.
The Swarm was coming.
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I can't believe that just happened.
Those guys were legends and I just watched as my out of control body took them down. I can't handle this…
Stop it! I don't understand you, you alien freak of nature! It wasn't supposed to happen like this; I'm not supposed to be involved. History said nothing about John Fox going crazy during the Swarm invasion. Damn it all, I'm not--
What? None of this is making any sense. One second I'm wrestling with some red beetle lady, and now I'm…I'm spreading the children? Is that what this thing said to me? No, not spreading…repopulating! Oh, no! Damn it all, if this thing has access to my powers, what will happen if it takes over any of the other countless metahumans on the planet?
Even worse…when Wally plucked me from the timestream I think fragments of the stream mixed with the Speed Force. There's more power available to this bug thing now than there would have been if I was just a normal speedster. I need help. I need some serious help. I need--
Taken? What's going…wait…what…
Wha
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To be continued in Swarm #2, coming soon!