His son injected with a life-threatening nanovirus by the villainous Cobalt Blue, Blaine Allen, The Flash, skirted the edge of the Speed Force with his son, Jace, hoping the energy field would take the boy and save his life. Instead, it claimed Blaine, and granted Jace Allen the super speed he’d always dreamed of having. Now, Jace Allen uses his powers to honor the memory of his father and brother as the fastest man alive! Jace Allen is…The Flash!
Central City, Ohio, Earth. 8:05 AM.
Once again, I’m late for work.
See the guy moving at mach 2 down the streets of Central City? That’s me. My name’s Jace Allen. I’m The Flash. But only when I’m not at work.
And how I can be late for work when I can move faster than any other sentient on Earth, I don’t know.
Most people don’t think superheroes have other jobs. Sorry to burst your bubble, kiddies. I have rent to pay and food to buy. And with my metabolism, the food bills alone are enough to make me need to work three jobs. I’ll take free food any time I can get it.
Well, almost anytime. Tonight might be an exception.
I’m scheduled to have dinner with my mom tonight. I haven’t seen her in something like 10 years, but out of the clear blue sky she gave me a call last week, asking to have dinner with me. You would think this would make me happy.
So why does it depress me so much?
Never mind that. Here’s where I work: the Central City Flash Museum. This building has stood, in one form or another, for over 800 years. Men like Wally West, Curran Allen, and John Fox have walked throughout her halls. I suppose my walking through it is a little less noble – I’m a janitor. But I don’t work here for any kind of glory. I work here out of respect for those that have come before me, like Dad and Bryn. It keeps me close to my history.
It also lets me make sure no one tries to steal any of the things here. At least once a week, someone tries to make off with the cosmic treadmill. Never mind the number of people who come in here and try to USE it. As I’ve learned over the years, it takes a lot of skill and practice to make time travel look easy, either with or without the treadmill. Unfortunately, that’s skill and practice that I have not, as yet, acquired or had the time to do. Sure, I had fun with the treadmill when I was younger, but that was then. And besides, I can’t afford to screw around today, or any other day, for that matter.
Something’s coming. I can feel it. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something in the air today. Something pungent. Something tangible. It’s like…a tension.
This is not an ordinary day.
India. Germany. England. Canada. New Spain (formerly Florida). All on Earth. 11:37 AM.
Lunch doesn’t come soon enough. I had to get out and get some air.
The worst thing about being the fastest man alive and holding a job at the same time is the fact that I can’t use my speed to get my work done in fifteen seconds flat. I have to pace myself. Otherwise, the day ends up being really boring.
And as a result of pacing myself…the day gets really boring. I can’t win.
I wish I knew what was nagging at the back of my skull. I’ve spent the last few hours trying to think of possible threats that could come back at any time to haunt me. I’ve narrowed the list down to five. In no particular order…
First, there’s Speed Metal. Back in the 27th Century, during the time of John Fox, Speed Metal was a law enforcement machine created by EarthGov. Speed Metal was considered to be the ultimate in law enforcement, if only because it had super speed and teleportation capabilities. This robot’s top speed was half the speed of light, and it contained built-in time travel circuitry.
What no one counted on, though, was that the head of the Speed Metal project, Dr. Victoria Fossworth, had programmed Speed Metal with a failsafe command. All she had to do was initiate that command, and Speed Metal would come running (literally) to Fossworth’s side. Fossworth seized control over her creation, and went on a killing spree the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the time of the legendary heroes and the serial killer known throughout history as ‘The Man Who Laughs’. Eventually, Fossworth downloaded her brain into Speed Metal, and decided to take down the only opposition she could ever possibly face: John Fox, The Flash. Fox defeated her, detaching the head of the machine from the rest of its body.
I’ve only had to face Speed Metal once. I pray I never have to again.
Next on the list, there’s the original Chronos. Not Gabriel Walker; I’ve met Gabriel Walker, he’s a nice guy. I’m talking about his predecessor. Another criminal from the era of the legends, this time-travelling thief has tried to rob the Flash museum more times than I can count. Last week, he tried to steal a replica of Jay Garrick’s original Flash uniform. For what purpose, I have no idea. He shouldn’t be too big a problem, should he show up again.
Moving along is Cobalt Blue. I try not to think about Cobalt Blue any more than I have to. The damage she’s done to my family…all that she’s taken from my mother and I…I’m just glad I haven’t heard from her in a few years. I don’t know what I’ll do the next time she comes around. I just hope it’ll be something I can be prou--
Okay, that was weird. It might be that I was completely lost in thought, but I swear I just felt a strong gust of wind rush past me at an extremely high speed. I could go after it or just pass it off as a gale-force wind…
But it could be Speed Metal.
Within a few seconds, I’ve found the trail of whoever or whatever it was that passed me. It’s still pretty far ahead of me, and the trail of dirt it’s kicking up is making it hard for me to make out what it is. I’m so concentrated on what I’m chasing, I don’t even see the man in the red and yellow suit pull up next to me as I run.
“Mind if I join you?”
His greeting about makes me jump out of my costume. I glance over at him. He’s wearing a red, full-body costume with yellow boots and yellow lightning bolts around his wrists and waist. His mask is accented by yellow wings that cover his ears. Across his chest is another yellow lightning bolt, bursting out of a white circular field.
My jaw drops.
The figure next to me extends his right hand. “Wally West. Nice to meet you.”
I shake his hand as my mind races. This is Wally West! Barry Allen’s nephew! Any notions I have of being The Flash instantly fade away. I can’t be The Flash. THIS man is THE FLASH.
I try to compose myself as I finally find the ability to use my mouth again. “I-I’m J-Jace Allllllllllen. I’m Jace Allen. Jace Allen. Jace.”
“Jace Allen. Got it. We’ve met before, haven’t we? You were younger…” Wally smiles at me, and I find myself completely at ease. It’s easy to see why most historical texts talk about him in such a positive light. He seems like he could make the wind relax in the middle of a snowstorm.
I swallow hard and smile weakly at him. “We HAVE met before…it’s just been a long time. What’re we after here?”
Wally’s expression quickly changes. His brow furrows, and I can hear the seriousness of the situation in his tone. “His name is Savitar.”
My eyes widen as the name escapes his lips. Savitar. The dark lord of speed.
I first learned about Savitar when I was a kid, only six years old. I heard about what he’d done to the speedsters of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Some he nearly crippled. Others, he did. Very few…he killed. All those he faced were left changed forever.
I had nightmares about him for weeks. My brother used to tease me about it, but I could see it in his eyes, too. Savitar scared the hell out of both of us.
I finally told Dad about the nightmares and why I was so afraid: I was afraid Savitar would come for he and Bryn. My father told me to relax, that Savitar had been long gone for hundreds of years. That made me feel better.
And now here he was. And all the fear I once felt when I was a boy came rushing back.
“I know who Savitar is,” is all I say to Wally as I turn my head and looked forward, again trying to fix my gaze on our target.
I can see out of the corner of my eye that Wally looks confused. He seems to shake it off quickly, though. “Then you know how serious the situation is.”
“What exactly is the situation?”
Wally clears his throat as we struggle our way through the dust cloud that Savitar has left for us in his wake. “He’s on his way to the thir-OOF!”
The foot seems to come out of nowhere. It connects squarely with Wally’s midsection, and the fastest man of the 20th Century is jerked to an abrupt stop. Savitar was waiting for us. The force of inertia pulls me forward as I try to slow down and turn around. I come within a few miles of the two fighting men when suddenly they take off running again.
I follow for as long as I can before their speed becomes too much for me. Historical documents say that Wally West’s top speed is incalculable, and Savitar’s speed seems to match Wally’s. My top speed is Mach 5. These two leave me in the dust. Still I follow, even after I lose sight of them, until two bright flashes of light take them away from the 28th Century.
I circle the Earth a few times, just to make sure they’re gone and I didn’t miss them or anything. I don’t find anything.
Keystone City, Pennsylvania, Earth. 5:56 PM.
I still can’t get what happened this morning out of my mind.
I remember when I went time traveling when I was younger. I jumped around for about three years before I finally settled back in my own time, and each time I did it, I remember feeling sick and disoriented. When I saw Wally, though…it seemed so natural to him. I hope I become that good someday.
I really hope Wally didn’t need any help. I checked the museum archives when I got back to work: no one has ever survived a one-on-one confrontation with Savitar. I saw him in action when I was younger, though. If anyone can handle Savitar, it’s Wally West.
I’ve been sitting in this restaurant for what seems like three hours. It’s really only been a minute and a half. My mom should be here any minute now. I’m sitting here, dressed as comfortably as one can be in a suit and tie. I can feel the knots beginning to form in my stomach as a thousand things race through my mind. What should I say to her? Do I look okay? What will she say to me? Is my tie on straight? Did I shower this morning? Is my aftershave too strong? Have I been eating healthy?
And why do I feel so completely miserable at the prospect of seeing my mom?
It is this last thought that rings throughout my brain like a church bell on a Sunday morning. I can’t get the feeling of dread to go away, and just when I think it’s about to subside…
“Hi, honey.”
I jerk my head up to the left to see a woman in her early 50’s standing next to me. Gray streaks highlight her blonde hair. I smile weakly at her. “Hi, Mom.”
She sits down across the table from me, folding a napkin onto her lap. We stare at each other for an eternity, both trying to think of what to say. Finally, she breaks the silence.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Good.”
“How’s work?”
“About as exciting as a janitorial position can be.”
“I didn’t mean that work.”
“Oh.”
“…”
“…”
“Well?”
“Mom…don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“You know what.”
“What? All I did was ask how work was.”
“Yeah, but you used that tone…”
“What tone?”
“That…disapproving, I hate what you do but I’ll ask about it to be courteous tone.”
“Well…”
“Good evening, my name is Pierre, I’ll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with something to drink, maybe an appetizer or a salad?”
The waiter’s arrival stops our discussion mid-stream. My mother smiles half-heartedly at him. “I’ll have a water.”
“Milk for me,” I say with a slight glance at my mother to see if she reacts to my order. For a split second I see the faintest hint of a smile, which disappears as quickly as it develops.
I clear my throat as the waiter leaves and my mom and I are left alone again. “Work is okay.”
“Good.”
We sit for another minute or two in silence. The sound of clanking knives and forks fills the rest of the room.
“I’m sorry I snapped like that, Mom.”
“Thank you.”
“I just wish you were a little more supportive of me.”
“I’m sorry, but you know how much I hate it.”
“I know.”
Her words cut into me like a chainsaw. I think about my father and brother.
And suddenly I realize why I’ve been dreading this meeting all day.
It’s because of what I’ve lost. Seeing Mom again causes all the painful memories from Dad and Bryn’s deaths to come rushing back like a tidal wave. I keep telling myself that I put those ghosts to rest a long time ago, but only now do I realize how much I’ve been lying to myself. Finally, I understand what she’s afraid of, too. Why she hates what I do.
I can feel a tear running down my cheek, but I’m too much in shock to wipe it away. My mother notices it right away. “What is it?”
I finally snap out of whatever trance I’m in. I shake my head as I wipe the tear away with my left hand. “I’m sorry…it’s just. I finally get it. This speed…this life…has taken so much from you. And you’re afraid…that it’ll take me, too.”
I see her eyes turn red as the tears begin to flow freely. I slide my chair around the table and put my arms around her. She clutches to me, and I see a side of my Mom that I’ve never seen before. It’s a side that, for once, I understand completely.
I try to think of something to say, and as I hug my mother, all I can think of is, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“I know,” she says as she struggles to compose herself.
Out of the corner of my eye I can see the waiter has come back with our drinks. He sets the drinks down on the table and mouths ‘I’ll come back’ to me before he turns to leave.
Mom lets go of me and pulls back slightly. She picks up her napkin and wipes her face as she looks up at me. “I love you, Jace.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
I let go of her as I slide my chair back around to the other side of the table. She smiles, and I can see a bit of shame in her face. She chuckles to herself as she speaks. “I’m sorry, I feel really stupid…”
I smile back at her. “Don’t, Mom.”
Neither of us noticed that the waiter had come back. He taps the table lightly with his knuckle, startling both my mother and I slightly. He smiled. “Are we ready to order?”
“Not yet,” I say with a feeling of embarrassment. “We actually haven’t looked at the menus yet.”
The waiter’s expression sinks as he sighs heavily. “Very well. I’ll come back in a few minutes.”
He walks away and the two of us are left alone again. We both open our menus, and I scan up and down the dinner selections. Should I have the ribs or the fish? I’m just not sure…
As I’m reading, I hear my mother say something I don’t understand. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, or maybe it just didn’t click in my brain. “What was that, Mom?”
She smiles at me. “I said I’m glad you asked me to have dinner with you.”
I close my menu as I hear fully what she has to say. “What?”
I can feel the heat before I even see it. A blue flame bursts up from out of nowhere, surrounding my mother and half of the dinner table before subsiding.
I fly out of my chair and rush to my mother’s side. She’s burned almost beyond recognition, and her breathing is soft. I hold her in my lap, my arms wrapped around her limp body. “Mom? MOM?!”
“Jace…”
Her head falls backwards as a final breath escapes from her lips.
I can feel my teeth clench as I turn to look behind where she was sitting. The anger swells inside me as I see a woman with light blue skin and dark blue hair standing there, clapping her hands and laughing. She is wearing silver pieces of body armor, and in the middle of her chest is embedded a bright blue stone, from which a tiny flame emanates. She smiled sadistically. “What’s wrong, Jace? Mommy don’t feel too good!”
She presses a button on her wrist gauntlet and disappears from sight as I stand, my mother still in my arms. I look around the restaurant as patrons stare at me in disbelief. No one lends a comforting hand. No one says anything.
I look down at my mother again before it becomes too much for me. I scream. It is a scream of ferocious proportions. It is a scream filled with rage. A scream filled with sorrow.
The scream ends, and the people have cleared out of the restaurant. I look around, finally seeing a camera floating a few feet away from me in the air. I know just by looking at it that it’s hers.
I grab the thing and pull it out of the air, holding it up to my face and screaming at it with all of my pain.
“COBALT BLUE! I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO!”
The End...
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