Flash Read online

  The mayor’s address began, and her co-workers crowded around the monitors set on the office walls. It was already seven o’clock. Iris had barely moved since returning from the dive bar. Mayor Bellows tried to appear confident, but failed. He assured the people that the metahuman assaults would not last much longer. Decisive steps were being taken to safeguard the people of Central City. The crowd at the paper mocked the promises.

  Iris returned her focus to her own social media feeds. The voices and views of thousands of citizens echoed across Central City, and she listened. It was one of those people who sent the information she was looking for.

  A grainy photo that could’ve been a green cloud drifting past an alley. Something looked familiar. A shock rippled through her. She recognized the neighborhood next to her own. She zoomed in on the time stamp.

  It had been taken five minutes earlier.

  Her hand fumbled for her phone.

  “Barry! He’s going after Dad!”

  16

  Joe returned home to a dark, empty house. Neither of the kids was home.

  Between his day job and his off-hours activities, it was a wonder if Barry got any rest at all. The kid was going to run himself ragged—that was his nature. Barry liked to claim that his parents or even Joe had instilled in him an unflagging sense of duty, but Joe knew better.

  That was all Barry.

  Maybe it stemmed from losing a parent. Joe had spent endless hours with him since the night his mother died, talking it through with the boy, the teenager, and the man. Barry claimed to understand that it hadn’t been his fault, but while his mind might have come to accept the fact, his heart was another matter. A kernel of self-doubt always resonated.

  Joe let out a gentle breath of frustration. Grief wasn’t something to push past. There was no sense running away from it, because it would just follow. There was no expiration date on grieving. It became a part of you, and you had to make room for it or you would forever feel it inside you, like an invader. That was grief. He didn’t know if Barry had made it to that point, and if he hadn’t, Joe didn’t know how to help.

  Other than to be there for him.

  He set his keys and his wallet on the foyer stand, hating the utter stillness of the house. Maybe they needed a cat or a dog, something to greet him when he came home. Given the crazy hours all of them kept, though, any pet would be left alone for much of the day. That wouldn’t be fair to the animal.

  Putting the thought aside, Joe headed for the kitchen to see if there was anything left for dinner. He should have stopped on the way home, picked up some take-out, but he’d been too tired.

  Bending to peer into the refrigerator, he saw that all of the chicken cutlets were gone. Luckily there was still some sauce in the jar. With a little bit of pasta, that would make a quick meal that didn’t require a lot of work.

  He set water boiling on the stove and went upstairs to change. In the bedroom he didn’t bother to turn on a light—there was plenty from the street. He yanked his holster off his belt, set it on the dresser, and reached for his badge. Then, in the stillness, he heard a soft creak on the stairs.

  The door hadn’t opened and closed, so most likely it was Barry, moving too fast for the ear to track. Joe turned, expecting to see the kid standing right there, grinning as usual.

  But it wasn’t Barry.

  It was Kyle Nimbus.

  “Detective West,” the bald man said, dark shadows obscuring most of him as he stood in the bedroom door. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

  Joe tensed at the appearance of the murderer in his house, freezing for an instant before his training kicked in.

  “Sorry to have made you wait, Nimbus,” Joe said. “I’m afraid I’ll have to keep disappointing you, though.” He stepped closer to the dresser and his hand shot out for the weapon that sat there.

  “Oh, but you won’t.” Nimbus’s lips curved into a vindictive smirk of victory. “I’m going to turn this crappy little bedroom into your very own gas chamber.”

  As Joe grabbed for his gun, the Mist dissolved into a green cloud of hydrogen cyanide. Firing two rounds, he realized the futility and flung himself on the other side of the bed, away from the billowing poison. He grabbed the edges of the bed sheet and he pulled it across in front of him, using it like a sail to disperse the cloud as much as possible as it moved toward him.

  Nimbus couldn’t hold his gaseous shape for long, which meant he was beatable if Joe could keep away from him. Still tendrils of smoke reached out. Joe punched the remote control for the ceiling fan, kicking it up into high speed. There wasn’t enough spin to drive Nimbus away altogether, but it caused just enough dispersal for Joe to make a mad dash for the bedroom door.

  He held his breath, dove over the bed, and ran through the haze.

  Nimbus gathered himself and followed on the detective’s heels. The writhing mass cascaded over the stairs in an effort to cut Joe off down below. The poison fell to the floor as if it had sudden weight, and then lifted, coalescing back into human form. The bald man’s malevolent smirk made Joe’s blood run cold.

  He lifted his gun and fired. The bullet grazed Nimbus before it shattered a lamp across the room. He transformed and tendrils of smoke coiled again, swelling and reaching out.

  * * *

  The Flash’s heart hammered as he veered down the street where he had played as a kid. Everything appeared serene, but he knew better. His house came into view. Through the front window he saw frantic motion, and an ominous dark green cloud filling in the foyer. Joe was barely visible just beyond it.

  “Nimbus is here!” Flash shouted into his cowl mic. He didn’t slow, and rammed the door with his shoulder, vibrating just enough to weaken the hinges. The heavy wooden panel flew off the jamb and straight through Nimbus, dispersing him.

  Joe leapt to the side, rolled on the floor, and came up with his gun at the ready. The mist coalesced again, gathering in the doorway. The Flash zipped past to stand alongside Joe.

  “That’s enough, Nimbus!” he shouted.

  “Not even close.” The mist again took on human form. “Not by half. I’ll have my revenge, and you’re not going to stop me!” Leaping forward with a vicious growl, he devolved again into a cloud, sending it streaking toward the Flash and Joe.

  But they weren’t there.

  Coming to a stop outside and down the block, the Flash reached out to steady Joe, who staggered a bit.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “Did you inhale any of it?”

  “I don’t think so.” Joe shook his head. “How did you know?”

  “Iris tracked him.”

  “I told her not—”

  “She saved your life.”

  Joe stopped. “I’ll thank her tonight.” He smiled. “Right now, go get that psychopath before he hurts somebody.”

  “Water is heavier than gas.” It was Cisco, his voice in Barry’s ear. “Is there a water line nearby?” As he said it, Nimbus came running out through the open doorway, spotted them, and headed in their direction, a dark but solid form in the night.

  Without a word the Flash moved to a red fire hydrant and vibrated the cap on the street side, spinning it off onto the pavement with a metallic thud. With blurring fingers, he spun the heavy bolt on top, sending a rush of water into the street.

  Nimbus laughed. “Fat lotta good that’s gonna do you, genius.” He transformed again and green fumes billowed out, increasing in size.

  The Flash thrust his arm out and spun it so fast it became a blur. Using the motion to direct it precisely, he turned the gusher into a wide-dispersal, high-speed spray that enveloped the entire cyanide cloud. Taking a page from the firefighters at the chemical fire, he used the driving force of the spray to batter Nimbus to the ground.

  The thug reformed, becoming human. As he staggered the Flash pulled his arm out of the stream. This was his chance to take down the Mist. One solid hit was all he needed.

  Joe moved toward Nimbus as well, running with his
gun drawn.

  A red blur streaked past, skidding through the cascading water to collapse with a pained grunt on the road near the hydrant, sliding several feet on the hard asphalt. The figure on the ground was…

  Him. Again.

  His older self pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He looked up, blood smeared across his face.

  “Run, Barry. He’s coming.”

  A heavy grunt sounded from behind and the Flash turned. The gush had expanded, becoming a curtain of water and the shadow of something large lurked behind it. The huge shape roared from the darkness. Barry didn’t have time to react. Brutally strong hands grasped his throat and pulled him forward. Small yellow eyes glared at him as a thin-lipped mouth opened to reveal long, pointed teeth.

  Grodd!

  The huge ape grunted, his voice like rough gravel.

  “Flash.” Grodd’s lips didn’t move. “You won’t run now.” The monstrous creature communicated through telepathy granted to him through horrifying experimentation, combined with the effects of the particle accelerator explosion.

  The Flash took hold of the gorilla’s forearms. They were like tree trunks and he couldn’t budge them. He struggled to look down for the other Flash, but couldn’t find him.

  Abruptly he flew upward. Grodd lifted him over his hairy head and with a savage roar threw the Flash down the street. Careening through the air, the Flash spun his hands in tight circles, trying to create a vortex that would prevent him from crashing, and keep him away from the rampaging meta-ape. It didn’t work.

  His head cracked against a hard surface, and he collapsed into a shallow pool of water. A hard blow struck him and his vision darkened. In a panic, the Flash tried to focus. He couldn’t leave Joe alone to face Grodd and Nimbus. He fought to stand on wobbly knees.

  His vision returned and he recognized the slime-covered walls and a familiar cold stink of the sewer.

  How?

  A crashing blow landed on the back of his head, and he smashed into the wall. His head bounced on the concrete and he collapsed to his knees in the fetid water. Thick fingers touched the Flash’s shoulders.

  Instantly he moved, slipping inside the giant outstretched hands, and his fists blurred red, pounding against dark fur. Blinding force battered the Flash to the ground again. He hit something soft, wondering if he was feeling his own bones being pulverized.

  He forced his head to the side, and to his astonishment, he saw green. Beyond the huge bulk of Grodd stood trees, thick and lush. Shafts of dewy sunlight streamed from the deep forest canopy above. The gorilla settled heavily on his knuckles and looked around. He huffed gently.

  “Flash.” Grodd’s face was close to Barry’s ear. The gorilla’s stinking breath was hot and acrid. “Stop running.”

  The Flash had to strike while he could. He pushed himself up, but Grodd’s massive foot pressed onto Barry’s back and shoved him down onto the damp ground. A powerful hand grasped his head and drove it into the mud, the taste of thick loam filling his mouth and throat.

  He couldn’t breathe. He desperately pushed back, frantic to find the air, but his face went deeper into the earth. Blackness surrounded him.

  17

  Joe ran as fast as he could. The kid had Nimbus on the ropes. The Flash’s body vibrated. Lightning crawled over him, the electric spiders of energy that lived inside the speed force. They appeared almost alive as they moved.

  He was a bright red blur that crackled with furious energy.

  Only a few feet away, Kyle Nimbus stared in terror. Water drenched him, and he scrambled hastily to his feet. Joe fired his gun as a warning, then pointed it directly at the murderer.

  “That’s it, Flash!” he shouted. “Take him down!”

  Spinning without hesitation, Nimbus raced down the street, ducking between parked cars. Another couple of shots, and Nimbus stumbled, but then Joe stopped, unwilling to put his neighbors at risk of being struck by a random bullet. The Flash could snatch him up without using lethal force.

  But no red streak roared past Joe in pursuit of Nimbus.

  Nothing.

  Turning, he found the Flash frozen in place, his right arm pulled back as if arrested in the process of throwing a punch. His body vibrated so wildly that Joe couldn’t even make out the features of the face he knew so well. Water from the hydrant passed through him as if he were a beam of scarlet light.

  Joe could see his house through Barry’s body.

  Pocketing his gun, he moved to grab Barry by the shoulders, but his fingers closed on empty air. Thinking he had missed, he tried again. No. His hands were visible inside the blurry shape.

  Horror washed over Joe, a helpless dread that rippled through him. Then he realized that his fingers were tingling, and painfully. He pulled his hands back, and the burning sensation stopped.

  He stood helpless in the frigid cascade of water.

  “Flash!” he shouted, hoping to get his attention. For a moment he had almost called him by name. Despite the danger, people were peering out windows and standing on porches.

  Still Barry didn’t react.

  “Flash! Can you hear me? It’s Joe!”

  There! A subtle shift occurred, ever faint, but Joe took it as a sign that Barry was trying to come back.

  “Fight! Don’t give up!”

  The blurring slowed, and suddenly he could see eyes, wide and panicked. He grabbed Barry’s face in both hands, and it was solid. Immediately his hands went numb, but he didn’t let go.

  “Slow it down,” he said softly. The vibrations ceased, and the costumed form collapsed against Joe, who grabbed tighter, holding him upright.

  “What… happened?” Barry gasped, clutching Joe’s arms.

  “I was about to ask you the same thing.” Joe tried to guide him away from the hydrant that was drenching both of them in a cascading roar. He aimed for the house, wanting to get them both inside, away from prying eyes. He’d sort out an explanation later.

  “Are you all right? Barry!” Joe heard frantic voices shouting over the Flash’s comm. “What’s going on?”

  The Flash pulled back from Joe.

  “Grodd,” he said. “It was Grodd. Didn’t you see him?” He looked around, confused.

  “Here?” Joe frowned, and shook his head. “No. Grodd wasn’t here. It was just you, me, and Nimbus.”

  “But I saw him,” Barry insisted. “And the other Flash. The older one.” He looked around helplessly.

  “They weren’t here, son,” Joe replied. “It was just you. You froze up.” He tried not to show panic. “I couldn’t touch you.”

  “Grodd had me prisoner,” Barry muttered. “In the sewer, and then in a jungle. He was crushing me.”

  “Look for yourself,” Joe said. “There aren’t any wounds.” They stepped through the broken doorway. “You were imagining it. You’ve been here the whole time.”

  “That can’t be.” Barry shoved his cowl back as he was led into the living room. Joe took his shoulder in a firm grip.

  “Son, listen to me. You didn’t go anywhere. You were here the whole time.”

  Barry’s expression shifted from confusion to realization.

  “It happened again.” Barry looked utterly pale. “Just like at the warehouse fire. With Iris. Oh, damn…”

  Joe guided him to the sofa. “Here. Sit down.”

  “What happened to Nimbus?”

  “He took off. I’m guessing the water must’ve hurt him when he was in gaseous form. Plus I think I shot him when he was human. Unfortunately, it didn’t take him down.”

  Barry sank into the sofa with a deep breath.

  “We were lucky he ran,” he said. “While I blurred out, he could’ve gone after you again.”

  “Well, he didn’t.” Joe walked over to where the door lay in the middle of the floor. “But this isn’t about me anymore. What happened to you out there?” He propped the door in its frame, spotting a couple of folks in the street in front of the house. He heard sirens in the distance.
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  “Whatever it was, we’ll fix it,” Barry answered. “Caitlin and Cisco will figure out what to do.”

  “You can’t be so easygoing about it, Bar.” Joe turned to face him. “If you were a normal kid and you were sick, at least we’d be able to figure out what you had and then we’d have an idea what to do. But if something is going wrong with your power, there’s no path to follow.”

  Barry opened his mouth to reply when Iris burst in, shoving the shattered front door onto the floor with a crash.

  “Dad!” she said, stepping back with surprise. “Barry!” Then she propelled herself toward them.

  “Iris, we’re okay.” Joe let his daughter crash against him, and he took her in his arms.

  “When I saw that Nimbus was nearby—”

  “It’s all right.” Joe let Iris go to where Barry sat on the couch. “We’re both fine.”

  Barry smiled at her. “Nice work,” he said. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d have been too late.” Then he paused. “There’s something else, though…”

  Iris studied Barry’s expression. “It happened again, didn’t it? I can see it in your eyes.”

  “Yeah.” Joe picked up his wallet and keys from the debris in the foyer. “We’re going to S.T.A.R. Labs. I want Caitlin to look at you.”

  “Let me fix the door first.” Barry came to his feet, pulling up his cowl.

  “Barry, I don’t want you—” Joe hadn’t even finished when the door was back in place, not quite good as new but solid.

  “—to use your speed till we know what’s wrong.” The Flash stood in the foyer, moving the door back and forth and looking smug. Then he turned to face them.

  “I’ll meet you at S.T.A.R. Labs.”

  “What happens if you blur on the way?” Joe argued. “We won’t know where you are.”

  “Cisco can track my route.” Into the comm, he said, “Right?”