Post by C_Miller on Apr 2, 2012 2:21:43 GMT -5
Ultimate Flash (v2) #4
Thunderstruck
***
When Wally West rematerialized, his sight was still blinded from the lightning bolts that filled his apartment. However, he could hear seagulls that reminded him of the vacations that he would go on with his family to Coast City as a boy and the warm breeze with just a hint of salt that danced up his nose. “The island,” Wally thought out loud.
He opened his eyes and saw that he was alone on the beach, a beach that was both strange and at the same time, completely familiar to him. With a bit of a shrug, he began to walk through the jungle until he came upon a mound of soil with a cross sticking out of it. He squatted down to get a closer look.
“That’s where I buried your Uncle’s partner…”
Wally was startled and fell backwards from where he was squatting. When he regained his sense of balance, he looked up and saw the man who called himself Max Mercury standing above him, holding his hand out to help him up.
In an agitated huff, Wally stood up without taking Max’s hand. “You. Why are you just coming to me now?”
“I’m sorry?”
Wally began to storm off into the jungle and Max followed him in hot pursuit. “I was struck by lightning two weeks ago… why didn’t you come to me then?”
“It wasn’t time. You needed time to explore yourself.”
Wally was so taken aback by that statement that he stopped running and turned around to face the wizard. “Time? TIME!? Let me tell you what happened when I was ‘exploring myself.”
“Wally…”
The young Speedster didn’t pay any attention the older man and just kept on with his angry rant. “Jay Garrick spent hours trying to talk me out of taking up the mantle and still does so to this day, I had to spend hours consoling my cousin Danielle who was sobbing because she thought I was going to die like her Dad. The only girl I ever loved wants nothing to do with me. Oh and my new girlfriend was attacked by a copycat who’s calling himself the new Mirror Master.”
Max Mercury’s calming presence did not dissipate nor did his stoic expression waver. “And you still wish to be The Flash?”
Wally opened his mouth as if he were about to throw back another venomous insult, but after registering the question, he quickly closed his mouth. After a few moments, he gave the man a reluctant nod. “Yeah, yeah I do.”
Max gave Wally a warm yet knowing smile. “Then it may have been worth it?”
Again, Wally was taken aback and a little bit disgusted at the bluntness of Max’s million-dollar question. “Couldn’t I have done all that with your help?”
“Wally, you were a believer from the start. You wanted to become The Flash from the start. You never wanted anything more than to both help people and rise to your Uncle’s legacy. Why would I try to step in?” Max had a look on his face that seemed to indicate he was quite proud of his explanation, but Wally wasn’t having any of it.
“I don’t understand.”
Max shook his head. “I came to Jay just like I came to everyone preceding him because it was a time before superheroes. I came to Barry because he wasn’t ready to believe in any of this. And I came to Jessica because she was broken and frankly, she still is. You were ready. They were not.”
Wally furled his brow. He understood what the man was saying, but he didn’t want to. After seeing Mirror Master over Linda ready to make a kill, he certainly didn’t think he was ready. However, he was not ready for that confrontation quite yet.
“Now, Wally, I think it’s time we determine your place in the world. Please, follow me.” Max led the new Speedster through the maze-esque tunnels and corridors of the Speed Force temple, the same one that Barry had been brought to nearly two decades prior.
Wally noted in amusement of the different cultures like Ancient Roman, Egyptian, Greek, Mesopotamian and things that looked like Native American, Chinese and African all being represented simultaneously through art on the walls as he was led through. He also noticed glyphs that adored the wall that spelled out 3x2(9YZ)4A.
“Jessie’s mantra…”
Max nodded. “Yes. While I have my own beliefs about the nature of the Speed Force, it always worked for Chambers mathematically. I suppose some of that fell to his daughter.”
“What are your beliefs?”
The aging Speedster laughed heartily. “I can’t tell you. You need to come up with your own beliefs… now come meet the Guardians…”
The pair of Speedsters entered the room and sitting at a round table with the Flash’s emblem in the middle were six men and women in costumes that were similar to his own. They all nodded at his presence as he took a seat with Max Mercury between a dark skinned man in red and yellow traditional African garb and a man in a silver and blue version of The Flash costume. “Hello…” Wally spoke sheepishly.
“Wallace, these are The Guardians of Flashpoint. A group of people with similar powers to your own displaced from time to defend the Speed Force from threats both from within and externally.” Max spoke with a grace, choosing each word carefully.
Wally looked up at the older man. “I thought I was the champion?”
“You are. And so were these people prior to Professor Zoom escaping the island. He mucked up a lot of things for all of us.”
Max pointed towards a red headed woman who was wearing Jessie’s version of The Flash costume, even though she was clearly several years younger. “Wally, it’s me… your cousin Danielle.”
“Dani?” Wally asked with a confused look on his face. “How is this possible?”
She smiled sadly at her cousin. “In my timeline, no one took over for my Daddy after he died. Jess died too at Flashpoint. Thawne snapped her neck… a few years later, I realized I had developed his powers.”
“Keystone?”
She shrugged. “I did pretty good… at least that’s what the papers said. But, I couldn’t stop Mirror Master from murdering the mayor and the entire city turned against me.”
Max nodded and pointed to a mixed race woman who appeared to be just coming out of her teenage years. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth. “Hey, Wally. I’m Jenni… We’re not related… don’t worry. I’m from the far future and in my world people with super powers are persecuted… more so than they are in your time… well, not that they are yet. I spent most of my childhood in prison.”
A man who was directly across the table from Wally raised his hand slightly. “I… uh… I promised Max I would stay silent, but I needed to say something.” He took off his mask, causing Wally to jump back.
“You… you… you’re… you’re me.” The face that was glaring back at Wally was a complete spitting image of himself right down to the oddly colored green eyes and scar on his chin from when he was caught with a fishing hook as a kid.
The man nodded. “I go by Walter. I was Uncle Barry’s Kid Flash… and when he died I was devastated, but I decided to go on as The Flash, but it wasn’t what it looked like. Everyone that I loved or cared about was killed or tortured at some point by The Mirror Master. Aunt Iris, Danielle, Blaine, Jessie, Jay, Joan, most of the KCPD… Linda.”
Walter let a tear fall from his eyes before he continued. “I… uh… I wasn’t pulled here. I retreated into the Speed Force myself.”
Wally’s mouth grew dry as he stood up and took a step back from the table. “Umm… wow… thanks… I… uh… I have to go.” He turned around towards the door and sped out of the room and towards the shore.
***
Wally West spent the better part of the afternoon, or what was made to appear as the afternoon, gazing out longingly at the water and occasionally throwing stones into it to watch the ripples spread out. A migraine began to attack his sight and hearing, something that hadn’t happened since he was a kid.
“I know it’s a lot to take in…”
The young man didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Max Mercury, the Keeper of The Speed Force. It’s not that he was mad at the old man; it was just that he represented all of the doubts and fears that he was feeling at the time. “Understatement… why me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why did you choose me?”
Max sat down next to him as he tossed a large rock at the water and laughed as it made a large splash in the calm ocean water. “I believe in you, Wally… Look, if you do know why I chose you, you don’t understand why the Flash exists.”
Wally looked over at the man with a glare that could kill even the toughest man. “My Uncle was the Flash for as long as I knew him… I think I have a good idea about all of this, but by all means, educate me.”
“The Flash doesn’t need to dress up like a scary monster to scare criminals and he doesn’t need to fly above the people to inspire them. Superheroes seem to think that they need to be better than the people, but that’s not The Flash. The Flash is one of the people. He runs besides them rather than flies above them or hunts below them.” Max spoke with gravitas with his dramatic tone increasing with every word. “And you are as pure-hearted as anyone… you were the only choice.”
Wally stood up and then immediately helped Max up. “But Walter, we’re too sides of the same coin. What if I become him? What if I lose my way?”
“We’re not going to let that happen, now are we?” Max shrugged. “Maybe you should talk to Linda, Not telling your Aunt Iris was a big mistake… you need a confidante and maybe your girlfriend can provide that.”
Amused, Wally shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think she’d understand… Max. Thank you.”
The wizard chuckled. “For what? I didn’t do anything.”
Wally smiled at him. “Exactly… now, how do I get back home? I’m sure Linda’s worried sick. We had a date tonight.”
Max snapped his fingers and the sky instantly turned black with a million stars completing the picturesque image. He wistfully pointed up at the sky. “Well, my boy… just follow the second star to the right… and straight on until morning.”
Wally rolled his eyes and then took off towards the horizon, but before he even left the island, lightning bolts began to emit off of his costume and encapsulate his entire body. Suddenly, the bolts of lightning completely overtook him and he disappeared.
***
A boomerang flew right passed the right ear of Officer Julie Jackam, causing her to jump back in surprise. She took a shot, but the second bullet left the barrel, it was deflected away with an exploding boomerang. “Dammit, he’s never been this fast.”
“Get down, Julie!” Chyre shouted as a razor-sharp boomerang whizzed past her head and lodged itself into the brick building.
Captain Boomerang laughed at their sheer incompetence as he tossed several more razor boomerangs towards them, but none of them close enough to do any real damage. In fact, as made evident by the rocket boomerangs he sent into the air that exploded like fireworks, it was as if he were just doing it for the pure show of it. “Great to be alive, ain’t it, Chyre?” Captain Boomerang sneered with pleasure.
“It will be when you’re behind bars, Harkness!” Chyre shouted as he narrowly evaded a boomerang headed straight for his head. He got up and took a shot at the boomerang-wielding rogue, but it was promptly deflected by one of his weapons.
Captain Boomerang cackled. “That’s the best you’ve got, mate? Good thing you didn’t try writing. No, being a worthless soggie suits you perfectly.”
Chyre jumped up to charge up, but Julie Jackam tackled him to the ground before he could get out from his cover. “Not on your life, Chyre.”
The aging cop uttered an angry grunt in defeat. If she were any other officer, man or woman, she would have been on her ass so fast, she would have felt like she were back in the academy. But she was the granddaughter of his old partner and closest friend. “Dammit!”
“Do you know how to get in touch with The Flash? Now that we need him, he’s nowhere to be found…” Jackam mused.
Chyre growled as he shook his head. “Nah. I asked Iris earlier this week if she knew anything about this new guy. Absolutely nothing.”
“Giving up so soon, Chyre? That’s not your style. Surrender would be too smart in this case…” Captain Boomerang boasted as he hurled several more exploding boomerangs towards them. “You can’t catch me… No one you have can.”
With that he threw one more boomerang at the column where the two officers were stopping, but right before it hit the building it stopped in mid-air and then began hurtling towards Harkness. He dodged it right in the nick of time, just as it exploded.
“What about me”
Digger looked up and saw The Flash standing above him in full costume with a wide-smile on his face. “Evening, Boomerang. Come here often?”
Captain Boomerang shot up and began to run away. “Oh man, I love it when they run.”
With barely taking a step, The Flash shot into the Speed Force and began to run circles around the Rogue just to taunt him. After getting bored, he ran several feet in front of him and held his ground in the middle of the street. “So, Harkness. Do you want to do this the easy way… or the hard way?”
“Come on, Flash… give the guy a break… this was my first time out in a while. You can understand that right?” Captain Boomerang spoke with with a soft tone to elicit sympathy from the Scarlet Speedster.
The Flash chuckled. “I might be able to understand that…”
Just then Captain Boomerang felt a tap on the shoulder and the second he turned around, he felt the butt of Fred Chyre’s Glock collide with his face. “But I don’t think he will.”
“Jackam, book ‘im,” Chyre ordered. Julie didn’t need to be asked twice and immediately complied after thanking The Flash with a pat on the shoulder.
“So, Flash, good of you to finally show up. Timing was always an issue with Allen too,” Chyre smiled. Wally let out a nervous laugh as he thought about the comparison to his late Uncle, hoping that he wouldn’t deduce the connection.
Chyre’s smile soon fell as he took a look of Jackam pushing Harkness’ head down and into the Squad Car. “He was different, Flash… I don’t know what it was, but something was off. He was reckless… confidant… ruthless.”
The first thing that came to Wally’s mind were the events of earlier that day, which felt like they were much further in the past due to his time in the Speed Force. He took a long sigh, contemplating whether to tell the officer or not. “Iranintothemirrormasterthismorning,” Wally said, tapping into the Speed Force as he spoke.
“I’m sorry?”
Wally hung his head as he betrayed his own sensibilities. “It looks like there’s a new Mirror Master in town. And he’s after me.”
Chyre’s eyes grew wide at the revelation. Admittedly, he was both excited and relieved when they found Sam Scudder’s body several nights ago. The aging police officer did his best to hide his shock and horror, as not to alarm the Speedster. “Are you sure?”
Wally nodded with reluctance. “He had a greater command of the weapons too. I never ran into Scudder, but from what I saw on the news… they’re not comparable.”
“Well, Flash… let me just say… I’m happy to have a Flash back in the Twin Cities. Something big’s going on and I’ll be damned if I know what…” Chyre mused in a pseudo-soliloquy, that was both to The Flash and to himself. “You should probably come into the station and give them a statement.
Wally crouched into a runner’s position as sparks began to encapsulate his body, which indicated that he was tapping into the Speed Force. “Sorry, Chyre… I’ve got someone who’s probably really worried about me.”
Before Chyre could object, Wally took off in the direction of his apartment building. He could feel anticipation in each step he took, looking forward to seeing Linda who was a mess when he left her. He was having troubling thinking of the last time he felt this way about anyone, which in itself tied his stomach up in a knot.
As he ran through the door and up the stairs, he got back into his street clothes and stopped on a dime in front of Linda’s door. He gave it a hearty knock and when there was no answer, he gave it another. “That’s odd,” he mused to himself.
He shrugged and began to wander back towards his own apartment. It wasn’t locked, since he was pulled from his room, so he walked right in. The second he stepped into his living room, he got the feeling that something wasn’t right.
Cautiously, he walked down the back hall to his bedroom where he opened the door and saw something he wasn’t expecting. On his bed, he saw his girlfriend Linda grasping one of his costumes in her fist.
“So, Wally… did you want to talk about this?”
Thunderstruck
***
When Wally West rematerialized, his sight was still blinded from the lightning bolts that filled his apartment. However, he could hear seagulls that reminded him of the vacations that he would go on with his family to Coast City as a boy and the warm breeze with just a hint of salt that danced up his nose. “The island,” Wally thought out loud.
He opened his eyes and saw that he was alone on the beach, a beach that was both strange and at the same time, completely familiar to him. With a bit of a shrug, he began to walk through the jungle until he came upon a mound of soil with a cross sticking out of it. He squatted down to get a closer look.
“That’s where I buried your Uncle’s partner…”
Wally was startled and fell backwards from where he was squatting. When he regained his sense of balance, he looked up and saw the man who called himself Max Mercury standing above him, holding his hand out to help him up.
In an agitated huff, Wally stood up without taking Max’s hand. “You. Why are you just coming to me now?”
“I’m sorry?”
Wally began to storm off into the jungle and Max followed him in hot pursuit. “I was struck by lightning two weeks ago… why didn’t you come to me then?”
“It wasn’t time. You needed time to explore yourself.”
Wally was so taken aback by that statement that he stopped running and turned around to face the wizard. “Time? TIME!? Let me tell you what happened when I was ‘exploring myself.”
“Wally…”
The young Speedster didn’t pay any attention the older man and just kept on with his angry rant. “Jay Garrick spent hours trying to talk me out of taking up the mantle and still does so to this day, I had to spend hours consoling my cousin Danielle who was sobbing because she thought I was going to die like her Dad. The only girl I ever loved wants nothing to do with me. Oh and my new girlfriend was attacked by a copycat who’s calling himself the new Mirror Master.”
Max Mercury’s calming presence did not dissipate nor did his stoic expression waver. “And you still wish to be The Flash?”
Wally opened his mouth as if he were about to throw back another venomous insult, but after registering the question, he quickly closed his mouth. After a few moments, he gave the man a reluctant nod. “Yeah, yeah I do.”
Max gave Wally a warm yet knowing smile. “Then it may have been worth it?”
Again, Wally was taken aback and a little bit disgusted at the bluntness of Max’s million-dollar question. “Couldn’t I have done all that with your help?”
“Wally, you were a believer from the start. You wanted to become The Flash from the start. You never wanted anything more than to both help people and rise to your Uncle’s legacy. Why would I try to step in?” Max had a look on his face that seemed to indicate he was quite proud of his explanation, but Wally wasn’t having any of it.
“I don’t understand.”
Max shook his head. “I came to Jay just like I came to everyone preceding him because it was a time before superheroes. I came to Barry because he wasn’t ready to believe in any of this. And I came to Jessica because she was broken and frankly, she still is. You were ready. They were not.”
Wally furled his brow. He understood what the man was saying, but he didn’t want to. After seeing Mirror Master over Linda ready to make a kill, he certainly didn’t think he was ready. However, he was not ready for that confrontation quite yet.
“Now, Wally, I think it’s time we determine your place in the world. Please, follow me.” Max led the new Speedster through the maze-esque tunnels and corridors of the Speed Force temple, the same one that Barry had been brought to nearly two decades prior.
Wally noted in amusement of the different cultures like Ancient Roman, Egyptian, Greek, Mesopotamian and things that looked like Native American, Chinese and African all being represented simultaneously through art on the walls as he was led through. He also noticed glyphs that adored the wall that spelled out 3x2(9YZ)4A.
“Jessie’s mantra…”
Max nodded. “Yes. While I have my own beliefs about the nature of the Speed Force, it always worked for Chambers mathematically. I suppose some of that fell to his daughter.”
“What are your beliefs?”
The aging Speedster laughed heartily. “I can’t tell you. You need to come up with your own beliefs… now come meet the Guardians…”
The pair of Speedsters entered the room and sitting at a round table with the Flash’s emblem in the middle were six men and women in costumes that were similar to his own. They all nodded at his presence as he took a seat with Max Mercury between a dark skinned man in red and yellow traditional African garb and a man in a silver and blue version of The Flash costume. “Hello…” Wally spoke sheepishly.
“Wallace, these are The Guardians of Flashpoint. A group of people with similar powers to your own displaced from time to defend the Speed Force from threats both from within and externally.” Max spoke with a grace, choosing each word carefully.
Wally looked up at the older man. “I thought I was the champion?”
“You are. And so were these people prior to Professor Zoom escaping the island. He mucked up a lot of things for all of us.”
Max pointed towards a red headed woman who was wearing Jessie’s version of The Flash costume, even though she was clearly several years younger. “Wally, it’s me… your cousin Danielle.”
“Dani?” Wally asked with a confused look on his face. “How is this possible?”
She smiled sadly at her cousin. “In my timeline, no one took over for my Daddy after he died. Jess died too at Flashpoint. Thawne snapped her neck… a few years later, I realized I had developed his powers.”
“Keystone?”
She shrugged. “I did pretty good… at least that’s what the papers said. But, I couldn’t stop Mirror Master from murdering the mayor and the entire city turned against me.”
Max nodded and pointed to a mixed race woman who appeared to be just coming out of her teenage years. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth. “Hey, Wally. I’m Jenni… We’re not related… don’t worry. I’m from the far future and in my world people with super powers are persecuted… more so than they are in your time… well, not that they are yet. I spent most of my childhood in prison.”
A man who was directly across the table from Wally raised his hand slightly. “I… uh… I promised Max I would stay silent, but I needed to say something.” He took off his mask, causing Wally to jump back.
“You… you… you’re… you’re me.” The face that was glaring back at Wally was a complete spitting image of himself right down to the oddly colored green eyes and scar on his chin from when he was caught with a fishing hook as a kid.
The man nodded. “I go by Walter. I was Uncle Barry’s Kid Flash… and when he died I was devastated, but I decided to go on as The Flash, but it wasn’t what it looked like. Everyone that I loved or cared about was killed or tortured at some point by The Mirror Master. Aunt Iris, Danielle, Blaine, Jessie, Jay, Joan, most of the KCPD… Linda.”
Walter let a tear fall from his eyes before he continued. “I… uh… I wasn’t pulled here. I retreated into the Speed Force myself.”
Wally’s mouth grew dry as he stood up and took a step back from the table. “Umm… wow… thanks… I… uh… I have to go.” He turned around towards the door and sped out of the room and towards the shore.
***
Wally West spent the better part of the afternoon, or what was made to appear as the afternoon, gazing out longingly at the water and occasionally throwing stones into it to watch the ripples spread out. A migraine began to attack his sight and hearing, something that hadn’t happened since he was a kid.
“I know it’s a lot to take in…”
The young man didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Max Mercury, the Keeper of The Speed Force. It’s not that he was mad at the old man; it was just that he represented all of the doubts and fears that he was feeling at the time. “Understatement… why me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why did you choose me?”
Max sat down next to him as he tossed a large rock at the water and laughed as it made a large splash in the calm ocean water. “I believe in you, Wally… Look, if you do know why I chose you, you don’t understand why the Flash exists.”
Wally looked over at the man with a glare that could kill even the toughest man. “My Uncle was the Flash for as long as I knew him… I think I have a good idea about all of this, but by all means, educate me.”
“The Flash doesn’t need to dress up like a scary monster to scare criminals and he doesn’t need to fly above the people to inspire them. Superheroes seem to think that they need to be better than the people, but that’s not The Flash. The Flash is one of the people. He runs besides them rather than flies above them or hunts below them.” Max spoke with gravitas with his dramatic tone increasing with every word. “And you are as pure-hearted as anyone… you were the only choice.”
Wally stood up and then immediately helped Max up. “But Walter, we’re too sides of the same coin. What if I become him? What if I lose my way?”
“We’re not going to let that happen, now are we?” Max shrugged. “Maybe you should talk to Linda, Not telling your Aunt Iris was a big mistake… you need a confidante and maybe your girlfriend can provide that.”
Amused, Wally shook his head. “Nah, I don’t think she’d understand… Max. Thank you.”
The wizard chuckled. “For what? I didn’t do anything.”
Wally smiled at him. “Exactly… now, how do I get back home? I’m sure Linda’s worried sick. We had a date tonight.”
Max snapped his fingers and the sky instantly turned black with a million stars completing the picturesque image. He wistfully pointed up at the sky. “Well, my boy… just follow the second star to the right… and straight on until morning.”
Wally rolled his eyes and then took off towards the horizon, but before he even left the island, lightning bolts began to emit off of his costume and encapsulate his entire body. Suddenly, the bolts of lightning completely overtook him and he disappeared.
***
A boomerang flew right passed the right ear of Officer Julie Jackam, causing her to jump back in surprise. She took a shot, but the second bullet left the barrel, it was deflected away with an exploding boomerang. “Dammit, he’s never been this fast.”
“Get down, Julie!” Chyre shouted as a razor-sharp boomerang whizzed past her head and lodged itself into the brick building.
Captain Boomerang laughed at their sheer incompetence as he tossed several more razor boomerangs towards them, but none of them close enough to do any real damage. In fact, as made evident by the rocket boomerangs he sent into the air that exploded like fireworks, it was as if he were just doing it for the pure show of it. “Great to be alive, ain’t it, Chyre?” Captain Boomerang sneered with pleasure.
“It will be when you’re behind bars, Harkness!” Chyre shouted as he narrowly evaded a boomerang headed straight for his head. He got up and took a shot at the boomerang-wielding rogue, but it was promptly deflected by one of his weapons.
Captain Boomerang cackled. “That’s the best you’ve got, mate? Good thing you didn’t try writing. No, being a worthless soggie suits you perfectly.”
Chyre jumped up to charge up, but Julie Jackam tackled him to the ground before he could get out from his cover. “Not on your life, Chyre.”
The aging cop uttered an angry grunt in defeat. If she were any other officer, man or woman, she would have been on her ass so fast, she would have felt like she were back in the academy. But she was the granddaughter of his old partner and closest friend. “Dammit!”
“Do you know how to get in touch with The Flash? Now that we need him, he’s nowhere to be found…” Jackam mused.
Chyre growled as he shook his head. “Nah. I asked Iris earlier this week if she knew anything about this new guy. Absolutely nothing.”
“Giving up so soon, Chyre? That’s not your style. Surrender would be too smart in this case…” Captain Boomerang boasted as he hurled several more exploding boomerangs towards them. “You can’t catch me… No one you have can.”
With that he threw one more boomerang at the column where the two officers were stopping, but right before it hit the building it stopped in mid-air and then began hurtling towards Harkness. He dodged it right in the nick of time, just as it exploded.
“What about me”
Digger looked up and saw The Flash standing above him in full costume with a wide-smile on his face. “Evening, Boomerang. Come here often?”
Captain Boomerang shot up and began to run away. “Oh man, I love it when they run.”
With barely taking a step, The Flash shot into the Speed Force and began to run circles around the Rogue just to taunt him. After getting bored, he ran several feet in front of him and held his ground in the middle of the street. “So, Harkness. Do you want to do this the easy way… or the hard way?”
“Come on, Flash… give the guy a break… this was my first time out in a while. You can understand that right?” Captain Boomerang spoke with with a soft tone to elicit sympathy from the Scarlet Speedster.
The Flash chuckled. “I might be able to understand that…”
Just then Captain Boomerang felt a tap on the shoulder and the second he turned around, he felt the butt of Fred Chyre’s Glock collide with his face. “But I don’t think he will.”
“Jackam, book ‘im,” Chyre ordered. Julie didn’t need to be asked twice and immediately complied after thanking The Flash with a pat on the shoulder.
“So, Flash, good of you to finally show up. Timing was always an issue with Allen too,” Chyre smiled. Wally let out a nervous laugh as he thought about the comparison to his late Uncle, hoping that he wouldn’t deduce the connection.
Chyre’s smile soon fell as he took a look of Jackam pushing Harkness’ head down and into the Squad Car. “He was different, Flash… I don’t know what it was, but something was off. He was reckless… confidant… ruthless.”
The first thing that came to Wally’s mind were the events of earlier that day, which felt like they were much further in the past due to his time in the Speed Force. He took a long sigh, contemplating whether to tell the officer or not. “Iranintothemirrormasterthismorning,” Wally said, tapping into the Speed Force as he spoke.
“I’m sorry?”
Wally hung his head as he betrayed his own sensibilities. “It looks like there’s a new Mirror Master in town. And he’s after me.”
Chyre’s eyes grew wide at the revelation. Admittedly, he was both excited and relieved when they found Sam Scudder’s body several nights ago. The aging police officer did his best to hide his shock and horror, as not to alarm the Speedster. “Are you sure?”
Wally nodded with reluctance. “He had a greater command of the weapons too. I never ran into Scudder, but from what I saw on the news… they’re not comparable.”
“Well, Flash… let me just say… I’m happy to have a Flash back in the Twin Cities. Something big’s going on and I’ll be damned if I know what…” Chyre mused in a pseudo-soliloquy, that was both to The Flash and to himself. “You should probably come into the station and give them a statement.
Wally crouched into a runner’s position as sparks began to encapsulate his body, which indicated that he was tapping into the Speed Force. “Sorry, Chyre… I’ve got someone who’s probably really worried about me.”
Before Chyre could object, Wally took off in the direction of his apartment building. He could feel anticipation in each step he took, looking forward to seeing Linda who was a mess when he left her. He was having troubling thinking of the last time he felt this way about anyone, which in itself tied his stomach up in a knot.
As he ran through the door and up the stairs, he got back into his street clothes and stopped on a dime in front of Linda’s door. He gave it a hearty knock and when there was no answer, he gave it another. “That’s odd,” he mused to himself.
He shrugged and began to wander back towards his own apartment. It wasn’t locked, since he was pulled from his room, so he walked right in. The second he stepped into his living room, he got the feeling that something wasn’t right.
Cautiously, he walked down the back hall to his bedroom where he opened the door and saw something he wasn’t expecting. On his bed, he saw his girlfriend Linda grasping one of his costumes in her fist.
“So, Wally… did you want to talk about this?”
