The Flash: Silent Whispers
Chapter Eight
Barry raced to the address that Trickster had graciously provided on his citywide broadcast, only to reach a large, abandoned orphanage. Broken windows were boarded up, with moss creeping up the woodwork.
However, orange lights were flickering inside the building. Flash was about to race in, but that's when he noticed something. Close to his feet was a wire, only about a hair's breadth, stretching from either side of the door.
"Tripwire. Trickster could have this whole place rigged to blow. He wants me to slow down," thought Barry, gingerly stepping over the tripwire and entering the orphanage.
He walked through a narrow wooden corridor, arrows painted on the walls to indicate which direction he should walk in.
"I need to save Joe and then get to the hospital as fast as possible," Barry told himself, finally arriving in the mess hall of the orphanage. Right in the center was Joe, tied up to a chair.
"Sergeant West!" exclaimed Flash. However, just as he was about to make a move, large blue and orange lights switched on. Trickster stood on the second floor balcony of the hall.
"I see you made your decision, Flash! Pretty poor one, at that," started Trickster.
"You're done, Jesse," said Barry, clenching his fists, ready to race up to the balcony. As soon as he started to run, he heard a loud beep.
"THIS…IS WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN, FLASH! In your haste, you've triggered a motion sensor I installed in this room!" screamed Trickster in glee, pointing to an alarm shaped device on the wall next to Barry.
"Now, if that motion sensor isn't tripped every 3 seconds, this whole place goes BOOM! Starting from…now!" he yelled, pressing a button. Flash heard a ticking sound coming from underneath the floorboards, and he immediately started running around the hall. He managed to cross the sensor every 2 seconds, resetting the timer on the bomb.
"Well, I'll just take my leave, tata!" exclaimed Trickster gleefully, skipping down the stairs and escaping through the back entrance.
Flash kept running around the hall, trying his hardest not to slow down for even a second. He could feel his legs begin to cramp up and sweat dripping down his forehead. He grit his teeth and continued to run faster, his brain working at lightspeed
"I can't keep going, but I don't know if I'm fast enough to untie and save Joe before the bomb goes off…and they need me at the hospital…" thought Barry, his vision blurring. That's when he heard a voice.
"Slow down, son," said his father, in his head.
Barry shut his eyes and collected his thoughts, while still running. Time seemed to slow around him, and he couldn't tell whether he was running so fast that he couldn't perceive time, or if his mind had slowed down.
"It's a motion sensor that's keeping the bomb from exploding, which means it'll detect any sort of movement…or oscillation…" thought Flash, an idea starting to form in his head.
"Or a vibration!"
Flash took a deep breath, as he began to slow down. His nerves were jittery, his spine practically shocked by the electricity flowing through him. Barry could feel every neuron of his fire impulses, but they began to slow down. He was finally in tune with his body and mind.
He slowed down and came to halt directly in front of the sensor, staring it down.
The beeping seemed to get louder, but before anything could happen, Barry began to vibrate his entire body, right in front of the sensor. The red light from the sensor disappeared, and the loud beeping stopped.
"Holy shit," he gasped, still vibrating as the motion sensor continued to function normally. The Flash held out his hand, vibrating, ready to test out a theory he had had for a while.
He inched his vibrating hand closer to the wall mounted sensor, and in accordance with his theory, his hand began to phase through the solid wall. Barry felt the wiring of the sensor and pulled it out, deactivating it.
"It worked," said Flash, pulling his hand out and falling to his knees in exhaustion. "Sergeant West!" he exclaimed, walking over to Joe.
"How did you do that?" asked Joe, in awe. Flash untied him and got him back to his feet.
"I slowed down…" said Flash, grinning from ear to ear, while Joe just looked confused.
"Go get Jesse, I'll be fine," said Joe. "Thank you, Flash," he added, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Barry nodded and zoomed out of the orphanage, avoiding the traps and seeing footprints on the ground, leading away from the house. He followed them and saw found Trickster fleeing into the woods.
You're done, Jesse!" he exclaimed, rushing into him, grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him into a nearby tree.
Trickster fell to the ground with a huge thud, but began laughing.
"Finding humor in defeat? You know, I guess I could learn from you," said Barry.
"You could, but what a waste of time that would be, especially since you're missing the real party at the hospital!" he screamed in glee. Flash knocked him out and dropped him back at the orphanage, before racing to the hospital.
August watched the blood spew out from his wife's neck, like a violent fountain of crimson. Murmur smiled through his stitched mouth, as he dropped her and began to run.
August let out a bloodcurdling scream and began to fire his gun, and a bullet his Murmur's leg. Michael fell to the ground immediately.
"Natalie? Natalie!" exclaimed August, rushing to his wife's aid and covering up the large canyon of blood on her throat. She tried to speak, but all that came out was gurgled blood.
"Natalie, please!" he exclaimed, but her eyes were glassy and unmoving, and her grip on August's arm loosened. Her head fell back, weightlessly. August cradled her body and buried his head to the side of her neck.
"Natalie…I'm so sorry…" he sobbed, clutching her lifeless body tightly.
Murmur started to get up, but was instantly knocked down by what looked like a human lightning bolt. The Flash stood in front of his unconscious body.
However, Barry turned around, and let out a gasp. He immediately ran towards August, but stopped a few feet away.
"Detective Heart…" he started, but August was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Where were you?" he asked, in between gasping for air while sobbing.
"I had to go save Sergeant West. I should've been here sooner," said Flash, a look of despair on his face. August didn't answer, and he instead hid his face back in Natalie's cold embrace.
A police squad came in to take Michael to a nearby precinct, walking around Flash and August.
"Where are you taking him?" asked Barry.
"Precinct 52. Singh wants to interrogate him," replied an officer.
"I'll take him there," offered Flash, holding Murmur by the back of his neck and running towards Precinct 52.
Murmur sat in the interrogation room with David Singh, along with a pen and paper for him to communicate. However, not a single word had been written by Michael, and Singh had used every single tactic apart from physical harm.
Barry, Patty and Iris sat in the bullpen of the precinct, watching the interrogation unfold on the cameras.
"Sick bastard deserves to be put down," said Patty. Iris was still nursing her wounds from her encounter with Murmur.
"At least he's not going to hurt anyone else. But what he's done already is beyond unforgivable," replied Iris. Barry silently watched the footage, guilt forming a lump in his throat, resulting in a tear forming in his eye.
"You okay, Barry?" asked Patty, placing her palm on his back.
"Yeah, yeah. Stuff like that just gives me flashbacks, I guess," he replied. He didn't realize it, but his fists had been clenched for minutes.
That's when Joe walked into the bullpen, taking off his coat.
"Dad? Shouldn't you be resting? At home?" asked Iris.
"Forget that, I wanna see this son of a bitch pay. How's he breaking?" asked Joe, glancing at the footage.
"Try not at all. He's as cool as a cucumber in there," replied Patty. "Where's Trickster, by the way?" she asked.
"Once the Flash graciously dropped him off, I called in a squad and had his ass hauled away. He's being placed in a Maximum Security holding cell in Iron Heights for now, at least until his hearing," said Joe.
"Seems like the Flash really saved the Wests today, huh?" asked Iris.
"Or the Wests just seem to have a penchant for danger. Either way, I owe him my life for saving me," replied Joe. He noticed Barry obsessively staring at the footage.
"Barry, you good?" asked Joe.
"Joe, could I talk to you for a sec?" he asked. Patty and Iris walked away.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I just feel terrible, for August. It reminded me of when I found my dad…you know…" said Barry. Joe placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I know, Barry. But it's not your fault. You can't blame anyone for this. Not yourself, not the Flash, no one," replied Joe.
"But shouldn't the Flash have been there? To save Natalie?" asked Barry.
"Whoever the Flash is, despite his speed, he's human too. Trickster gave him an impossible choice, and he chose to save me. No matter how fast he is, either way would've ended badly. Someone would've lost a life regardless," said Joe.
"I don't know. Just feels like the fastest man alive isn't that fast," said Barry.
"Oh he's pretty damn fast, I'll give you that," chuckled Joe. "Like I said, you can't blame anyone for this, except Michael Amar," he added.
"Right," said Barry. Before they could continue, they heard footsteps approaching them, those of Captain Singh.
"Anything?" asked Joe.
"Nothing. He can't speak, so that already hampers things. Add to that he refuses to communicate in any way, I think a courtroom is the only way he's gonna talk," said Singh.
"He's gonna have a tough time finding a lawyer," remarked Patty.
"Don't bet on it. Any two-bit lawyer from some place like Gotham would jump at a case like this," added Iris. Barry turned around to face the group, but then noticed someone enter the bullpen.
August walked in, a loaded gun in his hand and a steely look of determination in his face. His eyes were red and his jaw clenched, as he completely ignored everyone in the bullpen and made his way inside.
Singh went after him, needing to jog to match his pace.
"Detective Heart! Where are you-"
Before Singh could finish, August whipped around and aimed the gun at him.
"Stay out of my way," he said. Singh was frozen in disbelief, as August rushed to the interrogation room. As soon as he got in, he held the guards at gunpoint and rushed in, jamming the door behind him with a chair.
A grin etched itself on Michael's stitched up face, as August lifted him up and repeatedly slammed his face against the steel table, before throwing him down to the ground.
"Someone needs to stop him!" exclaimed Iris, watching everything from the camera.
"The Flash can't reach out to him, but maybe Barry Allen can…" thought Barry, as he got up from his chair and made his way to the interrogation room.
"Barry, where are you going?!" shouted Joe.
"To talk some sense into him!" he exclaimed back.
August stepped on Michael's shin repeatedly till he could hear a sickening crack, before lifting him up by the neck and punching him. His knuckled were caked with blood.
"WHY?!" he shouted, and began to rip out the stitches from Murmur's lips. Blood seeped down his tongueless mouth, and all he continued to do was laugh. August slammed his head into the wall, while officers banged on the jammed door.
Barry made his way to the observation deck, in front of the two way mirror.
"Here goes nothing, I guess," he thought, subtly generating a running start using his super speed, and jumped straight through the mirror.
"August, stop!" he exclaimed.
"Barry, stay out of this!" shouted August, punching Murmur till his teeth fell out and he fell unconscious. He then threw him to the ground and aimed his gun to his head.
"August, I get what you're going through, just listen to me!" said Barry, inching closer to him.
"Barry, please stay out of this. You don't understand!" yelled August, cocking the gun. Barry walked right in between him and Michael.
"MOVE, DAMMIT!" he shouted.
"When my mother was murdered, all I could think about was her killer. But not who he was, but rather what I'd do if I ever found him? Would I make him suffer? Would I kill him the same way he killed my mom? Would I take him to the cops?" started Barry.
August's hand started to tremble, and tears began to fall down his eyes.
"And guess what, to this day I still look for him. But I know that once I find him, killing him won't change what's happened. Killing him won't bring my mother back to life, just like how killing Michael won't bring back Natalie," continued Barry.
"He deserves to die! More than she ever did…" countered August.
"He deserves to rot in a prison cell for the rest of his life. Death is just a mercy for him, prison is where he'll truly suffer. Trust me, August, please. You're taking a step you can never come back from for the sake of nothing. Killing him won't make you feel even a little bit satisfied," said Barry.
"If you met your mother's killer, what would you do?" asked August.
"I'd ask him why he did what he did, and I'd let the proper authorities deal with him. People like Joe, and Captain Singh. People like you," replied Barry.
"That's bullshit and you know it. You'd want to hurt him just as much as he hurt you," said August.
"You could never make anyone feel any pain comparable to forcefully losing a loved one. My mom, your wife, killing the ones who killed them, no matter how painful, will never be enough. Please, August," replied Barry.
August held his gun steady with two hands. However, he put it down and began to sob. Barry embraced him in a hug, letting him cry on his shoulder.
"Why her, Barry? Why her? What did she even do to deserve this?" asked August, weeping. Barry held him tightly, wondering the same thing about his mother.
ONE WEEK LATER
The Flash zoomed onto the roof of the precinct, where Joe was waiting with two coffees in hand, standing next to Patty. She froze when she saw the Flash, and lightly blushed.
"I'll uh, head back down. Barry might need me in the lab. But thank you for considering me, Sarge," she stuttered, walking past the Flash and down the stairs.
"You wanted to see me, Sergeant?" asked Flash, taking the coffee offered by Joe. The two of them walked to the balcony, watching the rising sun.
"That was miss Patty Spivot. Singh wants a separate CSI team for meta crimes, and I had her recommended," explained Joe.
"That's nice of you. And Singh too," replied Flash.
I wanted to thank you, Flash, for everything you've done," said Joe. "Trickster and Murmur are both off to Maximum Security cells at Iron Heights, hopefully they're never going to see the light of day again," he added.
"Your daughter wrote a really good article. About Murmur and Trickster," said Flash. Joe smirked.
"You mean your number one fan? I'm sure you liked it," joked Joe. The two of them chuckled and sipped on their drinks.
"And how's detective Heart doing?" asked Flash.
"After last week's fiasco, he's on leave. Mandatory sessions with a department appointed therapist included in the package," replied Joe. "It's screwed up,"
"No one should have to go through what he is. I hope he gets better, your friend Barry told me he's one hell of a detective," said Flash. Joe chuckled.
"How do you know Barry anyway?" asked Joe.
"I saved him from being hit by a truck. He said he was getting late for work. This happened 2 more times," joked Flash.
"That's Barry for ya. That kid's got a heart of gold, like you," said Joe.
"Thank you, sergeant," said Flash, turning around to leave. However, he stopped.
"Joe," he said, turning around and taking off his cowl, revealing his face. A wide grin stretched from ear to ear on Joe's face.
"I knew it," he smiled.
"You did?" asked Barry. "When? How?"
"I always had my suspicions you were hiding something. The constant disappearing, always showing up late, and then I got a good look at your face when you saved me, and I knew," said Joe.
Barry smiled and hugged him. "You have no idea how badly I've wanted to tell you. I've got so much to explain," said Barry.
"Well, last I checked we have a few hours till we gotta head to work," chuckled Joe. Barry began to narrate to Joe how he got his powers, and why he chose to become the Scarlet Speedster, known as The Flash.
Barry's mind was finally clear, and his memory seemed sharper. He sat in front of his investigation board, everything about his mother's murder laid out in front of him.
He remembered running the route to his house, but then it flashed to him inside. Something was missing from his memory, and it always plagued him.
"30 seconds unaccounted for. What was so traumatic that my mind hid it from me?" asked Barry. He closed his eyes, and time began to slow down around him again.
And that's when he saw what the missing piece was, or rather, who. Someone who was only there for a few seconds before disappearing, but enough to terrify Barry.
Fear seemed to instinctively grip Barry, as he shot open his eyes and held onto his chair, gasping loudly while his hairs stood on end. He remembered the complete memory.
He remembered running towards his house, when he saw something inexplicable.
A streak of yellow and red rushing out of the door, and coming to a stop right in front of him. It was a tall man who seemed to be vibrating in place, with a reversed lightning bolt on his chest.
Brilliant yellow was emanating from his suit, his bloodshot red eyes glowing as he stared him down. His face was a blur, and the only thing Barry could make out was a demonic smile etched onto his face.