On the outskirts of the Two Cities that sat like mirror images by the banks of a river, currently bathed in the eery light of a vast glowing dome, two figures stood watchful. One was clad in the black and white stage uniform of a magician, the other in the gold and scarlet uniform that inverted that of these cities’ greatest hero- both were surrounded by floating monitors that relayed to them events from within the cities. Together, Abra Kadabra and the Reverse Flash watched the chaos that they had caused.
“An inconvenience. Nothing more,” Kadabra assured his erstwhile partner as a new group joined the battle quite unexpectedly at Keystone Hospital. “I have dealt with these Rogues before- they are of no consequence.”
“Perhaps,” Thawne responded simply, expression unreadable. “You wish to leave it to chance?”
“Hrm,” Kadabra grimaced. “I see your point. Very well, I shall seek an opportunity to ensure our plans proceed,” With a twirl of his cape and a flick of his wand, he was gone, leaving Eobard Thawne alone. For his part, he continued to glare at one screen, ignoring all others, his vision fixed on one man alone.
Barry Allen.
Come what may, whether his friends lived or died, Thawne did not care. All that mattered was that Barry Allen would know loss this day. Even if Thawne had to personally rip out the life of everyone he had ever loved… starting with his new child…
Yes, one way or another, this was a night Barry Allen would never forget.
***
All at once, the air exploded.
Fire and ice blasted the hospital corridor apart, their roars drowning out cries of anger and confusion. Captain Cold and Heatwave stood side by side, arms outstretched parallel to one another, jaws set. Instantly, thick, blazing steam filled the hallway, blinding all within it, almost choking them.
With a roar of annoyance, Girder smashed through the smoke to bring down a great fist, scattering the two Rogues to either side. As the massive behemoth turned to grab at Cold, Murmur appeared out of the steam behind him, howling incoherently and stabbing out with a lethal dagger. He attempted to stab at the first figure he saw, and Captain Boomerang, swearing, narrowly avoided the attack, drawing a razor boomerang from his belt and jabbing at his foe as though it were a knife. The two combatants circled each other for an instant, but before either could move, both threw themselves to the ground as blazing flame poured overhead from Heatwave’s Flame Gun, narrowly missing the figure of Double Down, who scrambled to hurl a razor card that slashed across his opponent’s hand, provoking blood.
In the midst of the chaos, Captain Cold took an instant to kneel beside the broken form of Weather Wizard, looking down at him. Yeah, he’d live alright.
“Cap… you… you came back…you…”
“Yeah, we came back,” grunted Cold. “You may be a damn traitor, Mardon… but you…” He hesitated- he had nearly said ‘protected my sister’, but he bit his tongue. “…You’re still a Rogue. And we won’t leave you to die alone.”
“Naw, you’ll die in COMPANY!” roared Tar Pit, burbling forth from the steam to hurl himself at the Captain, who threw himself backwards, Cold gun raised in an instant, and the battle was on once more.
***
Blood.
My head is pounding with searing agony, like a thousand nails pushing themselves ever deeper into my brain, destroying my concentration tearing my mind apart. I can’t think, can’t concentrate, can’t bring myself to fight, I’m barely aware of what’s going on around me. Images of flame and death dance in my head when I close my eyes, and when I open them again, I find reality is far worse. And I can’t… it’s not… I know, dimly, somewhere in my mind, that I’m being held by the psychotic monster known as Grodd, that he’s going to kill me, that I should struggle, I should run, but the pounding in my mind and the images and the screams… and the blood…
…My name is Barry Allen. I’m the Flash, the Fastest Man Alive, and this is what I’m pretty sure is the last day of my life.
I… I need to… I can
GIVE IN! The words are pounding inside my skull, and the pain is intensifying, and the images are growing more intense, and I feel weak, dizzy. I know I’ve lost a lot of blood, and it’s loud and painful, but I can’t… why can’t I concentrate? Why… why can’t I?
An image comes into my mind, unbidden, and it’s Iris. Screaming in pain, arm in the air, blood flowing down her cheek, and I want to get to her, to help her, but I can’t, and she’s far away, and oh my God, she’s going to die. And as that hits me, I’m trying to… but then she… and then it’s baby Carrie who’s there and she.
No. And suddenly my eyes widen, and I look up into Grodd’s monstrous visage, into his glittering red malicious little eyes, and in a blinding moment of white hot certainty, I know that this is him. Of course, he’s telepathic, he’s doing this. It’s not real, I tell myself, none of it, just images this abomination has created. And if he wins, if I give in, if I let him do this… then… then I’ll never see my child.
And suddenly Grodd’s grin turns to a look of confusion as I suddenly begin to vibrate every molecule in my body, gritting my teeth. I ignore the blood pouring down my body, I ignore the screams and the shouts around me, I viciously shove aside the mental projections I know to be false, forcing my mind to race on. What Grodd doesn’t know is that every part of me is supercharged, every part of me can race as fast as light- and that includes my mind. I run a mental race, shunting into speed mode, moving a thousand times faster than his fastest psychic projection, leaving his nightmare images in my wake, running them out of my mind just as my body vibrates out of his grip. And there’s one constant of anything I vibrate through- it explodes.
There’s a blast of blood and fur as a gaping wound rips open Grodd’s palm and I fall to the ground, dazed and bruised but alive. Grodd takes a stumbling step backwards, bellowing in surprise and agony, staring in disbelief at the bloody ruin of his palm. Then he looks up at me, eyes narrowing, trying to understand how I escaped. And his mental barrage intensifies.
YOU WILL DIE. YOUR FAMILY WILL BURN. YOUR CITY WILL DROWN IN BLOOD.But I’m on to him now, and I’m far faster than he is in mind and body, and I don’t allow myself to dwell on it. I
will stop him. I
will see my wife again. I
will see my son again. I
will greet my new daughter as she comes into the world. And nothing,
nothing- and certainly not an ugly ape with a taste for blood, is going to stop me. So in response to all his hellish visions, I calmly look straight into his eyes.
GIVE IN! [/i]
No. I think simply.
And then I start to run.
***
“You are a decrepit, feeble old man,” sneered Doctor Spectro, standing a few feet away from jay, arms folded. “You really thought we were relying only on the Turtle? Kadabra’s thought of everything.” Beside him, Doctor Alchemy was leaning casually against a storefront, expressionless as ever, hands clasped before him around his Philosopher’s Stone as though leaning back to enjoy himself.
“Spectro, you maniac…” Jay breathed. “You can’t do this.” Moments ago, he had been entirely paralyzed by the twisted Turtle, unable to move at all, but he had broken free and knocked the villain out, only to have the ground beneath his feet turned into a mire of quicksand by Alchemy’s intervention., his hope cruelly snatched away. In ways, it was worse than ever- for now he could plead, and shout, and move, and do everything but make his way any closer to the broken, unconscious form of Wally West that lay by Spectro’s feet.
“My, my, Flash,” Spectro shook his head. “We’re both old timers, you and I, but I at least have moved
on. You, on the other hand? You still sound like a naïve, idealistic young cliché from 1943.” He gave a loud chuckle. “I take great comfort in knowing that even if I never
do make this world bow to me, your brat at least will not be around to see me fail.” He turned to the boy and raised a neck to place on Wally’s neck lightly, as Jay watched in horror.
“You can’t… you won’t…” Jay strained, trying to vibrate himself free, but the quicksand just clung ever tighter, and Alchemy had not moved at all. “…Please…” he whispered in a horrified tone, and the trace of a tear came to his eye.
“…Well… perhaps not,” Spectro withdrew his feet. “…
If…” he breathed. “You admit it!” Jay looked up at him, guarded, uncertain. Spectro took a few quick steps towards him, breathing ragged and intense, clearly getting to the heart of his grievance. “Admit it! Admit that I’m better than you, that I always as! That the Justice Society only beat me by luck! That I deserved to win! Admit that, and I’ll kill you, but spare your little brat here! Otherwise….” He made towards Wally’s form, and Jay knew he had only an instant to make a choice. When it came to Wally’s life, there was no choice at all.
“YES!” Jay shouted, head bowed, fists clenched. “You… you deserved to win. Always. We won by luck, but we in the Society always knew that you… that you were better.” The lie came quickly, smoothly. Jay Garrick was many things, and dishonest was not among them, but that mattered not one bit when compared to Wally’s life. “You always deserved to win.” And Spectro’s sparkling grin grew ever wider.
***
“Face it, old man”
Max Mercury was thrown backwards in a blitz of speed so fast even he could not track it.
“You”
A fist cracked his shoulder
“are”
An undercut caught him in the stomach, doubling him over
“finished.”
He just barely managed to avoid the next blow from Savitar, instead jerking around another corner and zipping down a street in Keystone City, wheezing in pain. He couldn’t… couldn’t keep up. Couldn’t match Savitar’s speed. He was too slow, too old. It felt like years since he and Johnny had taken Barry’s parents from the Savitars’ grasp and dropped them off at the hospital. They wouldn’t make it, he realised, and it was like a bolt of electricity up his spine. They were going to die.
He burst out the end of the street and a whirlwind of energy knocked him off his feet as Savitar slammed into him once more. With a wince, he managed to get up again- and found himself side by side with Johnny, who looked as bad as he felt- jaw broken, blood dripping down his face, grim-faced as Lady Savitar faced him.
“One last run?” Johnny spat, barely intelligible through his cracked jaw. “One final race before the end?”
“Thanks for everything, Johnny,” Max nodded. “I’m glad to have known you again.” And then, as one, the two old speedsters turned to dash together, side by side, down another street, the Savitars closing in behind them, predatory smiles lighting up their faces, ready for the kills.
***
“Look out!” shouted Pied Piper, tackling Mirror Master to one side in time to save the green-and-yellow clad super-villain from the rampaging Girder.
“My thanks, kid,” Mirror Master shot him a grateful nod and then vanished into the shards of a window littering the ground, to reappear an instant later from the pane in a door behind the Clown, who was howling with rage and clutching the stump of his hand. “Surprise!” He cackled, firing his mirror gun straight at the crazed circus freak, and at once, his foe was sealed in a mirror dimension, there to continue his howls to an uncaring world.
Heatwave was sweating at the intensity of his own flame as he poured it on, setting an entire empty side room alight. In the midst of the room, Murmur was hissing with fury, trying to avoid the flames, spitting unintelligible curses. The lithe maniac sprang from the flames and knocked Heatwave on his back, slashing across his stomach as the bigger man shouted in surprise. A weathered hand gripped Murmur’s tangled mane of hair and tore him from Heatwave, but before he could follow up with the weapon in his hand, Captain Boomerang was interrupted by Kobra, who was himself hissing in animal glee, and delivered a precisely aimed chop to the Captain’s stomach.
“Enough of this crap,” Captain Cold blasted the villain aside with a spurt of ice but Boomerang was already doubled over in pain. Double Down was cackling with glee, cards flying through the air around him, but he had failed to notice the army of rats now nipping at his heels, crawling up from across the hospital at Pied Piper’s commands, biting at the monstrous villain. For an instant, Double Down was distracted, but before Piper could finish the job, Tar Pit appeared behind him, smothering the young Rogue, pressing down on him with his entire body to subdue him.
They had arrived to save the day for once but were rapidly being overwhelmed themselves.
Okay, Cold thought grimly.
This may take a miracle.And then, as Murmur reached out to slit the unconscious Piper’s throat, he was violently cast against the wall by a sudden tornado of green and yellow spandex that Cold would have known anywhere.
“COLD!” the Top howled, spreading his arms, eyes flashing with anger. “Your time has COME!”
“Oh %$£%,” grunted Cold.
***
I run, but not at Grodd. I run past Grodd as though he’s not even there, curving as I do, to run around him. I can hear him roaring and dimly feel his attacks press at the back of my mind, pricking my consciousness, but I don’t care. I don’t look at him at all, don’t listen, don’t think, don’t give him that satisfaction. I just do the one thing I do better than anybody else on Earth, the one thing I’ve always done to some degree, I just go fast enough that everything else starts to blur. Around Grodd in a circle, faster and faster, closing the size of the circle with each nanosecond.
He’s growling now, ever louder, and looking around him in confusion as I zip by at speeds faster than sound, pushing myself harder with each instant. The wind is rising all around me, creating a tunnel as I run, a vast circular wall of heated air. Faster and faster, with superheated air vibrating ever more rapidly in my wake, I keep running. I’ve done this before, but not like this- never this fast, never this big. Grodd howls but it’s drowned out by the shrieking wind as I create a literal tornado of air around him, the air spinning and wailing at ever faster speeds.
Grodd is trying to force his way out, but the force of the air pressure keeps him pinned within the cage of air, raising his arms to shield himself against the torrent of pure kinetic energy spinning around him. I lower my head and intensify my speed, determined to break him, the tornado growing in speed and size. It sweeps up the remnants of a car in the street, which fly through it to smash against Grodd, pounding him against the far side of the tornado which in turn spins him round to crash into another side. In the ever-narrowing eye of the storm, he’s roaring in pain and pure rage, and I can hear threats whispering at the back of my mind, desperately trying to make an impact, but I push past it, ignoring it. Another car swept up; now pieces of debris are being sucked into the tornado, all smashing against Grodd, wearing him down- I can see blood in the air, and I can’t hear anything over the roaring of the wind.
The tornado gains yet more speed and now the eye of the storm is too small to contain Grodd and he is sucked into the main body, spitting and wailing, the force of my tunnel of air so great that even this shaggy monstrosity is picked up by it. Arms wailing, face bloody, he is scooped up higher and higher into the sky, still battered by any and all rubble swept up in our wake. Then, abruptly, I start to slow, tearing myself out of the tornado and bringing myself to a halt, hands on my knees, panting heavily.
Game Over, I think grimly, as the tunnel of air vanishes behind me.
And Grodd falls, his body tumbling out of the air to crash with a clap of thunder into the Earth, so that the ground actually physically trembles. Warily, steadily, I approach the miniature crater, on my guard… but Grodd lies still, face flecked with blood, eyes closed.
He’s out. I’ve won.
I nearly collapse to the ground in tiredness and pain and relief, but I manage to keep myself on my feet. Around me, Grodd’s monstrous army are blinking, shaking their heads and whirling in confusion, freed from his mental control. Terrified survivors of the attack take the opportunity to flee anyway- but the crisis is over for now. I look down at my own body, only now aware of how badly Grodd has hurt me- my shoulder tendons shredded, incisor slashes across my stomach drawing blood, my mask half in ragged ruin, scars seared into my legs. But none of that matters nearly so much has how that creature has wounded my city. The carnage goes on for blocks in all directions- shouts and moans and the flicker of flames and the keening of alarms. I have no idea what the death toll is- but I already know it’s far too high.
***
Johnny Quick and Max Mercury ran side by side across the main Keystone/Central bridge, running at the same speed, heads bowed, as the world around them turned to golden streaks of light. Behind them, ever gaining, came the Savitars, running together, arms outstretched, preparing to deliver their final strokes. The two old speedsters were ragged and tired, but defiant to the last. Johnny thought about a thousand things all at once- his daughter… if only he could have seen his daughter. Just once. Before this. He wondered where Barry was, where Jay was- he prayed they were alright, but the smoke he had seen on this battle belayed that hope. If anyone could deal with it, the Flashes could. They were the most capable heroes Johnny had known in his many years of heroism. He was just glad his old friend Max was with him here at the end, the two old speedsters side by side and alone, just like…
…like…
And suddenly, hope blossomed alive inside him.
“Max,” he hissed- or tried to through the blood that burst from his open mouth. The other speedster gave him a sidewards glance.
“They’re gaining, old friend. Not long now.”
“No, Max,” He shook his head desperately, willing his friend to comprehend him. “Barry!” It hurt to talk, each syllable sending a fiery tendril of pain up the side of his face, but he ignored that, willing himself onwards. “When we fought Barry! Weeks ago! When we were mind controlled!”
“What…what about it?” Max turned to look at him- they rounded a corner together and now the Savitars were only a few feet away and closing- they were simply faster, they could not be outrun, and the end was closing fast.
“How did he beat you?” Johnny asked quickly. “You were faster, he was tired, but he won. How?” Max’s face was confused for a moment, as though he didn’t remember or didn’t understand- and then suddenly, the light of understanding dawned on it.
“Do as I do, Johnny,” he hissed. Johnny opened his mouth, but Max shook his head.
And now the Savitars were just behind them. They were coming up on a corner, vast brick looming up before them, and behind him, Savitar reached out to grasp his neck and….
“NOW!”
Imitating Max, Johnny transferred virtually all the kinetic energy in his body to his pursuer, bringing him to an almost immediate stop, causing him to topple in surprise. For the Savitars however, the effect was rather different. Their eyes widened in shock and horror for a split second, and then they careened onwards, charged with double the amount of kinetic energy and unable to halt, unable to stop their forward motion, charging straight forward down the street…
To crash with a clap of thunder through the brick wall only a few feet away.
Wearily, painfully, Johnny clawed his way to his feet and stumbled forwards, the equally exhausted Max by his side. In the rubble of the warehouse wall lay the two evil speedsters- Savitar was breathing shallowly, eyes glazed, unconscious. His companion wasn’t moving at all, and Johnny had been in enough battles to know a broken neck when he saw one. He bowed his head- killing had never been their intention… but they had had no other choice.
“Let’s… let’s get these two to prison. And then let’s find out what the hell else is going on here tonight,” Max croaked hoarsely. With a nod of agreement, Johnny started forwards.
***
“I knew it!” Spectro hissed, as though the confession were real and not coerced. “I always knew you knew, deep down! And now it’s public! Now you’ve admitted it!” He gave a mad chuckle. “Oh, but the bit about your boy?” He winked. “I lied.” Then he raised a foot to bring it crashing down on Wally’s neck as Jay gave a horrified shout of anger and horror….
…and then an instant later, Spectro froze, confusion on his face, before collapsing limply with a choking cough, head lolling, eyes blank, mouth open.
“…I simply can’t
abide liars,” Doctor Alchemy shook his head remorsefully, lowering the Philosopher’s Stone.
“What… what did you do?” Jay looked between Alchemy and Spectro’s fallen form. “…And… why?”
“I merely turned his blood into water,” Alchemy shrugged. “As for why… I am a Man of Science, Mister Garrick. It is of no concern to me who wins these petty little conflicts, but I do believe that saving the life of your urchin rather puts the Flashes in my debt… and that is something a man like myself might find
very useful.” He gave a brief shrug of his shoulders and raised the stone, and at once, Jay was standing on solid ground again. “Rest assured, it is a debt which I
shall collect. Think of that each time you see this boy alive.”
“Just a minute,” Jay took a step forward, past Spectro’s greying body. “You just murdered a man. You can’t possibly think I’m just going to let you walk away…”
“From what I was told upon the breakout, Mister Garrick, and from what I can see here” Alchemy raised an eyebrow, gesturing at Wally’s body. “…You have rather enough to be getting along with yourself. And I would rather recommend against using the hospital this night. Good evening.” And with that, he strode towards the nearest side-street, but Jay had no interest in the villain, or even in the dead one by his feet. Suddenly all his thoughts rushed to Wally- he had to get him out of here, had to get him to safety, but where? If the hospitals were indeed out, then…
The Titans. The night was not yet over and Jay was needed here in the Cities- Wally needed to be with people who cared about him. And if he remembered correctly- and he prayed he did- then there was a member of the Titans who might be of more use than any doctor. Scooping up the tattered, broken boy in his arms, with his heart shredding itself every time he looked down at him and tears flowing freely, he began to run…*
*Follow Jay and Wally into
Teen Titans #38, out this very week!
***
In less than a second, I put out the remaining blazes. In the next few, I instruct as many of the gorillas as I can about what has happened and warn them to get out of here. I wish I could do more, but I can’t- I need to go. I need to get back to the hospital. I have to tell Iris what has happened, I have to… I have to see my child.
I’ll be back, I swear as I look at the chaos around me.
It’s my fault Grodd came here… my fault. I swear I’ll be back to help clean up this mess but I need to…“Flash.”
A man in a
very familiar golden suit suddenly stands mere feet away, from nowhere. I stare at him- that suit… it’s like mine, except inverted. And suddenly I’m having a flash of memory, something… something I shouldn’t remember. Hazy. Like a dream, or something half forgotten but…
“…Zoom?” I ask on confusion. And the figure, whoever he is, starts, as though the very mention of that name infuriates him.
“No.” He replies simply. “Who I am is unimportant.” He says every sentence crisply, not as a threat, not as a promise. More… a statement of fact. “I will teach you the meaning of loss.” Oh God, another wacko.
“Well, sorry,
Professor Zoom,” I respond mockingly, praying he doesn’t try to fight me. God, I have no idea where these lunatics come from but I simply can’t fight another battle. Not today. I’m too exhausted, too busy, too distraught, I just… I can’t. “…But I think I’m going to have to skip class.”
“You don’t understand,” He replies simply. “But…. You will.” And then he’s gone, and I don’t allow myself a moment to wonder at what the heck he’s playing at. I need to get back to the hospital, I need to see my wife, see my baby.
And it’s then for the first time that I realise that not all the smoke is coming from where I am.
…IRIS!***
“No-one tops the Top, Cold!” sneered the Top, striding purposefully towards his target. “You should
know that!” His eyes were roving wildly, pupils unable to stay focused, and his gait was uneven. He was, in short, completely bonkers, Cold figured, and his timing could not possibly be worse. But in life, you fought the battles life gave you. Len Snart wasn’t stupid, but he also wasn’t a coward. And maybe, just maybe… with his sister in a hospital room just a few doors down, he wasn’t willing to let these monsters have their way.
And besides… Cold had an idea.
With a grunt of effort, he grabbed the psychotic Kobra by the throat, holding him in front of him. Hissing and spitting, the villain fought to be free- but before he could, he was smashed into a wall by a renewed tornado of energy as the Top spun towards Cold, consumed with killing him once and for all. As the New Rogues scattered to avoid his lethal maelstrom, the others took the opportunity- for everything it was worth.
Double Down threw himself to the floor as the Top tore past him… and before he could get up, Heatwave was standing over him, cracking him over the head with the hilt of his gun- Cold was glad to see Mike resist the temptation to simply fry the bastard. They were in a hospital, after all. He was interrupted in his chain of thought as the edge of the Top’s tornado swirled into him and sent him crashing backwards through a pane of glass into another empty room, landing roughly. Gritting his teeth so as not to cry out, he scrambled to his feet- Girder, who had also been caught up in the tornado and smashed through beside him, did not. Tch. These New Rogues really were made of weak stuff. The Top’s chaotic onslaught had quite ironically cleared the way for the Rogues to regain the advantage over their attackers- over the man’s shoulder, he saw Tar Pit roaring in pain as the Pied Piper’s rats swarmed over him, gnawing him, wearing him down.
“Thanks, Top. Couldn’t have done it without you,” he remarked sarcastically, hands by his sides, eyes twitching from side to side, planning, as the Top stared at him maniacally.
“I… I warned you, Cold. I warned you,” his finger was twitching wildly, eyes roving inanely. “No-one…
No-one tops the top!”
And with that, he lunged forward, twirling…. Only to shatter a reflective image of Cold, and nothing more. In confusion, he froze, turning to see what had happened.
And with Mirror Master waving merrily beside him, the real Captain Cold stepped out of the window behind his enemy, barrel of his cold gun pressed to the Top’s skull.
“I do,” He said simply, and squeezed the trigger.
***
With a derisive snarl, Abra Kadabra materialised in the Central City Hospital’s Maternity Ward waiting room. The lone occupant of the room screamed and scrambled backwards, trying desperately to shield the cot behind her- but to no avail.
“Ah… the Flash’s child,” Kadabra smiled, his moustache twitching as he traced circles in the air with his wand. “Making you… what? The brat’s grandmother. It is of no concern.” Ignoring the woman’s protests, he advanced, jerking his head at the sounds of chaos behind them. “The battle there is winding down. Your husband’s… ‘friends’?... have prevailed. Unfortunately. But I can still see to it that this day is not a total loss….
He raised the wand as the poor woman tried quite fruitlessly to shield the baby, chuckling as he did so, and opened his mouth.
“Abra….”
And at that moment, the door exploded from his hinges and he raised his hands to shield himself with a cry of surprise. The woman turned desperately to her would-be saviour and…
“Should’ve known it would be you, Kadabra,” growled Captain Cold. As the surprised wizard looked up, Cold stepped forward to grab him by the scruff of the neck, looking around the room.
“I knew you were low, but I don’t give a damn who they are…” He spat on the magician. He drove his fist into Kadabra’s face. “
Never…” *crash* “…
Ever…” *smash* “…
target…” *crack* “…
kids.” And then with the final fist, he raised his cold gun and before the magician could cry out in pain, froze Kadabra’s head into a block of solid ice.
“…But then you never did quite get the Rogues, did you?” he added derisively, and shattered the man’s skull into a thousand shards with a single blow. Turning to walk out, he spared a moment to nod his head. “Ma’am,” he grunted to the woman, and then walked back into the foyer, leaving Barry’s stunned mother with the baby behind her, trembling in a mix of horror and relief. “Top
and Kadabra in one day,” Cold shook his head, a trace of a smile hewn on his face as he stepped out. “Glad we came back after all.”
***
I burst through the doors of the hospital in an instant, trying not to think about the horror strewn all across the lower lobby, blitzing my way towards the stairs, heart hammering.
Iris… Iris… I need to reach the maternity level. I need to make sure everything’s okay. One look at the level and my heart skips a beat-
No… All I can see is chaos- shattered windows, broken walls, bodies everywhere, and in the centre…. In the centre…
“Easy, Flasher,” Captain Boomerang raises both hands cautiously the instant he sees me, face wary. “We’re on your side in this one.”
He’s… what? Why are the Rogues even here? And what the hell
happened here?
“Some mutual friends of ours,” grunts an all too familiar voice… and I see Captain Cold step out of the waiting room. As he gestures, I notice the bodies on the ground… the frozen form of the Top… bodies of the Clown, Girder, Murmur, Double Down… “Ask your friends,” He jerks his head at Morillo and Chyre, who I hadn’t even noticed standing by the door, both looked nearly as tired as I feel. “We saved the damn place.” One look confirms they’re telling the truth.
“I… if that’s true then… thank you.” I simply have nothing else to say. I suddenly feel exhausted, so exhausted I could just collapse, and the pain from my wounds is flaring up again. Normally, I might have tried to stop them, have told the Rogues that they still have crimes to answer for, but I just… I don’t care. Not today. “Go.” I instruct them. “Get out of here.” They don’t look all that surprised. Chyre and Morillo approach me but I can’t talk to them, I don’t have time, I just walk past them, and suddenly my identity doesn’t matter, nothing matters… nothing except…
I throw open one of the only doors that’s still intact and run in and see…. And see…
“Hello, Barry,” whispers Iris drily, her eyes full of tears… and she’s holding something in her arms. “There’s… there’s someone you should probably meet.”
And I know that everything’s okay after all.
***
“This is Tricia McGarry for Central City News. I’m here live outside Central Hospital, which appears to be at the centre of the catastrophe that has struck Central City tonight. With unconfirmed reports of a battle in Keystone City’s main plaza and an explosion in the suburbs, it is believed that at least one hundred people are dead and many more injured as a result of a brutal attack on Central’s Northern Suburbs. Here at the hospital, it is believed that a group of villainous super-criminals stormed the streets, killing at least eleven policemen, before assaulting the building. We have received confirmation in the last few minutes that the villains have been stopped and that there were no fatalities among patients or staff. Although details remain unclear, discussion and several anonymous sources are connecting this attack to the Flash, the Twin Cities’ premier protector, who…”
“You got that right!”
“I… oh my God, it’s the Tri…”
“Calm yourself down, Missy, I’m not going to hurt you. Yes, for you folks at home, I’m the Trickster, wanted super-villain, Rogue, menace to society, yadda yadda yadda. Well, in like a minute I’m gonna turn myself in to the police, but first, Ms McGarry, I have a tape that I really think you should play…”***
Minutes later and I’m still completely stunned, trembling so hard that I’m afraid I’m going to vibrate through the floor. My Carrie… my baby girl… she’s so small, so fragile, so incredibly tender. I’m only half listening to the nurse and Iris’ dad and my parents- even thinking of them makes me grateful to Johnny and Max- and even Iris herself, I just can’t take my eyes off my… my daughter. I have a daughter. I let out a sudden laugh, and the nurse gives me a funny look, but I just can’t help it. I know people have died out there, there’s been an attack and I shouldn’t be happy but… but I am. It’s impossible not to be.
This is my daughter. My little Carrie. There are tears in my eyes and I feel Iris squeeze my hand- and there are tears in her eyes too. I had forgotten how tiny they are when they’re born- they grow so fast, at first, but right now, she’s so… so tiny.
How, I wonder,
could I ever have thought that this would be a bad night? How could I have ever…“Excuse me, Barry,” Ira says, his tone unusually soft, hand on my shoulder. “I know what this must… but you should really see this.” Reluctantly, not wanting to look away from my daughter, I cast a glance aside – he’s indicating the TV set which… which…
***
“Iris Allen,” Savitar said at once, without opening his eyes. “I knew you’d come.” Refusing to show even a hint of fear, Iris fixed both guards with piercing stares- she needed to talk to this monster coyly, and that meant no eavesdroppers. Shrugging, they withdrew, though they told her they’d be waiting just on the other side of the door. In theory, even Savitar couldn’t possibly pose a threat, but if he did, they’d be ready. It would have to do. ***
“Oh My God…” breathes Iris, eyes widening, and we turn to her in confusion, and my heart is pounding just a little faster. What’s going on? Why is she on TV? Where did this video come from and what’s the point of it? “I know….” She whispers. “I know what’s about to…”
“I’ll take Carrie to the incubator,” nods Jay wisely, and he scoops up my baby in his arms and leaves the room, leaving us staring at the television, when…
“Barry Allen,” comes a voice I’ve heard only once before in my life- today.
Eobard Thawne.
***
When they were gone, Savitar opened his eyes and smiled.***
I whirl, and he’s standing there, still in his costume- he got in before anyone or anything could stop him. And in his hand, as though in some horrific tableau of events from earlier today, he’s holding my father by the throat. His face is deadly serious.
“Let the lesson begin.”
***
“Have you come to know how I will kill your husband, the Flash?” Savitar asked, and his grin widened.***
I try to move.
I run, forcing myself forward with every muscle I have. I sprint for everything I’m worth, ignoring the horrified reactions of everyone else in the room with me, ignoring the television, ignoring everything but my father’s life hanging in the balance. No, I tell myself, with the same force of will that brought down Grodd.
My daughter will see her grandfather.“I…” my dad is wheezing, fighting for breath. “Barry… you know that I…”
Thawne’s fingers start to close.
I will stop you… you will not do this. This night will be a happy one. I WON’T lose my father. I WON’T… I… I can’t. I mean, I’m… I’m the Flash.
…I’m the Fastest Man Alive.
The world moves in slow motion around me, I can make it, I know I can make it- I throw myself forwards, running, running….But tonight…
His fingers are closing and dad’s eyes are widening but I’m just a few feet away and I know I’m fast enough.…for the first time…
And my hand is stretched out and it’s just a foot away and gaining but Thawne is fast and his fingers are closing on dad’s throat and……I’m not fast enough.
Crack.
***
“That’s right, peeps- me again.” The Trickster grinned broadly into the cameras. “So there you go, the secret’s out, Twin Cities! That little lady was Iris Allen, currently in this very hospital! And it’s because of her that this entire damn night happened. Her husband? The guy mentioned? The guy who’s responsible for this whole crazy night? His name is Barry Allen.
But you know him better as the Flash. The Fastest Man Alive.”***
I halt mid-run, frozen, staring in disbelief. The moment seems to last for an eternity as my dad falls to the ground, limp, neck snapped in an instant, sightless eyes staring forwards. Blank. Gone. Lifeless.
Forever.
My breathing is heavy and getting heavier, and I’m trembling harder than I ever have, my mind still in shock, unwilling to comprehend what has just happened.
“I warned you,” Thawne says, and his tone remains utterly emotionless- matter of fact. I’m going to be sick. I look up at him, and all my own pain and tiredness melts away in the face of pure, raw, numbing anger. My father has never hurt anyone in his life. He was a simple man, and he never did anything…
anything… to deserve this. What could… why would…? And suddenly, Thawne’s gone, so fast that even I cannot stop him…. And then my heart skips a beat, because suddenly he’s standing over my Iris.
“Goodbye.” He says, and that’s all. I give a shout of shock and horror and race forwards, but I’m too slow. Thawne presses something on his belt, and suddenly he’s gone, and Iris with him, and I can only stumble forwards to collapse onto my knees, my head wringing with pain and shock and loss.
“No…” I whisper, a tide of horror rising higher within me. “NO….”
And now I crouch over the body of my father and I can see someone dimly in the doorway- and I can hear the television blaring now, and dully, dumbly, I realise what they’re saying.
“…the shocking relevation that the Flash is in fact Barry Allen, a forensics officer for Central City Police and…”…but I don’t care anymore. I can’t care. He’s gone, and my wife is with him, and my father is dead, and nothing matters. Nothing… And I look up, tears streaming down my face, in shock, in anger, in horror, and I see Jay standing in the doorway. …Jay… who was taking Carrie to the incubator and….
Carrie… And…
…and his face is ashen grey.
