Issue 20: "Random Flashes"

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The Flash
Issue Twenty: "Random Flashes"
A Justice League Vs. America Crossover!
Written By House Of Mystery
Cover by Craig Cermak
Edited by Mark Bowers and Brian Burchette

Read Justice League Vs. America #2 before you read this issue!

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He had turned himself in, and it had been the right thing to do, but as he was being led to his destiny, he thought back to those last few times that he had had with Iris, before he had left…

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The words echoed in his mind as he sipped his coffee. “We have to go underground.” The hot liquid made him tingle as it went down his throat. Barry Allen rubbed his chin and looked over to Iris, who stood at the doorway. Her brow was furrowed. She was confused. “What are you…?”

“What am I doing here?” He sipped his warm beverage, and smiled. “I’m eating breakfast.”

“But you aren’t…” She walked over to him, and picked up his hand. Next to his wedding band was nothing. A thin line of pale skin where something once was. “Where…?”

He pointed in front of him, to the lightning emblazoned ring that lay beside his toast. “My shift doesn’t start till tonight.”

“But you… You do other things,” she stammered, “You… Do…” She looked him up and down, “You go running…?”

“I’m not a clone, Iris. I’m not a villain disguised as your husband. Don’t worry,” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Anyways: Did. I did other things. I can’t do anything now.”

Iris sat beside her husband, and nestled her head against his shoulder, holding his hand. She gazed at him with her deep eyes. “What do you mean?”

“We’re wanted criminals. I (Me, not Hal or Bruce) put the President of the United States into a coma. Me. I’m worse than… I’m worse than Captain Cold for God’s sake!” He shook his head and took a large bite out of his toast. “I’m worse than Captain Cold.” He looked at her, and stroked a stray bit of hair from her face. “Do you know how that makes me feel?” He put his toast down and changed the subject. “Is Bart awake?”

“No, not yet. Joan is coming round later to have a look at her ‘Little Jay’.” Iris beamed. “Should be lovely.”

“Yeah.” Barry gritted his teeth, a pain in his chest hitting him suddenly. “Uhht.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

He smiled, shrugging off the pain that had already begun to fade. “Nothing. Cramp.”

The door rattled, someone knocking on it hard. Barry went tense; he grabbed his ring and pulled it on, and then realised he was moving so fast that Iris hadn’t even turned yet. He pulled back, slowed down, and readied himself. “Shall I get that?”

“Sure,” nodded Barry, “be careful.”

She smiled, and went for the door, sipping her own drink. “We don’t have any reason not to, Barry. We’re a family. Not the Flash and company…”

She approached the door and looked back over to Barry, who smiled. She was right. She was always right. He rubbed his temple and scratched his stubble-laced chin and then watched as the cup in Iris’s hand slowly fell to the ground as she opened the door wide. “Iris?” He stepped up, his ring around his finger in a blink of an eye, and then she was grabbed by a hand encased in black metal. A twist of a wrist and she crumpled to the ground, her eyes rolling up back into her head as her neck broke. He reached out, and a group of men, the super soldiers that had been assigned to hunt down the Justice League, entered the room, their weapons blazing--

He blinked.

Iris was standing at the door, and she still hadn’t opened it. Damn. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was over-thinking things. If he over-thought things he was liable to experience ‘flash forwards’, the scenarios in his mind that haunted him when he was at his most troubled. But this was no time to be careless. “Iris, wait.” He placed his ring on his hand and walked toward her, motioning for her to move into the kitchen. “It’s best to be careful.” He gritted his teeth, and heard his molars grind together at the back of his throat. Calm down, he thought, calm down and don’t get messed up. His hand tightened around the door knob. He heard the lock click and clunk, and then he slowly opened the door itself, a whining creak as it opened wide. His eyes widened.

“Why the shocked expression, chum? Aren’t I the one who’s supposed to do the funny faces?” Ralph Dibny grinned as he embraced Barry Allen, his arms stretching and wrapping themselves around his best friend time and again. “We saw the broadcasts on the television. You know what the ol’ ball and chain is like.”

“Old?” Sue Dearbon Dibny patted Ralph on the back of his head, and his neck snapped forwards, stretching on for a metre, his tongue sticking out.

He moved on back, and released his hold on Barry, his arms snapping back into their proper size and shape like a whiplash. “Oh, bunny, you know I’m joking. It’s me! It’s part of my charm!” He turned to Iris. “And there is Mrs Allen!” He nudged Sue, and winked. “You go entertain our beautiful host, I need to chat with Barry over here!”

Sue smiled in understanding, and walked over to Iris. “Where is your beautiful son? Where is li’l Bart?” The two women smiled and headed for the nursery, and Ralph turned to Barry, his face suddenly serious and solemn.

“What happened?”

Barry sighed. “Lord was being controlled (just as Aquaman was), we think, by an alien parasite. We broke into the White House and were tricked. I pulled off the parasite and Lord fell into a coma… And somehow, someone recorded the entire ordeal. So here we are.”

“This is why I voted Grahams.” Ralph smiled. “You must be feeling the pressure though, man… No offence.”

“None taken.” Barry grimaced. “I’ve got to do something. My entire life I’ve done one thing, and that’s uphold the law. But now… I’m going against everything I believe in. I’m stuck between a rock and… and a bigger, sharper, scarier rock.”

“Was that humour, Barry? Was that humour I heard leaving your lips?”

“Right now, that’s all I’ve got, Ralph. I can’t… do anything else.”

“You’ve got to do what you believe in, Barry. You can’t go against your morals.”

“I know,” Barry rested his hands on his lap, and nodded slowly. “I know what I’m going to have to do, Ralph.”

Ralph pouted. “What do you want me to do?”

Barry placed his ringed hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Look after my family.”

“What are you going to do?”

Barry pulled the tiny invisible trigger on his ring with his forefinger. In between blinks he was standing in his lounge, the Scarlet Speedster, the Avatar of Speed; The Flash. He breathed in deeply. “I’m going to go for a run. And I don’t know when I’m going to be back.”

“Barry?” Iris stood in the kitchen, looking at her husband, holding their son. “Barry, you’re not…”

“I’m doing what I swore I’d do when I became a police officer, Iris. I’m upholding the law.” He paused, and stroked the face of his son. “And I’m doing it for you. For my family.”

“You don’t have to do this, we can move away… We can go abroad, anything, just…”

Bart Allen gurgled in his mother’s arms, and then opened his eyes. He saw his father, clad in his red and yellow costume, and reached out with tiny arms. He didn’t cry. He didn’t make any noise. He just… reached. Barry took him in his arms, and rocked him back and forth. “I’m doing this for our son.”

“Barry…”

“I don’t want our son growing up thinking I’m a villain; thinking I’m just as bad as Captain Cold. No, that is not a world I want him to live in.” He gently kissed his son on the forehead and nodded slowly. “Because… I’m the Flash. And since Jay, that name has meant something.”

“Barry…”

“Iris, please, don’t try and talk me out of this.”

“Barry…” She frowned, her forehead creasing slightly, and then stroked her hand across his face. “Do what you have to. And I’ll love you no less.”

She kissed him, and took Bart back, and then Barry looked over to Ralph. “Protect my family.”

Ralph nodded. “Count on it.”

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He knew they were watching. He knew they could see him. He vibrated down into the sewers first. Their sensors couldn’t penetrate beneath the city. He sprinted twelve miles away from his home, climbed out of the sewer system, and then began. He ran across the country. He knew their satellites would pick him up. He knew they’d see his trail. He ran and he ran and he ran in a pattern. He ran in a spiral, tighter and tighter. And he stopped in front of the Flash Museum.

And he wasn’t alone. Protesters were everywhere. Protesters? He glanced at the signs. It was a surreal sight. On one side of the premises were anti-Justice League protesters. “Down with the League!” “Justice League of AmeriKKKa!” “Murderers!” “Liars!” “The Justice League Support Terrorism!” He shook his head slowly. After all this, and they turned on them. They saved the world from Darkseid. Defeated Amazo. Fought in outer space. And now… this. Reduced to jokes. A bad little stain on history. But then his gaze wandered to the other side of the Museum. “We Believe In The Flash!” “Something Is Wrong With America!” “Maxwell Lord Is The Thief In Chief!” “The Justice League Were Right!” At least some people didn’t allow one event to ruin their reputation. But even then… they had put the President in a coma, hadn’t they? They had gone against the UN mandate put out to them. They had entered into an international situation.

“THERE’S ONE OF THEM!” Tomatoes were pelted at him. He didn’t even try and dodge them. He even smiled. Who even bought fruit and vegetables to riots any more?

“FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!” The side that supported him began to chant his name. He walked toward the huge statue erected in front of the museum doors. He noted the police presence everywhere, the officers clad in riot gear in case things got ugly. It wouldn’t be long now. He nodded at those officers that would look him in the eye, and he was half expecting them to arrest him, but they didn’t. Some even saluted him. He finally settled his eyes on the statue, and visibly crumpled in on himself. How… How could they do this?

“What’s he doing?” questioned Detective Jared Morillo, as he nudged his partner on the shoulder. “Why’s he showing himself?”

Detective Fred Chyre grunted a reply. “Flasher ain’t ever been the kind of person to mess around, ‘Rillo. We don’t move unless he commits an illegal act.”

“He attacked the President and put him in a coma. The whole thing’s on tape, I’m pretty sure that constitutes an illegal act.”

Not here, Barry thought to himself. The police station. That’s where he needed to turn himself in at. It was only fitting.

With lightning speed he took off again, the chants and barbs of the crowd disappearing in less then a second.

He took a detour to don street clothes over his costume. The Justice League were definitely personae non gratae at the moment. This way was safer. Or, to paraphrase one Pavel Chekov, he reflected with a smile, I do not wish to be shot down on my way to my own funeral.

On the steps of the precinct, though, Barry hesitated. It wasn’t too late. He could still rejoin the League and help them plan their next move. It was only a matter of time before they stopped the Star Conqueror and cleared their names… and Lord would still be in a coma, due to his actions. He’d meant well. He’d had the best of intentions. He knew of a certain road that was paved with such thoughts. And he had a fairly good idea of where that road led.

He pulled open one of the heavy double doors. Once inside, he quickly ducked into an empty corridor, shed his civilian attire, and pulled the cowl forward. Then he squared his shoulders, and, ignoring the gasps and stares from those around him, resolutely approached the reception desk.

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A Few Hours Later

“We’ve got DEO on the way.” Police Captain Macky declared.

He caught his breath, and clutched his chest as it ached for a moment, before turning to the group of police officers who stood around him. Reporters and cameramen were present, recording the events as they unfolded. Barry turned to several officers, giving a confident smile and nodding towards them.They nodded slowly back as the sound of helicopters filled the air, the wind from their rotors causing the ground to shudder and shake, with paper being whipped up and banners being creased and torn. Sunlight glittered against the emblem carved into the front of the police station.

Barry Allen did nothing. He watched as the super soldiers ran out of their transport and surrounded him, their weapons raised and aimed. He watched as news reporters spoke to their cameramen and recorded the events unfolding.

He moved his hands in front of him, and a soldier approached him, slowly placing a pair of enhanced shackles onto his wrists. The soldier then paced backwards, and another group approached. Barry arched an eyebrow, and watched as suddenly dozens of wires shot into his costume. He didn’t feel the electricity racking his body. He had surrendered. He went down quietly, and live on television.

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Start Interlude.

“Len?” Weather Wizard paced the room, tapping his wand against his wrist. “What are we going to do? With the Flash gone, the city is easy pickings…” Electricity sparked from the end of the device in his hands. “We could rob all the banks without them even knowing.”

The Trickster giggled in his seat, playing with his yo-yo and watching the television as the Flash was arrested. “I’m posting this up on YouTube. It’s going straight into my favourites! The Flash is worse than us! Hee… I feel all tingly!” He released the yo-yo and it flew out of the window, landing with a huge explosion outside. “Oops!”

Mirror Master sat in the corner of the dingy apartment, fiddling with a mirror device, prising open a small compartment with a screwdriver, before picking up his pliers and looking over to the others. “So what’s the crime spree, Len?”

Len didn’t reply, but sat deep in thought. He wasn’t in his Captain Cold outfit, but sat in a vest and jeans, his blue and white jacket on the arm of the smelly old recliner he sat in, his hand hidden beneath it, his grip tight around his weapon. Just in case. He looked at the assorted Rogues, and then answered the question, “There is no crime spree.”

Weather Wizard laughed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Len pulled his blue glasses out of his trouser pocket, and then stood up. “It’s not fair.”

“Fair? Are you having a laugh, Len?” Mirror Master sealed his weapon and holstered it, pulling his green mask over his face.

“We play by rules. One of those rules, unspoken as it may be, is to not take advantage of this kind of situation.”

“Ha! Screw this, Len!” Trickster hopped out of his seat and headed towards his special boots, the ones that allowed him to fly. Len was quick with his gun. A burst of glistening energy, and they were encased in ice. “What?! What’s your damage?!”

“I run this show. And I run it with rules.”

Mirror Master gritted his teeth, his hand hovering over his weapon, but then he sniggered, and sat back down. “Len’s right, guys. The fun’s all out of the game if Flasher ain’t about.”

“Fine.” Weather Wizard turned back to the television. “But when he gets out... He’s ours.”

Len nodded. “Rightly so.”

End Interlude.

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“Wake up.” His side exploded with pain as someone kicked him hard. “Wake up, dirt bag.” He looked up, through a drug induced haze, and saw twenty-three guards. His eyesight glimmered slightly, and then the guards slowly began to reduce in number. Three. Three guards. Or two? He recognised the third man. Silver hair and smug mannerisms. Crap. He knew who this was. He was on a cold hard surface, and he could barely feel his wrists. His chest burned with an almighty pain. Worse than before. Worse than the pangs of suffering from the past month or so. What was going on? He was dragged to his feet.

The silver-haired man spoke quietly. “You don’t speak. That’s the rule.”

“S-sucky rule--” A burst of pain struck his side. Electricity. “NYAAAH!” He slumped over, breathless.

The silver-haired man repeated himself, this time with force. “You don’t speak.”

He didn’t reply. He felt like crap, and he couldn’t vibrate out of his bonds. Something was cutting him off from the Speed Force, and he felt like he was being eaten up from the inside out. If he even tried to escape they’d be on him like a bad case of… He groaned. He couldn’t think of a quip at this moment in time. This looked bad.

“We know everything about you.”

“What’s… my f-favourite… colour?” Again, he was struck by something. Taser. Must be. He didn’t cry out this time. He was expecting it. “That doesn’t… c-count… as an, an answer.”

He was led through a dark corridor, and then a door opened. He was placed in a chair, and then his eyes rose up, to the desk in front of him. What he saw hit him worse than the taser. Or the ache in his gut.

Oh, Lord. Oh, no. He hadn’t thought this through at all. You have super-speed thought processes and this is what happens? You don’t think of the one thing that can… Oh. Oh, no.

His mask rested on the table.

“You understand what’s happening, don’t you, Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen?” King Faraday sat opposite the chained speedster, Barry’s red mask sitting on the tabletop between them. “You understand that this is a war, and that your friends; they aren’t the good guys. You understand that, don’t you?”

Barry didn’t answer. His blue eyes were concentrated solely on the red mask lying in front of him. They knew his name so they knew about Iris. About Bart. You’re a fool, Allen. You’re a fool.

“We can end this. We can end it before anyone has to die. You already put Lord in a coma. You committed grievous bodily harm upon the President of the US of A. Don’t you understand? WLEX has the video evidence of you causing him to fall into a coma on a continual loop. And it always comes down to you. You nearly killed Maxwell Lord. You will be tried for treason. And, come on, you’ll be found guilty.”

“You didn’t play the game right,” Faraday continued. “Neither you, nor any of your buddies, knew that President Lord, and some other concerned citizens, had put together an organization that was preparing to stop just this sort of thing, did you?

Barry looked up at Faraday, and snarled slightly. His wrists were bound to his ankles with a huge metal chassis, red lights blinking on and off as they counteracted the Speed Force connection that was part of Barry Allen. “The J-Justice… League… won’t… let anyone… die…” Each word was an effort. He was exhausted, and for every moment he sat there, his stomach hurt more and more. “You… are the only… villain… here…!”

“That’s regrettable.” King smiled and rearranged his tie. “I’m only doing my part to protect the people of this country. America will be the frontline of one of the biggest battles that will ever be fought, you know that?” He sighed. “I’m sorry Barry. If you tell us where the Justice League are, and who they are behind their masks… You can return to your family.”

Barry slumped over, saliva dribbling out of his lips. Everything hurt! His chest was throbbing! His muscles were quivering! “My f-family…?”

“We have them, Barry. You think we wouldn’t find them? Alone in your apartment?” King smirked. “You’re not very fast, are you?”

Alone. In your apartment. Barry could have sighed with relief. Faraday was bluffing. Ralph would die before he let Iris and Bart come to harm. That’s the reason the Dibnys were Bart’s godparents! “You’re… Hrrn…” He gritted his teeth, and pulled himself up. “You’re threatening my family?”

“I’m not threatening anyone. You placed them in danger with your rogue antics.”

Barry couldn’t repress his smile. “Rogue…?” He bit down on his lip and then coughed, doubling over onto the table, his head resting next to his mask. He could taste blood. Something was wrong… Something was happening!

“Yes and… What…” Faraday paused, “What’s wrong?”

“You’ve… tried…” Barry looked up. Suddenly everything was quiet. No thoughts rushing through his minds eye. No stark predictions formulated by calculating events from what has occurred in the past. Only pure… clarity. “You’ve tried to cut me off from the Speed Force.” His eyes sparked.

Faraday smiled smugly. “Our scientists…”

“Your scientists…” Barry strained his arms. He clenched his fists. His costume tore around the shackles as he tensed. “… Didn’t do… Jack!” The restraints burst open, and Barry began to vibrate. He didn’t mean to. He didn’t know what was happening to him. King Faraday pulled his pistol from its holster and unloaded it at the blurring hero. The bullets just passed through him.

Faraday threw the weapon to the ground and gritted his teeth as the wind picked up in the small room. “Stand down, Allen! Think about what you’re doing!”

“I think you’ll find--”

The voice coming out of Barry wasn’t his own. Barry was in two places at once. Then he wasn’t. He was just… himself. And next to him? Standing next to him, in a blur of red and blue? A hint of silver atop his head?

Jay Garrick smiled. Grabbed Faraday by his collar. And knocked him out with an uppercut.

“--We’re thinking this through quite well, thank you very much.”

Barry’s eyes fluttered closed. He had no idea what was happening. But Jay Garrick grinned as everything faded to black. This had to be a dream.

“Barry?” He drifted in and out of consciousness. “Barry!” He was being shaken. His eyes opened. He blinked as everything became clearer and clearer.

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“I-Iris…”

“You stubborn fool…” She embraced him tightly, holding his limp body close to her own. He lay on a sofa, and as he looked past his wife, Ralph Dibny had his arm around Sue, who held Bart in her arms. Joan Garrick grinned from cheek to cheek and behind her… Jay Garrick beamed.

“J-Jay! It wasn’t a dream!” He tried to stand, but his body didn’t respond. He fell back to the sofa. “Nyaa…”

“No son, it wasn’t a dream.” He walked over to his friend, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about all I’ve put you through.”

“W-What? I don’t… I don’t understand…”

Jay turned to the others. “Can you excuse us for a moment, I need to talk to Barry alone…”

Joan Garrick hesitated.

“Darling, I’m not leaving you again. Never again.” Jay nodded, and then watched as they left the room. “I think it’s time I tell you a story.”

“How are you here? Are you from the past? An alternate timeline? I don’t understand howthisispossibleyoudiedandIsawyouasyouvanishedintotheSpee--”

Jay chuckled. “Slow down.”

Barry gripped Jay’s arm, scared that if he let him go, the elder speedster would vanish once more. “Tell me what happened Jay, please.”

“Where to start..." Jay sighed. "Okay, son, us speedsters, we're all connected to the Speed Force, but we’ve always known that you are the one man alive with the most direct link to it. You can lend people speed, you can steal people’s speed, you can do anything with the abilities you were given because when it comes to your speed abilities, you’re basically a sponge,” Jay paused. “Do you understand me?”

“Sponge? I… I think I do but--”

“Let me finish. Just relax, gather your strength… I’m afraid I might have burned you out a bit, but now we’re away from those creeps’ drugs and their energy rays, it won’t take too long before you absorb all you need to get up and running again…” Jay paused. “Ah.”

“What?”

“That’s the thing. You. This is all about you. When you fought Savitar, and you were so close to being beaten? I had to do something. I had to… postpone my return to lend you that extra… Oomph.”

Barry tensed up slightly, confused. “Excuse me? How do you know about Savitar? How do you know anything about that?”

“I was there, Barry. I’ve been with you ever since that day a year ago.”

“H-How?”

“I told you, your body is like a Speed Force sponge! When I ran so fast that I was borderline into the Speed Force itself… My body became pure speed energy… And I was standing right in front of you. I was standing right in front of you and I was dissolving out of reality. I would have become the speed… And I even saw… Him…”

“The Black Flash!”

“Yes.” Jay’s eyes darkened. “Him.”

“I still don’t…”

“You absorbed me, Barry. Your body, so highly attuned to the Speed Force, absorbed me when I became a being of energy. My life force gave you that boost to defeat Grayven, did it not?” He smiled and looked at his hands. “Or when you were broken at the hands of that creep Savitar… I’ve been tapping into your subconscious link to the Speed Force for a year, Barry, trying to gain enough energy to return to the land of the living… I had to put off coming back to make sure you could stop that guy. The energy I had stored up inside you… I let your use that.”

“The Speed Force construct that wrapped itself around my body…”

“That was me, Barry. I had to help you take him down. And today? When they cut you off from the Speed Force? All that energy that was ruminating in your soul, neither here nor there… I had to use that, I had to save you.”

“My God, this is so…”

Jay paused. “You gave up, Barry.”

“Pardon?”

“You gave up. You handed yourself in. They know who you are now, and they’re going to come at you with guns blazing.”

“I made a mistake, Jay. A stupid mistake.”

In ’51, the JSA were called in front of the Joint Un-American Activities Committee. It’s history. You know about it.”

“They ordered you to unmask.”

“And we refused. And we retired. We let them take us down in the one way they had left. Politics. And you know what, Barry? That’s all this is now.”

“I didn’t think…”

“Well now you know. You have to stand by your friends, because when push comes to shove, that’s all you have left. Friends. Family. The Justice League is your family as much as Iris and little Bart is.” Jay grinned. “Cute kid, by the way.”

“Thanks…”

“How are you feeling?”

Barry looked at his hands. “Refreshed. Relieved. What about you?”

Jay stood up and looked around. “I feel alive.”

Barry laughed. “Good to hear. What are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to go hold my wife, make a few phone calls, and see where the day takes me. You?”

“I’m going to go help my friends.”

Jay put out his hand and Barry took it, pulling himself up. “Good man.”

Barry watched as his wife ran back into the room and embraced him tightly. “I love you, Barry. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.” He kissed her, and then turned to Ralph. “I’ve got an errand to run.”

“Rightly so.” Ralph looked to his wife. “And I’m coming with you.”

“Coming with me?” Barry smiled. “I’d be honored.”

“Then, let’s go find your friends, Barry. We’ve got some heads to knock and I’m eager to get started!”

[Admin]

The Crisis continues throughout the DC2 Universe this month in Justice League Vs. America and other titles bearing the "Justice League Versus America Tie-In" logo.

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